The Vulture-Voucher Ticket's First Week

This was a wild week. I sat through a World War II veteran in Ohio, who is a registered Republican,rant against the pick of Paul Ryan and against GOP obstructionism, particularly from the Ohio delegation. "If all they wanted to do for four years was defeat Barack Obama, then why did they even stay in Washington?"

I was spared the endless ads while out in Ohio. Maybe they were on other channels . The GOP is outspending the Dems in swing states three to one in television ads. President Obama told his campaign donors that he can win up until the GOP outspends him 5 to 1 or 10 to 1. That is the difference he thinks exists between organization and spending. He expressed confidence in his organization and their get out the vote campaign.

The Romney campaign had expected a bump of 5 its with their vice presidential pick. The verdict is in--it was a five point bump for President Obama. Nate Silver was more circumspect saying that the Ryan pick may have meant a one point plus for Romney. Next up will be the convention. The Romney campaign expects an 11-point bounce. 

There was a lot of talk about various states becoming swing states or not. CNN and others are saying Wisconsin may be a swing states even though the latest polls show Obama holding about a 4 point lead--yes, less than 2008. But none of this gossip has been predicated on Romney taking a lead in the state. It is always that Obama's lead is not as large as it might have been. Romney still seems stuck at 191, and Obama bounces from 270 to 330 on a daily basis. Today I actually saw a map with Romney at 272 and Obama at 266--this would be the largest margin of victory for Romney imaginable. But there is nothing in the real world which indicates he s even close to this.

Obama spent this week on his small state strategy for reaching 270. He campaigned in Iowa and New Hampshire. Obama delighted Iowans by his quaffing beer with the natives while the Washington Post was horrified. He also lambasted Romney for his opposition to wind power tax credits, which accounts for 7,000 jobs in the state. Republican Senator Grassley said he felt he had been stabbed in the back by Romney since he was the main architect for wind power credits. President Obama also announced drought relief and pounded Congress for not passing the farm bill, which was being blocked by none other than the VP pick Paul Ryan.

President Obama also released an ad over Paul Ryan's very anti-woman record and his opposition to abortion under any circumstances, birth control and Planned Parenthood as well as against Equal Pay for Equal Work. The ad uses the most effective speech by President Obama delivered in Colorado on the issue of the women's reproductive health.

The Vulture-Voucher campaign got off to a rocky start. It is rumored that the two will now campaign together because separately they have bombed. With unemployment rising in 44 states, Romney was mired in his tax problem--which will not go away--and trying to explain how he would restore Obama's "cuts" from Medicare but he didn't explain how the Medicare Trust would be bankrupt by the end of his term and the program would cease to exist if he did restore the payoffs to insurance company and not cut the waste.

Paul Ryan tried to explain that Obama really was the one who would raise middle class taxes even though his ticket would cost the average American about $2,000 more per year. Paul Ryan campaigned today in the largest adult residence complex in Florida with his mother who claimed his son would never hurt seniors even though his cuts to Medicaid would hurt all seniors in assisted living residents now not later. Ryan boasted how Medicare helped his grandmother who probably is dead by now. Paul Ryan said that Obama's Medicare would ration care for seniors and be "death panels". It's good to see the old standby used.

Howard Dean appeared on MSNBC and said that the GOP could not gain credence by suggesting Democrats would destroy Medicare. He likened the attack to Soviet propaganda techniques which repeated lies over and over again. But what Howard didn't mention was how like the Communist Party the Republicans have become by basically campaigning on exactly the same things as George W. Bush.

If you listen to the Republican speeches this past week, you will notice that what details you heard mirror the GOP talking points during George W without change. The Romney campaign told reporters that if they revealed specifics of their plans they would lose. So, Voter, assume the worst.

Mention of this week can not escape the Swiftboat Ad attacking President Obama over the bin Laden ad. The reason Swiftboat ads attacking John Kerry's military record worked was that he did not respond because he felt they were absurd and that no one remembered his military service. The producer of this 22 minute film is a self-proclaimed Birther who believes President Obama is a socialist and a son of an American Communist. He also is based here in Alexandria and in full disclosure I know two of the participants in this parade. The idea is that President Obama weakened national security by leaking details of the mission --after it happened--and that such leaks could jeopardize missions in the future--sort of. The ad couldn't really make the direct connections but tried. But America killed bin Laden , not President Obama.

Also in the pubic interest, another right-wing group has produced a clip alleging that Barack Obama, Sr. hid an elicit affair between Ann Dunham and the American Communist and also that Ann Dunham posed for S& M photos ala Bette Page. 

And for your birther party, Pat Boone is going to host a gala Birther event in Arizona with Sheriff Arapaio.

The difference between this year and 2008 is that at least John McCain would slap down the nuts who claimed President Obama was a Muslim or that he was born in Kenya. Romney, whose religion claims blacks are the People of Ham, allows this insanity to breed because he hopes it will mobilize his voters.

Leftwing blogs are concerned that Romney acts like he really doesn't have to run a campaign because the election is rigged. This was a concern from 2008, which I personally share. In 2008, with the collapse of the economy and the bad odor of 2000 and 2004 still lingering, states went overboard to accommodate voters through early voting and easier ways to register. Democratic Lt. Governors ensured fairness in states that had been tarnished by allegations of voter suppression in the past. This year Republican Governors in Pennsylvania, Ohio,Virginia and Florida are making every effort to suppress voters, thinking it will affect minorities and the young the most. Florida has lost in court on its plans to restrict voting. Ohio's Republican Secretary of State has threatened to fire Democratic election officials who will not implement the new law. In Pennsylvania, the Philadelphia Tribune said that at this stage the voter ID law will not effect the result of the election but if it is perceived as effecting the results this will mobilize even more voters.

++President Obama has  silent majority of 57-23% in those not going to vote. As we get nearer the election, polls will start to benefit the GOP when they are "likely voters". Obama's chances hinge on a vigorous get out the vote campaign and tapping this silent majority.