SOUND OFF: President Obama and the Democratic Convention
What did you think of Obama's speech and the convention? Will you vote for him in November?
President Barack Obama capped off the Democratic National Convention with a speech that highlighted his foreign policy wins, health care reform and immigration reform on Thursday night.
Over three nights, Democratic leaders took aim at Republican nominee, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and his running mate Congressman Paul Ryan. A number of Massachusetts Democrats spoke at the convention, including Gov. Deval Patrick, Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren and Senator John Kerry.
After last week's Republican National Conventon, we asked readers to tell us what they thought of the convention and Romney.
Tell us what you think about the Democratic convention. What did you think of the president's speech?
Let us know in the comment section below.
Joe Sousa.
5:52 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
In 2008, when Barack Obama was elected president, he said, “If I don’t turn the economy around in three years, I should not be given a second term.”
We need to keep that promise for the good of our country .
NObama 2012 we can do better
Joe Sousa.
7:36 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
Here's the guy to replace Whitehouse in the Senate
WARWICK – Barry Hinckley , candidate for U.S. Senate released the following statement on the August unemployment report:
“Once again, the monthly jobs report brings devastating news for the thousands of Rhode Islanders and millions of Americans looking for work. Not only did our workforce shrink by 368,000, but we are now at a 30-year low in civilian participation rate. Meaning if we have the same level of civilian participation as we did at the beginning of the recovery, we’d be looking at a jobless rate of well over 10%. While the selling point of the stimulus bill was to keep unemployment under 8%, we have now experienced 43 straight months of unemployment over 8%. It is abundantly clear, that the policies of Senator Whitehouse have failed and now Rhode Islanders are looking for a new direction. Rhode Island cannot afford 6 more years of a career politician who spends his time in Washington, D.C. lining his pockets with special interest money, while leaving his constituents behind.”
Joe Sousa.
7:38 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
Senator Whitehouse is continuing to mortgage the future of our children
WARWICK, RI - With total US debt projected to reach the $16 trillion threshold today, the Barry Hinckley for Senate campaign released the following statement: "Today marks another sad chapter in our national failure to deal with our massive federal debt. I call it a 'national failure' because both Republicans and Democrats share blame for where we stand today. Whether we talk about George Bush fighting two wars on the national credit card, or the Wall Street bailouts and wasteful stimulus spending on politically-connected corporations that Sheldon Whitehouse voted for, it is clear that career politicians in both parties have failed to take this issue seriously," said Hinckley.
"The sheer size of the national debt is a major problem, both for us and for our children," continued Hinckley. "Every baby born in America today already owes more than $50,000, and every tax payer owes over $140,000. If we can't get onto a path of sustainability, our children will face a diminished future with fewer services and higher taxes - all to pay for our spending. But just as important, the debt is a lead weight around the neck of our fragile economy right now. We now borrow approximately 40 cents out of every dollar we spend, much of it from foreign countries like China.
Joe Sousa.
7:39 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
The Federal Reserve prints trillions of dollars to finance our overspending, devaluing our currency and causing pain at the pump and at the supermarket for middle-class families."
"Despite his position on the Budget Committee, Sheldon Whitehouse has done nothing to address our dangerous levels of deficit spending," Hinckley said. "In fact, he has dug the hole deeper. Senator Whitehouse has voted to send trillions of dollars overseas and to big banks and corporations, while voting to cut $716 billion from Medicare. Meanwhile, the Senate hasn't even passed a budget in over three years. These priorities are dead wrong for America and for Rhode Island, and I will work tirelessly in the U.S. Senate to reform our tax code and our budget process to eliminate special favors and protect our highest national priorities like Social Security and Medicare."
"President Obama's bipartisan debt-reduction commission has issued a plan that, while not perfect, would address many of the issues that continue to drag us further into debt. The Senate and Sheldon Whitehouse have not acted on this plan. Several Democratic and Republican Senators have also introduced balanced-budget amendments. The Senate and Sheldon Whitehouse have not acted on any of these proposals. Let’s not forget, it was President Clinton who was able to propose a balance budget amendment and achieve a balanced budget while also attaining a budget surplus.”
Joe Sousa.
7:39 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
“I stand ready to work in good faith with any Senator, Republican or Democrat, to begin the hard work of leading our nation back from this fiscal precipice. Rhode Island deserves a leader who will take on the problems we face, not pretend that they don't exist," concluded Hinckley.
bigmanny
8:51 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
Joe Jethro when will you be bringing back your old eastbay name for the president " Obongo." You loved to call him that and it really showed your wit and wisdom.
Forest J. Handford
8:44 pm on Saturday, September 8, 2012
I'm voting for the Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson. He is the former governor of New Mexico. I don't like Obama because he kept Bush's time-table for Iraq, bailed out incompetent companies, and has made it illegal to go without health insurance. I don't like Romney because I used to live in MA, people hate the healthcare bill their. Romney doesn't think water-boarding is torture, and he wants to attack Iran.
Also, I plan to vote for Hinckley.
Naome Lixes
6:37 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
What's your definition of "turn around"?
40 acres and a mule?
Considering where he started, I would say "Mission accomplished",
but that's already taken. You need to measure this, somehow.
I do so, everytime I gas up...gas prices are LOWER under Obama!
Yay for our side! http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,2109474,00.html
Man up, Joe. As you've proven, at great length answering the RNC thread,
you've got nothing other than an abiding hatred for the President.
I hate clowns, but you don't see me calling for a ban on the circus, do you?
Naome Lixes
6:43 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
We should be comparing Obama to USAirways pilot Sullenberberger - not Lindbergh.
http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/archive/Plane-Crashes-in-Hudson-River.html
That plane still crashed - but all the grateful occupants survived.
Mike
7:44 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012
Question was about the convention, so IMHO...
Entertainment: Democrats (anything's better than country, and James Taylor - wow!)
Celebs: Democrats (Longhoria-surprisingly articulate; Eastwood? Well...)
Speeches: Democrats (Castro was amazing, and Biden was even good)
First Ladies: Democrats-Michelle (far better speaker and came off more sincere)
VPs: Democrats-Biden (rough, but detest Ryan -- reminds me of bullies I endured)
Pres: Democrats-Obama (Romney was vapid)
Of course, this is just my opinion.
For the record, I support Obama, but at least I admit my bias. Obama supports same-sex marriage and he's pro-choice. I will remain a two issue candidate until the Supreme Court is secure. However, I also happen to reject the trickle-down economic theory since i don't believe that approach works.
Joe Sousa.
5:57 am on Saturday, September 8, 2012
Obama's Jobs Agenda: An Infrastructure Bank that Robs You Forbes
More debt tolls and higher fees . Cut spending and redirect funds to the States.
bigmanny
8:16 am on Saturday, September 8, 2012
JOE JETHRO do you have an original idea in that head of yours or are you only able to spout talking points like some type of shill. Shilly Joe Jethro very shilly.
Naome Lixes
11:51 am on Saturday, September 8, 2012
I'm still not clear on why the Warwick senator or Federal reserve have anything to do
with the OP...or what this means..."An Infrastructure Bank that Robs You".
These days, any bank seems bent on robbing me.
At least an infrastructure bank might pave a bridge to toss me over...
Ryanthegirl
6:14 pm on Saturday, September 8, 2012
Naome, A credit union is the way to go for all banking. They’re so many advantages to being a member of a small, community run bank.
Tuna man
9:51 am on Saturday, September 8, 2012
After listening to all of them it still comes down to Chicago politics once again. Mr. Obama has paid off all of those who backed him one way or another and now he wants a second term. Well with the auto bail out while billions went to get the auto industry saved he still managed to siphon off hundreds of millions from the package that went to the Unions so that they would go along with him and to pay them back for their support. That money should have gone to other programs to help get other people jobs instead of a pay off to unions. And his foreign policy is almost nothing. If it wasn't for Hilary Clinton it would be a big fat ZERO. He wants a second chance? I don't think so as one was enough. He has not kept his promises to the american people. He will not get my vote this time.
Naome Lixes
11:34 am on Saturday, September 8, 2012
"...with the auto bail out while billions went to get the auto industry saved he still managed to siphon off hundreds of millions from the package that went to the Unions so that they would go along with him and to pay them back for their support." Claiming that this subsidized the UAW misses the important point -
jobs were retained. You can't be both for lowering unemployment and for cutting out the workers.
Umm... no. The unions made wage concessions for incoming workers - $14/hr.
http://www.accuracy.org/release/auto-unions-saved-the-industry-by-making-concessions/
Consider the alternative approach offered by Mitt Romney, Let Detroit go bankrupt
http://www.forbes.com/sites/michelinemaynard/2012/05/08/mitt-romney-takes-credit-for-the-auto-bailout-say-what/
Is that better? If you want unemployment to go down, will bankrupt institutions
and all their suppliers hire more people? That's just vapid, Tuna Man.
"And his foreign policy is almost nothing. If it wasn't for Hilary Clinton it would be a big fat ZERO." You do know that every President has a cabinet of advisers, including a Secretary of State? How you can claim a President that has cut back on our War footing, and had exactly ZERO incursions on our soil is "nothing"
seems a dim reading of the facts.
Perhaps you know something we don't, Tuna man?
Nard Glimrod
3:17 pm on Saturday, September 8, 2012
3:14 pm on Saturday, September 8, 2012
At 5:52 pm on Friday, September 7, 2012, Joe Sousa posted:
>> In 2008, when Barack Obama was elected president, he said, “If I don’t turn
>> the economy around in three years, I should not be given a second term.”
>> We need to keep that promise for the good of our country .
Joe then replied to his own post 4 times. Apparently Joe thought that by screaming and causing a big distraction, it wouldn't be possible to call him on his latest non-fact.
As Joe is well aware, President Obama made no such promise. What he actually said with respect to the economy was:
"if I don't have this done in three years, then there's going to be a one-term proposition."
This was not a "promise" (Joe's word), this was a prediction that if he did not "have this done", the voters would limit him to one term. It seems to me that the guy is acutely aware that the voters will hold him accountable.
Here's the video of the statement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-0ecuS8tWs
Joe: If you have a source that shows Obama's words as you've written them (i.e., "I should not be given a second term"), please share it. Unlike last time, please don't start naming the names of various magazines and newspapers (Forbes! USA Today!). Please give the publication, the date of the article, and if applicable, the author's name and/or a link.
Just the facts.
Joanne Moniz
8:29 pm on Saturday, September 8, 2012
Any feedback on the meeting held today?
maureen
9:03 pm on Saturday, September 8, 2012
I was so sad to tune into the DNC and to see that the delegates were cheering enthusiastically, wildly, for the right to kill a pre-born child in the womb, at any month, for any reason (sex-selection) at taxpayers expense!
Are you kidding me?
Have we really become so hardened that we can't even understand what that means? People are cheering because a party has given us more opportunity to kill our offspring! It's just soooooo disheartening, cruel and difficult to comprehend.
The Democratic Party has become the party of Death.
There is no room for God in their party platform.
Please don't respond to this post with "Womens reproductive rights" argument. We all know that Planned Parenthood is mainly in the business of abortion. they could not survive without this lucrative "business" of killing babies. And President Obama is in the pocket of PP! He is the most pro-abortion President ever, 3 times giving legal protection to doctors who kill children already born, meant to be aborted. That's called infanticide and should be quite clear to all that it is intentional homicide. But still, we cover our eyes and cheer wildly for "women's reproductive rights."
Portent
12:36 am on Sunday, September 9, 2012
Well, Maureen, I would like to know your view of the death penalty, torture, poverty, miscarried justice, violations of adult human beings' rights, etc. Your religious fervor lacerates your otherwise human brain and sentient being.
Naome Lixes
7:13 am on Sunday, September 9, 2012
To quote George Carlin:
"Why, why, why, why is it that most of the people who are against abortion are people you wouldn't wanna *snip* in the first place? Boy, these conservatives are really something, aren't they? They're all in favor of the unborn. They will do anything for the unborn. But once you're born, you're on your own. Pro-life conservatives are obsessed with the fetus from conception to nine months. After that, they don't want to know about you. They don't want to hear from you. No nothing. No neonatal care, no day care, no head start, no school lunch, no food stamps, no welfare, no nothing. If you're preborn, you're fine; if you're preschool, you're*snip*ed. Conservatives don't give a *snip* about you until you reach 'military age'. Then they think you are just fine. Just what they've been looking for. Conservatives want live babies so they can raise them to be dead soldiers.
The sad part is that this was written in 1996.
Naome Lixes
7:24 am on Sunday, September 9, 2012
"The Democratic Party has become the party of Death.
There is no room for God in their party platform. "
Will you say the same of those that lead us into Iraq and Afghanistan?
Perhaps they don't count because their Bible reads right to left?
https://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/23/world/middleeast/23casualties.html?_r=1
"People are cheering because a party has given us more opportunity to kill our offspring!" but I would bet you're all for a peacetime draft, Maureen.
Why is it that so many of the old people telling young people not to have sex
are no longer engaged in same, themselves?
BristolRI02809
9:55 am on Sunday, September 9, 2012
Mr. Sousa, your political views match up almost perfectly with Gary Johnson, Libertarian Party candidate for president. Why then are you not supporting Mr. Johnson for president?
Just Another Taxpayer
8:11 am on Monday, September 10, 2012
Joe S would not know the difference between Gary Johnson and Van Johnson.
Mike
10:46 am on Sunday, September 9, 2012
I'd rather be guided by intellect, not emotion. Abortion is rarely at taxpayer expense; however, feeding, clothing and educating children of the financially or emotionally unprepared costs me a LOT more. I prefer to help people break the cycle of poverty -- not repeat it, generation after generation.
Naome Lixes
3:14 pm on Sunday, September 9, 2012
That was well put.