Democratic National Convention **live commentary thread**

[Bandit3 the Worker]

Now they're talking the economy!

I'm still looking fiveward to Elizabeth Warren!

[Lief 🗽]

Why are we still on social issues here? Is Rick Santorum running the DNC? I'm pretty sure a majority of voters don't care about Sandra Fluke or immigration right now.

Because parties can use social issues to get out voters. We care more about abortion, gay marriage, and legalizing illegal immigrants than we do actually tackling the deficit, debt or the job market.

To the extent that is true, is that not an almost tragic inditement of the American voter?

Why is it tragic that voters have different priorities than you do? To many people, abortion rights, marriage equality or the passage of the DREAM act are much, much more important in their day to day lives than right-wing nonsense like tackling the deficit.

[Bacon King]

This is the sexiest auto worker I have ever seen

[Likely Voter]

Lets face it, before the final hour the conventions are all about the base. And this is especially true for the Democrats. Every poll shows how they have advantage with RV and not with LV. That means they have to struggle to get out their base more than the GOP, which means they need to push hard to the base. But for network primetime they turn around and become a centrist party full of sunshine and hope for tomorrow.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

But for network primetime they turn around and become a centrist party full of sunshine and hope for tomorrow.

As long as centrist means centrist, and not like DLC ultra-rightists.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

They're really playing the auto bailout.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Does Bill speak tonight? The speeches so far have been awful.

Yup, at 10:30.

[Torie]

Why are we still on social issues here? Is Rick Santorum running the DNC? I'm pretty sure a majority of voters don't care about Sandra Fluke or immigration right now.

Because parties can use social issues to get out voters. We care more about abortion, gay marriage, and legalizing illegal immigrants than we do actually tackling the deficit, debt or the job market.

To the extent that is true, is that not an almost tragic inditement of the American voter?

Why is it tragic that voters have different priorities than you do? To many people, abortion rights, marriage equality or the passage of the DREAM act are much, much more important in their day to day lives than right-wing nonsense like tackling the deficit.

OK, as long as gay marriage and abortion are legal, it doesn't matter much if the US is moving towards Greece, and even if the US can still sell its Treasuries, the fiscal squeeze just to carry the debt when interest rates bounce up will be horrific, with endless low growth on the horizon given there is no plan showing any light at the end of the tunnel. Obama has no plan to avoid that, that he has bothered to outline yet, and even though we spend more on education per student than almost anywhere on the planet, the result is a populace that is moving towards the bottom of the heap of the developed world, trapping about a third of our population at least in jobs that they will hate, to the extent they are not gaming the government for checks.

As I say, if that is the major priority of the American voter, it is just tragic. They are veritable children really. If you can't make a living, nothing else matters. Just look at the tragic case of Bushie (of course he has micro as well as the macro issues, but is an exemplar of what happens to self esteem and the quality of your life, if you live off others). Write that down.

[Lief 🗽]

There's little to nothing in common between our debt situation and Greece's. Our economy is not going to collapse because of our debt. Obama has repeatedly outlined plans to dramatically cut the deficit by trillions of dollars in the future, once we have returned to full employment and it makes sense to do so.

[Torie]

There's little to nothing in common between our debt situation and Greece's. Our economy is not going to collapse because of our debt. Obama has repeatedly outlined plans to dramatically cut the deficit by trillions of dollars in the future, once we have returned to full employment and it makes sense to do so.

Really?  Trillions in cuts, but none with entitlements, which indeed Obama expanded? Who knew?  The US debt level is already close to Greece. But the US has more running room, because the dollar is the reserve currency, and the rest of the world, absent some small countries, sucks too.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Randy Johnson: I don't think Mitt Romney's a bad man, I just think he's a greedy, heartless bastard without a moral compass.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

I'd have a lot more regard for the Democrats if they'd just come right out and say Romney is evil.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Why are we still on social issues here? Is Rick Santorum running the DNC? I'm pretty sure a majority of voters don't care about Sandra Fluke or immigration right now.

Because parties can use social issues to get out voters. We care more about abortion, gay marriage, and legalizing illegal immigrants than we do actually tackling the deficit, debt or the job market.

To the extent that is true, is that not an almost tragic inditement of the American voter?

Why is it tragic that voters have different priorities than you do? To many people, abortion rights, marriage equality or the passage of the DREAM act are much, much more important in their day to day lives than right-wing nonsense like tackling the deficit.

This is why I don't think the government should legislate morals and the like. Give marriage equality and abortion rights, and let kids born to illegals stay here. Nothing wrong with that. I know it's important but we have much bigger problems.

The deficit and debt are far more than right winged issues. We can have all the rights in the world, but like in this country is going to be pretty crappy if 9-10% unemployment and 16-20% underemployment is the norm, debt to GDP ratio is over 100%. We will never see an economic recovery, college graduates will end up taking jobs that high schools usually take, as is happening now as most of the new jobs created are much lower paying and require less education than the previously lost jobs, and people in general will start to feel hopeless.

We may not end up like Greece if the world keeps buying US treasuries but our economy will be weighed down going forward.

[Vosem]

I'd have a lot more regard for the Democrats if they'd just come right out and say Romney is evil.

So far, because of booing the 'Jerusalem is the capital of Israel' plank, they're behind the Republicans...a string of well-received speeches can still turn that around though.

[Beet]

The Greek crisis isn't about debt. The Greek crisis is about Europe's half-step towards union. It just isn't a proper understanding of economics to put that up as a parallel.

The US has massive running room. The interest rate argument always baffles me. Interest rates won't perk up unless the economy perks up. And if the economy perks up, then revenues will perk up, too.

[Bandit3 the Worker]

So far, because of booing the 'Jerusalem is the capital of Israel' plank

Nobody cares about that incident, OK?

[J. J.]

There's little to nothing in common between our debt situation and Greece's. Our economy is not going to collapse because of our debt. Obama has repeatedly outlined plans to dramatically cut the deficit by trillions of dollars in the future, once we have returned to full employment and it makes sense to do so.

You do realize that the economy will effect a lot more people than any of the issues you have mentioned.

[Phony Moderate]

This thread has gone rather off-topic....

[Likely Voter]

Halftime for Giants Cowboys just started, just in time for all those NFL watchers to tune into Elizabeth Warren and Sandra Fluke.

Timing?

[J. J.]

So far, because of booing the 'Jerusalem is the capital of Israel' plank

Nobody cares about that incident, OK?

It was the second story on NBC Nightly News.  

It is minor, but it is terrible PR.

[Orion0]

So far, because of booing the 'Jerusalem is the capital of Israel' plank

Nobody cares about that incident, OK?

Keep telling yourself that, because those nays resounded with the right and the left, albeit for different reasons.

[pepper11]

Wow...first cutter accused Romney of killing people. Now fluke accuses Ryan of killing people.

Hope and change baby. Hope and change.

[Lief 🗽]

How dare Democrats accurately point out that the Ryan-Romney agenda would kill people! As the GOP taught us, conventions should be events that celebrates lies and fabrications, not accurate statements.

[Peeperkorn]

Until now lots of african americans, latinos hablando español innecesariamente and feminazis. I can't see how these speeches could motivate independents.

[Torie]

The Greek crisis isn't about debt. The Greek crisis is about Europe's half-step towards union. It just isn't a proper understanding of economics to put that up as a parallel.

The US has massive running room. The interest rate argument always baffles me. Interest rates won't perk up unless the economy perks up. And if the economy perks up, then revenues will perk up, too.

Interest rates will "perk up" if the perceived riskiness of treasuries perks up. Did you forget that scenario?  It really baffles me that someone as familiar with economics as you, is not terrified of this debt trajectory, beyond the revolting immorality of the Bommers (my generation) ripping off most of the posters on this forum with a huge debt that will chain them.

Of course none of this affects me personally, and never will. But it affects you, almost all of you. I just don't get the nonchalance about it, among those few who are informed - like you.