Saturday, November 10, 2012

Obama Wins Florida

Nice of Florida to participate in the 2012 U.S. Presidential election.  We realize they're pretty much a foreign country anymore and not up to the same standards the rest of us have, but it's still ridiculous to be four days late with election results.  

Governor Jeb Bush, who has eyes on being the president in 2016, made sure the results for his state were well hidden, choosing to finalize the results on the off-news day Saturday so as to attempt to marginalize Obama's victory Tuesday. 

Anyway, Obama won Florida, adding to the landslide electoral vote.  It also meant Obama won all eight toss-up states this year.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Republicans Lose 6 Seats in U.S. House

There are still some run-off contests and challenges to be decided, but it appears that it is indeed a clean sweep--Republicans have lost the presidency, two seats in the Senate and 6 seats in the House.

Democrats also won the gubernatorial races, taking at least five with Republicans nabbing four.  There are two (Montana and Washington) that are still to close to call but the Democrats are leading those as well.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Obama Wins Virginia

This popular president has now gone over 300 electoral votes.

Obama Wins Nevada

6 more votes for Obama.

Democrats Retain Control of U.S. Senate

We now project 55 Democrats but for now, the Democrats have 50 in the bag.

Obama Wins Colorado

9 more electoral votes, which just increases the margin of victory.

OBAMA WINS PRESIDENCY!

President Barack Obama has won reelection shockingly early, at 8:13 P.M. West Coast Time, 11:13 on the East Coast.

Obama Wins Iowa

It's nearly over.  Who would have thought that at 8 P.M. on the West Coast, the race would be nearly over.  We heard predictions of 10 P.M., 11, Midnight, 3 A.M., two weeks from now even before the race would be decided.  This is looking like it could be over before the 2008 race was, which was around 9:30 on the West Coast.

If Obama wins either Virginia, Ohio, Florida or Nevada, he wins the presidency.

Obama Wins California, Washington and Hawai'i, Romney Takes Idaho

Obama moves into a huge lead with 244 electoral votes to 193 for Romney.

Kaine Wins Virginia

This was a hotly contested race, no pickup for the Democrats, but they nonetheless are glad to hold on to that seat in Virginia.

Minnesota and Wisconsin Go to Obama

Obama has won a second battleground, Wisconsin, and also carried Minnesota.  That's 20 more electoral votes for the President.  

Current total:


Obama 173
Romney 163

Republicans Pick Up Nebraska Senate Seat

That makes a net gain of 3 for the Democrats so far.

Obama Wins New Mexico

Another state goes to Obama, and far earlier than expected.  The paths for Romney are becoming very narrow.

Romney has 158 electoral votes to 147 for Obama currently.

The Battleground States

Obama has won one of the eight--New Hampshire.  The other seven are playing out just as the polls predicted, very close.

Florida and Ohio will go down to the wire.

In Virginia:  Romney leads 51-47

In Florida, so far Obama with 49.7% to 49.5% for Romney.

In Ohio, Obama with 52% to Romney's 47%

In New Mexico, Obama leads, 52-44.

In Colorado, Obama leads 50-48.

Wisconsin, Iowa and Nevada too few votes to spot a trend.

Montana Goes to Romney

But only three votes for Romney.  He's winning the states, but there's no one in them.

Utah Goes to Romney

Shocker--they're as predictable as the seasons.

Allen Leads Kaine by 2% in Virginia

Allen with 51% and Kaine with 49%.  This gives us insight into the presidential race, although we make it clear not to draw parallels.  Still a lot of votes to count.

New Hampshire Called for Obama

The first battleground state has been decided.  Obama wins New Hampshire.

Elizabeth Warren Defeats Brown in Massachusetts

Warren's win is a huge pickup for the Democrats in the Senate.

Democrats Have Gained Two Seats in Senate

Our calculations were that there would be no gain when it's all said and done--53 Democrats and 46 Republicans.

Two Big Prizes--Michigan and New York--to Obama

President Obama just won two huge states, Michigan and New York.  Michigan with 16 electoral votes, New York a whopping 29.

Louisiana and Entire Middle of Country Goes to Romney

Call them The Stepford Wives--that middle section from North Dakota to Texas--just colored all red for Romney.  They think, act, and say things that are exactly alike.  No individuals there.

Bill Nelson Projected Senate Winner in Florida

This was a close race until the last few weeks.  A big hold for the Democrats.

Obama Takes Lead in Florida

51-49 with 49% in.  But, this is about the same time that Al Gore took the lead in Florida in 2000 and he ended up losing the state.  Long ways to go.

Alabama Goes to Romney

9 electoral votes.

States Called for Obama

Maine 4
Vermont 3
Massachusetts 11
Rhode Island 4
Connecticut 7
New Jersey 14
Delaware 3
Maryland 10
D.C. 3
Illinois 20

States Called for Romney So Far

Georgia 16 electoral votes
South Carolina 9
West Virginia 5
Kentucky 8
Tennessee 11
Indiana 11
Arkansas 6
Oklahoma 7

Lots of states, but not many electoral votes.

We Are Calling Vermont for Obama

Obama has 70% to 28% for Romney--we are calling Vermont for Obama.

U.S. Senate Results

Richard Mourdock leads Joe Donnelly 48.9% to 45.5% for the Indiana Senate.

Polls Have Closed in Kentucky and Indiana

Romeny leads Kentucky as expected, 69-30% with just 1% of the vote counted.  Results from Kentucky have slowed to a standstill at the moment--love that computer technology!  Romney leads Indiana, also expected, although the vote total is narrowing as results come in.  Romney now leads 60-38% with 3% counted in the Hoosier state.

Those are two of the states that make the national vote so close.  Without Romney support in states like these, Obama would be far ahead.

Indiana has 11 electoral votes, Kentucky 8.  Remember, it's the first guy to 270 to win.

By the way, we're hearing that 90 million people are expected not to vote, and that, when asked who they would vote for if they did, 43% said they would vote for Obama and just 18% for Romney.  In other words, if these people voted, Obama would have about a 12% win.  So if you haven't voted, get out and vote and quit screwing the country up.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

U.S. Auto Sales Up Again

General Motors and Chrysler announced their best October sales since 2007.

America Added 158,000 Jobs in October

The United States added 158,000 jobs this month, topping optimistic forecasts of 143,000 by private economists.

Consumer Confidence in the United States the Highest in Four Years

Fueled by optimism in the job market, the closely-watched Consumer Confidence Index rose from 68.4 to 72.2 last month. The index is at its highest point since February 2008, when the country was beginning to feel the effects of the Great Recession that had begun several months earlier.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Home Building Up 15% in the United States


I don't know about the rest of the world, but home building in the United States is up 15%, according to data released this morning. Builders in the U.S. started new homes at an annual rate of 872,000 homes last month. They also filed new permits an an annual pace of 894,000, up 11.6% from the 801,000 rate the previous month. Perhaps the United States is the only country in the world on such a fast pace, but at least in America, both readings are the best since the summer of 2008, when things began to fall apart due to the Iraq War which caused a spike in gas prices that crippled families and businesses alike and led to massive foreclosures, a meltdown in the financial markets, and put the United States on the brink of collapse.
Sportsman's Guide: Military Surplus save up to 70%

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Obama Floors Romney

This was a much different, and, truth be told, a better debate than the first one.  Unlike that first debate, President Barack Obama didn't allow misstatements and untruths told by challenger Mitt Romney go unchallenged.  And on the final response of the night, Obama floored Romney by using his own words against him.  

What is incredible is that Romney walked right into it; he served up a big fat softball underhand, and Obama knocked it out of the stadium.  Romney himself brought up the topic when he said that he cared about 100% of the population.  All Obama had to do at that point was remind debate watchers that Romney was the one who said 47% of the country (veterans, students, and retired people) were lazy and did not pay enough taxes.  It was an easy task, but one that had to be made.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Retails Sales Up 1.1%

Retail sales in the United States bumped up 1.1%, showing continued improvement before the all-import Christmas season.  That has led stocks higher initially, although the stock market has been bothered since Mitt Romney won the first presidential debate.  Since that time, the Dow Jones has plummeted nearly 300 points.  A strong showing by President Barack Obama in the second debate this week could reverse that trend, however.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Consumer Confidence in United States Up

It's just been a horrible last two weeks for Mitt Romney. First, his ill-conceived remarks on the crisis in Libya and Egypt, heretofore off limits for political candidates to speak out against U.S. foreign policy. Then, the ill-conceived remark that he doesn't care about 47% of the people in the country. Then, the release of his one tax return (rather than 10 years of returns, which is customary for presidential candidates), which not only raised more questions than it asked, but showed him paying just 14% in income tax, less than millions of American families at a time in which the fundraiser tape shows how much he disdains Americans who pay no tax (such as senior citizens and high school and college students).

On top of all that, we get news that the unemployment situation is getting better, businesses are hiring more, home sales are up nearly 30% over last year and home prices are up. And today, the report came out that consumer confidence rose in September, as renewed optimism about the job market gave the indicator a boost.

Renewed optimism, something the Democrats spoke up often during their National Convention. Renewed optimism, a phrase Romney and the Republicans hate.

The Consumer Confidence Index measures how Americans feel about the economy, and it jumped from an upwardly revised 61.3 in August to 70.3 in September, a jump of 14.68%. Economists expected the reading to be 63, so the figure surprised even those who study it closely.

U.S. Companies Add 201,000 New Jobs

Private companies added 201,000 new jobs last month, much better than the 143,000 jobs economists expected.

The economy needs to add about 150,000 jobs per month to keep pace with the growing population. Anything above that lowers the unemployment rate. Construction was once again one of the key elements of the job picture with 10,000 new jobs, its biggest gain since March. If people can afford new houses and new businesses, there's nothing in the economy that they can't afford.

Which essentially means that the U.S. economy is back. But in another excellent sign, a report by firm Challenger, Gray, & Christmas showed that planned job cuts in the U.S. hit a 20-month low.

U.S. Home Prices Up Again

For the third straight month, home prices in all 20 major markets in the United States are up, this time to the level they were nine years ago.

According to the S&P/Case-Shiller national home price index, which covers more than 80% of the U.S. housing market, the average home price rose 1.6% over the already-increasing price from last month.

In other words, if you were waiting to buy a house to get the best possible price, you waited too long. If you're selling your price, you'll do better than you did eight years ago.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

U.S. Housing Starts Up 29%


The suddenly booming U.S. economy got another piece of excellent news--housing starts numbered 750,000 last month.  That is a whopping 29% gain over the same period just one year ago.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Voter ID Law in Pennsylvania Takes a U-Turn

Today the Pennsylvania Supreme Court vacated a ruling upholding the state's controversial Voter ID law, ordering a lower court to ascertain whether voters actually have liberal and easy acces to the required. Republicans were hoping the law would be upheld so as to limit who votes in the upcoming election.

Monday, September 10, 2012

Democratic Convention Leads to Stock Market Rally

Last week, we told you that the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell up to 300 points during the Republican National Convention.  We promised to inform you on the stock market performance during the Democratic Convention.  When the Democratic Convention opened in Charlotte, North Carolina last week, the Dow Jones stood at 13,035.  At the close of last week, the market was 13,296, a gain of 261 points.



Obama Gets Bigger Bounce from Convention

In the week of the GOP Convention and the week following, Mitt Romney got about a one-point bounce in popularity.  The Democratic Convention is still fresh in the voters' minds, and with four days to go to measure a similar time-frame to Romeny's one-point bounce, Obama has already received a five-point bounce.

The two candidates for president were tied at the open of the Democratic Convention last week.  A new tracking poll by Gallup indicates that Obama now leads 49-44 over Romney.  We will watch the next few days to see if the bounce is greater than five points.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Dow Jones Stock Market Average Up 136 After Clinton Speech

We told you that the stock market was down as much as 300 during the Republican Convention.  After one speech last night, that of former president Bill Clinton, the Dow Jones is up 146 points today.

We told you that was an important thing to watch and we will continue to do so today and the rest of the week to see what investors think of the Democrats.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

U.S. Car Sales Up 19.9%

The United States economy is beginning to roar, as automobile sales were up a sharp 19.9% according to Autodata. That is an annual sales pace of 14.52 million vehicles.

Dow Jones at 13,035 Prior to Democratic Convention

The Dow Jones Industrials stock average sits at 13,035.91 prior to the start of the Democratic National Convention.  Investors and brokers will listen intently for news out of Charlotte, North Carolina as to how the Democrats can move the country forward.  The market dropped 300 points during the Republican National Convention as, unfortunately, the GOP gave zero details as to how it could help the country.

The Dow Jones was at 8,000.86 on the first trading day following President Barack Obama's Inauguration on January 20, 2009.  The market initially dropped to 6626.94 on March 2 of 2009 before legislation could be passed.  That represents a gain of 6,409 points from the low and 5,035 points since Obama took office, gains of 96.71% and 62.93%, respectively.

It will be interesting to see how the market responds to the Democrats, especially after their negative response to the Republicans.

Friday, August 31, 2012

Bounce for Romney from GOP National Convention--One of Smallest in History

The typical bounce a candidate can expect from a national political convention is in the neighborhood of 6-8 points.  What did Mitt Romney get from his?

A mere 1.8 points.  And that polling was taken before the speech everyone's talking about.  And no, it wasn't Romney's, but rather actor Clint Eastwood, who turned off voters of every stripe except the drunken fools.  I expect when polls are taken in the next few days, it will turn out that Romney got no bounce whatsoever from the three days of staged presentations.

And if Obama gets the average 6-8 point bounce, the election will be all but over.  Sad, sad day for Republicans.

Clint Eastwood Destroys Mitt Romney's Chances at GOP Convention

As undecided and independent voters tuned into the GOP National Convention last night to see what the Republicans were about, they were blown away.  And not in a good way.

It was as if Clint Eastwood took a Magnum 57 and shot them dead.  The former actor and now director went through 12, 13, 14 minutes of a rambling, incoherent, confusing speech that left all who heard it stunned for its crass nature and unprofessionalism.  At the end, people couldn't tell if Eastwood was for Gitmo, against it, for war, against it, and even criticized the man he was there to praise for being a Harvard law school student.  Most Republicans sat in silence and dumb awe at what was taking place before them.

One of the worst parts of the embarrassing scene was when Eastwood talked to an empty chair that was supposed to represent President Barack Obama, as if an African-American didn't deserve to have a voice.  During one part of the "skit", Eastwood said, "What do you have to say about Mitt Romney?  Oh, well he can't do that to himself," as if President Obama would ever say that.  It was crass, uncalled for, shameful, ill-advised, self-damaging to the Republicans and the most despicable thing ever seen at a national political convention.

The performance ruined any chance of not only Romney, but of Republicans doing well this fall.  "If that's what Republicans stand for, I want no part of it," said one undecided voter.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Wall Street Depressed by Paul Ryan

Young Paul Ryan made his debut on the national stage last night at the GOP Convention and Republicans won't be happy with the results.  The next morning, investors are depressed about what Ryan had to offer as the Dow Jones Industrial Average is off 69 points.  A similar result occurred when Mitt Romney was announced as the party's nominee.

The main problem was that Ryan was too premature for prime time.  His speech offered not just gaffes, but deliberate lies, like when he tried to blame President Obama for a GM plant closure in his home state of Wisconsin.  Ryan is smart enough to know that the plant closed while his president, George W. Bush, was in power and long before Obama even took office.  He also blamed Obama for not accepting all of the recommendations of the debt commission, that same debt commission that Ryan himself walked away from.

In his 20-minute speech, Ryan didn't offer one shred of anything that resembled a plan; rather, he sounded very "Perot-like", someone who said we needed to change and needed to do better, without having Clue One about how to accomplish that.

I have never held political office, but if someone like me can debate every one of Ryan's points and make him look back, he's a little too unseasoned for the grill of American politics.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Obama Not Popular in Middle East or China

If you want the U.S. president to be popular in the Middle East and China, vote for Mitt Romney.  President Barack Obama is popular everywhere overseas but those areas.  

Among the allies of the U.S., Obama is hugely popular--87% of Germans, 86 of the French, 80% of the British and 66% of Japan have confidence in him according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center.  An astounding 92% of the French, 89% of Germans, 73% of the British and 74% of the Japanese want Obama re-elected.

In the Middle East, those folks don't hold Obama in as high esteem.  In those countries, 29% approve
of Obama's performance and 25% want him re-elected.  The Republicans seem to think much the
same way as the Arabs, as Obama has similar numbers in polls of Republicans.  The GOP can also proudly say that they think the same way as China, where just 38% approve of Obama and 31% of the Chinese want Obama re-elected.

New Jersey Puts Mitt Romney Over the Top

New Jersey's delegates cast the votes necessary to officially put Mitt Romney over the top and secure the Republican nomination for president.  The former leader of Bain Capital is now in the hunt.  Let the race begin!

Today's Schedule for Republican Convention


RNC Chairman Reince Priebus
Color Guard Knights of Columbus
Pledge of Allegiance by former Govs. Tim Babcock of Montana, and Tom Hogan of Florida
National Anthem sung by Philip Alongi
Invocation by Rabbi Meir Soloveichik
Opening procedural steps, appointment of convention committees
Welcoming remarks, and House and Senate candidates and RNC auxiliaries
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus
RNC Co-Chairman Sharon Day
Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, D-Fla.
William Harris, convention chief executive officer
Al Austin, chairman of Tampa Bay host committee
Republican congressional candidates
State Del. Barbara Comstock, R-Va.
Rep. Tim Griffin, R-Ark.
Republican Senate candidates
Republican National Committee auxiliaries
Consideration of convention committee reports
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus
Mike Duncan, chairman, Committee on Credentials
Zoraida Fonalledas, chairwoman, Committee on Permanent Organization
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, convention permanent chairman
Official Convention Photograph
Committee on Rules Chairman John Sununu
Committee on Resolutions Chairman Gov. Bob McDonnell, R-Va.
Committee on Resolutions Co-Chairman Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D.
Committee on Resolutions Co-Chairman Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn.
Roll call for nomination of president of the United States
Roll call for nomination of vice president of the United States
— 6:40 p.m.
Recess
— 7 p.m.
Reconvene
Remarks by House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio
Remarks by RNC Chairman Reince Priebus
Video and remarks by Utah congressional candidate and Mayor Mia Love, R-Saratoga Spring.
Remarks by Janine Turner
Remarks by former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa.
Remarks by Host, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.
— 8 p.m.
Remarks by U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., accompanied by Jack Gilchrist
Remarks by Gov. John Kasich, R-Ohio
Remarks by Gov. Mary Fallin, R-Okla.
Remarks by Gov. Bob McDonnell, R-Va., accompanied by Bev Gray
Remarks by Gov. Scott Walker, R-Wis.
— 9 p.m.
Remarks by Gov. Brian Sandoval, R-Nev.
Remarks by Sher Valenzuela
Remarks by Republican Senate candidate Ted Cruz of Texas
Remarks by Artur Davis
Remarks by Gov. Nikki Haley, R-S.C.
— 10 p.m.
Remarks by Luce’ Vela Fortuño
Remarks by Ann Romney
Remarks by Gov. Chris Christie, R-N.J.
Benediction by Sammy Rodriguez
Adjournment

Ron Paul Supporters to GOP: We Can Do Better

I couldn't agree more.

Paul loyalists say 'we can do better'

Home Prices Spike

If you were waiting to buy a house counting on prices dropping, you waited too long, my friends.

The S&P/Case-Shiller national home price index climbed 6.9% in the three months ended June 30 compared to the first three months of 2012. The sharp boost in home prices could signal a recovery in the U.S. housing market, according to an industry report issued yesterday.

"We seem to be witnessing exactly what we needed for a sustained recovery; monthly increases coupled with improving annual rates of change," said David Blitzer, a spokesman for S&P, in a statement. "The market may have finally turned around."

Two other key indexes covered in the report confirmed the conclusion. The 20-city index was up 6% for the quarter and the 10-city index rose 5.8%.

That's very bad news for Republicans, who are set to bash President Obama for the "poor economy".  If they come out with that in light of this great economic news, they'll look pretty dumb.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Obama Leads in Florida

President Barack Obama leads Mitt Romney in Florida, site of the GOP Convention (when it gets underway) and a must-win state for Romney.  The current count is:  President Obama 50, Mitt Romney 46.

GOP National Convention Cut Short

Republicans had big plans this year, but God had other ideas.  The GOP National Convention will have to be curtailed due to Isaac, meaning less time to get their message across.  They have another disadvantage:  The Democratic National Convention is still upcoming and they will get the last word in prior to debates.  That puts even more pressure on challenger Mitt Romney in those head-to-head meetings.

Politics Simplified will have complete coverage of the Republican Convention, when the hope is that it will begin tomorrow.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Romney Chooses Paul Ryan of Wisconsin

Going for the vote in Wisconsin, Republican challenger selected Paul Ryan for his running mate.  Wisconsin has in recent years turned more Republican--how's that going for you, Wisconsin?

Conventional wisdom had Romney choosing Rubio or Jeb Bush from Florida to try to win that state.  Florida has far more electoral votes than Wisconsin.  And Rick Santorum, the party's best choice, not only did not win the nomination but won't even be on the ticket.  Word is that Romney and Santorum never did really get along well.  And with Romney's stance on the issues, it's no wonder.

We'll have further analysis of the pick in the days to come.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Obama Goes Over 50% in CNN Poll

In a just-released CNN poll of registered voters, President Obama has surged to a seven-point lead over presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney.  This is what I said several months ago would happen and that the GOP would be much, much better nominating Rick Santorum.  At least you would have a contrast in what the two candidates stood for.  With Romney's health care plan being the model for what is now the law of the land, can't differentiate much there.

Obama is now over the critical 50% mark in the poll, leading 52-45 over Romney.  Two notes:  first, that 50% threshold is huge because a majority of Americans don't usually change their mind about such things.  If it was 48-45, a few people could change their minds and the race would be tied, then the undecideds would be the difference.  Second, is just that factor, the undecideds.  Usually at this point in the race, the undecideds make up 7-10% of the population.  To be at just 3% is historic and not a good sign at all for Romney.  

Further, the presidential race is usually decided by people who shift to one candidate all at once.  It seems that is what is happening now.  That also carries over into the Senate and Congressional races.  There will likely be much negative campaigning out of the Romney camp in the next three months, but if you're seven points down, it's tough to convince that many people that they're wrong.

Another Blow to the Flat Earthers

The few remaining people who don't believe there is global warming, ancestors of people who continued to believe that the earth was flat despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, received another punch when scientists confirmed that July was the hottest month since record-keeping began in 1895.

The July heat caused drought conditions in the United States that now affects 63% of the country, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  The average temperature in the lower 48 states was 77.6 degrees, 3.3 degrees higher than the average for the entire 20th century.  

The hot temperatures were the searing cap on a 12-month period that also recorded the hottest temperatures on record, and also contributed to a record-warm first seven months of the year.

The extreme heat and record dryness have also led to wildfires, with more than two million acres consumed in July, notably in Colorado.

United States Economy Continues to Show Improvement

Unemployment claims fell 6,000 to 361,000 last week, far short of the 375,000 that analysts expected.  The stock market has been hesitant because of those predictions, which have been proven dead wrong.  Meanwhile, the U.S. trade deficit fell to $42.9 billion in June, down from $48 billion the previous month and also much better than the poor prediction of $47.5 billion.



Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Questions About Romney's Taxes Fuels Distrust

With every day that Mitt Romney refuses to release his tax returns fuels voter distrust in him that something might be amiss.  This distrust is in direct correlation to daily tracking polls which show President Barack Obama increasing his lead.

Obama's lead now averages 3.4 points, with some services showing the margin in double digits.  Even the far-right leaning Rasmussen Reports now shows President Obama with a two point lead in the race to be president.

Romney is in a corner, and the only way he can stop the slaughter is to release his taxes, as every other candidate in United States modern history has done.

Republicans Announce Convention Lineup

There is already speculation about Mitt Romney's choice for VP and with the announcement that Rick Santorum as a key speaker for the Republican National Convention later this month.  And if Santorum isn't chosen, the question is "Why not?"  Many Republicans believe he should be the party's nominee.  

Other speakers will be Florida Governor Jeb Bush, brother of George W. Bush, Kentucky Senator Rand Paul and Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin.  There is also speculation about Jeb Bush as a possible V.P candidate.  As is obvious by the Republicans' choice of Tampa, Florida as the site for the convention, they desperately want to hold on to Florida.  In fact, if they lose that, the fat lady can begin singing.

Exact days and times for each speaker will not be released by the RNC at this time.

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Julian Castro to Deliver Keynote Speech at Democratic National Convention


The Democrats seem to have made an excellent choice for Keynote Speaker at their upcoming
National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.  San Antonio, Texas Mayor Julian Castro
has been tabbed for the top honor.  Castro is one of America's youngest mayors and a rising
star in the Democratic party.

Monday, July 30, 2012

Consumer Spending Under Obama


See if you can spot a trend in place when Obama took over and a change once his policies took effect.
When did consumers avoid spending and when did they start?


Consumer spending
Consumer spending

Manufacturing Under Obama

See if you can see a trend that was in place when Obama took over, and see if you can spot a trend
once Obama's policies took effect.


Manufacturing
Manufacturing
See if you can detect the trend in interest rates present when Obama took office and any trend once his policies took effect.



Interest rates
Interest rates

Foreclosures Under Obama

See if you can detect a trend that was inherited and any kind of movement once Obama's policies took hold:



Foreclosures
Foreclosures

Unemployment Under Obama

See if you can detect the trend under Bush and a trend under Obama:


Unemployment
Unemployment

Economic Growth Under Obama

See if you can spot when George W. Bush was president and when Obama was president:

Economic growth

American Companies to Thank for China's Olympic Performance

Not only are American companies proud that they've put millions of Americans out of work, but their huge collective investment in China is paying off in another way.  Chinese athletes are dominating the gold medal count at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, something that wouldn't have been possible were it not for the dollars that American companies have poured into Beijing.


Folks at Walmart, Bain Capital (Mitt Romney's company) and others are cheering in front of their television sets as the Chinese continue to perform well.

Monday, July 9, 2012

United States Experienced Warmest 12-Month Period in History

It's not a myth, although the same people that continue to deny it also still believe that the Earth is flat.


The United States has experienced the warmest 12-month period since record-keeping began in 1895, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.


The high temperatures during June also made the first half of the year the longest on record.  There were 170 all-time high temperature records in June.


The average temperature in the U.S., which is what scientists look at to gauge the effects of global warming, was 71.2 degrees in June, the 14th-warmest June on record.  Nationally, there have been more than 4,500 daily record highs in the last 30 days.

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Obama Leads By 5 in New FOX Poll

In the most recent poll by FOX News, President Barack Obama leads expected GOP challenger Mitt Romney 45-40% in the race for president.

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Obama



President Barack Obama has won one of the major victories in the history of the Supreme Court.  By a 5-4 vote, the U.S. Court upheld the Affordable Health Care Act, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing the majority opinion.


There was wide speculation that the high court would strike down the law, or at least the individual mandate.  What those people didn't know was that not only was the individual mandate the part that paid for the bill but that it was the key component that will transform the health care system in the United States from one of socialism to a more democratic system.  If the mandate were struck down, it would add a huge chuck the already high budget deficit, which had been balanced when President Clinton was in office but ballooned out of control during the George W. Bush years.  This was largely because for the first time in history, Bush began a war with Iraq without paying for it.  The conflict, in the Persian Gulf arena, caused an historic spike in oil prices, which in turn put American families so far in debt that it led to mass home foreclosures.  These events also led to one of the biggest free falls of the stock market in history.


The system before Obama's landmark legislation was one in which people without health insurance could go to the emergency room and get free healthcare, then have the rest of the country pay for it.  This, of course, is classic socialism, where all pay for the needs of the few.  Every president in modern times has tried to change the system but failed.  President Theodore Roosevelt first suggested it.  But President Obama was the one who finally got it to pass.


The Supreme Court ruled that the individual mandate requiring people to have health insurance is valid as a tax, confirming what anyone who went to college already knew.  So it appears we have one party which understands the constitution and then we have the Tea Party who does not.  It was that group which hurled insults, racial slurs and swear words in support of their belief that the health care bill was unconstitutional.  They were wrong, of course, and their own Chief Justice John Roberts was the one who ruled in favor of Obama.


While the ruling will likely anger those tea partiers, it will also likely cause some to question their leaders who told them the law was unconstitutional, as well as challenge their own fundamental thinking.

In his majority opinion, Roberts wrote "In this case, however, it is reasonable to construe what Congress has done as increasing taxes on those who have a certain amount of income, but choose to go without health insurance," Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. "Such legislation is within Congress's power to tax."

The decision allows the government to continue implementing the health care law, which doesn't take full effect until 2014.  The past practice of insurers denying coverage for pre-existing conditions is now no more and parents can continue to keep their children on family polices until the age of 26.  Both those laws would have been scrapped if the law would have been overturn.

Besides Chief Justice Roberts, Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagen voted to uphold the law.  

"The framers created a federal government of limited powers and assigned to this court the duty of enforcing those limits," Roberts wrote. "The court does so today."

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Democrats Favored to Take House

The latest Reuters poll of U.S. voters indicates that right now, Democrats have a shot at taking back the House of Representatives.  


The basic question has to be "Are you better off than you were two years ago?", for that was when the Republicans took control of the lower branch.  47% of respondents are saying "No!" and supporting Democrats while 44% said that they are better off than two years ago and supporting Republicans.  

Obama vs. Romney 2012 Presidential Polls

There have been seven recent presidential polls--all but one show President Obama knocking off Mitt Romney.  


IBD/CSM/TIPP did a poll over a week and found that 46% of respondents favored Obama compared to 42% for Romney.  The largest sample, Gallup's at 3,050, shows a one-point edge for Obama, 46 to 45%.  The only one of the seven that shows Romney pulling the upset is Rasmussen Tracking, which shows a 48-44 lead for Mitt, although Fox News has it a 43-43 tie.


Reuters/Ipsos has it 45-44 for Obama while CNN/Opinion Research shows a 49-46 edge for Obama at Monmouth/Survey USA/Braun has it 47-46 for Obama.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Obama Opens Up 12-Point Lead in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania, a state that CNN said was barely "Leaning Obama", supports President Barack Obama by 48-36% over Mitt Romney, the Obama-like candidate that the Republicans are poised to nominate.  Independents support Obama by a whopping 49 to 27% in the poll conducted by Franklin and Marshall College.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Walker Continues to Lead

Refresh often for updates.


With 19% of the vote now counted in the Wisconsin recall:


Walker 258,140 (60.5%)
Barrett 165,720 (39.1%)


Walker is getting more support than last election in his precincts, while Barrett is getting less.  My early take is that voters, no matter what party they are, believe that a candidate needs to break the law to be recalled.  So even though at least half of Wisconsin voters disapprove of Walker's performance, they might let him win this and then get him next time.


Also, it could signal that voters are fine with the last good jobs being shipped overseas and that no American worker should have a great job anymore.  Would be an extremely disheartening result and prospects for our kids and grandkids.

Walker Leads Early in Wisconsin Recall

Governor Scott Walker has the first lead with just one precinct in.  He captured 57% of the vote in his effort to stave off the recall.

Those in Line to Vote in Wisconsin Will Be Allowed to Vote

The policy is that if you are in line when the polls close (8 p.m. Central time), you will be allowed to vote.  So be patient and make your voice heard!

Reports of Voter Suppression by Governor Walker's Campaign in Wisconsin

We are getting reports that Governor Walker's campaign did a flood of calls today to suppress voter participation.  We are trying to ascertain the exact nature of those calls at this time.


Recall races in Governor elections are very rarely successful.


If you live in Wisconsin, today is indeed Election Day and you have until 9 p.m. Eastern Time to cast your ballot.  If you have questions about where to vote, etc., please contact the League of Women Voters.

Market Has Collapsed 1,000 Points Since Romney Clinched GOP Nomination

The reality is that since Mitt Romney clinched the GOP nomination, the Dow Jones has fallen 1,000 points.

Eyes on Wisconsin

Wisconsin used to be a reasonable state.  Not sure if the water in the Great Lakes has turned bad, but just to elect a person like Scott Walker raised eyebrows.  Then, after he tried to undo laws that were made because the workers of this country were getting killed by bosses that didn't like them, the voters of Wisconsin woke up.


A million of them signed a recall petition for Walker and today, we'll see if that is successful.  It would be sad to think that American workers have no chance to be successful through the strength of unions.  Guarantee most bosses aren't going to give you good salaries out of the goodness of their hearts. I just talked to a young guy (25 years old) who had been with his company eight years.  He was one of the only people who knew the entire operation and he excelled at what he did.  Always came to work on time, was willing to work hard and go the extra mile, but he's been passed over for promotions in favor of the boss's son and daughter-in-law.  Unions make things like nepotism impossible, for you are promoted based on your experience rather than how willing you are to "kiss up" to the boss.


Of course, non-union members can't appreciate the value of unions because they don't know it.  It would be like not knowing the value of the sun if you had never been exposed to it.  


In any case, a good deal of attention will be on Wisconsin today.

Another Feather in Obama's Cap: #2 Al Qaeda is Dead

With Bin Laden gone, the #2 Al Qaeda man has been killed, according to numerous reports.


Unlike the major news media which is misguided, his name isn't important.  He was a wierdo and just the fact that he's gone is the only news that needs to be mentioned.  But in less than four years, President Barack Obama has killed the top leads of Al Qaeda, something that President George W. Bush could not do in eight years.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Romney Having Trouble Holding On To Republican States

The latest state polls show GOP presumptive nominee Mitt Romney is in trouble.  And the fans of Rick Santorum knew he would be.


Romney is losing to President Obama in Virginia, 46-42, and losing 48-44 in Colorado.  If Romney has to fight to get Republican states, he's in deep trouble.  And Romney is ahead by just 47-45 in Repuiblican stronghold North Carolina, the home of Jesse Helms.  Obama is leading in Ohio 45-40--he wins that state and it's over.


Still time for Republicans to change their minds and nominate a real conservative, rather than an Obama do-alike.

Romney Clinches GOP Nomination, Wall Street Not Happy

It can't be a good sign for GOP presidential contender Mitt Romney.  On the day that he clinched his party's nomination, Wall Street showed its distaste for Romney with the Dow Jones average falling 170 points.  Investors aren't too optimistic about the prospects of a Romney presidency.  Hopefully, Obama will surge in the polls so the market can settle down.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

U.S. Economy Continues to Gain Steam

Sales of new homes in the United States last month exceeded analysts' expectations again, growing 3.3% over last year to an annualized rate of 343,000.  Many markets have now turned from a buyer's market to a seller's market.  If you waited to buy a home hoping prices would drop, you waited too long.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Foreclosures at the Lowest Level Since 2007

More news that things in the United States are the best they've been in a long time.  


Foreclosure filings in April fell once again.  That's the third straight month of decline, and obviously, the trend is going way down, for it is the lowest level of foreclosures since July of 2007, or nearly five years ago.  


Bank repossessions, all the rage in 2007 and 2008, are down sharply.  There were just 51,415 last month, down 26% from a year ago.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

The United States Will Earn a $15.1 Billion Profit From Bailout of AIG

Moaners and groaners were out in force when U.S. President George W. Bush announced that the government would bail out insurer AIG, with calls of "socialism" and other such malarkey.  Those people likely never had a college education, or at least not a good one, for anyone that knows anything about economics knows that the country could not have survived given AIG's enormous inner dealings and holdings.


AIG insured nearly all the big companies and some foreign governments as well.  Had they been allowed to collapse, it would have sent the country and the world into deep collapse by extension, perhaps worse than the Great Depression that began in 1929, coincidentally the last time that Republicans had control of the presidency, the House, the Senate and the Supreme Court for more than one year.


Bush reluctantly agreed to bail out AIG, and it was one of his best decisions as president.  President Obama agreed that it was the right move, showing his great intelligence.  And rather than 25% unemployment and deficits of $4-5 trillion per year, we now have 8% unemployment and a 
deficit of $1.2 trillion.

The Government Accountability Office issued a report Tuesday that the U.S. Treasury may eventually turn a $15.1 billion profit on its bailout of insurer AIG (when all final payments and asset sales are complete.



Bush absolutely made the right move when he bailed out AIG.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

U.S. Auto Sales Up Yet Again

On the heels of the best quarter for auto sales since before Barack Obama was president, the U.S. auto industry once again reported increased sales.  TrueCar projects 14.5 million new car sales in the United States, up from 12.8 million last year.


If people can buy cars, you know that money will spill into the other segments of the economy and that the job market will improve.  

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Vast Majority of U.S. Companies Realizing Huge Profits

It is earnings season, and thus far, a whopping 76% of U.S. corporations have beat expectations for profits.  That will likely be a boon not only for the stock market, but to President Obama's re-election hopes.  The thing to watch is this:  With huge profits, will said companies turn around and grow their businesses by investing in new plants and equipment and hiring American workers, or will they continue to hire cheap labor, thus inflating the unemployment rate?  My guess is the latter.  No matter how many billions they rake in, it's never enough, and they have zero loyalty to their country.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Gingrich Ends White House Bid

Newt Gingrich, probably the most-qualified Republican candidate for president, officially ended his bid for the White House today after disappointing results in yesterday's primaries.  The GOP chose not the most qualified (Gingrich) or the most conservative (Santorum or Perry) but went with the candidate whose views are closest to President Obama.  

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Santorum Suspends Campaign

Rick Santorum has suspended his bid for the White House, Politics Simplified has learned, no doubt to try to be Mitt Romney's running mate.


The stock market wasn't too happy with this development, falling nearly 200 points.

Monday, April 9, 2012

Apparently Gore Was Right

It's too late to benefit from former Vice President's wisdom now, seeing as a minority of the country elected someone else in 2000, but, in hindsight, it appears that Gore was right in forecasting global warming.


According to the NOAA, which has been keeping statistics since 1895, the month just concluded will go down in history as the warmest March in history.  An incredible 15,292 high temperature records were broken during the month, and for the first three months, it was the warmest quarter ever recorded in the Lower 48 states.  The average temperature was 42 degrees, a whopping 6 degrees above average.  25 states east of the Rockies reported their warmest March on record.  


As anyone who has studied global warming will tell you, the higher temperatures also produce odd weather patterns, resulting in significant rain or snowfall in areas that normally don't receive much precipitation.  This is because, as the warmer than usual air causes water to evaporate, the water must come down in places it normally does not.  The warmer temperatures also produced bizarre conditions for thunderstorms and tornadoes.  During a month that averages 80 tornadoes, there were 223, causing 40 deaths and property losses of $1.5 billion.


Not sure what wisdom President George W. Bush departed us with, but we certainly lost out on the intelligence of Gore.

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

United States Adds Another 209,000 Jobs

In what has been a recurring theme over several months, business in the U.S. added 209,000 jobs.  That is now three months in a row and four out of the last six in which the country has added over 200,000 jobs.  The United States is on its third year in a row of net jobs gains after President Obama's stimulus package was put into effect.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

D.C., Wisconsin Endorse Democratic Ways

Mitt Romney, one of the closest things the Republicans have to a Democrat, has made it a lopsided evening, winning Wisconsin, D.C. and Maryland.  He now is a virtual shoe-in for the GOP nomination.

Maryland the Latest to Reject Traditional Republican Values

Republicans have decided this year that, in fact, the Democrats are right and they should align themselves closer to the Democratic party.  Maryland is but the latest to reject Rick Santorum and his platform of traditional Republican policies that the party has followed for 30 years.


Mitt Romney will win Maryland and likely will win D.C.  The race in Wisconsin is too close to call, but regardless, Romney will be over half of what he needs to win the Republican nomination.  


With 6% of Maryland reporting, Romney has 53% support to just 27% for Santorum.  Romney's Massachusetts health care plan was the model for which President Barack Obama's national health care bill was patterned after.  Plus, he supports the right to an abortion.


We will have complete results of tonight's election returns as they come in.

Looks Like GOP Happy to Go with Clone of Obama

Democratic idealogy, or perhaps just the notion that Democratic policies are best for the economy, is winning.  The Republican party has finally decided that ideas like Rick Santorum, George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, etc. do not work and is ready to endorse Mitt Romney as its nominee.


Bets are, however, that if Romney were to win, he would have to swallow his pride and accept conservative legislation.  So even though he acts like Obama, don't be fooled about what he would do as president.