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It’s the Economy, Stupid: What to Expect in The 2012 Presidential Race

Seeing as how the GOP presidential primary is pretty much over (unless, of course, you still believe in some sort of secret delegate master plan), we can turn our attention to the final battle between President Barack Obama and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney.

As the November election approaches, the two candidates will fight over ten key battleground states: Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Colorado, Iowa, Arizona, and New Hampshire. The following video from The Economist explains the issues most likely to sway voters in these states.

The thing on everyone’s mind (and the thing most likely to sink President Obama’s reelection bid) is the economy. Polling data shows only a quarter of Americans think the “economy is headed in the right direction.”

Will voters stick with the president’s current economic policies or will they try something new and vote for Mitt Romney, the former chief executive of Bain Capital?

Comments (48)

  • PRESIDENT_OBAMNEY
    Posted on May 27, 2012 at 12:40am

    Just for a moment, let’s envision a debate between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama:
    Romney: “We need to repeal Obamacare.”
    Obama: “But Mitt, your consultants helped us design Obamacare on the basis of Romneycare. While my plan didn’t include $50 co-pay abortion coverage like yours does, it still has the individual mandate!”
    Romney: “We need to protect ‘traditional male-female’ marriage.”
    Obama: “Well then why as governor did you unilaterally, illegally and unconstitutionally implement same-sex “marriage”falsely claiming the “court ordered you to?”
    Romney: “We need a president who will protect and defend life and de-fund Planned Parenthood.”
    Obama: “Well why as governor did you sign into law $50 co-pay abortions and put a Planned Parenthood board member on your healthcare advisory board (3 years after your supposed “pro-life conversion.”)? And why did you and your wife give Planned Parenthood money and give them extra power?
    Romney: “We need to defend religious freedom for all religious organizations.”
    Obama: “So why then do you support state level Employment Non-Discrimination Act which would force churches and other religious organizations to hire homosexuals and transvestites or face criminal fines and prosecution?”
    Romney: “We need to cut taxes to get our economy moving.”
    Obama: “So why did you oppose the Bush Tax Cuts and raise taxes and fees by a billion dollars which decimated the Massachusetts economy?”
    Ro

    Report Post »  
  • liNcoln5x
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 12:12pm

    There was an interesting acticle on here last night outlining what Ron Paul really wanted to do. Anyone know if it was scrubbed????

    Report Post »  
  • G-WHIZ
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 11:55am

    Expect to see: Thugs-with-bats-and-guns at voting-areas…ACORN and UNIONS signing-up illegal and/or non-existing voters…making all overseas-millitary-voters non-existant, hiring a foreign-enemy-country-corperation to do “vote-counting” and supply the machines.

    Report Post »  
  • TemayElbor
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 3:28am

    Is it a good idea to let the children march on the street, in protest of AMERICA’S 15 TRILLION DEBT? They have to deal with this, for they are now the YOUNG DEBTORS OF AMERICA. LET THEIR VOICES BE HEARD? Is the estimated debt burden per child $50,000 or $100,000 since it is still growing daily?

    Can you imagine EVERY FETUS IN A MOTHER’S WOMB IS ALREADY CARRYING A DEBT BURDEN? Yes, welcome each newborn baby with a BILL.

    Report Post »  
  • NotHereToJudge
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 3:22am

    Let history reveal what to expect from Obama. Romney isn’t afraid to stand on faith and his record. Compare the results of Obama’s restucturing of GM and how things are doing for them now. Click here for an update:
    “http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=Lvl5Gan69Wo”
    Do you think Romney would have made choices that lead down this same path?

    Report Post » NotHereToJudge  
  • A.Yeshuratnam
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 3:07am

    There is a feeling of betrayal and disappointment at Obama’s record in office . There are millions who are unemployed and millions who struggle to make both ends meet. Like Sarkozy the writing on the wall is quite conspicuous for Obama. During the election race, Sarkozy told a magazine that if there was victory his whole team would have contributed to it. “But if there’s failure, I’ll be the one responsible.” Obama’s wrong tactics are the causes for his downward trend that we see today – to
    divide and conquer by slicing up the country into groups based on their income,
    gender, ethnicity and now sexual orientation. He hopes to entice women to vote
    for him by saying that the other guy will take away your rights and your access
    to “free” health care benefits.Republicans have also wives, daughters, sisters, relatives and millions of housewives belonging to Democratic party who hate him for legalizing gay marriage. How can Obama claim monopoly over women votes?

    Report Post »  
  • sacwoodpusher
    Posted on May 23, 2012 at 1:07am

    Does America have to be fair, or can I get rewarded for struggling a bit? Can I work just a little harder, and keep the extra that I earn? I called a customer who said no to me, and got the sale by proposing a different product. I did a dozen little things and made double what an employee would have made today. Can I keep the extra to spend on my family? Do I have to give it to someone whovdoes’t work? Maybe a welfare mom? I’d rather give my money to MY WIFE, not to some slut who doesn‘t know who her baby’s daddy in.

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  • robx
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 11:14pm

    Funny its “Willard Mitt Romeny” but not President Barack Hussein Obama.

    Report Post » robx  
  • snrar
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 11:08pm

    It’s been about the economy from the day Obama was sworn in back in 2008 yet he has embarked on other matters like Healthcare and ????????????? oh transforming this nation into ?????????? and giving speeches for his re-election in 2012 . He has done squat for this country other than driving us deeper into debt and dividing this nation into races and engaging in class warfare . Obama deserves only one thing a ticket back to being the only thing he might have done well but doubt it and thats being a community organizer .

    Report Post »  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 9:31pm

    Actually, it’s the incompetent Muslim Marxist……Stupid.

    Report Post »  
  • UNHCoffee
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 9:08pm

    The national debt and unfunded liabilities should be a central issue. You’d never in good conscience maximize all your credit cards, die of old age, and then write in your will, “I had fun kids and I leave to you my children all my credit card debts”. Before I was born, this crushing debt was already setup (entitlements) and growing (automatically funded, can’t cut, instead of in discretionary spending, can cut).

    Please do something positive about this else my generation and future generations become slaves to foreign masters. You need to cut-up the credit cards (stop spending) and focus on paying them off, with the consequences (fewer programs). You think it’s farfetched that we are not repeating the old story concerning Israel and Egypt?

    Report Post » UNHCoffee  
  • THXll38
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 8:40pm

    I am in the minority of “some sort of secret delegate master plan”. Like Mutiny and JUSTANGRY, I am more in favor of liberty. It is not the responsibility of the President to deal with the economy. but then again, we have a pseudo free-market system.

    Report Post » THXll38  
    • marhee9
      Posted on May 22, 2012 at 9:13pm

      It’s not the job of the President to make things “fair.” What kind of an egomaniac does someone have to be to think they are the only one who knows what’s really fair for everyone. There is a great vid abotu this that came out today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwGq8e23LOc

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    • West Coast Patriot
      Posted on May 23, 2012 at 12:57am

      THXLL38, More things to expect in the race for POTUS: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BycOffR9JYFpMmlmWGVvTmZDSDg/view?pli=1&sle=true

      Ron Paul supporters have attorneys that are suing Oklahoma’s GOP for breaking the rules at the convention and will win this to get the proper slate of delegates to Tampa. It is getting quite interesting, and the GOP continues to do what they scream at Dems for doing, election fraud. I can understand the Dems doing election fraud against the opposing party, but to use election fraud within your own party is shameless. Shame on the establishment RNC.

      The more fraud perpetrated, the more fervent Paul supporters become. This is a battle for the saving of our Republic and we will not stop.

      Report Post » West Coast Patriot  
  • Individualism
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 8:36pm

    I would say the secret delegate plan has the highest likelihood. Majority of convention delegates have been appointed to Ron Paul so far but we will see, if the GOP can get away with rule breaking to stop Paul supporters or if Paul supporters take over the state parties to ensure rules are followed which result in Paul supporters taking most delegates. Obama against Romney, Obama is likely to win against him because Romney can’t even distinguish himself from Obama and the Paul base does see Obama as the lesser evil because hes not a war monger and a way from the bankers chains on student loans and Also value voters will not want to show up to vote for a Mormon Obamacare creator, so Obama has the advantage, plus the election counting company is owned by a supporter of him.

    Report Post » Individualism  
    • Individualism
      Posted on May 22, 2012 at 8:46pm

      in this comment i am portraying how they see him not how i do.

      Report Post » Individualism  
    • TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12
      Posted on May 22, 2012 at 9:43pm

      “Obama and the Paul base does see Obama as the lesser evil.”

      Good luck with that vote you Ron Paul shilling in the tank for Obama voting Democrat.

      Report Post » TIME_2_END_THE_PAUL_CAMPAIGN_IN_12  
    • circleDwagons
      Posted on May 22, 2012 at 11:52pm

      @Time. If you where to commit suicide would you want to go quickly? I don’t want you or this great country of ours to commit suicide but we are killing ourselves and must stop.

      Report Post » circleDwagons  
    • West Coast Patriot
      Posted on May 23, 2012 at 1:04am

      Time_2, Paul supporters will be the majority of delegates at the Tampa convention. We will use rule 38. We will at the very least, cause a brokered convention and we will sway delegates to us. Get ready. Right now Oklahoma’s sleazy establishment Republican Party is being sued by Paul supporters for the election fraud they perpetrated at the state convention. Paul supporters followed the rules, the establishment Republicans broke the rules and now we will go to court: https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BycOffR9JYFpMmlmWGVvTmZDSDg/view?pli=1&sle=true

      Get ready, we are rolling up our sleeves and getting ready to get dirty within the rules and the law.

      Report Post » West Coast Patriot  
  • rebel999
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 8:20pm

    The ONLY reason that Romney uses to show why he thinks that we should elect him as our president is that he has business experience. Nothing else, no other reason! However when you look at how he operated at Bain you see that he was bad for the American WORKER as he actually cut AMERICAN manufacturing jobs as he and Bain ripped off the finances of manufacturing plants and poorly ran them till they went under and then shipped the company across the border or overseas. Most of the jobs he created were in the retail industry at Sports Authority and Staples which mostly sell foreign made goods. Retail jobs are ALWAYS American jobs because NOBODY comes from a foreign country to work as a retail clerk at ANY American retail store. So add up ALL of the retail jobs that Romney and Bain created and subtract those from how many jobs Romney says he created. Then add up ALL of the American jobs that Romney and Bain cut and let us know NEWS MEDIA! Do YOUR JOB news media and report the facts instead of repeating and echoing Romney’s lies!

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    • soybomb315
      Posted on May 22, 2012 at 9:04pm

      I think that whole ‘businessman’ thing is a terrible way to pick a president. The government is a cancer – not a business.

      Rather, we should pick candidates based on who have shown the most PRINCIPLE, COURAGE, and LEADERSHIP. We can look at Romney’s time as governor as a comparison (since the president is essentially a governor). Most republicans would agree Romney’s time as governor was pretty lousy

      Report Post » soybomb315  
  • Netsurfer2
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 8:09pm

    We only have one shot to change our government. After that, if nothing changes there isn’t much hope at all. Just tax and spend more while printing beyond it’s value! We need to make drastic changes to our government whether in the short run or long run. The tax system needs to be overhauled completely, as does Social Security, as does Welfare and other programs! In fact I would like it even better if we could just do away with welfare and other free programs by the government!

    I‘m so sick of paying for people who are lazy and don’t want to work!

    It’s time that we make some changes for what is right! When I was a child my parents taught me…
    (you don’t work, you don’t eat!)

    Report Post » Netsurfer2  
    • DEFCON4
      Posted on May 22, 2012 at 8:27pm

      Laziness breeds incompetenticy still echoes in my head, NETSURF……

      Report Post » DEFCON4  
    • soybomb315
      Posted on May 22, 2012 at 8:29pm

      I hear ya. Are you expecting Romney to get it done?

      Tax system – Romney is against the flat tax and fair tax
      Social security – Romney attacked Rick Perry when he called it a “ponzi scheme”.
      Welfare – Romney said he likes the social safety net and wants to fix it if it is broken

      Report Post » soybomb315  
  • Bowlingkev
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 7:43pm

    If only Romney can stick to the issues – high unemployment, a $16 trillion dollar debt grown by Obamas by over $5 trillion in less than 4 years AFTER he pledged to reduce the debt to $7 trillion. Obamacare. Fast and Furious. Eric Holder. Kathryn Sebelious (I don’t know how to correctly spell her name nor do I intend to waste my time to give her the respect). And more. Do not get sucked into their tit for tat name-calling game.

    Report Post » Bowlingkev  
    • Individualism
      Posted on May 22, 2012 at 8:48pm

      actually if he doesn’t offer an alternate plan he will lose badly to Obama.

      Report Post » Individualism  
    • beaniebop
      Posted on May 23, 2012 at 1:59am

      people will choose Romney because he is the alternative. People saw 4 years of Obama and some don’t like it. Now if that “some” is enough to vote him out of office idk but there are many places that are unhappy with him bc even if the unemployment of the nation is like 8ish percent there are many places in the US that are closer to 12% or higher

      Report Post »  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 7:29pm

    If a publication of any kind, said I was born in Kenya, I would not have been able to sleep until it was corrected……unless of course, it was true ………….Sheriff Joe for president !!!!!!

    Report Post »  
  • qpwillie
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 7:23pm

    The economy is ONE OF THE SYMPTOMS of the disease. Get rid of the disease and the symptoms will fade away. Try to treat the symptoms without curing the disease and they’ll only get worse.

    The punctuation should be placed as follows:
    It’s the economy? Stupid!!

    Report Post » qpwillie  
  • Detroit paperboy
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 7:20pm

    Democrats are crapping in their pants……collectively of course……

    Report Post »  
  • progressiveslayer
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 7:11pm

    Barry gets re-elected 500 billion dollar tax increase will crush this country,Romney gets elected that doesn’t happen,end of story.

    Report Post » progressiveslayer  
    • soybomb315
      Posted on May 22, 2012 at 8:16pm

      buuuuut – romney will not reduce federal spending…

      So either a massive tax increase or a massive increase in deficit. Pick your poison

      Report Post » soybomb315  
    • Cat
      Posted on May 22, 2012 at 9:09pm

      There won’t be any taxpayers left in the USA …

      China can now bypass Wall Street when buying U.S. government debt and go straight to the U.S. Treasury, in what is the Treasury’s first-ever direct relationship with a foreign government.
      The relationship means the People’s Bank of China buys U.S. debt using a different method than any other central bank in the world.

      Report Post » Cat  
  • Redd
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 7:10pm

    It’s the kenyan, stupid!

    Report Post »  
  • Mutiny
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 7:09pm

    I still believe in some sort of secret delegate master plan. If not we are screwed.

    Report Post » Mutiny  
    • Individualism
      Posted on May 22, 2012 at 8:44pm

      Civil war and Violent revolution is likely if the case, it will be hell thats for sure.

      Report Post » Individualism  
    • soybomb315
      Posted on May 22, 2012 at 9:01pm

      The way I look at it – even if Ron Paul has the delegates the establishment/moderates will either not allow him to win or they will completely revolt. Either way we are screwed

      Report Post » soybomb315  
    • soybomb315
      Posted on May 22, 2012 at 9:01pm

      We HAVE to keep fighting tho

      Report Post » soybomb315  
    • circleDwagons
      Posted on May 22, 2012 at 11:33pm

      @indi. Violence is not the answer. We must continue to pray and stand for our believes. I pray the Republicans wake up and see how weak a canidate Romney is.

      Report Post » circleDwagons  
    • West Coast Patriot
      Posted on May 23, 2012 at 1:58am

      Mutiny a Soybomb, we are working as hard as we can, but the State Republican Parties are breaking the rules. I believe they will pay a huge price for this. Everyone should be behind Constitutionalists getting power positions in the state. Paul supporters have filed a lawsuit agians Oklahoma’s Republican Party.

      This is going to be a tough rest of primary, but I believe Paul supporters have learned the rules well. The GOP is getting quite nervous. Newt Gingrich told Hannity on the radio that Romney will have to deal with Ron Paul at the convention, and give them their legitimate right s as delegates.

      This convention is going to be closer than anyone thinks. The media tries to tell everyone that Romney has over 1000 delegates, but that just is not true. We will not know the true numbers until the convention on the first round. The closest count for Romney is 453, for Paul 168. A difference of 285 in Romney’s favor. 1498 to still be determined at state conventions. Newt and Santorum have 167 between them. The first round of voting out to be quite interseting, make sure you DVR it.

      Report Post » West Coast Patriot  
  • justangry
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 7:08pm

    I don‘t know why people think it’s the president’s job to fix the economy in the first place. Only decent thing they can do is get out of the way. Niether are going to embrace true free market principles, so what’s the point? Personally, I‘d like to see the race focus on our civil liberties which these Washington POS’s think they can just take away from us. It isn‘t even like it’s to protect us from terrorism anymore either.

    Report Post » justangry  
  • cemerius
    Posted on May 22, 2012 at 7:05pm

    Florida IS NOT a toss up state!!! Florida will go back to Republican now that the “magic” has worn off!! All they have to do here is play loops of Debbie Wasserman-Shultz the “blabbermouth” over and over again!!! THAT is the face of the Demoncrat party!!!

    Report Post » cemerius  

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