Obama vs Romney 2012 - CDC Election

[Common sense]

Interesting, re: tonight's speeches:

https://twitter.com/DanielleCNN/status/243197225046515712

CNN fact check on whether #Obama has added 4.5M jobs. The statement lacks major context. Yes, 4.5M jobs added but...5 million jobs were lost

https://twitter.com/DanielleCNN/status/243201449587253250

report: majority of jobs lost were middle range of wages, majority of those added are low paying: @nytimes http://www.cnbc.com/id/48858760 h/t @walldo

[Zamboni_14]

That doesn't make it slanted. It just means one side is objectively worse than the other.

That's the problem with the media these days. They feel like they have to give equal blame and call everything "even." It's not even! To give an example, there are some Republicans who still believe Obama wasn't born in the States. If a news channel does 10 stories about him being born in the States and 0 about him not being born there, does that make them biased towards Obama? No, it just means the other side is crazy. To try to call it even would be absurd. On a much larger scale, that is how TYT handles the Republicans and the Democrats. It's perfectly fair and balanced IMO.

[Hyzer]

I'm for Obama because the other choice is much, much worse. Sad really..

[Mr. Ambien]

Interesting, re: tonight's speeches:

https://twitter.com/...197225046515712

CNN fact check on whether #Obama has added 4.5M jobs. The statement lacks major context. Yes, 4.5M jobs added but...5 million jobs were lost

https://twitter.com/...201449587253250

report: majority of jobs lost were middle range of wages, majority of those added are low paying: @nytimes http://www.cnbc.com/id/48858760 h/t @walldo

[mrawfull]

TYT are funded by the same people that fund Mediamatters. We all know how balanced they are.

[RUPERTKBD]

[Satan's Evil Twin]

Democrats Unleashed Some 'Dubious Or Misleading Claims,' Fact Checkers Say

by MARK MEMMOTT

Enlarge

Mladen Antonov /AFP/Getty Images

The scene Tuesday night at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.

Just as they did during the Republican National Convention, independent fact checkers spent the first day of the Democratic National Convention listening for claims that don't add up — and found them.

— FactCheck.org says it heard "a number of dubious or misleading claims" from the Democrats who spoke on stage Tuesday in Charlotte, N.C. Among the problems it found:

— "The keynote speaker and others claimed the Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, would raise taxes on the 'middle class.' He has promised he won't. Democrats base their claim on a study that doesn't necessarily lead to that conclusion."

— "The keynote speaker, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, also said there have been 4.5 million 'new jobs' under Obama. The fact is the economy has regained only 4 million of the 4.3 million jobs lost since Obama took office."

— "A Democratic governor said Romney 'left his state 47th out of 50 in job growth.' Actually, Massachusetts went from 50th in job creation during Romney's first year to 28th in his final year."

— "Multiple speakers repeated a claim that the Ryan/Romney Medicare plan would cost seniors $6,400 a year. That's a figure that applied to Ryan's 2011 budget plan, but his current proposal (the one Romney embraces) is far more generous."

— "Rep. James Clyburn engaged in partisan myth-making when he said 'Democrats created Social Security' while Republicans 'cursed the darkness.' History records strong bipartisan support in both House and Senate for the measure President Roosevelt signed in 1935.

— The Washington Post's The Fact Checker cites some of the same problems as FactCheck highlighted. And it points to this statement from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada: "We learned that he [Mitt Romney] pays a lower tax rate than middle-class families."

The Fact Checker writes that:

"For all the rhetoric about high taxes in the United States, most Americans pay a relatively small percentage of their income in taxes. Romney had an effective rate of 13.9 percent in 2010 and 15.4 percent in 2011. That gives him a higher rate than 80 percent of taxpayers if only taxes on a tax return are counted and puts him just about in the middle of all taxpayers if payroll taxes paid by employers are included."

— PolitiFact appears to have just begun its analysis. In its initial take on the night's talk, it gives Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick a "half true" rating for his statement about the state being "47th in the nation in job creation" when Romney left office there.

As for first lady Michelle Obama's address to the convention, the fact checkers don't seem to have any faults to find.

You can find all our posts about fact checks of the Republican and Democratic conventions here.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/itsallpolitics/2012/09/05/160591872/democrats-unleashed-some-dubious-or-misleading-claims-fact-checkers-say?utm_source=NPR&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=20120903

[Baercheese]

Michelle's speech was awesome

[The Colt 45s]

From every Canadian's favourite US news network CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2012/09/05/politics/fact-check-obama-jobs/index.html?hpt=hp_c1

(CNN) -- Anyone watching the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday night heard the number 4.5 million several times.

"Despite incredible odds and united Republican opposition, our president took action, and now we've seen 4.5 million new jobs," San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, the party's keynote speaker, said.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who served as President Barack Obama's chief of staff, and Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, who followed Obama's November rival Mitt Romney as governor of Massachusetts, both cited the same number.

It's a big-sounding number, given the still-sputtering job market. So we're giving it a close eyeballing.

The facts:

The number Castro cites is an accurate description of the growth of private-sector jobs since January 2010, when the long, steep slide in employment finally hit bottom. But while a total of 4.5 million jobs sounds great, it's not the whole picture.

Nonfarm private payrolls hit a post-recession low of 106.8 million that month, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The figure currently stands at 111.3 million as of July.

While that is indeed a gain of 4.5 million, it's only <a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fredgraph.png?g=aby" target="_blank">a net gain of 300,000 over the course of the Obama administration to date. The private jobs figure stood at 111 million in January 2009, the month Obama took office.

And total nonfarm payrolls, including government workers, are down from 133.6 million workers at the beginning of 2009 to 133.2 million in July 2012. There's been a net loss of nearly 1 million public-sector jobs since Obama took office, despite a surge in temporary hiring for the 2010 census.

Meanwhile, the jobs that have come back aren't the same ones that were lost.

Are you better off?

According to a study released last week by the liberal-leaning National Employment Law Project, low-wage fields such as retail sales and food service are adding jobs nearly three times as fast as higher-paid occupations.

Conclusion:

The figure of 4.5 million jobs is accurate if you look at the most favorable period and category for the administration. But overall, there are still fewer people working now than when Obama took office at the height of the recession.

[The Colt 45s]

the average american still thinks russia is communist.

[The Colt 45s]

Having lived, gone to school and worked in both countries I can say our Canadian system equates to communism to Republicans and even most Americans.

[Sharpshooter]

From every Canadian's favourite US news network CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2....html?hpt=hp_c1

Conclusion:

The figure of 4.5 million jobs is accurate if you look at the most favorable period and category for the administration. But overall, there are still fewer people working now than when Obama took office at the height of the recession.

[Sharpshooter]

Socialist, not communist because there is a difference, to a degree.

[Satan's Evil Twin]

I think he meant Communist with the point being that most Americans, and that's probably directed to the low-information voters, don't know the difference between Socialism and Communism and therefore just call anything Socialist as Communist.

[Tearloch7]

Socialist, not communist because there is a difference, to a degree.

[Sharpshooter]

Osama here thinks the last four years have been an exercise in socialism. Nuff said.

[Satan's Evil Twin]

Who are you referring to as Osama?

[Satan's Evil Twin]

Obama and Romney Tackle 14 Top Science Questions

Find out where the candidates stand on climate change, research, energy, space and more

By The Editors | September 4, 2012

Scientific American partnered with grassroots organization ScienceDebate.org earlier this summer to encourage the two main presidential candidates--Barack Obama and Mitt Romney--to answer 14 questions on some of the biggest scientific and technological challenges facing the nation. President Obama and Governor Romney have now answered these Top American Science Questions, which you can read below.

Editors will grade the candidates' answers for SA's November issue, which will be available on the iPad and in print in mid-October.

In the meantime, we need your help with this project. Do you find that the candidates' answers adequately address the thrust of the questions or do they sidestep important issues? Do the answers put forth concrete solutions? Did you find any of the answers particularly helpful or surprising?

We will highlight the most thoughtful and constructive comments and consider the best, verifiable information that you give us in our own deliberations and analysis. Please make sure to register with accurate contact information so that we can email you directly for followup questions, if need be.

1. Innovation and the Economy. Science and technology have been responsible for over half of the growth of the U.S. economy since WWII, when the federal government first prioritized peacetime science mobilization. But several recent reports question America’s continued leadership in these vital areas. What policies will best ensure that America remains a world leader in innovation?

Barack Obama:

I believe that in order to be globally competitive in the 21st century and to create an American economy that is built to last, we must create an environment where invention, innovation, and industry can flourish. We can work together to create an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, and skills for American workers.

I am committed to doubling funding for key research agencies to support scientists and entrepreneurs, so that we can preserve America’s place as the world leader in innovation, and strengthen U.S. leadership in the 21st century’s high-tech knowledge-based economy. To prepare American children for a future in which they can be the highly skilled American workers and innovators of tomorrow, I have set the goal of preparing 100,000 science and math teachers over the next decade. These teachers will meet the urgent need to train one million additional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) graduates over the next decade.

Mitt Romney:

Innovation is the key to economic growth and job creation, and increasingly important to American competitiveness in the global economy. Three-quarters of all U.S. economic growth, and three-quarters of the U.S. productivity advantage over other OECD nations, is directly attributable to innovation, and wages in innovation-intensive industries have grown more than twice as fast as other wages in recent decades.

My plan for a stronger middle class will rebuild the American economy on the principles of free enterprise, hard work, and innovation. The promotion of innovation will begin on Day One, with efforts to simplify the corporate tax code, reform job retraining programs, reduce regulatory burdens, and protect American intellectual property around the world.

A Growth Agenda

Over the course of my campaign, I have laid out a detailed economic plan that seeks to strengthen the American economy by empowering entrepreneurs and workers and rewarding innovation. This plan emphasizes critical structural adjustments to promote growth rather than short-term fixes.

• Human Capital. We must reform America’s legal immigration system to attract and retain the best and the brightest, and equip more Americans with the skills to succeed. I will raise visa caps for highly skilled foreign workers, offer permanent residence to foreign students graduating with advanced degrees in relevant fields, and restructure government retraining programs to empower individual workers and welcome private sector participation.

• Taxes. We must pursue fundamental tax reform that simplifies the tax code, broadens the tax base, and lowers tax rates. I will lower the corporate tax rate to 25 percent, strengthen and make permanent the R&D tax credit, and transition to a territorial tax system. I will cut individual income tax rates across the board, and maintain today’s low tax rates on investment. And I will ensure that these changes are made permanent, so that investors and entrepreneurs are not confronted with a constantly shifting set of rules.

• Regulation. We must reduce the power of unaccountable regulators by requiring that all major regulations receive congressional approval and by imposing a regulatory cap that prevents the addition of new regulatory costs. In a Romney Administration, agencies will have to limit the costs they are imposing on society and recognize that their job is to streamline and reduce burdens, not to add new ones.

• Trade. We must open new markets for American businesses and workers. I will create a Reagan Economic Zone encompassing nations committed to the principles of free enterprise. At the same time, I will confront nations like China that steal intellectual property from American innovators while closing off American access to their markets.

A Foundation for Innovation

The private sector is far more effective at pursuing and applying innovation than government could ever be. However, there are key areas in which government policy must strengthen the ability of the private sector to innovate effectively.

• Education. America’s K-12 education system lags behind other developed nations, and while our higher education system remains the envy of the world its costs are spiraling out of control. We must pursue genuine education reform that puts the interests of parents and students ahead of special interests and provides a chance for every child. I will take the unprecedented step of tying federal funds directly to dramatic reforms that expand parental choice, invest in innovation, and reward teachers for their results instead of their tenure. I will also ensure that students have diverse and affordable options for higher education to give them the skills they need to succeed after graduation.

• Basic Research. President Obama’s misguided attempts to play the role of venture capitalist, pick winners and losers, and spend tens of billions of dollars on politically-prioritized investments have been a disaster for the American taxpayer. Yet at the same time, we must never forget that the United States has moved forward in astonishing ways thanks to national investment in basic research and advanced technology. As president, I will focus government resources on research programs that advance the development of knowledge, and on technologies with widespread application and potential to serve as the foundation for private sector innovation and commercialization.

All 14 questions: http://www.scientifi...-science-debate

[Sharpshooter]

I think Osama bin Marx is the full name.

[Sharpshooter]

Obama and Romney Tackle 14 Top Science Questions

Find out where the candidates stand on climate change, research, energy, space and more

By The Editors | September 4, 2012

Scientific American partnered with grassroots organization ScienceDebate.org earlier this summer to encourage the two main presidential candidates--Barack Obama and Mitt Romney--to answer 14 questions on some of the biggest scientific and technological challenges facing the nation. President Obama and Governor Romney have now answered these Top American Science Questions, which you can read below.

Editors will grade the candidates' answers for SA's November issue, which will be available on the iPad and in print in mid-October.

In the meantime, we need your help with this project. Do you find that the candidates' answers adequately address the thrust of the questions or do they sidestep important issues? Do the answers put forth concrete solutions? Did you find any of the answers particularly helpful or surprising?

We will highlight the most thoughtful and constructive comments and consider the best, verifiable information that you give us in our own deliberations and analysis. Please make sure to register with accurate contact information so that we can email you directly for followup questions, if need be.

1. Innovation and the Economy. Science and technology have been responsible for over half of the growth of the U.S. economy since WWII, when the federal government first prioritized peacetime science mobilization. But several recent reports question America’s continued leadership in these vital areas. What policies will best ensure that America remains a world leader in innovation?

Barack Obama:

I believe that in order to be globally competitive in the 21st century and to create an American economy that is built to last, we must create an environment where invention, innovation, and industry can flourish. We can work together to create an economy built on American manufacturing, American energy, and skills for American workers.

I am committed to doubling funding for key research agencies to support scientists and entrepreneurs, so that we can preserve America’s place as the world leader in innovation, and strengthen U.S. leadership in the 21st century’s high-tech knowledge-based economy. To prepare American children for a future in which they can be the highly skilled American workers and innovators of tomorrow, I have set the goal of preparing 100,000 science and math teachers over the next decade. These teachers will meet the urgent need to train one million additional science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) graduates over the next decade.

Mitt Romney:

Innovation is the key to economic growth and job creation, and increasingly important to American competitiveness in the global economy. Three-quarters of all U.S. economic growth, and three-quarters of the U.S. productivity advantage over other OECD nations, is directly attributable to innovation, and wages in innovation-intensive industries have grown more than twice as fast as other wages in recent decades.

My plan for a stronger middle class will rebuild the American economy on the principles of free enterprise, hard work, and innovation. The promotion of innovation will begin on Day One, with efforts to simplify the corporate tax code, reform job retraining programs, reduce regulatory burdens, and protect American intellectual property around the world.

A Growth Agenda

Over the course of my campaign, I have laid out a detailed economic plan that seeks to strengthen the American economy by empowering entrepreneurs and workers and rewarding innovation. This plan emphasizes critical structural adjustments to promote growth rather than short-term fixes.

• Human Capital. We must reform America’s legal immigration system to attract and retain the best and the brightest, and equip more Americans with the skills to succeed. I will raise visa caps for highly skilled foreign workers, offer permanent residence to foreign students graduating with advanced degrees in relevant fields, and restructure government retraining programs to empower individual workers and welcome private sector participation.

• Taxes. We must pursue fundamental tax reform that simplifies the tax code, broadens the tax base, and lowers tax rates. I will lower the corporate tax rate to 25 percent, strengthen and make permanent the R&D tax credit, and transition to a territorial tax system. I will cut individual income tax rates across the board, and maintain today’s low tax rates on investment. And I will ensure that these changes are made permanent, so that investors and entrepreneurs are not confronted with a constantly shifting set of rules.

• Regulation. We must reduce the power of unaccountable regulators by requiring that all major regulations receive congressional approval and by imposing a regulatory cap that prevents the addition of new regulatory costs. In a Romney Administration, agencies will have to limit the costs they are imposing on society and recognize that their job is to streamline and reduce burdens, not to add new ones.

• Trade. We must open new markets for American businesses and workers. I will create a Reagan Economic Zone encompassing nations committed to the principles of free enterprise. At the same time, I will confront nations like China that steal intellectual property from American innovators while closing off American access to their markets.

A Foundation for Innovation

The private sector is far more effective at pursuing and applying innovation than government could ever be. However, there are key areas in which government policy must strengthen the ability of the private sector to innovate effectively.

• Education. America’s K-12 education system lags behind other developed nations, and while our higher education system remains the envy of the world its costs are spiraling out of control. We must pursue genuine education reform that puts the interests of parents and students ahead of special interests and provides a chance for every child. I will take the unprecedented step of tying federal funds directly to dramatic reforms that expand parental choice, invest in innovation, and reward teachers for their results instead of their tenure. I will also ensure that students have diverse and affordable options for higher education to give them the skills they need to succeed after graduation.

• Basic Research. President Obama’s misguided attempts to play the role of venture capitalist, pick winners and losers, and spend tens of billions of dollars on politically-prioritized investments have been a disaster for the American taxpayer. Yet at the same time, we must never forget that the United States has moved forward in astonishing ways thanks to national investment in basic research and advanced technology. As president, I will focus government resources on research programs that advance the development of knowledge, and on technologies with widespread application and potential to serve as the foundation for private sector innovation and commercialization.

All 14 questions: http://www.scientifi...-science-debate