# Politics & Elections **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/politics-elections/22.md?page=297 [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) **Page:** 298 --- ## [Why Did Jan Brewer Endorse Obama?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jan-brewer-endorse-obama/633205)
**Author:** [@nogravity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nogravity)\ **Replies:** 28\ **Last updated:** [September 6, 2012, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-did-jan-brewer-endorse-obama/633205 "2012-09-06T23:31:35Z")
I did a search here and didn’t see anything posted so if I missed it I apologize in advance. With that said, why did Jan Brewer endorse Obama last night at the convention? Is it a case of rats leaving a sinking ship? S… --- ## [Democrats - please explain this to me](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-please-explain-this-to-me/633510)
**Author:** [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Replies:** 148\ **Last updated:** [September 6, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/democrats-please-explain-this-to-me/633510 "2012-09-06T22:03:08Z")
I have been bombarded on my facebook page by the typical election heat rhetoric. However, I need to understand how you can get behind this BS. at the most basic level, the claims lately have been about how the last 4 y… --- ## [How do Republicans respond to stories like Stacey Lihn's?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-republicans-respond-to-stories-like-stacey-lihns/633700)
**Author:** [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Replies:** 82\ **Last updated:** [September 6, 2012, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-republicans-respond-to-stories-like-stacey-lihns/633700 "2012-09-06T20:43:52Z")
Here is her story. In summary, her baby daughter has a heart defect that required multiple surgeries, and at 6 months old was already halfway to her lifetime insurance cap. The ACA got rid of these lifetime caps. So t… --- ## [Fact-checking the \_\_\_\_\_ National Convention speeches?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-checking-the-_____-national-convention-speeches/633843)
**Author:** [@MDKSquared](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MDKSquared)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [September 6, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-checking-the-_____-national-convention-speeches/633843 "2012-09-06T14:35:15Z")
Is there a site or sites that have fact-checks for the speeches Barack and Michelle Obama/Clinton/Ryan/Romney/etc gave? I’m curious whose speeches were more accurate and which were stretches, using hard evidence. --- ## [The elephant in the room \[Christie's keynote speech\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-christies-keynote-speech/633018)
**Author:** [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Replies:** 35\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2012, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-elephant-in-the-room-christies-keynote-speech/633018 "2012-09-05T18:37:14Z")
Didn’t catch it, but just saw Rachel Maddow calling it disappointing and egotistical, while Chris Matthews felt it was a barnburner. Which was it? --- ## [Romney's tax plan would raise taxes on 95% of Americans](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romneys-tax-plan-would-raise-taxes-on-95-of-americans/630086)
**Author:** [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Replies:** 131\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2012, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romneys-tax-plan-would-raise-taxes-on-95-of-americans/630086 "2012-09-05T15:51:46Z")
So say researchers from the Brookings Institute and the Tax Policy Center. Romney’s just bad at this whole “trying to win an election” thing. I’m not talking about how he’d be as President, but as a candidate, he’s ter… --- ## [Poll: Most Americans say the rich don't pay enough in taxes](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-most-americans-say-the-rich-dont-pay-enough-in-taxes/632851)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 60\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-most-americans-say-the-rich-dont-pay-enough-in-taxes/632851 "2012-09-05T14:35:19Z")
Poll by the Pew Research Center: “We’re not taxed enough!” is quite a remarkable polling result! Does this represent a problem for Romney? --- ## ["Method of conception" is a no no. What should Ryan have said?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/method-of-conception-is-a-no-no-what-should-ryan-have-said/632958)
**Author:** [@Nars\_Glinley](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nars_Glinley)\ **Replies:** 145\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2012, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/method-of-conception-is-a-no-no-what-should-ryan-have-said/632958 "2012-09-05T13:20:46Z")
Apparently, some of the blogosphere is atwitter about Paul Ryan and his use of the phrase “method of conception”. You can find one link to it here. Caution: autoplay video. They start by talking about Akin and how Ryan… --- ## [Romney Sons, Weird?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-sons-weird/633421)
**Author:** [@Untoward\_Parable](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Untoward_Parable)\ **Replies:** 22\ **Last updated:** [September 5, 2012, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-sons-weird/633421 "2012-09-05T02:23:31Z")
Don’t know if it’s just me but does anyone else get the creeps from the Romney family? Romney has his own Ivy league polo team from the same graduating class as sons. And what’s up with Craig going from being super ligh… --- ## [Mitt Romney's speech: What war? What troops?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-speech-what-war-what-troops/633273)
**Author:** [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hentor_the_Barbarian)\ **Replies:** 19\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2012, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mitt-romneys-speech-what-war-what-troops/633273 "2012-09-04T14:43:15Z")
In the 12 painful minutes he was speaking, Clint Eastwood actually mentioned very, very few specific things. These included job creation and the war in Afghanistan (which he appeared to suggest we should pull out of, el… --- ## [Predicting the winner of the US presidential election](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-the-winner-of-the-us-presidential-election/627903)
**Author:** [@Polerius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polerius)\ **Replies:** 7\ **Last updated:** [September 4, 2012, 4:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/predicting-the-winner-of-the-us-presidential-election/627903 "2012-09-04T04:25:18Z")
I have put up a simple website with estimates of the probabilities of Obama or Romney winning the election: prespredict.com Basically, in 2008, I did some calculations to estimate the probability of Obama or McCain winn… --- ## [Romney makes appeal to Americans disillusioned with Obama](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-makes-appeal-to-americans-disillusioned-with-obama/633225)
**Author:** [@moonshot925](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/moonshot925)\ **Replies:** 124\ **Last updated:** [September 3, 2012, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-makes-appeal-to-americans-disillusioned-with-obama/633225 "2012-09-03T17:28:38Z")
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/31/us-usa-campaign-idUSBRE87P01H20120831 --- ## [Obama is an "Eisenhower Democrat" and this election is no clash-of-ideologies](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-an-eisenhower-democrat-and-this-election-is-no-clash-of-ideologies/632737)
**Author:** [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Replies:** 20\ **Last updated:** [September 3, 2012, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/obama-is-an-eisenhower-democrat-and-this-election-is-no-clash-of-ideologies/632737 "2012-09-03T15:56:49Z")
From this Salon piece by Michael Lind, which is mainly about why Romney putting Paul Ryan on the ticket ain’t no big deal: A rare voice of reason himself, that Lind (a former National Review editor, BTW). This is a dr… --- ## [Clint Eastwood voting for Romney](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clint-eastwood-voting-for-romney/630469)
**Author:** [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Replies:** 226\ **Last updated:** [September 3, 2012, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clint-eastwood-voting-for-romney/630469 "2012-09-03T14:26:29Z")
Just saw on the news that Eastwood is endorsing Romney. Last dollar he gets from me, which is no big loss for either of us. --- ## [Bad drinking game.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-drinking-game/633000)
**Author:** [@sinjin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sinjin)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [September 3, 2012, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bad-drinking-game/633000 "2012-09-03T01:04:11Z")
Dang, if we were doing the “Romney” drinking game during Chris Christie’s speech we would all be parched by now. --- ## [Your dream team? Who is it?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-team-who-is-it/633451)
**Author:** [@Bouncer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bouncer)\ **Replies:** 2\ **Last updated:** [September 3, 2012, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-dream-team-who-is-it/633451 "2012-09-03T01:01:52Z")
I think it’s an interesting what-if. So I’d like to ask who YOUR dream team is. They don’t have to be political, it can be anyone. There are really only two rules I ask be followed: Has to be a real person. Has to be a… --- ## [How has Obama been to the left of Clinton?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-obama-been-to-the-left-of-clinton/633254)
**Author:** [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2012, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-has-obama-been-to-the-left-of-clinton/633254 "2012-09-02T22:58:13Z")
It seems to me that Obama has consistently been to Clinton’s right: Taxes: Clinton raised taxes across the board. Obama - keep the Bush-era tax cuts, except for those above $250,000 Gun Control: Clinton had the assault… --- ## [Parse Eastwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parse-eastwood/633434)
**Author:** [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Replies:** 38\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/parse-eastwood/633434 "2012-09-02T20:54:56Z")
I’ll take the righties seriously when they claim that Eastwood’s schtick at the convention wasn’t so bad, was pretty good, was hilarious, etc., but I want to dissect it to find out why they feel it wasn’t a disaster, wh… --- ## [White House-brewed beer: A platform Obama should run on.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-brewed-beer-a-platform-obama-should-run-on/632311)
**Author:** [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Replies:** 37\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2012, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-brewed-beer-a-platform-obama-should-run-on/632311 "2012-09-02T15:48:49Z")
The White House brews its own beer, including Honey Porter and Honey Blonde Ale, made with the honey from Michelle Obama’s White House garden and equipment the Obamas bought with their own money. He should put the reci… --- ## [How Was Romney's Convention Speech (Please answer only if you support Romney)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-romneys-convention-speech-please-answer-only-if-you-support-romney/633375)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 32\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2012, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-romneys-convention-speech-please-answer-only-if-you-support-romney/633375 "2012-09-02T13:58:52Z")
How do you rate Romney’s convention speech? I’d like to limit this thread to only Romney supporters, please, as I don’t want Obama supporters to skew the results. By my own rules, I can’t vote, since I’m voting for John… --- ## [2012 POTUS: Speculate on the Outcome](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-potus-speculate-on-the-outcome/633376)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 8\ **Last updated:** [September 2, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2012-potus-speculate-on-the-outcome/633376 "2012-09-02T03:05:42Z")
This is just a gauge of who you think is going to win; not who you hope will win. --- ## [Romney beats Obama to Louisiana.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-beats-obama-to-louisiana/633329)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [September 1, 2012, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/romney-beats-obama-to-louisiana/633329 "2012-09-01T21:43:22Z")
Somebody screwed up in the Obama circle. He should have been on Air Force One first thing Friday morning. Instead he went to Texas to campaign. What really matters is getting aid to a state that is in desperate shape ri… --- ## [I have a crazy theory.... \[Rick Santorum and Republican leadership\]](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-crazy-theory-rick-santorum-and-republican-leadership/633004)
**Author:** [@Bouncer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bouncer)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [September 1, 2012, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-crazy-theory-rick-santorum-and-republican-leadership/633004 "2012-09-01T18:53:21Z")
I think Rick Santorum is moving into a leadership position within the Republican Party. I’m starting to believe that Rick Santorum never wanted the nomination. I am coming to this conclusion based on his speeches and ac… --- ## [How Was Romney's Convention Speech (Please answer only if you support Romney)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-romneys-convention-speech-please-answer-only-if-you-support-romney/633371)
**Author:** [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [September 1, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-romneys-convention-speech-please-answer-only-if-you-support-romney/633371 "2012-09-01T15:36:04Z")
nm; poll option fail --- ## [Ohio Secretary of State Suspends Democrats on County Board of Elections](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ohio-secretary-of-state-suspends-democrats-on-county-board-of-elections/632085)
**Author:** [@Ruby\_Slippers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruby_Slippers)\ **Replies:** 15\ **Last updated:** [September 1, 2012, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ohio-secretary-of-state-suspends-democrats-on-county-board-of-elections/632085 "2012-09-01T10:28:31Z")
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/news/local-govt-politics/suspended-democratic-elections-officials-meet-with/nRFrR/ Ohio’s Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted has suspended the two Democratic members of the Mont… --- ## [Ann Romney's RNC Speech](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ann-romneys-rnc-speech/633005)
**Author:** [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Replies:** 106\ **Last updated:** [September 1, 2012, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ann-romneys-rnc-speech/633005 "2012-09-01T02:18:18Z")
Ann is the Romney campaign’s best asset. I wish her hubby had this much warmth and personality. I thought she did a good job. Full 20 min speech Transcript --- ## [Puerto Rico's 2012 Referendum on Statehood](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-ricos-2012-referendum-on-statehood/631706)
**Author:** [@Klostertal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Klostertal)\ **Replies:** 33\ **Last updated:** [August 31, 2012, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puerto-ricos-2012-referendum-on-statehood/631706 "2012-08-31T23:07:51Z")
The citizens of Puerto Rico are set to decide whether or not to change their political status on November 6, 2012: To be honest, I am not too familiar with Puerto Rican history or its over-100 year-old relationship wit… --- ## [Are we missing something? Political ads.](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-missing-something-political-ads/633209)
**Author:** [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Replies:** 14\ **Last updated:** [August 31, 2012, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-we-missing-something-political-ads/633209 "2012-08-31T16:49:15Z")
I live in a blue district of a blue county in a blue state-- Nassau county, NY. I have see zero campaign ads on TV (except when one is played on the news) and maybe an ad on the radio during drive time. It’s weird. It’s … --- ## [Snakebit GOP](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakebit-gop/632758)
**Author:** [@fumster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fumster)\ **Replies:** 5\ **Last updated:** [August 31, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/snakebit-gop/632758 "2012-08-31T15:15:08Z")
I’m almost starting to feel sorry for them. Romney insults the UK on a friendship tour to Europe to show what a statesmen he is and the Brits pull off an incident-free Olympics just to rub it in. There was the whole tax … --- ## [For non-USA Americans only - How would you vote in November?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-non-usa-americans-only-how-would-you-vote-in-november/633208)
**Author:** [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [August 31, 2012, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/for-non-usa-americans-only-how-would-you-vote-in-november/633208 "2012-08-31T14:20:21Z")
Poll coming up. Please don’t spoil it you USA types. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/politics-elections/22.md?page=296) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/politics-elections/22.md?page=298)