Anatomy of a Stump Speech

January 3, 2012 1:54 PM

Anatomy of a Stump Speech. The NY Times has been killing it of late with interactive features. This one is particularly good -- an annotated breakdown of the text and video of Republican stump speeches by four candidates. "Revisionist history alert: Mr. Gingrich is recasting his tempestuous tenure as House speaker..."
posted by Cool Papa Bell (26 comments total)

Oh god. It's Iowa caucus day, isn't it. And thus begins the trainwreck that will be 2012.
posted by elizardbits at 1:58 PM on January 3

I for one am sick of those motherfuckers who repeat those TIRED, worn cliches with nothing behind them in the hope of snaring the unwashed masses to give them more power
posted by growabrain at 1:59 PM on January 3

"Obamacare"

applause

Obama has an 88.6% chance of beating Romney.
posted by Mister Fabulous at 2:02 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]

When I got to the part where Willard Mitt Romney, named after his father's (former CEO of American Moters and two-term governor of Michigan) best friend, hotel tycoon J. Willard Marriott and Milton "Mitt" Romney, former quarterback of the Chicago Bears, bemoans Obama's "entitlement society" in favor of "a merit-based society [where] people achieve their dreams through hard work, education, risk-taking, and even a little luck" I closed the tab and decided not to watch the news this evening.
posted by 2bucksplus at 2:09 PM on January 3 [13 favorites]

NEWT GINGRICH IS BEING DISINGENUOUS!?

What an unexpected turn of events!
posted by delmoi at 2:15 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]

I can't even listen to a Republican soundbite before that blood vessel on the side of my temple starts to bulge dangerously, and you want me to expose myself to a whole speech?
posted by entropicamericana at 2:25 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]

But let me tell you what I rarely heard – hopelessness

Aaaaruhng?

...oh, right, $1000-a-plate dinners. Sorry, for a moment there, that didn't make sense 'cause most people I'm seeing are living in a situation comedy level economic catastrophuck and aren't shy about talking about it.

Roosevelt believed that government should level the playing field to create equal opportunities. And he said you should vote for me because I'm going to give you free flying rocket cars. President Obama believes that government should create equal outcomes, plus I hear he called you guys dorks! You're not going to let him get away with that are you?

Gningrich:
Now, a couple more steps. We need to replace the E.P.A. with a brand new Environmental Solutions Agency. When I say replace, I mean I would not transfer anybody from the current agency. This is an institution which has grown so radical, so lacking in common sense, and so dedicated to crippling American business and dictating to local communities that it needs to be replaced by a common sense, practical organization that takes into account economics...

I don't believe I've ever used the "head asplodes" bit. Sorely tempted here.

So... new organization ... but nobody moved from the current agency... *licks pencil*... ESA not EPA.... brand new... but not replace... carry the '1' ....
...perhaps I need the back of a new envelope but I'm just not parsing any of that into English.
posted by Smedleyman at 2:33 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]

common sense, practical

all that AND "solutions" too? This is like a empty jargon bonanza!
posted by Hoopo at 2:43 PM on January 3

Man, that NYT interface is screaming for a button to turn-off the video autoplay.
posted by Thorzdad at 3:10 PM on January 3

holy shit did Romney really invoke JFK?
posted by Hoopo at 3:16 PM on January 3

I mean, invoking "New Frontier" President Kennedy? To make a point about how Obama's "entitlement society"? The same JFK on whose watch:

-Unemployment and welfare benefits were expanded.
-In 1961, Social Security benefits were increased by 20% and provision for early retirement was introduced, enabling workers to retire at the age of sixty-two while receiving partial benefits.
-The Social Security Amendments of 1961 permitted male workers to elect early retirement age 62, increased minimum benefits, liberalized the benefit payments to aged widow, widower, or surviving dependent parent, and also liberalized eligibility requirements and the retirement test.
-The 1962 amendments to the Social Security Act authorized the federal government to reimburse states for the provision of social services.
-The School Lunch Act was amended for authority to begin providing free meals in poverty-stricken areas.
-A pilot food stamp program was launched (1961), covering six areas in the United States. In 1962, the program was extended to eighteen areas, feeding 240,000 people.
-The Self-Employed Individuals Tax Retirement Act of 1962 provided self-employed people with a tax postponement for income set aside in qualified pension plans.
-Various school lunch and school milk programs were extended, “enabling 700,000 more children to enjoy a hot school lunch and eighty-five thousand more schools, child care centers, and camps to receive fresh milk”.
-ADC was extended to whole families (1961).
-Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) replaced the Aid to Dependent Children (ADC) program, as coverage was extended to adults caring for dependent children.
-A major revision of the public welfare laws was carried out, with a $300 million modernisation which emphasised rehabilitation instead of relief”.
-A temporary antirecession supplement to unemployment compensation was introduced.
-Food distribution to needy Americans was increased. In January 1961, the first executive order issued by Kennedy mandated that the Department of Agriculture increase the quantity and variety of foods donated for needy households. This executive order represented a shift in the Commodity Distribution Programs’ primary purpose, from surplus disposal to that of providing nutritious foods to low-income households.
-Social Security benefits were extended to an additional five million Americans.
-The Self-Employed Individuals Tax Retirement Act (1962) provided self-employed people with a tax postponement for income set aside in qualified pension plans.
-The Public Welfare Amendments of 1962 provided for greater Federal sharing in the cost of rehabilitative services to applicants, recipients, and persons likely to become applicants for public assistance. It increased the Federal share in the cost of public assistance payments, and permitted the States to combine the various categories into one category. The amendments also made permanent the 1961 amendment which extended aid to dependent children to cover children removed from unsuitable homes.
-Federal funds were made available for the payment of foster care costs for AFDC-eligible children who had come into state custody.
-An act was approved (1963) which extended for one year the period during which responsibility for the placement and foster care of dependent children, under the program of aid to families with dependent children under Title IV of the Social Security Act.
-Federal civil service retirement benefits were index-linked to changes in the Consumer Price Index (1962).


Just making sure.
posted by Hoopo at 3:35 PM on January 3 [5 favorites]

In a merit-based society, people achieve their dreams through hard work, education, risk-taking, and even a little luck. An opportunity society produces pioneers and inventors; it inspires its citizens to build and create. And these people exert effort and take risks, and when they do so, they employ and lift others and create prosperity.

Their success does not make others poorer. It makes all of us better off.

The risks we are discussing are not with the riskers' own money or opportunities. Their systems are specifically designed to make them richer whether we become poorer or not. Moreover, Romney knows this damn well.
posted by Navelgazer at 3:49 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]

C-SPAN is another place that's doing surprisingly good live coverage tonight.

Also, Thorzdad, ClickToFlash will put a stop to that auto-play nonsense.
posted by brina at 4:47 PM on January 3

I just loved the latest Rick Perry ad, apparently his utopian vision of an all-white amurica.
posted by onesidys at 4:59 PM on January 3

Did you see Obama's ad from today?
posted by brina at 5:02 PM on January 3

Hoopo: " The same JFK on whose watch"

No, no, no. All that happened when the baby boomers were kids, so it's okay.

Hell. Given the choice, I'm beginning to suspect that the boomers would even re-invade Vietnam at this point....
posted by schmod at 5:10 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]

This FPP should be cross-linked with this FPP.
posted by Joey Michaels at 6:19 PM on January 3

C-SPAN is another place that's doing surprisingly good live coverage tonight.

We tried watching it for a little while, but we tuned it at a time when they were talking call-ins, and we just couldn't take it.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:37 PM on January 3

Governor, you're no Jack Kennedy.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:44 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]

Mr. Romney says he believes in "trickle down" economics, which Mr. Obama has previously said does not work. - Ashley Parker, reporter

Oh, come on, NYT. Step away from the political correctness podium for just a second here, because Trickle-Down economics has received far more of a smackdown than some mildly disparaging comments by Obama – it's been discredited by pretty much every economist out there, including those who originally proposed the idea.
posted by schmod at 6:49 PM on January 3 [1 favorite]

We need to replace the E.P.A. with a brand new Environmental Solutions Agency

*smile*
How about scrapping both and going with a Constitutional Amendment?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_Property_Amendment
http://www.geology.wisc.edu/~chuck/Geo106/andrea.html

Trickle-Down economics has received far more of a smackdown

Didn't Bush Sr. call it Voodoo economics? At least until he got the VP position.
posted by rough ashlar at 10:43 PM on January 3

Currently in the lead:

Rick Santorum with 29,968 votes
Mitt Romney with 29,964 votes

Both have 24.5% of the total vote. So each (nearly) an exact quarter.

With a gap of four votes.

Am I the only one this looks like utter bullshit to?
posted by clarknova at 11:08 PM on January 3

Seriously, they're just insulting our intelligence at this point.
posted by clarknova at 11:11 PM on January 3

Am I the only one this looks like utter bullshit to?

Go find Paul supporters for others who are calling UBS.
posted by rough ashlar at 11:11 PM on January 3

Go find Paul supporters...

Yeahhhhh, I'd rather not.
posted by clarknova at 11:36 PM on January 3

Yeahhhhh, I'd rather not.

One or 2 of 'em won't lets this go and will make a video about the 'fraud they found' - kind of like the ongoing saga of voting machine irregularities WRT the 2000/2004 election cycle.

It'll be lots of sound and fury and won't change what happened yesterday.
posted by rough ashlar at 11:44 PM on January 3