Thoughts on the 2012 Republican National Convention

The Republican Party believes deeply in God. But didn’t God have something negative to say about lying?

(CALGARY, Alberta) - Sally Kohn, an unpaid contributor to Fox News, (they won't pay to be "fair and balanced") said:

“Ryan’s speech was an apparent attempt to set the world record for the greatest number of blatant lies and misrepresentations slipped into a single political speech. On this measure, while it was Romney who ran the Olympics, Ryan earned the gold.”

Jonathan Cohn The New Republic headline: “The Most Dishonest Convention Speech ... Ever?”

David Brooks called Ryan's speech "weird." "Part of the speech was compelling and sounded very much like Paul Ryan — the indictment of the stimulus package and Obamacare. Part of it sounded like it was written by people with the intellectual moorings of jellyfish."

“Mitt Romney’s statements have been judged Mostly False, False or Pants on Fire 46 percent of the time, versus only 29 percent for President Obama. In the Pants on Fire category alone, Romney is more than four times as likely to suffer trouser immolation than the president. Nearly 1 in 10 statements by Romney earned flaming slacks, versus 1 out of every 50 for Obama.”

After the convention, PolitiFact had Romney’s statements as Mostly False, False or Pants on Fire 42 percent of the time, compared with 27 percent of the time for Obama.

The Republican Party believes deeply in God. But didn’t God have something negative to say about lying?

Neil Newhouse, the lead Romney pollster, responds. “We’re not going to let our campaign be dictated by fact-checkers.”

Thomas Friedman: Ryan “and his band of Ayn Randians will employ any lies needed to disguise their true agenda of dismantling the New Deal…. It was a festival of hypocrisy--without shame.”

Romney says: “I believe that marriage has been defined the same way for literally thousands of years by virtually every civilization in history and that marriage is, by its definition, a relationship between a man and woman,” conveniently glossing over the fact that just over a century ago, Mormons defined marriage as between a man and multiple women.

The GOP has in their platform a push to vigorously enforce all pornography laws. And yet, eight of the top ten porn-watching states voted Republican in the last presidential election. The top porn-watching state in America? Utah.

Ryan: “The truest measure of any society is how it treats those who cannot defend or care for themselves.” By this measure, America is, truly, a savage society.

BTW: I wonder how Ann Romney explained to her grandchildren or Mrs. Ryan to her children, all of whom were nearby, what Clint Eastwood was talking about when he said Mitt or he couldn't do some unnatural act he believed the imaginary Obama was suggesting?

Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Daniel Johnson as a teenager aspired to be a writer. Always a voracious reader, he reads more books in a month than many people read in a lifetime. He also reads 100+ online articles per week. He knew early that in order to be a writer, you have to be a reader.

He has always been concerned about fairness in the world and the plight of the underprivileged/underdog.

As a professional writer he sold his first paid article in 1974 and, while employed at other jobs, started selling a few pieces in assorted places.

Over the next 15 years, Daniel eked out a living as a writer doing, among other things, national writing and both radio and TV broadcasting for the CBC, Maclean’s (the national newsmagazine) and a wide variety of smaller publications. Interweaved throughout this period was soul-killing corporate and public relations writing.

It was through the 1960s and 1970s that he got his university experience. In his first year at the University of Calgary, he majored in psychology/mathematics; in his second year he switched to physics/mathematics. He then learned of an independent study program at the University of Lethbridge where he attended the next two years, studying philosophy and economics. In the end he attended university over nine years (four full time) but never qualified for a degree because he didn't have the right number of courses in any particular field.

In 1990 he published his first (and so far, only) book: Practical History: A guide to Will and Ariel Durant’s “The Story of Civilization” (Polymath Press, Calgary)

Newly appointed as the Deputy Executive Editor in August 2011, he has been writing exclusively for Salem-News.com since March 2009 and, as of summer 2012, has published more than 210 stories.

Salem-News.com Top Stories

2025: Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst

Two Wars with No Way Out

No One Owns the Future

The Ugly Origins of Trump's America First Policy

A One-State Solution Could Transform the World

Comments Leave a comment on this story.

All comments and messages are approved by people and self promotional links or unacceptable comments are denied.

Anonymous September 3, 2012 3:16 pm (Pacific time)

My guess in Rep. Ryan does not worry about losers. NC: Romney has 18-point Lead on Economy Ahead of the DNC gathering in Charlotte, a number of organizations are out today with new polls on the race in North Carolina. PPP has the race in the Tarheel State tied, although they use a D+13 sample to get there. High Point University uses a D+8 sample and shows Romney with a 3 point lead. Elon University and the Charlotte Observer have a poll with a D+6 sample and show Romney with a 4 point lead. Do you sense a pattern here? The most interesting finding is in the Elon University poll. The poll was conducted from over 1,000 likely voters. Almost half, 48%, named the "economy and jobs" as the most important issue this November. Among those likely voters, Mitt Romney has a massive 18 point edge over Obama, leading 55-37. Among all voters Romney leads by 13 on the question of which candidate would better handle the economy. Among other key findings: •Obama only has the support of 62% of likely voters identifying themselves as "Democrat" (He has 96% of support from "Strong Democrats"), with 23% supporting Romney. By contrast, Romney has the support of 85% of "Republicans" and 97% of "Strong Republicans." Now, North Carolina is a state where lots of voters still call themselves Democrat even though their actual voting has long shifted away from the party. That said, that is still a weak showing for Obama. •Obama only has the support of 80% of voters who voted for him in 2008. 8% of those voters are undecided. Romney has support from 90% of voters who voted for McCain.

Anonymous September 3, 2012 2:13 pm (Pacific time)

“None of us have to settle for the best this administration offers – a dull, adventureless journey from one entitlement to the next, a government-planned life, a country where everything is free but us.” — Paul Ryan

H. L. Mencken: "Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard."

Ralph E. Stoneh September 2, 2012 4:47 pm (Pacific time)

Two of the selling points of GOP nominee Mitt Romney's presidential campaign: That tax cuts for the rich will create jobs, and that Romney is bringing a fresh new approach that can turn the country's fortunes around. But remember, under Bush, tax breaks and lax regulations led to skyrocketing deficits and an economic collapse, while at the same time dramatically increasing poverty and inequality. And his foreign policy led to two hugely costly wars, left for Obama to finish. But the GOP is pretending it just didn't happen. Now it's all Obama's fault. Go figure.

Anonymous September 2, 2012 11:21 am (Pacific time)

Daniel, the election is about jobs and the economy as per the top concerns of the voters, not the other misdirection(s) being transparently attempted by the

cabal. Here are the relevant stats voters will see, constantly, until election day:
Before Obama sworn in--
Unemployment: 7.8% then, 8.3% now, and it was 4.4% prior to democrats winning congress in 2006 (current unemployment actually much higher in terms of those

who quit looking for work and those underemployed...over 20%--23 million out of work!//
Median income: $54,983 then, $50,964 now (this is not the 1% population!)// Food prices are soaring//
Gas prices: $1.85 per gallon then, $3.78 now (MORE THAN DOUBLED!)//
National debt: $10.6 trillion then, $15.9 trillion now (Will be over $16 trillion before election)// Note: The President’s budgets over the last 3 years

didn’t garner a single vote... even in his own party? Why should we think budgetary items of Obama will be any different in the future?

Expect Mitt Romney to address these statistics, and perhaps toss in the civilian job participation rate, which was at 65.7% in January 2009 and in June 2009

at the start of the “recovery,” but fell to a 30-year low of 63.6% in April and is at 63.7% now. The Stimulus was, and will be pointed out to the voters, was

democratic party cronyism. There will likely be prosecutions in the future, and "pardons" may be made moot. If these stats do not come from the moderators at

the debates, you can bet your bottom dollar that Romney will ask it himself — and that Obama’s (non-)answer will be just as effective, and just as revealing.

He may have some glib response, but the non-biased voters are much wiser now.

I'm not going to cite any specifics because, unless you're pretending not to know, but the Republicans have done everything in their power to not work with the Democrats. Recall the Debt Ceiling--Boehner apparently had an agreement with Obama but his caucus wouldn't go for it. The Tea Party conservatives were prepared to let the U.S.. economy go over the cliff, rather than work across the aisle for the betterment of the nation. Recall Limbaugh's statement early on saying he hoped Obama failed! If Obama failed, then the country failed. And don't forget that most of the outrageous debt was created under Bush, or as a result of 2008 meltdown that came from Bush's policies, even before Obama was elected. That's where the great unemployment originated.

It's widely recognized (except among Republicans) that the Stimulus Package was too little, but it was the most that Obama could manage with zero support from the Republicans.

If you examine the Republican policies with an open mind, you'll see that the Republicans are doing whatever they can to undo the 20th century.

Look at all the money and influence the Koch bros are putting into the election. Do you honestly believe that their motivation is to get Americans back to work and reconstruct the middle class? If you believe that, then I'll meet you either in New York or San Francisco where I have rights on a few bridges that I can offer to you for sale at a bargain basement price. Bring your cheque book.

[Return to Top]

Thoughts on the 2012 Republican National Convention

Quick Links

DINING

MUST SEE SALEM

AUCTIONS - APPRAISALS

CONSTRUCTION SERVICES

ONLINE SHOPPING

Advertise with Salem-News