47% think Romney will do a better job of breaking gridlock than Obama (37%)

[No Elephants]

Another example of why politicians lie a lot. The Big Lie works a lot, especially if the other sides do nothing effective to rebut it.

This is a myth that Romney has carefully cultivated since he started touring the country while Governor to get himself known nationally among Republicans.

At that time, his spin was that he was kind of a miracle man, getting stuff done in Massachusetts even though the legislature was about 90% Democrat. Went around to various Republican events talking about the whacky liberal state and the whacky liberal legislature he had to work with. Finally, local papers called him out for dissing Massachusetts around the country when he should have been the state's booster in chief, literally. (And showing up in the state house to do some work instead of running around the country introducing himself as a prelude to his 2008 run for the Presidency would have helped too.)

Fact is, he vetoed an average of 200 bills a year--that works out to almost one veto for every working day of the year---knowing full well the Democrats could override any gubernatorial veto; and the Democratic legislature did in fact override every single veto. If that's knowing how to working across the aisle, I'm Betsy Ross.

When it came to his desire to pass Romneycare, so he could point to some accomplishment when he ran for President, he turned to the Democratic heads of the two houses of the State Legislature and to Ted Kennedy, who got every piece of affordable health care legislation he could passed in Congree throughout his life. (If you have a neighborhood health center near you, you can probably thank Kennedy. If a big, wealthy hospital has taken it over and all but ruined it, you can probably thank Republicans.)

Typical of Romney, when he decided to try to pass Romneycare, he showed up unannounced at the door of the Democratic Speaker of the House on a Sunday morning. I know this from a recent PBS program. In the former speaker does not complain, only mentions that he could not have been more surprised.

But, knowing the Speaker is Catholic, I would not have shown up on his doorstep unannounced on a Sunday morning on my own timetable. First, showing up at anyone's home unannounced is rude.

Second, doing so on a weekend for purposes of discussing work matters makes it a presumptuous imposition.


Third, it's disrespectful Governor vis a vis opposition Speaker. It's an uber alpha male move that no real alpha male would find any need whatever to employ.

Fourth, though,, for someone who is as religious as Romney would appear to be, it is inexcusable. The Speaker is Catholic. Sunday is his sabbath. Whether or not the Speaker observes it as a total day of rest, as an Orthodox Jew might, is not the point. The point is, even if you are an atheist, you should have a minimum of respect for someone's sabbath, for attending services, in this case, Mass. You do not risk putting an obstacle between anyone and his or her religious observance. (Not to mention that Mormons believe that Sunday is the Sabbath, too. http://suite101.com/article/what-do-mormons-do-on-sunday-a137840)

That's how much Romney knows about working across the aisle.

Anyway, Romney and the state legislature could never agree on Romneycare, so Kennedy, who actually believed in health care for people and not only out personal political ambition, flew to Boston to meet with Democratic Legislature and Kennedy's former political rival for the Senate, Romney. Kennedy did not leave until they reached agreement. And without the over $400 million he brought (from Bush, no less), Romneycare would never have been feasible for Massachusetts either.

In sum, Romney was the polar opposite of ability to work across the aisle. Kennedy, on the other hand, actually knew how to do it, while Romney only knows how to take credit and be ungrateful (whether it's Mr. Bain or Mr. Kennedy to whom he's being incredibly ungrateful).

And dat be the truth.


Now, Romney's stunning inability to work across the aisle does not automatically mean that Obama can. So I won't fall into the all too typical trap of swatting the Republican on the assumption that the Democrat must be the opposite.

But Romney's been lying through his teeth since 2002 about his allegedly legendary ability to get things despite a Democratic legislature. I certainly can't accuse Obama of doing anything like that. Nor can I imagine Obama showing up at Mitch McConnell's home for the first time ever unannounced and on a Sunday morning, to discuss business because he had suddenly gotten a bee in his bonnet and could not wait until the next morning or even that same afternooon, or call ahead, anymore than I can picture Reagan doing that to Tip O'Neill.

[Divine Discontent]

1. can't believe it's November! just a few more days til this election is over hopefully

and Obama's bipartisan work these past few days with the governor of NJ surely helps, but the main reason they're saying Romney in this poll is because he's putting on the face of a centrist/progressive. Those debates were nauseating to watch when he had the floor, and he kept trying to sound all open to working together. He would be a tyrant. I could see him yelling at the press, and being a hothead.

And, whenever I see Mitch McConnell's name, I sorta spit up a lil. Just one of those repubs that disgusts me!

[No Elephants]

2. Thug Christie has made a display of working with Cory Booker, too.

I'm sure none of that has anything to do with the Presidential aspirations of both Christie and Booker. It's all genuine fellowship and mutually cordiality and just plain ole fashioned good fun. Of all that, I have no doubt.

BTW, DD, have you made up your mind about the Bunker Hill bridge yet? In terms of looks, it's as good as the Brooklyn Bridge, only modern. Whadda say?

[Enthusiast]

3. Yup. The big lie is effective..........nt

[Leopolds Ghost]

4. I thought Romney didn't care about the 47%. n/t