Romney Speaking in Cincinnati, Just as Obama To Speak In Cleveland
Obama Supporter Jonathan Alter: One of Obama's Least Effective Speeches

He's speaking at a factory. He was just criticizing Obama on coal policy, noting Obama promised that coal plants would go "bankrupt" under his policies, as well as his failure to permit the XL pipeline. He vowed he'd get that oil down from Canada, if he had to build the pipeline himself.

Ben Domench says this is just his standard stump speech. He thus needs no TelePromTer, which should create a useful distinction in dueling video tonight.

Obama's supposed to speak at 1:45 but, as Gabe notes, that probably means 2-ish.

Clinton Set a Deadline in 2010: Clinton made an argument in 2010 in this very same community college where Obama is to speak.

In September 2010, Clinton told his Cuyahoga Community College audience in Cleveland that Democrats deserved two more years to fix the nation's economy.

"The Democrats are saying something like this: 'We found a big hole that we did not dig. We didn't get it filled in 21 months, but at least we quit digging,'" Clinton said at the time. "'Give us two more years. If it doesn't work, vote us out.'"

Kind of Obvious: He agrees with Romney that the economy is the most pressing issue, but then hits his "framing" point: "But this election is still a choice." A choice, not a referendum.

A make or break moment for the middle class, he says.

What's holding us back is a stalemate in Washington over two fundamentally different views of which direction we should take the country. This election is your chance to break that stalemate.

This election is a choice between two paths. Nothing is more important than an "honest debate" over which path.

Okay, now he says we have to figure out how we got here. We're back to Bush.

He claims that under Bush it was growing harder to find a job to put food on the table. Compared to now, dude?

So how did this theory work out? (Crowd laughs, a little.) "For the wealthiest Americans it worked out pretty good."

Streaming: At MSNBC.com. Foxnews has bailed on the same-old same old, but MSNBC cable, of course, is staying with Derp Leader's words.

Now discussing the Republicans' plan, which he says consists of stripping government down to national security and a couple of other core functions. (If only.)

Claims the only tax subsidies Republicans could cut as part of tax reform are those that aid retirement, education, and health care.

Claims "this is not my opinion, this is facts."

"I'm giving you an honest presentation of what he's proposing... I'm looking forward to the press following up, so you can know I'm not exaggerating."

Claims Romney's plan is to make America into a third-world country so it can compete with such countries. Rejects this, as such countries do not have a strong middle class or "standard of living."

Returns to "asking the wealthiest Americans to contribute their fair share."

Claims "independent" analysts predict his policies will create one million jobs. "This is the vision I intend to pursue in my second term as President."

I thought he was wrapping up, but now Derp Leader has babbled on for six more minutes. He claims that Abraham Lincoln was the author of socialism (government must do what we can't do ourselves), and that these Wingnuts have embraced a scary laissez-faire "Market is Everything" approach wherein "government is the enemy."

Once again he gins up teachers: He wants to get rid of "teaching to the test" (the thing teachers hate, as it provides a hard-math benchmark of performance). That gets applause, and as the applause drowns him out, he adds "and get rid of teachers who aren't performing."

Then he says he wants to "recruit an army of new teachers."

I wasn't aware that the current economic problems in this country were caused by a Teacher Deficit. I sort of thought we had about the right number.

"Let's double down" on his clean energy proposals. Talking about electric cars and energy-efficient buildings, ending "oil subsidies" (aka standard tax treatment where you deduct your costs from your income to find profit).

Heh: Romney campaign bus driving around Obama speech site, honking its horn.

(Weasel Zippers got a drudge link on that.)

Okay he just won't stop. I can't take it anymore. I'm done.

Jonathan Alter... calls it one of Obama's least-effective speeches, noting, as was obvious (I gave up) it was "long winded."

Too long, didn't listen.

Obama doesn't show much discipline in these speeches. He just keeps jabbering, unwilling to cut a single word. He can't prioritize, and so just keeps throwing what I'd call "word-money" at the problem.

See what I'm doing there?

Anyway, MSNBC's guest Johanthan Alter found the speech "unconvincing" and I think "uninspiring," and of course the MSNBC host had to argue vigorously with him about how wonderful it all was.

posted by Ace at 01:47 PM

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