But the debt is at $16T ($20T adjusted / effective) and we are bleeding over $5B / day now.

No politics, no ideologies, no debates..... either this gets fixed (stop spending, pay China off, reduce size of federal government) or we will end up being owned by China.

There is reasonable data to suggest gasoline will go to $20 / gallon in 10 years if we don't start fixing this financial problem now.

The question is, who do you trust to actually make these difficult cuts and restore confidence in small businesses so they will start hiring again?

Not much to choose from.I wanted Gingrich.Not to be.

Newt I have always liked.

The Republican ticket will be true to their word, if they get elected, and unlike the sitting President, they would work with the Democrats in Congress to reach consensus, like Reagan and Kennedy and Clinton all did.

And that would be good enough to stop us from bleeding to death.

Any way you look at it, its going to be painful. I'll put up with 5 years of pain if it keeps this Nation from going down in flames under a $40T debt held mostly by China.

I'm more concerned about my grandchildren having to pay $20 / gallon for E-85 to run their cars and bikes than I am about myself. I want them to have it better than I did, like I had it better than my dad did, and my grandfather.

So like I said, if I thought Obama would fix the problem (anyone remember his 2008 promise, made very strongly, to cut the debt in half?) I would vote for him in a heartbeat. But he's not qualified to run a 7-Eleven.

Unfortunately...he was a yes man for the inner circle of billionaires in this country and abroad.He knew nothing about protocol....wouldn't see the seriousness of 'know thy enemy'...none of that.Knows nothing about the military.Embarrassed the US Citizens with his behavior and words.Couldn't give a heart to heart if he had to.The younger generation sucked all this up...his campaign rhetoric.I don't really know WHERE Romney stands...but it's pretty much all we've got.IDK.

If it isn't obvious to most people here by now...exactly WHAT occurred with the stimulus 'package'...it should be.He got 'elected' by rich corrupted billionaires...they raped the economy....stole billions from the citizens...and created a shitstorm of economic woes to divert the fact that they managed to pull off the biggest heist in American history.And THAT's what happened.IDK IF this present US condition CAN be healed.I hope so.

Or president IMO has NEVER had an 'original' thought in his body.He got his 'paycheck'....and will be taken care of the rest of his life...along with his friends and family.What's he got to be concerned about the US for?Dollars...that's it.Dollars.

I will say this however in his 'favor'....he did manage to extricate us from Iraq.Painful as it is right now for them.At least they have some hope if they play this thing right.They're not doing so well right now.

* Last updated by: Grn14 on 8/30/2012 @ 11:17 AM *

If you think that Romney gives a fuck about the middle class or the debt then you're dreaming. Ryan voted for the 2 unfunded wars, the tax break for the rich that CAUSED the deficit. In fact, just getting rid of the Bush tax cuts would make a HUGE difference in the debt. But, what do I know...

Mad

I think I'm done with the two parties. Its obvious to me they are both acting solely out of self interest.

No successful revolution is bloodless.

Our society is overdue.

I just re-read that. I don't advocate violence and I would never suggest it as a solution.

* Last updated by: hagrid on 8/31/2012 @ 4:24 PM *

I don't think the Republican ticket is the "old Republicans".

I too have disgust for what both parties have done over the past 50 years to ruin our Nation.

But Ryan is the true deal, he is a Constitutional Conservative through and through. Mitt isn't, but he gets it and will act like one. Thats all that matters.

We can elect a man that spouts eloquent words but his actions are poison to the economy, world trade, foreign relations, and our standard of living, or we can elect a team of two men who will go into Congress and forge a solution and have demonstrated they know how to do that.

Its clear to me. Not voting is the same as voting for Obama. Stand up and vote for your kids and grandkids if you don't care enough about your own life to vote on behalf of yourself.

Because the outcomes are plain as day. Obama: $45T in debt in 2016, under the thumb of China, despised as weak by our enemies, shunned by the allies he has failed to support. Romney: $11T in dept in 2016 (trending down), China is paid off, our enemies run to hide under rocks and fear us, and our allies are proud to stand with us.

CHOOSE!

Mad; Taxing doesn't decrease the debt because they spend faster than it comes in, no matter how much is taxed. If the entire country was taxed 100% they would still increase the debt.

privateer; I don't have kids, so no grandkids either. I don't like Obama, or Romney. If I vote any other way it doesn't matter because they have 0% chance of a win. I will choose anyway, but in the end, the electoral college decides for us.

Yes, the electoral college decides, but within the States, only one candidates gets all the States electoral delegates because States are by popular vote, whomever gets 1 more vote than anyone else wins all delegates.

And no electoral delegate has cast a vote contrary to his/her States outcome in .... I cannot remember it happening in the 40+ years I've been voting.

Given how close Florida and other States have been in recent elections, and how close quite a few States will be this time, your 1 vote makes a world of difference.

And I DO have children and grandchildren, and people who vote for $45T debt in 2016 by voting for a radical leftist when a clear choice with a good chance of fixing the mess exists, is dogshit in my eyes because they are voting against my kids' futures.

I'm not certain... but I think I'm being compelled to vote in a certain direction. But its not coming from the lame stream media.

;)

One right we still have is the silent vote.Where nobody has the right to find out my vote.I'm going to vote allwright.Polling place is very close and I think their serving Kielbasi.
Craig

privateer; Since my entire world revolves around what you, your kids, and your grandkids think of me, my mind is made up.

Here in Pa it's so democratic it doesn't matter who you vote for.I guarantee hakeem takes Pa.I don't even like him or his piece of shit croonies.You can't take the chicago hood out of him.
Craig

If Obama/Biden vs Romney/Ryan are the best candidates we have, we are doomed. Paul Ryan (Marathon Man) is already taking some heat!

Kofla

NINJA ZX-14 MotoVlog

The 2008 Stimulus package, QE1, QE2, Operation Twist, they were all giveaways of tax payer money to the well connected. Nothing is going to change, our media is controlled and we have become a corporate plutocracy. They will monetize the debt, no politician is electable if they cut entitlements.
There are only two possible outcomes to this fiscal nightmare, runaway hyper inflation or an economic collapse. Because the U.S. Dollar is still the world reserve currency, I see the former with the printing presses running at full speed until the world is flooded with worthless paper. One thing for certain, when all hell finally does break loose, $20 gas may seem like a bargain. Just my .03 (inflation...lol!)

* Last updated by: Kruz on 9/2/2012 @ 8:08 PM *

You only have to look to history for the answer, no nation has ever turned their economy around with the debt to GDP ratios we have inherited.

I don't want to sound like a doom and gloomer but we are totally screwed, the politicians have played kick the can down the road so long that we are rapidly approaching the end of the road and it looks like it might be a cliff.

"we are totally screwed"...I don't think so....you're saying the dollar's becoming(or is on the way)to becoming worthless...nope...if it did...you think those fat cats with all the loot would allow that to happen?I don't.They know what they're doing...believe it or not.This whole deal is being orchestrated by the world's billionaires and trillionaires.They aren't gonna cut their own throats...or their kid's or grandkid's throats.No way.It may appear out of control...it isn't.And won't be.

Did the economy crash dead and wipe everyone out with the stimulus rip off(s)...nope...well timed and well planned...over many years.Debt?Ya...there is...but they have a solution for that already...it just takes time...and gauging how the world is reacting to things.Time....there IS a bigger plan behind the scenes.And I'm not talking about a divine one necessarily...but ya can't escape that either...it IS playing into all this as well.

Osama's dead. We're out of Iraq. We're getting out of Afghanistan. We're adding jobs instead of losing them. the financial industry and the American auto industry have been brought back from the precipice of extinction, averting a major depression. Home values are edging back up. So for most folks, the answer to the question, "Are you better off than you were 4 years ago?" should honestly be "Unquestionably"

Considering the obstructionism the House Republicans are mired in, I think things are moving along quite well. Is it enough? Of course not, especially if you are among the 8.3% of the unemployed. The Republicans made a big deal when the figure was 10%, but give no credit whatsoever for the reduction.

The way to reduce the deficit is to put people to work, tax the uber-rich (abolish their shelters and tax dodges) and get people trained and educated to fill the jobs of the future. We have built several new high schools in this area recently. All have brand-new artificial turf football fields and new gymnasiums, while nothing has been spent on vocational programs. In Texas, as I'm sure you all have read, they spent $6,000,000 on a friggin' high school football stadium!

Clinton left Bush with a balanced budget and a surplus of revenue and Bush blew it on wars and giveaways to cronies. Obama has been slowly making his way out of that deep hole. So I don't want to return to the lip-service conservatism that got us where we were 4 years ago. Cutting welfare and increasing the military budget isn't even a break-even, it's another negative. Slashing environmental regulations in the name of profit is kicking the can down the road for future generations to clean up.

If you really don't care who gets elected, stay home on election day.

Two impassioned viewpoints that are diametrically opposed.

Do I listen to Priv or Danno?

Or should fate (coin flip) decide my vote?

You should listen to yourself and vote in your own best interests. I know the deficit is bad, but a balanced approach to bringing it down makes more sense than just blaming entitlements while not having the balls to touch them for anyone of voting age. Ronald Reagan said deficits were a good thing and proceeded to create one. We've pretty much had one ever since. The one chance we had to reverse the trend got tossed to the side of an oil war and an unpaid-for prescription drug benefit for seniors. That horse is out of the barn and gone. Returning the country to the same philosophy that let it out won't change a thing.

The DNC is avoiding talking about the President's record because its all bad.

Go here and listen to this interview with Mitt. You may not want to vote for him, thats the American greatness coming to the fore, but you need to listen to him.

Because he is telling the truth, which the DNC is not. But then, the progressive liberal media has been lying for the last 8 years about most everything.

If you are against Mitt, this is a chance to listen to him and make notes of all the reasons you are against him.

Mitt talks about DNC

I'm not convinced the deficit is really such a terrible thing. It's really just getting the economy going, something that they haven't been able to do with the Republicans in congress purposely trying to make sure we can't have any recovery. Their stated goal was not "work to help America recover" or "work to find new jobs". It was "get Obama out of office". This is what THEY said! And they have worked tirelessly at that by purposely ruining everything they could and blocking every attempt to help our economy get rolling.

It really makes me mad that these Republicans in congress have sabotaged all of us, all for political gain, and all while blaming the very person they are sabotaging! I'm not a big Obama fan, but man how stupid do we have to be not to call them out on that?

And man, all politicians lie, no doubt. But Mitt is the biggest liar in politics. And his marathon running mate is no better. The only thing I've seen I can count on from him is that he will reverse his position on anything as much as he needs to in order to get elected. Plus he's just so out of touch with reality and real people it's scary.

And what is he going to do, exactly? He supposedly has all these great ideas that he can only tell us AFTER he's elected. I mean sure, it's great to say he'll cut spending to balance the budget. He's mentioned things he won't cut, but what WILL he cut? He won't say. I do know that he wants to turns Medicare into a voucher system, which is a TERRIBLE idea.

I know he wants to cut taxes on rich people, and get rid of capital gains taxes, which is how the very rich (ie himself) makes money, while letting the Bush tax cuts for the middle class (ie me) expire so I pay more. Hell, I already pay a higher percentage of my income in taxes than he does.

I know he supposedly loves America, but he hides his money in offshore and Swiss bank accounts, exploiting every loophole he can in the system while complaining about it. I know that Paul Ryan, while publicly decrying Obamacare, was privately lobbying for businesses in his district to receive said funds.

And that budget plan they have? Lies and more lies.

I agree with Privateer 110 % We have two main parties in this country . Republican and Socialist . If, you can, do yourself a favor and see the movie , 2016 obama's American . Its from the book " obama's America ", by Dinesh D'Souza.

Caroobs; " he hides his money in offshore and Swiss bank accounts"
The Swiss bank UBS agreed to reveal the names of American clients suspected by the IRS of tax evasion back in 2009. Just repeating the rumors without proof is as bad as the "birthers".

Romney is just a rich stuffed shirt who wants to make his rich friends richer and convince the rest of us some of that will somehow trickle down and help the middle class. The rich have increased their incomes 600% in the last 40 years while the rest of us have been treading water or losing. ALL the wealth is created by those who work, but all the benefit of increased productivity has gone to the paper pushers and system gamers. I watched a program on PBS the other night about the worldwide financial crisis, who caused it, and what can be done to correct it. The problem, just like in 1929, was caused by people with too much money and too much power greedily wanting more without producing anything but debt. A lot of people got filthy rich while the economy plunged over the cliff, regular folks lost their jobs and homes and every time they try to fix it, the money people game the system to negate the changes. I learned a new term while watching. Regulatory arbitrage. Look it up and understand the meaning if you want to know the source of the problem. It has nothing to do with entitlements, welfare, wages, mortgages, immigrants or any of the rest of the false targets politicians put up to divert your attention from the real issue. Follow the money.