Eugene Robinson's Blog, page 130

Republicans deluded by ‘skewed’ polls

Conservative activist circles are abuzz with a new conspiracy theory: Polls showing President Obama with a growing lead over Mitt Romney are deliberately being skewed by the Liberal Mainstream Media so Republicans will be disheartened and stay home on Election Day.

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A voting issue that isn’t

When Michelle Obama called voting rights “the movement of our era” in a speech Saturday night, she didn’t specifically mention the Republican-led crusade for restrictive voter identification laws. She didn’t have to.

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Romney’s class warfare

Now, at least, there can be no doubt about who is waging class warfare in this presidential campaign. Mitt Romney would pit the winners against the “victims,” the smug-and-rich against the down-on-their-luck, the wealthy tax avoiders against those too poor to owe income tax. He sees nearly half of all Americans as chumps who sit around waiting for a handout.

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Standing up for teachers

Teachers are heroes, not villains, and it’s time to stop demonizing them.

It has become fashionable to blame all of society’s manifold sins and wickedness on “teachers unions,” as if it were possible to separate these supposedly evil organizations from the dedicated public servants who belong to them. News flash: Collective bargaining is not the problem, and taking that right away from teachers will not fix the schools.

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Standing up for teachers

Teachers are heroes, not villains, and it’s time to stop demonizing them.

It has become fashionable to blame all of society’s manifold sins and wickedness on “teachers unions,” as if it were possible to separate these supposedly evil organizations from the dedicated public servants who belong to them. News flash: Collective bargaining is not the problem, and taking that right away from teachers will not fix the schools.

Read full article >>

Romney hits new low in Libya remarks

Once upon a time, there was a silver-tongued president. His foreign policy must have been seen by enemies of the United States as weak and feckless, because these enemies became emboldened. Mideast terrorists staged a brutal, bloody attack in which innocent Americans were killed. The president’s response could be seen as a display of shameful weakness rather than steely resolve.

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Romney’s health-care dither

I’m trying to figure out just where Mitt Romney stands on health-care reform. Obviously, so is Mitt Romney.

In an interview broadcast Sunday on “Meet the Press,” I thought I heard Romney say he liked some aspects of President Obama’s Affordable Care Act and would keep those provisions in place. Impossible, right? Romney’s position all year has been that if he’s elected, he’ll begin repealing Obamacare on . My ears must have deceived me.

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The tale of two conventions favors Obama

CHARLOTTE

Judging by the party conventions, you’d wonder why this election is even close.

In Tampa, despite some unexpectedly amateurish stagecraft, Republicans put on a credible display of unity and resolve. No one could come away doubting that the party very much wants to defeat President Obama in November.

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Your turn, Mr. President

TAMPA

We have reached a phase of the presidential campaign that could be called the Season of Empty Metaphors.

At their convention here, Mitt Romney and the Republicans held serve. Romney may have failed to hit any home runs with his acceptance speech, but he sprayed the outfield with singles and doubles. Sure, his campaign staff left money on the table by allowing Clint Eastwood to waste valuable network airtime conversing with an empty chair. But the convention did more than enough to turbocharge the base and slingshot the GOP candidate into the homestretch.

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The GOP’s steady diet of whoppers

TAMPA

Has there ever been a more dishonest presidential campaign than the one Republicans are waging right now?

That’s a serious question, and it adds poignancy to the tragicomic spectacle of this ridiculous gathering. The one indisputable truth we hear from speaker after speaker at the Republican National Convention is that this is a consequential election. The country faces huge challenges and fundamental choices, and the two major parties have very different ideas about the way forward.

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