Is the BP Oil Spill going to Cost the Repubs November?

[Psychicwolf]

I think Bobby Jindahl is so frustrated and wound up that if Sarah "Drill, Baby, Drill" Palin showed up in his state he would personally boot her fanny out into the Gulf.

Polluted beaches, and dead wildlife on TV, in states without which the Republican party will largely cease to exist as a relevant entity, if they revolt against the party of Drill Baby Drill.

Just after they alienated the one, non-white male, minority group in AZ that actually had positive (R) numbers.

Right in time for the November elections?

[racehorse]

Katrina cost the GOP. Many feel that was quite unfair. This may be too, actually I believe it is but Republicans will not receive the blame for this. President Barack Obama and the Democratic party certainly will.

[joequinn]

Don't fool yourself, Psychicwolf. The American people, regardless of what they once may have been, are now fascists to the core. They only voted for Obama in 2008 (to the extent that they DID vote for him in the first place) out of momentary desperation. They have been regretting it ever since --- after all, now we have one of "them" in the White (get it, Psychicwolf, the White) House, and this is an indignity which absolutely cannot be borne. The BP oil spill is being framed as "Obama's Katrina," and Joe Sixpack and his hag wife, Soccer Mom Darlene, are going use this label as an excuse to do what, secretly, they always intended to do in the first place, viz. to vote fascist (just as "the good Germans" did in the last Weimar election of November, 1932).

The irony of the situation is that, in voting fascist this November, Joe Sixpack and Soccer Mom Darlene are guaranteeing Obama's re-election in 2012 (just as their support for Dole-Kemp guaranteed Clinton's re-election in 1996). For Obama is actually a fascist fellow-traveler masquerading as a commie pinko faggot niggah. The BP oil spill is indeed "Obama's Katrina," because he has colluded, hand and glove, with those BP criminals to protect them from criminal liability. The way out for Joe Sixpack and Soccer Mom Darlene is the way left, but that ain't gonna happen, nohow, noway. Only a Kucinich-style electoral uprising in November could put the fear of da Lawd into Obama, but it ain't gonna happen. Unless Obama gets some conscience in the next two years, he will be re-elected in 2012; Larry Sinclair will step out of the shadows to play the role of Monica Lewinsky; the country will be paralyzed and drift towards the abyss; and some fascist, with Palin's blessing, will become Generalissimo in 2016.

Sorry, Psychicwolf, but that's how I see it...

[racehorse]

The irony of the situation is that, in voting fascist this November, Joe Sixpack and Soccer Mom Darlene are guaranteeing Obama's re-election in 2012 (just as their support for Dole-Kemp guaranteed Clinton's re-election in 1996).

Joe, how did this group of voters (as you describe them) support of the Dole-Kemp ticket against Clinton-Gore in 1996 insure President Clinton's reelection?

I could understand your argument if it were about them supporting the "Gingrich Revolution" in 1994 (although I would not agree with it) but I do not find this electoral theory persuasive in the least.

[joequinn]

Racehorse, "Mr. Viagra," knowing that he could not win the Presidency, cut a deal with Clinton to serve as the paper tiger against him in 1996. Dole lost --- big! --- just he thought he would (ditto for McCain, but not Palin, in 2008), and Clinton promptly rewarded him for his complicity, right after the election, by giving him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. No doubt, that was Dole's price for playing the game. Dole played it, and he got what he wanted.

How could you have forgotten this, racehorse? I knew, the moment that Clinton announced that he was giving Dole the Presidential Medal of Freedom, that the fix was in!

Unless he discovers a conscience (which I strongly doubt that he will), Obama will be re-elected in 2012 just as Clinton was re-elected in 1996. But right after the election, which I believe that Obama will win big, look to see a Monica Lewinsky to emerge to paralyze Obama's second administration. (I believe that we already have this individual in place in the person of Larry Sinclair.) America will drift toward the abyss in 2013-2017 just like it did in 1997-2001. And then, in 2017, we will be ready for the fourth round of American fascism. Joe Sixpack and Soccer Mom Darlene can hardly wait!

[Bobbi Snow]

Does ANYONE really think John McCain & Sarah Palin could have done any better??? Oh, pull-eeeeese!

[Cherry Kelly]

Bobbi - now that is a question would McCain and Palin done better...

Personally I think they would have in that they would have called in experts who had dealt with major oil problems of a similar nature. AND done so ASAP - not waited weeks and weeks and weeks. So in that respect, I think they would have done better.

But who knows?

And what is with Obama group sending SWAT and NOW send down lawyers??

[racehorse]

Katrina cost the GOP. Many feel that was quite unfair. This may be too, actually I believe it is but Republicans will not receive the blame for this. President Barack Obama and the Democratic party certainly will.

--

June 04, 2010

Insiders Slam Obama on Oil Spill

The latest Political Insiders Poll finds President Obama fairing poorly in his response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, with Democrats giving him an average grade of C- and Republicans nearly failing Obama with an average grade of D-.

Democrats: "Too little sense of urgency and command in the early days. And too much confidence in BP's ability to handle this crisis... While it's easy to say it's BP's fault and only BP has the know-how to fix it, somehow I don't think most Americans thought this was the change they were voting for in 2008."

Republicans: "Obama's core voter attribute was competence. And this has taken a big hit because of the Gulf oil spill... I never thought we would say 'Brownie' wasn't so bad! Can you imagine what the Democrats would be saying if this was on George Bush's watch?"

http://politicalwire.com/archives/2010/ ... spill.html

[OMG]

The difference IMO between the situations, is that hurricans happen regularly, of course not to that extend (because of the levees) but an evacuation plan should at least be in the playbook. I was never critical of the "fly over" stuff as I find all that stuff really not important and mostly just photo-ops.

CK you said the Repub duo will talk to experts and do something early, but you clearly left out what. I have literally heard no ideas from the Repub side, they are avoiding this as much as they ran away from a suggestion on how to pay for a war. Early on listening to the Repubs there idea (not just talk radio but actual Repub doing interviews) were saying this was not that big of a deal and we shouldn't change anything we are doing (heck they are still saying that) Seriously what expert plan do you want to go with, I read about the hair/straw idea but then I also read that the water is too deep for and it wouldn't work on water this deep. I recently heard about the nuke option but that has never been done on an ocean floor before and there's a good chance of making more oil holes where you can't have any ability to close them.

If i do compare the situation what I see is similar is how we don't prepare for this situation. Outdated levees, ah what are the odds for a major hurricane come in to break it. For the oil companies you can drill whatever you want, and if you don't have a backup to your backup plan, oh well what are the odds of that happening. I think when the Repub slogan is literally "Drill here, Drill now" and having it chanted in their conventions. That's there vision and pretty much crossing your fingers in hoping nothing spills.

Is the Prez going to take the blame, probably. But I still haven't heard any good reason why. The criticism early on I hear is he didn't show enough "passion" (or in my opinion grandstanding) With the Prez being down there in a scuba suit actually help the situation anymore, I guess it helps as much as GW did wearing full flighter gear with "mission accomplish banner". What I liked early on about this prez was something as simple as saying "You don't need a flag pin to show you love this nation". I think that says alot about the guy (in my mind a positive thing) it shouldn't be how much you "show" you care. But what you do

[Cherry Kelly]

OMG - as I said I think they would have acted faster. They would have called in experts once it was known that the "fire" situation was not confined to the top, but there was also a broken - busted pipe at the floor of the gulf.

There have been other major oil situations that involved other nations. How difficult is it to pick up a phone and say - we need some suggestions - what did you do with your oil problem?

They are able to put a camera at that depth and show live photos, but they can't put a cap on the pipeline? hmm sounds fishy to me, like there are "other" motives to not succeed? (Ya conspiracy I know - but the longer this continues to leak - the greater the conspiracy is going to take hold.)

Another reason i would say that a different presidency would have done something faster can be seen by other disasters where other presidents got on tv asking for help and aid.

[Bobbi Snow]

Cherry, with all due respect (LOL) Your President "W" would have been dealing with this just like he did with 9-11... sitting somewhere, looking dumb as he (still) is, and then making threats to start another war - against the oil companies, and to what extent??? Declare war on the UK??? And John McCain wouldn't have had the audacity to do THAT much. Sarah? OMG!! SHE would have BELIEVED the rumors that N. Korea had sent in subs... and we'd now be in a 4th war we can't possibly win.

Have you watched the movie, "The Beast?" If not, you should... that movie SHOWS us all why we can't ever win in Afghanistan.

NO ONE - republicans or democrats - would know exactly what to do, because the oil companies have LIED to us for years. They'd (republicans) would have followed the exact same line - look to BP first, to solve it, and when it became apparent they're just as dumb as everyone else, the republicans would have screamed, cried, threatened, and in the end wouldn't have accomplished anything more than has already been done. Most of them would have just gone to their lovers for console.

[Cherry Kelly]

Bobbi - comparing an attack the magnitude of 9-11 to this oil spill in the gulf? that is quite the stretch.

I look at the response time to natural disasters - tornadoes that wiped out entire towns - floods that killed people and destroyed property, hurricanes, etc. and how they were handled and response times.

There are experts in the oil field who have handled major spills and have know-how in cleanup. At least two have spoken out about not even being called to help or suggest how to clean up this mess. WHY?

Disasters of this type should make us all drop the dem/gop attitude and look to better cooperation between all people.

[Live365]

Disasters of this type should make us all drop the dem/gop attitude and look to better cooperation between all people.

As someone who is on almost complete news-black-out at this point, I’ve been trying to follow the oil spill as a matter of duty. But what I’ve managed to completely miss is how any of this is anyone’s “fault”. Katrina was different. Katrina should have been a matter of mobilizing federal and local forces to rescue and evacuate the stranded, then provide shelter and resources, then set about re-building the city and bringing the people back. To say nothing of the fact that Katrina gave a week’s advance notice that she was coming, and talk of the levees breaking started before that. Katrina was the result of neglect. Katrina was the result of no one giving a sh!t. This pipe or whatever it is is at the bottom of the ocean. It was, what, three days before anyone knew it was leaking? Then another week before they knew from where and how much? Now the guy that made “Titanic” is mad because no one consulted him on how to use robots to make movies under water? It’s my understanding that they still don’t even know what caused the original rig explosion. The whole thing is an unprecedented disaster. As far as neglect, I doubt BP – who’s stocks are plummeting, who will be financially liable for this and who’s name will be linked to this for all of eternity – is getting much sleep these days. And what Barack Obama was supposed to do about any of it is completely beyond me. Everything has to be someone’s “fault” anymore. Personally, I hope no one gets blamed. Just fix the problem. And what happens in November is going to happen. The wheels were set in motion long ago.

[OMG]

I really want to give a standing ovation to Live. I'm afraid to add anything because she said it perfectly. Look what Live wrote, SPECIFIC stuff that happened in Katrina that the govt and FEMA should have been doing (and glad to see there was no IMO silly stuff like the fly over criticism or him not being down there with his rubber boots) but actual stuff that was done (or not done) to confront this situation. This criticism wasn't said after the fact being with handsight being 20/20. But this crticism was said during it.

CK all the criticism I keep hearing is vague stuff like "He should have talked to experts or other nations" But I ask again, did you hear any specific plan or idea that you thought "Wow that sounds like the best bet to fix this problem". I heard a few ideas that made me go "hmm maybe that might work", but looking more into it, they were flawed. The hair/straw idea seemed interesting but more they looked into that option they noticed it became water-logged and sank to the bottom pretty quick. There also the nuke option that the Russians put out there, do you want that to be our first response? I think our biggest priority need to be stopping the gushing oil, trying to clean it up before hitting shores will be nice, but I have a feeling unless we stop the gusher this will be like the I Love Lucy Candy factory epiosde where the candy keeps flowing in and they try to grab as much as possible but there not stopping it.

Live last sentence really said it all "The wheels were set in motion long ago". Beautifully said, this situation reminds me of an astroid hit, do we blame whoever happens to be the Prez when that happens or do we blame ourselves in knowing we had some close calls but didn't spend the time or interest to prepare for it. This is what happens here, You keep drilling, standards start being lowered, we allow companies all the leeway to do their own things as they take short cuts for profit, insult people who have concerns of this by calling them "anti capitalists/nation" or "envirofreaks" and then the inevitable happens and we act surprised. Kaz brought up a great point on the other oil spill thread when he compared it to the "mile island" nuclear incident. We all looked at that incident and as a whole we worked for it not to happen again, like he said there much more checks on it, we don't just throw out nuke plants out there like candy. It might be nessesary but we do it responsible or at least much more responsible than how we hand out oil drilling permits. Do I think it will happen now, I doubt it.

Back then if somebody said radiation doesn't hurt people and it's not big deal, they'd be thrown off the national airwaves (not because of censorship but because of standards of not having whackos as national voices) Now you have a guy who says it's no big deal because the salt water will dissolve the oil (How that coming along scientist Rush) BTW, how can a person say that the Prez wants the spill to be worse because he's not acting fast enough, while being the same person when this first happened said "The media is making too much of this, it's not a big deal, it will dissolve in the water it self, it's natural". Love to know how somebody can have both those opinions. So the same people who brought "the enviormentalists caused this" and "Oil and water mix perfectly!" that turned out to be totally wrong. Are now the same people that will put the blame on the clean up effort and ignore why this happened in the first place. Again the lack of standards a lot of people in this nation where they gather their information from, we will not learn from this like we did from the "Mile island" incident. There is too much special interest and political games to be had, that will not allow this nation as a whole look at the obvious and improve on a past mistakes.

[Cherry Kelly]

OMG -- straw/hay is for shorelines not to be tossed on gulf itself. Those 80-90lb rectangular bales would act as a buffer as well as soaking up oil that hits shorelines.

Actually there are some things that i too tossed out as 'good' ideas and some I still believe would work that have been discussed on various talk shows and other forums.

One I'm still 'wondering about' - as this former oil rig guy was discussing. Look at the material used for outer space vehicles - withstand great heat as well as extreme cold. His suggestion was to use that material to create a cap - large funnel that would totally cover the broken pipe area, not just the 'tip end which has been show to still leak. Then putting the 'hose' pipe that they are using on the top of that. One other guy asked how it would be held down - and the guy said heavy concrete type blocks.

Now I've no idea if something like that would work, but the idea to cover a larger area where its leaking made more sense than a cap (like they put on) that still is leaking.

I say no to nuke, but I could see getting other controlled drilling to help contain and obtain the oil as it must be "one heck of a pocket" of oil.