text:
Capital Improvement Project Process
Bidding and Awarding Construction Contracts
The procedure for bidding and awarding construction contracts on public projects shall be in accordance with The State of California Public Contract Code sections 20160, et seq.; provided that such projects costing less than five thousand dollars shall be contracted in accordance with the Code of the City of Woodland, reference Chapter 17A, Article 2-7.
City of Woodland capital improvement project notices inviting bids are advertised in the local newspaper, The Daily Democrat, in the classified section under "public notices". Additionally, notices are sent to these plan houses and are published on our website. You may also contact Community Development Engineering at (530) 661-5820 to inquire about existing and future projects that are currently bidding or scheduled to bid, and how to obtain contract documents for projects out to bid. Each bid shall be in accordance with the contract documents. Sets of contract documents are available for purchase only. Where payment for such sets is specified, no refund will be made.
Contractors License
In order to bid on a City project, the contractor/"potential successful bidder" must possess a current, valid contractor's license issued by the State of California in the form set forth in the project documents. Verification of contractors licenses are obtained utilizing the following web site California Contractors State License Board.
Bid Security
All bids shall be accompanied by a Bid Security, made payable to the City. The Bid Security shall include cash, cashier's check, certified check made payable to the City, or a Bid Bond executed by an admitted and responsible corporate surety which is acceptable to the City, and which maintains in California at least one office for conducting business. The Bid Security must be enclosed in the same envelope with the bid. The amount of the Bid Security shall not be less than ten percent (10%) of the total amount of the bid. Verification of the Contractor's Bid Bond are obtained utilizing the following web sites A.M. Best's and California Department of Insurance (choose Insurers and Other Entities, then Insurance Company Profiles).
Submission of Bids
Mailed bids must be received by the City Clerk prior to the hour and date of the bid opening and shall be addressed to the City Clerk, 300 First Street, Woodland, CA 95695. Hand delivery of bids on the day of the bid opening shall be made to the City Clerk at the same address. Bids shall be submitted on the form(s) provided in the contract documents. The City Council will generally act to accept or reject bids within a period of sixty (60) days after bid opening.
Prevailing Wages
City projects are "Public Works", requiring compliance with applicable Prevailing Wage laws, when it is paid for in whole or in part out of public funds. California Labor Code Sections 1720 and 1771 require prevailing wages to be paid on "public works" contracts and all maintenance work that exceeds one thousand dollars ($1,000.00). On Public Works projects contractors must pay workers not less than the applicable prevailing rate of per diem wages as established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the California Director of Industrial Relations.
Contracts, if awarded, shall be made to the lowest responsive, responsible bidder whose bid complies with the specified requirements as outlined in the contract documents. Authority to award contract must be granted by the City Council. Contractors are typically required to execute contracts within ten (10) days after receipt of contract forms from the City. The City reserves the right to accept or reject any and all bids for a period of sixty (60) days after the date of opening, and to waive any informality or irregularity in any bid. No bid can be withdrawn during such sixty (60) day period.
Contract Bonds
The successful bidder shall furnish both a Performance Bond and a Payment Bond in the amounts specified in the contract. Contract bonds have the same requirements as the Bid Bond and are verified in the same manner as stated above.
Insurance Forms
Neither the contractor nor any subcontractors shall commence any work until all required insurance has been obtained (at their own expense). Such insurance must have the approval of the City as to limit, form, and amount, and shall be placed with insurers with a current A.M. Best's Company rating of no less than A:VII.
Business License
All Contractors doing business in the City of Woodland must have a City of Woodland Business License. Please refer to the Community Development web site for more information.


text:
Fan Report: Deathly Hallows PaperBack Release Party at Scholastic Store
Jul 21, 2009
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Two years ago today, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling was released. As readers will recall, several weeks ago in the midst of the flurry of the HBP movie release, Scholastic, US publishers of the Harry Potter novels, released the paperback edition of Deathly Hallows. Given the date today, we thought you might enjoy this fan report and photos below from TLC reader hpboy13 who went to the special paperback release party held at the main Scholastic Store in Soho, NYC on July 7th. Thanks so much hp!
The party started at 10a.m. when the store opened. The entire place was decked out in posters and other HP decor, including an entire display on HP. In the entrance hall there was a breathtaking display of all seven HP books, all of them signed by JKR herself according to the inscription.
When I walked in, there were countless DH paperbacks on display,
so I quickly grabbed one and bought it at long last, receiving with it
a poster (the one Scholastic put on their site a short while back, of
all the covers mixed together "the most magical adventure of our
time.") There was a huge stand that had all the books and DVDs on it,
as well as all kinds of HP merchandise (including all four houses, Hogwarts castle). Needless to say, my wallet became rather empty very quickly after I saw it.
There was a huge printout of the DH cover with a hole in Harry's face for people to take their picture in, which I happily did. I then participated in the first of the hourly trivias, winning an HP bag (I cobbled together an image of it from all sides.)
I then went up to the crafts station, where me made "potions" (similar
to the flubber children make, but we called it swelling solution) and
"wands" (a plastic tube filled with "magic crystals," glitter, and
"dragon tears") I participated in several more of the trivia contests to get the
runner-up prize (although I won) of a left-over pin from the Sorcerer's
Stone anniversary. The workers soon realized that I was an uber-fan,
and requested my help in coming up with more trivia questions, which I
gladly obliged.
I also entered a raffle for a trunk with all the hardcover books
and a piece of artwork by Mary GrandPre. I'm fairly sure I haven't
seen this artwork before, it depicts Sirius and the Trio in the
Shrieking Shack. I didn't win though I was around the party
so long, and so dressed up for the occasion, people began thinking I
worked there. Some time after 5p.m. several members of The Group That
Shall Not Be Named arrived, providing Scholastic with much more
business for the merch. We finished off the party at 6p.m. by fawning over the display of signed books

subset: commoncrawl


text:
SlowArt Day at the Memorial Art Gallery
April 27, 2013
At this annual event celebrated by museums around the world, learn to look at art slowly and experience it more fully. Participants will engage with selected artworks from the Memorial Art Gallery's current exhibition, It Came from the Vault, and join in discussions facilitated by area artists and MAG staff. Included in Gallery admission. More about Slow Art Day
|Credit Line
|millet-pr.jpg 916KB
|Jean François Millet, The End of the Workday (La fin de la journée) (1865-70). George Eastman Collection of the University of Rochester.
|witkin-pr.jpg 463KB
|Jerome Witkin, St. Fichera (1977). Gift of Eric Greenleaf.
|motherwell-pr.jpg 385KB
|Robert Motherwell, Night Music Opus #21 (1989). Marion Stratton Gould Fund.


text:
Linda and Steven Davidson were getting ready to go fishing Wednesday morning when a neighbor pounded on their door and yelled at them to get out of the house.
HOLLY HILL -- Linda and Steven Davidson were getting ready to go fishing Wednesday morning when a neighbor pounded on their door and yelled at them to get out of the home.
Smoke was billowing from a shed attached to the Davidson's mobile home at 390 Cripple Creek Trail and their neighbor was warning them, Steven Davidson said.
But first the couple had to make sure they grabbed their 8-year-old Calico cat Princess.
"We went into the kitchen to see if we could find the cat, but she wasn't there," Steven Davidson, 62, said. "I told my wife we have to get out -- now."
But Linda Davidson, 59, would not be deterred. When her husband turned away momentarily, she ran back into the light blue structure to find Princess. A few minutes later, the kitchen window shattered because of the intense heat.
"She couldn't find her anywhere and she came back out," Steven Davidson said. " I wouldn't have let her go back in.
"When the firefighters arrived, she immediately told them that our cat was inside." he said.
Moments later, Linda Davidson was holding Princess in her arms, the large furry feline grimy with soot and hyperventilating from the smoke.
At that point EVAC paramedic Jerry Jones placed a small oxygen mask on Princess' face and the cat began to relax.
"I have to find the firefighter who saved her so I can thank him," Linda Davidson said, soot on her face as well.
Police Chief Mark Barker said the cause of the blaze is unknown, but it originated in the shed where Steven Davidson said he keeps several propane tanks for his barbecue, as well as a fan and a radio.
Barker said at least 10 houses were evacuated.
Steven Davidson said the fan was on when he walked out of the shed so he and his wife could gather their belongings to go fishing, a hobby they practice often.
"The fan was running and the radio was connected, but that's it," Steven Davidson said.
The fire will be investigated by the State Fire Marshal's Office.


text:
Want to remind yourself or a friend about this program? Fill out this simple form and klru will email you a reminder on the day that it will air.
Episode Details
series: Sound Tracks: Music Without Borders
air date: 12/16/12 3:00 PM
This global musical adventure that combines the thrill of today's dynamic music scene with the power of social change. Host and Emmy Award-winning newsman Marco Werman and a savvy team of SOUND TRACKS reporters bring you behind-the-scenes stories about the power of music to touch our hearts and shake things up. Explore the world. Embrace new artists. Connect through music. Segments include: "Jazz Ambassador" Wynton Marsalis. "Shakin' the Tree" Youssou N'dour. "Into the Mystic" Julie Fowlis. "Global Hit" Of Monsters and Men. Four exceptional artists in live performances and revealing interviews show how music is changing the world.
WARNING: Email reminders for this program have already been sent out. Your reminder may not reach the intended address in time for this program's airing.
Back to TV Schedule


text:
NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Mary S. Harrell's Museum of Black Heritage was the setting for residents to learn about the
Celebration of Kwanzaa.
Roughly 30 people gathered to hear about the origin and founder Maulana Karenga, who brought the celebration to the United States in
Allen Harrell, a teacher by trade, explained that 2012 marked 46 years Kwanzaa has been celebrated in the United States. Many words
used in the teaching of Kwanzaa are Swahili in origin. Kwanzaa , which began Dec. 26 and lasted through Jan. 1, is a celebration that
focuses on unity and love for each other. It is not a religious celebration or meant to take the place of Christmas. Although Kwanzaa is
not a religious celebration, it does relate to faith in God which those who celebrate refer to consistently as "the one who made a way out
of no way" and how far the African American people have come "by faith, leaning on the Lord trusting in His Holy word," Harrell
He noted that Kwanzaa focuses on seven solid principles: * Unity or Umoja, which teaches the community to get together * Self determination or Kujichagulia, which means to define yourself and speak for yourself * Ujima means to build and maintain our community together * Cooperative economics or Ujamaa, meaning to build and to maintain our own shops, stores etc.
* Purpose
* Creativity or Kumba * Faith or Imani in God, ourselves, our parents, our teachers and our leaders in righteousness and victory and also through
Each day of the celebration everyone can be given a handmade gift as they light one of the candles on the Kinara. Each color used in the
feast that culiminates at the end of the celebration and the colors of the candles are green which stands for the fertile soil in Africa, red for
the bloodshed in the struggles through history and black stands for the people themselves. Foods used are corn, sweet potatoes, peanuts
to name a few, all brought from Africa.
Storytelling is a large part of Kwanzaa. Ann Harrell read some poetry from Langston Hughes "Mother to Son" and had the children who
attended do a word search.
Kwanzaa: A celebration of heritage and family
NEW SMYRNA BEACH - Mary S. Harrell's Museum of Black Heritage was the setting for residents to learn about the


text:
Two studies were conducted:
n To compare characteristics of consumers and non-consumers of vitamin and/or dietary supplements (study 1)
n And to assess the effect of a multivitamin and mineral supplementation during a weight-reducing program (study 2).
Body weight and composition, energy expenditure, and Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire scores were compared between consumers and non-consumers of micronutrients and/or dietary supplements in the Québec Family Study (study 1). In study 2, these variables and appetite ratings (visual analogue scales) were measured in 45 obese non-consumers of supplements randomly assigned to a double-blind 15-week energy restriction ( – 2930 kJ/d) combined with a placebo or with a multivitamin and mineral supplement.
Compared with non-consumers, male consumers of vitamin and/or dietary supplements had a lower body weight (P < 0.01), fat mass (P < 0.05), BMI (P < 0.05), and a tendency for greater resting energy expenditure (P = 0.06). In women, the same differences were observed but not to a statistically significant extent. In addition, female supplements consumers had lower disinhibition and hunger scores (P < 0.05).
In study 2, body weight was significantly decreased after the weight-loss intervention (P < 0.001) with no difference between treatment groups. However, fasting and postprandial appetite ratings were significantly reduced in multivitamin and mineral-supplemented women (P < 0.05).
Usual vitamin and/or dietary supplements consumption and multivitamin and mineral supplementation during a weight-reducing program seems to have an appetite-related effect in women. However, lower body weight and fat were more detectable in male than in female vitamin and/or dietary supplements consumers.
Source: British Journal of Nutrition. Nov 2007. 1:1-11 [E-pub ahead of print]. PMID: 17977472, by Major GC, Doucet E, Jacqmain M, St-Onge M, Bouchard C, Tremblay A. Division of Kinesiology, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Laval University, Québec, Canada.


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
Someone who I know to be about 50 years old, retorted,"I eat a healthy diet, walk every where, and do not use prescription medications; therefore, I plan on being able to use stairs, walk on hilly ground, and drive my car well into old age."
And old age comes on so suddenly!We can sit around smugly looking and acting the same, living the same way, for 30 years, then BAM!, in 2 years we are old. I remember how shocked I was when on day both my mother-in-law and my dad were old. Both were farm raised and worked and otherwise active, and both lived into their 90s, but about the age 85, they each turned old.*snipped*
Page created in 0.196 seconds with 18 queries.


text:
If the obligatory ban that Wayne Rooney will receive, ruling him out of England's opening game at next summer's Euro 2012 finals isn't a bitter enough pill to swallow.
Then surely the condemnation of Three Lions boss Fabio Capello, who intimated the Manchester United striker has conceded the right to an automatic choice in his starting XI following Friday's actions is.
The Italian has revealed he will leave the 25-year-old out of the November friendly with Spain at Wembley, as he looks for a solution to fill the void left by his star man's red card in Montenegro.
"Rooney will not play against Spain," Capello told the Daily Mirror. "That is absolutely the case. I want to test new players, a new style and a new different movement, something different.
"Maybe it means he will be fresh for the Euros and sometimes he will come on at half-time. But not from the start, he will not start. We need to prepare the first 11 who will start in the Euros.
"I have got a lot of forwards at this moment, really good forwards."
As speculation intensifies as to which forward will be tasked with filling the void left by the absent Rooney, GMF polled over 17,000 online football fans to see who they think should be given the chance to make a starting berth in the England attack their own.
Manchester United understudy and England U21 product Danny Welbeck has been given the nod by 45% of fans who voted, while Daniel Sturridge is perhaps a surprise choice in 2nd spot with 29%.
Darren Bent and Andy Carroll came joint 3rd with 10% of the vote each, while Jermaine Defoe [4%] and Peter Crouch [2%] received only a small percentage of fans' votes.
Do YOU want to write for GiveMeSport? Get started today by signing-up and submitting an article HERE: https://www.givemesport.com/writeforgms


text:
Paramount Theatre
204 East Baltimore Street,
1 person favorited this theater
Showing 13 comments
January 10th, 1951 grand reopening ad in the photo section.
My heart aches to see the word demolished on this listing but it is, sadly, true. My great grandparents owned the theater but ended up renting it to a competitor under a 100 year lease. I went online tonight to look for photos in hopes that Google Images might have some I could use in my office. The only reference to the theater I found is this page.
I will do some digging and see if I can find anything of value to share here.
Aerial views show that this entire block is now a parking lot. The Paramount has been demolished, as comments above note.
The listed seating capacity of 2,600 for this house must be wrong. From the photos of the theater it's clear that this building couldn't have held that many seats— probably not even half that number.
The various photos showing the side wall of the Paramount reveal that the building was quite old. It dated from no later than the early 20th century. This genealogy page refers to "The Old Marlowe Theater, that is now the State Theater…." The Marlowe Theatre was listed in the the 1904-1905 edition of Julius Cahn's guide as a 1,050-seat, ground-floor house. This photo of the Marlowe's auditorium (dated 1934 by the New York Public Library) makes an interesting comparison with the Paramount's remodeled auditorium (that's the same photo Chuck linked to above.) The interior was obviously gutted, either when it was remodeled as the Paramount or earlier, when it was renamed the State.
The marquee should have been used better.something that nice needs more than a title.
Nice shot of both theatres Kevin Dennis.
This Paramount Theatre was a 1950-51 rebuild of the former State Theatre. The former Paramount Theatre a few doors up the street was renamed the Malco Theatre shortly before the new Paramount opened.
Wow, that night shot of the Paramount makes it look alive! Which is not how it looked in 1996:
View link
And here's the Paramount and its neighbor, the Malco:
View link
Does anyone know what's become of these two venues?
Is there an old theatre operating today in downtown Jackson?
Will: Glad to report that my husband and I will be making a trip to Knoxville in 2007 as we have friends who are relocating there from Atlanta and will be working for HGTV.
Will: Thanks for your theatre observations out of Jackson TN. We still hope to make a winter trip to Knoxville and meet you along with Bill Snyder, organist.
I have a single memory of the Paramount Theatre. In 1983 I drove through Jackson and stopped to admire the two movie theatres on the town square. The MALCO was obviously an older vaudeville hall or small town opera house from the late 19th or early 20th century: very ornate terra-cotta facade. The marquee had been fairly ornate too. When I saw it, middle of the day, it was unlit and in serious need of repair and cleaning. The movie advertised on the letter boards was something current: certainly first run. The Paramount was almost directly next door. A small storefront or two stood between the two theatres. The Paramount's facade was much simpler, cleaner and all in good repair. The pink neon lights edging the marquee were flashing. The sign boards were lit. Strangely though, the single word on the Paramount's marquee was "CLOSED."
The only record that I have come across on the theatre to date is one regarding renovations and changes to the structure in 1950. I think that these were probably upgrades to the theatre rather than reconfiguring the building for another purpose. The Paramount was listed as late as 1968 in the IMPA.
My cousin graduated from Union University in Jackson TN, but I don't recall him mentioning the Paramount so will have to ask him. If the location is office space, it may not have been a theatre during the 60's when he was in Jackson?


text:
|2012-10-21, 19:14
|Link #1302
Join Date: Oct 2012
Hey guys,
is it worth "reading" the complete VN again although I've already read most of the arcs through mangas?
What I've read so far:
Episode 1: Legend of the Golden Witch (complete)
Episode 2: Turn of the Golden Witch (complete)
Episode 3: Episode 3: Banquet of the Golden Witch
Episode 4: Alliance of the Golden Witch (complete)
Episode 5: End of the Golden Witch (complete)
Episode 6: Dawn of the Golden Witch
Episode 7: Requiem of the Golden Witch - didn't even start this one
Episode 8: Twilight of the Golden Witch - didn't even start this one
So what I've been missing: (probably) some Tea Parties + the ??? chapters, TIPS, I guess around half of EP 3, EP 7, EP 8
Should I start reading/playing the VN from EP1 on although I basically know what's going on? I have to admit I've also forgotten some relatively important parts, I guess.
An advantage of reading it again from the beginning would be that I probably get a better understanding of the whole story/mysteries because I've been confused quite a few times.
If some of you have read both the manga and the VN, are there any huge differences?
Thanks in advance.
|2012-10-22, 10:19
|Link #1304
Blick Winkel
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Gobbled up by Promathia
Can't put enough emphasis in to how much the music makes the experience. The game's atmosphere is something that can't be replicated into manga. The manga is good too, but the VNs are phenomenal.
|2012-11-11, 15:40
|Link #1306
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
I am really sorry for my terrible written English. But can anyone tell me, is it true that Bernkaster from Umineko has some connection to Rika Furude or Frederica Bernkastel from Higurashi?
Are there any confirmation of this? Any canon material or author interview?
Also, it is true that Ougon Musou Kyoku is canon?
|2012-11-11, 15:50
|Link #1307
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
If the ???? sections of Episode 1 and 2 didn't make that clear, her piece's name being 'Furudo Erika' should have.
The exact nature of that connection is of course open to debate, but it's pretty obviously there.
And I don't think that OMK is generally regarded as canon, but since there's no translation I really have no idea what its story content actually entails.
|2012-11-11, 19:10
|Link #1308
黄金の魔女 Golden Witch
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Natal-RN, Brazil
Age: 22
OMK's story varies from which team you chose in arcade mode.
Battler/Beatrice - Takes place in an EP3-ish setting. Beatrice asks Battler help to defeat Evatrice who took over the gameboard.
Battler/Rosa - Takes place in an EP2-ish setting.
Battler/Kanon - Culprit!Battler with Accomplice!Kanon commiting the murders.
The list goes on. OMK shouldn't be considered as canon, since most of its endings don't follow it.
|2012-11-11, 23:56
|Link #1309
Junior Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
There are people who claim that umineko and higurashi has no relationship to each other, as there is no evidence of this.
Umineko wikia says
|2012-11-12, 06:09
|Link #1310
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: forever lost inside a logic error
There's no need for an interview to confirm what is esplicitly shown in Saikoroshi-hen.
Spoiler for Saikoroshi-hen:
Ryuukishi confirmed that Bernkastel does work as a connection between Higurashi and Umineko, but he didn't specify how.
here is where he mentioned that
Spoiler for Umineko ending:
There might be other theories but these are the ones I know. Anyway what matters is that neither was officially confirmed or disconfirmed.
Last edited by Jan-Poo; 2012-11-12 at 06:25.
|2012-12-02, 04:02
|Link #1312
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Pretty sure that Battler never had red or blue swords, just the gold greatsword. The gold greatsword is able to make blue and red trails, though.
Battler also used blue stakes against Beato in EP4.
Will has a black katana and Clair has a silver one (though hers is never actually seen, only mentioned in text).
Dlanor has a red longsword and blue shortsword. Erika's scythe is referred to as purple, I think, and Bern has one too.
Kanon has a red sword; the goats and Seven Sisters have blue ones.
I think that's about it.
|2013-04-27, 10:50
|Link #1316
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Where you're not.
It's been a long time since I've been here, hasn't it? I've kinda been locked out of the Umineko loop for a while, and I've only been brought back into it because of a YouTube comment by one "SakutaroChannel3" made in response to one I made about the quality and success anime. Eventually our "discussion" (well, argument) led to the commentor making this multi-comment statement:
|2013-04-27, 12:50
|Link #1318
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Where you're not.
|2013-04-27, 13:42
|Link #1319
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Rokkenjima
Age: 21
Whole Chiru is, according to my book, amazing.
Plus, how can studio decide not to animate a certain thing just because of their subjective opinion? So that's why the "Chiru is impossible to adapt" thing makes more sense.
Or they knew the fans wouldn't want another season because of the reputation the anime received after people read the VN. Personally, I want to see Chiru Anime for sole reason to watch Erika (Who made Umineko what it is today) animated.
|2013-04-27, 13:55
|Link #1320
Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2011
Considering that's the first time I've ever heard that the anime isn't an awful failure, and considering that there was no second season even though they milked Higurashi for all it was worth......yeah, I don't have the statistics, but I'm pretty sure this guy's just wrong.
|Thread Tools


text: The company presents the 17th annual production of choreographer Francis Patrelle's unique rendition of Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky's holiday classic The Nutcracker. Set in 1895, The Yorkville Nutcracker takes the audience on an action-packed tour of Olde New York's most be-loved landmarks, including a holiday party at Gracie Mansion, dancing at the Crystal Palace in the New York Botanical Garden, and skating in Central Park. Lavish sets and costumes, en-chanting music and beautiful dancers from ages 5 to 65 complete this thrilling production, with New York City Ballet principals Jenifer Ringer and Jared Angle as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Cavalier. In addition, Amaker Smith currently appearing in the hit TV show SMASH and Therese Wendler, who most recently danced Aurora in Sleeping Beauty with the Connecticut Ballet, will portray the Snow King and Queen.


text:
Editor's note: This story is part of an ongoing look into Cook Inlet salmon fishery issues. The Clarion will continue to examine fishery management decisions and their effects.
What appears to be the weakest run of king salmon in the Kenai River's recorded management history has caused great tension among sport and commercial fishermen, local businesses, fish managers and biologists.
But more than just traditional stress about fishery allocation and worry about how poor returns of king salmon will affect the future, this year's return has forced local Alaska Department of Fish and Game officials to drastically change how they usually manage the run for all user groups.
The question has become how to manage the worst case scenario come to life. "This is a difficult situation — we haven't seen this before," said Robert Begich, area management biologist in the sport fishing division of Fish and Game. "Our regulations and our management plans weren't adopted with this sort of scenario in mind, they really weren't."
Pat Shields, Fish and Game area commercial fisheries biologist, agreed that the run has also put tremendous pressure on the setnet fishermen in the Kenai and Kasilof areas.
"How we deviated is we didn't fish the regular period — the first one of the year," he said. "That's before even one late run king salmon had even been counted in the river. Right from the onset we began restricting and closing regular periods to the east side setnet fishery in the Kasilof section. That's a deviation — we have never done that before."
On Thursday the Kenai and Kasilof rivers closed to sport king salmon fishing after a host of previous restrictions on where fishermen could target fish, with what gear they could fish, and what size kings they could keep.
So far, setnet fishermen have had to keep gear out of the water during five regularly scheduled fishing periods to conserve kings as well. As of Thursday, Kenai setnetters had only fished once and Kasilof setnetters had only fished three periods.
With sport fishing lines out of the water, setnets will also likely remain beached for the remainder of July unless an influx of kings makes a run up the river.
However, the driftnetting fleet — a user group that catches significantly fewer kings in their nets than setnetters — continues fishing aggressively to help Fish and Game keep sockeye escapement within healthy goals, Shields said.
Begich said the sport fishing division started managing the run conservatively early based on indicators of low Kenai king abundance.
"It is a really restricted fishery in comparison to other king salmon fisheries around the state," he said of the early run. "We've got single hook, no bait, the protective slot limit, there are closed waters and there are limitations on guide hours and guide days."
The river closed to early run king fishing on June 22, which is an option in management plans and has happened before in 2010 and 2002, Begich said.
At that time, Fish and Game took further action before the late run fishing opened on July 1 as to slow down and get a better perspective.
Managers feared the Kenai's late run would be similar to other poor king salmon runs across the state, Begich said.
"We started the late run fishery restricted in that about 60 percent of the water that is normally open to king salmon fishing was closed," he said. "We also started the late run without bait so that we could have some time to assess the run."
Prohibiting bait fishing during the late run before it began was a first, Begich said.
However, bait and slot restrictions weren't enough and managers prohibited the retention of kings in the personal-use dipnet fishery, went to catch-and-release in the sport fishery for a period and finally to a full king closure — the first in recent history of the Kenai's late run.
"We broke away," Begich said. "We talked in our preseason management meetings that we may have to deviate away from the normal regulations adopted by the Board of Fisheries depending on the strength of the run."
Shields said the Board of Fisheries has directed the setnetters to fish regular periods two days a week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. occurring on Monday and Thursday.
Then, through emergency orders, staff can change the fishing schedule to provide more time as needed or to take time away based on what's going on with sockeye escapement or the king run, Shields said.
Staff were cautious even before the fishery was supposed to open in late June, Shields said.
"We said in case the late run is weak we are going to start out managing very conservatively and we closed regular periods in the commercial fishery," he said.
Shields said another management first has been the separation of the drift and setnet fleets. The two groups normally fished for sockeye together prior to 2011, but driftnetters catch fewer kings.
"The reason for (fishing them together) is that we are not to allocate between those two gear groups, who gets to catch the fish," he said. "We let the fish decide that."
Fish and Game will continue aggressively fishing drifternetters, perhaps everyday, to keep too many sockeye from heading into the river, Shields said.
Average data shows that when escapement — the term used for when fish make it to their spawning grounds — is too high, the river gets lower returns years later, he said.
It is possible that setnetters will be able to fish in August on a limited basis, Shields said, but that decision is still pending.
Restrictions and closures to both sport fishing and commercial fishing have sparked numerous protests and meetings.
Both user groups agree they depend on the Kenai's salmon runs for their livelihoods — a consideration that makes managing the fishery and closing it even more difficult, Shields said.
"This has severe economic consequences to in-river fishermen and commercial set gillnet fishermen," he said. One contention of protesters is that Fish and Game officials might not know exactly how many kings are making it into the river, perhaps making management too much of a guess.
Begich said Fish and Game is using the data — what's already occurred, what's happening today and historical trends — as best it can to predict the near future.
They were forced to play "what if games" as the run developed, Begich said.
But as the season wore on less error in the projections occurred and staff had to take action and issue emergency orders within a narrow window, Begich said.
"That's all part of the game, part of the process, part of the management," he said.
On top of the uncertainty of the low king run and venturing outside of the management plan, Begich said
Fish and Game also had to balance the use of the sport fishing department's new DIDSON sonar technology, which has been used as a comparative index during the last two years.
"So then you can take the last two years of DIDSON information and compare it with the other management objectives, the other tools for the last two years," he said. "Are they saying the same thing?"
As a result of public demand, Fish and Game this year has added more staff to process the DIDSON footage in-season than in past years — once in the field and again in-house, Begich said.
Also, meetings among Fish and Game sport fishing and commercial fishing staff that used to only take 15 minutes before, now take hours, Begich said.
Begich said he and Shields have to work closely together to manage the run as a whole. "We work in the same office and even though the fisheries are different, we each know what each other is doing and communicate that," he said.


text:
The latest and greatest on CNN iReport, brought to you by Team iReport.
The first debate between President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney Wednesday night had some Democrats wondering, "What happened to my president?" while GOP supporters reveled in their candidate's performance.
By most accounts Romney was the clear winner, while Obama, known for his oratory skills, came across as lethargic and unengaged. According to a CNN/ORC International survey conducted right after the debate, 67% of debate watchers questioned said that the Republican nominee won the face-off.
"This was not the Obama I expected to see. What should have been a robust debate quickly devolved into a shellacking by Gov. Romney," wrote iReporter Randi Johansen of Kent, Washington.
"Romney appeared dominant and aggressive while Obama kept his head bowed and looked like a kid being scolded by his school teacher. Obama had no FIGHT in him tonight. Before the next debate I suggest Obama call up Honey Boo Boo to ask if he can borrow some of her "go-go juice."
That was the general consensus among voters who shared their views with iReport. 1drvpr, echoing others, felt Obama "let down a lot of people," while Sahit Muja said Romney "destroyed Obama point for point."
Conservative Kathi Cordsen could hardly contain her enthusiasm.
"I was looking forward to this for so long. I had no idea that this would be so good," said "Every single time [Romney] was asked a question, he didn't pause. He blurted it out like he was supposed to. He was just strong. It's not that he won; it's more that Obama lost."
Likewise, Republican Elizabeth Lauten, a volunteer on the Romney campaign, was cheering. "Mitt Romney really brought his A-game and out-debated the President all night long even though Obama had nearly four and a half minutes more speaking time," she said. "Romney showed the country he's not only ready to be President, but he's ready to clean up Obama's mistakes. I can't wait to see what the next debate brings!"
David P. Kronmiller, who voted for Obama in 2008, said he could think of just "one really good moment" from the president, "when he talked about his grandmother and how she raised him." The Burbank, California, voter said he was surprised Obama didn't take on Romney more forcefully "for wanting to raise taxes on lower income families and lower middle-class families, which is what Mitt Romney's [tax] plan basically does."
That said, Romney's performance was not without criticism. cancan2012 suggested the governor came on too strong and "dismissed every fact about what he has said on the campaign trail and denied ever saying it." Egberto Willies conceded Romney may have won the debate "in style and preparation," but worries that voters will take "the statements without facts that he continued to make and assume he was knowledgeable on issues, or that he would be better for the middle class."
Looking ahead to the rest of the campaign, Obama supporters are unlikely to underestimate Romney, said Gretchen Essenmacher-Kinard, a back-up singer in Punta Gorda, Florida, who voted for the president in 2008 but has since switched her allegiance to Romney.
"He always came across as a bit weak when it came to speaking in public. I have much more confidence in his ability to project his visions and goals for our country now," she wrote. "Many of the President's supporters believe Romney is this corrupt businessman who is just trying to add another notch to his belt. And they, like the President, tended to believe that Romney isn't nearly as smart as President … I guess today they will have to eat humble pie."
Kronmiller is counting on the Vice Presidential show-down next week between Joe Biden and Paul Ryan to raise the bar on future debates.
"Joe Biden's great for an hour and a half," he said, "so hopefully it will be a more entertaining and lively night."
What was your take? Did the debate change your view of either of the candidates? Post your thoughts in the comments, or record your own video.
I don't believe the President lost.I do believe the president allowed Romney show his true colors and allowed him to throw himself under the bus again. The president allowed Romney to state that he would not increse taxes on the rich, he would decrese college grants, he would not close loop holes for business shipping overseas,he would de-regulate big business, he would give out vouchers for medicare,he get rid of the presidents health care plan and allow insurance providers to charge what they want putting the burden on the sick.
Anyone who thinks Obama won that debate is a complete idiot. ROMNEY LOOKED VERY PRESIDENTIAL!!!
The president failed to be aggressive. Romney clearly has no grasp of the facts as fact checkers are having a field day with his ridiculas assertions. Obama had multiple oppourtunities to put Romney in his place but would not go on the attack. He was trying too hard to look presidential. That was not the time to do it. I think he learned his lesson from this shellacking. Romney WILL NOT have it so easy in the next debate. Obama may have lost round one but the fight is his to win.
The emperor has no clothes! Take away the teleprompter, the media's kid gloves treatment, and the bubble of sycophants, and Obama is the person we saw last night: just a nice guy who is simply in over his head.
Obama lost. I still do not why Obama allowed Romney this way. At the same time American people saw how Mitt did a full etch-a-sketch session. May be Obama wanted to allow people to see the true color of this hypocrite who would say anything to get votes. We have to wait and see whether how people take it. For me, I am more disgusted by how Romney acted. I need to honest man as our president, not a guy good in etch-a-sketch game.
I'm not sure who looked more uncomfortable last night trying to explain away the Obama debacle. James Carville, who needs to just fade away peacefully into the night.. or Obama's chief of staff, who was flustered and spouting gibberish when he was interviewed after the debate.
Imagine that, those on the Right think Romney won. Those on the Left think Mr. Obama didn't lose. Those in the middle seem to agree more with those on the Right. Are we shocked by this - if we are going to vote along party lines, are we not going to grade the debates the same way? As is usual, neither said anything (Romney while talking about nothing, Obama by just not talking). In the end, the debates are going to close the gap, as Romney just has to remain even to stay on top of them - even if Obama makes a better showing later on. In the end, the winner is going to be the side who's voters get off of the couch and vote - just like it was 4 years ago. If the turnout had been the same old same old, it would have been much closer then. Will be interesting to see if Mr. Obama can make a better showing to excite the Dems to get up and vote, or not. It appears that Mr. Romney has....
To me, Romney looked desparate as he steamrolled his comments
over Obama.
He is a product of the Republican rich and can't help what he says as he will say anything to get elected! Also, why wasn't the 47+% of the people that he has written off mentioned? And since he paid only 14% income tax, where is the other 16% that he didn;t pay? In his pocket, of course.
Why didn't Jim Lehrer stop him from talking over the allowed minutes?? He was much too soft on Romney!
Obama clearly was not prepared. Although, let's not get ahead of ourselves. There is plenty of "foot in mouth" time left. Even though Romney presented himself well, people still have to believe what he is saying...
Romney and Ryan ...... Laurel and Hardy of the 2012 Presidential Campaign
Romney ...... No honesty No integrity
Romneyhood ..... Give to the Rich take from the poor
I'm severely disappointed with President Obama's debate performance. It was severely inept. He let a severely conservative double-talker etch-a-sketch him infront of a national audience. That was severely wrong and should be corrected immediately.
After all of the missteps, scandalous videos, in-fighting among the GOP and Romney campaign..they need something to cheer about. However, they should caution themselves because there are three more debates- two of which are presidential. Romney was thrown a bone last night! Obama is a skillful debater, he had a reason for what he did last night.
Seems to me to many Obama suporters on here are tring anyway they can to save Obamas back side. He sucked and wasnt up to any letting Rom hang his sealf games. He was out done plain and simpel. As for the fact checkers tearing Rom apart thats all they do because they are in the tank for Obama.
Obama took a beating, but it's only the first round. I'm not so sure he lost. Romney never knew when to stop talking. The moderator was the real loser. I'm guessing that was the last one of these he does. As for what's up from here?? Obama starts disecting what Romney said. Romney can only keep saying what he said, and a lot of it just didn't add up or make sense. It was like he thought, if he can keep Obama from talking, he can't win this debate. The next three should be a little more exciting. Did anyone really think Romney would tank this?
This message is for the President!! I hope you know what you are doing, I have volunteered and donated to your campaign. What I saw yesterday was a guy rather feeling comfortable thinking he has won or someone that knows somethings we don't know, either way Mr. President I hope you know what you are doing? I you give up, why shouldn't I too!!
I love the comments. Romney was pulling facts out of his butt. He never laid anything out until last night, so shocker, Obama wasn't fully ready. Let's wait until the analysts crunch the numbers and we will all see the Romney's crackpot logic is just not possible. The man is a liar and a cheat and is willing to do anything to improve his and his buddies bank accounts.
Do I agree Romney seemed to be much better than Obama last night-Yes I do. Was everything he stated factual-no it wasn't. I agree that both sides have skewed things,and when looking at the fact checking(outside of CNN,MSNBC,Fox,etc.) seems some important details were left out from both of them.Those that base voting on what is said during the debate are truly not doing any sort of homework at all,and just vote for reasons other than who will do the better job.
Obama let me down last night. Romney is good at being for and against everything at the same time.
For me I know what Republicans do when they are in office and what they say on the campaign trail has absolutely no bearing on what they will do in office. Promise the world and then do what you want later on.
After this I think Romney will win. No more Obamacare. It will be replaced with nothing and we will continue to let 45,000 Americans die every year because they have no health insurance. Illness will continue to be the leading cause of bankruptcy in the US. We will continue to pay twice as much for health care as the rest of the world and no Republican will care. They will be willing to pay infinite amounts for health care and not care as long as their taxes don't go up even a dollar.
Schools? Republicans want to dump public schools and go with all private schools and vouchers. The poor won't be able to afford private schools and now poor people won't even go to school. Nice plan Republicans. The rich will love the plan though.
Medicare? Vouchers as well. Grandma uses up all of her voucher money? Well I guess you are done then and will have to fend for yourself. Great plan. Seniors are going to love that plan. Republicans? They don't care.
Exploring alternative fuels? Not anymore. Coal, gas and nuclear are it. Republicans don't believe in solar, wind, biofuels, fuel cell technology. They will open up the oceans all around the US to offshore drilling with no regulations. BP oil spill x10? The don't care.
So with Romney as President we can gurantee that the debt will go way down? Somebody name even one Republican President that has ever lowered the debt even a dollar. Bush doubled it and not one Republican cared. Romney and Ryan promise to make a big dent in the debt. Are they raising taxes to do it? Nope, that is off the books. They say they are going to pay it down by cutting things we don't need. What things you ask? They haven't gotten that far yet with their plan or they refuse to tell us what they plan to cut. Certainly adding 2 trillion more to the military budget without the military even asking for it won't lower the debt any, but we will be prepared for the next couple of wars that are guranteed if Romney is elected.
Romney did win the debate.
I'm suprised liberals don't understand Romney's tax plan. It is simple. Have more people working, more taxes. Close loopholes for the rich, would create a large sum of money. The rich pay the highest percentage, but their net effective rate is low due to loop holes.
Well, if Romney won this debate, his debate on foreign policy will be a blood bath, as he is clueless with respect to the world. He tried to bow, apologize, and kiss, and didn't understand being too nice and allowed other leaders to walk all over him. It is ashame.
Mitt spoke to the american people like they were all the 47% and a bunch of idiots and Obama allowed him to do so, knowing full well the american people are a lot smarter than Mitt realizes.
With 22 million veterans in the US and the VA in a crisis, niether mentioned the subject.
Mitt Romney, for those that have been following the budget plans and his "fiscal" discussions, pulled a complete 180. His plans are fuzzy at best; he assumes 4% growth in his proposals and accounts for none of the shortcomings. Closing loopholes by opening others. It's a load of bs. I've read the plans. Obama has reality, Mitt has pie in the sky. Better performance from Mitt, but in the end Supply Side economics fails over and over again. Time to change the course and expire Bush tax cuts and get to brass tax. Can't keep cutting revenues.
Just In....Little Children all over the world are crying because they heard a mean man named Mr. Romney is trying to kill Big Bird. They are frightened and are asking their partents what this mean man will do next after he gets rid of Big Bird.
Romney won based on lies. Now there is a whole lot of explaining to do on his part. Check mate @ s s h o l e
Sux for Obama that people got to see that Romney is actually a smart, honest QUALIFIED person. Guess it is back to the attack ads for team-o
What I learned? As a retired taxpayer I am a pawn. If I was still working earning less than $200,000.00 (single) I would be a pawn. Middle class and working poor are disenfranchised by the politcal process as they have been historically.
I tell ya.......Romney's crew has been prepping him good for these debates. No more eye twitching,looking at his foe STRAIGHT IN THE EYE and quick retorts. His mannerisms have drastically been cut for the good since he started on the campaign trail.
Everyone can say what they want about Mitt, but the fact is he is a very succesfull business and family man. Obama?...a failed 4 years as president and all his promises he said he would have done never happned. All this is factual. Everything being said about Romney is guessing and trying to predict the future. Obama, had his chance and his record is plain terrible...FACT!
I agree JustSayNnn .. Obama cannot talk about his record - PERIOD. He got the job with little or no qualifications and has failed. Almost all of his promised have been broken. His only strategy is to paint the other guy as some evil bad person. Looks like he is failing at that. I only wish Mitt would say to America, "I will make one promise to you, that if you hire me to fix this mess, I promise during my first 4 years I will never mention Mr. Obama" (Obama scorecard- Fix Problem: 0 Blame Bush: 67)
Mitt Romney had a successful first debate only because Pres. Obama was not at his best. That does not mean that Romney won't get clobbered the next time around. My daughter commented that maybe Obama was not feeling well last night, and she might be right. We don't know what happened, but that was not the President we know and respect. Obama said what he had to say, but it was not forceful and aggressive, and he did not hit some points pundits and viewers would have liked him to hit. I'm sure he will come back with a vengeance next time. At least, those of us who believe in him hope so - for the good of the nation.
Mitt Romney is not John McCain in debates. The President quickly realized he was not on the View or Letterman anymore. We got to see Mr. Obama without his telepromptors and pre-rehearsed speeches. He simply had talking points on cards that he had no idea were true or not. And am I the only one who saw that Mr. Obama did not like it at all and was looking like, you can't talk to me or challenge me like that, I am the Rock Star Prez, the chosen one. Obama reminds me a bit of Alec Baldwin in Malice. "God Complex"
Difference in perception is correlated with difference in 'publicans and others. The 'publicans are generally stupid, and view things like football fans. Others think. A guy who promises debt reduction as well as increased military spending and tax cutting is simply a fool - however forcefully he proposes this kind of insanity. It's the content that matters - not the delivery. Most 'publicans can't really process content - hence their affection for conservative talk radio hosts and Sara Palin.
Wow - those on the left truly can't see reality! They think Obama "allowed" Romney to win. Some state that Obama simply didn't speak (He actually spoke more than Romney if you check). Perhaps Obama simply isn't as brilliant as some people think that he is. Perhaps he really does need to read from a teleprompter in order to sound intelligent.
I am still voting Obama, but no question Romney did far better this debate. Not just demeanor, it was as if Obama just forgot everything he'd been saying: ie that trickle down doesn't work, about the "47% video," about Romney pioneering the shipping of jobs overseas - he didn't mention any of it or rebut Romney claims.
But also, Mitt exposed Obama's lack of any plan beyond undoing the Bush tax cuts. How will Obama create jobs.
To be clear, though Romney "won" the debate, his policies are still the wrong, George W parrot ones, so I won't vote for him. But he absolutely looked stronger, more presidential, and even like someone who might have thoughts and come up with plans to address things - like the health care plan Obama praised again and again, saying he only copied Romney's plan.
I think America is left with: where is the candidate who will end free trade and bring the jobs home? No one? So, I guess Obama's less evil, even if he is now boring as well.
Debate responses:
Republicans - Our guy did a great job
Democrats - Excuse after excuse after excuse
I was waiting for Obama to say "If I seem to be losing this debate, well, uh, that is George Bush's fault"
Anyone who would vote for Romney based on that pathological lying performance deserves a government that disrespects them, won't lift a finger to keep a high standard of living for ALL Americans, and who scoffs at the idea that the government can be a positive instrument for good. The GOP knows they only use government to enrich those at the top, and history will write that anybody who bought into Romney's flip-flopping extravaganza, was very foolish.
Well, I was disappointed by Obama and impressed by Romney. It seemed like Romney had taken speed and Obama had taken valium. Romney got away with a lot of fabrications because Obama was looking at his shoes. Obama should have said, "So you are throwing Big Bird under the bus along with 47% of the population you detest?" And "That's your proposal for taxing the rich this week, that's this week's flip-flop! Like your Romneycare law in Massachusetts?"
And pardon me CNN, who are you to say the Democrats are let down. We know what's up and we are as energized as ever! As Santorum correctly said the other day, the intellectual elites will never stand with the GOP, and he was right. You may pull the wool the eyes of the less informed, but those of us who have been paying attention over the last couple of YEARS, know that Romney's performance was dubious and laughable. Yes, You want to see Pres. Obama roll in the mud with that low class used car saleman, but it won't happen. Obama takes care of business in a calm and deliberate, dignified way that- OH-saved the US Auto industry, and took down Bin Laden, without notifying the press first. OBAMA '12!
You mean the kind of foolish that fell for "Hope and Change" mom ? From a guy who never ran anything in his life excepts protests and made all kinds of promises he never kept to get elected. We finally have a qualified candidate with the business experience we need to turn this around. Thank God.
Obama, just take your teleprompter and go home. Romney cleaned your clock.
That's right Jamesest30, Romney offers no hope and change. He only promises to be a puppet for the Right which will make sure your sorry self won't have healthcare if you get cancer, and thinks women can "stop" an unwanted pregnancy with our minds. Romney only hasn't stated one plan that will help America, the only change would be if the traitorous Right stop deliberately trashing the economy.
Isn't it ironic that Reagan never blamed Carter for the mess he inherited. He just rolled up his sleeves and got to work. If only Obama could have done the same thing, instead of playing the blame game the past four years.
Obama was sandbagging. He's gotten Romney's confidence up and will rip him to shreds in the next debates. (I hope)
Teleprompter Boy! The true bumbling Obama is cast around the world and his incompetent sheep are baaing!
Will 7370 The Democrats also did not throw democracy under the bus in order to try to bring down Reagan. They understood there responsibility to the constitution and the American people, and worked with Reagan unlike the GOP of today that has no idea what democracy is This generation is going to be a laughingstock in history. The GOP is so ignorant of history they have tried to reinstate Jim Crow laws in an attempt to defeat Obama. So low and sad that this is where a major party is in 2012.
I thought Obama did a good job, especially in showing his concern for the middle class. Although he looked a little sleepy, he answered the questions well.
Romney gave a presentation which shows he is a flip-flopper and a person who stretches the truth. He directly said things that are not at all what he has iterated in the past. I was not impressed with him at all. As rich as he is, I don't think he has consideration for average folks--proof, the 47% remarks to his rich patrons. J. Davis OBAMA supporter in Knoxville, TN
"My plan is not like anything thats ever been tried before" because: A. all variations of the ones that were tried failed B. the plan eliminates all known loopholes without caring about whether it represents a complete plan C. any realistic attempt to implement the plan will naturally assimiliate all loopholes D. safe-est alternative is not try to implement such an untested plan
Fean, we see you. America Faen is showing just what the GOP is really all about. No class. Romney will lose because we know the truth.
Obama didn't have his teleprompter to tell him what to say. Enough said.
Wow Mom, you are so angry and blindly one sided. Don't worry if Romney wins you will still get your check.
Romney is your classical car sales person, going to tell you everything you want to hear, drive away and watch the car fall apart.
Keep deluding yourself. All your hate will destroy the GOP in the end. So scared you might help other Americans. Is this what Jesus would say?
If Romney will turn this country around like he did the 2002 Winter Olympics, then he has my full vote and support. In the professional world, it's considered a smart business move to call in a consultant when there's a mess to untangle. Romney has a proven track record of turning failures into successes, and obtaining concensus in the board room. He has my vote.
Look Mom, It will still be a tough close race. Despite the debate performance, Obama still has 97% of the Dead Vote. As for helping other Americans, I have my charities. My Church, Diseases that have hurt my family. I just don't want more of my hard earned money to be given to charities I do not want or wasted. The Government gets and wastes enough of my money and is getting way to big. Redistribution is Socialism that leads to Communism. Then we will really have the have's and have nots. Problem is some people do not like fair if unfair puts them in a better position and they are easily herded to the polls by a say anything pastor/movie star/politician.
So a debater n chief is fine i guess. Lets see how it pans out when all you people who vote for him lose your mortgage interest tax deduction or education deduction . on avg republicans are poorer than democrats - alabama , arkansas, west virginia all red states. I alost want to see Romney as president - lets see him handle foreign leaders and the congress
The Prez is giving a good speech Today in Denver, Wonder why, Hmmm .. Oh Yeah 2 Big Giant Telepromptors !!!
"President Romney". That has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?? Get used to saying it, losers!!
Obama will need to step up his game, but to think any undecided voters would vote for Mitt-Rob-Me is far and few between, if any because of this 1 of 3 debates.
Wishful thinking for the GOP, LOL!
Lets wait to see the bump he should get in the polls, if any in the swing states.
The next debate, Obama will have to take the golves off, and risk being seen as the angry black man, whlie bringing up the 47%'er's and how they are all bums that we the tax payer cover with our hard earned HONEST pay!
Cut their food stamps!
Mitt the GreatPander Bear tells the GOP, & the 1%'er's "Don't worry good ole boys,I'll keep your taxes low,just get me elected".
Mitt-Rob-Me has no passion for for ALL Americans, as Obama does, just those that buy him.
He only has passion for power, he's not even a real Republican in thought, idelas & vaules.
His mom was a smart, well educated, and worldly woman, she was ProChoice, as was he UNTIL he had to tell the GOP what they needed to hear.
He keeps saying he'll dump ObamaCare, and then says "But I'll keep the bones of it, because it's good"
He'd love to keep it all, but the GOP won't let him, cause it would be amazing PR for ObamaCare.
He'd like to rename it and cal it RommneyCare so the GOP could steal the credit for it, LOL!
What fools does he take the American voter for anyway...?
Independent,woman voter in the swing state of NV, still swinging towards OBAMA!
What man can Debate when he's thinking about his Date,
Happy Anniversary?
You left-leaners have been straining so hard to stay up you finally have completely fallen over. If you think Obama even came close last night you are blind. Even the CNN poll showed he won according to 67% of those polled! You need to get your head out of the sand and listen to what they actually say. Don't listen to what Obama says about Romney, listen to what Romney says about Romney. I don't know why all you Leftys keep claiming Romney doesn't like the 47% when all he said was THEY DON'T LIKE HIM!!! He was just confiding in potential contributers that he wouldn't waste their money on a demographic that wouldn't vote for him under any circumstances. He never said wasn't going to help them or be their president.
What I saw last night was very upsetting to me. I saw a man who agreed to certain rules of debate just do his own thing and not play by the rules agreed to. Is this how he will behave on the world scean? if so we better be ready to lose a lot more soldiers.You can't act the CEO bully and blast away and not let others talk when lives and countries are on the line. We will lose all our friends that way. He also showed no true vision for the future. Where were any specifics other then non-specifics lies. He was an impressive bully though. But presidential, No.
Obama looked exhausted, and wanted to be with his wife. Frankly, he seemed disgusted by Romney;s flip-flopping, and very evasive answers. I have no doubts that Obama will rally for the next one, and hope that Joe Biden kicks Ryan's butt! Their ideas are BAD for America, so the pundicracy can run their mouths all they want in order to make this election more of a horse race, but Romney hasn't got a chance!
Oh, the Democrats are 'let down' any time they feel they may not get their hands on more of someone else's money. They'll get over it by convincing themselves that they are even more superior than we mere mortals, and that their cause of government control over every aspect of our lives is just.
What Romney's debate performance clearly demonstrated, as he has consistently shown, is that he changes ("flip-flops") whatever he says according to the audience he is trying to sway. No matter how confidently and strongly he presents, the reality is that he can't be trusted, as his changing story totally indicates, when he is being dishonest and just saying whatever he thinks will impress at the time. I don't know if this is simply a continuation of the Karl Rove strategy that the Republicans have adopted, but it has become very disgustingly prevalent within today's Republican / Tea Party as seen from Paul Ryan, John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Michelle Bachmann and others including the likes of Norquist, Cheney, Rove, the Koch brothers and several others where they all feel they can just deceptively and aggressively play people for their own self-serving interests.
This not only clearly indicates that they can't be believed, can't be trusted but also it is disgusting and offensive as they boldly and arrogantly insultingly take people for granted as being "pawns" to be conned and manipulated at their will. Obama had a flat performance and missed the opportunity to call Romney on these obvious extensive deceptions, which was really a pity in that Romney walked away cocky as if successful with his con. The reality is that nothing has actually changed and Romney and the Republicans are still totally committed to serving only "the money" and obviously just boldly confident in their ability to dupe the people and control public opinion.
Some accuse Obama of being dishonest but by any objective and rational evaluation that is baseless and is simply emotional rationalization to justify biases. Obama's conscientious concern for the people and honestly unselfish efforts are totally apparent and are in complete contrast to what the Republicans demonstrate; want better from him, fine, but don't think you are going to see the current Republicans with a conscience or concern for the majority as that would be totally against their recent history and the reality that they are owned and controlled by "the money". Should the majority fail to see all of this or should they be conned into accepting the Republican's deception or the rationalizing that the Democrats are just as dishonest, then we are very apt to be returned to "more of the same", Bush-Cheney style, with the results being "more of the same" and the country further pushed into a two-class society where the 1% continue to feed their insatiable "more" (never enough) appetite, competing in having it all, while the 99% are left struggling and loosing more.
Next time you feel like writing a book, Dick, try compiling some objective facts. Obama has a history of deception, dishonesty, and disdain for everyone that doesn't bow down before him. No, Romney is no saint, but your hero isn't either. News flash - he's a politician.
The biggest losers in the debate were the American people... when did Presidential Debates become the latest reality television show ... being judged by who can run over the moderator the easiest and most often. What happened to good manners and civility?
Governor Romney was energetic and aggressive ... President Obama was reserved and passive ... true enough ... And if the only thing at stake was a National Debate title ... give the trophy to Mr. Romney and let him go home a winner.
I did not hear one thing, except Big Bird is off the federal dole, which answered one question about the economy. The President was so intent on not offending he just stood there and let Governor Romney walk all over Jim Lehrer.
Yes, I felt cheated by both men for different reasons.
Dream on, dixiedawg and friends. You only have one more month to revel in intelligent people's nightmare -- like fans of a horror show.
I'm not disapointed in Obama's performance in the debate. I'm still voting for Obama. I beleive Obama will watch out for the middle class. I believe the Republicans only care about the very very rich. I believe Romney lies and I think our country would be the worse off if he ever became president.
Obama will come back during the next two debates. If he doesn't it's simple because he doesn't want to be president again. Then we'll end up with a less than mediocre and unreliable leader and greed, prejudice, racism and bigotry will have won.
I think because Romney has changed his positions so often. People are angry at what he said and don't care how he said it. Obama gave him plenty of rope to hang himself, which Romney did and is hanging there twisting in the wind. I think the only thing of significance other than that is he wants to put Big Bird out of work. Romney managed to polarize the Big Birds fans .
I am so sick of "generous" liberals being kind with other peoples money. Government money is not free, it is paid by taxes from hard working people like me. Anyone who has faith in the government to spend our money well is a blind fool. So if you "feel" president Obama "cares more" about the poor remember one thing; it is easy to be generous with other people money.
Fact check Romney's personal giving to charity and cross check it against Obama and Biden... Stop buying the emotional hype and pay attention to the candidate that actually practices generosity in their personal life.
The President did a Masterful Job allowing Romney to show the world that he changes with the wind. In the last 18 weeks he has changed his policies on every issue.
I wonder what he'll be saying next week. WOULD YOU BUY A CAR FROM THIS GUY ??
The rationalizations I am reading from his supporters in the electorate and in the media for Obama's performance in the debates are absurd and comical. It was altitude sickness, no wait, he was too busy being president to prepare, no, he was drugged, no wait, the answer is (D) all of the above. If Romney had, by any measure, lost the debate, I am pretty sure Jack Cafferty would not be asking CNN viewers to put on their thinking caps and opine on why Obama did so badly.
Yes, Romney changed multiple positions last night. If Obama wants to win a second term, he needs to point them out, one by one, to show what a liar and champion flip flopper Mitt is.
I live in Massachusetts, and unfortunately had to experience Governor Romney's politics and the results first hand. I think if anyone is planning to vote for Romney, they need to talk with people from MA. For example, he stated how much he is for furthering public education; well he gutted it here, and just ask him how confident he was with the MA school system...obviously not that much... he sent all his kids to private school. He was an Obstructionist-majeure as governor here; he physically built over 4 blockades to the doors of the Governor's Office making MA public officials off limits to discussing anything with him. It took our new governor, Deval Patrick to have all the barricades removed! Don't let Romney fool you, he is only in it for a select group of wealthy cronies; none of whom you will ever know. they wait in the shadowy wings waiting to pounce.
it sad how most everyone in the media today is judging the debates. where in the world is the integrity issue in judging a debate of this magnitude. what is wrong with us when we declare rude, disrespectful and lying the winner of in a debate for the highest office of the land. it seems what was desired was a prize fight. in that spirit here is my observation. one mans strategy was the okey- doke and the other man the rope- -a dope... rope- a- dope always triumps in the end.
as an addendum to my above statement...
Romney also stated how the MA Healthcare System he helped to move through our state legislature is helping to control medical costs on a state level just fine without a govmnt. oversight committee. Wrong, our in-state private health insurance providers Blue Cross Blue Shield took advantage of a period of time without the oversight and raised monthly costs and removed benefits at the same time... resulting in a 26% increase in fees for most on their plans. It ended up in Supreme Court thanks to the laws put in place by the 'Obamacare' plan. Don't let Romney sway you with his lies, and manipulative plans for us all. We will all rue the day if he should come to power.
It is noteworthy that all politician sends their children to private school,(yes Obama too). No country in the world spends more on education then the United States, and no country gets a worse return on their investment. Problems are legion: unions that are more concerned with benefits and copays than test scores, billions of dollars wasted on new textbooks each one worse than the previous one, too many administrators pushing paper while no one is held accountable etc. Which candidate would be more likely to challenge the powers that be in the education system and get better results?
Isn't it blatantly obvious the mindset of Romney?
He comes right out and says he is going to kill off PBS and Big Bird... while out of the other side of his face he is saying how much he loves public education. We in Massachusetts were sooo done with this guy a long time ago. Least we mention his terrorist neo-nazi running mate Paul (A)Ryan, and his master race.
Obama has lied so often and so casually; Few believe him when he attempts to call others liars. No lobbyists in my white house; Libyan attacks due to a home video, you get to keep your doctor, created 4 Million jobs when in actuality far more people are unemployed now under him than GW Bush. Obama has seen the decline of the middle class and in fact hammers them with energy prices, food prices, no jobs and horrible, dismal economic growth.
The longest recovery in US history; the growth rate is actually declining. If Obama weren't such a horrible failure at Domestic, economic and foreign policy; we wouldnt be in this mess now. All he can do to explain is blame Bush. Romney trounced Obama because Obama has only a record of abject failure. Obama is trying to fundamentally change the United States from a constitutional democracy to a socialist secular republic, void of religious freedom or even religion at all!
At this point; Charlie Sheen could do a better job than Obama. face it; nearly every word from Obama's mouth since he was elected has been a lie. He's a Marxist at heart, an anti-colonial Marxist who believes the USA needs to be reduced to second world status so that a socialist world government will succeed.
Americans choose Romney mostly because he isn't a marxist and he actually believes in helping the middle class, not just lying about wanting to help them like Obama. Since Obama was elected; Poverty has significantly increased, food stamp roles have increased massively, The average Middle class wage has decreased by 10%, and Obama has spent over 6 Trillion dollars in three and a half years. His death rate for our servicemen and woman in Afghanistan has doubled since Bush left office.
Al Qeada is stronger! Obama cjose the Muslim Brotherhood extremists over Egypt and Libya's stable governments and the results exploded in his face. Now America is fiercely hated by Muslims all over the world.
Face it: Obama was incompetent, in way over his head and had no experience whatsoever except being a community organizer. Tough to win a debate when your record is chock full of failure at every turn.
There is no possible way Romney could be any worse, and in fact he actually has a record of success. O'Bumbler is finished, because Americans know what he did for the last three and a half years.
When was the last time Obama actually spent time in the White House working to fix this country? He's been on the campaign trail for months!! He would rather campaign to keep his job than help this country when it needs it NOW....And, talking about not keeping the rules of the debate, that was Obama, he spoke 4 min. longer than Romney and still lost the debate. He even interupted the moderater and spoke almost 2 min. longer.
No inflammatory rhetoric here, "terrorist neo-nazi running mate Paul(A)Ryan and his master race"... Wow. Care to support those accusations with facts, or should your opinion be good enough for the rest of us MrNoteworthy? Mark Twain said it best "never let the facts get in the way of a good story." Feels good to demonize those you disagree with, and it is a lot less work than actually supporting those accusations with facts and logic.
PBS is a miniscule portion of the budget. I could care less if government continues to support it or not. I am much more concerned with the pitiful performance of our public schools. Is more money the answer? Fact check how much other countries spend on education. The same foreign countries that are outpacing us in math and reading and science. Teachers unions have pumped the public for more money for years and lined their own coffers with the taxpayers money. Perhaps a different approach to education and teaching would improve results...
As for PBS and Big Bird. We taxpayers should not be funding programs like that, Big Bird will do fine and even better on ABC,NBC or CBS. PBS gets gov. funds? Every 15 min. on PBS they interupt the programming to beg for donations. Good grief.
Forget about who won for a minute. Most people I talked to today were very impressed that there was a real debate that included both candidates attempting to respond to the actual questions and to each other. It was good for America. I am concerned that the political handlers will not let that happen again.
I can't believe more people aren't talking about Romney's jaw-dropping Etch-a-Sketch comments. He basically scre wed his Tea Party supporters.
I expect after their celebrations settle down it will be like, " Yay! Uh, what!?"
Myth Romney and the angry avengers. People have to get a grip. Can you win a debate while never making a substantive statement and weaving an Escher-like web of distortion? Which way is up? History clearly tells you, Myth can't.
Romney has stated he's in synch with the Tea Party. Per the secret fund raising tape he only needs to convince 10% into thinking they will be better off voting for him. Obama defined middle class as 250,000 and below. Romney did not commit to a definition. Romney did state the revenue coffers could not lose money. He was vague on the elimination of tax deductions coupled with a decrease in tax rate. Sounds great, unless your rate is in a higher bracket because the deductions are eliminated, then you PAY more. Obama has been straight-forward, Romney has been vague. We all know supply and demand drive a business and jobs. If your money goes for basics you won't be spending on discretionary. Obama knows this, i'm not convinced Romney does. I don't trust Romney or Ryan.
Romney did so well in the presidential debate that the Koch brothers are thumbing through their catalogue of private jets.
Wow! Hey liberals the reason your man did so poorly is because: HE IS LOST!
Ovomit got his head taken off last night!LOL! you libs have nothing to blame but yourselves from all the lies you feed this little boy by telling him he is doing a good job and don't take him to task and try to protect the lies and coverups and last night was the first time he was confronted by the truth and by a real man not the little boy you worship...vote Romney...
Debate moderator can't handle the debaters. We need referees on the stage who fact checks and counters Romney's lies. Lying is being touted as winner by the media. Media should not be talking about style and choose winner.
Why is everyone coming down so hard on the Prez for his performance last night? I mean all Romney did is lie out his waznoodle, yell at the president like a petulent little school child when he needs to look in the mirror, and act smarmy and snarky. And all the President did is tell the truth in a firm, and calm demeanor and I don't see how that qualifies him as the loser? If anyone's a loser it's Romney. He's a loser and a liar!! Is that what we really want in our very critical state of the highest office of our nation? Even Romney's own wife said she was worried about his mental well being if he came to serve as President. I mean that's telling you something! Scary!!
Romney contradicted himself and nobody is calling him on it. He kept repeating 'no tax cuts for the wealthy' yet in the same argument he said a 20% cut across the board. He did this 3 different times. That means a cut for the wealthy. And with continuation of Bush cuts, that essentially eliminates most of the wealthiest Americans taxes. This means the middle class has to carry that weight. Replay the debate and listen carefully.
Reality check -- Obama still owns the polls. So...
Romney's admission that he wants to morph Medicare into a voucher program seals his fate with seniors. Add that to his zero support among blacks and 20-something support among latinos, almost zero among gays, lesbians and women (except for those with self-esteem issues), and what do you have? Confirmation of the landslide, as far as I am concerned.
I am calling the election now: 332 electoral votes for Obama, 206 for Romney. The Dems slightly increase their majority in the Senate, and take over the house by a small margin. Pelosi will bítchslap Boehner until he starts crying like a baby and lets go of the gavel.
In addition, Grover will have a shítfít and wind up in the ER with angina. Rove's final hair will fall clean off. Limpbaugh will have a heart attack too, but it will be with one of his girlfriends in the Dominican Republic where he goes to get his kicks. Palin will pick up some sort of Alaska parasite that will permanently damage her vocal cords so bad she won't be able to talk, causing so much stress her head explodes while fishing for salmon that swim upstream, backwards. Justin Bieber will puke again but this time he'll start channeling John Belushi's role in Animal House. Britney Spears will shave her pübic hair and donate it for wigs for abandoned poodles. And by then the underwater scuba pilgrimages to Bin Laden's burial site will be in full swing, launched from Iranian speedboats and entitled "Survivor, Infidel Edition."
Rommy man will soon see UFO's from his plane, like Daddy did!
I'm a Canadian, a social democrat, and thus a bleeding heart liberal by Republican standards. I believe governments should run their countries for the benefit of all and not just the wealthy and privileged. I thus dread the thought of the Republicans regaining power, after the mess they caused under George Bush and his cronies. They ran the country for their personal gain, as I believe the majority of wealthy Republicans wish to do: Bush profiteering from the rise in the price of oil caused by his war mongering, and Cheney by the sale of arms for the war effort. In short, Republicans were responsible for most of the trouble in the middle east, and it's about time Americans as a whole recognized this fact. The picture I have in my mind of Republicans is that they are Ignorant, Greedy, many are fundamentalist Christians (who seem to believe the world only evolved thousands of years ago), and are bullies. Their way of removing an honest, decent, black American President is to infer that he's not a true American, even when incontrovertible evidence is produced to prove he is. I didn't hear anything about McCain or Romney being asked for such proof. Then that nincompoop Trump joining the bandwagon, thinking he could become President: Amazing!
Their latest effort was Romney changing his tune during the debate, and swearing that black was white, leaving the President to just stick to what the Republicans had been running on all along, in his rebuttals.
I'll agree that President Obama was a little weak in this debate. Unfortunately, instead of pressing Romney to admit he'd changed his script to sound good, he left it for undecided voters to see through Romney's apparent policy changes. Since then it seems Republicans have admitted he made 'mistakes,' but I don't see that any of them have acknowledged he cheated in order to improve his showing in the debate! What I'll never understand, however, is why the President doesn't ever explain to the voting public that without the support of a majority of Representatives and Senators, there's no way that any president can enact legislation, however good, and that's why he was unable to do things to get more people back to work.
Good luck Democrats. I believe a fair majority of Canadians would support you were they in a position to do so. Our Tory 'dictatorship' would be another matter.
People see mostly what they want to see when there is no argument left. Obama was clearly lackluster. Romney was vibrant. To win a debate you must first be a winner going into the debate. Obama has no record to be proud of when it comes to the economy. Rob from the rich and give to the poor is not a good economic plan. The rich simply change the way they will make money. Higher fewer people, make money by smart investment not increase in production. Make less and spend less. Then there is less for wages, less for building needs, less investment in business structure, fewer jobs. If you are rich you do not need to get richer. So you cut back. When the rich cut spending on business building then the working people have less to work for. See which way this is going? Many business men are simple getting out of business. The economy can not grow under these conditions. Remove government programs that produce new technologies and products, the space program for instance, You now have less innovation. Yes you can spend less money on space and more on welfare. You end up with a country that is producing less and is no longer a leader in technology. All the helpful technologies derived from the Space program has created would never had happened if the rob from the rich and give to the poor had their way about the space program we would still be stuck in the the 1950's. The one thing that has created more products, health technologies and hence civilian jobs and products is being scrapped by the current Administration. America will be second rate and never recover at this pace.
Obama came across like an empty suit. No prompter or liberal think tank/focus group to read a script from. No George Bush to blame for his problems (I could buy that for 2 years, but certainly not 4). I don't particularly care for Romney, but he convinced me that he's a far better man for the job. I want a leader who will put me back to work, not a speech reader struggling to repackage the same broken promises of "change."
Investigation Required: I still have it on my DVR, I watched the beginning and end of the debate again... FOUL:
At three minutes into the debate, what was Romney pulling out of his pocket? I thought cheat sheets were against the rules in a debate?
Then at the mark 1:33 on the CNN coverage, he hands the notes off to his son, both sons were reaching for it, all flanking him, slow it down, and look at the worried looks only cheaters have, both sons flankiing, plus the daughter...all three kids looking so stressed out in that moment, notes are away, then a sigh of relief and forced smiles by all....
Oh Tim Roth would have a feild day, Lie to me some more Mitt Romney and clan!
How many times did you see him looking down or reading from the lectern? More than likely these were notes he wrote during the debate. If what you say were correct the liberal media would be having a feild day with this and using it as an excuse why Obama embarassed himself and his followers.
Romney came across as a LEADER; confident in his own convictions. His ideas came across as HIS ideas. Obama as always came across as a person dependent on his advisors. Not necessarily knowledgable on his own statements, simply rehearsed. I dont think Obama can lead alone; I dont think he is even sure about his own plan. Most of Obamas followers that believe he will not raise taxes on the "middle class" or general working people need to ask him why employers will now be required to add the employer contribution for health insurance on the W-2's. It's a no brainer; we will be taxed on that amount and I resent its sort of a non-transparent tax. I also resent Obama referring to two wars being put on a "credit card" by Bush; did he forget about 9-11?
As an unemployed American, I have many opinions on the debate. Ultimately I believe (with experience as a key factor) Pres. Obama admitted defeat for America. Tho he did not speak these words, actions speak louder then words. I believe Romney loves this counrty just as much as the president but feels 'he' needs to be elected so, finally someone can put there foot down make some sacrifice and stop the debt; then we can grow. I am Very good at adapting and ppl are just scared to sacrifice.
The foreign policy is a reflection of the entire country's attitude towards the rest of the world. Whether it's the Democrats or the Republicans leading the government the US desperately is in dire need to shift it's strategy from force and blackmails to dialogue and respect. Not only will the "bomb and eradicate" practice increase the culture of violence within the country, it will also be a highly ineffective tool to use to influence people in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq. The US has had enough violence written all over it and it doesn't help to further support that line of thinking any more. It needs to reverse the violence clock by adopting several measures both within as well as outside the country. Hegemony may never end in this world and it doesn't have to either. But the results of this culture and the effect that it has can be controlled for the better. Exploring and inventing new things and ways have always been the most progressive advantage of the US and surely there have been enough research done on the subject of future foreign policy of the country. It takes a lot of responsibility to carry the medallion of the most powerful nation on earth. It is high time that the education system in the country started focusing more on foreign lands. Getting to know where everyone else is coming from is the first step towards understanding their perspective. This lack of knowledge about countries that exist beyond Europe has lead to a lot of misunderstanding and a poor participation of the public in the crucial subject of foreign policy. The pathetic view of the general public about the rest of the world directly contributes to the mismanagement by the leaders. America will forever be known as the big armed bully rather than a liberator that it truly wants to be. The good that it does will always be shadowed by the mishaps. Smartness comes in all different colors and shapes. History has showed mighty civilizations crumble and disappear. There is a need to make more friends than enemies and it certainly cannot be done by threats alone. Peace is a protracted process and it starts from mutual understanding even in the harshest of circumstances. Peace cannot exist without justice and this is the leading cause of conflict because there are different lenses that we all look through and our descriptions vary. Recognizing this difference is the first step toward truly understanding one another. A common ground will always be presenting itself in various different disguises.egobin @ livejournal
Hello!! Fashion,low price,the good shopping places,
free shipping and quantity discount,
Air/ jordan /shoes(1-24) $40,
Air/ max /shoes $41,
Air/Force/one $40,
Jeans $39,
T-Shirt $20,
sunglasses $16,
(NFL MLB NBA NHL) jerseys $25,
Accept credit card and cash payments
====== www.gocntrade.com ======
I'm very disappointed in CNN. I was so looking forward to an unbiased moderator in this debate. We expect commentators from Fox News to be right-wing, MSNBC to left-wing. As Americans we can make up our own minds about who we vote for without the moderator taking sides during a debate. We all have our opinions and preferences. However, Ms. Crowley should have been professional enough to check hers at the door…
I hope CNN learns from this and provides unbiased professional moderators in the future. We Americans are counting on CNN the be reasonable, open-minded, thinking persons news network.
Just looking at both of them last night, I got the impression that Gov.Romney is of another bygone generation, and his thinking and theatrics belong to that era too. Some years ago Tom Friedman let us all in on the idea that the world is flat, information and communication technologies at the speed of light, iPhone included make it so. Obama seems comfortable to embrace this concept much more readily than Mitt. I think the philosophical concept is called Cosmopolitanism. We want plurality to flourish in the world and 21st century wants America to value and protect (and perhaps enhance)all cultures and customs across the globe. 21st century American values want diversity, and not force cultures, especially the great civilizations in the old world, to follow American culture, rules and values. This view seems to fall flat on its face with the way Mitt and Paul and the GOP have been handling talk of global issues, especially American foreign policy. But, as a nation, American history shows that we promote diversity all over the world, and so Obama seems to be a natural as commander-in-chief. It appears to me that the torch has been passed to a new generation of worldly-wise leaders, who are comfortable in DC or in Jakarta, Hawaii or Africa. POTUS hails from that new generation. The GOP of the older generation has no choice but to change guard, prepare and field younger worldly savvy and sensitive candidates who look to the future with a shared global agenda, be it trade or climate change. POTUS did not apologize to nations on his inaugural trip. On the contrary, I think he drove home the same cosmopolitan agenda. And good to remember that he won the Nobel for it ! In case we forgot, Mitt was sitting across a Nobel Laureate last evening. Rest assured that our POTUS is a Nobel winner and a constitutional lawyer, of Harvard Law Review fame(or notoriety, as you wish), so please, please cut him some slack when events transpire that appear to go south under his watch. One other thing: Mitt seems to sway with opinions and flip flops on almost all issues, not just this once but throughout the three debates, in fact throughout the campaign(great strategy for dodging debate issues) but how would he deal with crisis after crisis that is bound to ratchet up a few notches at the White House if we have a switch of guard in these most testing, horrible, tumultuous times ?....with a badly splintered GOP to back him up ? ...that Mitt seems to have turned 180 on lately? Lot of questions about Mitt, including taxes, but maybe his work and missionary zeal in this election season is to bring GOP back to the middle, eject all those extremists, and by 2016 they will be able to field a younger, moderate candidate from the new generation of leaders, perhaps ? Maybe Paul Ryan would have gotten over Ayn Rand's puerile thoughts and become more accurate in budget forecasting by then ? Oh, and that defense budget, I think POTUS will find a fix, once election is over, but then again he is right, the battle has moved on from ground to sea to air and is now being waged in space...satellites and drones and cyberwar….in progress, folks ! Ships simply won't cut it anymore ! And just a word about the economy..Mitt and Paul don't have clue that we are now fully plunged into a world economy with new structures emerging and that we must use all our prowess to get out of the doldrums and seize the day. Everyone including Europe and China know that US has to lead the world, and the way to do that is through stimulus. The austerity myth is done for, even the smart Queen of England shunned Cameron's myth and put up an exquisite Jubilee ! Time to act, and as Krugman and Stiglitz have attested time and again, this is not the time for austerity and political games but for substantial injection of government capital. I suspect all this will transpire once we are over this November 6th hump...not too long to wait, I suppose ?!