No-bama 2012

I am on a road trip through the western states, starting in southern Ca. We went through Oregon,  Washington and plan to go through Montana, Idaho, Utah and finally Arizona...

I am currently in northern wa and so far what struck me most on the trip was the political bumper stickers I saw while on the road or more so the lack of them...

No republican candidate stickers of the front runners anywhere...

The only thing I saw many of on the road contained either one of three statements.

Those being

Anti-Obama (saw a bunch of No-bama 2012) 

Pro-Obama (mostly in ca)

And last surprising to me as the medias been telling me he has no chance

Pro-Ron Paul, not just bumper stickers but actual signs on lawns and in businesses.

But I am coming to the point of the thread and it's not a pro-Ron Paul thread, I want to focus on this "no-bama" idea.

We have seen this tactic in an election before, the "anyone but him" the democrats did this same thing to bush, and surprisingly even with the same "type " of candidate...

Let's go back to 2004, when the democrats put up a stiff, wooden personality, rich, French speaking candidate. 

John kerry, appears on a superficial level to have many of the same attributes in common as Mitt Romney.

The same attributes that lead to his defeat in 2004, at a time when many people couldn't stand Bush, and he lost...

Fast forward to now, and what do we find? A very similar candidate, put up with very obvious "relatabillity" issues, the same shared by Kerry in fact, with much the same tactic of "anyone but him".  By the party that is supposed to be trying to win the election...

Really? These parties spend millions in research on how to win... And what they came up with was lets do the same thing that the Democrats did against bush?

The only question that I had was why would the republicans do this? Why would some one who supposedly want to win the white house use flawed tactics?

the only thing I could possibly come up with is they are throwing the fight using tactics they already know wont win. 

Tptb want Obama, and they will get Obama, nothing that is going on will change that, that's my prediction based on what I have seen.

It all seemed so clear to me that the republican leadership simply doesnt care if they win, their actions have been a complete circus this year... Or Maybe I'm just tired from driving for hours on end, this was just something that struck me as I drove watching the road with only my thoughts.

There's a saying we all know, fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me...

I've also never seen any Santorum/Romney/Gingrich related posters/stickers, not even once. I see a lot of Obama and Ron Paul stickers, I'm in southern california.

I too am from so ca, I always see either Obama or anti Obama, never republican front runners, I always assumed it was a dem cal thing... I'll keep an eye out as I travel but this trend has stuck trough the three west cost states...

They want to keep everything on track it seems. I have noticed that the Republican Party as a whole seems so divided that they are having a hard time just deciding who they don't want. The Tea Party is fading quickly, although that schism may last for years, and all the little folk want Ron Paul??

So far in this election cycle I have seen.......nothing! No wisdom, No New Ideas, No Plan at all and to be honest this bothers me more than a Zeta-Reticulan Lizard Invasion with a 1 and 1/2 twist!!

Where is the Leadership? Where is the Face and Voice of our nation?

Originally posted by bl4ke360
I've also never seen any Santorum/Romney/Gingrich related posters/stickers, not even once. I see a lot of Obama and Ron Paul stickers, I'm in southern california.

Same here. Ron Paul stuff all over the place. A few Obama stickers here and there - VERY few compared to '08, usually on the back of a Subaru or Prius. I have yet to see any Romney stickers or anything.

What does that tell you?

Fraud. Fraud. Fraud. Fraud.

We have no choice. It's not even an illusion any more.

Originally posted by redbarron626
So far in this election cycle I have seen.......nothing! No wisdom, No New Ideas,

You mean except for Ron Paul.

Why do you think there are so many Ron Paul bumper stickers and signs all over?

Why do you think he draws the largest crowds in primary states?

He is the most popular candidate, me and many others believe this to be true, yet he doesn't get the votes. They are being stolen and given to Romney, plain and simple. No, I don't have "evidence" other than the fact that there is a huge stinking smell coming form this GOP primary process. HUGE smell. Something aint right and a lot of people know it.

Here in Texas I see either the "NoBama stickers or Ron Paul stickers. I've only seen Ron Paul yard signs. I have yet to see any stickers or signs for any other candidate. Kinda makes ya wonder: if Romney and Santorum are the so-called front runners by the media, where are their advertisements?

I'm not so sure now about Obama being a shoe-in. While I've never really ascribed to the shadowy "Powers that Be", I think if they exist, they might pick Romney. Not like there's a difference between he and Obama anyway. Neither one could give two craps about liberty.

/TOA

Dr. Paul will not get the nomination unfortunately. He has alienated most of his contemporaries and the "machine" is against him. They will do whatever is necessary to prevent a change in the balance.

In Missouri all I see and hear is Ron for president, but after what happened here in St. Charles last month, I KNOW the fix is in. You don't have to prove to me that there is a true conspiracy here and the fact that so many people(with bumper stickers) support this guy I am leaning towards a BIG FIX wherein Obama gets to stay in office and the GOP gets ????

We will have to wait for the election to be over before we see the "payment" made.

reply to post by The Old American


See I would agree Romney looks like who they want to "win" but that's my point, the dems wanted Kerry to "win" as well, and to a president that was hated.

My premise is they simply don't care, it's a token fight, hell if Romney does win they will be happy, but their actions show their hand, it doesn't matter who wins to them as the status quo will remain, Nobel peace winner Obama proved it to me.

I was registered democrat in 04, and even than I was fed up with it, socially I lean dem on some issues, when Obama got the nomination that was it, I went republican, and now I see none of it matters.

Dem, repub, independent, liberal, green party, it doesn't matter the agenda marches on, I don't know what that is, or make any claim to know whos agenda that is, the actions of the past 12 years has shown me one thing...

My voice, my vote, that of a middle class citizen doesn't matter.

Well once Romney gets the Republican nomination, you'll start seeing Romney stickers on cars - possibly
"Romney Gingrich 2012" - they had some kind of secret meeting last week.

As unpopular as Obama at the moment, no one is actually FOR any of these other candidates, except Paul. With no clear favorite and a divided GOP party, Obama will easily win his re-election.



Drawing parallels to Kerry is very insightful though OP, I hadn't even considered the similarities until now...

reply to post by Hawking


I can't take all the credit for that, my brother who is on the trip started counting the stickers and mentioned it reminded him of the bumper stickers of no bush...

I'd go a step further and say gore was very similar as well.. But different enough he almost got it, had to refine the lame duck candidate a bit, make him richer and add a hint of "foreign" sensibility ...

And as if to emphasize my point , as I am trying to wind down on a day of driving I turn on the daily show and there is a bit of all the Romney endorsements, and every one of them is fairly unenthusiastic, not the action of a team that is playing to win.

So are the republicans so fractures they can't get it together enough to not come off as a bunch of idiots?

Originally posted by benrl
And as if to emphasize my point , as I am trying to wind down on a day of driving I turn on the daily show and there is a bit of all the Romney endorsements, and every one of them is fairly unenthusiastic, not the action of a team that is playing to win.

So are the republicans so fractures they can't get it together enough to not come off as a bunch of idiots?

I voted Obama in 2008 and was fully prepared to vote Republican in this election (I'll never subscribe to either party)

Until they marched out their candidates. Like a lot of other people I ended up thinking "...is this it?"

There was no clear leader, no charisma. There was no Chris Christie who may have actually united the party. And then they did everything they could to shut down Ron Paul.

Now we're looking at an almost certain Romney win, followed by an almost certain Obama win

reply to post by Hawking


I'm tired of voting for one of two choices served on a platter.

I'm tired of the popular vote meaning nothing.

I'm tired of being told my safety requires the loss of my liberty.

I'm tired of my taxes being used to invade countries, while education is cut and our economy crumbles.

And I'm tired of all of them pretending I as a common citizen am too stupid to see through their blatant manipulations.


I'd bet good money that no matter who wins (I think Obama will) that what started in 2000 with the patriot act (never mind what brought it on) will march on as planned.

reply to post by benrl


You're wasting your time. If there was another party to vote for you might have a chance but few people are falling for the conservative line of crap anymore. They don't get to pick what Bible verses they can pick and choose for us to follow anymore. People are with them when it comes to guns and the presumption of Constitutional protections (even though they are working night and day to remove these too) but as far as the rest they are way off the mark. Starting with the Patriot Act and strip searches at airports and now the Conservative Supreme Court has given the go ahead to perform them on anyone for even the most minor offenses? To protect a prison population? Against unions, against marriage freedom, against birth control, against the environment, in favor of fracking, supporting mandatory ultrasound? Supporting that single parents cannot adopt children? Corporate and fetal personhood? Supporting tax breaks for the rich while taking assistance from the disabled, homeless veterans, the handicapped, people with children and the poorest Americans. This and so many more recent outrages have proved them not only unfit but a little insane.

Conservatives already prove themselves against women and workers. They are against science and education and think art, music and athletics are for elitists. People are catching on that Conservative support is what has helped make the only segment of our economy that has grown, is the richest 1%.



The rich elitists and corporatist protected and propped up by Conservative wrangling and lobbyist efforts to have favorable legislation and tax breaks rammed through. The uber rich in this country have amassed record wealth in the last 20 years while the average American gets poorer and angrier. This is not a government for the people since most of "the people" are middle class to poor all governance should address and attempt to appease both those groups -the middle class and the poor - not the 1%. This is a party that spreads deceitful lies and waves the Bible around like they read it when they only read what they want. This is the party that tries to give compassion and empathy a bad name. They manipulate already injured and terrorized people and use hatred, bigotry, poverty, ignorance and fear tactics to get votes.

reply to post by newcovenant


And that is the point of this trip, I am already done with the whole system, I'm traveling the western states to find a nice chunk of land to build on with enough resources to live off of...

I just cant buy into anymore, lived my whole life and California as a dem, and now I see that most of it is a waste of time.

People would rather buy into the racisit diversion tactics, things like pinning the shooting in Florida on race)when it wAs a Hispanic not white) I am Hispanic and never in my life have wittinessed republicans stand up for a "Hispanic" in the manner they have for Zimmerman.

every day growing up I have seen hispanic and black violence against eachother and no one said crap. again they have just tipped their hands far to much, it's as if they know they won already and no longer care how lame and weak their distractions are or if we fall for them...

Comming from Ca and traveling has shown me that being from just one state (although i am sure its worse in ca) and not traveling this country till I was an adult is that you really can have no idea what's going on out in the rest of America...

So far ive seen people be a thousand time more friendly to me as a stranger in their states (Oregon is like something outta stepford wives how nice everyone is) than anyone has ever treated me in Ca... I had to stop myself from being suspicious as my first thought was what's there "game" what are they trying to sell me.

What we see on the media about America is not what is actually going on out there, honestly I've been fed the propaganda my whole life, and when you travel you see it's not true...we need to stand unitied as Americans against tyranny, rather than letting them pull us by the nose to our downfall.

Originally posted by benrl
Anti-Obama (saw a bunch of No-bama 2012) 

Pro-Obama (mostly in ca)

And last surprising to me as the medias been telling me he has no chance

Pro-Ron Paul, not just bumper stickers but actual signs on lawns and in businesses.

Unsuprising and it sums it up in..well...a bumper sticker

Yes, most of those that support or have endorsed Romney find his most appealling quality the fact that he is not Obama.

And Paul supporters...limited in numbers, but passionate.

Originally posted by benrl

We have seen this tactic in an election before, the "anyone but him" the democrats did this same thing to bush, and surprisingly even with the same "type " of candidate...

Let's go back to 2004, when the democrats put up a stiff, wooden personality, rich, French speaking candidate. 

Let's not go back....Kerry was a very poor choice and you are dead on, his only grace was that he wasn't GW.

Originally posted by benrl

The only question that I had was why would the republicans do this? Why would some one who supposedly want to win the white house use flawed tactics?

Cuz when the campaign season started, none of the better GOP potentials wanted to go up against an incumbant, which is always slightly more difficult than an open election, and...remember...when the campaign season started no one was sure the economy would recover...who would want to own that mess. Now, given the economy has started to recover, but it would be too late to enter the field...AND all they (the GOP A team) has to do is wait four years for an election without an incumbant and an economy on more stable ground. Plus by then the TP - Establishment rift will have settled and candidates won't get hammered by thier own base as much as they have in this primary.

Originally posted by benrlTptb want Obama, and they will get Obama, nothing that is going on will change that, that's my prediction based on what I have seen.

Over thinking it.

Originally posted by benrl
It all seemed so clear to me that the republican leadership simply doesnt care if they win, their actions have been a complete circus this year...

Bad timing...and those that the GOP base want to run, don't want to run given the climate. They are waiting for better weather in 2016. No PTB conspiracy IMO

reply to post by Indigo5


So it's just chance that bush "caught" sadam before his reelection and that Obama got Osama before his? And they are running against a lame duck candidate ? When the presidents popularity is far to low?

I mean I know the human brain is biased to see connections even when they don't exist and all but seriously?

Originally posted by benrl
reply to post by Indigo5

 

So it's just chance that bush "caught" sadam before his reelection and that Obama got Osama before his? And they are running against a lame duck candidate ? When the presidents popularity is far to low?

I mean I know the human brain is biased to see connections even when they don't exist and all but seriously?

edit on 3-4-2012 by benrl because: (no reason given)

Yes...seriously...and strangely enough I had relatives in the military that were involved in both captures, mostly in a hunt and operational support capacity...not the physical capture. Those captures were not timed.

I hope everyone does not mind, but I want to say a few things to the points raised, but first I need to share something to give insight into why I am saying it.

As you all know, there are immigrants in your country. The ones who came from the middle eastern (generally speaking) nations, came for three reasons, depending upon which group they belong.

The first group is here because you bombed their home and place of employment, and they needed somewhere to go to start over.

The second group is here for university, which, although fast going downhill, is currently still a good country for higher education.

The third however, came because of your constitution, because of freedom of religion, freedom to go from state to state without having to go through check points with people deciding whether or not your papers are in order..and often whether or not you get through regardless of having your papers in order is dependent upon a bribe, the wide variety of food in your stores is phenomenal, but greater is freedom of speech and of the press, freedom of assembly...

You all have not lived without these things, but immigrants in your country do know exactly how precious that constitution is... it is that constitution that makes people want to stay.

From my perspective, the only candidate you have running who wants to keep your freedoms, and who will not plunge this country into the depths of hell, is Ron Paul. Everyone else on the ballots is hungry for wealth and power, and they are more than just willing to take it at your expense.

Ron Paul might be the only chance you all have, imho, you all should not care what they try to do to stop you from voting for him, if they take his name off the ballot then write it in, overcome all the obstacles they will throw at you, but he appears your only chance to keep these freedoms.

It is my opinion, you can take it or leave it, but it is what I see...