February 4, 2015

"Joe Biden is a decent guy, but man, that guy can just talk and talk... It's an incredible thing to see."

Obama once said to David Axelrod (according to David Axelrod).

Also... Obama was irked by Mitt Romney's 2012 concession phone call:
The president hung up and said Romney admitted he was surprised at his own loss, Axelrod wrote.

"'You really did a great job of getting the vote out in places like Cleveland and Milwaukee,' in other words, black people,'" Obama said, paraphrasing Romney. "That's what he thinks this was all about."

81 comments:

The Cracker Emcee Refulgent said...

Romney is slow but not stupid. Biden is both.

bleh said...

Well ... aren't elections always about turnout in some way? Blacks vote overwhelmingly for Democrats, and ESPECIALLY for Obama.

If Romney had done a better job getting suburban whites to vote, he would have won the election.

Right?

mccullough said...

Getting out the low information voters propelled Obama's victory. Obama conceded as much after the 2014 elections when he mentioned all the people who didn't vote.

The silent majority are too lazy to vote in off year elections. And many of them are too lazy to take care of themselves.

Why does this bother Obama. This is his base.

dbp said...

""'You really did a great job of getting the vote out in places like Cleveland and Milwaukee,' in other words, black people,'" Obama said, paraphrasing Romney. "That's what he thinks this was all about.""

That is what it was about. And suppressing GOP turnout via IRS harassment. I would not at all be surprised if there was some govt. involvement in the Republican GOTV software crash either.

Curious George said...

He was half right. Huge black turn-out, and a lot of conservatives staying home.

Michael K said...

Obama has to be in a contest for the most unpresidential person with Al Gore who retracted his concession in 2000. It is all about race with Obama and no wonder.

Revenant said...

Aren't Milwaukee and Cleveland mostly white?

mccullough said...

Two thirds of the military doesn't vote for Democrats.

Does this irk Obama?

Most gun owners don't vote for Democrats.

Does this irk Obama?

He's got the rich and the poor. The middle class has the guns, the military training, and people who work for a living and vote in off year elections.

Why is this irksome?

TreeJoe said...

You ever get the feeling that regardless of who wins the next presidential election, not much will change for Obama?

He'll still give speeches, campaign to promote himself and his friends, take enormously expensive vacations, give opinions on what others should do but not lead....

Romney, and alot of the press, was impressed by the margin by which Obama won the electoral college vote. Why is that racial? The polls showed Romney losing, but not by as much as he did.

mccullough said...

Cleveland is majority black. Milwaukee is 40 % black, 37% white, 17% Latino, and the rest is Asian and other.

bleh said...

"Aren't Milwaukee and Cleveland mostly white?"

Probably. But both cities has large black populations and are the largest cities in important swing states.

MayBee said...

I thought getting the black vote was a Democrat point of pride.

Big Mike said...

@Althouse, I hope 2008 taught you to vote for grown-ups in the future.

MayBee said...

I wonder if Axelrod writes about the millions he made doing things like Valerie Jarrett and Michelle Obama's patient dumping scheme.

William said...

The black vote had nothing to do with Obama's election. It was the anti-Mormon bigots who put him over the top.

Paul said...

If talk is cheap... Biden is the cheapest.

He is just plain stupid, rich but stupid.

Brent said...

Curious George, you are a smart commenter here who I respect, but the trope about conservatives staying home has been disproven. More conservatives voted for Romney than McCain and almost more than W's reelection, which he won with more votes than 2000. It just didn't happen.

We conservatives have to convince the middle, often mushy middle - - that our way will be better. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it doesn't. Obama still got a lot of conservatives to vote for him as well, including a sizable amount who voted for McCain.

The facts are, Conservatives will vote, but sadly too often vote wrong, as in the last Pres election There is no conservative majority in America, , as much as I wish there were, and no Democrat majority but there IS a conservative leaning middle. We need to make our case there. That's how Reagan did it, that's how Bush won reelection, that's how it always happens. The disagreement among conservatives is what issues and how to push/present them. Again, Reagan, W, et al.

Michael Medved (may he live and be healed of throat cancer)has done the best work on this, using actual facts about the electorate as oppose to the wasted panderings of most conservative talk show hosts. We want a conservative in the White House. Let's do it smart and not waste our opportunities on the stupid ranmblings of talks show pundits who don't have a true investment on the future of America because they will do well financially and vocationally no matter who is in office; they have no real sjkin in the gane. I want to win. I want a better life for my children and grandchildren, I want a better America than the disaster Obama has created in this country. I want a conservative in the White house, someone strong on defense and economic policy and the Supreme Court. And Ii don't want to waste any precious resources on mouthpieces who yell but ultimately don't give a darn the real America the rest of us live in.

Brent said...

"about" the real America the rest of us live in.

ManleyPointer said...

Rev, neither strikes me as a "Chocolate" city. Although Cleveland technically counts. They have a bare majority of black citizens:

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/39/3916000.html

And Milwaukee has a plurality of white citizens:

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/55/5553000.html

BTW, it's a weird complaint considering how partisan Dems spiked the ball on Romney's ineptitude with the black vote. At least Romney is self-aware enough to admit it. Obama won the freaking presidency & he's the one pouting?

Anonymous said...

Huge black turn-out, and a lot of conservatives staying home

The group you disagree with gets labeled via their skin color while the side you agree with is instead labeled with their political belief system.

Nothing I am sure you intended to do, but it is funny seeing how your subconcious mind works sometimes.

cubanbob said...

To be fair to the president, who really knows what was said. Consider the source. Axelrod has is known for his truthiness.

One thing is without contention: Biden besides being slow and stupid also has an incurable case of oral diarrhea.

Brando said...

Obama sounds like a complete jerk here. True, Romney's concession should not have focused on why he thought he lost (sounds like excuse making or downplaying Obama's victory) but accept a concession speech for what it is. And this really demonstrates that Obama has race on the brain--way to be president of "one America", you divider in chief you.

Wince said...

Wasn't that the context of the electoral information coming in to Romney at that moment about whether or when to make that concession call in the first place?

Reveals a lot more about Obama's racial prejudices than Romney's.

Wince said...

Did Axelrod cover how he helped Obama get to the senate by prying opening the closed divorce and child custody case files for Obama's Democrat and Republican opponents?

Hagar said...

Obama is sensitive about it because for him it is really about his view of the world and how the world should be corrected, which does not have that much, if anything, to do with "Black" issues.

Note that Jimmy Carter still thinks he had a quite successful presidency.

Lewis Wetzel said...

The weird thing about Obama having race on the brain is that it had to have been learned as an adult. He was raised by white grandparents in Hawaii and Indonesia.

Titus said...

"Probably. But both cities has large black populations and are the largest cities in important swing states."

Not anymore in Ohio. Cleveland's population while Columbus has increased. Columbus is now the largest city in Ohio.

tits.

Curious George said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Curious George said...

"madisonfella said...
Huge black turn-out, and a lot of conservatives staying home

The group you disagree with gets labeled via their skin color while the side you agree with is instead labeled with their political belief system.

Nothing I am sure you intended to do, but it is funny seeing how your subconcious mind works sometimes."


Sorry to disappoint you shortbus, but I was actually specifically speaking of two distinct demographics. African American (AKA as "black") turnout was exceedingly high nationally. And conservatives turnout was low. This turned the election for Obama. It's called "fact", has nothing to do with my subconscious, or my labels.

See dumbass, I can't say anything other than black, because that's the one unique characteristic that African Americans share. Being Black. So black democratic turnout was high. Not female. Not male. Not progressive. Not moderate. Just black.

Are you keeping up dumbass?

I can't label conservatives by skin color, because not all conservatives are white, black, etc and most certainly not all, or even a majority of whites, blacks, etc. are conservatives. All conservatives GOPers are conservative though.

Here's a label though. You are a stupid motherfucker.

RAH said...

Maybe Romney was implying he did a good job of fraudulently suppressing votes and getting false votes counted

Fernandinande said...

Bro!

The Nevada Highway Patrol said 73-year-old Larry Reid was arrested for DUI around 12:40 p.m. on Monday.
"He was also charged with battery of a police officer, driving across a median, failing to obey an officer, not wearing a seat belt and possession of a gun while under the influence of alcohol."

Prediction: all but something trivial (seat belt) dismissed.

Hagar said...

And it is a continual sore point that Black people do vote for him because he is "Black," even when they profoundly disagree with his ideas.

HoodlumDoodlum said...

Shocking, just shocking to hear evidence that our current President views such things primarily through the lens of race and automatically assumes bias (or bad intent) in others. Who would have guessed?
Golly I'm glad we can still rely on the people who hold positions like Attorney General of the US to be free from such dangerous prejudice (and of course from any overly partisan use of that office, appearance of bias, etc).

Revenant said...

He was also charged with battery of a police officer, driving across a median, failing to obey an officer, not wearing a seat belt and possession of a gun while under the influence of alcohol.

Sounds like a typical weekend in Vegas.

Tom said...

Born to be insulted. Grow up and be gracious.

furious_a said...

"Joe Biden is a decent guy, but man, that guy can just talk and talk... It's an incredible thing to see."

Not for nothing was he known as "The Dumb Blonde of the Senate".

furious_a said...

...but it is funny seeing how your subconcious mind works sometimes.

No wonder Romney lost, the liberals with their awesome powers of virtual telepathy.

Smilin' Jack said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Lewis Wetzel said...

In 2008, Biden's Delaware had about a population of less than a million people. Senator Biden represented about as many voters as 2 congressman.
Delaware is the second smallest state, it's about 30x90 miles, much of it water. This is about the same size as many medium sized metro areas in the US.
Senator Biden's major political donors were trial lawyers, aka "mesothelioma millionaires".
Compare this info with how much you learned from the media about Palin.

Smilin' Jack said...

"'You really did a great job of getting the vote out in places like Cleveland and Milwaukee,' in other words, black people,'" Obama said, paraphrasing Romney. "That's what he thinks this was all about."

If black people didn't vote, McCain would now be finishing his second term.

rhhardin said...

Romney had forgotten the styrofoam columns. Obama is not to be trifled with.

Michael K said...

" It was the anti-Mormon bigots who put him over the top."

Doubt it. This was a myth widely shared (quietly) by his opponents. There are fundamentalist Christians who might vote that way and they are the ones responsible for the tie in 2000 after the Bush DUI came out but I would hope they had learned their lesson.

Michael K said...

"Senator Biden's major political donors were trial lawyers, aka "mesothelioma millionaires".

Don't forget the anti vaccine lawyers.

Krumhorn said...

Obama is a peevish and malevolent little fella. He makes Nixon look....well... normal. Even decent.

- Krumhorn

I'm Full of Soup said...

Obama has never earned respect from conservatives when he thought he deserved universal adulation just for being president. Obama's being a petulant asshole has not helped matters.

CStanley said...

I voted for Romney and would do so again, but honestly I find it disappointing if he really did say that during the concession call. Putting the focus on the winner's ground game is slightly tacky as it is, and then citing two cities with majority black demographics would make that even worse. He had to know that Obama would want to win without just relying on race (or at least would want to be perceived that way.) there's really no way to interpret the statement as cited, other than a backhand compliment meant to diminish the win.

Of course I am. to at all certain Romney really said this- it is a quote of a quote and it's made by someone I don't trust who has a vested interest in making an unflattering picture of Romney. But if I knew it had gone down as quoted, it would make me think less of Romney.

Larry J said...

There were 49 precincts in Philadelphia where Romney didn't receive a single vote. That seems statistically improbable. When thousands of people vote, there is a small percentage of people who accidentally vote for the wrong person, as was claimed in Florida in 2000.

wendybar said...

Man, Obama is the most thin skinned person alive. He can only handle the cheers and adulation from his own base.

Biff said...

Obama is going to be the most annoying ex-President in history, by far. If Jimmy Carter lives long enough, even he'll get tired of Obama's BS.

Obama will be even worse after some future Democrat President nominates him for the Supreme Court.

FullMoon said...

Romneys' words can be read bitterly, or congratulatory. Without hearing the inflection and nuance :
See, whatever happens can be said to have happened for the reason you've already reasoned is the reason for whatever happens to have happened.

traditionalguy said...

IMO Joe the VP is an emotionally and intellectually smart guy, but he lacks a filter and seems proud of it.

Snotty Obama is the best at everything, as he will tell you verbally and non-verbally.

CWJ said...

madisonfella wrote -

"The group you disagree with gets labeled via their skin color while the side you agree with is instead labeled with their political belief system."

You may as well have wrote. The group you disagree with votes their skin color while the side you agree with votes their political belief system.

Labels work only if they are effective differentiators. As long as blacks vote something like 90% dem, skin color is a valid label. In fact it may be the single most powerful differentiator out there. If that's racist as you imply, the reason lies elsewhere than the commentor's psyche.

Real American said...

to be fair, Romney didn't know at that time that Obama was using the IRS to harass conservatives and suppress their vote.

Michael K said...

"There were 49 precincts in Philadelphia where Romney didn't receive a single vote. "

I've read of precincts that had more Obama votes than registered voters.

Anonymous said...

Serious question: Have Curious George ever disagreed with someone without resorting to childish taunts, threats of violence, and/or vile name-calling?

What is really amazing is that he is constantly behaving as such, yet will complain when those with opposing viewpoints don't show up and post in a thread.

Paul said...

Reagan got a whole bunch of people in his cabinet and advisors that were smarter than himself. Didn't worry him in the least.

Bush, W that is, did the same thing. He was confident enough to get top people.

Obama, on the other hand, is afraid of strong smart people who might disagree with him.

Hence Holder, Biden, Kerry, Hillary, etc... pitiful.

Larry J said...

Biden is the best assassination/impeachment insurance Obama could've possibly bought. If the words "President Joe Biden" don't fill you with mortal terror, you have not been paying attention.

FullMoon said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
damikesc said...

Didn't Obama's team take great pride in their expensive GOTV system? Why bitch when somebody noticed it worked?

robother said...

"...man, that guy [Biden] can just talk and talk...."
High praise indeed from President Drone (on and on).

Goody said...

I think Obama's conclusion that the statement"You really did a great job of getting the vote out in places like Cleveland and Milwaukee," translated to "black people" demonstrates that race is what HE "thinks this was all about."

tim in vermont said...

Obama knew exactly what his election was about and he lied then, as comes naturally to him. Now that he doesn't have to face the electorate again, he is making it totally clear.

sinz52 said...

According to the 2012 exit polls:

The white vote went to Romney, mostly by wide margins. Romney got 59% of the white vote, which is 3 points better than Reagan got in 1980.

But Hispanics and Asians moved toward Obama.

amielalune said...

It WAS what it was all about. Both times, but especially the second.

Big Mike said...

Short version of this thread: Obama is a schmuck.

pm317 said...

"That's what he thinks this was all about."

Why shouldn't he? when Blacks voted for Obama 95% and more and Cook county and others like it voted 200%.

ussmidway said...

Madisonfella & Curious George:

I hope you 2 can bury the hatchet and focus your disagreements on the content of policies or the validity of opposing viewpoints. When you descend into psychoanalysis (mf) or ad hominem attacks (cg), the thread goes off the rails and we are deprived of true insights. We also risk scaring away astute new commenters.

I am prone to the same reactive thought patterns, so I do understand, but you both have value here and we should continue to welcome/encourage broad debates on this rare blog.

Thanks to you both for all you have shared here over the past few years. Peace...

Hagar said...

And now this!

pm317 said...

@Hagar, these Obama minions are really scum of the earth. But it is good if that was what Obama and his minions thought of his own victory. You know, projection and all.

ddh said...

It's a wonder the President can walk straight, what with the weight of that chip on his shoulder.

Carl Pham said...

Tush. Obama isn't stupid. He knows damn well if he didn't have a black skin he'd have been heaved out of office in 2012 without question. He only won re-election because not enough people could bear to vote against the First Black President, even if he was a braying ass without a real clue how to get anything useful done. They stayed home instead. They weren't voting against Romney, they were sparing themselves the agony of voting against Obama.

I can even understand that. If I had voted for Obama in '08, and if I gave a damn about The First Black/Female/Hispanic Anything At All, I'd have talked myself into re-electing the man. The republic can bear four more years of a bozo President. In fact, it has. What's done can be undone, and will be, if it's sufficiently stupid. And now we can all say we elected and re-elected a black President, and that's that. I doubt another will be elected this century -- kind of the way David Dinkins so traumatized New York City it will probably be another 20 years before there's another black mayor. But so it goes.

Anyway, Obama's just angry because, once again, he's collected an affirmative action trophy. Well done, Skippy! Way to beat that other guy with the hand tied behind his back!

I'd be bitter, too, honestly.

RecChief said...

Oy, you're going to take the word of David Axelrod?

And, of course Obama heard that as a racist comment. He sees every criticism as racially motivated. Axelrod probably does too. This is just red meat for the Democrat Party base, so they remember, come November 2016, that the GOPers are the real racists.

RecChief said...

madisonfella said...
Huge black turn-out, and a lot of conservatives staying home

The group you disagree with gets labeled via their skin color while the side you agree with is instead labeled with their political belief system.

Nothing I am sure you intended to do, but it is funny seeing how your subconcious mind works sometimes.


say, What is the percentage of black voters who voted for Obama. Actually, what is the percentage of black voters who voted for the Democrat Party? See, in this case, one pretty much equals the other. And I've noticed that many pundits talked about Romney winning the "white suburban" vote. since you are making an insinuation, care to take that on?

RecChief said...

madisonfella said...
Serious question: Have Curious George ever disagreed with someone without resorting to childish taunts, threats of violence, and/or vile name-calling?


When you throw stupid crap out there, you can't retreat to "I'm the adult here, because I didn't (have the intestinal fortitude to) call the guy a racist in so many words"

You really are a dumb fuck

Zach said...

Here's a fun game. Try and think of a time when Obama said something spontaneously nice about someone. Anyone, any time. Not "Blah, blah, blah, I admire his passionate intensity" in a political speech , but something like "Ben is really charming," "Sarah has the gift of gab," or even "June was dressed really nicely that day."

Obama is an extremely, extremely negative person.

Brent said...

Zach:

Obama calls Kamala Harris ‘the best looking attorney general’

walter said...

"'You really did a great job of getting the vote out in places like Cleveland and Milwaukee,' in other words, black people,'" Obama said, paraphrasing Romney. "That's what he thinks this was all about."

Yeah..that's silly and racist.
Midwest city folks just wanted O to have more time to skyrocket their electricity costs.
And look! He's starting to deliver!

rcommal said...

What a somethin', given how much a talker Obama is--not to mention what a talker he is!

walter said...

"now we can all say we elected and re-elected a black President, and that's that."

Yep. Next a woman. Then a GLBTV.
We have boxes to tick.

Mazo Jeff said...

Just this morning, Governor Romney's Chief Aide who was in the room, said that Romney NEVER said anything of the sort. Axelrod apparently needs something to get anyone to buy his book.

Unknown said...

This is an attack on Romney for something he didn't even say. Obama is obviously sensitive about race issues for him to read race into what Romney said.