America: A Meritocracy? (End of Year Re-Run)

Since we are spending a lot of time arguing about whether and how the "rich" should be taxed, and whether people who aren't born rich are takers, I thought it time to revisit Mandi's piece from September 25th, about whether we are a Meritocracy...


The New York Times recently asked, "Should people who have had no financial help from their families get more credit for their accomplishments than people who did?"

America: A Meritocracy?

The New York Times recently asked, "Should people who have had no financial help from their families get more credit for their accomplishments than people who did?" 

3 Reasons Why Mitt Romney Deserves to Lose

He's Got to Go.

I'm fed up.

How Mitt Can Get His Groove Back

As Emily noted yesterday, Mitt Romney's campaign appears to be foundering, much earlier in the election cycle than normal. The polls generally agree that Mitt is following further behind. In purely anecdotal ways I can also tell that many people feel that defeat for the Republicans is nigh. My conservative friends and family have stopped posting about the presidential race on Facebook. In some cases they have given up talking about the election until after it is already over. In contrast, most of my more liberal friends have been in full political frenzy, sharing posts, photos, and writing screeds for Obama. Even some of my less politically engaged liberal friends have been doing this. So the outlook seems gloomy for Mitt. But I think it is very premature for Obama supporters to start celebrating a victory party quite yet. Mitt still isn't that far behind in some polls. And given the nature of politics in the United States, he still has plenty of time for a comeback. Follow me below the fold to see how Mitt can still win this thing...

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

I understand why it is flustering and annoying that Harry Reid is not giving up on these "Romney didn't pay taxes for 10 years" claims.  For one thing, Democrats always fold when pressed that they are doing something wrong.  For another, it's so Republican.  It's a 10-year-old kid tactic, and an aggressively strategic one:

Romney: You can't have my tax forms and so there.

A Romney Says What?: Taxes Edition

Come on, Emily, shut UP about Romney and money already.  We're bored.  We'd so much rather be reading about the crazy Jackson family or Suri's custody status or Robsten imploding.  I know, I know.  I myself have been slightly fascinated by the bizzaro behavior of the Jackson clan (and feeling very sorry for the kids involved)...  But indulge me, because I actually think Romney is calling you and me stupid.

You Didn't Build That!

My two favorites of the memes...

So, the right-wing has gone into a frenzy over remarks by Obama that seemed to me at least, perfectly unremarkable.  He said, to wit:

A Romney Says What?: Bain Edition

   

I've been fighting with myself about whether to write about Bain Capital and Mitt Romney.

The Singing Politicians (updated)

The rare two-post day.

I just had to put these up - back-to-back - because I was taken by the differences in these ads, and I want you to be able to evaluate them:

Et Tu, Booker?

So what do you make of Newark, New Jersey mayor /Obama spokesman Corey Booker calling ads which criticize Romney’s dealings with Bain “nauseating” and equating those ads with ads which were set to criticize former Obama pastor Jeremiah Wright? 

Romney: A Personality Study

Hey, both Mandi and I are sort of not in the mood to expound.  So we thought about discussing whether it matters at all that Elizabeth Warren (Democrat, consumer protection advocate, running for Senate in Massachusetts) says she's part Native American/Indian (some tribes like one term, some the other, I don't know which the Cherokee are) because she is 1/32 Cherokee - which is exactly the same amount of Cherokee as the principal chief of the Cherokee (so maybe you can tell I at least think the whole kerfuffle is silly).  But Mandi is tired of talking about that (and I can't blame her).

So instead we turn to the new story about Mitt Romney's personality, featured this morning in the Washington Post.

We've heard a lot about Romney's personality.  As far as I can tell the main things the press has deduced about Romney are that:

- He's Rich.