Lines in Shifting Sands

Surprising no one, winger demagogues and the wispy would-be POTUS react immediately to good news for the nation with lies and vitriol. Despite their craven fixation on unemployment rates, and in particular the 8% touchstone, they issue no apologies.

Those many millions of us who grew up with and into the concepts of honor and personal responsibility sigh or chuckle or swear. Those who have transcended those honorable precepts join choruses of denial or conspiracy theory or calumny.

There are many recaps of the GOP silliness, like Slate and MSNBC and the WAPO.

The desperation is understandable, if pathetic. Romney barely had time to revel in his bullying of the POTUS and moderator in his solid if totally incredibly mendacious debate showing. Now he weakly re-re-reframes economic issues.

The trutherism and dizzying spin on the potent symbol of 8% unemployment are stunning. For a year, Romney and for longer the GOP has made 8% unemployment the proof of returning economic health for the nation. With years of GOP and DINO Congressional sorts sabotaging the Administration's jobs and other recovery efforts, they can't even begrudgingly accept that the President's cautious efforts are paying off.

Particularly in contrast with the rest of the industrialized world, we're perking along — despite them.

We've had 42 months of continuous job growth, a booming stock market, and a slowly but steadily declining unemployment percentage. They can't stand that their ambushes and obstructionism have failed.

Imagine how many more jobs we'd have created (real job creation) if wingers in Congress had worked for the good of the country. With far too many companies, huge and medium mostly, sniveling about how risky it would be to add jobs, someone needs to show some guts.

So, now is the time when honorable women and men would praise the milestone they identified, that 8%. They'd apologize for their insults, false claims and failed predictions.

Instead the Jack Welch and Mitt Romney types again show their true nature. The words are dishonest and dishonorable.

Romney Fills Hall With Nothing

For a very wealthy person in expensive clothing, Mitt Romney presents sadly threadbare spirit and thinking.

The most apt analysis of his pathetic RNC speech came in the New York Times in two parts this morning. First, the lead editorial, Mr. Romney Reinvents History, details his biggest lie — that Congressional Republican obstructionism was not the proximate cause of our national struggles in recovery. It goes on with the truly damning truth that neither he nor Paul Ryan have any specific to back up promises of better times if they come to power.

Second, in an analysis piece, Facts Take A Beating in Acceptance Speeches, the most egregious of the fabrications and extreme lies in both acceptance speeches are debunked in one place. A voter would have to be very separated from history and reality to buy into either speech. Each demands "trust me" with no plans or specifics.

Back to a recurrent theme here. the election will come down to how many American voters are willing and foolish enough to go once more for a Republican fantasy, one that has failed again and again.

This time, it appears to demand more of an effort. Neither top-ticket guy has a plan at all. Sure, we can expect them to pretend that it's the fault of the POTUS and Dems that they blocked recovery and jobs growth. That's dirty, but predictable, politics. Here though, in Tampa they had and showed nothing. It was absolutely their obligation to present a path to prosperity. They abjectly failed.

Ryan repeatedly said it would be up to Congress to implement their vague yet overreaching promises...no plan and no details. Hence, neither can claim to be a leader in any way. Romney likewise said electing him would mean lots of jobs...no plan and no details. Honestly, any voter would have to be a Pollyanna or simply delusional to buy into the no-plan/no-details fantasy.

By the bye, Ryan and I shall have the advantage of time to kick this around on Left Ahead next week. You can join us live Tuesday, September 4th, at 2:30 PM Eastern here. Afterward, the show will there, at Left Ahead, or on our iTunes page.