Gun to head - Obama or Romney?

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If a gun is to your head and you had to vote who would you choose?

  • Obama

  • Romney

  • I'll take the bullet


Results are only viewable after voting.

MovingTarget

Diamond Member
Jun 22, 2003
8,999
109
106
Obama...America's tourniquet to the disaster of the Bush years. Electing Romney right now would be the economic equivalent of removing that in favor of a liberal helping of Aloe Vera and good ol' faith healing. 4 more years of Obama will give us a chance of returning to historical economic norms.

I also find it very interesting that more people would rather take a bullet than vote Romney...
 

Charles Kozierok

Elite Member
May 14, 2012
6,762
1
0
I also find it very interesting that more people would rather take a bullet than vote Romney...

Well, saying "they all suck" is an easy copout answer.

But Romney is not exactly popular, even in his own party.

In Massachusetts, where he's from, GOP senator Scott Brown is in a dead heat for re-election; Romney is trailing by 25 points.
 

ultimatebob

Lifer
Jul 1, 2001
25,135
2,445
126
Which part was better?

Allowing the worst terrorist attack in history on US soil?

Allowing the banking industry to run wild leading to the worst economic crisis in decades?

The Clinton administration deserves the blame for these two as much as Bush did. Nobody in their right mind would argue that Bush didn't inherit a weak anti-terrorism policy, and federal housing regulations that were basically trying give away federally backed mortgages to people who couldn't afford them.
 

schneiderguy

Lifer
Jun 26, 2006
10,769
52
91
If I couldn't vote for Dr. Paul I would vote Romney, just because I don't want Obama choosing any more Supreme Court justices. We need to keep it conservative leaning until the right to bear arms is recognized for outside of the home, like it was inside of the home in Heller.
 

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
4,265
126
What? You like that corporations are citizens and money is speech? These two decisions have destroyed our nation in my opinion. They are a total calamity. It means the mafia owns the government and the people have no say. We will know real soon, I think, if Walker wins.

Perhaps you are focused on the constitutionality of the health care act.

Romney is a Mass "conservative" which in most places means moderate/slightly left. That's how he'll appoint.

I saw an interview some time back where Obama lamented that our Constitution was one which limited the powers of the federal government, a restrictive rather than permissive system. IMO thats better as the government in theory must give way to the citizen except in defined ways, not the reverse. Yes it's inconvenient to those in power and they must deal. I have no desire to see people selected based on their "creativity" in subverting the limiting principle. That does not mean I care for either candidate. You know I believe parties are far too enamored with themselves, but the reps aren't going to have a more control of the legislature and while Romney has to pander as pols do now he was hardly Newt in MA. Besides he can be tossed, thats not true of the SCOTUS, and I I'm thinking neither party is going to make ideological gains. That's my imperfect opinion and justification on the subject of this cycles Hobson's choice. Before I die I'd like to see someone I could get behind, but the chances are nil. They would be banned before they ran.
 

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
4,265
126
In the end M I am beset by evil choices and powers that permit no other. The system is corrupt and I am silenced, unheard. I have no effective peaceful option and I will not harm another. Ought I support that which by nature I despise? I suspect that in the end I will not. I shall pass the test and diminish and remain myself.
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
348
126
If I couldn't vote for Dr. Paul I would vote Romney, just because I don't want Obama choosing any more Supreme Court justices. We need to keep it conservative leaning until the right to bear arms is recognized for outside of the home, like it was inside of the home in Heller.

Ya, you're an enemy of America - thanks for Bush v. Gore and Citizens United among two of the radical right rulings.
 

Craig234

Lifer
May 1, 2006
38,548
348
126
The Clinton administration deserves the blame for these two as much as Bush did. Nobody in their right mind would argue that Bush didn't inherit a weak anti-terrorism policy, and federal housing regulations that were basically trying give away federally backed mortgages to people who couldn't afford them.

That's not true. Unfortunately, Clinton was a lot worse than he should have been, but Bush was worse. For example, he gutted anti-terrorism Clinton had put in place.

From what I've seen we had a decent chance of catching the 9/11 people before Bush's changes, though there was no guarantee.

Government housing iniatives weren't the problem, Wall Street derivates were.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
83,717
47,406
136
Romney is a Mass "conservative" which in most places means moderate/slightly left. That's how he'll appoint.

I saw an interview some time back where Obama lamented that our Constitution was one which limited the powers of the federal government, a restrictive rather than permissive system. IMO thats better as the government in theory must give way to the citizen except in defined ways, not the reverse. Yes it's inconvenient to those in power and they must deal. I have no desire to see people selected based on their "creativity" in subverting the limiting principle. That does not mean I care for either candidate. You know I believe parties are far too enamored with themselves, but the reps aren't going to have a more control of the legislature and while Romney has to pander as pols do now he was hardly Newt in MA. Besides he can be tossed, thats not true of the SCOTUS, and I I'm thinking neither party is going to make ideological gains. That's my imperfect opinion and justification on the subject of this cycles Hobson's choice. Before I die I'd like to see someone I could get behind, but the chances are nil. They would be banned before they ran.

Can you provide a link to this interview or this statement?
 

Charles Kozierok

Elite Member
May 14, 2012
6,762
1
0
The Clinton administration deserves the blame for these two as much as Bush did. Nobody in their right mind would argue that Bush didn't inherit a weak anti-terrorism policy, and federal housing regulations that were basically trying give away federally backed mortgages to people who couldn't afford them.

I'll agree that Clinton deserves some blame. As much blame as Bush? Debatable.

Regardless, the idea that Bush was a better president than Obama has been so far is laughably idiotic.

Let's also remember that the same Republicans blaming Clinton for stuff that happened 10 months after Bush took office are happy to blame Obama for stuff that happened 10 months before Obama was in the White House. Or earlier.

If 9/11 had happened even one day into Obama's watch, right-wingers would have blamed him for it 100%.

Romney is a Mass "conservative" which in most places means moderate/slightly left. That's how he'll appoint.

You're making a very serious mistake in assumptions here.

Romney was a moderate conservative in Massachusetts because that's what sells in MA. That doesn't mean he'd be the same way at a national level.

Were you watching during the primaries? If so, you saw Romney tack hard right. He did this specifically because he was a "Massachusetts moderate" as Gingrich put it. The GOP knuckledragger base didn't trust him and still does not. So he bends over backwards to show that he's a "severe conservative" as he famously put it.

What reason do you have to believe that this will change once he gets into office? He'll be beholden to the powers that got him there, and if he makes a single "etch a sketch" move the base will be on him like white on rice (pun intended).

Or, put another way: if Romney will pander to the fringe whackjob elements of his party to get elected, why wouldn't he do the same to get RE-elected?

Citizens United was an excellent decision.

Why do you think so?
 

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
4,265
126
I find it unlikely that he said that, or if he did it was probably out of context. The right would have had a field day with such a quote.

It wasn't exactly "I can't wait to make everyone my slave" thing. It had more to do with things he'd like but might be difficult considering legal realities. I think it really was an expression of frustration in that things he considers beneficial would be easier if instead of a list of what can be done it were what cannot. I understand that, but I don't want to see things head in that direction.
 

fskimospy

Elite Member
Mar 10, 2006
83,717
47,406
136
It wasn't exactly "I can't wait to make everyone my slave" thing. It had more to do with things he'd like but might be difficult considering legal realities. I think it really was an expression of frustration in that things he considers beneficial would be easier if instead of a list of what can be done it were what cannot. I understand that, but I don't want to see things head in that direction.

I'd still very much have to see the quote, it really seems unlikely that he would have said that. There have only been a few interviews with Obama in the last 6 months or so, do you know what channel it was on?
 

Hayabusa Rider

Admin Emeritus & Elite Member
Jan 26, 2000
50,879
4,265
126
I'd still very much have to see the quote, it really seems unlikely that he would have said that. There have only been a few interviews with Obama in the last 6 months or so, do you know what channel it was on?

Must have been at my inlaws because I'm not hooked up to television proper. I'm entirely internet. No promises, but I'll see if I can find anything. It would be interesting to see the whole thing.
 

Balt

Lifer
Mar 12, 2000
12,674
482
126
I would take Obama for sure over Romney. While Obama has made far too many compromises imo (and yet is still called a Communist/socialist/etc), Romney has absolutely no backbone whatsoever. He will do whatever the highest bidder wants.

If Romney had any legitimate plan of actually balancing the federal budget or returning us to fiscal responsibility I might consider him (despite the short-term pain it would bring both me and the country in general). The fact is, though, that he only wants to spend money on different things than Obama wants to. Romney has already said he will increase the defense budget, which imo has removed any legitimacy he might have had as a fiscal conservative. He's not going to be sending more money to our troops who have their boots on the ground, he'll be sending it straight to defense contractors (who, in turn, will hand it off straight to their CEOs rather than the engineers who are making shit work).
 
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cybrsage

Lifer
Nov 17, 2011
13,021
0
0
Or, put another way: if Romney will pander to the fringe whackjob elements of his party to get elected, why wouldn't he do the same to get RE-elected?

To win the primary, you must be an far from center. To win the general, you must be in the center.

ALL parties know this, and act accordingly.
 

nehalem256

Lifer
Apr 13, 2012
15,669
8
0
Ya, you're an enemy of America - thanks for Bush v. Gore and Citizens United among two of the radical right rulings.

Bush v. Gore. You mean the lawsuit Gore brought about on the basis that enough more Democrats were too stupid to vote successfully to swing the election to him?

Its been 10 years... maybe you should stop reminding people of how stupid you think democratic voters are?
 

kage69

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
26,968
35,584
136
A "gun to the head" is exactly what it would take to get me to vote for the GOP. Mitten's pandering and flip flops could make John McCain blush. He represents what we know doesn't work. No thanks.

Obama, on the other hand, has done a rather decent job in the face of some pretty incredible bullshit.

Obama, easy choice.