Well, and people would not have to "game" the system at all if we had a universal safety net for eldercare/healthcare!

Sophia, why do you hate America???

Also, I need to calm the f down. I think I have some serious PMS, because I am turning into a pedantic asshole. Someone at work emailed me asking me to set up a meeting in a "small conference room" and then gave an example of the largest conference room we have, and I want to kill him.

I think the real benefit of Romney's 47% crap is that it adds to the media narrative of his campaign being incompetent. (Even many Republicans are saying this now.)

It's really bad for a campaign to loose control of its narrative, as they can't focus on what they want to due to all the damage control.

The amount of money that can be saved by "gaming" the welfare system (food stamps, unemployment, Medicare) is nothing compared to the amount of money corporations save in taxes by hiring people like my dad.

Right. Ditto actually rich individuals.

I think the real benefit of Romney's 47% crap

Didn't he try to do damage control last night, saying it was a poor choice of words?

I'm dying to know how else you phrase "those fucking parasites don't deserve to eat."

Yeah, I realize this is self-serving, but I think gaming the Medicaid system to some extent is fine. My parents put their house just in my mother's name years ago on the assumption that my father might need to get Medicaid at some point, and if it was still in both of their names, they'd have to sell it before he qualified. But my mother still needs to live somewhere!

Uh huh. Years ago when my friends' mother had a catastrophic brain aneurism, their dad ended up divorcing her so that she could be declared indigent. Which, what an incredibly heartbreaking decision to have to make. But he had to raise his kids, and it kept them from losing their house and everything else when they'd just effectively lost their mom.

I'm dying to know how else you phrase "those fucking parasites don't deserve to eat."

Well obviously, without the swearing. He may be a condescending asshat with rich-guy blinders you can see from space, but he's still Mormon.

I'm dying to know how else you phrase "those fucking parasites don't deserve to eat."

They should die and decrease the surplus population? t /Scrooge

Uh huh. Years ago when my friends' mother had a catastrophic brain aneurism, their dad ended up divorcing her so that she could be declared indigent. Which, what an incredibly heartbreaking decision to have to make. But he had to raise his kids, and it kept them from losing their house and everything else when they'd just effectively lost their mom.

My mom and stepdad ended up getting long term care insurance that will cover them in case either need to be in a nursing home. I think it is definitely something for people to consider.

It's really bad for a campaign to loose control of its narrative, as they can't focus on what they want to due to all the damage control.

Agreed. Romney was never going to be likable (which I like to think is overrated, though perhaps less so in US elections); but he at least needs to be deemed capable.

The polls have been very stable - unusually so - more or less since Romney clinched the nomination. The only movement was due to the conventions, and favoured Obama. (It's settled back somewhat, but Nate Silver still estimates maybe a point of persistent gain.) Even at best, this is now another wasted week for Romney. They're running out of time to change the balance of power, and I think running out of people willing to listen. Not impossible, but looking more and more unlikely.

He has, I think, just three possibilities that are at all plausible.

1. He gains a clear advantage in the debates. (I find this unlikely, Obama's a capable debater.)
2. The economy takes a significant downturn over the next couple of months. On the cards, certainly, though the latest announcements by the Fed and the ECB make it less likely. before November at least.
3. A black swan event, like the Middle East unrest (but one where Romney is perceived to have handled it better than Obama).

All up, I'm pretty sanguine about Obama's chances.

I'd have thought last week's Libyan Ambassador murder was the best chance for a "black swan" event they're likely to get (I mean, I hope so, god forbid something worse), and Romney came out negative from that.