There are countless reasons to vote for Barack Obama rather than Mitt Romney this November. Here's one of the great reasons:
Romney wants our planet to get sicker and for the world's oceans to rise -- inundating highly populated areas, including Florida.
That's insane, but it's what he said when he mocked President Obama:
President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet. My promise is to help you and your family.
How anybody could be for a diseased planet and coastal flooding is beyond me. Also, beyond Stephen Colbert, who had a great rejoinder on a recent show (at about the two minute mark of the video).
Yeah, f__k the planet! Quick show of hands: how many of your families live on the planet?
Republicans have a crazy belief that the well-being of humans somehow isn't intimately connected with the well-being of the earth's environment, which obviously makes it possible for people to survive and prosper.
Until recently Romney used to accept the reality of global warming. Now he's drunk the right-wing crazy juice and is in favor of a sick planet.
That's sick! Vote for Obama if you want to heal the planet AND help families.
This post was a joke, right? A parody. You can't be serious.
Posted by: tucson | September 06, 2012 at 09:46 AM
No joke, tucson. I accurately reported what Romney said. That speaks for itself. He's clueless about how environmental health relates to economic and personal well-being, which disqualifies him from being president, in my entirely reasonable opinion.
Let's imagine this: a large asteroid is heading toward earth. 98% of the world's astronomers say there is a very high chance it will cause extreme destruction to the planet. President Obama says we have take urgent steps to deflect the asteroid.
Romney replies: "President Obama promised to deflect the asteroid from hitting Earth. My promise is to help you and your family."
We'd think: What an idiot! Saving the Earth IS helping you and your family. It's a pre-requisite for individual and familial well-being. Likewise, though the situation isn't as immediately dire or as extreme as a large asteroid hitting earth, our planet is threatened by human caused global warming.
That's a fact -- 98% of the world's climatologists agree on it. Yet Romney and the Republicans don't see the danger in letting our planet get sicker and sicker for human livability. (Ask farmers devastated by drought; though; they'd disagree.)
Posted by: Brian Hines | September 06, 2012 at 10:42 AM
Romney said: "President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet. My promise is to help you and your family."
You said in reaction: "How anybody could be for a diseased planet and coastal flooding is beyond me."
--Where did Romney say he was FOR a diseased planet and coastal flooding? Where did he even imply it?
C'mon. Do you really believe, even as an ardent "progressive", that Romney actually wants a diseased planet and coastal flooding?
I guess as a greedy capitalist 1%'er he has investments in gas mask and rubber raft companies so that he can profit from the pall of foul air that he hopes will blanket the earth and the flooding of New York City that will make it look more like Venice..."I have a dream!!"
Posted by: tucson | September 06, 2012 at 12:50 PM
Brian, you think pretty clearly on the majority of topics and some of your blogging, especially on "Churchless", has been helpful to me and others. However, you consistently go completely off the rails with your wildly distorted interpretations of republican statements, principles and beliefs.
I am not saying this as an offended republican. I am not a republican. I am registered as independent.
Here is my interpretation of what Romney said:
Romney didn't say he wants to trash the ecosystem. He just said he wants to do the POSSIBLE by helping families instead of doing the impossible by pretending to be able to effect change in the ocean levels.
Posted by: tucson | September 06, 2012 at 04:03 PM
tucson, you have one interpretation, but mine is more defensible. Language doesn't occur in a vacuum. Romney carefully chose his words. After all, this was his big moment on the national stage, his acceptance speech.
He knew that virtually all of the people at the convention are global warming deniers. They favor big oil and want to take away renewable energy subsidies (while keeping fossil fuel subsidies). The idea of "saving the planet" got big laughs from Romney's audience. Ha-Ha!
I find that attitude deeply disturbing. If you can point to planks in the Republican Party platform, or Romney's recent speeches, which point toward a serious sincere concern for combating the global warming which will make the ocean's rise, and for "healing the planet" by stemming pollution, species extinction, overfishing, excessive use of fossil fuels, and the like, please do so.
Then I'd be more likely to believe that Romney really is an environmentalist, and for some reason used "healing the planet" as an example of Obama's grandiose impractical thinking. (Of course, it isn't impractical at all; Romney promises to reduce the deficit by reducing taxes, which is a lot more impractical and grandiose, in my opinion.)
Posted by: Brian Hines | September 06, 2012 at 07:28 PM
Brian, I agree that the republican platform is not oriented toward addressing environmental issues. The immediate practical and national security concern is ending deficit spending and further increases in the national debt.
I understand it is frustrating for you as a person who feels passionately about global warming that Romney does not address your concerns. But it is not helpful in the debate over priorities to say that Romney/Republicans actually want a "diseased planet and coastal flooding".
One thing is for sure. The planet has withstood far greater calamities than we puny humans and our carbon emissions. In the end she will prevail with or without us.
Posted by: tucson | September 06, 2012 at 11:05 PM