contemplative
Republican candidate Mitt Romney has accused President Barack Obama of being intent on using government to redistribute wealth in America. By contrast, he says that his administration would create wealth by fostering free enterprise. Romney said of Obama: "He really believes in what I'll call a government-centered society. I know there are some who believe that if you simply take from some and give to others, then we'll all be better off. It's known as redistribution. It's never been a characteristic of America. I believe the way to lift people and help people have higher incomes is not to take from some and give to others, but to create wealth for all of us." Romney added "The question of this campaign is not who cares about the poor and the middle class. I do. He does. The question is who can help the poor and the middle class? I can! He can't!"
Meanwhile, President Barack Obama has been trying to get some mileage out of his opponent's remarks about how 47% of Americans are dependent on government. The president appeared on the David Letterman show last night and said that Americans are not victims and that anyone seeking the presidency ought to be working for "everyone, not just some."
Obama told Letterman that people understand that the presidential candidates will make mistakes on the campaign trail. He said that includes one he regrets from 2008, when audio from one of his own private fundraisers had him saying that some residents of depressed rural areas get bitter and "cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them." He then added: "What I think people want to be sure of is you are not writing off big chunks of the country."
The President also commented on the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, Libya that resulted in the deaths of four Americans, including Ambassador Christopher Stevens, saying it wasn't an act of war, and that, as offensive as the anti-Islam video was that the protest at the consulate began over, it wasn't an excuse for violence.
For those of you who didn't get a chance to see it, here is some of the President's appearance on Letterman last night:
Romney's latest ad attacks President Obama for his energy policies, and specifically the coal industry. Here's a short commercial:
One surprising aspect of the campaign for me is that the impact of fundraising, to the degree that it has the candidates speaking more at fundraising events rather than speaking to voters in swing states. Today for example, President Obama is speaking at a big fundraiser in New York City, while his opponent is doing the same in Atlanta.
The most recent polls are also interesting because, in spite of some apparent stumbles, the numbers are still close (all results are from poll numbers released today):
Gallup: Obama 47% Romney 46%
Associated Press: Obama 47% Romney 46%
Rasmussen: Romney 47% Obama 46%
Some interesting numbers are coming out of these swing states (today's numbers):
CBS/New York Times: Colorado - Obama 48%, Romney 47%
CBS/New York Times: Virginia - Obama 50%, Romney 46%
CBS/New York Times: Wisconsin - Obama 50%, Romney 45%
Rasmussen: New Hampshire - Romney 48%, Obama 45%
and from yesterday's poll numbers:
Rasmussen: Colorado - Romney 47%, Obama 45%
Washington Post: Virginia - Obama 52%, Romney 44%
Gravis Marketing: Florida - Romney 48% Obama 47%
Translation: It's still too close to call!