The Romney campaign has long been notoriously evasive when it comes to questions from the press. But even by Mitt Romney's exacting standards, Nickelodeon's Kids Pick the President special doesn't seem like a tough interview. So why did his campaign tell Nickelodeon that he would not be participating in the special?
"The half-hour special gives both candidates' biographies, then shows their answers to questions solicited from kids all over the country," said host Lawrence O'Donnell on Tuesday's The Last Word. One illustrative question, asked by a hard-hitting young boy during the 2008 presidential election, was: "Halloween is one of my favorite holidays. When you were a kid, what was your favorite costume?"
"We don't ever know, really, why" candidates withdraw from the special, said Kids Pick the President host Linda Ellerbee, "because we don't talk to the candidate. We talk to the candidate's staff. And we began talking to the Romney staff six months ago, in April, and they were very encouraging. ... And then, something happened, we don't know what, but all of a sudden it was, 'He can't fit it into his schedule.' And that's all they would ever say."
Since 1992, the nominees of both major parties have appeared in the special every election cycle, except for during the 2004 race. At the end of each special, children vote for who they think should be president; according to Ellerbee, her pint-sized audience has accurately predicted the outcome of every presidential election except for 2004.
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Why does no one say the Right was not concerned about the President being called a liar at the State of the Union by Congressman Wilson? All I hear is “the Left is calling Mitt Romney a liar”. And how does Romney’s son get away with comparing he and his brothers (children) with President Obama?
What I don't understand is why people like Joe Scarborough think being a bold faced liar is being great in a debate. Is being proficient at lying really a quality you are looking for in a President? Is someone your allies call a "twit" really a person you think they will follow you into the next conflict he wants to lead you into? The man is a compulsive liar who you can't trust, so why on earth would any thinking person with a conscience elect him to your highest office. How sad that Republicans are so desperate to get one of their own in the oval office that they will settle for this empty suit to represent them, and are willing to turn their backs on the country's best interests over and over again.
Soothe, you and dbellardre have have driven the nails home...
Unfortunately, one element within the forces that lies create is inertia among those in the dissembler's orbits. They retreat into denial because of either an inability or unwillingness to confront the meta-messages and consequential fallout.
A learning curve there must of needs be.... [/yoda voice off]
Gary Trudeau has it nailed in today's Doonesbury...
http://news.yahoo.com/comics/doonesbury-slideshow/
Laurence. I am an old American Indian. I watch your show every day on the internet, always the day after before it shows up. I want to really express my deep appreciation. You and really so many of the MSN crew are fighting for honesty and simple facts in the face of a GOP that is unprecedented in its volume of lies, suppression of the vote, and elevation of some of the most brain dead, empty human beings in American History. You are all working really hard and somehow I believe it makes a difference; that arguing for truth, for details, for clarity IS the highest calling, the force that makes American Journalism the most effective force for freedom and awareness. In particular, your rich history in public service, in front and behind the scenes of government is a real treasure. Your passion, your real and detailed passion for the great fight in the face of so many well paid liars is really inspiring and one of the great forces in our country. Also, as a Vietnam vet, I thank you for your support and recognition of the lives of soldiers. Thank you, sir. With all respect. Turtle Heart, Ojibwe Artist, Pantelleria Italy.
After a Spring and Summer filled with lying attack adds on Romney's character, his business surceases, and his governmental surceases, and simultaneously with Obama's losing the first debate due to disinterest and disdain on his part his administration was caught lying to the American people regarding the true origins of the attack on our consulate in Benghazi, Libya that assassinated our Ambassador and three other Americans, even Big Bird is balking at having his pristine reputation tarnished by having the Obama campaign run by that Chicago crowd try to hitch their wagon to him.
The election is much too important for the future of our nation, both in the chance for recovery from the four years of malaise brought about by mistaken policies of this Administration, and the regaining of our position of leadership in the world that this Administration is intent on withdrawing from, to take time away from the last closing weeks for fun and frivolity answer questions from elementary and pre teens about the candidate favorite Halloween costume. But let this Hollywood lover Obama take that route, after all, he gave up the opportunity to meet with the Prime Minister of Israel and other world leaders recently at the UN to appear on the View with Whoopie Goldberg, and then jet off for time spent with JZ, Beyonce, and Letterman, didn't he?
Speaking of transmissions from outer space...
What Republican and Independent voters have to ask themselves is very simple.
You do not accept your childern to lie to you over and over again everyday, in fact most parents punish them for it. You do not find this an admirable or honourable quality you want them to develop in their characters.
So why is it you are willing to turn a blind eye to a person like Romney and entrust him with not only you and your families well being but also your entire nations well being? Why do you feel he doesn't have to be held accountable to you the people he wants to elect him to the highest office in the land? Why don't you have any consequences he has to face for his lies?
Speaking of lies, I'm not usually into recycling FAUX Noise political manure, but they ran the following from paid ho' Dick Morris. This one is right out of the Joseph McCarthy playbook (check the current House Hearings were Darrel Issa and Planet Utah's own Jason Chaffetz are doing their own 21st century edition of McCarthy and Cohn).
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2012/10/08/in-second-term-obama-will-allow-un-to-tax-americans/
It should come as no surprise that President Obama will raise taxes if he is re-elected. But here’s the shocker: He will invite the United Nations to tax Americans directly. And the proceeds would go directly to the Third World. In this way, Barack Obama will, indeed, realize the dreams of his father.
What do you expect from someone who expects Big Bird to get a second job?
To Keith your point of view expresses your total disdain for the President. But it really doesn't matter what you think there truly is a lot more truth in President Obama's campain than Romney. You have to look past his color and your apparent contempt for him and look at the real truth before you vote or spout off nonsense. First Mitt Romney doesn't even live in reality, he has been fortunate to "have" all his life, he really does not have a clue about the real issues of the common people. God forbid he gets in office because life as we know it will cease to exist. If you follow him it will be worse than following Hitler. The good news is he will not make it into office because there are more people that understand the reality of situation than not. You cannot vote blinded by racist thoughts and ignorance. I have heard some of you say that Romney is not Presidential material but they just want to get this black man out (some used the N-word)out of office. That is not acceptable and you said yourself "The election is much too important for the future of our nation", so you better think about what/who you're voting into office. You will vote in Life and sustainability or Death and the total breakdown of our society as we know it today.
Also I agree with SL Cabbie regarding Soothe and dbellardre they both have driven the nails home...
Besides the prevarications (more extensive in Romney's case than in 43), those of us trained in manifestations of personality disorder stuff will recognize a lot of "common ground" in displays of fairly obvious grandiosity. That was what first had me shaking my head with Bush after 9-11 (when he had the support of the entire country).
Instead of proposing a focused strike on Al Qaeda and their Afghan landlords, he went for a grandiose "war on terror" (see the "salesman" elements?). That "sold" and permitted the extra excursion into Iraq (I'm unsure whether Dick Cheney really believed in a 9/11-Saddam connection, but he may well have).
You can look at the same psychopathology in Romeny with his extensive claims on what his budget and health care plans would accomplish, and--God save us all--he has the same illusions in the area of foreign policy.
Sure do know when the fools start whistling past the graveyard that Halloween is right around the corner.
No one watched the House Oversight Committee investigation today, apparently, to hear the administration surrogates still peddling their lies on when we knew the attack on the Consulate in Benghazi was definitely not a spontaneous protest over a blasphemous 14 minute trailer, as this Administration portrayed right up thru the Presidents address to the UN Conference of World Leaders.
As to Obama, he is a punk community organizer out of Chicago, who thought he could get up on a stage at the 1st debate and smile his radiant smile, and charm the moderator and the audience with platitudes just as he managed to do in 2007/2008, but when Mitt Romney stood up and pinned his big ears back to the sides of his head with blow after blow on his rotten record of 4 years, and exposed him as being deficit of any plan for the future, it was game over. Your guy failed big time, Obama lovers, so now its back to the old attack lines, and it won't save his reelection dreams. The American voters have their eyes open now. Sorry if it scares you weakbrained leftwingnuts so badly!
The more I listen to Romney's responses in interviews, the more I'm convinced that he went to the same "School for Avoiding the Question" as did Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran.
Keith Longey needs to get his head out of the sand...I think you need some air...breathe deep and get some oxygen to your brain...
Romney wants to assign many decisions to the States. What this tells me is that Romney wants the Voters to be subject to the whims of the largest Corporate Contributor(his proprietors) to the economy of that particular State, rather than the Federal Government(his enemy)! A dangerous and complicated option for the average Voter!
It's called following the Constitution of the United States, fool!
Maybe Mitt Romney, as Mormon, like my neighbor, thinks that Halloween is a celebration of the devil. That's the only reason I can think of why he would take a pass on this. After all, Mitt spent the years my generation spent fighting in Vietnam avoiding the draft to attempt to convert the French in Paris to abandon the Enlightenment to embrace a religion that believes Jesus walked around the United States in the 19th century and that your family gets your own planet when you die. Enough said.
I thinks President Obama should dare Mitt Romney denounce his rich friend ,telling their Employee ,if vote for Obama they wont have a job ,it;s is national disgrace that people have to choose between their job and their family this country his going to hell and nobody rely care ,one thing l can say the poor have a better night sleep they have nothing to loose .The Psalms of David got it right for the fool and his money Psalms 49 ,don;t worry be happy even thou live his crappy some time
Lawrence, Why has it not occurred to you or anyone to ask "If Obama made all the atrocities Romney made against the 47%, Medicare cuts, Women, self-deportation claims, flip-flopping here and there on every issue, and so very many more, during this election campaign, would these White Males standing strongly behind Romney, vote for him?" We know the answer to that question: NOOOOOOOOOO WAYYYYYYYYYYY!!! I wonder why?