Updated: 169 Reasons Mitt Romney Lost the 2012 Presidential Election

169 Reasons Mitt Romney Lost the 2012 Presidential Election:

1.            Occupy Wall Street
2.            War on Women
3.            Hispanic Voters
4.            African American Voters
5.            AARP Fight
6.            ObamaCare Victory
7.            Death of Osama Bin Laden
8.            Bill Clinton’s DNC Speech
9.            Auto Industry Bailout
10.          The Tea Party Movement
11.          Clint Eastwood’s Monologue
12.          Horatio Alger Myth
13.          Frightened Senior Citizens
14.          Todd Akin’s Rape Comments
15.          Cayman Islands Account
16.          Mitch McConnell’s 2012 Goal
17.          Tax Cuts for the Rich
18.          Medicare Cuts
19.          Rafalca the Olympic Horse
20.          The 47% Comment
21.          The Middle Class
22.          Evangelicals
23.          Term “Welfare Queen”
24.          Not Mentioning Afghanistan
25.          Michael Savage’s Vitriol
26.          Tax Returns
27.          Corporate Greed
28.          Do-Nothing Congress
29.          Ann Coulter
30.          Gay Marriage
31.          Foreign Policy
32.          Abortion
33.          Malia and Sasha
34.          Right Wing Extremism
35.          YouTube
36.          Etch-a-Sketch Debacle
37.          Calling a US President a “Socialist”
38.          Climate Change Denial
39.          Arab Spring
40.          Sec of State Hillary Clinton
41.          Immigration Issue
42.          Bain Capital
43.          John McCain
44.          Seamus the Dog
45.          Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
46.          Muammar Gaddafi Death
47.          The 99%
48.          Too Negative
49.          Koch Brothers
50.          Term “Crony Capitalist”
51.          Phony Voter ID Laws
52.          Oil Company Ties
53.          Opposition to Green Energy
54.          Support of Nuclear Energy
55.          American Dream of Home Ownership
56.          Sheldon Adelson
57.          End of Iraq War
58.          Sarah Palin
59.          Fox News
60.          Iran Sanctions
61.          Offshoring Jobs
62.          Chris Matthews
63.          Herman Cain’s 999 Plan
64.          Outsourcing
65.          George W. Bush
66.          Union Members
67.          Obama Effect (Stockpiling Weapons)
68.          Fuel Efficiency Standards
69.          Birther Conspiracy
70.          Basketball Ability
71.          Housing Market Stabilization
72.          Gov. Scott Walker
73.          Veiled Racism
74.          Gulf Oil Spill
75.          Motor City Madman Ted Nugent
76.          Oprah Winfrey
77.          Seal Team 6
78.          Citizens United Decision
79.          Sen Larry Craig’s Wide Stance
80.          NRA Tweet after Massacre
81.          Facebook Sharing
82.          The 1%
83.          Ron Paul Snub
84.          Business Banking Regulations
85.          Mars Curiosity Rover
86.          George Clooney
87.          Small Donors
88.          Stiff Persona
89.          Libyan Attack Comments
90.          Donald Trump Endorsement
91.          “He’s Not One of Us” Argument
92.          24 Hr News Cycle
93.          “Thurston Howell Romney” Moniker
94.          GOP Israel Skinny Dip
95.          Hong Kong Fundraiser
96.          Romney’s Olympic Security Critique
97.          Carl Rove
98.          Super PAC’s
99.          Michele Bachmann
100.        Term “Death Panel”
101.        Offshore Accounts
102.        Newt Gingrich
103.        Angry Looking
104.        Netanyahu
105.        Reverse Military Cuts
106.        House Speaker John Boehner
107.        Support of Coal Industry
108.        Union Members
109.        Rush Limbaugh
110.        Corporate Greed
111.        EPA Regulations
112.        Teachers
113.        Doctored Pledge of Allegiance Photo
114.        “I Love to Fire People!”
115.        Stimulus Plan
116.        Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner
117.        Cash for Clunkers
118.        War on Women
119.        “We Built It” Slogan
120.        Campaign Infighting
121.        No Specifics
122.        Term “Marxist”
123.        Media Bias Claim
124.        Bill O’Reilly
125.        Saturday Night Live
126.        Fair and Balanced
127.        Stock Market Recovery
128.        Al Franken
129.        Robert Reich
130.        Voter Suppression Act
131.        Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.
131.        Term “Appeasement”
132.        Day One Promises
133.        The Norquist Pledge
134.        Nathan Sproul
135.        WI Collective Bargaining Law
136.        Cato Institute
137.        Anti-Mormon Bias
138.        Free Enterprise System
139.        Hugh Hewitt’s Book
140.        Bush’s Record
141.        Atheist Ayn Rand
142.        School Vouchers
143.        Romney’s Car Elevator
144.        Offshore Drilling
145.        Ann’s Couple of Cadillac’s
146.        Insult Government Workers
147.        Anyone Can Beat Obama Mantra
148.        Comparing Obama to Jimmy Carter
149.        Likeability Factor
150.        Unpatriotic Language (Size of US Govt)
151.        Self-Described “Severe Conservative”
152.        Michele vs. Ann
153.        Cheerleading Fall of US Economy
154.        Buyer’s Remorse
155.        Strategic Allied Consulting, Inc.
156.        Term “Affirmative Action President”
157.        Drudge Siren
158.        Out of Touch
159.        Contraception
160.        Ann’s $990 Designer Silk Shirt
161.        PBS Viewers
162.        Jack Welsh Conspiracy
163.        “Binders Full of Women”
164.        Boss vs. President
165.        2nd Debate
166.        3rd Debate
167.        Saber Rattling
168.        Too Serious/Inability to Joke
169.        Thomas Peterffy

President Obama to Establish Cesar E. Chavez National Monument

Keene, California, On October 8th, 2012, President Obama will travel to Keene, California to announce the establishment of the César E. Chávez National Monument. Years in the making, the monument – which will be designated under the Antiquities Act – will be established on the property known as Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz (Our Lady Queen of Peace), or La Paz.  The La Paz property is recognized worldwide for its historic link to civil rights icon César Estrada Chávez and the farm worker movement. The site served as the national headquarters of the United Farm Workers (UFW) as well as the home and workplace of César Chávez and his family from the early 1970’s until Chávez’ death in 1993, and includes his grave site which will also be part of the monument.

“César Chávez gave a voice to poor and disenfranchised workers everywhere,” said President Obama. “La Paz was at the center of some of the most significant civil rights moments in our nation’s history, and by designating it a national monument, Chávez’ legacy will be preserved and shared to inspire generations to come.”

From this rural headquarters in the Tehachapi Mountains of Kern County, California, Chávez played a central role in achieving basic worker protections for hundreds of thousands of farmworkers across the country, from provisions ensuring drinking water was provided to workers in the fields, to steps that helped limit workers’ exposure to dangerous pesticides, to helping to establish basic minimum wages and health care access for farm workers.

The National Chávez Center, in consultation with the United Farm Workers of America, the César Chávez Foundation and members of César Chávez’s family, offered to donate certain properties at La Paz to the federal government for the purpose of establishing a national monument commemorating César E. Chávez and the farmworker movement. This designation will represent the culmination of a process that has been underway for several years.

The César E. Chávez National Monument will encompass property that includes a Visitors’ Center containing César Chávez’s office as well as the UFW legal aid offices, the home of César and Helen Chávez, the Chávez Memorial Garden containing Chavez’s grave site, and additional buildings and structures at the La Paz campus.

The monument, which will be managed by the National Park Service in consultation with the National Chávez Center and the César Chávez Foundation, will be the fourth National Monument designated by President Obama using the Antiquities Act.   He previously designated Fort Monroe National Monument in Virginia, a former Army post integral to the history of slavery, the Civil War, and the U.S. military; Fort Ord National Monument in California, a former military base that is a world-class destination for outdoor recreation; and Chimney Rock, which is located in the San Juan National Forest in southwestern Colorado, and offers a spectacular landscape rich in history and Native American culture. First exercised by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 to designate Devils Tower National Monument in Wyoming, the authority of the Antiquities Act has been used by 16 presidents since 1906 to protect unique natural and historic features in America, such as the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, and Colorado’s Canyons of the Ancients.

###

Spanish Translation

El Presidente Obama establecerá el Monumento Nacional a César E. Chávez

El día 8 de octubre de 2012, el Presidente Obama viajará a Keene, California, para anunciar el establecimiento del Monumento Nacional a César E. Chávez.  Este monumento, que lleva varios años en proyecto y será designado bajo la Ley de Antigüedades, se establecerá en la propiedad conocida como Nuestra Señora Reina de la Paz, o La Paz.  La propiedad de La Paz está reconocida en todo el mundo por su conexión histórica con el ícono de los derechos civiles César Estrada Chávez y el movimiento de los trabajadores agrícolas.  Este lugar ha sido la sede nacional de la Unión de Trabajadores Agrícolas (UFW, por sus siglas en inglés) así como la casa y centro de trabajo de César Chávez y su familia desde principios de la década de 1970 hasta el fallecimiento de Chávez en 1993, e incluye su tumba, que también será parte del monumento.

El Presidente Obama comentó que, “César Chávez les dio una voz a los trabajadores pobres y despojados en todas partes.  La Paz fue el punto de partida de algunos de los movimientos de derechos civiles más significativos en la historia de nuestra nación y, al designársele como monumento nacional, se preservará y se compartirá el legado de Chávez para inspirar a las generaciones futuras”.

Desde esta sede rural en las Montañas Tehachapi del Condado Kern en California, Chávez desempeñó una función clave para lograr las protecciones básicas para cientos de miles de trabajadores agrícolas en todo el país, desde disposiciones que garantizaban que se les proporcionara agua potable a los trabajadores en los campos, hasta medidas que ayudaron a limitar la exposición de los trabajadores a pesticidas nocivos, hasta ayudar a establecer los salarios mínimos básicos y acceso a cuidado médico para los trabajadores agrícolas.

El Centro Nacional Chávez, en consulta con la Unión de Trabajadores Agrícolas de América, la Fundación César Chávez y miembros de la familia de César Chávez, ofreció donar ciertas propiedades en La Paz al gobierno federal con el fin de establecer un monumento nacional para conmemorar a César E. Chávez y el movimiento de los trabajadores agrícolas.  Esa designación representará la culminación de un proceso que lleva varios años en movimiento.

El Monumento Nacional César E. Chávez comprenderá propiedad que incluye un centro de visitantes que contiene la oficina de César Chávez así como las oficinas de ayuda legal de UFW, la casa de César y Helen Chávez, el Jardín Conmemorativo Chávez que contiene la tumba de Chavez, y otros edificios y estructuras en el recinto de La Paz.

El monumento, que estará bajo la administración del Servicio Nacional de Parques, en consulta con el Centro Nacional Chávez y la Fundación César Chávez, será el cuarto monumento nacional designado por el Presidente Obama bajo la Ley de Antigüedades.  Él designó previamente el Monumento Nacional Fort Monroe en Virginia, una antigua posta del ejército que fue integral a la historia de la esclavitud, la Guerra Civil, y las Fuerzas Armadas de EE.UU.; el Monumento Nacional Fort Ord en California, una antigua base militar que es un destino de clase mundial para recreación al aire libre; y Chimney Rock, que está ubicado en el Bosque Nacional de San Juan en el suroeste de Colorado, y ofrece un panorama espectacular repleto de historia y de cultura americana nativa.  La autoridad de la Ley de Antigüedades, que fue ejercida por primera vez por el Presidente Theodore Roosevelt en 1906 para designar el Monumento Nacional de Devils Tower en Wyoming, ha sido usada por 16 presidentes desde entonces para proteger las características naturales e históricas exclusivas en EE.UU., tales como el Gran Cañón, la Estatua de la Libertad, y el monumento Canyons of the Ancients en Colorado.

###

155 Reasons Mitt Romney Lost the 2012 Presidential Election

Updated! This is an update of an earlier post see here.

There are reasons candidates win elections and there are reasons candidates lose elections. Mitt Romney lost this one.

Here’s why.......

1.            Occupy Wall Street
2.            War on Women
3.            Hispanic Voters
4.            African American Voters
5.            AARP Fight
6.            ObamaCare Victory
7.            Death of Osama Bin Laden
8.            Bill Clinton’s DNC Speech
9.            Auto Industry Bailout
10.          The Tea Party Movement
11.          Clint Eastwood’s Monologue
12.          Horatio Alger Myth
13.          Frightened Senior Citizens
14.          Todd Akin’s Rape Comments
15.          Cayman Islands Account
16.          Mitch McConnell’s 2012 Goal
17.          Tax Cuts for the Rich
18.          Medicare Cuts
19.          Rafalca the Olympic Horse
20.          The 47% Comment
21.          The Middle Class
22.          Evangelicals
23.          Term “Welfare Queen”
24.          Not Mentioning Afghanistan
25.          Michael Savage’s Vitriol
26.          Tax Returns
27.          Corporate Greed
28.          Do-Nothing Congress
29.          Ann Coulter
30.          Gay Marriage
31.          Foreign Policy
32.          Abortion
33.          Malia and Sasha
34.          Right Wing Extremism
35.          YouTube
36.          Etch-a-Sketch Debacle
37.          Calling a US President a “Socialist”
38.          Climate Change Denial
39.          Arab Spring
40.          Sec of State Hillary Clinton
41.          Immigration Issue
42.          Bain Capital
43.          John McCain
44.          Seamus the Dog
45.          Don’t Ask Don’t Tell
46.          Muammar Gaddafi Death
47.          The 99%
48.          Too Negative
49.          Koch Brothers
50.          Term “Crony Capitalist”
51.          Phony Voter ID Laws
52.          Oil Company Ties
53.          Opposition to Green Energy
54.          Support of Nuclear Energy
55.          American Dream of Home Ownership
56.          Sheldon Adelson
57.          End of Iraq War
58.          Sarah Palin
59.          Fox News
60.          Iran Sanctions
61.          Offshoring Jobs
62.          Chris Matthews
63.          Herman Cain’s 999 Plan
64.          Outsourcing
65.          George W. Bush
66.          Union Members
67.          Obama Effect (Stockpiling Weapons)
68.          Fuel Efficiency Standards
69.          Birther Conspiracy
70.          Basketball Ability
71.          Housing Market Stabilization
72.          Gov. Scott Walker
73.          Veiled Racism
74.          Gulf Oil Spill
75.          Motor City Madman Ted Nugent
76.          Oprah Winfrey
77.          Seal Team 6
78.          Citizens United Decision
79.          Sen Larry Craig’s Wide Stance
80.          NRA Tweet after Massacre
81.          Facebook Sharing
82.          The 1%
83.          Ron Paul Snub
84.          Business Banking Regulations
85.          Mars Curiosity Rover
86.          George Clooney
87.          Small Donors
88.          Stiff Persona
89.          Libyan Attack Comments
90.          Donald Trump Endorsement
91.          “He’s Not One of Us” Argument
92.          24 Hr News Cycle
93.          “Thurston Howell Romney” Moniker
94.          GOP Israel Skinny Dip
95.          Hong Kong Fundraiser
96.          Romney’s Olympic Security Critique
97.          Carl Rove
98.          Super PAC’s
99.          Michele Bachmann
100.        Term “Death Panel”
101.        Offshore Accounts
102.        Newt Gingrich
103.        Angry Looking
104.        Netanyahu
105.        Reverse Military Cuts
106.        House Speaker John Boehner
107.        Support of Coal Industry
108.        Union Members
109.        Rush Limbaugh
110.        Corporate Greed
111.        EPA Regulations
112.        Teachers
113.        Doctored Pledge of Allegiance Photo
114.        “I love to fire People”
115.        Stimulus Plan
116.        Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner
117.        Cash for Clunkers
118.        War on Women
119.        “We Built It” Slogan
120.        Campaign Infighting
121.        No Specifics
122.        Term “Marxist”
123.        Media Bias Claim
124.        Bill O’Reilly
125.        Saturday Night Live
126.        Fair and Balanced
127.        Stock Market Recovery
128.        Al Franken
129.        Robert Reich
130.        Voter Suppression Act
131.        Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.
131.        Term “Appeasement”
132.        Day One Promises
133.        The Norquist Pledge
134.        Nathan Sproul
135.        WI Collective Bargaining Law
136.        Cato Institute
137.        Anti-Mormon Bias
138.        Free Enterprise System
139.        Hugh Hewitt’s Book
140.        Bush’s Record
141.        Atheist Ayn Rand
142.        School Vouchers
143.        Romney’s Car Elevator
144.        Offshore Drilling
145.        Ann’s Couple of Cadillac’s
146.        Insult Government Workers
147.        Anyone Can Beat Obama Mantra
148.        Comparing Obama to Jimmy Carter
149.        Likeability Factor
150.        Unpatriotic Language (Size of US Govt)
151.        Conservative Doctrine
152.        Michele vs. Ann
153.        Cheerleading Fall of US Economy
154.        Buyer’s Remorse
155.        Strategic Allied Consulting, Inc.

Copyright Bob Oedy 2012. All Rights Reserved.

19 Tips for Organizing Conference Planners

Feeling overwhelmed with responsibility in planning your union’s organizing conference? Where do you start? What needs to be included? What if anything should be done differently this time?

It’s no easy task. You have to choose the right location, the right venue, and it needs to run like a well-oiled machine. You want to send people home feeling refreshed and ready with new tools to do their job better.

Here are 19 tips to help you conduct a successful organizing conference everyone will enjoy.

1.      Review Objective – Ask “Why an organizing conference?” then set a goal and work toward it.

2.      Plan for Fun – Host it at a location people enjoy and give them time to enjoy it.

3.      Keep it short – Two or three days max; don’t take your best people out-of-the-field for too long.

4.      Build Them Up – It’s easy to get discouraged as an organizer. Encourage attendee’s success.

5.      Limit Teleprompters – Good leaders make accomplished speakers. Teleprompters distract.

6.      Skip the Entertainment – Organizing is a fascinating topic. Keep the focus on organizing.

7.      Limit Speakers to 15 Minutes – Less if possible. Everyone will thank you!

8.      Remind People to Bring a Sweater – Conference rooms are often chilly.

9.      Keep it light – Organizers are the most overworked people in the labor movement.

10.  Give Them a Break – Regular restroom breaks lead to better attention and retention.

11.  Limit Evening Receptions – After a long day glued to a chair most would rather pass.

12.  Repeat Theme Often – Ask each speaker to include a reference so it’s not forgotten.

13.  Start and End On Time – Be respectful of attendee’s time and travel arrangements.

14.  Have Contingency Plans – Be ready should a speaker fail to show or a computer malfunctions.

15.  Keep It Relevant – If the subject is anything but better organizing it should be dropped.

16.  Don’t Preach to the Choir – Organizers know exactly why they do what they do.

17.  Limit Who Attends – Raise the bar by requiring attendees be full-time union organizers.

18.  Discover New Talent – Bring in new people to conduct seminars and breakout sessions.

19.  End Strong – As participants depart they should feel relaxed, motivated, and energized.