Current Affairs Discussions. USA elections. Etc.

	Flakbaitb26 wrote:
	http://www.peteyandpetunia.com/VoteHere/VoteHere.htm

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As it says above, Flaky. There are so many links I haven't had time to check them all out, but what I saw is classic and accurate political satire. It's almost a pity it's accurate ...

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The Palin and racism matters:

Palin: The obvious reservations about the Palin "phenomenon" have nothing to do with her being a woman. If one votes for McCain it should be for his ability to be a "great leader". He'd be the president, not Palin ... so voting for McCain because Palin is a woman ... Heck - is McCain having a sex change operation, or going to borrow her youth? And would it compensate for Hillary not having beaten Obama?

If Hillary had beaten Obama, I think McCain might as well have thrown in the towel even before a vote was cast.

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Racism: Is a two-way street. It doesn't matter who "started it" or to what degree ... Once a racist mind-set is established, "the feeling is mutual."

Globalization is completely unavoidable. We're all in this together whether we like it or not. And if we don't start doing something practical and permanent to get along despite our differences - in every regard - we'll always be at war, even in our own countries.

What it amounts to is mindless Cannibalism. And the old conundrum about the last two Cannibals is:

Who do the last two Cannibals eat?

Sec

_________________
"The facts are in the details. The truth is in our hearts."

Sec wrote:

Palin: The obvious reservations about the Palin "phenomenon" have nothing to do with her being a woman. If one votes for McCain it should be for his ability to be a "great leader". He'd be the president, not Palin ... so voting for McCain because Palin is a woman ... Heck - is McCain having a sex change operation, or going to borrow her youth? And would it compensate for Hillary not having beaten Obama?

If Hillary had beaten Obama, I think McCain might as well have thrown in the towel even before a vote was cast.

I also doubt that Palin is losing many votes for her ticket due to sexism. Those who would be resistant to voting for a ticket simply because a woman was the VP choice, aren't likely to jump ship to vote Obama. They might be scared off into Ron Paul's arms in small numbers, though.

It's not as if many Democrats would be turned off by her gender as opposed to her politics. And if it was a cynical attempt to scoop up disgruntled Clinton supporters, as some have alleged, I doubt that will be successful, either. It is hopefully apparent by now that her political philosophy is almost diametrically opposite of Clinton's in many key respects.

The whole idea of painting Palin as a new breed of feminist is somewhat absurd. Of course you can bend a word like feminism to mean various things, but in its commonly accepted political context, you might be hard pressed to find a "feminist" who would, if she had her way, force you to carry your baby to term if you were raped, and make you pay for the rape kit when you report the crime, as well.

Far more votes will be lost to the choice of Palin because of her political views, and questions about her past and present actions, than to sexism. I think it's clear that her own handlers agree, evidenced by the lack of press access allowed to her, which is unprecedented in the case of a major party VP candidate.

It has been almost painful to watch her struggle through the few interviews she has granted. She was not ready, and is in way over her head. I realize it looks much different to those who support her. But as far as I can put my own biases aside while observing the interviews, I don't think she's going to win too many swing votes with her performance so far. Her unpreparedness is being made woefully apparent, and she has so far not demonstrated any depth of knowledge on any subject crucial to the position she seeks.

Not to make a rash prediction, but it would not surprise me at all to see her bow out for "personal reasons", perhaps even before the VP debate takes place. It is hard to say, though. Perhaps she is a quick study, or maybe they figure they can weather the not-unlikely embarrassment of her performance in the upcoming debate. I guess all we can do is stay tuned and find out.

MrSquirrel wrote:

I also doubt that Palin is losing many votes for her ticket due to sexism. Those who would be resistant to voting for a ticket simply because a woman was the VP choice, aren't likely to jump ship to vote Obama. They might be scared off into Ron Paul's arms in small numbers, though.

It's not as if many Democrats would be turned off by her gender as opposed to her politics. And if it was a cynical attempt to scoop up disgruntled Clinton supporters, as some have alleged, I doubt that will be successful, either. It is hopefully apparent by now that her political philosophy is almost diametrically opposite of Clinton's in many key respects.

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The whole idea of painting Palin as a new breed of feminist is somewhat absurd.Not to make a rash prediction, but it would not surprise me at all to see her bow out for "personal reasons", perhaps even before the VP debate takes place. It is hard to say, though. Perhaps she is a quick study, or maybe they figure they can weather the not-unlikely embarrassment of her performance in the upcoming debate. I guess all we can do is stay tuned and find out.

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MrS. An excellent evaluation of the overall situation and the substance - or lack thereof - regarding the Palin "effect" and the purpose of pulling her out of the hat, as if she were actually the second best possible Republican choice in the US.

If we remove McCain and Obama from the picture, who would have chosen Palin for President?

That's a brave speculation that she may be pulled out of the VP debate, for any reason. I'd support that were it not for the fact that the Republican strategy seems to be: What have we got to lose?

Bush already had the reputation of being one of the worst presidents in US history, and it seems rather obvious the Republicans have attempted to benefit from it. And with considerable success so far.

As to the VP debate: Obama, the Clintons and Democrats as a party regrouped and made a deal not to weaken themselves further from within, which Hillary was guilty of at the tail end of the Democratic nomination race. But Biden’s statement that Hillary would have made a better VP than he, might be seen as a weakness in Biden’s ability to speak and act effectively under pressure.

Palin seems to have nothing to lose. I suspect she’ll come out better prepared than her public appearances so far, not worried about focusing on any critical issues but on the job she was brought in to do: Elicit an emotional response from all the fringe elements who were likely to find her appealing, and obscure the real issues … long enough. It’s really a question of timing: If voters are in doubt at the critical time, it could go either way.

I’m inclined to believe that Americans will see the inbuilt benefits in a change of party and the considered gamble to “test” a reasonably well-qualified and seemingly capable black man in the position of the highest power in the land.

Obama and his party will have to work their butts off to prove themselves. The republicans would only have to go through the motions to improve on the Bush administration legacy.

And watch that $700 billion climb steadily to a Trillion or much more – whoever wins, whether they call it a bailout or even dump it for now during the remainder of the presidential race. The real question being asked is whether it’s anything like enough to make a meaningful impact.

_________________
"The facts are in the details. The truth is in our hearts."

MrSquirrel wrote:

---snip---

It's not as if many Democrats would be turned off by her gender as opposed to her politics. And if it was a cynical attempt to scoop up disgruntled Clinton supporters, as some have alleged, I doubt that will be successful, either. It is hopefully apparent by now that her political philosophy is almost diametrically opposite of Clinton's in many key respects.

The whole idea of painting Palin as a new breed of feminist is somewhat absurd. Of course you can bend a word like feminism to mean various things, but in its commonly accepted political context, you might be hard pressed to find a "feminist" who would, if she had her way, force you to carry your baby to term if you were raped, and make you pay for the rape kit when you report the crime, as well.

Far more votes will be lost to the choice of Palin because of her political views, and questions about her past and present actions, than to sexism. I think it's clear that her own handlers agree, evidenced by the lack of press access allowed to her, which is unprecedented in the case of a major party VP candidate.

It has been almost painful to watch her struggle through the few interviews she has granted. She was not ready, and is in way over her head. I realize it looks much different to those who support her. But as far as I can put my own biases aside while observing the interviews, I don't think she's going to win too many swing votes with her performance so far. Her unpreparedness is being made woefully apparent, and she has so far not demonstrated any depth of knowledge on any subject crucial to the position she seeks.

Not to make a rash prediction, but it would not surprise me at all to see her bow out for "personal reasons", perhaps even before the VP debate takes place. It is hard to say, though. Perhaps she is a quick study, or maybe they figure they can weather the not-unlikely embarrassment of her performance in the upcoming debate. I guess all we can do is stay tuned and find out.

No former Clinton supporters I know, and I know a lot, are impressed by Palin...or McCain for choosing her. What his choice showed was his very shallow understanding of how women in politics think. He picked a woman, right, but one that is not even similar to the one we supported. It was an offensive choice on his part. The message it sent was a woman is a woman is a woman. So it only confirmed McCain's mysogynistic view of women. Palin, on the other hand, is a gutsy woman. I give her that...but I could never support her political views. And the thought of her having a hand in picking a few Supreme Court Justices keeps me awake at night.

Squirrel is right, the interviews have been painful to watch. Personally, I have watched them with a lot of ambivalence. I find myself wanting Candidate Palin to do poorly so people see how unprepared she is, but I also find myself wanting to see the woman Sarah Palin do well. I think McCain's campaign made a mistake keeping her sequestered in the beginning. It seems to have taken some of her confidence, and that was a large part of her initial appeal.

I would not be surprised either to see her drop off the ticket. Even some conservatives are suggesting that might be a good thing. It's a toss-up for me. I think it could go either way.

_________________
The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery. ~ Anais Nin

lolololololololololololololololololol

Now that the lights are off, I can't see a thing.
- zephyr (6pts, 3 votes, Sep 28 2008)

_________________
"The facts are in the details. The truth is in our hearts."

The following funnies relate so well to this topic that I couldn't resist posting them here instead of the "Lighter side" thread that I started:

And my personal favorite:

Love ya!

Seek

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Sometimes God calms the storm. At other times, He calms the sailor. And sometimes He makes us swim. ~Author Unknown

~~~Seek the Lord and His Strength; Seek His Face Continually. Psalm 105:4~~~

Well, southie posted about this in the global warming thread, but I'll copy it here:

VOTE
Go vote today. Vote for whomever you please. Even if the news media says a candidate is ahead and the polls close in 20 minutes...GO VOTE!! Remember whomever you vote for (in whatever office) you will have for awhile.

But after the voting is over and we have a new president....DON'T bash him.....even if he was not the candidate you wanted. Stand behind him and support him. After all he is representing YOU!!! And when you tear him down you tear America down.

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I think therefore I am single.

I totally agree with the sentiment here. Unfortunately, if the upset happens and McCain wins...it'll be much harder for his supporters to support Obama than vice-versa. Why? Because McCain's campaign was full of vicious attacks questioning the character and patriotism of Obama, while the senator from Illinois ran a dignified campaign, despite being urged by many in his party to go "tit for tat" with the attacks.

Thankfully, Democrats will have no problem helping McCain supporters fit in to the new American landscape.

lib·er·al (lbr-l, lbrl)
adj.
1.
a. Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry.
b. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded.
c. Of, relating to, or characteristic of liberalism.
d. Liberal Of, designating, or characteristic of a political party founded on or associated with principles of social and political liberalism, especially in Great Britain, Canada, and the United States.
2.
a. Tending to give freely; generous: a liberal benefactor.
b. Generous in amount; ample: a liberal serving of potatoes.
3. Not strict or literal; loose or approximate: a liberal translation.
4. Of, relating to, or based on the traditional arts and sciences of a college or university curriculum: a liberal education.
5.
a. Archaic Permissible or appropriate for a person of free birth; befitting a lady or gentleman.
b. Obsolete Morally unrestrained; licentious.

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lol Coca I am sure Palin will be glad to have this campaign over, The Democrats treated her very kindly. I do have some serious concerns with Obama's association with Ayers and the whole dump my preacher after he is proved to be a RACIST! But in 3 hours this whole awful mess will be over and life will be lovely again.

Liberal in my dictionary equates to......spend my money on government and their pork barrel projects. Democrats raise taxes.

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I think therefore I am single.

We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.
~Edward R. Murrow

If we can separate "bashing" from legitimate dissent, I can get behind it. Personal attacks and attacks on the family -- not so good. But I truly think we are obligated to dissent when we disagree. What's the yin without the yang?

I love this day! I'm an unabashed nerd about it. I can remember going to vote with my dad when I was a kid as clearly as I remember taking my own daughter to the polls and holding her up to punch my ballot. I'm sure that has happened in many families -- I hope it has.

Obama 2008!

~smarti

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The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery. ~ Anais Nin

southgirl wrote:

lol Coca I am sure Palin will be glad to have this campaign over, The Democrats treated her very kindly. I do have some serious concerns with Obama's association with Ayers and the whole dump my preacher after he is proved to be a RACIST! But in 3 hours this whole awful mess will be over and life will be lovely again.

Liberal in my dictionary equates to......spend my money on government and their pork barrel projects. Democrats raise taxes.

Hmm. Should I bother? Let me just say that the Iraq War was the worst pork-barrel project in the history of the universe. Governor Bush has spent all our money and borrowed more from China than we can pay back anytime soon.
I call him "Governor" because that's the only offfice he's held legally.

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States Ranked: Smartest to Dumbest

Although there are anomalies from top to bottom (mostly bottom),
I think this shows some insight into what happened yesterday.

By the way...I'm not at all surprised by California's low ranking. This is where
all the stupid television shows are produced, after all. I guess the fact that I live in
California just barely pushes us past Alabama.

1.Massachusetts - Obama
2.Connecticut - Obama
3.Vermont -Obama
4.New Jersey - Obama
5.Wisconsin - Obama
6.New York - Obama
7.Minnesota - Obama
8.Iowa - Obama
9.Pennsylvania - Obama
10.Montana - McCain

11.Maine - Obama
12.Virginia - Obama
13.Nebraska - McCain
14.New Hampshire - Obama
15.Kansas - McCain
16.Wyoming - McCain
17.Indiana - Obama
18.Maryland - Obama
19.North Dakota - McCain
20.Ohio - Obama

21.Colorado - Obama
22.South Dakota - McCain
23.Rhode Island - Obama
24.Illinois - Obama
25.North Carolina *
26.Missouri *
27.Delaware - Obama
28.Utah - McCain
29.Idaho - McCain
30.Washington - Obama

31.Michigan - Obama
32.South Carolina - McCain
33.Texas and West Virginia - McCain (tie)
35.Oregon - Obama
36.Arkansas - McCain
37.Kentucky - McCain
38.Georgia - McCain
39.Florida - Obama
40.Oklahoma - McCain

41.Tennessee - McCain
42.Hawaii - Obama
43.California - Obama
44.Alabama - McCain
45.Alaska - McCain
46.Louisiana - McCain
47.Mississippi - McCain
48.Arizona - McCain
49.Nevada - Obama
50.New Mexico - Obama

*-Even as of 3:30 am Eastern

Top 25 "Smartest" - 72% for Obama

Source:

http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/package.jsp?name=fte/smartstates/smartstates
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I only point this out to illustrate why I have made the claims against Republicans in this election that I have.
It should be clear now that the nation as a whole has said in a clear voice that they have had enough of the GOP's recent poor performance.
Senator McCain's concession speech was quite commendable...perhaps if he had been as dignified from the get-go, he would have won.
I feel sorry, actually, for those in the crowd who continued to "boo" at the mention of Obama and Biden's names. No such cat-calls were heard
in the massive crowd in Chicago when President-elect Obama gave his inspiring speech.
I feel sorry that they didn't feel the beauty of what happened. Anyone with a sense of history realizes what a special moment this is.

Yes, it's time to move on. God Bless America, the beacon of democracy in the world.

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PRESIDENT Bush could not do a thing without congress and the senates ok. I will cling to that peice of knowledge in the years to come.

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I think therefore I am single.

President bush had a majority in the house and senate for the first six years and they were his rubber stamp with no over site and they tried taking over the courts as well lol dont pin anything on the congress of past 2 years for past 8 years with his veto power etc its all bush all the way down the line to DAMN near bankrupting us Smile

Well we can relax now the liberals are in power and they will tell us how to live. But I heard on Hannity tonight that Clinton signed the first ecxuctive order to remove Sadam Hussien. He was wrong...Reagan did. SO go ahead and say that Bush and his pack of wild conservatves were in power and ruled the house and the senate etc. But I know that most of the demcrats voted for it too.

BUT Clinton was the one who told the banking interests to give loans to people who could not pay for it. The share the wealth was not Obama's idea. Clinton thought of it first. Although I will say I do not agree we should bail out the financial institutions in Amerca or Europe.

Are you going to tell me that the Iraqi people are not better off without Sadam? Are you serious going to tell me that the soldiers and civilians died for nothing? What's next? Are you going to stand at airports and spit at our soldiers coming home like they that did in Vietnam?

And I don't like it that you feel like you should curse. I think that means you know you are wrong and are trying to silence me. Wont work buddy. I don't intemidate.

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I think therefore I am single.

I guess in this country ur either a liberal or a facsist lol oops i mean conservative, i just hope we start spending some of our money on us and stop spending it on iraq Very Happy

i dont much care about clinton or what he did, but if you want to talk about deeds clinton had a 500 billion dollar surplus and bush wasted it and i dont mean with that $300 dollars he sent around to people either , see i know this $300 times 300,000,000 people equals 90 billion not 500 billion so where did 410 billion go? evaporated real quick ? into thin air hmmm i dont know at any rate i know we have wasted alot of money under bush and the real conservatives ( libertarians ) dont like bush either for it he was their worst nightmare Smile

but having said that you vigor in defending u beliefs is commendable Wink

I read and re-read Smarti’s reply to my request for her to clarify her stance regarding her Poem, in the Topic labeled “Halloween names”, and it seems to be a most sensible manner of achieving some form of closure to disagreements and confrontations.

For one thing, it’s in the correct forum and we know a lot more about Smarti, her motives and character then we did before. And overall, it sounds good enough to me. 100% agreement is almost impossible. But even just 51% gets you in the White House.

So I hope everyone will let it stand as the final post there … because it shows – among other things – that on a One-on-One basis all of us are capable of communicating well enough to reason something out.

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With the festive season almost upon us, the imminent threat of temporary peace in a number of suburbs in various communities throughout the world is expected to disrupt the smooth continuance of suburban, urban, national, international, and global conflicts.

Thus all belligerent activities and assignations related to the previous temporary announcement are suspended until further notice.

SecondSanta

_________________
"The facts are in the details. The truth is in our hearts."