Presidential Election: 2012

[Omnis]

There's a word for people like them. They're called hacks.

 

[runfromcheney]

True that.

Anyways, enough about those idiots, they aren't serious candidates.

Personally, I am a Republican yet I can count the number of current Republican politicians I like on one hand. The majority of them disgust me; they are either a bunch of Ultra-conservative Christian fundamentalists that are simply walking the party line and are on a misguided witch hunt for Obama, or intellectual lightweights that simply want to get in front of a TV Camera and spout conspiracy theories (Looking for a shot at the grand prize - a job as a Fox News commentator!). It is irritating me since while I am moderate and like to listen to the issues and do my research, I immediately get clumped in with these idiots because they have so badly defamed the Republican name. We are the party of Lincoln, not the party of Palin!

Anyways, enough of my ranting, back on the topic at hand: Nobody other than Ron Paul has impressed me in the GOP race. The only other candidate that got my interest was Herman Cain, and I got instantly turned off to him after he made those comments about Islam. (9/11 was a decade ago, I think its about time we got over our Islamophobia). So, unless Ron Paul gets the nomination, I am going to have to reluctantly vote for Obama.

 

[arora]

I have noticed that some conservative commentators/websites are boosting Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann as potential candidates. I am just wondering, does anyone take either of those two seriously as contenders for the GOP nomination?

I would take Palin seriously if she decides to run, she could raise a lot of money, more then most I bet, the tea party deal is pretty strong(you can see their influence on the congress atm), and she is likable on the campaign trail as well as the t.v.

As for my preference for a gop, I don't have one yet but it surely is not her Just saying I think she would be a front runner if she jumped in now.

 

[Touring Mars]

She has no intellectual bearing like Ron Paul has.

Since when did that count for anything?

I would not dismiss Palin quite so readily either. I wouldn't be surprised if more GOP hopefuls chickened out of a run against Obama, but something tells me that Palin would relish a fight like that, and she would probably do better than alot of people would imagine than a more conventional candidate like Tim Pawlenty. Palin might be a bit of an intellectual lightweight when compared to the likes of Ron Paul, but as I said at the top of the post, that's not likely to be much of a hinderance... infact, in terms of likability and popularity, it's more likely a positive boon.

 

[runfromcheney]

If Palin did happen to get the nom though, Obama would walk over her. The Christian Right are the only people that would vote for her.

 

[Keef]

They're called hacks.

Omigosh, how dare you discriminate against women like that! Dontcha know!

 

[BobK]

Personally, I am a Republican yet I can count the number of current Republican politicians I like on one hand. The majority of them disgust me; they are either a bunch of Ultra-conservative Christian fundamentalists that are simply walking the party line and are on a misguided witch hunt for Obama, or intellectual lightweights that simply want to get in front of a TV Camera and spout conspiracy theories (Looking for a shot at the grand prize - a job as a Fox News commentator!). It is irritating me since while I am moderate and like to listen to the issues and do my research, I immediately get clumped in with these idiots because they have so badly defamed the Republican name. We are the party of Lincoln, not the party of Palin!

Wow, you just described my sentiments to a T!

 

[Omnis]

Omigosh, how dare you discriminate against women like that! Dontcha know!

Hey, whose fault is it that Sharron Angle lost to Reid at the last minute? That would have fixed a lot of things.

 

[spiker]

Imagine how awesome TDS and SNL would be if Palin were president, though. 👍

 

[runfromcheney]

Imagine how awesome TDS and SNL would be if Palin were president, though. 👍

If Palin were President, there would be no SNL or TDS since we would have probably been nuked out of existence by now.

 

[Bdx]

If Palin did happen to get the nom though, Obama would walk over her. The Christian Right are the only people that would vote for her.

I agree Palin is not who should be the front runner for the GOP, i would rather see a off the wall move such as someone like Scott Brown senator from my state who i think has done a pretty decent job so far and is far more partisan then the liberal hacks we are loaded up with in this state! Much better then Teddy "Chivas" Kennedy that's for sure!

I think too many here are a little cocky to be shoeing in Obama as a automatic two term guy when we have unemployment rates that continue to only get worse, sorry liberal media no one is buying your fake BS recovery! It simple is only getting worse by the day and that is bad news for the guy who currently owns the potus title imo.

 

[runfromcheney]

The economy is getting better. It is not nearly as good as it should be, but its not the total mess it was three years ago. Also, there is no "liberal bias" in the media in general IMO, it just depends on the source. MSNBC is very liberal while Fox News seems to be aimed directly at the Christian right.

 

[Sam48]

The economy is getting better. It is not nearly as good as it should be, but its not the total mess it was three years ago.

Honestly, it hasn't gotten a whole lot worse nor a whole lot better since 2007.

Also, there is no "liberal bias" in the media outside of MSNBC.

All media is bias, like it or not. The only non-bias media is the weather channel.

 

[spiker]

Honestly, it hasn't gotten a whole lot worse nor a whole lot better since 2007.

I'll agree with that. There are some new jobs getting added to the economy but the average American is still hurting - especially skilled labor unions and recent college graduates. I think the biggest indicator for the health of the US economy is the housing market. Once that rebounds then I'd say we're already full steam ahead.

 

[DK]

I cannot take Palin seriously. If claiming that being able to see Russia from her home gives her some sort of credentials for foreign policy, then according to her (poor) logic a North Korean border guard also has foreign policy credentials, despite never having left his home country or heard anything but propaganda about the outside world, or a sheep farmer from Donegal (a border county in Ireland) being considered an expert on Northern Irish affairs. I am fed up of the theocrats that run under the Republican ticket.

 

[runfromcheney]

I cannot take Palin seriously. If claiming that being able to see Russia from her home gives her some sort of credentials for foreign policy, then according to her (poor) logic a North Korean border guard also has foreign policy credentials, despite never having left his home country or heard anything but propaganda about the outside world, or a sheep farmer from Donegal (a border county in Ireland) being considered an expert on Northern Irish affairs. I am fed up of the theocrats that run under the Republican ticket.

Well, for the record, she never said that. However, I agree that she could be a foreign policy disaster for us, mainly because of her folksy behavior and beligerant "I'm a hockey mom and I am like a pitbull GRR!" attitude would not win us any new friends overseas. Actually, it would probably get us nuked.

 

[FoolKiller]

The economy is getting better. It is not nearly as good as it should be, but its not the total mess it was three years ago.

Starting Monday my entire department will have been completely outsourced to India because we can no longer afford to continue it here. On Monday my title will change from Production Manager to Outsource Production Manager and my job will now be to act as a liaison between sales and our business partner in India. My direct report supervisor is currently in India doing training now.

Perception is everything. If you or someone you know lose a job or are struggling financially, the economy is bad. If you or someone you know comes into a new job and/or better money the economy is good.
And because unemployment reports are done in such a way as to only measure the people that are applying for jobs the reports we get every month are inaccurate, often showing job growth when the truth is that some people just gave up trying and didn't apply for anything or vice-versa.

 

[runfromcheney]

Perception is everything. If you or someone you know lose a job or are struggling financially, the economy is bad. If you or someone you know comes into a new job and/or better money the economy is good.

That really explains the difference in opinion people seem to have. I think the economy is picking up because my family is doing well and I have finally landed the job I have always wanted a couple weeks ago (I am waiting to start), when I got nothing but doors slammed in my face when I went looking for a job in 2009 and 10. But on the other hand, your entire department is getting laid off. So we are of entirely different opinions because of our current experiences.

 

[DK]

Well, for the record, she never said that. However, I agree that she could be a foreign policy disaster for us, mainly because of her folksy behavior and beligerant "I'm a hockey mom and I am like a pitbull GRR!" attitude would not win us any new friends overseas. Actually, it would probably get us nuked.

OK, I'll admit that I was wrong there. I think she'll probably drag America into another war, and I'm putting my money on a war with Pakistan.

 

[Keef]

And because unemployment reports are done in such a way as to only measure the people that are applying for jobs the reports we get every month are inaccurate, often showing job growth when the truth is that some people just gave up trying and didn't apply for anything or vice-versa.

I've heard figures showing the reported unemployment rate is currently about half the real unemployment rate. The rate is calculated from the number of people actually receiving benefits. The other half of them have either exhausted their benefits or have simply given up, like you said.

My mom got a job recently, but I can still tell you the economy sucks. The latest thing getting on everybody's nerves is temporary employment. It's rampant in my local area. The hiring and firing of temporary employees is constant, because work loads are going up and down drastically, especially in the manufacturing sector. Many companies are unwilling to hire permanent employees because they are not confident in the economy's outlook, and because the cost of offering full benefits would be a big risk to take in a questionable business climate.

 

[Dotini]

OK, I'll admit that I was wrong there. I think she'll probably drag America into another war, and I'm putting my money on a war with Pakistan.

Seeing as Pakistan is swiftly allying itself with China, you might just want to quickly drag those chips right off the table!

No, what America really needs after all this time of losing and hemorrhaging blood and money, is to actually finish and win a war. And profit handsomely by finally taking home the spoils! This is what war should be all about - victory and conquest! This is best done by picking on a rich but weak neighbor. Of course, the obvious helpless victim is Canada - Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin always wanted this one. Canada's gold, water, oil, timber, fisheries and arctic access would do wonders to fix the good old USA's ailing economy, don't you think?

In all facetiousness,
Dotini

 

[arora]

I cannot take Palin seriously. I am fed up of the theocrats that run under the Republican ticket.

I would not call Palin a theocrat, maybe a Christian nationalist if she is even that far to the right. I don't think she claims to be ordained by god to run society, which is the difference to theocracy.

Soft Dominionists are Christian nationalists. They believe that Biblically-defined immorality and sin breed chaos and anarchy. They fear that America's greatness as God's chosen land has been undermined by liberal secular humanists, feminists, and homosexuals. Purists want litmus tests for issues of abortion, tolerance of gays and lesbians, and prayer in schools. Their vision has elements of theocracy, but they stop short of calling for supplanting the Constitution and Bill of Rights

Do you think she puts the bible above the laws of the United States?

We have abundant reason to rejoice, that, in this land, the light of truth and reason has triumphed over the power of bigotry and superstition, and that every person may here worship God according to the dictates of his own heart. In this enlightened age, & in this land of equal liberty, it is our boast, that a man's religious tenets will not forfeit the protection of the laws, nor deprive him of the right of attaining & holding the highest offices that are known in the United States

Of all the animosities which have existed among mankind, those which are caused by difference of sentiments in religion appear to be the most inveterate and distressing, and ought most to be deprecated. I was in hopes that the enlightened and liberal policy, which has marked the present age, would at least have reconciled Christians of every denomination so far that we should never again see the religious disputes carried to such a pitch as to endanger the peace of society.

______________________

I agree that she could be a foreign policy disaster for us, mainly because of her folksy behavior and beligerant "I'm a hockey mom and I am like a pitbull GRR!" attitude would not win us any new friends overseas. Actually, it would probably get us nuked.

I think she'll probably drag America into another war, and I'm putting my money on a war with Pakistan.

I have to disagree with both of those statements. Here is an interview where she gives her position on India and Pakistan for what it's worth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Lv43iglETw&feature=player_detailpage

Here she questions Obama's policy on Libya..

At this point, to avoid further mission creep and involvement in a third war – one we certainly can’t afford – you need to step up and justify our Libyan involvement, or Americans are going to demand you pull out. Simply put, what are we doing there? You’ve put us in a strategic no man’s land. If Gaddafi’s got to go, then tell NATO our continued participation hinges on this: We strike hard and Gaddafi will be gone. If, as you and your spokesmen suggest, we’re not to tell Libya what to do when it comes to that country’s leadership, and if you can’t explain to Americans why we’re willing to protect Libyan resources and civilians but not Syria’s, Yemen’s, Bahrain’s, Egypt’s, Israel’s, etc., then there is no justification for U.S. human and fiscal resources to be spent.

I can understand why you guys don't like her, I don't like her either but for very different reasons. Goofy claims about her foreign policy understanding however don't hold much water imo.

 

[Keef]

No, what America really needs after all this time of losing and hemorrhaging blood and money, is to actually finish and win a war. And profit handsomely by finally taking home the spoils! This is what war should be all about - victory and conquest! This is best done by picking on a rich but weak neighbor. Of course, the obvious helpless victim is Canada - Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin always wanted this one. Canada's gold, water, oil, timber, fisheries and arctic access would do wonders to fix the good old USA's ailing economy, don't you think?

In all facetiousness,
Dotini

Actually kind of liking this idea.

 

[Sam48]

I've heard figures showing the reported unemployment rate is currently about half the real unemployment rate. The rate is calculated from the number of people actually receiving benefits. The other half of them have either exhausted their benefits or have simply given up, like you said.

Also known as discouraged workers. The real unemployment rate in the US is about 17-18%. In fact, according to the media, I'm technically still employed, even though I'm not currently working at all as I fall under that category.

 

[Dotini]

Seeing as Pakistan is swiftly allying itself with China, you might just want to quickly drag those chips right off the table!

No, what America really needs after all this time of losing and hemorrhaging blood and money, is to actually finish and win a war. And profit handsomely by finally taking home the spoils! This is what war should be all about - victory and conquest! This is best done by picking on a rich but weak neighbor. Of course, the obvious helpless victim is Canada - Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin always wanted this one. Canada's gold, water, oil, timber, fisheries and arctic access would do wonders to fix the good old USA's ailing economy, don't you think?

In all facetiousness,
Dotini

Actually kind of liking this idea.

Canada also has neodymium. If a nation refuses international access to exploitation of strategically necessary resources (everyone must have a cellphone!!), then that is grounds for attack. If locals anywhere on Earth - be they aborigines, tribalists, communists or democrats - are sitting on arable land, minerals or other resources and are not exploiting them to the highest possible degree, then it is the duty of all right-thinking global capitalists to go in and straighten them out.

Ad Astra per Aspera!
Dotini

 

[Keef]

then it is the duty of all right-thinking global capitalists to go in and straighten them out.

Ad Astra per Aspera!
Dotini

Diplomatically, right?

 

[Dotini]

Diplomatically, right?

Absolutely! "Talk softly but carry a big stick." - T. Roosevelt

 

[Keef]

That quote is one of few meaningful things the man contributed to humanity.

 

[Dotini]

That quote is one of few meaningful things the man contributed to humanity.

I've always been partial to his philosophy of "The Strenuous Life".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Strenuous_Life

This characterizes it: "It is the duty of someone who does not engage in manual labor for a living to devote himself to the arts or sciences".

Perhaps it is the American form of "noblesse oblige."

Other than that, yes, he was an imperialist warmonger.

 

[Omnis]

Isn't it "tread lightly"?