Since we are getting close and things apparently are spinning quickly, thought this might be interesting and a good time to start a discussion. I thought it would be great to hear what everyone has to say about the upcoming election, those that are enduring here in this country and those that are watching from a far.
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Originally posted by kira View PostSince we are getting close and things apparently are spinning quickly, thought this might be interesting and a good time to start a discussion. I thought it would be great to hear what everyone has to say about the upcoming election, those that are enduring here in this country and those that are watching from a far.
Obama's speech yesterday struck me as one of the best I've seen or read. I wasn't particularly impressed by his VP choice, but it seemed less batshit insane to me.Hobo: We all dress up. We all put on our armour before we walk out the door, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re trying to be someone else.
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are there any politicians that don't deserve to be under investigation though? i would say her being married to a BP guy is just a geographical coincidence and not really a conflict of interest since i'm sure a majority of people in alaska are part of the oil business. i don't know anything about her, as most people don't, which is why it does seem like a smart move by the repbulicans to try and snag any disgruntled hillary supporters.
i'm still trying to decide if i want to vote. i hate voting republican because of their stance on ethical issues (although i think mccain is sick of all those religious conservatives too) but i don't favor any of Obama's policies. i do want the capital gains tax rate to be left alone (i don't understand why our country would want to deter more people from saving/investing) and drilling to be expanded which mccain supports.
in the end i know obama doesn't have the balls to reject anything a democratic house/senate will propose and i do believe it's dangerous when one party controls the gov't. if i vote, it seems like it will probably be for mccain for this reason alone.
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(In direct response to Sam_Tem)
There are plenty of politicians who don't deserve to be under investigation. There are plenty of politicians who do deserve to be under investigation. Palin's flagrant abuse of power and violation of federal law are not so much startling in themselves, but it is startling that the McCain campaign would approve/vet a VP candidate who is embroiled in scandal already. I mean, she had to suspend her chief of staff on Wednesday because of calls he made on her behalf that violated the law. Not only that, but the fact finding committee is due to publish its report on whether she should be indicted only a few days before the election. There is certainly something to the geographical coincidence in terms of her husband's employer, but there's also an apparent (real or not) conflict of interest in lobbying for something you are bound to directly benefit from financially.
Vote or don't vote for your own reasons, but is leaving the presidential bubble blank sufficient reason to skip all the downticket issues? If you're in a state that uses touchscreen machines though, vote absentee (will include rundowns of the problems with the touchscreen machines if anyone cares, just got back from a voting machine conference, shit is terrifying).
I fundamentally disagree with you about the capital gains issue, not because of the savings consideration, but because for many/most of the very high earners in this country, their income is classified as capital gains and taxed as such. This is bullshit. If those loopholes get fixed, and high earners pay income tax on their incomes, then I'm much less interested in the Capital Gains rates. Until then, the reduction in capital gains is utter nonsense, stealing from the country and giving to the rich.
The drilling thing is worse though, and I'm going to be nasty here. Support for increased offshore drilling is fucking stupid. There is a 5-10 year window before we see any potential increase in oil output. The potential increase is negligible (<1% of the US oil usage at peak). The environmental disaster of offshore rigs in storm areas is terrifying (look at satelite pictures during/after Katrina). Double the potential increase at peak is shipped out of the US by US oil companies daily, if we're that worried, why do we freely ship out the oil drilled now? Huge tracts of already permitted leases for offshore drilling in some of the most fertile areas are currently unutilized by oil companies. What is the motivation to increase what we give them if they currently ship oil out of the country and don't use what we've already given them? I am happy to cite sources if you're curious about any of this.
One party control is another issue, and you're on your own there, I think the Democratic party is too much of a bunch of pathetic pussies to override 41 republican senators on any issue ever so I don't see how it matters. We only get one party control when the Republicans have it because their caucus is disciplined enough to forcibly override democratic fillibusters. The democratic party lacks that discipline, and by extension lacks the ability to exercise true one party control.
I am, however, hardly neutral. McCain's warlike preferences, combined with his violently unstable temper terrifies me, because he will start more wars, and the idea of pointlessly killing that many more poor suckers being stop-lossed back into the military makes me physically ill.Hobo: We all dress up. We all put on our armour before we walk out the door, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re trying to be someone else.
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Originally posted by theetruscan View PostI am baffled by McCain's choice of VP. She's under investigation for firing someone for not firing her sister's ex. She's under investigation for violations of federal law pertaining to advocating for a ballot measure (governors are banned from doing so). She's an advocate for massive drilling expansion married to an BP manager. She seems like she's a disaster for him, but I suppose once you start to go senile, there are other rules.
Obama's speech yesterday struck me as one of the best I've seen or read. I wasn't particularly impressed by his VP choice, but it seemed less batshit insane to me.Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde
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Originally posted by Faust View PostWhy baffled? Seems like a perfecate candidate to continue the republican legacy. 8 years are not enough to wreck such a powerful country - we need at least 8 more.Hobo: We all dress up. We all put on our armour before we walk out the door, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re trying to be someone else.
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I am not voting in this election either. Because 70% of New York State vote democrat
BTW, I am not so sure McCain is such a hawk. I believe he is a great student of Eisenhower, who warned the public that the USA becoming an economic-military complex. Watch a documentary called Why We Fight - he talks a bit about his position there.
Anyway, it doesn't matter to me. My position is that you don't just pick a President, you pick a party. I am much more concerned with the state of the Supreme Court - having more Democrat justices on the bench to me is more important than any f-ing political decision that comes out of the executive branch. So, yea, it's all Dems for me.Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde
StyleZeitgeist Magazine
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Best article about Palin ever (note, I haven't factchecked it):
On the more serious side, if she's having to scrub the website day of the announcement . . .
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and so on:
Walt Monegan, former public safety commissioner, says that he was pressured to fire trooper Mike Wooten, the former brother-in-law of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who was named today as John McCain's vice-presidential pick. State senator Hollis French was given authority to hire indedendent investigator Stephen Branchfeather to conduct a probe into the matter, which has already brought resulted in Palin aide Frank Bailey being placed on administrative leave.
and on:
Seems like a characteristically stupid, impetuous choice from mccain.Last edited by theetruscan; 08-30-2008, 01:51 PM.Hobo: We all dress up. We all put on our armour before we walk out the door, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re trying to be someone else.
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2, 3 weeks ago, the channel 13 program "NOW" (or was it Bill Moyers?) had a good doc on the "good ol' boy" corruption network in Alaska; and it's clear Paulin did a great job at cleaning up that mess.
Having said that, imagining her President if McCain dies is just mind boggling.
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LATER
this shit is so fucked its now a full fledged comedy
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/us/politics/02PALINDAY.html?_r=1&hp&oref=sloginOne wonders where it will end, when everything has become gay.
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Watching from afar here, and may be a bit biased due to the fact that european media seems to favor Obama (hey, if America is a bit more stable, we don't have to be so jumpy). On the other hand, europe is a bit (hah) egosentric, and will be quick to condemn the war in iraq, but if Russia suddenly attacks Norway and threatens the whole of Europe - and America don't want to intervene they will probably be bitchy about that too. It's just a bit too fascinating, how the two candidates are such polar opposites. I think my (...fictional) vote goes for Obama, America needs to see they can change, even though it's small steps at first.
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Originally posted by philip nod View Postthis shit is so fucked its now a full fledged comedy
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/02/us/politics/02PALINDAY.html?_r=1&hp&oref=sloginLast edited by Faust; 09-02-2008, 08:55 AM.Fashion is a form of ugliness so intolerable that we have to alter it every six months - Oscar Wilde
StyleZeitgeist Magazine
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