Politics
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- TheBlueOne0
“Every great cause,” Eric Hoffer wrote, “begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.” As a cause, conservatism may be dead. But as a stance, as a way of making judgments in a complex and difficult world, I believe it is very much alive in the instincts and predispositions of a liberal named Barack Obama."
And that:s from the former publisher of the National Review.
http://www.dmagazine.com/ME2/dir…
I've been a radical neo-lefty for most of my life, but I always admired and respected real conservatives. They were often among the smarter people in the room and raised good pragmatic questions about issues. And despite my lefty social and civilrights tendencies I've been very real politik when it comes to foreign policy, where I often agreed with conservatives of a decade ago.
Bush\Cheney has nothing to do with "conservatism"...nor do the people here that defend such thinking. Obama is far more of a central realist reali politik guy than a lefty socialist. The old school conservatives know it, and it looks like, finally, vast swaths of the american electorate have sussed it out. The people here that seem to criticize Obama bc he's a "socialist" rather than address the realities of his policies and principlfes show their true colors...
- hallelujah0
"As election day gets closer, Obama continues to make inroads in areas where McCain should have no problems. Several reports out this morning focus on Obama's gains. The Los Angeles Times has a great piece this morning on McCain's problems in traditionally conservative areas:
Rep. Mark Souder, an Indiana Republican, said he was looking at an "Obama tide" in his district and wondering about his own reelection: "Can I withstand a firestorm?"
"The impression of McCain on the economy is that he wanted more deregulation than Bush" at a time that voters are demanding more help from the government, he said. "I'm not sure right now that McCain can carry seven states," added Souder, whose home state has not picked a Democrat for president since 1964. "In the end I think McCain will carry Indiana. But if you are fighting for Indiana, you are in trouble."
And problems in Florida as well:
In conservative Naples, Fla. -- a heavily white, Republican area -- retirees and other residents have been hard hit by plummeting property values, rising tax bills and skyrocketing insurance premiums -- and McCain advisors, citing internal campaign polling, concede that the GOP nominee is "underperforming" there.
::::::
The Miami Herald is reporting this morning that some Florida Republicans are beginning to slowly distance themselves from McCain, including top surrogate Charlie Crist:
Even Gov. Charlie Crist, who helped deliver Florida for McCain during the primary, said he will spend the final weeks before Election Day minding the state's weak economy rather than campaigning for the Arizona senator.
''When I have time to help, I'll try to do that,'' Crist said last week, after he flew around the state with McCain running mate Sarah Palin. Saturday, he skipped a McCain football rally and instead went to Disney World.
I guess Crist is another one who disagrees with the current direction of the McCain campaign:
Crist has stressed the need to focus on the economy and, close allies say, has grown troubled with the negative direction of the McCain campaign as it focuses more on Obama's connections to 1960s radical William Ayers, rather than on pocketbook issues.
Seems funny, doesn't it, that McCain's top surrogate in Florida won't be doing much campaigning for him in the final few weeks? "
- hallelujah0
"My Dad is the only conservative left in my family. All six kids are democrats and progressives. He thinks it is because we went to college where they teach us all that "s**t" (my Dad almost never swears, so you can see that he was very upset when he said that). Of course he is glad we are college educated, it's just that he is pretty lonely these days when the subject of politics comes up. Even my Mom, who used to agree with him more (she bought the B.S. about Gore being a "liar") has had it with the Republicans. She is against the war, is no longer afraid of gay people, thinks conservative values support the wealthy and harm the poor and middle class, and feels more comfortable with progressive ideas in general.
So there is my Dad, all alone, trying to convince his giant family that we are all naive and have been brainwashed by the liberal media etc. etc. The problem is, we are a smart bunch, if I do say so myself, so he frequently gets backed into a corner, at which point he gets angry and shuts down the conversation with some non-sensical platitude. For instance, when I was asking how he felt about the way the Rebublicans undermined Kerry's war-service by lying about him (he claims to hate lying), he just shut the conversation down by saying "both sides play dirty and and went off to cool down. Needless to say, talking to my Dad about politcs is VERY FRUSTRATING. I generally don't do it.
Dad voted for Bush. Twice. I was so sickened by this I was afraid it would harm our relationship. You see, my Dad is a very good man. A very nice, caring, loving man. He is generous, compassionate, and tries very hard to do what is right and selfless. It is just that he lacks any rebellious instinct, and his family is conservative with a capital C. His parents made it seem like the republican values were morally right (his dad was a minister) and independent thinking was dangerous. None of the kids rebelled. As my mom points out, compared to his siblings, my dad is a "flaming liberal". So, my Dad ends up voting for terrible candidates and does some impressive mental gymnastics to justify it. Much of his justification comes from Fox News. For instance, after Obama's speech on race, my Dad said it was one of the best speeches he has ever heard and he thought he would vote for Obama. This was his own, spontaneous reaction. A week later, after he had watched Fox for a week, he was questioning Obama's judgment for not leaving the church earlier, etc, etc. Ugh. After that, I decided to stop talking to him about politics, I just couldn't stand it.
So how did Obama convince my stubborn, Fox-news watching Dad to vote for him? By not trying to destroy McCain's character, and instead demonstrating his remarkable leadership qualities. My Dad has a man-crush on McCain. He practically gets weepy when talking about his honor and service to our country. I get that. I think McCain is running an awful, hate-filled campaign, but I also think he sacrificed a lot for his country and should be honored for that. However, I am capable of separating these two things, but my Dad is not. There is no McCain then and McCain now. My Dad continues to describe McCain as "an honorable man" even now, after the dirty commercials, the lies, and the smears. He has a real blind spot, and so do a lot of conservatives, but fortunately our candidate is much smarter than most of us and realized this.
When many democrats were frantically calling for Obama to hit harder, he stuck to issues and remained calm. Even his few attack ads are grounded in fact and generally ended with a positive Obama message. This was a genius decision because it allowed people like my Dad to come into the fold.
My Dad told me last week he was going to vote for Obama. I was surprised but didn't let on, any emotionality on my part could send him scurrying back to the comfort zone. I just listened as he explained. Was it the lying? The horribly negative tone of McCain's campaign? The idiot Sarah Palin choice? No (he doesn't think Palin is ready to lead, but that wasn't it). He explained, "I still love, love McCain but I think during these times, we need someone who can inspire people. Obama can do that, he is a good leader.
That was it. A simple reason, that allowed my Dad to vote against a man he admires. He did not have to change his views of McCain to do it, and that is a crucial point. I don't think my Dad could change his views of McCain unless he raped or killed someone. But he can recognize a good leader when he sees one. Thank you Obama, you just made it that much easier to relate to my Dad."
- Nice one.BuddhaHat
- thunderous applause****.....nic... one :), thanks for sharing, that's great.mikotondria3
- That's great. So nice to hear.AngArtist
- Just give it another 15 years, you'll get more Conservative and love your father for it.********
- ukit0
Defending the aggressive campaign rhetoric at recent McCain-Palin events against criticisms made by Rep. John Lewis, McCain campaign manager Rick Davis raised John McCain's history as a POW on Sunday.
"Look, Chris, I think we have to take this very seriously," Davis told Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace. "And the kind of comments made by Congressman Lewis, a big Obama supporter, are reprehensible. The idea that you're going to compare John McCain to the kinds of hate spread in the '60s by somebody like George Wallace is outrageous. Where was John McCain when George Wallace was spreading his hate and segregationist policies at that time? He was in a Vietnam prison camp serving his country with his civil rights also denied."
- ********0
We should worry about one thing: How will the democrats controlling both houses and the presidency will purge the government and restore the constitution? Will they go after small fry like Gonzales or bigger stuff like Yoo? or?
- GeorgesII0
God bless Carlin
- they control everything except George Carlin********
- This is 100% true.sofakingbanned
- they control everything except George Carlin
- ********0
How much the richest people in america have lost because of the recession
http://www.vanityfair.com/online…Sheldon Adelson the casino mogul lost 91% of his fortune hhehe hehehe
- bliznutty0
LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME
LAME LAME LAME LAMELAME LAME LAME
LAME LAME LAME LAMELAME LAME
LAME LAME LAME LAME LAME
LAME LAME LAME LAME
LAME LAME LAME
LAME LAME
LAME- did i mention this thread was LAME?bliznutty
- what are you trying to say?ephix
- He was trying to same his boyfriend was a lame lay!********
- extremely, but oh so entertaining. it's great to be a minority these days.********
- everyone is a minority - men, americans, diabetics, blacks, whites, lefties, veggies...mikotondria3
- ukit0
http://www.time.com/time/politic…
With so much at stake, and time running short, Frederick did not feel he had the luxury of subtlety. He climbed atop a folding chair to give 30 campaign volunteers who were about to go canvassing door to door their talking points — for instance, the connection between Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden: "Both have friends that bombed the Pentagon," he said. "That is scary." It is also not exactly true — though that distorted reference to Obama's controversial association with William Ayers, a former 60s radical, was enough to get the volunteers stoked. "And he won't salute the flag," one woman added, repeating another myth about Obama. She was quickly topped by a man who called out, "We don't even know where Senator Obama was really born."
- autoflavour0
his an arab..
- ********0
National Debt Clock runs out of digits
It appears even technology cannot cope with the global financial crisis: the National Debt Clock in New York has run out of digits for the first time.
The electronic billboard hit its limit after US public debt rose above the $10 trillion mark for the first time on September 30.
As a temporary fix the dollar sign has been switched to a figure--the '1' in $10 trillion. The clock is currently marking the US federal government’s national debt at about $10.2 trillion.
The clock, located in Times Square in New York, shows the amount of money owed by the US government. It was created by the late Manhattan real estate developer Seymour Durst, who put the sign up in 1989 to call attention to what was then a $2.7 trillion debt.
The Durst Organization says it plans to update the sign next year by adding two digits. That will make it capable of tracking debt up to a quadrillion dollars.
- And a quadrillion won't be the end of it either.BuddhaHat
- ukit0
Wow, each family owes $86k??? That's fucking insaaaane man!
- don't forget the loans given to close to 5 million illegals. you can't count them, they don't have reaal SS #'s.********
- who's fault is that?DrBombay
- Republicants had 10 years to do something about that and didn't.TheBlueOne
- Damn those illegals, taking all the good Americans jobs. I wanted to work a field... If only they saved us more money than they cost..... oh wait.sofakingbanned
- ... they cost. ...oh wait.sofakingbanned
- don't forget the loans given to close to 5 million illegals. you can't count them, they don't have reaal SS #'s.
- ********0
Go off my friend! Call him zaney, but he's right. Thanks Bubba...- One Scary Redneck, probably give McCain a heart attack!********
- back away from the methpipe. bush has had 8 years, and making clinton the goat is laughableBonSeff
- A crisis of thi smagnitude is too large to place at the feet of one party. Everyone is at faault one way or anotherlocustsloth
- more likely, bill created it as a means for lower income families to have homes and the bush administration abused this._salisae_
- Blame Clinton for signing a bill sponsored by Republicans which controlled both Congress and the Senate...IRNlun6
- * slaps self for even trying to argue this post..IRNlun6
- You're all only posting here because it makes you uncomfortable that it's true.********
- Meth speaker!!!GeorgesII
- Yes, this gentleman makes me uncomfortable because he is irrational and raginglocustsloth
- One Scary Redneck, probably give McCain a heart attack!
- khan0
- _salisae_0
Obama aides are launching a campaign involving hundreds of volunteer lawyers to make sure there are no disenfranchised voters this go around :D
- GeorgesII0
From Alaska with love
- human beings.. Fuck Yeah!Mirpour
- I love those 2 ... and want to have babies with themRamanisky2
- WOW!robotron3k
- TheBlueOne0
Irony, Thy Name Is Palin:
I remember the good old days of yore when it was Obama that was the celebrity like Britney. Damn you Palin, why must you shine so bright!
- Bahahhaa! So true, In are the days of the celebrity politician. Qualifications, baaaaaaa!********
- Bahahhaa! So true, In are the days of the celebrity politician. Qualifications, baaaaaaa!
