Home > Jay Bookman > Archives > 2008 > September > 19 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USIn congressional races, a GOP revival?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Gallup Poll recently reported that the GOP had largely closed the gap with voters asked whether they’d vote for a generic Republican or Democrat. I confess I dismissed those results as an outlier, but I can’t do that anymore.
The Politico now reports on a Pew poll basically confirming the Gallup results:
New polling suggests that the Republican Party is beginning to regain some of its luster and, perhaps as important, is experiencing a surge in excitement among its political base.
A new poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press reports that independent voters have an equally favorable opinion of both parties, 50 to 49 percent, a one-point edge for the GOP. That compares to an 18-point Democratic advantage as recently as August, a wide gap that had generally held for more than a year.
I don’t know how to account for that — I’m sure some of you folks will have a theory. But it will be interesting to see whether that holds up in current economic conditions.
UPDATE: Gallup just released the latest update of its three-day rolling tracking poll: Obama up 5, 49-44.
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Comments
By "The Corporal"
September 19, 2008 12:25 PM | Link to this
JAY
Seriously, it is honestly refreshing to see this from you with no spin.
By Swami Dave
September 19, 2008 12:30 PM | Link to this
As one who usually looks at polls (or results or trends) with the opinion that things are usually neither as good nor as bad as they initially appear, I am not sure that these results say much more than this election will probably be close. Barring some extreme circumstance that favors one candidate over another, I am not sure that there are -that- many truly “undecided” voters out there.
Personally, I would pose the theory that this simple fact (very close - small popultation among those truly “undecided”) is the major cause that campaigns tend to get more and more vitrolic. As competition for a shrinking resource (“undecided voters”) increases, those in competition for them begin to act in more and more extreme fashion to motivate / convince.
So Jay, what theories might you suppose?
-Swami Dave
By Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
September 19, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this
Jay, Jay, Jay, I’m here for your wetnursing section on the Democratic party. Here is why the generic gap has closed:
1) The Democratic controlled congress is a do nothing bunch that has the lowest approval rating of political body in the history of mankind. Even the Stalin Politburo had a higher approval rating in what was a repressive society. 2) Democrats root against America - Stuff like the “war is lost”; and denial of the sucess of the surge long after its success was a generally accepted facts 3) Obama’s outward ambivilence toward America - who can doubt than he rather makes speeches to the eurotrash humanists than spend time with those small town persons who, in their bitterness, cling to G-d, guns, and their antiopathey toward others 4) The reaction to Gov Palin has made it clear that the primary cause of the partisan log jam in American politicals is the towering and unbroken intolerance of the hard left. 5) Disappointment to dicover that Obama, who said he was going to end partisan politics, is no different that any other politician (which see recent name calling) and, in fact, one of the most partisan politicians that ever existed, soldier in the Daly machine, always votes most liberal, etc…
Contrast that with a Republican party that is no where near so ideologically frozen, a fresh newcomer like Sarah Palin, and the need for a steady hand like McCain and its no wonder things are swing back to the right.
By RW-(the original)
September 19, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this
Jay B,
When 75% of the country wanted to increase domestic energy supplies through more drilling and the Democrat response was to go on vacation for five weeks it couldn’t have helped their image. The problem is that these polls don’t mean much because a voter may say they aren’t happy with the rest of the Democrats, but their guy/gal is alright. The latest district by district polls I’ve seen don’t reflect this big shift.
Although saying they don’t know what to do for the financial markets except go home again may just push this the rest of the way.
By Mike
September 19, 2008 12:42 PM | Link to this
Of course you don’t know how to account for it. You live in a partisan bubble.
A big part of the problem for Democrats (and their mouthpieces in the media) is that their absurd blame of the GOP for everything created the expectation that the Democrats would fix all of the “problems that would be so easy to fix if the GOP wasn’t so evil and dumb”. If course, these expectations were not met, as we learn that not all of the world’s problems can be laid at the GOP’s feet exclusively.
Second, a lot of GOP popularity was held down by the slow progress Iraq War and the partisan cheerleading against our efforts then. Despite the media’s unwillingness to report on Iraq any more and the refusal of the surge’s critics to admit how wrong they were (hint hint), Americans see the possibility of success in Iraq and they remember who wanted to retreat.
Finally, the average American is appalled by the performance of the media lately, and despite what the partisan left believes, the media is dominated by the partisan left. Poll after poll shows this utter contempt of Americans to our media, and the backlash against their candidates is inevitlable.
General Trust
The 20-year trend of public dissatisfaction with the press showed few signs of reversing course in 2007.
Majorities of Americans continued to say that journalists are often inaccurate (55%), do not care about the people they report on (53%), are biased (55%), one-sided (66%) and try to cover up their mistakes (63%). Those sentiments, all more prevalent than in the 1980s, have become entrenched.
http://www.stateofthenewsmedia.org/2008/narrativespecialattitudes.php?cat=1&media=13
By CJ
September 19, 2008 12:46 PM | Link to this
I know precisely how to account for the fact that independent voters have an equally favorable (or unfavorable) opinion of both parties:
Step 1: The House of Representatives passes legislation after legislation after legislation.
Step 2: Republicans in the Senate filibuster such legislation (Senate Republicans have crushed all previous filibuster records) including legislation they support (Senate Republicans sometimes filibuster a bill, lose the cloture vote and then vote for the exact same legislation they sought to filibuster a few minutes prior).
Step 3: Republicans, thrilled with the perception they’ve created, campaign that the Democratic-led Congress is a “do-nothing Congress” or has a “do-nothing Senate”.
Step 4: Low-information independents (yes, it’s redundant), many of whom have no idea what a filibuster is or how it works, blame Dems in Congress for not getting more done.
On this matter, the media is silent, and therefore, complicit. On this matter, a large swath of the electorate is deliberately ignorant, and therefore negligent.
By Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
September 19, 2008 12:48 PM | Link to this
Sorry, but I forgot to mention that the disengenuous Deomcrat leadership just put forth a energy bill that was intended to look like it would support drilling, but actually did not. Just as Gov Palin (sigh!!!, in a dreamy way) said that we don’t like a politician who says one thing to our faces in Scranton and anohter behind our backs in San Francisco, we do not like a party that says one thing about an important step toward energy indepence and then writes a bill that does something else.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 19, 2008 12:48 PM | Link to this
To which Hairy Reed says:
‘No One Knows What to Do’
bwa
By "The Corporal"
September 19, 2008 12:55 PM | Link to this
Jay
I just saw this: Fiscal Conservatism - R.I.P.
By CJ
September 19, 2008 12:58 PM | Link to this
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr said, “The Democratic controlled congress is a do nothing bunch…”
RW said, “When 75% of the country wanted to increase domestic energy supplies through more drilling and the Democrat response was to go on vacation…” (Note: The House passed extensions of clean energy tax credits and Senate Republicans filibustered such extensions—and then went on vacation to complain about the “do nothing bunch”.)
As I said…low information voters.
By Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
September 19, 2008 1:03 PM | Link to this
Ok, CJ name five bills that were philibustered. Looks as if you may a mis-information voter.
By Sherry
September 19, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this
Our economy is going to hell in a handbasket. The high cost of fuel directly affects every consumer product. Between emptying the wallet at the pump and checkout line at the store there is little left over for savings or investing. Jobs and homes are being lost at an ever increasing rate. WE need to get out from under our dependence on foreign oil We need to utilize natural energy such as wind and solar. We need to use every technology we have such as v2g, genrative braking, hybrid and elec car technology. Interesting book coming out soon called The Manhattan Project of 2009. By Jeff Wilson
By RealityKing
September 19, 2008 1:21 PM | Link to this
What has our 110th Congress done Jay? Were you guys really expecting a standing ovation!?
By getalife
September 19, 2008 1:25 PM | Link to this
While the rest of the so called leaders are coming together, McLiar is still spewing divisive lies blaming Obama for McLiars deregulation mess.
Its Keating 5 again stupid.
It is sickening Americans buy into his bs.
Somebody should tell that kook it is time to come together.
Country first?
BS.
By Midori
September 19, 2008 1:26 PM | Link to this
The Real Story of the 110th Congress: The Right-Wing Block-And-Blame Game
A record-breaking campaign of obstruction was waged by the Republican minority in Congress during the 110th Congress to keep the Democratic majority from enacting legislation sought by the American people. Their strategy of “block and blame” has driven the perception of a “do-nothing Congress.” In reality, the 110th Congress would have achieved truly landmark accomplishments—including safely bringing the troops home from Iraq, reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil and its contribution to global warming, and funding long-neglected domestic priorities—had it not been for conservative obstruction.
Our July 2008 update to our earlier block-and-blame analysis cuts through the political spin. We document how what is being reported as political stalemate is really the product of a conservative political strategy, both in Congress and the White House, to sabotage the new majority in Congress as it responds to the mandate it received from the American public—even if it means bringing down public support for the entire Congress in the process.
Get the full story:
By sunshine and thunder
September 19, 2008 1:34 PM | Link to this
The reason is the news that has come out in the last few days about the Democrats management of Fannie and the news that Mr. Obamassiah was number three on the list of recipients of skin money from that same institution.
These day when you talk about corrupt big money you have to include the GSE’s Fannie and Freddie, labor unions, George Soros, MoveOn.org and Hollywood.
By RealityKing
September 19, 2008 1:37 PM | Link to this
On second thought…, I guess it’s really not that surprising that the liberal media chooses to overlook the worse Congress in American history, the one they help elect, to wonder why EVERYONE doesn’t share their progressive hate for traditional values.
By getalife
September 19, 2008 1:43 PM | Link to this
Who’s Whining Now? Gramm Slammed By Economists
It was McLiar and Gramm and they should be held accountable and not elected for anything.
By rightytighty
September 19, 2008 1:53 PM | Link to this
I’m rooting for Obama! And an end to progressive America that his tax and spend ideology will finally bring under the Harry and Nancy show..
Palin/Bush(George P.) 2012-2028!!
By Dennis
September 19, 2008 1:53 PM | Link to this
Maybe we could begin to understand these polls, if we look at who has done something and who has done nothing. Just a few possible influences: * Congress took a recess, Republicans stayed to push for oil exploration within US territories. * Sarah Palin was nominated and accepted the VP slot. Thank you John McCain. * The Democrat/Media Attack Squads directed all their efforts at Palin. * Palin and, just as importantly, McCain stood firm against these attacks. * Congress come back and Democrats pushed through the House a “fake” energy bill. * Congress took a quick look at investment and finance problems and even more quickly took another recess.
By Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
September 19, 2008 1:53 PM | Link to this
Midori - looks like you are taking a page from the Biden playbook with your plagarism from the discredited ourfuture.og - as with most Democrats, have you no shame?
CJ - figgered you’d keep your trap shut, because you have mindlessly parotted talking point lies. Pelosi and Reid lied and peoples jobs were fried.
Viva La Bush Revolucion
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 1:54 PM | Link to this
getalife,
Gramm gave the fox the keys to the hen house.
Sick.
By Swami Dave
September 19, 2008 1:56 PM | Link to this
I’m not sure, but I think from looking at the other responses - I can rest my case.
Our situation appears to be two opposing views that on point look to have near equal support and few, if any, others who are “undecided”. The shortage of “convincable” people have reverted our political process to a pair of competing idealogies / groups who replace bomb-throwing for dialogue. It is almost like watching two groups of children throwing paint-filled water balloons at each other pointing out how “messy” the other group looks.
-Swami Dave
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 1:56 PM | Link to this
Jay,
How are the state polls?
By getalife
September 19, 2008 2:00 PM | Link to this
Bosch,
If McLiar had any honor or decency left, he would resign in disgrace.
Instead, he is desperately and cowardly blaming Obama.
It is absolutely disgusting and time for him and Gramm to retire out of politics.
They have destroyed our economy.
By Paul
September 19, 2008 2:00 PM | Link to this
Midori 1:26
[[In reality, the 110th Congress would have achieved truly landmark accomplishments—including safely bringing the troops home from Iraq,]]
You’re really going to go there? Hit one area Dems and Obama’s weak on - opposing the surge - when even Obama has said the surge’s success exceeded our wildest expectations? When it’s pretty clear what would have happened if there would have been an immediate withdrawal instead?
But, let’s assume you do want to go there. A Pres Obama can easily get sworn in and say “out now. Just as I said a couple years ago.”
If he’s not likely to do so, any idea why?
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 2:08 PM | Link to this
getalife,
Couldn’t agree more.
From what I can tell with the state polls, if the elections were held today, Obama would win by 5 electoral votes. Let’s hope he continues to gain ground in the battle states.
By Midori
September 19, 2008 2:10 PM | Link to this
Midori - looks like you are taking a page from the Biden playbook with your plagarism from the discredited ourfuture.og - as with most Democrats, have you no shame?
Pot meet kettle.
you ignorant cretin.
How can one “plagiarize” something I gave full credit for by supplying the link?
you wingnuts are so quick to call names and find fault that you don’t even bother to think things through.
And yet it is you morons who don’t bother giving attribution when you copy and paste information.
go read a book.
and who discredited the source? You?
maybe you should read 2 books.
Paul: please. don’t “you” go there.
By carole2
September 19, 2008 2:11 PM | Link to this
Only one explanation is possible for those depressing polls:
—half of us can name 4 characters from “The Simpsons,” but less than a quarter can name more than one of the guaranteed rights in the First Amendment.
—only 2 out of 5 voters can name all three branches of the federal government.
—only 1 in 5 know that there are 100 federal senators.
—only 1 in 7 can find Iraq on a map.
—only one-fifth of Americans between ages 18-34 bother to keep up with current events.
Many people like the above tend to post on here on Jay’s blog in vigorous denial of anything he says, which makes me think that either Georgia has more than it’s share of stupid voters or the above statistics are too kind. Either way ….
By Midori
September 19, 2008 2:15 PM | Link to this
Record Breaking: Senate Conservatives Use Filibuster for 62nd Time in This Session of Congress
WASHINGTON, Dec. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Republican Senateminority today filibustered an omnibus budget bill, setting a modern-day record for blocking the most legislation during a congressional session. A new report released today by the Campaign for America’s Future details the 62 times conservatives have used the filibuster to block legislation (or force modification of bills) in the first session of the 110th Congress. In just the first year of this two-year Congress, their use of the filibuster in the Senate topped the previous record, reached during the entire 107th Congress.
The new report outlines every bill filibustered, vetoed or threatened to be vetoed by President Bush. Conservatives filibustered bills to end the occupation of Iraq, provide soldiers in Iraq rest time equal to their deployments, support renewable energy and grant residents of the District of Columbia representation in Congress. Today’s record-breaker involved a $516 billion budget package passed by the House to fund the federal government in 2008. The conservative minority demanded $20 billion additional funding for the war and opposed House language to bring troops home, and threatened a filibuster to prevent the bill from getting an up or down vote.
“In just one session, a minority in Congress has prevented a mind-blowing 62 pieces of legislation from going to the floor for an up or down vote,” said Campaign for America’s Future co-director Roger Hickey. “Our report shows how over and over again, the uncompromising minority has thwarted the will of majorities in Congress and of the American people, holding the Senate floor hostage to a radical right-wing agenda.”
how’s THAT source, jerk??
By CJ
September 19, 2008 2:15 PM | Link to this
Wyld Byll Hyltnyr, “Ok, CJ name five bills that were philibustered. Looks as if you may a mis-information voter.”
Five? Try 105—or more. (Note: The previous record is 58 filibusters. The Republicans have more than doubled that record.)
It’s worth noting why Republicans are filibustering everything in sight. It’s not because it’s the only way they have of blocking legislation they dislike. After all, a Republican is president.
The real reason is a desire to kill popular legislation quietly (a complicit press doesn’t spend much time reporting on routine filibusters) rather than force President Bush to kill popular legislation in full public view (the press does report on presidential vetoes).
The problem for Republicans is that the public tends to be on the side of Democrats when domestic issues actually get some attention, so Republicans benefit by keeping their disagreements as low key as possible. The last thing they need is a bunch of high-profile vetoes that would make it crystal clear exactly what they’re fighting against.
Hey Wyld Byll Hyltnyr. You have access to a search engine. Try using it sometime.
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 2:16 PM | Link to this
carole2,
I know this isn’t very democratic of me to say this, but sometimes, I think you should have to pass a test to vote.
By Truth
September 19, 2008 2:19 PM | Link to this
Stupid voters??? Alright… people that are stupid enough to “need” government handouts shouldnt vote. That would be fine with me. They only vote to get more free money anyway….
By Midori
September 19, 2008 2:19 PM | Link to this
CJ:
Hey Wyld Byll Hyltnyr. You have access to a search engine. Try using it sometime.
hah!!
but first he/she/it has to finds “credible” sources. not too many wingnut sites fit that bill, unfortunately.
By getalife
September 19, 2008 2:20 PM | Link to this
Wall Street is socialized now.
Hell, it should go back up big time because the losses are covered.
It boggles the mind.
By Liar-loan McCain
September 19, 2008 2:22 PM | Link to this
.
McCain 08: The last refuge of a scoundrel is a skirt.
Liar-loan McCain is Short skirting the truth to short-sheet America.
.
.I know it still stinks.
Question for Jay Bookman, and if he knows this answer, BOY will I be impressed:
Shorting a stock on wallstreet begs a question: Why would anyone loan a share of stock to anyone else.
What is the incentive for the original owner of the borrowed stock in a short-selling transaction?
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 2:24 PM | Link to this
Truth,
So you mean all the employees of AIG, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Lehman Brothers, and all the other Wall Street firms who will benefit from the BILLIONS of dollars given to them to save their collective asses?
I’m sure you mean them too, huh? OR just the loser poor people?
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 2:27 PM | Link to this
I hit the post button too soon, but…..
Truth,
Seriously, I try very hard not to call names on this blog, but I seriously can not believe you are stupid enough, that anybody is that stupid, to write what you wrote at 2:19.
Surely to God almighty, that is some kind of bad joke.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 19, 2008 2:29 PM | Link to this
Democratic presidential nominee Barack Oblahma, Thee Most Splendid said on Friday he supported efforts by the U.S. Treasury and Federal Reserve to shore up confidence in the financial markets and said he would hold off from presenting his own economic recovery plan.
His teleprompter also had no comment.
To which Hairy Reed replies:
‘No One Knows What to Do’
By Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
September 19, 2008 2:30 PM | Link to this
Midori - we know you used one quote without proper attribution and you still have not answered the question - name five that have been phillibustered, not search and find a source that names none, but alleges many - you are a plagarist and have no credibility with me - name five
By Truth
September 19, 2008 2:30 PM | Link to this
Companies dont vote BRAIN!!! If the indvidual (that votes) gets the handout then they shouldnt get to vote because you know as well as I do that they are gonna vote in someone that will continue the handouts if not raise the amount to make everything “fair”.
By @@
September 19, 2008 2:33 PM | Link to this
Shute jay, I watched your “pole” dancing the other day — with your fancy moves and all. Independent @@, who, unlike you, doesn’t give her tips to the house. Offered a dance of the generic variety, I did.
Did you watch? Noooooooo!
Who’s to say? First it was Operation Chaos. Could be Clinton women are shovin’ the pole up OBlahMa’s caucus.
By Truth
September 19, 2008 2:37 PM | Link to this
I am not calling names… believe me I could say a lot worse, but if someone is dumb enough to make stupid decisions to where they need government “assistance” then they cant be trusted to vote. It may not be the nicest thing to say but it is just a harsh fact.
I still love you Bosch!
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 2:38 PM | Link to this
Truth,
Again, like all the EMPLOYEES OF the Wall Street firms that are benefiting from this bailout? Frakking unbelieveable!
By Paul
September 19, 2008 2:40 PM | Link to this
Midori 2:10
[[Paul: please. don’t “you” go there.]]
No good deed goes unpunished!
your 2:15
I tried the link for the source report upon which the summary was based but it wasn’t working.
Just looking at the examples, it appears much of the filibustering upon which the record was based appears Iraq related. If so, that skews the findings significantly. It would be the similar to a Rep majority repeatedly proposing bills to do something wildly unpopular with Dems - national voter requirements, for example - then the Dems filibuster. Then the Reps repeatedly submit variations on the theme.
Bosch 2:16
[[but sometimes, I think you should have to pass a test to vote.]]
A bit of a Hamiltonian (Alexander Hamilton), are we?
By Truth
September 19, 2008 2:42 PM | Link to this
Bosch… Please know that I think that it is garbage that they are getting bailed out. Now they are just gonna do the same thing again in 20 years because they know the bailout is coming. I dont like it one bit, but you have to understand my meaning behibd my statements.
By RealityKing
September 19, 2008 2:43 PM | Link to this
Obama the divider.
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 2:43 PM | Link to this
“if someone is dumb enough to make stupid decisions to where they need government “assistance” then they cant be trusted to vote”
With the week we have had on Wall Street…is anyone else not stunned by such comments, I know I shouldn’t be, but damn.
Anybody else want a shot at this? I’m too stunned to type anymore.
By Liar-loan McCain
September 19, 2008 2:50 PM | Link to this
.
the bipartisanship is encouraging. Nancy Pelosi is beaming, and very inspiring in her obvious leadership here. She’s every bit as amazing as Palin.
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 2:52 PM | Link to this
Paul,
Hey, my face would be on a bill right now if I were Hamiltonian. I think you know I was just joking.
Truth,
No, I don’t understand the meaning behind your statements: loser poor people who are too dumb to not be poor don’t deserve to vote because they are losers, if they were winners, they wouldn’t be poor.
Didn’t you say you weren’t exactly in the place you’d like to be in your life the other day?
In your world, poor loser people don’t get to vote because they are poor and losers, because they were dumb enough to get themselves in that situation.
BUT,
Rich CEOs of companies - they can vote, even though they were DUMB enough to get themselves into situation where we, the taxpayers, will be paying for their dumbass mistakes for YEARS, while they sit around in the country club joking about the fast ones they pulled on everybody - OH, no, that’s okay, they get to vote.
NO, I don’t understand the meaning behind your statements.
By Swami Dave
September 19, 2008 3:00 PM | Link to this
LLM:
The motivation for the stock “loaners” in a short transaction is the interest charged to the stock borrower during that period.
The potential benefit to the “borrower” is if their expectation of a price drop is accurate. They are effective selling the “borrowed” stock at a current (high) price with expectation to buy it back at the future (lower) price. They pay their interest charges for the borrowing period and keep the difference (if there is any).
The perception of the “loaner” is that the stock will stay relatively the same (or go up). If it does, then they have the gain accrued during the loan period as well as the interest that they collected for loaning it.
The true risk to the “borrower” being that if the market moves against their short position (goes up), then they are losing on both the increasing price (at which they have to buy it back at the end) as well as the interest charges during the borrowing period.
Hope that answered your question.
-Swami Dave
By Truth
September 19, 2008 3:01 PM | Link to this
Bosch…. True, I am not where I would like to be in life. My wife and I would love to start having kids right now, but financially we cant. We are making a smart decision to wait until we are better able to handle having children financially. We probably could start spitting out babies and get a government hand out because of it, but that isnt the right nor is the smart thing to do. That is what I am saying. Most people that get those government handouts made decisions in their lives that put them in the position that they are in now. I know you will find this hard to believe, but I am an extreemly compassionate person. My wife and I give (what little we can) to places like St. Jude because those kids cant help it. The people that get these government handouts put themselves in the position they are in…. and they will use their vote for someone who will keep enabling their ways.
By @@
September 19, 2008 3:03 PM | Link to this
I dropped in on Stratfor to see what Turkey, Putin and Iran were up to, respectively of course. I run across Stratfor’s insight into the financial crisis. Since I have none of my own, I thought I’d share:
This is far from unprecedented in recent history. The U.S. intervention into the savings and loan crisis in the 1980s and 1990s was at least as radical. An entire class of financial institutions, invested in commercial real estate, found themselves in huge financial trouble primarily through engaging in unsound investment practices. The federal government intervened, essentially nationalizing the institutions almost as a class. Shareholders and managers were devastated — some were imprisoned. However, in providing guarantees to depositors, the government limited the damage. More important, by taking control of the assets, the government was able to slow and control the liquidation of commercial real estate holdings. Over time, the bailout actually earned the government a profit.
And this time around — as with the S&L crisis — the market has proven unable to solve the issue itself. One of the weaknesses of markets is that when crises occur, they have a tendency to rapidly liquidate holdings and discount values. What a capable state does is intervene in order to slow the process of liquidation and stop the rapid reductions in price. This requires credibility and wealth. Put another way, deep pockets (the government) take control of assets from weak hands (the damaged institutions) and by doing so end the need to continue to liquidate, thereby halting the asset slide. From the market’s point of view, all of the concerns about liquidity and contagion disappear. This is why American markets are up 4 percent today.
Such interventions can only happen in economies where there is massive wealth available for this action, and where the state is able to marshal that wealth. This is why the size of the U.S. economy at $14 trillion is so incredibly important. It gives the United States options in managing markets that other countries don’t have.
This is where we need to be focusing. The place where the economy gets interesting for us is not in the short-term gyrations of markets but in the interface among the state, its interests and the markets. We are witnessing one of those moments. Many will say that this is unprecedented — but of course that is not true. Intervening to control the value of assets is a regular action of all states. This was just a noisier one.
That’s because it’s an election year, and OBlahMa’s valves are stuck. He’s makin’ a clattering noise.
CLATTER, the incessant noise that requires necessary tools.
By Paul
September 19, 2008 3:12 PM | Link to this
Bosch
I thought your face was on a bill. Kind of a handbill. Had’em up at the Post Office with nine other guys’ pics.
As I was reading your posts I thought of one of those Motivational Posters (the kind in a frame on a wall, not bloggers):
“Never underestimate the stupidity of people in large groups.”
Then I thought about Congress.
Truth,
Oftentimes what happens to people is beyond their control. Noncovered illness, layoff at age 55, retirement plan busted, the list goes on. Life isn’t always fair. I don’t have any problem, at all, with giving money - through taxes, donations, or both - to help people through those situations.
But if you mean this specific situation - heck, even money market funds in which many people had lots of savings and retirement contributions - saw declines for the first time, ever. Why? Because some of their investments were in these mortgage securities. Which risk even the fund managers weren’t fully aware of. So the people at the bottom were about to become “poor” through no fault of their own.
By GMAN
September 19, 2008 3:12 PM | Link to this
I’m a little confused. Let me see if I have this straight…..
If you grow up in Hawaii , raised by your grandparents, you’re ‘exotic, different.’
Grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers, a quintessential American story.
If your name is Barack you’re a radical, unpatriotic Muslim.
Name your kids Willow , Trig and Track, and you’re a maverick.
Graduate from Harvard law School and be President of the Law Review, and you are unstable.
Attend 5 different small colleges before graduating, you’re well grounded.
If you spend 3 years as a community organizer, create a voter registration drive that registers 150,000 new voters, spend 12 years as a Constitutional Law professor, spend 8 years as a State Senator representing a district with over 750,000 people, become chairman of the state Senate’s Health and Human Services committee, spend 4 years in the United States Senate representing a state of 13 million people while sponsoring 131 bills and serving on the Foreign Affairs, Environment and Public Works and Veteran’s Affairs committees, you don’t have any real leadership experience.
If your total resume is: local weather girl, 4 years on the city council and 6 years as the mayor of a town with less than 7,000 people, 20 months as the governor of a state with only 650,000 people, (less than the population of Staten Island….) then you’re qualified to become the country’s second highest ranking executive.
If you have been married to the same woman for 19 years while raising 2 beautiful daughters, all within protestant churches, you’re not a real Christian.
If you cheated on your first wife with a rich heiress, and left your disfigured wife and married the heiress the next month, you’re a Christian.
If you teach responsible, age appropriate sex education, including the proper use of birth control, you are eroding the fiber of society.
If , while governor, you staunchly advocate abstinence only, with no other option in sex education in your state’s school system while your unwed teen daughter ends up pregnant , you’re very responsible.
If your wife is a Harvard graduate lawyer who gave up a position in a prestigious law firm to work for the betterment of her inner city community, then gave that up to raise a family, your family’s values don’t represent America’s.
If your husband is nicknamed ‘First Dude’, with at least one DUI conviction and no college education, who didn’t register to vote until age 25 and once was a member of a group that advocated the secession of Alaska from the USA , your family is extremely admirable.
OK, much clearer now.
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 3:15 PM | Link to this
Truth@3:01,
And you think the corporate w******* on Wall Street won’t use their vote, and better than that, their money and influence, for the same thing?
It’s okay to help out the CEOs who make the dumb mistakes that cost the taxpayers billions, but not the loser poor people because they made bad decisions?
Do you have some kind of wingnut scale or model to help define what constitutes a BAD decision and how it correlates to the taxypayer money wasted?
So, in your world, people aren’t supposed to have children until they can afford to have them? What happens if they get pregnant, and can’t afford them? Abortion? They have to give them up?
I obviously live in a different world than you do.
By Dave W
September 19, 2008 3:15 PM | Link to this
Sarah Palin likes to tell voters around the country about how she “put the government checkbook online” in Alaska. On Thursday, Palin suggested she would take that same proposal to Washington.
“We’re going to do a few new things also,” she said at a rally in Cedar Rapids. “For instance, as Alaska’s governor, I put the government’s checkbook online so that people can see where their money’s going. We’ll bring that kind of transparency, that responsibility, and accountability back. We’re going to bring that back to D.C.”
There’s just one problem with proposing to put the federal checkbook online – somebody’s already done it. His name is Barack Obama.
By Wyld Byll Hyltnyr
September 19, 2008 3:16 PM | Link to this
Midori,
As to your hateful 2:10 post. It looks as if you have guzzled so great an amount of the Dem koolaid that you now fancy yourself to be Bill Maher or whatever that loon’s name is.
Writing “Get the rest of the story.” is neither proper attribution nor readily identifiable to most people. For my part, I thought that was some idiotic tag line that you affixed at the botton of your drivel.
By Liar-loan McCain
September 19, 2008 3:21 PM | Link to this
@@, nobody can read italics. It’s torture to wade through. You only blog to take up space, like a toad sits on a toadstool just to sit there and croak.
ribbit…..ribbit…..ribbit
I’m sure you have very personal insights to make which everyone wants to read, but nobody is going to wade through your type.
Simply quit using italics. Just stop using them, and I’m sure you’ll finally get read after two years of being ignored by everyone except duhng and your alias, Pusty.
Of course you dont know if I want you to keep using italics, so you dont get read, or if I’m teasing you into stopping the use of italics in which case everyone will know what a total fallguy U R.
I think it’s a damn shame that your mother didn’t raise you 2B a nicer man.
By Truth
September 19, 2008 3:22 PM | Link to this
Paul, I fully understand what you are saying, but you have got to think with your brain and not your heart. Yes, I feel bad for many people that are in tough situations, but I also know that these politicians will buy their votes with the promise of free money. That just isnt smart. A big reason we are in this economic situation is because the Community Reinvestment Act which made lenders give loans to people who couldnt afford the housing. Sure, I would love for everyone to own a house, but it just isnt they things are or ever will be.
By Midori
September 19, 2008 3:23 PM | Link to this
Wild Jerk,
were your parents brother and sister?
By Liar-loan McCain
September 19, 2008 3:23 PM | Link to this
.
McCain/Palin 08: If politics makes for strange bedfellows, then America just got short-sheeted.
.
McCain 08: Behind the skirt. Behind in the polls.
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 3:24 PM | Link to this
GMan,
Yeap. Sounds about right to me. Amazing, huh?
Paul,
Ha. Ha (as I roll my eyes). But it’s Friday!
Hey, speaking of Friday, has anybody seen the new Cohen Bros. film (Burn After Reading), and if so, would you take your 12-year-old daughter to see it? Of course, hypothetically, and of course, if you were the kind of parent who didn’t care that your children watch movies with “bad words” in them. Not, that that is the kind of parent I am, purely hypothetical.
By Lisa
September 19, 2008 3:24 PM | Link to this
Seems like Sarah “Barracuda” Palin is backing down on her promise to cooperate with the “troopergate” investigation…at least until AFTER the election, says the McC campaign. And just WHY is the McC bunch doing the talking about this anyway…doesn’t Sarah have the scruples, honesty, and principles to follow through on what she said she would do? I think her punch line was “Hold Me Accountable, Alaska!”. Well, she’s running for something a bit larger than Alaska and if she wants to be taken seriously, she needs to quit the stalling and air it out. If not, then she sure isn’t anybody I’d want in a position of control for this country. We’ve had enough liars and cheats for the last 7+ years in the current administration to last a lifetime, and more.
This is starting to reek like a week-old salmon…out of water. If, as her attorney general says, the director of public safety was terminated for…now just WHICH reason is it today? They’ve cited as least 3 different ones to date, so it’s getting hard to know what’s real and what’s fake when their stories change. All this in barely over two weeks…tsk, tsk, tsk.
Your halo is tarnishing faster than John-boy and his band can polish it, Sarah…and no amount of lipstick is going to help you with that.
One last thing, Sarah…would you PLEASE ask the former Bush speechwriters now attached to the McCain campaign who wrote your RNC speech to write you a new script? You’ve trotted out the same one over and over and, quite frankly, you’re getting B-O-R-I-N-G!
By Liar-loan McCain
September 19, 2008 3:28 PM | Link to this
.
Obama 08: America takes over. Over here.
.
By getalife
September 19, 2008 3:32 PM | Link to this
Do they realize that w is CEO of those corporations with 2 trillion of your money ar risk?
Or McLiar?
OMG.
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 3:33 PM | Link to this
And here’s another thing…..
I don’t know how things are where everybody lives, but my gas station nearby was CLOSED last night! WTF??? And, the other two that I frequent - one had a limit of the amount of gas you could get, and the other had only regular unleaded (not that that is a problem for me).
AND, I was in the grocery store the other day as well, and the shelves were pretty barren.
I’m not trying to be an alarmist or anything, but that just doesn’t seem right.
By Truth
September 19, 2008 3:34 PM | Link to this
Bosch… If a person gets pregnant then they probably made a decision to have sex which could cause a pregnancy, so once again… decisions! I told you I think the bailout is garbage. Just like with the “less fortunate” we are enabling them to keep the same practices. And Bosch, sweetie, I dont think that we live in different worlds. In fact, I bet we are alot alike. I am so not trying to get you all worked up over this. I do appoligize if I seem rude… I wasnt trying to come off that way… :)
By Truth
September 19, 2008 3:39 PM | Link to this
Well Bosch…. Please tell me they still have beer on the shelves… Its gonna be a loooooong day tomorrow if Georgia plays at 8:00 pm!
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 3:41 PM | Link to this
No Truth,
We OBVIOUSLY live in very different worlds, or rather keep very different company.
I don’t get worked up over blog topics. It takes alot to get me worked up.
AND, don’t call me “sweetie” - that’s just weird.
By Paul
September 19, 2008 3:43 PM | Link to this
@@ 3:03 Again, thanks for the Stratfor update.
BTW – anyone heard if Congressman Franks is still pushing the industry to give low interest loans for affordable housing to people who wouldn’t otherwise qualify? Or if the Fed is still keeping interest rates low, low, low?
See, Truth, sometimes our very government encourages poor choices!
GMan 3:12
Yeah, that’s about it in the eyes of many.
And neither one (Obama/Palin) ought to be using “experience” as an overriding qualification to run for President.
Dave W 3:15
If your entire post, including seeming commentary, is lifted from elsewhere, you really should put the entire thing in quotes or brackets.
The part you omitted says “The act created a free, searchable web site – USASpending.gov — that discloses to the public all federal grants, contracts, loans and insurance payments.”
See, most people wouldn’t consider grants, contracts, loans and insurance to comprise the entire budget. What Obama did is a nice start, but it’s a teensy tiny start.
Truth 3:22
I think both apply – disadvantaged game the system, wealthy game the system. Companies look at tax breaks and gimmies as essential, then those at the top make judgmental remarks about those lower down. Congress buys votes all day long (I prefer the word “bribes”). So by illustrating down on their luck folks, I was not saying there are not those who are deceitful. They are all represented. Unfortunately, our gov’t does not do an adequate job of sorting this out while others are gaming the free market.
Lisa 3:24
Couldn’t have anything to do with the Alaska Attorney General’s recommendation, could it? Same thing we see on a Federal level (Congressional subpoenas to the Executive, Attorney General advised noncompliance to protect rights of the Executive, Congress holds breath, Executive sticks out tongue) on the state level.
Just think: with a Pres Obama and a hard-right Rep Congress, would you want Pres Obama to ‘obey’ every Congressional subpoena?
Bosch
Have a son in FL. Big city. A week ago said gas was gone. Rumor started that with Ike gas would hit $5-6 a gallon. So everybody filled up! Demand up, supply delivery constant…. Poof!
By Truth
September 19, 2008 3:45 PM | Link to this
Sorry… I just wanted to sound nice so you wouldnt think I was a total jerk. It will never be said again!
By TeaTime
September 19, 2008 3:50 PM | Link to this
McCain/Palin 08: If politics makes for strange bedfellows, then America just got short-sheeted.
By TeaTime
September 19, 2008 3:52 PM | Link to this
Hey everybody! Truth and Bosch are having a catfight. Rowrr!
CATFIGHT!!
Rowrr!
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 3:55 PM | Link to this
Paul,
The old guy who runs the station near my house told me gas was going to skyrocket and to get ready, but he didn’t tell me he was closing down. Probably temporary until supplies come back up.
Have YOU seen the new Cohen Bros. movie?
By demwit
September 19, 2008 3:56 PM | Link to this
Nancy Pelosi, Hillary Clinton, Diana Feinstein, Michelle Obama… Why is it that today’s successful progressive women is so darn, um…, ugly? Is that a liberal feminists’ requirement too??
Meanwhile.., Lisa Murkowski, Elizabeth Dole and wow., Sarah Palin have shown us that conservative women have found the lock on the looks department, new and old. Facial repair and/or replacement parts not required..
And here I thought conservatives didn’t have any fun at home.. Whats up with that liberal lie!?
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 3:57 PM | Link to this
Tea Time,
You’re a little late.
By Truth
September 19, 2008 4:00 PM | Link to this
Awwwww…. Come on noe TeaTime. I think Bosch would agree we were just having some fun… right Bosch?
By TeaTime
September 19, 2008 4:02 PM | Link to this
New Mozart!…. The News Quiz on AJC asks, “What material is Palins glasses?” Only the folks who dont know or care should pass the quiz. If you do know, then you’re not qualified to size up a candidate for office and your voting priveledges should be revoked. ANd you’ve proved to yourself, if you are honest with yourself, that you’re an idiot. Duh, I know the answer, duh. retard. honestly.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 19, 2008 4:03 PM | Link to this
DOW UP 35 POINTS IN PAST MONTH… UP 17% PAST 5 YEARS… UP 43% PAST 10 YEARS…
al-Gitmo: So how much is Social Security “up?”
By getalife
September 19, 2008 4:09 PM | Link to this
Andy,
They borrow on it so I have no idea.
Your thugs are trying to rob it but have failed.
The $2 trillion will be history with w as the CEO.
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 4:11 PM | Link to this
Truth,
This blog is for entertainment purposes, so if I didn’t think it wasn’t entertaining, I would frequent so much.
I am very laid back, very complacent and my feathers rarely get ruffled, but:
I do take issue with those who think that people who are poor and receive “welfare” don’t deserve to vote. I don’t think that’s funny or fun. Not at all.
By RW-(the original)
September 19, 2008 4:14 PM | Link to this
Washington Post Faults McCain For Relying On…Washington Post
You just can’t make these things up.
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 4:15 PM | Link to this
Yeap Andy,
The rich keep getting richer and the taxpayer gets left to pay for their crap.
Sounds like everything is back to normal.
By Just_Me
September 19, 2008 4:23 PM | Link to this
demit
Are you serious with that post???
Is this what your selection comes down to? Looks—not qualifications, brain power, job experience, but who looks better?
Troglodyte…please, crawl back into whatever slimy swamp you came out of.
I don’t care if my elected officials have been beaten within an inch of their lives with ugly sticks—as long as they are COMPETENT.
I have often found, in real life, the ‘beautiful ones’ tend to rely a wee bit too much on that (oh, please don’t make me go hunting through my papers on the studies that show a bias towards ‘pretty people.’)
You do nothing to further your cause by posting utter crap.
Gman loved the post listing the differences. I could have added one or two, but your list was terrific. Hope you don’t mind, but i am copying it (with a proper cite/nod re: source), and sharing it with the two or three people still riding the fence.
And, for the record, ‘demwit,’ sometimes ‘unattractive” people become more attractive when you get to know them….conversely, the ‘lovely’ St. Sarah is beginning to look like that picture in Dorian Grey’s closet….too bad the nine billion itty bitty fibs she keeps repeating DON’T show up on her face!
By Paul
September 19, 2008 4:29 PM | Link to this
RW-(the original) 4:14
That’s gotta be the classic post of the day.
By Paul
September 19, 2008 4:31 PM | Link to this
Just Me 4:23
You may want to add Bosch’s comment about who should be allowed to vote…
By TeaTime
September 19, 2008 4:33 PM | Link to this
.
McCain/Palin 08: If politics makes for strange bedfellows, then America just got short-sheeted.
.
And now for his public service announcement. Miller Time.
.
Obama 08: America takes over.
By Just_Me
September 19, 2008 4:33 PM | Link to this
Bosch
Thank you for defending the poor—and their utter right to vote.
Given this current economy (non-recession??) I know so many more people who have found for the first time in their lives they are relying on various forms of ‘welfare,’ whether it is food pantries, church/community help,or traditional social services….
Way back in the early 70s, when divorce was unheard of, my mother divorced my father—he refused, yes, REFUSED to pay the $25/week ordered as child support for my brother and I. Eventually, social services, “welfare” paid our child support, and they went after my father. When we were old enough, my mom went to work full time (she tried to do it when i was 8, but was reported for ‘negligence,’ so she had to quit.)
She is a shining example on the true purposes of welfare…she used it for 2-3 years to help make ends meet, then stopped when she no longer needed it because we were old enough to be alone.
To say that anyone, anyone who is “poor” is responsible for that is ridiculous. My own family-my husband of 22 yrs and i, have been down there..when the company he worked for suddenly closed-no job for 9 months!
With the rate of businesses shuttering, it is total arrogance to assume that you or someone you know/love won’t wind up in that particular sinking boat.
Again: if this line of thinking is an example of “compassionate conservatism,” i am so glad i never subscribed to that particular load of republican B.S.
By RW-(the original)
September 19, 2008 4:34 PM | Link to this
Just_Me,
If you want to copy that list from GMAN and give it proper credit and sourcing you better dig a little deeper. It was already cut and pasted onto a topic here yesterday and when I looked it up I found thousands of references to it. None led back to GMAN.
By Truth
September 19, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this
I wasnt saying that the “poor” shouldnt get help if they need it, but I did say that they will use their vote to get more free money. I dont see that as right because you know some politicians promise more money for those on welfare just to buy more votes. I promise I feel for those people, but I must think with my head and not my heart. And Just_Me… I honestly thank God that everything did work out for you and your family.
By Just_Me
September 19, 2008 4:45 PM | Link to this
RW
I guess somewhere deep inside my little Democratic body, I should be impressed that you’ve spent so much time analyzing posts that you can recall where his list came from, and had the time to research this. Instead, I will, if/when I use it, say I found it on a blog in the ajc, and it has multiple sources. I am forever lecturing my students about plagiarism….
However, I guess I owe you thanks-although I don’t have the time, nor inclination to start digging thru posts-some of us have active, happy, constructive FUN lives….This week, I’ve been researching the next few things I will be working on with my students, so I haven’t had nearly as much time to track down sources found on the ajc.com’s post.
Thankfully, school reopens on Monday…..so my time here, la la la, has pretty much come to a close. While it’s been entertaining, the invective, ugliness, and total pettiness at times has been exhausting, to say the least.
I’ll leave you to it, but I won’t stop reading/or posting an occasional post.
By RW-(the original)
September 19, 2008 4:46 PM | Link to this
Bosch,
Here’s a state tracker I check out every few days. They update daily and in the notes they’ll usually tell you which polls have been updated.
It’s the first time I’ve used them so I can’t vouch for their track record.
By Paul
September 19, 2008 4:49 PM | Link to this
Just Me,
Actually, I meant Bosch’s 2:16
[but sometimes, I think you should have to pass a test to vote]
I just don’t find such Family Values criteria all that convincing in what I look for in a national leader interacting with other world leaders. Sometimes the scoundrels seem to do best -
:-)
By Just_Me
September 19, 2008 4:52 PM | Link to this
Truth
I truly give all the credit to my MOTHER….and no one else.
However, my MOTHER, nor did my husband or I, when we were in our lowest of financial times, ever, ever, EVER have used our votes to “get money.” In fact, the bandwagon has been since the last decade or so, to move people OFF the rolls-I don’t hear anyone advocating for generational welfare to become the norm.
However, it appears that generational CORPORATE welfare is our mantra in this country….
Wow…you must have taken some kind of beating out there to be so cynical…and I am the queen of sarcasm/cynicism, but you, apparently have me beat.
By Paul
September 19, 2008 4:57 PM | Link to this
Truth
[[I dont see that as right because you know some politicians promise more money for those on welfare just to buy more votes.]]
Add to welfare:
Social Security.
Veterans benefits.
Agriculture subsidies.
Rural subsidies.
Transportation breaks.
Tax breaks/income transfers to middle class who don’t pay tax.
Sheltering of income in trusts and offshore accounts.
As Sonny and Cher sang “and the list goes on….”
By Just_Me
September 19, 2008 4:59 PM | Link to this
Paul
That post is probably the first I’ve ever agreed with you on.
Nixon, that scoundrel of all scoundrels, did wonders for our relationship with China.
Imagine the president he could have been had he been SANE???
And, as for passing tests to vote…
sometimes, when that evil, cynical twin i have comes out, she feels the same way; however, she also feels that before you can bring your baby home from the hospital, you should be able to prove that you aren’t a total moron, either. ;-> It was more difficult for me to go through the adoption process on my Aussie rescue, than it was to give birth and bring my boys home! No reference checks! No checks on my home! No checks to see if i had a pediatrician lined up! No income checks! When I adopted my dog—they did check all that.
Ironic, no? Sorry, the evil twin is visiting…let me wrestle the keyboard away from her… ;-)
LOL.
By Bosch
September 19, 2008 5:00 PM | Link to this
Thanks RW
And pleasant weekend to all!
By Truth
September 19, 2008 5:03 PM | Link to this
I have had my fair share of bumps and bruises, so yeah… I am actually very cynical. Just know that I am not saying what I say out of hate… I seriously think that everyone has motives… everyone!
By mike hussein smith
September 19, 2008 5:04 PM | Link to this
demwit: Can you prove Elizabeth Dole has never had a face job? She looked old when I was 30, and my 60th birthday is next month. Yet she never seems to age. Michelle Obama is the only “looker” you named. I think it’d be a tossup between Murkowski and any Democrat except Obama. Plus, you should learn the English language to avoid writing dim sentences such as: “Why is it that today’s successful progressive women is so darn, um…, ugly?”
Truth, in case no one has told you this yet, you are still jerky.
Franklin Raines left Fannie Mae in 2004 so I don’t see how great a role he could have played in the current financial flop. Of course, he is a Democrat and he is black so I think I know why the goP has been throwing his name around so prominently.
I seriously doubt Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac “gave” donations to the Obama camp. I think that would be against the law. So if you wingnuts can prove it, turn Obama in. If you can’t, shut up about it.
Management (I save best for last), the DOW is 3,000 points or more below where it was Jan. 1. Conventional wisdom holds that that will spell doom for Republicans (Tee-hee-hee) came Nov. 4.
By Paul
September 19, 2008 5:07 PM | Link to this
Just Me
I worked summers with a retired Merchant Marine guy. He told jokes and stories all day long. The one that stick out is when he started out with “God can’t be all that smart.” Went on to wonder why people had kids doing what they like to do. Thought God should’ve made people able to do what they like to do, but if they want kids they had to “stand in the middle of a field on a night with a full moon and pee in the same spot and then take the little sprout and nurture it for a year or two until it transformed into a kid.”
I kinda wondered about God after that. And the Merchant Marines, too.
Bosch -
Have a great weekend.
By RW-(the original)
September 19, 2008 5:07 PM | Link to this
Just_Me,
Let help you a little further. Copy a phrase from a list like that such as….
Grow up in Alaska eating moose burgers
…..put it in quotes in a search engine box and you’ll find these things out in about a second. I don’t know why people think these things are so difficult and time consuming.
Glad to be of assistance. No need for you to apologize for the insults about my life, it’s just fine thanks and it matters not to me what you think about it.
By Just_Me
September 19, 2008 5:16 PM | Link to this
::sigh::: date night on hold-husband called in to work overtime…if you still have a dialtone up in Sandy Springs, you can thank him. ;-> sucks for ME, great for you LOL.
Truth
Yes, everyone does have a ‘motive,’ however, believe it or not, not every motive is dark and sinister….there ARE a few out there who do things for altruistic reasons. Granted, those numbers are dwindling…but i think that voting truly is a ‘gut’ thing—and from what people are saying, that seems to bear out.
On the news, they were interviewing people…and one man, and then a woman, said, “my head is telling me to vote for _, but my heart and gut says _, and i will probably go with my gut.”
this is the problem with getting emotions tied up. I can be emotional, but when called for, truly analytical (good thing i have that evil twin).
Yes, everyone is going to vote for the candidate they think will serve them best-that is to be expected.
The litmus test in our house has been, and will continue to be, “Are we better off now than we were 8 years ago?” HELL NO. 8 years ago, my husband and i worked one job each (we are college educated; i hold a master’s to boot). we now hold 2 jobs each-we have two sons-in college, so we’ve watched food prices jump-this summer alone we were spending the same amount of money, but bringing home fewer bags.
Gas? please…my husband took my sweet little car and gave me his behemoth of an suv-‘cause my commute is 4 miles as opposed to his much longer..however, i still have to fill that tank…..
Utilities?? another OUCH…even though we have a fairly “green” house with energy efficient appliances.
Saying that people vote based on their ‘motives’ makes sense. As a woman, I will not vote for an anti-choice candidate—it is not in my best interests…but i don’t believe that “welfare” and “money for the poor” is a true issue this campaign cycle-things like the economy, this budget killing war; and the deficit are much greater concerns….
Have a happy weekend. I’m off to sulk-no dinner date out! LOL
By RW-(the original)
September 19, 2008 5:16 PM | Link to this
mike hussein smith,
Do you honestly believe this mess doesn’t go back even to 2004? That’s incredibly naive.
By Just_Me
September 19, 2008 5:25 PM | Link to this
RW
Patronizing doesn’t play well. You assume that I don’t know how, or find it too difficult; in fact, there is little that I am incapable of doing. ;-). (except organic and p-chem-hated them- never want to see them again).
I never said it was “difficult.” However, I DID state that in addition to dabbling here, i was actually using my computer this week do to ACTUAL WORK. I am quite conversant in using the internet (gasp! even taught adult-ed classes in the use of the computer, various programs, and double-gasp!-the internet!)
So the time i would have wasted googling various phrases (and Lord, that was a LOT of googling to do), I will leave it to those who have apparently done their homework.
Again: it is the total pettiness of this blog that is exhausting.
Let’s try, please, to keep the petty invectives out of this.
Civility ‘08.
By RW-(the original)
September 19, 2008 5:32 PM | Link to this
Let’s try, please, to keep the petty invectives out of this.
However, I guess I owe you thanks-although I don’t have the time, nor inclination to start digging thru posts-some of us have active, happy, constructive FUN lives
The second comment is from the same poster that wrote the first one, except the second one was about an hour earlier.
As I said earlier, you just can’t make this stuff up.
By Just_Me
September 19, 2008 5:33 PM | Link to this
Paul
Love that story. Going to fly it by some pregnant friends…and I agree, I often scratch my head and ask myself what exactly God had in mind—and for the merchant marines? I lived near one of their bases in NYC…interest bunch o’ men.. ;-)
My husband and I are not looking at that light at the end of the tunnel these days-we are positively BASKING in it. We’ve earned our relative freedom from the day-in-day-out parenting. Our boys are trying out their wings (with an occasional flight home for good food and laundry detail).
;-) Boys were horrified to see old mom and dad looking at beach houses-out of the country..thought it was a joke when we said, “We’re looking for retirement property!” They stopped laughing when they realized we weren’t.
Avenge yourself, said a bumpersticker I once saw, live long enough to be a problem to your children..(or at least an embarassment!)
By Paul
September 19, 2008 5:35 PM | Link to this
Just Me
Thought you might find this interesting. I’m always interested in how people with different backgrounds see the same situation.
My sister was quite the Hillary supporter. When I asked her why it was because she identified with all the cr*p that got thrown at her or what her husband had done etc etc and she kept on going and now she was headed for the top.
I asked her reaction when Obama got the nomination. She said it’s kind of like working your way up the ladder in a company. You work year in and year out, take the lousy assignments, the late nights, you prove yourself time and again…
then when the top spot opens up they bring in the bright, young, good-looking charismatic guy and give him the job.
My wife was for Obama. Couldn’t stand McCain. Then Obama picked Biden. She reacts to him about the same she does McCain. Then came Palin. And the attacks. She didn’t think all that much of Palin’s past, by when the attacks started, in kicked the identification and she got royally ticked at the attackers and said she’s seriously considering switching her vote.
Two women in the family. Similar reactions. Interesting.
Polls don’t always capture the ‘whys’ of what’s in peoples’ heads.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 19, 2008 5:37 PM | Link to this
RW: Did JM just say that she had that cut and paste from the fever swamps memorized word for word?
I think she did.
By Just_Me
September 19, 2008 5:39 PM | Link to this
RW
Killing time, dear, until my husband solves whatever phone glitches are going on in north Atlanta, and is able to come home. Therefore, since my schoolwork is done, my house is clean, etc., etc., i am able to ‘waste’ a wee bit of time with strangers who choose to make assumptions based on my fonts. To each his own.
:::Yawn::: think I am done here, the boring t**-for-tat is tiresome. Have a book, porch swing, and a dog all ready to go outside, and will spend whatever’s left of this gorgeous day out there. i suggest you do the same.
(click)
By Just_Me
September 19, 2008 5:45 PM | Link to this
AJWhatever
Memorized? Hardly, little man.
What I said, and I will type it again, I was going to c/p and send it to friends who would find it Interesting.
What concept didn’t you get?
We have a few remedial reading spots available at my school. I’ll check to see if they have chairs small enough for you.
Paul
Just goes to show ya!
Ciao-happy weekend-to all..
By Paul
September 19, 2008 5:46 PM | Link to this
Just Me
If it’s a permanent switch out of country during retirement, be sure to consider Medicare implications.
Guys give advice. Usually worth about what you paid for it.
By RW-(the original)
September 19, 2008 5:52 PM | Link to this
Weren’t we making a big deal about ads that “lied” the other day?
John McCain’s Attacks: “the sleaziest ads ever”, “truly vile”. Now, votes taken out of context accusing Obama of letting infants die? It’s a despicable lie.
Not only has the Obama campaign already come out and admitted that they were the ones that lied about his vote, McCain didn’t run the ad they’re responding to. It was Gianna Jessen, a survivor of a failed abortion.
By Oblahma
September 19, 2008 5:58 PM | Link to this
Greetings fellow dimwits-
I have asked you psychotics to gather here today so that I can tell you about thee plan I have to save thee world from thee failed policies of George Bushie. It is a marvelous plan. A wonderful plan. The teleprompter flickered when it was told of thee plan. The seas will part when they hear of this plan. Warring nations will lay down their arms and cavort around naked together when they learn of this miraculous plan.
What do you think of that, you wormy little stooges?
Thee plan will bring hope and change to even the most cynical of America hating terrorists everywhere, even in my neighborhood. They have told me these things. They said they will consider not blowing up any more police stations and killing thee pigs inside. Does this plan not sound like it will shake thee Earth and let little babies all over thee land live without fear? Uh, say what? Why do you wave your arms, stunted one? Ummmm, oh yeah, ooops, strike thee thing about thee little babies, I have been reminded that it is above my pay grade, bwa.
Consider yourselves to be blessed by me plan, even though you mewling toadies are unworthy, when you hear the details of this great wonder, after thee election, you will be truly stunned and delighted.
So go forth from here you morons, ride into thee countryside like a big throbbing mass of stupidity and tell everyone of thee Wonderful, Amazing, Excellent, Sensational and Fabulous Plan that I, Thee Chosen One will unveil upon you after thee crisis has passed.
Uh, anybody know what the Repugs are going to do?
Yes I can!
Seig Heil!
By "The Corporal"
September 19, 2008 6:05 PM | Link to this
**If Palin is such a bad choice, why are the liberal loonies so afraid of her ?
The main reason liberal feminists don’t like Palin is that she is attractive. It figures.**
By RW-(the original)
September 19, 2008 6:08 PM | Link to this
AJC/DNC-M,
I’m not sure, but we’re dealing with someone that says goodbye every five minutes for no apparent reason.
Funny though, I’m in the phone business and have customers all over north Atlanta. I haven’t heard a peep from any of them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
But the full quotation from Mr. McCain’s March interview with the Journal’s editorial board belies Mr. Obama’s one-sided rendition. The Republican candidate went on to say, “But I am aware of the view that there is a need for government oversight. I think we found this in the subprime lending crisis — that there are people that game the system and if not outright broke the law, they certainly engaged in unethical conduct which made this problem worse. So I do believe that there is role for oversight.”
I should note that the link is from the Washington Post and the Washington Post has reported that the Washington Post can’t be trusted.
By getalife
September 19, 2008 6:16 PM | Link to this
Well, free markets are not free anymore.
Life is about choices. Make a bad choice and bad things happen in your life.
Now Americans have a choice. A party in power that gave us a new depression, bailed out with socialism, dividing with hatred, reputation destroyed, needless war based on lies and governs only for the wealthy.
That is a bad choice and bad things will continue to happen with that bad choice.
Lets makes make a new choice and hope better things will happen.
The new choice is change which is constant and the bad choice is not change just bad.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 19, 2008 6:18 PM | Link to this
Well, let’s see here:
I am forever lecturing my students about plagiarism…..
Oh, now I get it, you are one of those do as I say, not as I do dimocrats?
The puts you in the majority of dimocrats, by the way.
~~~~~
RW: Yes, and that means it is quickly approaching the time when the libs will unleash a torrent of Sarah Palin infidelity cut and pastes, hahaha.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 19, 2008 6:25 PM | Link to this
You know, come to think of it, I’ll bet you that there is at least one phone in North Atl that is “off the hook.”
By getalife
September 19, 2008 6:31 PM | Link to this
Palinpalooza is over.
Her 15 minutes are up.
The anti Hillary is not in Hillary’s league. Not even close.
Good debate on CNN with all the past Sec. of States.
They all agree to close gitmo, talk to Iran (Palin had to warmonger, of course) and reach out to try to get our reputation back.
Obama’s positions.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 19, 2008 6:43 PM | Link to this
Oh no, al-Gitmo isn’t happy with our VP anymore!
What shall we ever do?
By AJC/DNC Management
September 19, 2008 6:46 PM | Link to this
And by the way, when Sarah goes to talking jive because she’s in a black church, get back with me, o.k?
By Paul
September 19, 2008 6:55 PM | Link to this
RW-(the original) 5:52
I read so much about “McCain lies, Palin lies.” Not misrepresents. Not technically true. Lies.
Now the latest from Factcheck about an Obama ad saying McCain will cut SS in half. They called it a ‘falsehood.’
I think that’s politespeak for ‘lie.’
For Dems to paint Reps as liars and themselves a virtuous truthtellers…
and to have people actually believe it….
Corporal
[[The main reason liberal feminists don’t like Palin is that she is attractive. It figures.**]]
Okay RW, you just got bumped for the best quote of the day -
getalife
[[Life is about choices. Make a bad choice and bad things happen in your life.]]
And sometime other people make bad choices and bad things happen to you.
By getalife
September 19, 2008 6:58 PM | Link to this
Andy,
I think she speaks in tongue:
Whacko.
By getalife
September 19, 2008 7:05 PM | Link to this
And sometime other people make bad choices and bad things happen to you
But you can get throw out those people that make bad choices for you in your life.
By Paul
September 19, 2008 7:08 PM | Link to this
Pleasant weekend, all -
By Midori
September 19, 2008 7:22 PM | Link to this
another idiot wingnut whackjob goes to Fox
don’t let the door hit ya!!
By "The Corporal"
September 19, 2008 7:22 PM | Link to this
To Paul
THANK YOU!
By RW-(the original)
September 19, 2008 7:54 PM | Link to this
The question was simple: Why are the Democrats so afraid of Palin and her popularity?
The answer was astonishing.
“You got to be kind to the disabled,” Rangel said.
The level of Palin Derangement Syndrome may have finally surpassed BDS. The full video is available at the link.
This is just sick beyond belief.
By carole2
September 19, 2008 7:55 PM | Link to this
Bosch,
You give me hope. Thanks.
Truth,
I wonder if you have ever examined what appears to be one of your core beliefs — that the poor always vote for the ones giving away free money.
In the first place, there is very little free money going to the poor. Mainly, it is going to Wall Street, which doesn’t know the exist, or care.
In the second place, if we assume that even half of those receiving some sort of government assistance vote, how many voters would that actually turn out to be?
According to this handy, dandy chart, there were 3,880,321 people collecting TANF in 2007. Half of those would be 194,016 people voting for free money. Please, that many votes won’t get a free ice cream cone on a hot day, never mind a politician delivering on any free money promises. Actually, I’m not sure that if all 3, 880, 321 voted, that they would get the free ice cream.
Sometimes we have to examine our long cherished assumptions to see if they are based on reality or fragments of stories told as we grew up. But as responsible voters, it is up to US to figure out myth from reality. One thing is for sure, politicians are short on the truthiness of many things, including ice cream.
By RW-(the original)
September 19, 2008 8:07 PM | Link to this
The following is a cut and paste, but it’s needed to make the point. After the question that elicited the answer about being able to see Russia there was the following additional footage that fell on the cutting room floor leaving the impression that seeing Russia was all she could muster on the topic. Or in Charlie Rangel’s mind that she is disabled. Wasn’t FDR “disabled?”
And now the cut and paste portion:
GIBSON: What insight does that give you into what they’re doing in Georgia?
PALIN: Well, I’m giving you that perspective of how small our world is and how important it is that we work with our allies to keep good relation with all of these countries, especially Russia. We will not repeat a Cold War. We must have good relationship with our allies, pressuring, also, helping us to remind Russia that it’s in their benefit, also, a mutually beneficial relationship for us all to be getting along.
Sarah Palin on Russia:
We cannot repeat the Cold War. We are thankful that, under Reagan, we won the Cold War, without a shot fired, also. We’ve learned lessons from that in our relationship with Russia, previously the Soviet Union.
We will not repeat a Cold War. We must have good relationship with our allies, pressuring, also, helping us to remind Russia that it’s in their benefit, also, a mutually beneficial relationship for us all to be getting along.
Transcript
By RW-(the original)
September 19, 2008 8:16 PM | Link to this
That’s some tortured math at 7:55.
194,016 is only .049% of 3,880,321.
I’d be willing to accept that a 0 just got left off, but that wouldn’t account for proper placement of the comma.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 19, 2008 8:36 PM | Link to this
Rep. Charles Rangel wrote six checks for about $10,800 in back taxes, and then penned an open letter to New Yorkers Friday, saying he has done nothing dishonorable and is the target of a GOP “guerrilla war.”
We’re pretty damn good, aren’t we?
Rangel, the dean of the New York congressional delegation, has faced a string of embarrassing revelations — he didn’t pay taxes on rental income for a beach house in the Dominican Republic; he used three rent-stabilized apartments in Harlem, including one for a campaign office; he used his congressional stationery to drum up private donations to a college center named after him.
“Thee Repugs did it!”
By getalife
September 19, 2008 8:46 PM | Link to this
“Damn it, elections are the time to point fingers. Its called accountability.” Tweety.
Palin has a pastor problem. Seems her pastor went on a witch hunt and ran a woman called “Mama Jane” out of town. He accused her of fatal car wrecks and had her arrested. Then there is the rapture where Alaska will be the safe haven.
Told ya, whacko.
By Midori
September 19, 2008 8:49 PM | Link to this
Sarah Palin Linked Her Electoral Success to Prayer of Kenyan Witch Hunter
The pastor whose prayer Sarah Palin says helped her to become governor of Alaska founded his ministry with a witch hunt against a Kenyan woman whom he accused of causing car accidents through demonic spells.
At a speech at the Wasilla Assembly of God on June 8 this year, Palin described how Thomas Muthee had laid his hands on her when he visited the church as a guest preacher in late 2005, prior to her successful gubernatorial bid.
In video footage of the speech, she is seen saying: “As I was mayor and Pastor Muthee was here and he was praying over me, and you know how he speaks and he’s so bold. And he was praying “Lord make a way, Lord make a way.”
By AJC/DNC Management
September 19, 2008 8:50 PM | Link to this
al-Gitmo:
Not God bless America, no, it’s &^% Damn America!!
9/11/01- America’s chickens…………………have come home to roooooosssstttt!!
Keep digging, skippy.
By AJC/DNC Management
September 19, 2008 9:00 PM | Link to this
I r o diM: Thank you for that information, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Sarah is truly a person of the world, that she does not consider herself to be some sort of gift to the world and doesn’t mock other people’s beliefs.
She really is wonderful, isn’t she?
By Midori
September 19, 2008 9:09 PM | Link to this
Andy:
9/19/09: Kenyan Witches have flown home to roost
By BDAtlanta
September 19, 2008 9:10 PM | Link to this
Get ready Republicans, your meal-ticket that is paid for by the middle class is about to end.
By BDAtlanta
September 19, 2008 9:19 PM | Link to this
Socialism won today. The Conservatives and Republicans have screwed everything up so bad that now we have Socialism widespread in the US.
You and the rest of us taxpayers now own the controlling interest in an insurance agency called AIG.
Merry Christmas…that is all you are getting for Christmas this year.
Marx is alive and well and living in the bail-outs of our country….thanks Republicans.
By the way, it was Bill Clinton who signed the Phil Gramm act that led to Enron and this current mess…thanks Bill (that’s why I wouldn’t vote for your wife.)
Obama 08…there is no other option
By RW-(the original)
September 19, 2008 9:20 PM | Link to this
Now that the Democrats found nothing but personal email in Governor Palin;s personal email, have we moved on from Tasergate to Kenyans? Maybe Sarah handed the preacher a few bucks to help out Obama’s brother who lives in a hut down there.Barry sure isn’t about to part with any cash.
By Midori
September 19, 2008 9:29 PM | Link to this
but……….but………..but…………….BD!!!
I thought we were the socialists?????
By AJC/DNC Management
September 19, 2008 9:31 PM | Link to this
BDA: Hate to break the news to ya:
The Clinton administration has turned the Community Reinvestment Act, a once-obscure and lightly enforced banking regulation law, into one of the most powerful mandates shaping American cities—and, as Senate Banking Committee chairman Phil Gramm memorably put it, a vast extortion scheme against the nation’s banks. Under its provisions, U.S. banks have committed nearly $1 trillion for inner-city and low-income mortgages and real estate development projects, most of it funneled through a nationwide network of left-wing community groups, intent, in some cases, on teaching their low-income clients that the financial system is their enemy and, implicitly, that government, rather than their own striving, is the key to their well-being.-3/13/2000.
Know what I mean?
By Mike
September 19, 2008 9:32 PM | Link to this
Why did McCain today call for FEC chairman David Mason to resign and leave office immediately?
By Midori
September 19, 2008 9:35 PM | Link to this
so does the witch leave near Cindy McCain’s tossed aside sister???
is that the point????
By Midori
September 19, 2008 9:41 PM | Link to this
bwahahahahaha - Mike: I suppose instead of cheating, McCain wants to just cancel elections entirely, and declare himself POTUS.
By RW-(the original)
September 19, 2008 9:43 PM | Link to this
i r o diM,
You’re losing it, but I congratulate you on this being the latest you’ve ever made it into a Friday for that to happen.
By obamasocialist
September 19, 2008 9:51 PM | Link to this
Oh poor Jay. I can’t believe that those evil republicans might gain seats in congress, especially taking into account how popular the current democratic majority is and what a great job they are doing! Oh wait… this is the most hated, do nothing congress ever
By AJC/DNC Management
September 19, 2008 9:53 PM | Link to this
The report considers this field, “the largest in Iraq,” adding that “EU countries had shown great interest in this field because of its closeness to the continent of Europe, especially in the framework of the joint gas pipeline project linking Jordan Egypt, Syria, Turkey, leading to the States of the European continent.”
Russia is fixing to get cut out.
And Iraq is going to be rich.
Gosh, I wonder why it is so easy for them to drill?
No (expletive self deleted) liberals mucking up the works?
By Andrea
September 19, 2008 10:00 PM | Link to this
McCain’s Spain mixup was so embarrassing. How to win friends and influence people, huh?
I was in Spain in 1969 (during Franco) and again in 1992..I love Spain and the Spanish people. I do NOT want this man in charge of ANYTHING…he lacks the basic knowledge and diplomatic skills! I have also been to Germany, Ireland (for longer than just a refueling) and Mexico. I speak Spanish and a smattering of other languages. I am in regular contact with people in Germany, England, El Salvador and Australia.
In other words: I think I have more foreign relations experience than either McCain or Palin.
By Midori
September 19, 2008 10:10 PM | Link to this
Ricky Retardo,
I haven’t lost a thing, Doll - other than my patience dealing with hypocritical scum like you.
cheers
By Felix
September 19, 2008 10:16 PM | Link to this
The “drill, baby, drill” chant has given them another bumper sticker wedge issue. That and the Palin bounce that looks to be over. This latest government bailout should put the final nail in their coffin.
By Melissa
September 19, 2008 10:28 PM | Link to this
This witch stuff is eerie!
Now that Sarah Palin is running for Vice President of the United States, the Wasilla Assembly of God is trying to cover up for her. The church has scrubbed its web site of the sermons Pastor Thomas Muthee delivered there. Just last month, those sermons were up on the church web site. Now they’re gone, why? What is the Wasilla Assembly of God church trying to hide? One of those lectures was entitled How to Benefit From Authority - oh, I bet Muthee has some real insights on that subject.
If I were one of those journalists hanging out in Wasilla, looking for a scoop, I’d go to the sermons to be given this month by Pastor Thomas Muthee. Yes, Muthee is coming back to Wasilla. Apparently, witch hunters are very popular at the Assembly of God church.
Muthee will be giving sermons at the Wasilla Assembly of God north campus this Saturday, the main Sunday Service sermon at the church and another sermon at the Teeland Middle School on Sunday, plus three more sermons on Monday.
How much you want to bet that the Wasilla Assembly of God doesn’t put those new sermons on its web site?
And Sarah Palin credits Muthee with exerting supernatural influence in order to get her into public office. So Muthee’s moral values and approach to gaining political power are an important insight into Sarah Palin’s own values and approach to political power.
Given Muthee’s atrocious witch hunts, I worry that Sarah Palin’s values are the values of the Salem witch trials.
OMG! Could Sarah Palin be the Antichrist?
By RW-(the original)
September 19, 2008 10:34 PM | Link to this
Uh Oh…Looks like Team Dunce’s dishonest Limbaugh/McCain stunt has opened a new window on the campaign.
It’s on: McCain camp hints they’re ready to hit Obama on Wright
By ray
September 19, 2008 10:40 PM | Link to this
the ‘drill baby drill’ had more to do with why sarah has a thousand kids than it did oil…after all, making snow angels has got to get old…
and maybe sister sarah got univited from the iran protest because they found out she and her preacher think the jews invite terror because they can’t stand Jesus…pretty much like that iranian cook - wait, maybe sarah would fit better inside and up on the stage?
By getalife
September 19, 2008 11:02 PM | Link to this
RW,
Wright has his 15 minutes like Palin.
Do you think it is a mistake to rush this new socialism over the weekend?
I think they should stay for the rest of the month and fix the broken government.
By TeaTime
September 20, 2008 5:47 AM | Link to this
Wait a minute, duhng, socialist whining liberals cant be bad for both freedom AND tyranny. At least try to keep your hate-speak sane, Spanky.
Duh, da wiberals r bad for oligarchy, duh, patriarchys, duh, monarchy, facism, parliamentary matriarchy, matriarchal parliaments, and group sex…duhh.
RETARD!
By Dennis
September 20, 2008 6:28 AM | Link to this
Some of the Democrats here in GA are just out of touch. Hank Johnson, D-4th District is in favor of adding/”recapturing” visas to allow as many as 550,000 foreign nationals into the US.
At a time of job and home losses for American citizens, how can Hank Johnson allow foreign nationals to compete with US citizens for American JOBS?
One of his assistants states, “We are a nation of immigrants”! That may be true, but much has changed since immigrants arrived via Ellis Island.
Now immigrants have an array of social services that they can use, such as free ER medical care and free education for their children. Already hard pressed local taxpayers must pony up their money to support these benefits!
HANK JOHNSON, you are simply out of touch with what American citizens and local taxpayers need in this bad economy. I can not fathom why you support the interests of foreign nationals over those of the American citizen and local taxpayers. I hope these citizens see fit to put someone in office that looks out for their interests!
By Jason
September 20, 2008 6:54 AM | Link to this
After reading these blogs, I have come to two conclusions: 1. I don’t have enough Marijuana to smoke nor LSD to “trip” on to understand most of them (they’re so childish); 2. Most of the writers would benefit greatly from going back to school and re-taking English 101 grammar.
By the way, on a recent trip to the Holy Land, I discovered that Himself was going to make an appearance at the Inn in Bethlehem and take another ride on his a* complete with adoring crowds of mindless simpletons and, of course, palm leaves.
The Secret Service has reserved all rooms in the surrounding area and the Presidential debate may be carried live from the Manger back to the US on split-screen TV.
To those on the left: I would never say you are wrong for believing what you (claim to) believe, only that I disagree - sometimes vehemently.
As for Jay B., it is a constant disagreement. C’est la Vie
By Jason
September 20, 2008 6:54 AM | Link to this
After reading these blogs, I have come to two conclusions: 1. I don’t have enough Marijuana to smoke nor LSD to “trip” on to understand most of them (they’re so childish); 2. Most of the writers would benefit greatly from going back to school and re-taking English 101 grammar.
By the way, on a recent trip to the Holy Land, I discovered that Himself was going to make an appearance at the Inn in Bethlehem and take another ride on his a* complete with adoring crowds of mindless simpletons and, of course, palm leaves.
The Secret Service has reserved all rooms in the surrounding area and the Presidential debate may be carried live from the Manger back to the US on split-screen TV.
To those on the left: I would never say you are wrong for believing what you (claim to) believe, only that I disagree - sometimes vehemently.
As for Jay B., it is a constant disagreement. C’est la Vie
By falcondawg
September 20, 2008 7:19 AM | Link to this
It’s pathetic that so many Americans would vote McCain into office just because he’s the sterotypical prototype who has held the office since the beginning. It’s time for change! McCain realizes it. That’s why he’s not offering solutions to problems during this campaign. He’s playing on the ignorant people’s desire to avoid change by feeding their fears and biases with attack after attack on his opponent.
McCain has been on office over 20 years. He’s part of the reason for today’s problems. He’s not as honest as he wants you to think he is (see Keating Five) and he nor his running mate are as rebellious as they would lead us to believe. They are just two liars who get away with as much as possible and use spin to alter the perceptions of the ignorant.
It’s so sad that we as a country still have such a 19th century mentality that we would prefer to put two people like that in office rather than even consider a person of a different race.
By bobfromcanton
September 20, 2008 7:37 AM | Link to this
My first guess is that maybe the folks that Obama has been less than excited about (the religion, guns, etc. folks) are seeing that the gas prices have doubled since the dems have had control of congress (2006). Then the dems didn’t give a d**n and went on vacation for 5 weeks (longer than most everyone else has). And now the dems have gotten the message and are trying to put thru a fluff piece of legislation so they can say “Look we fixed it, re-elect us!”. The folks are smarter than that Jay…
By Bud Wiser
September 20, 2008 8:14 AM | Link to this
Some of these polls also reflect the fact that many white Democrats say to a pollster that they’ll vote Obama, even though they plan to vote for McCain, because they do not want to be perceived as ‘racists’. Idiots.
Why is it that 95%+ of black voters say they’ll vote Obama, and it is not called racist, even though that’s exactly what it is; however, if Mr Pink Skin says he’s going to vote McCain even though he’s a Democrat, he’ll be branded a racist?
The large majority of the black voters that will vote Obama do it because of his skin color, period. They haven’t the rudimentary intelligence to try and see him for what he is, which is a Socialist, or even try to see beyond the skin color for that matter..
I don’t buy that line of crap that says Obama is a symbol of blacks being on the threshold of final equality and greatness, that a country that once enslaved them may now be able to vote one as President, blah, blah, blah. What kind of greatness puts a man like him as a candidate? I myself could vote for Colin Powell, Condoleeza Rice, Herman Cain, many other black candidates before Obama, and it is because of his far far left political leanings…..it’s the man, not his color I despise.
But the black community will have none of that. They are in chains and enslaved yet again, now by the Democrat Party, which for 50+ years since Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society, has spent trillions, promised much, and delivered virtually nothing. The whole premise of the Great Society was morphed into things like affirmative action, undeserved minority placement in line by skin color, not by achievement. So they stand in line, wait for the undeserved placement or handout, and lose the desire or ability to achieve or earn, because Massa DNC has made it into law that accomplishment is no longer required.
And do you know what is really sad? They don’t even know it. I give the benefit of the doubt on that statement, because if they do know it and like it to be that way, that is beyond reprehensible….but it would explain the slow dissolving of the black family, and other black cultural values. My level of disgust for the unflinching support of Obama because of color alone is beyond explaining here. Those people are sad human beings to think so little of themselves…the loathing and self hatred must be a hard burden to bear.
Hell, the Bible says that Eve took the first bite of the apple from the Tree of Knowledge, and she liked it, even though she was told or knew of the very bad consequences. The Great Society and the entrenchment of the cultural welfare system is similar to that bad apple in that it has had very bad consequences. But blacks, like Eve, seem to like it.
The old ‘lipstick on a pig’ metaphor that has seen the spotlight of this campaign has many relatives:
1) you can dump billions into the ghetto and it is still a ghetto
2) you can take the man out of the ghetto, but you can’t take the ghetto out of the man
3) deserved or not, any promotion or achievement by any minority will always have the suspect stain of affirmative action on it
Blah, blah, blah, blah. Martin Luther King said he dreamed of the day when his children would not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the quality of their character. My oh my, what has happened to that? Obama is being judged (supported) by his ‘people’ not by the quality of his character, but by the color of his skin. The rumbling under the sidewalks in Atlanta and elsewhere is Dr King spinning in his grave.
Obama/Biden ‘08 - making it easy to be stupid, racist, and in denial all at once
By Brent
September 20, 2008 8:27 AM | Link to this
I do not believe this either and I tend to vote republican. I think the republicans do a better job as the minority where they can rail against government spending. When they are the majority party they spend just like democrats.
By zeke
September 20, 2008 8:48 AM | Link to this
Hopefully republicans, but more important, conservatives blow out the demo socialist and retake both houses of congress and the white house and once and for all put the liberal, socialist, populist, class warfare demos out to pasture!!!
By latteloveinliberal
September 20, 2008 9:31 AM | Link to this
Its really pathetic that the same right-wingers show up everyday and fill the comment section with mindless blather. Check up: Under Clinton we had a great economy and everybody was happy. Under Bush & Repugs we had a terrorist attck, crappy economy, a useless expensive war, and scandal after scandal. Chew over that. Now get away from your keyboards. Go out and get some sunshine. It might improve your attitiude.
By Ray
September 20, 2008 9:32 AM | Link to this
Bookman,
You might tell your boss that she has some of points in today’s editorial which don’t jive with Fact Check and Snopes. And you ask why thinking Americans are pi**ed off at your bias.
You at least have the balls to post an opinion and take the heat from all sides. She is hiding behind her computer when she editorializes without criticism. This probably has nothing to do with your thread today but it becomes about the only way to express an opinion about she writes. Come on out and play, Cynthia.
By donald
September 20, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this
I don’t hold a lot of stock in polls because they tend to give you insights on new fads versus reality. The Democratic controlled Congress could not do anything because they had a slim majority and one independent idiot who straddles the fence. The only ideas repubs have is drill, drill, drill!! While this may placate the masses at the moment, long term this approach is a disaster.
Now you have media outlets like Hoax News that love to use their “fair and balanced” lies to spin facts toward the right, but at the end of the day, these clowns are responsible for 8 years of complete failure and on Nov 4, this will show up resoundingly in the polls.
By GMAN
September 20, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this
And I keep hearing that it’s not about race. Just check this out…
http://news.yahoo.com/page/election-2008-political-pulse-obama-race
By fearless fosdik
September 20, 2008 9:57 AM | Link to this
John McCain has an article entitled Better Health Care at Lower Cost for Every American, in the Sept./Oct. issue of Contingencies.
Here’s what McCain has to say about the wonders of market-based health reform: Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in BANKING, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation.
So McCain, who now poses as the scourge of Wall Street, was praising financial deregulation like 10 seconds ago — and promising that if we marketize health care, it will perform as well as the financial industry!
Are you kidding me?
By Ray
September 20, 2008 10:01 AM | Link to this
GMan,
Sad as it may be, your point is well taken. Mr. Wonderful will have to have at least a 10% bump to overcome the Bradley effect. It’s the elephant in the living room that Katie, Brian, Charlie, Bookman and Tucker don’t talk about but it will most probably decide who wins.
By Borat Obama
September 20, 2008 10:13 AM | Link to this
I thought polls didn’t mean anything this time of year, Jay, or at least last week they didn’t.
By GMAN
September 20, 2008 10:20 AM | Link to this
Ray, It “is” sad. And we as a country continue to allow it to be swept under the rug. As bad as the economy, healthcare, and foreign relations is in this country, we would allow hate and bigotry to make our most important national decisions. I am confident that God will give us the president that we deserve.
By getalife
September 20, 2008 10:21 AM | Link to this
I don’t think we should not vote for Obama just because he is half white.
Yes, white power has turned our country into a socialist state and the coward McLiar blames him when it was McLiar and Gramm leading the socialist revolution but Obama is also half AA.
By GodHatesTrash
September 20, 2008 10:26 AM | Link to this
White racists will not abandon the GOP this year, or for the forseeable future. The superstitious, the stupid, the paranoid - the core of GOP support.
These bottomfeeders love Bush, and they’ll vote for Hensley-McCain because L-o-l-a is their man. Of course, knuckledragging thugs like Gingrey, Little Lynnie, etc. are safe.
At worst, the GOP loses 10 seats this election, despite everything they’ve done and to run this country into the ground.
By Borat Obama
September 20, 2008 10:54 AM | Link to this
GodHatesTrash, it’s the white racists in the Dimokraut party The Messiah is worried about you idiot.
By Borat Obama
September 20, 2008 11:00 AM | Link to this
GMAN, you don’t have to go much further than this blog to find plenty of hate and bigotry within the Dimokraut party. Just look at the garbage the majority of these so-called Messiah supporters post. They’re full of hate and bigotry.
By hillbilly ragger
September 20, 2008 11:03 AM | Link to this
“Its really pathetic that the same right-wingers show up everyday and fill the comment section with mindless blather.”
No, it’s expected. It’s not like they have real jobs.
I believe they’re trying to earn McCain Trolling Points, which can be exchanged for valuable prizes.
By Ray
September 20, 2008 11:07 AM | Link to this
GMan,
“The superstitious, the stupid, the paranoid” is a bit of a stretch. Ever think what the answers to the Yahoo poll might have been had the responders been black and were asked about black perceptions of white America? Only 15% of white America thought black Americans were law-abiding. Might have something to do with the male prison mix. That means that 85% thought they were not. I don’t think that all of these people are “racist bottom feeders”. Less than 20% thought that black Americans were determined, hard working, intelligent at school, smart at everyday things and dependable. That meant that about 80% did not. 25% of white Americans thought that black Americans were violent by nature. Surprised it is not more. Small wonder when the leading cause of death in black males between 17 and 35 is violent homicide. I don’t think that the black community is very proud of this track record. Are you? All of us are not bigots, GMan, but Snoop Dog and Ice Tea are making you look pretty bad and none of you are doing much about it except complain about racism.
By Borat Obama
September 20, 2008 11:10 AM | Link to this
GMAN, see what I mean? hillbilly ragger is a prime example of the hate filled idiots posting here.
By GodHatesTrash
September 20, 2008 11:47 AM | Link to this
Evidently, Mr. Bookman, some of your regular readers think that Obama is exactly the same kind of fellow that beat them down in the prison showers the last time they were in the county lock-up, and that’s why they won’t vote for him.
So much for staying in school, getting a stellar education, hard work and the content of one’s character - Obama, even though he is half white, is quite literally the bogeyman to many of your idiot rightwingnut regulars.
Boo!
They are bottomfeeders for sure, and racists to boot.
Bottomline, bottomfeeders, people who won’t vote for someone because of their race don’t belong in the voting booth.
By lattelovinliberal
September 20, 2008 12:06 PM | Link to this
If right-wingers would stop scaring the hell out of me with their dumbest-common-denominator candidates I wouldn’t have to vote for democratic candidates who I only half like. I might gamble on a third party candidate then. Actually I had respect for McCain until Buffy the Mooseslayer showed up. Reality check, folks: although women candidates are chic right now, there’s no hiding the fact she’s dumb as rocks. Lay down your greivences and THINK for a change. SHEEESH!
By GodHatesTrash
September 20, 2008 1:08 PM | Link to this
Palin is not only a moosehunter, s/he’s an excellent fisherman.
S/he’s great at suckers and carp - willing to bait the hooks with the foulest smelling garbage s/he can.
Bottomfeeders, beware!
By AJC/DNC Management
September 20, 2008 2:55 PM | Link to this
Deep-seated racial misgivings could cost Barack Obama the White House if the election is close, according to an AP-Yahoo News poll that found one-third of white Democrats harbor negative views toward blacks—many calling them “lazy,” “violent” or responsible for their own troubles.
Suck on that, liberals.
And by the way, I think that most elite blowhard white liberals are “lazy,” “violent” or responsible for their own troubles.
By D
September 20, 2008 3:25 PM | Link to this
The thing about Congress — specifically why we see so little change — is when you ask people what they think of Congress itself, the results are usually low opinions, but when you ask about an individual Congressman or Senator, most people think their individual representative is doing an awesome job.
By Expected
September 20, 2008 4:05 PM | Link to this
Curious — one could take Cynthia Tucker’s oped today and substitue Obama for Sarah and racism for sexism and have a very similar C. Tucker whining diatribe….
By Patrick
September 20, 2008 7:30 PM | Link to this
Good Goda’mighty! I actually thought I’d blog on the Jay Bookperson’s blog but wound up on this, “The Huffington Post!” I’d sure like to actually hear some of these bed-wetting liberals scream and suck their thumbs swearing to do so ‘till they turn blue (or is it pinko?) until someone is forced to agree with them! Don’t hink so? Look at their mid-section: it’s all wet and their thumbs are creased terribly from sucking them! WAAAAAHHH! WWWAAAAHHHH!!! What a country we live in…
By Algonquin J. Calhoun
September 20, 2008 8:54 PM | Link to this
Jay, it will hold up! The Republinazis have a terrorist attack scheduled for early October and this will galvanize the vote. The cowardly, the gullible and the professional thieves that make up that party will turn out to vote for the next Fuhrer and Eva Braun and her imported spectacles! The Reichstag will, once again, convene and give more power to the failed military man and his firm teated Vice-Fuhrer. Meanwhile, the economy will continue to worsen as the government goes into the banking, stock and commodities business. The wars will be expanded to include Pakistan and Iran but we’ll be safe in our poverty and chaos until the next election!
By Algonquin J. Calhoun
September 20, 2008 9:15 PM | Link to this
The large majority of the black voters that will vote Obama do it because of his skin color, period. They haven’t the rudimentary intelligence to try and see him for what he is, which is a Socialist, or even try to see beyond the skin color for that matter..
Wall Street has been taken over by Socialists. The banks have been taken over by Socialists. For many years the Republinazi party has run a socialist government for corporations and the very rich. Now, they’ve had to include the people upon whose backs they ride. In so doing, they’ve added more burden to the backs of the beasts who make this country work. Even more will soon be added but the camel’s back is already broken! This nation is in a depression that will make the one in 1929 look like a, not unpleasant ,interlude between eras of economic tranquility. This will be the last presidential election. When people no longer can survive honestly within a system of government they will turn to other means. When elections are stolen and voting has no meaning people will make their voices heard through the barrel of a gun. Many years ago it happened in Cuba when the United State puppet enriched the few and ignored the many who hadn’t enough to eat and no way out of poverty. While the few in this nation prosper, the many lose their homes, jobs and way of life. Better hope the ballot box remains a way of change!
By Mike L. stinks!
September 21, 2008 1:50 AM | Link to this
Luckovich cartoon today was stupid and offensive. Nonsense. Satan. McCain. Luckovich should be ashamed for being offensive and not funny at the same time. I wil be voting republican this year. I was a Hillary supporter but after seeing the mean tactics of the liberal press and Mike Luckovich today, I can’t support a party that would stoop to such juvenile tactics. My party used to be above such things.
By Joe
September 21, 2008 9:35 AM | Link to this
It’s really simple Jay. Congress, lead by far left liberals, have done absolutly nothing in the two years they have been in power. Do you really think people want invesigation after investigation of Bush administration officials? A real waste of tax payer dollars. Do you really think being in denial about the surge working as do most of the dem leadership is along with the American people? I think people are beginning to realize that when you vote dem you’re voting along with the lunatic fringe of society. People like Mike Moore, Loius Farrakan, and Rosie O’Donnell. Normal hard working Americans just don’t run in the same circles or have the same beliefs as these freaks…
By The Forgotten Messiah
September 21, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this
The Forgotton Sermon
By the Forgotten Messiah
Today’s sermon is about revenge: Don’t. Forgive instead. B quick 2 4give.
B quick 2 4give. You don’t know all the facts. You could be the wronging party.
Look at the AIG bailout. Congress must forgive the corrupt, the bankrupt, and the abruptly inept. They must look past the Liar Loans, the Ninja Loans, the Pirate Loans, and the people at every level of the transaction who committed and then fell victim to their own fraud, perjury, deception, and greed. Confess, America, and for your penance, you must say “no” to two credit card offers, three no- money-down auto leases, and then drive past 5 ATM machines without withdrawing any cash. Now go and sign no more.
B quick 2 4give. History is full of unnecessary revenge.
Look at the Garden of Eden. The snake could simply have been a grocer trying to market the apple. He going to say whatever it takes to sell that apple. “Oh, you’ll be a genius if you eat this apple, you wont die, au contraire mon frere, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. It’s good for you.” Forgive the snake, even if he offered terms or discount coupons to Eve.
The snake could also have been a student who was trying to impress his teacher, Eve. Eve was the first snake whisperer, perhaps.
Forgive the snake, even though Christian lore has the Virgin Mary crushing the snake with her heel at some point in the ecclesiastical fulfillments of supernatural prophesy… I guess she couldn’t forgive the snake. Perhaps Mary was the first dog(matic) whisperer. (sorry).
No, my brethren, in a word, B quick 2 4give.
By Mel
September 21, 2008 4:19 PM | Link to this
Reason for republican revival: Pelosi / Reid have been dismal failures, and are now proposing a big bailout of big corporations for their failures, using taxpayer money.
By buck
September 21, 2008 4:42 PM | Link to this
we need to git rid of pelosi& reid first then start kicking A*& taking names of the rest of the left wing pinko commie going green ex hippies from the ‘60’s also the politically crowd the ACLU jessee jackson al sharpton & ALL THEIR B.S where is america i grew up in the 50’s & early 60’s I MISS YOU
By BS Aplenty
September 21, 2008 7:48 PM | Link to this
Why Obama Should Not be President
To know a man is to understand the gods to which he kneels.
A man’s speech may be used to inform or misinform others but a man’s worship seeks to edify his own soul. Any journey to understand the candidate Barack Obama must pass through the Trinity United Church of Christ a congregation where Obama worshipped for twenty years. A congregation where he also found a life’s mentor in the person of TUCC’s erstwhile minister, Jeremiah Wright.
TUCC is a numerically significant and unique church in the group of United Churches of Christ. How unique? Unique in that only it, among all others, has adopted as doctrine the teachings of one James H. Cone, the black theologian who systematized black liberation theology. And it is in the doctrine of Cone where one finds candidate Obama’s genuine worship. To many Americans that doctrine would differ markedly from what they view as Christian worship. In fact, one wonders what this archaic, racist doctrine has to do with Christianity at all as demonstrated in a passage from Cone’s A Theology of Black Liberation:
This understanding of blackness can be seen as the most adequate symbol of the dimensions of divine activity in America. And insofar as the country is seeking to make whiteness the dominating power throughout the world, whiteness is the symbol of the Antichrist. Whiteness characterizes the activity of deranged individuals intrigued by their own image of themselves, and thus unable to see that they are what is wrong with the world. Black theology seeks to analyze the satanic nature of whiteness and by doing so to prepare all nonwhites for revolutionary action.
In passing, it may be worthwhile to point out that whites are in no position whatever to question the legitimacy of black theology. Questions like “Do you think theology is black?” or “What about others who suffer?” are the product of minds incapable of black thinking. It is not surprising that those who reject blackness in theology are usually whites who do not question the blue-eyed white Christ. It is hard to believe that whites are worried about black theology on account of its alleged alienation of other sufferers. Oppressors are not genuinely concerned about any oppressed group. It would seem rather that white rejection of black theology stems from a recognition of the revolutionary implications in its very name: a rejection of whiteness, an unwillingness to live under it, and an identification of whiteness with evil and blackness with good. [7-8]
It seems that for non-black Americans to know the soul of candidate Obama, that is, to understand what he thinks is soul-edifying for himself, his wife, his children, one must slog through a racist doctrine of yester-year. The candidate’s ‘Change You Can Believe In’ sloganeering now reveals a politician all too comfortable with politics as usual deception. Obama’s genuine worship reveals him as wed to an archaic racist doctrine with seemingly little tolerance for the mainstream American community.
The candidate himself seems easy enough to parse, but what are we to make of his avid supporters who well-know the philosophical background of his church. His supporters who cheer on their candidate even with his well-known acceptance of racist thought like Cone’s? And what are we to infer about an American media that seems decidedly negligent in reporting this background to the voters? I’ll leave that to you good people to interpret.
Did I mention this guy wants to be president?
By Socialism Republican style
September 21, 2008 10:31 PM | Link to this
So, the Republican party of Fiscal Responsibility has now a VP contender who says (paraphrased) in the same speech “We need to regulate the financial system to correct this mess” and then turns around and says “We need to get Government out of Business” - the same get gobment out - no regulation mentality that has led to the Socialization of the American markets (planes, banks, mortgages/houses and automobiles)… Watching McCain grandstand that the fundamentals of the the American economy are sound drove me out of the room: tried to get a business loan in the past 6-9 months, John? I’ve never seen in print an honest tallying of all the bail-out money the Bush Administration has approved since Dec. 2007 (starting with the first $50B to the Big 3 Auto makers). Now telling traders no short positions? How is blocking a fundamental mechanism for deflating bogus valuations in the free market system “Republican” ? Sounds like Russia to me! George Bush has approved more outside manipulation of the American financial system than FDR and the WPA! At least the WPA was designed to give Joe Smoe a job, and not bail out greedy privateers, developers, speculators, CEOs, etc. Paulson and Bernanke, appointed by the Bush Adminstration, have fiddled around, playing favorites, and only at the last ring of the death knell gotten their collective schite together to try to come up with a comprenhensive plan. That these box-of-rocks is the Republican ticket gives me the willies for the next four economic years… Where is Bob Barr -!! Where’s Ron Paul!!
By Do they really want to be President?
September 21, 2008 10:50 PM | Link to this
Ya know, the economy is going to be in the toilet for quite some time; neither McC or O are interested in pulling out of Iraq by Valentine’s Day to re-direct American money to the US and our collapsing infrastructure…. The U.S. is now literally owned by China and the Arabs except for what’s just been Socialized by the Bush Administration… Does either one of them REALLY want to be in charge when all our economic chickens come home to roost and poop on our heads for the next 3-4 years?
By Middle-Aged White Lady
September 22, 2008 12:34 AM | Link to this
To all on both sides of this vicious, ugly divide,
I am frightened. I am frightened for my country. We face financial disaster, pervasive worldwide terrorist activity bent on destruction of our country and culture, and ecological changes the likes of which could devastate our ability to feed ourselves… and all anyone seems to be able to do on this blog, or any blog I read here or elsewhere is vilify, denigrate and heap ugliness and verbal abuse upon anyone who dares to voice an opinion different than their own.
I am a soon-to-be 52 year old white woman raised during the Civil Rights era and desegregation in north Florida. I am your neighbor; I might have been your child’s middle school teacher; I could be that woman in line behind you at the store or the bank.
I may see the world differently than you. I may have a different opinion than yours. That does not make me stupid, foolish. I am not your enemy.
The blogosphere seems to bring out the worst in people - we can be mean, cruel, disrespectful, disgusting, with no recompense. Buck? Patrick? AJC/DNC Management? Would you treat me in person as you treat others of my political persuasion here in this blog?
We are a country equally divided. For every one “conservative,” there is one “liberal.” The last two presidential elections, as well as the current poll results for this campaign bear that out. But we are unable to agree to disagree, unable to find consensus; unable to respect differences. All we seem to be able to do is heap abuse upon the other. Have we become such a nation of xenophobes even within our own borders?
When George W. Bush said “I am a uniter, not a divider,” I hoped for a few brief moments that he actually meant it. Sadly, no. Nothing has changed. If anything, it seems both sides are even more entrenched, more unwilling to find a common ground.
And finding a common ground is absolutely the ONLY thing that will save this country. Compromise is not lose-lose - it is win-win. If we cannot find compromise on issues such as abortion, death penalty, gun control, gay rights, respect for the flag - or at least table these issues, acknowledging that they pale in comparison with the urgent issues facing us NOW, then I fear there is no hope. That we are finally, the Roman Empire, that our country has in fact reached the impasse; that the decline of our civilization has reached and breached the tipping point.
As cynically as it was put, I find myself in agreement with “Do they really want to be President?” Our next President, whoever that may be, will likely be a one-term, unpopular President, for circumstance will force him/her to make terribly hard decisions, unpopular decisions, that may benefit us in the long run, but will create hardship for all of us for the short term.
There will be no tax cuts. There will be increases across the board. I cannot fathom any other way to begin to exhaust this massive debt we have accumulated over the past eight years. No one will be spared. We will continue to pay higher and higher prices for food, fuel, essentials, simply because, as a country, we have been living far beyond our means for many years, and the cows have finally come home.
Even as one who is not a student of the Bible, “The Forgotten Messiah” is the only one here who gives me hope. We are indeed, all in this mess together.
By All Hogwash
September 22, 2008 8:36 AM | Link to this
Part of the Dems’ problem is that “they eat their own” Bob Graham, a Democrat, supports Republican positions on important issues and is vilified. Joe Liberman, a Democrat, loses a primary election and id abondoned by his party, then he too, supports Republican positions and is vilified.
John MCCain a Republican, defies conventional conservative wisdom, joins with the preeminent liberal, Ted Kennedy, and supports immigration reform, amongst many other stands he has taken that are counter to conventional conservatism, and **is nominated by his party for President.
The Democratic problem is clear, “A house divided cannot stand.”
By All Hogwash
September 22, 2008 9:12 AM | Link to this
Jay,
Ask Cynthia Tucker why she doesn’t have the balls to provide a blog so that AJC readers can respond to her liberal tripe? And ask her why she refused to answer questions from FOX News reporters?
I know the answer, but ask her, anyway.
She only wants her opinion to be expressed without challenge!
By WillieBkind
September 22, 2008 9:40 AM | Link to this
Well, Jay the answer is: Ga is a RED state. That means there are more native Georgians than transplants. Georgians have traditional values not progressive values. Georgians will listen to you in their sober deliberate way and are slow to anger or make a hasty decision. However, the names the liberals are calling them, liberals personaly attacking them, and the liberal media spewing biased reports have convinced the Georgians that progressive liberalism does not match their dream of a free America. Finally, what has ever came from Chicago that was NOT tainted with organized thugs and corrupt groups? Please tell me….Did not someone just go to jail from a public office. Mayor was it not? How well did Obama know him?
By WillieBkind
September 22, 2008 9:55 AM | Link to this
By All Hogwash September 22, 2008 9:12 AM
I saw that attempt to get her to interview Hogwash. She ran like a scared little demon with the truth on her tail. It was so cute….Thank god for affirmative action and AJC because she would not have any employment as a reporter otherwise.
By Lynnie Gal
September 22, 2008 9:56 AM | Link to this
Jay, check the dates on those polls. If the polls were conducted before this latest financial fiasco, they could be outdated now. There has been the “Palin” factor, which has paled now that the US economy is collapsing. Maybe more current polling will reflect that Americans are waking up to the fleecing of our treasury, and that awakening can only help Democrats. Republicans act like they haven’t been in charge of Congress for 14 years, compared to Democrats being in for 20 months, and are trying to blame Democrats for letting thieves knock them over the head and take their money. Those who don’t want to vote Obama because he’s black needs to know that when they’re standing in soup kitchen lines, they’ll be standing there all, black and white. Get over your racism, folks!
By ButtHead
September 22, 2008 12:31 PM | Link to this
Let the common person run congress/senate and this is what we would do 1 :) Make earmarks illegal 2 :) Set term/age limits on congress and the senate. 3 :) Build nuclear here and now, stop pandering to the far left losers. 4 :) Give greater incentives to use solar. 5 :) In the short run use our own oil here. 6 :) Make the congressional/senate pay dependent on their votes, for every vote missed or voted present they get docked pay.