2008 presidential race

[Lairënuriel]

That's the way they do things in the US it seems, and everyone has to hear about it all the time.
I know that being their neighbors we need to know what they are doing, but it gets a little ridiculous when Bush sneezes and all of our television channels are interupted by it.

[Beren One-Hand]

Eh, no, and no. Personally I'm quite relieved that Clinton's no longer in the race, because I just don't really agree with her. As for Obama running with her... I don't see that going anywhere either. It's nothing against party unity, but their views on some issues diverge a fair amount.  Both of them, especially Clinton, seem too adamant to compromise. I can see Obama working with her, but not the other way around. So probably not.

It would not be wise for Obama to have Clinton on the ticket, because if Obama wins and becomes President, to have Clinton as a Vice would be a bad idea.  You'd have Bill back in the White House trying to pull the strings from behind the scenes.  It would be a conflict of interest, IMO. 

And I doubt having a democrat or republican as a president would make much of a difference when it comes to the decline in moral values, etc.  This is already happening.  I don't want to belabor points already made on these so-called "moral issues" either.  Although the republicans hold more conservative values, they cannot halt the inevitable direction in which society is heading.  I would still call it a decline in moral values, while others would call it a progression towards openness and tolerance, in line with post-moderism.  Either way, we are headed in that path, so both sides should brace themselves for the change.  IMO, as long as society protects my freedoms of religion and belief, and doesn't force me to do anything against my own convictions, then things should be okay.  I should still be able to express my religious convictions, while others of opposing view points should be able to as well.  Opposite side should learn to agree to disagree in these areas.   

[Pulsifer]

I think Edwards might actually be the best, or at least one of the better, choices for Obama. He can bring in a lot of moderate votes that Obama probably won't get on account of being a bit too far leftish.

Further, Edwards maintains most policies Clinton does, so outside the realm of sheer fanboyism, Clinton's diehards should migrate towards Obama. I also think that Edwards would bridge the objectively speaking minor gaps between Camp Obama and Camp McCain. Things would not be so polarized.

And I think Obama will play it like that. With a Dem-majority in congress, he has no use for grandstanding and forcing a divide between Dems and Republicans. He'll ride most of it on the wave of a desire to get rid of Bush and let someone of the opposite party grab the rudder. The changes he are proposing are very reasonable, especially compared to the changes that have happened over the last ten years in Europe. He knows he only really needs those 51% and I don't think he'll have to compromise much to get them.

Of course, McCain could still pull it off. He's not an unreasonable president, either; but as an European, I do have to admit that electing a Republican - the candidate closest to Bush of all the Republican candidates that have run, IIRC - right now would probably make me go slack jawed for a week . . . And bump up the nuclear shelter building plans a few notches in my priority list.

[Beren One-Hand]

On another note, the potential First Lady's can be a small factor in the popular vote.  I heard that Mrs. Obama has the slight edge over Mrs. McCain.

[Pulsifer]

On another note, the potential First Lady's can be a small factor in the popular vote.  I heard that Mrs. Obama has the slight edge over Mrs. McCain.

Some people are still hung up about Mrs. McCain's backstory. [Needing money for a opiate/painkiller addiction post-surgery, she stole money from a charity she was running.] Of course, the fact that this was 12-14 years ago and the fact that she was running a charity doesn't deter some people . . .

Both of them strike me as shrill, but I give Mrs. Obama the slight thumbs up because she gave Mr. Obama the now infamous terrorist fist jab.

[Beren One-Hand]

On another note, the potential First Lady's can be a small factor in the popular vote.  I heard that Mrs. Obama has the slight edge over Mrs. McCain.

Some people are still hung up about Mrs. McCain's backstory. [Needing money for a opiate/painkiller addiction post-surgery, she stole money from a charity she was running.] Of course, the fact that this was 12-14 years ago and the fact that she was running a charity doesn't deter some people . . .

Both of them strike me as shrill, but I give Mrs. Obama the slight thumbs up because she gave Mr. Obama the now infamous terrorist fist jab.

- that's pretty hilarious!

[Diamond]

I heard a story that Obama is an ex-member of a group alike to the Black Panthers. Is there any truth in that, or is it just a rumor to hurt his campaign?

[Pulsifer]

I heard a story that Obama is an ex-member of a group alike to the Black Panthers. Is there any truth in that, or is it just a rumor to hurt his campaign?

It's a smear attempt, but with a tiny nugget of truth in it.

That tiny nugget is the fact that the NBPP [New Black Panther Party] made a endorsement website with the fansite kit freely distributed on Obama's home page. The content was automatically linked on the front page for a short while, until it was taken down on March 19th. (I can't find any information about how long it stayed up there, but no more than a day or two.)

The site and link was taken down by the Obama Campaign, due to the policy that they "will not accept endorsements from any group that advocates violence."

The NBPP is a Black Supremacist organisation, which was founded by Khalid Abdul Muhammad, former leader of NOI. (Nation of Islam) Muhammad is a strongly outspoken racist and anti-semititist.(With cherished quotes like "Blame for the Holocaust falls on the hooked-nose, bagel-eating, lox-eating, perpetrating-a-fraud, so-called Jew." and “there are no good crackers, and if you find one, kill him before he changes.”

Lovely person, really. Makes really good fajitas.

[Lexicalized]

Just wondering what you guys are thinking now that Obama selected Joe Biden as his VP running mate.  To be honest, I don't know a whole lot about the guy.  I just caught part of the Democractic National Convention thing, and heard part of Bill Clinton's speech.  Meh, so much blatant Bush bashing makes me sick.  *grin* 

But in all honesty, I was watching the thing and listening to Clinton's speech, and I suppose there must be a good level of "yay us, we're democrats" type deal at the DNC, but...at the same time, we hear all of these speeches saying people are working together, trying to close this gap between Republican and Democratic, but there's as much animosity as ever.

Not to say I don't feel it too (only on the other end of course), it just seems so fake sometimes. 

As for the elections overall, I have no clue who's going to win this one.  I think it could pretty much go either way, but I wouldn't be too surprised if Obama took it.  McCain'll have a tough time of it.

[Pulsifer]

Just wondering what you guys are thinking now that Obama selected Joe Biden as his VP running mate.  To be honest, I don't know a whole lot about the guy.  I just caught part of the Democractic National Convention thing, and heard part of Bill Clinton's speech.  Meh, so much blatant Bush bashing makes me sick.  *grin* 

But in all honesty, I was watching the thing and listening to Clinton's speech, and I suppose there must be a good level of "yay us, we're democrats" type deal at the DNC, but...at the same time, we hear all of these speeches saying people are working together, trying to close this gap between Republican and Democratic, but there's as much animosity as ever.

Not to say I don't feel it too (only on the other end of course), it just seems so fake sometimes. 

As for the elections overall, I have no clue who's going to win this one.  I think it could pretty much go either way, but I wouldn't be too surprised if Obama took it.  McCain'll have a tough time of it.

While I consider Biden to be Obama shooting himself in the foot, I consider McCain's picking Sarah Palin to be him shooting himself in the head. Twice.

Ladies and gentlemen, if your 72 year-old Republican president dies in the middle of his four year term,  you know, the guy who has been suffering skin cancer and you know the job - the most stressful one on Earth?

Yeah, if he croaks . . .

 . . . Then your president will be a 45 year old person whose prior experience is being Mayor for a town with a population of 8000 and being the Governor of Alaska for two years. (And still Camp McCain has the temerity to question Obama's experience? Hypocrite. What point he may have had has, poof, gone, gone, gone.)

Your VP-and-plausibly-P is a woman who directly opposes abortion, even for rape and incest victims. She supports the Death Penalty, she supports teaching Creationism in your classrooms, she completely fails to believe Global Warming is caused by man.

Hell, I could be a spiteful bastard and keep going all day long.

So I will.

She's a member of the NRA (National Rifle Association), opposes the legalization of Marijuana, has voted to oppose Gay Marriage on several occasions, "is a firm believer in 'abstinence-only' sex education" (how that pun passed her by is beyond me) and she supports drilling for Oil in the Alaskan natural reserves.

[Lexicalized]

Just wondering what you guys are thinking now that Obama selected Joe Biden as his VP running mate.  To be honest, I don't know a whole lot about the guy.  I just caught part of the Democractic National Convention thing, and heard part of Bill Clinton's speech.  Meh, so much blatant Bush bashing makes me sick.  *grin* 

But in all honesty, I was watching the thing and listening to Clinton's speech, and I suppose there must be a good level of "yay us, we're democrats" type deal at the DNC, but...at the same time, we hear all of these speeches saying people are working together, trying to close this gap between Republican and Democratic, but there's as much animosity as ever.

Not to say I don't feel it too (only on the other end of course), it just seems so fake sometimes. 

As for the elections overall, I have no clue who's going to win this one.  I think it could pretty much go either way, but I wouldn't be too surprised if Obama took it.  McCain'll have a tough time of it.

While I consider Biden to be Obama shooting himself in the foot, I consider McCain's picking Sarah Palin to be him shooting himself in the head. Twice.

Ladies and gentlemen, if your 72 year-old Republican president dies in the middle of his four year term,  you know, the guy who has been suffering skin cancer and you know the job - the most stressful one on Earth?

Yeah, if he croaks . . .

 . . . Then your president will be a 45 year old person whose prior experience is being Mayor for a town with a population of 8000 and being the Governor of Alaska for two years. (And still Camp McCain has the temerity to question Obama's experience? Hypocrite. What point he may have had has, poof, gone, gone, gone.)

Your VP-and-plausibly-P is a woman who directly opposes abortion, even for rape and incest victims. She supports the Death Penalty, she supports teaching Creationism in your classrooms, she completely fails to believe Global Warming is caused by man.

Hell, I could be a spiteful bastard and keep going all day long.

So I will.

She's a member of the NRA (National Rifle Association), opposes the legalization of Marijuana, has voted to oppose Gay Marriage on several occasions, "is a firm believer in 'abstinence-only' sex education" (how that pun passed her by is beyond me) and she supports drilling for Oil in the Alaskan natural reserves.

*laughs*  While you may have a point about her being slightly inexperienced to be President (*coughOBAMA??cough*),...

The rest sounds pretty darn good to me!     You list all those things like they're bad things.  McCain probably picked her so he could draw in A.) women voters, and B.) Conservatives who thought he was too much of a liberal.  ^_^ 

And as for that comment about abstinence only and her daughter's current situation...I'd like to see them pull up a list of all the mistakes sons and daughters of senators and congressman have made...It's nothing new.  I'm not saying it's okay--I'm just saying, everyone makes mistakes and everyone's acting like she's the only one in the world who's child has screwed up.  For Pete's sake.

[Andúnië]

While I consider Biden to be Obama shooting himself in the foot, I consider McCain's picking Sarah Palin to be him shooting himself in the head. Twice.

Best quote ever.

Honestly though, the fact that Palin could potentially be in a position to help govern the country makes me very, very scared. If McCain were to be elected, I would just be resigned, because I can deal with it. But Palin is everything this country doesn't need. Her views are so far skewed to the right it's not even funny. It's difficult to believe that there are enough people out there who might turn in support of McCain because of her. Are there really that many ultra-conservatives in this country in this day and age?

Your VP-and-plausibly-P is a woman who directly opposes abortion, even for rape and incest victims. She supports the Death Penalty, she supports teaching Creationism in your classrooms, she completely fails to believe Global Warming is caused by man.

She's a member of the NRA (National Rifle Association), opposes the legalization of Marijuana, has voted to oppose Gay Marriage on several occasions, "is a firm believer in 'abstinence-only' sex education" (how that pun passed her by is beyond me) and she supports drilling for Oil in the Alaskan natural reserves.

Talk about regressive. This crap is not going to do anyone any good.

[Lexicalized]

I don't know, but Palin's got the whole Republican party pretty excited, it seems.  I think she put some life into McCain's campaign...prior to this, it was looking a little dry. 

Anybody listen to her speech at the RNC?

[Pulsifer]

*Tap dances through thread, naked*

[Beren One-Hand]

I don't know, but Palin's got the whole Republican party pretty excited, it seems.  I think she put some life into McCain's campaign...prior to this, it was looking a little dry. 

Anybody listen to her speech at the RNC?

Are you kidding?  Palin was brutal, and I believe one of the reasons why things didn't work out so well for McCain.  Palin often appeared silly and goofy, sounding uneducated and using ridiculous colloquial statements, or as I would deem "redneck-isms."  Palin seems like a decent person and mother, but come on - a Vice President?  No way.

Well it doesn't matter about her anyway, she becomes a mere asterix in US political history, and Obama the man of destiny takes the presidency.  Overall, I think he is the best man for America, and for these tough economic times.  Good luck to him!