2008 election

1
Sure the election is 22 months away, but that's not stopping the politicians. Anyone have any thoughts on the candidates already in the race (or those who've formed "exploratory committees")?

Dems:
Sen. Chris Dodd (CT)
John Edwards
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (OH)
Tom Vilsack, former Governor of Iowa
Sen. Joe Biden (DE)
Sen. Barack Obama (IL)
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (NY)
(Potential candidates who could still enter: Al Gore, John Kerry, Wes Clark, Bill Richardson)

GOP:
Sen. Sam Brownback (KS)
Jim Gilmore, former Governor of Virginia
Rudy Giuliani, former mayor of New York City
Rep. Duncan Hunter (CA)
Sen. John McCain (AZ)
Rep. Ron Paul (TX)
Mitt Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts
Rep. Tom Tancredo (CO)
Tommy Thompson, former Governor of Wisconsin
(Potential candidates who could still enter: Newt Gingrich, Chuck Hagel, Mike Huckabee, George Pataki)

On the Dems side, I like Biden, but after the Kerry debacle they won't again give the nomination to a Senator whose initials aren't "Hillary" and "Clinton." The Obama craze will dissipate soon, and then people will realize he hasn't got much to offer. I could back Edwards, but not with any great enthusiasm. And if it's Hillary, I'll be staying home Election Day.

The Repubs: Giuliani is worthy of consideration, but he can't pass his own party's litmus test on abortion, gays, guns, etc. So he won't be the nominee. The rest are either too far-right (Brownback, Hunter, Tancredo) or not presidential (Romney, McCain or my ex-Governor Huckabee).
This is a snakeskin jacket. And for me it's a symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom.

3
Because she's a bad politician who lacks a consistent guiding philosophy. Which means she's constantly revising her stances to fit whatever the popular mood is. All politicians do this to an extent, but she's particularly clumsy at it - just take her current song-and-dance on Iraq.

Also, this Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton-Bush dynasty, with its polarizing and divisive national politics, needs to end. Hillary's election only perpetuates it.
This is a snakeskin jacket. And for me it's a symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom.

4
O-dot wrote:Because she's a bad politician who lacks a consistent guiding philosophy. Which means she's constantly revising her stances to fit whatever the popular mood is. All politicians do this to an extent, but she's particularly clumsy at it - just take her current song-and-dance on Iraq.
Or is she just a little more honest about her innate politician's dishonesty?
O-dot wrote:Also, this Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton-Bush dynasty, with its polarizing and divisive national politics, needs to end. Hillary's election only perpetuates it.
Agreed, but at the same time, the dog and pony show of American Politics is fucked up beyond repair. I'd almost prefer 'bread and circuses', but that would require a level of populism that our corporate lobbying system prevents.
Ride me a worm, you're a rider...
Walk without rhythm and you're a strider of deserts...

5
as you well know, i couldn't give a fuck about politics, but i for one would find it grossly amusing that some third-world nations would have to deal with - gasp - a woman on policy. if you accept the given that all politicians suck, along with the fact that we've never had a female president, would she really do any worse?

now, that being said, i agree with a clinton being back in office. with the trail of bodies her & billy-boy have left behind them, we might truly go down as the most ignorant/stupid nation in history if she does get elected.

7
He dead.
This is a snakeskin jacket. And for me it's a symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom.

8
O-dot wrote:He dead.
I am going to string you up by your two big toes, and then I am going to slowly peel all the skin from your bones while dripping you in vinegar and keeping you lucid on dremil until you die of blood loss.

9
O-dot wrote:He dead.

He's not dead, but he's too busy selling Allstate Insurance to take the presidental gig again.
Just cut them up like regular chickens

10
I remember when most actors of any repute refused to do commercials (at least in the U.S.). But it's all about the money now... everyone wants to sell more and more crap to bovine Americans.

/silly naive anti-capitalist rant
This is a snakeskin jacket. And for me it's a symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom.

11
i remember seeing the guy who plays Palmer on Buck Rogers as a pseudo gate agent for a future TWA or something. hilarious.

12
TC wrote:i remember seeing the guy who plays Palmer on Buck Rogers as a pseudo gate agent for a future TWA or something. hilarious.
Heh, I watched a lot of that show when I was a sprout. Still love the theme song.

But, my other favorite Palmer-Guy role was in Major League. Pedro Cerrano, the man who taught me never to fuck with Jobu's rum (and that "hats for bats" was a killer idea).
Ride me a worm, you're a rider...
Walk without rhythm and you're a strider of deserts...

13
He shows up in several Buck Rogers episodes actually (yes, I'll fess up to owning the series on dvd). Though the award for most embarassing guest star goes to Jerry Orbach in the disco episode.
Just cut them up like regular chickens

14
I wouldn't mind seeing McCain at the helm.

I don't know that Obama is going anywhere right now. Not much to offer? Past performance does not guarantee future returns... I'd love to see somebody with balls, ideals and a little vigour in the oval office for once.
TC wrote:as soon as baseball stops being homosexual, i will.

15
O-dot wrote:Because she's a bad politician who lacks a consistent guiding philosophy. Which means she's constantly revising her stances to fit whatever the popular mood is. All politicians do this to an extent, but she's particularly clumsy at it - just take her current song-and-dance on Iraq.

Also, this Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton-Bush dynasty, with its polarizing and divisive national politics, needs to end. Hillary's election only perpetuates it.
the opening on SNL last night poked at exactly this. it was hilarious, having read this earlier in the day.

16
Kanuck wrote:I wouldn't mind seeing McCain at the helm.
I once used to think so, but after watching him on Meet the Press this morning, no more. He is completely in denial about Iraq and how badly the war has stretched the armed forces. He actually thinks there should be MORE troops sent in than even Bush is intending. This is lunacy.
This is a snakeskin jacket. And for me it's a symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom.

17
As of this morning, New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson (D) has formed an exploratory committee, so bettors can consider him as well.
This is a snakeskin jacket. And for me it's a symbol of my individuality and my belief in personal freedom.

18
Richardson should make things very interesting. I'll vote for whoever the Democrats put forward, quite frankly. Changing one's opinions for political purpose is indeed nothing new--I would've liked to have seen some of it the last six years or so, but alas--and Clinton's a smart, tough woman and apparently a well-respected legislator in NY. Obama doesn't have the experience, but he does have the charisma and generally correct political leanings in my book. Any of them are better than the best Republican candidate.
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."

19
I always chuckle a bit when people talk about whether or not someone has the experience necessary to be president. It's a mind-bogglingly huge job, even governors... that shit can only come so close to approximating the position. Political experience. Heh. That just means they've got the hang of getting elected and presenting the appearance of enough competence to get re-elected (in some cases).

Anyone who hasn't been president before is going to be doing way more winging-it than they'll ever let on.
Ride me a worm, you're a rider...
Walk without rhythm and you're a strider of deserts...

20
I think they get a small staff to help out with some details too, heh.

Just received this semi-funny email:
18> Barack to the future!

17> Please ignore the Middle-Easterny name.

16> Because the whole "slow-witted Texan with a safe-sounding
name" thing didn't work out so well.

15> Face it, America: It's me or the Ice Woman.

14> Once you go Barack, you never go back.

13> Barack: Cultural Learnings of Books and the Enlightenment
for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of America

12> Hey, what's the problem? You elected Marion Berry *twice*!

11> Not Hillary Clinton for president.

10> Your last chance for a black president before the country's
overrun by Mexicans.

9> Straight Outta Cul-De-Sac

8> He beats Hillary hands down in the bathing suit competition!

7> After our last president, we need one Hussein.

6> Obama: Just pretend he's Irish.

5> Restoring English as the official language of State of
the Union addresses.

4> C'mon, you KNOW you want to see Trent Lott piss his pants!

3> America: Movin' on up!

2> It's time for a different B.O. in the White House.


and Topfive.com's Number 1 Barack Obama Campaign Slogan...


1> As American as imam's apple pie!
[/quote]
"I'm like a dog chasing cars, I wouldn't know what to do if I caught one. . . . I'm not a schemer. I just do things."