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-   -   The Obama Presidency - 2008 & 2012 (https://forums.operationsports.com/fofc//showthread.php?t=69042)

Swaggs 07-16-2010 02:03 PM

Robert Byrd is being replaced by 36-year old Carte Goodwin. Kind of cool, as his late father was my mother-in-law's first cousin. Also interesting, as he is obviously an up and comer and these type of appointments are usually for old timers. He is almost certainly just keeping the seat warm for the current governor, but at his age, I'd imagine that he has his eye the governor's seat at some point.

Ronnie Dobbs2 07-16-2010 02:54 PM

Jesse,

It might behoove you, after already being banned here once, to try to cut out the smarm.

rowech 07-16-2010 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveBollea (Post 2321281)
Regardless of what somebody on the TeeVee may tell you, the US is nowhere near bankruptcy or even being in the Greek-style crisis. Our interest rates are still near zero, we're still the reserve currency of the planet, and 80% of our debt is in US Treasury Bonds.

But yes, for the last 30 years, thanks largely to conservatives (of both the DNC and GOP stripe), people have been sold the idea you can have higher spending _and_ tax cuts!


And who is going to run on a platfrom that says they will cut spending and increase taxes and expect to get elected? So we continue to do what we're doing and it eventually tanks.

JediKooter 07-16-2010 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowech (Post 2321259)
Don't have a choice if they aren't state requirements and other things are.


Totally understand that, but, what are the costs of increasing recess time and PE compared to revamping the food system in schools? It's not like test scores have seen a surprising increase by the cutting back of recess and PE.

Color me cynical, but, unless more parents actually get involved and care enough, no amount of money they throw at this issue is going to solve it.

sabotai 07-16-2010 03:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveBollea (Post 2321274)
Pro-Tip for the libertarians in the thread. Vast majorities don't actually want to cut spending in those evil big government programs you all hate so much.


So?

rowech 07-16-2010 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JediKooter (Post 2321307)
Totally understand that, but, what are the costs of increasing recess time and PE compared to revamping the food system in schools? It's not like test scores have seen a surprising increase by the cutting back of recess and PE.

Color me cynical, but, unless more parents actually get involved and care enough, no amount of money they throw at this issue is going to solve it.


I think that's the case for most of what people are trying to fix. Until we switch how our society, in particular families, change how they do things, it really isn't going to matter.

JediKooter 07-16-2010 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowech (Post 2321315)
I think that's the case for most of what people are trying to fix. Until we switch how our society, in particular families, change how they do things, it really isn't going to matter.


Makes great bullet points for candidates though. :)

rowech 07-16-2010 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JediKooter (Post 2321319)
Makes great bullet points for candidates though. :)


Agree...politicians are really in sales...not politics.

Mizzou B-ball fan 07-17-2010 07:51 AM

Quote:

Obama: Voters to decide who caused 'this mess'

(AP) – 1 day ago

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama acknowledges that the fall elections could amount to a referendum on his stewardship of the nation's affairs.

Obama tells NBC in an interview that "nobody in the White House is satisfied" with continuing high unemployment.

But he also says the midterm congressional elections could come down to "a choice between the policies that got us into this mess and my policies that got us out of this mess."

The president said in the interview he believes voters "are going to say the policies that got us into this mess, we can't go back to." He also said Washington "has spent an inordinate amount of time on politics — who's up and who's down — and not enough on what we're doing for the American people."

Obama is borderline delusional if he really believes that the voters will buy this line of thinking and not blame his administration and the Democrats for our current situation. He's nearly halfway through his first term and we're not even remotely close to 'out of this mess' as he implies.

Even if you do think that Obama did do something of note, there's little question that voters aren't going to blame the old guard. He's going to get the blame regardless. Continuing to blame Bush is a real problem for this administration nearly two years in.

JPhillips 07-17-2010 10:18 AM

Real change would mean telling people they should vote for the GOP.

JonInMiddleGA 07-17-2010 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveBollea (Post 2321276)
Also, yes, there's bureaucracy in every large system. But guess what, I'm going to guess that bureaucracy among the government and large corporations is about the same over the long-term or even better on the government side considering the government is still larger than even Wal-Mart.


FWIW, my experience has been that the amount varies a good bit from one mega-corp to the next. Some are indeed government-like in the layers, while others are much more straight forward. My dealings with Wal-Mart corporate have left me with the impression that they're better than average in that regard, when you need a decision it usually doesn't go more than a couple of people deep to get one, they seem pretty good about letting people do the job they were hired for & I haven't seen much clutter. I know they were just a placeholder for your comment, but just sayin' ...

Greyroofoo 07-17-2010 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPhillips (Post 2321547)
Real change would mean telling people they should vote for 3rd Parties.


fixed

Greyroofoo 07-17-2010 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mizzou B-ball fan (Post 2321530)
Obama is borderline delusional if he really believes that the voters will buy this line of thinking and not blame his administration and the Democrats for our current situation. He's nearly halfway through his first term and we're not even remotely close to 'out of this mess' as he implies.

Even if you do think that Obama did do something of note, there's little question that voters aren't going to blame the old guard. He's going to get the blame regardless. Continuing to blame Bush is a real problem for this administration nearly two years in.


To me it's not a question of who got us INTO this mess but who can get us OUT of this mess.

EagleFan 07-17-2010 12:33 PM

Biggest hope right now is for 2012 to get here... What a fraud this jackass has turned out to be.

Mizzou B-ball fan 07-17-2010 02:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greyroofoo (Post 2321566)
To me it's not a question of who got us INTO this mess but who can get us OUT of this mess.


According to Obama, he already got us out of this mess.

Greyroofoo 07-17-2010 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveBollea (Post 2321585)
I mean, Obama's actual contribution to the debt and deficit is much smaller than Bush's. (To keep things simple, we won't try to apportion blame for falling income tax revenue based on the recession rather than tax cuts.)


Of course we're also comparing 1.5 years of Obama to 8 years of Bush here. Both presidents entered office in times of economic turbulence.

rowech 07-17-2010 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveBollea (Post 2321585)
OK, you can attack Obama for a lot of things, but being fradulent? He's done exactly what he campaigned on. Large stimulus to stop even further job losses? Promised and done. Health care reform? Promised and done. More focus on Afghanistan? Promised and done. Financial reform? Promised and done. Now, you can talk about the details or the positive/negatives to those decisions, but it's not like he didn't say he was going to do these things.

On the blaming Bush part, yes, it's perfectly acceptable to blame Bush. However, if I was Obama, I would say thirty years of economic policy that have destroyed large chunks of the middle class, but that's why I'm to the left of Obama.

I mean, Obama's actual contribution to the debt and deficit is much smaller than Bush's. (To keep things simple, we won't try to apportion blame for falling income tax revenue based on the recession rather than tax cuts.)

Given that the CBO grades health care reform as deficit-reducing and it's actual budgetary impact is still near zero since most of it hasn't been implemented anyway, Obama's actual contribution to the deficit is effectively the stimulus ($800 billion over three years) and a bunch of little things like extending unemployment benefits that aren't large on this scale.* The Bush tax cuts through 2010 cost about $2.5 trillion dollars. The CBO estimate of the costs of Iraq through completion is $2 trillion dollars. The budget cost of Medicare Part D is approximately $1 trillion every ten years. In other words, Obama would need to pass seven stimulus bills to equal the impact of just those three budget busters.

And unlike Bush's policies, a stimulus wasn't really an option. I don't think anyone in their right mind thinks that McCain would not have developed a very large stimulus of his own, though it may have been, say, tax cuts for the top ten percent instead of jobs for construction workers.

* The actual increase in discretionary spending between Bush's last year and Obama's first is essentially 100% stimulus. The increase looks much bigger than the $250B appropriated for stimulus that year, but the remainder is Obama bringing onto the books things Bush did through separate bills to make the budget look smaller, like the war authorization and the AMT patch.

I didn't hold Afghanistan against either party, as its hard to disentangle who is responsible for what there.


You throw around this stimulus like it's the greatest thing ever. When the economy dips again in a couple of years and the piper must finally be paid, where will you be? The stimulus did nothing but prolong the inevitable. Of course, it's the attempt to buy more years at the expense of future generations. Well done.

JonInMiddleGA 07-17-2010 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greyroofoo (Post 2321566)
To me it's not a question of who got us INTO this mess but who can get us OUT of this mess.


And if the answer is "no one", then what?

RainMaker 07-17-2010 05:03 PM

Was Obama ever against the Afghanistan war? I thought this is what he campaigned on. That he would put more pressure on that part of the war no matter how retarded it was. He had to pick a country to appease the chickenhawks when neither country should have been chosen.

molson 07-17-2010 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainMaker (Post 2321633)
Was Obama ever against the Afghanistan war? I thought this is what he campaigned on. That he would put more pressure on that part of the war no matter how retarded it was. He had to pick a country to appease the chickenhawks when neither country should have been chosen.


All I remember is something about closing GITMO his first year in office. After that, I stopped taking the foreign policy part of his campaign seriously.

RainMaker 07-17-2010 05:52 PM

Then why are you talking about him if you didn't even know the stance of one of the Presidential candidates?

Obama calls situation in Afghanistan 'urgent' - CNN.com

molson 07-17-2010 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainMaker (Post 2321645)
Then why are you talking about him if you didn't even know the stance of one of the Presidential candidates?

Obama calls situation in Afghanistan 'urgent' - CNN.com


I was making a little joke. But yes, I definitely remember pretty much all of the Democrats telling us how Afghanistan was the "right war".

molson 07-17-2010 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainMaker (Post 2321645)
Then why are you talking about him if you didn't even know the stance of one of the Presidential candidates?

Obama calls situation in Afghanistan 'urgent' - CNN.com


I was making a little joke. But yes, I definitely remember pretty much all of the Democrats telling us how Afghanistan was the "right war".

I thought they were just saying that so they wouldn't appear "soft on terrorism". (i.e. you couldn't criticize one war unless you supported or suggested another). But maybe they actually believed it.

sterlingice 07-18-2010 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greyroofoo (Post 2320965)
According the Wikipedia, a F-22 costs 150 million. And they're just so much cooler than a school lunch.


:D

SI

JediKooter 07-19-2010 11:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA (Post 2321616)
And if the answer is "no one", then what?


There's never going to be a solution if people keep voting for the same people over and over and over and over and over and over.

SirFozzie 07-20-2010 02:26 PM

Probably just a "actually getting things done" bump, but interesting news, the Democrats have retaken a six point lead in the Generic D v Generic R polls. May be a bit too early for Republicans in the House and senate to start laying out who gets what when they take over..

Democrats take generic ballot lead - Andy Barr - POLITICO.com

albionmoonlight 07-20-2010 02:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SirFozzie (Post 2322621)
Probably just a "actually getting things done" bump, but interesting news, the Democrats have retaken a six point lead in the Generic D v Generic R polls. May be a bit too early for Republicans in the House and senate to start laying out who gets what when they take over..

Democrats take generic ballot lead - Andy Barr - POLITICO.com


I still fear the GOP, so I'd like to take this poll to heart. But mid-terms are all about base enthusiasm. And I think that the GOP has that in droves. Personally, I think that the GOP has been a bit too shrill to attract the moderates, but that won't be a factor until 2012. I imagine that most moderates will stay home this November.

Of course, I may be totally wrong about all of this. It just seems right to me.

JPhillips 07-20-2010 02:31 PM

I wonder if the GOP presidential hopefuls are wishing for not quite majority gains. Seems like the worst that happen for the GOP is to actually give them the reigns of power. I doubt the public would be in a mood to elect a GOP president after two years of endless investigations and Tea Party bills.

albionmoonlight 07-20-2010 02:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPhillips (Post 2322625)
I wonder if the GOP presidential hopefuls are wishing for not quite majority gains. Seems like the worst that happen for the GOP is to actually give them the reigns of power. I doubt the public would be in a mood to elect a GOP president after two years of endless investigations and Tea Party bills.


And everyone in D.C., I am sure, remembers how Clinton, who was weak enough in 1994 to hand control of Congress to Gingrich, became unbeatable by 1996 because he had two years to pump himself up by slamming Gingrich.

rowech 07-20-2010 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by albionmoonlight (Post 2322630)
And everyone in D.C., I am sure, remembers how Clinton, who was weak enough in 1994 to hand control of Congress to Gingrich, became unbeatable by 1996 because he had two years to pump himself up by slamming Gingrich.


Didn't help that the Republicans ran someone who had no chance of ever winning simply because of the way he looked.

larrymcg421 07-20-2010 03:10 PM

Latest Gallup poll actually has Dems ahead on Generic Congressional ballot 49-43:

http://www.gallup.com/poll/141440/De...ic-Ballot.aspx

SirFozzie 07-20-2010 03:18 PM

*poke poke poke* see at 3:26 ;)

Oh, and in cynical news.. with the temporary replacement for the late Senator Byrd in, the Senate broke a GOP filibuster and are close to passing a bill restoring jobless benefits (retroactive to June 2nd), and the benefits will expire in.. November. Gee, I wonder why they chose THAT date.. :P

flere-imsaho 07-20-2010 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rowech (Post 2322632)
Didn't help that the Republicans ran someone who had no chance of ever winning simply because of the way he looked.


That's a curious explanation for Bob Dole's loss.

Crippled arm aside (which, really, no one ever really noticed), Dole looked just like any other politician at the time.

Dole lost because the economy was surging, Dole didn't offer a compelling alternative to Clinton's campaign and lots of people got back on Clinton's side as he won the image war with Gingrich's Congress. In roughly that order, IMO.

JonInMiddleGA 07-20-2010 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho (Post 2322680)
Dole lost because the economy was surging, Dole didn't offer a compelling alternative to Clinton's campaign and lots of people got back on Clinton's side as he won the image war with Gingrich's Congress. In roughly that order, IMO.


You left out "Dole to that point had shown the personality of a brick", which I believe definitely belongs on the list of top 3-4 reasons somewhere.

flere-imsaho 07-20-2010 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA (Post 2322681)
You left out "Dole to that point had shown the personality of a brick", which I believe definitely belongs on the list of top 3-4 reasons somewhere.


I was bundling that in my second point ("compelling alternative"), but could have been more clear. He didn't provide a compelling alternative to Clinton from either a policy or personality/image standpoint.

But mainly people had jobs and the economy was starting to expand rapidly. Not six years earlier everyone had been quite scared about jobs and economic prospects (though that seems quaint now, given our current context). Dole didn't really stand a chance.

molson 07-20-2010 05:12 PM

Here was who the Republicans passed up in 1996, (in order of popular votes across the primaries, after Dole, who ended up with 58.82%).

Pat Buchanan - 3,184,943 (20.76%)
Steve Forbes - 1,751,187 (11.41%)
Lamar Alexander - 495,590 (3.23%)
Alan Keyes - 471,716 (3.08%)
Richard Lugar - 127,111 (0.83%)
Unpledged - 123,278 (0.80%)
Phil Gramm - 71,456 (0.47%)
Bob Dornan - 42,140 (0.28%)
Morry Taylor - 21,180 (0.14%)

Who knows, maybe Alexander or Luger would have been a better general election option than Dole....but looking at these lists makes me just somewhat suspicious that perhaps the best, most intelligent, most capabable Americans aren't going into politics (and from an overall qualifications/competence/achievement standard - Dole blows all of these guys away).

flere-imsaho 07-20-2010 05:16 PM

The common wisdom at the time was that Clinton was going to be pretty hard to beat (he rebounded from 1994 pretty quickly) and thus most of the "major" GOP candidates stayed away. Further, it felt like Dole got the nod mainly as a "lifetime achievement" award from the GOP.

molson 07-20-2010 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho (Post 2322691)
The common wisdom at the time was that Clinton was going to be pretty hard to beat (he rebounded from 1994 pretty quickly) and thus most of the "major" GOP candidates stayed away. Further, it felt like Dole got the nod mainly as a "lifetime achievement" award from the GOP.


I remember everyone talking about Colin Powell as a challenger to Clinton. Wikipedia says the other major names that were encouraged to run but ended up sitting out were GWB, Cheney, and Rumsfield. (Who perhaps all got together and decided to put together a "dream team" when they were all free agents in 2000.)

There just isn't a whole lot of exciting presidential candidates anymore, it seems.

flere-imsaho 07-20-2010 05:31 PM

Yeah, I went to wiki as well because I was trying to remember some more of the "big names" who declined to run. I don't really remember talk about Cheney or GWB, to be honest (the latter still being an unknown outside of Texas, if I remember correctly). I do remember this was, I think, the first cycle where Powell got talked about a fair bit, and I seem to recall there was a pretty significant Pete Wilson movement before he took himself out of the race.

I'll bet (though I can't remember exactly) that Kemp was probably another one who took himself out and ended up being Dole's VP pick.

JPhillips 07-20-2010 05:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho (Post 2322685)
I was bundling that in my second point ("compelling alternative"), but could have been more clear. He didn't provide a compelling alternative to Clinton from either a policy or personality/image standpoint.

But mainly people had jobs and the economy was starting to expand rapidly. Not six years earlier everyone had been quite scared about jobs and economic prospects (though that seems quaint now, given our current context). Dole didn't really stand a chance.


I was reading a bit of a paper recently that showed the economy as the main predictor of whether or not the incumbent wins from President to Governor. Other things matter around the margin, but it really is the economy, stupid.

flere-imsaho 07-20-2010 05:38 PM

Just because I'm geeking out now, I'll note that perhaps the most important pre-election event (in my opinion) was the government shutdown face-off at the end of 1995 between Clinton & Gingrich which Clinton is generally considered to have "won". I remember my parents trying to get their passports renewed at this time, which was GOOD FUN. :D

Anyway, Gingrich's massive loss of face in the national press put the brakes on (if not seriously derailed) the "Republican Revolution" and gave Clinton a massive boost. As the primary season then got underway (back then it didn't really start until the actual year of the election - oh those heady days), it quickly became clear that Clinton was going to be very tough to beat and all of the serious GOP challengers to Dole melted away.

flere-imsaho 07-20-2010 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JPhillips (Post 2322701)
I was reading a bit of a paper recently that showed the economy as the main predictor of whether or not the incumbent wins from President to Governor. Other things matter around the margin, but it really is the economy, stupid.


Krugman referenced this in his latest NYT column: http://www.princeton.edu/~bartels/econpres.pdf

Krugman, quoting Bartels: “Objective economic conditions — not clever television ads, debate performances, or the other ephemera of day-to-day campaigning — are the single most important influence upon an incumbent president’s prospects for re-election.” If the economy is improving strongly in the months before an election, incumbents do well; if it’s stagnating or retrogressing, they do badly.

JPhillips 07-20-2010 05:52 PM

I don't necessarily want to dive too deeply into the bullshit Sherrod story, but the White House canning this woman is disgraceful. It's the act of weak, and fearful poll watchers. Both Vilsack and Obama owe that woman an apology.

JediKooter 07-20-2010 06:00 PM

For the record: I was not offended by that womans remarks.

JonInMiddleGA 07-20-2010 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by molson (Post 2322696)
There just isn't a whole lot of exciting presidential candidates anymore, it seems.


You think that's bad, you ought to see what shows up to run for governor in Georgia. Exciting? Hell, it's hard to find "tolerable".

JonInMiddleGA 07-20-2010 10:22 PM

Speaking of Georgia elections anyway ... some darned good dogfights in the down ballot races, including the (D) nomination for Labor Commish, less than 1,000 votes apart out of 288k counted so far and the top 2 (R) candidates for Insurance Commish separated by less than 3k votes out of over 500k counted. Still only 70% of precincts reporting, so these are likely going to go down to counting the mailed in paper early voting ballots.

Higher profile races mostly settled, including former Gov Roy Barnes gets the (D) nomination without a runoff, congressional incumbents all winning their party primaries (mostly unopposed) except for recently elected Tom Graves in the 9th (Nathan Deal's old seat) who will just miss out on avoiding a runoff against the same challenger who he just beat back in June.

edit to add: Looks like it'll be the Palin-backed Karen Handel (former Sec. of State) vs the Gingrich-backed Nathan Deal (former U.S. rep) in the GOP runoff for governor in Georgia. Kind of an interesting showdown in that regard, at least on the surface & I'm sure that angle will get media play. The frontrunner throughout the campaign, John Oxendine (state Insurance Comm.) ends up 4th. I don't see how anyone could deny the presence of a Palin effect, Handel's surge to a 33% finish coincided very closely to the endorsement, not sure whether Gingrich's support was enough to push Deal to 2nd or if it was just Ox reluctance & the third place finisher being unable to attract as many of the defectors as Deal did.

ISiddiqui 07-20-2010 11:13 PM

Yeah, very surprising Oxendine finished 4th! I mean, I can see a "Palin effect", but Ox dropping that far is shocking. And I wonder if it'll hurt the Palin brand any that Handel was considered one of the more moderate Republicans in the race.

JonInMiddleGA 07-20-2010 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui (Post 2322929)
Yeah, very surprising Oxendine finished 4th! I mean, I can see a "Palin effect", but Ox dropping that far is shocking. And I wonder if it'll hurt the Palin brand any that Handel was considered one of the more moderate Republicans in the race.


It definitely hurt Palin with me, her endorsement of Handel borders close to unforgivable.

Whether it has a broader impact will depend upon how effectively Deal can hammer away at Handel, if he's successful then Palin's cachet suffers some (and probably provides a model on how to neutralize/marginalize her within the party, attacking her every misstep that runs against the base). If he isn't, then she comes away largely unscathed.

DaddyTorgo 07-20-2010 11:46 PM

You vote for things like Insurance Commissioner and Labor Commissioner? That's so...i dunno...quaint.

molson 07-20-2010 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo (Post 2322945)
You vote for things like Insurance Commissioner and Labor Commissioner? That's so...i dunno...quaint.


I voted for a county coroner earlier this year. That was pretty awesome. I just wish there had been a debate.

ISiddiqui 07-21-2010 12:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA (Post 2322931)
Whether it has a broader impact will depend upon how effectively Deal can hammer away at Handel, if he's successful then Palin's cachet suffers some (and probably provides a model on how to neutralize/marginalize her within the party, attacking her every misstep that runs against the base). If he isn't, then she comes away largely unscathed.


Quite possibly. I'm sure, though, Handel is breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn't Eric Johnson in 2nd place. Deal has a whole host of ethical issues and was considered one of the most corrupt politicians in Congress and that's saying something.

Crapshoot 07-21-2010 12:10 AM

Georgia peeps (Imran, JIMGA) but I remember reading on RedState that they hated Oxedine so much, that they would endorse Roy Barnes over him. Is he really that bad from your perspective (I guess that's more of a JIMGA perspective) or is this much ado about nothing?

Goring the Ox: The Georgia Republican Party is on Suicide Watch | RedState

ISiddiqui 07-21-2010 12:13 AM

RedState would likely never endorse Barnes over Oxendine (they'd more likely abstain if they were pushed), but Oxendine is amazingly crooked. Deal isn't all that much cleaner. I'm shocked they backed Handel... considering RedState appears to be more right wing and Handel is more moderate than the others running for Gov on the R side.

stevew 07-21-2010 12:20 AM

RE Dole

FTR Steve Forbes was waaaaay scarier looking than Dole.

JonInMiddleGA 07-21-2010 12:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crapshoot (Post 2322955)
Georgia peeps (Imran, JIMGA) but I remember reading on RedState that they hated Oxedine so much, that they would endorse Roy Barnes over him. Is he really that bad from your perspective (I guess that's more of a JIMGA perspective) or is this much ado about nothing?


To me, Ox is just ... used-car salesman slimy, or something. It isn't any specifics that turn me off so completely, rather it's this sense that he's always about what's good for John Oxendine.

Here's a snippet from my endorsements (tongue completely in cheek about what those are worth) from my blog this morning

I wouldn’t trust Oxendine to bring back the change if I gave him $2 to buy me a Coke, but I trust Johnson with money even less after he supported Sonny’s tax increase in ’03 (although I love his support of school vouchers) Handel’s willingness to fund liberal causes with both taxpayer & personal dollars eliminates her from being worthy of consideration (and my opinion of Palin is severely damaged after her endorsement of Handel), neither Chapman nor Putnam are a factor at all. That leaves one man standing for my vote, albeit just barely and not particularly tall. Come Tuesday I’ll ignore the red flags, hold my nose, and hope for the best, although the truth is I wish None of the Above were on the ballot. VOTING FOR: Nathan Deal

JonInMiddleGA 07-21-2010 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui (Post 2322951)
Quite possibly. I'm sure, though, Handel is breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn't Eric Johnson in 2nd place. Deal has a whole host of ethical issues and was considered one of the most corrupt politicians in Congress and that's saying something.


I'm not sure if there's much of a net gain for her on it really. Deal is probably better at politics than Johnson, even if he's easier to attack, so that's likely a wash. I also think Deal might have a bit larger mean streak when it comes to winning.

JonInMiddleGA 07-21-2010 12:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo (Post 2322945)
You vote for things like Insurance Commissioner and Labor Commissioner? That's so...i dunno...quaint.


Eh, not entirely unheard of.

Earlier this year the guvner proposed a constitutional change that would have made four posts appointed rather than elected, it never made it to a vote IIRC.
But here's a snippet from when that story broke back in February.

Only four other states elect a labor commissioner and just eight others elect an agriculture commissioner. As for the other two offices, Georgia is among 13 that elect an insurance commissioner and 14 that vote on a state school superintendent.

JonInMiddleGA 07-21-2010 12:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveBollea (Post 2322947)
I have an honest question, Jon. Do you really believe that Palin has any real political beliefs of her own beyond 'love Jesus, protect the babiez, and kill the terrorists who hate us for our freedom' and then repeats whatever Bill Kristol on everything else? I mean, I think Mitt Romney, Mitch Daniels, and the rest of the GOP field are mostly soulless assholes, but they at least understand in a sense the BS they're shilling. Hell, I even think Dubya got that far. But, I truly believe that pretty much everyone that has posted in this thread has more political and policy knowledge than she does.


Honestly, darned if I know.

But you need to recall that I've always said that I'm not personally sold on Palin, most of my arguments on her behalf here are of the "don't deny the influence that she wields" variety. Just don't ask me to explain that situation, I still haven't been able to do so to my own satisfaction much less anyone else's.

I will offer, however, a general notion I'm getting that isn't really formed enough for me to do it justice but I believe there's some sort of sentiment developing that if you've got the right foundation/moral compass/core values/whateveryouwannacallit, then the decisions you make will ultimately be right even if the specifics are fuzzy beforehand. Given the amount of utter screwups we've seen accompanied by specifics & experts, maybe that's as valid an opinion as any.

JonInMiddleGA 07-21-2010 12:59 AM

Column from Wednesday's AJC about Palin's possible motive for endorsing Handel. Be forewarned, it suggests that Palin isn't nearly the idiot many believe she is, that this is relatively sophisticated stuff, so it may not match preconceived images of her. I'm not sure I buy this explanation, I post it here strictly for your own consideration. My own leaning is that Palin simply wasn't paying much attention to various developments in the campaign beyond Handel showing a late surge.

The practical, calculating side of Sarah Palin | Political Insider

RainMaker 07-21-2010 01:24 AM

I think Palin herself is a moron. But I do believe she has people that tell her what to say and do that are intelligent. I truly believe she is just a puppet that spouts out what she is told. I guess you can make the case that most politicans are that way, but I think for her it's an extreme.

Dutch 07-21-2010 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainMaker (Post 2322978)
I think Palin herself is a moron. But I do believe she has people that tell her what to say and do that are intelligent. I truly believe she is just a puppet that spouts out what she is told. I guess you can make the case that most politicans are that way, but I think for her it's an extreme.


hehe...look kids, Big Ben! Parliament! :)

miked 07-21-2010 06:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ISiddiqui (Post 2322929)
Yeah, very surprising Oxendine finished 4th! I mean, I can see a "Palin effect", but Ox dropping that far is shocking. And I wonder if it'll hurt the Palin brand any that Handel was considered one of the more moderate Republicans in the race.


Not surprising at all. All he did was shout about abortions and gays, not much to see there. Oh, and the occasional family values commercial. Not that Handel ran on too much more, but when the state has a huge budget shortfall and a 10.5% unemployment rate, people don't care as much about the evil gays getting to walk down the street undragged.

Now that Handel can focus on one opponent, she should easily beat the dirty Nathan Deal. Maybe he and Sonny can go in to real estate together.

JPhillips 07-21-2010 06:39 AM

As the GOP becomes more of a rural party I think a big part of Palin's appeal is that she's one of "us". Certainly in the South, the center of the GOP these days, culturally identifying as one of "us" is crucial. No region votes so strongly on cultural identity as does the South.

The other part of Palin's appeal is that she pisses off liberals and for many in the GOP that's a strong foundation for a politician. A whole lot of GOP voters, including several in this thread, seem to be motivated primary by what pisses off liberals must be good. Palin pisses off liberals, so she must be a good candidate.

With a 76% approval among the GOP and a primary schedule that favors rural voters, I could easily see her as the 2012 GOP nominee.

flere-imsaho 07-21-2010 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA (Post 2322970)
I will offer, however, a general notion I'm getting that isn't really formed enough for me to do it justice but I believe there's some sort of sentiment developing that if you've got the right foundation/moral compass/core values/whateveryouwannacallit, then the decisions you make will ultimately be right even if the specifics are fuzzy beforehand.


The problem is, Jon, that I'm not sure she really has this "right foundation / moral compass / core values / etc..." that you think she does. Her actions, especially as a mayor and a governor, but also on a personal level, have often run counter to the values she espouses, especially since she was nominated for VP. I would urge serious caution there, Jon.

For instance, I'm astonished that fiscal conservatives, or libertarian tea partiers can stomach supporting her. As a mayor she raised Wasila's sales tax by 25% to pay for a $14.7 million hockey rink (this in a town with a yearly budget of $20 million at the time), and also mortgaged the town's finances while she was at it to make the rink work. As governor she gladly took federal handouts and happily supported a number of real boondoggle construction projects. And that's just the tip of the iceberg, as it were. Let's not forget she couldn't hack more than 2 years in the nation's easiest governor's job (small population + federal subsidies + money from oil = no real hard fiscal decisions).

Obviously I dislike Sarah Palin, but I would think it should be at least somewhat arguable that she's essentially an opportunistic cipher. Yes, I'm sure she believes genuinely in a few things, such as gun ownership, abortion being illegal and God, but for almost any other position she espouses there's some sort of clear example of her acting in contravention of her stated stance on an issue.

I know you're looking for someone who will use whatever tactics are necessary to game the electorate and then govern firmly from a clear set of principles, Jon, but I really, really don't think Sarah Palin is that person.

ISiddiqui 07-21-2010 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by miked (Post 2323002)
Not surprising at all. All he did was shout about abortions and gays, not much to see there. Oh, and the occasional family values commercial. Not that Handel ran on too much more, but when the state has a huge budget shortfall and a 10.5% unemployment rate, people don't care as much about the evil gays getting to walk down the street undragged.

Now that Handel can focus on one opponent, she should easily beat the dirty Nathan Deal. Maybe he and Sonny can go in to real estate together.


Well, considering that prior to Palin's endorsement of Handel all the polls had Oxendine hovering around 40%, it is kind of surprising, don't you think?

ISiddiqui 07-21-2010 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho (Post 2323025)
Obviously I dislike Sarah Palin, but I would think it should be at least somewhat arguable that she's essentially an opportunistic cipher. Yes, I'm sure she believes genuinely in a few things, such as gun ownership, abortion being illegal and God, but for almost any other position she espouses there's some sort of clear example of her acting in contravention of her stated stance on an issue.


And to be quite honest, as Governor of Alaska prior to the VP nomination she seemed far more pragmatic than ideological. She was all for extra taxes on oil companies for one. It's when she became the conservative hope that she veered sharply to the right on a number of issues, at times contradicting her previous record.

molson 07-21-2010 09:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainMaker (Post 2322978)
I think Palin herself is a moron. But I do believe she has people that tell her what to say and do that are intelligent. I truly believe she is just a puppet that spouts out what she is told. I guess you can make the case that most politicans are that way, but I think for her it's an extreme.


She's just a bad actress, I think. She han't been doing this for very long.

I still think that her story, from city counsel to popular Alaska governor is an impressive, uniquely American one. She didn't get there by being chosen by the Republican party, in fact, she had to leapfrog a lot of the good ole boy GOP establishment along the way. I admire her a lot for that path she took. It just should have ended there.

Ksyrup 07-21-2010 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by miked (Post 2323002)
Not surprising at all. All he did was shout about abortions and gays, not much to see there. Oh, and the occasional family values commercial.


Ironic, since Oxendine is well-known for having a different woman (or two) on his arm when he goes out during NAIC meetings.

King of New York 07-21-2010 10:41 AM

I think David Frum is spot on regarding Sarah Palin's endorsements:

Deciphering Palin’s Ayotte Endorsement | FrumForum

Palin takes this "Mama Grizzly" thing quite seriously, and she has now endorsed several female candidates over male candidates whose views would seem to have been a closer match to her own--in California, she went for the female candidate over the Tea-Party-backed male candidate. In her own way, Palin is ardently "feminist," in the restricted sense that considerations of gender have a tendency to trump all other considerations.

JonInMiddleGA 07-21-2010 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho (Post 2323025)
I know you're looking for someone who will use whatever tactics are necessary to game the electorate and then govern firmly from a clear set of principles, Jon, but I really, really don't think Sarah Palin is that person.


Go back & read what I repeated earlier, I'm not sold on her. Haven't been, still not. My comment was to my still-forming understanding of at least one aspect of her appeal overall, not specifically any appeal she has to me personally.

flere-imsaho 07-21-2010 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA (Post 2323075)
Go back & read what I repeated earlier, I'm not sold on her. Haven't been, still not. My comment was to my still-forming understanding of at least one aspect of her appeal overall, not specifically any appeal she has to me personally.


OK, fair enough. I guess I read it a little differently, that she had enough appeal to you to warrant you investigating her further as a standard bearer for yourself. Hence my reaction: I really couldn't see how someone with your professed views, and professed fidelity to your views, could really be all that happy with Palin.

My post still holds for all those folks who do see her as the Second Coming, though. :D

JonInMiddleGA 07-21-2010 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho (Post 2323082)
OK, fair enough. I guess I read it a little differently, that she had enough appeal to you to warrant you investigating her further as a standard bearer for yourself.


I'll be fair here, I can't say with absolute certainty that she won't overcome me at some point with her whatever-it-is, but I can say that she hasn't yet.

She does have that whole pisses-off-the-liberals-mightily thing going for her and at least that much is a good sign ;)

I think rather than being Palin-specific (as far as my own personal preferences are concerned), that incomplete embryo of a notion that I'm not able to explain to my own satisfaction yet, might eventually apply to some candidate for me at some point but that's no guarantee that she'll be the one I apply it to.

flere-imsaho 07-21-2010 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA (Post 2323086)
She does have that whole pisses-off-the-liberals-mightily thing going for her and at least that much is a good sign ;)


Yeah, as far as I'm concerned Sarah Palin is a shining example of all that's wrong with America. Although she doesn't piss me off as much as Beck, Hannity, Cheney or Rumsfeld.

Is there a liberal analogue to Palin? Someone who makes conservatives white-hot with unfocused rage? I need to know, so I can support that person more.

JonInMiddleGA 07-21-2010 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho (Post 2323114)
Is there a liberal analogue to Palin? Someone who makes conservatives white-hot with unfocused rage? I need to know, so I can support that person more.


I think you can pick from a pretty wide variety, there's not exactly a shortage of them. The vast majority of them inspire that reaction.

molson 07-21-2010 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho (Post 2323114)

Is there a liberal analogue to Palin? Someone who makes conservatives white-hot with unfocused rage? I need to know, so I can support that person more.


The only ones that make me that kind of mad are Michael Moore, Jon Stewart, and the celebrity wing of the Democratic party. Keith Olberman is getting there. None of these have ever held public office, but Palin is really just a media figure at this point anyway.

Edit: And I guess the Kennedy's when they're portrayed as angelic icons and the greatest people in history. But they're all dead. When they're portrayed realistically, I admire them. And it's not really their fault how they're portrayed. So I guess I can't really include them

Greyroofoo 07-21-2010 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho (Post 2323114)
Is there a liberal analogue to Palin? Someone who makes conservatives white-hot with unfocused rage? I need to know, so I can support that person more.


He's sitting in the White House

flere-imsaho 07-21-2010 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA (Post 2323116)
I think you can pick from a pretty wide variety, there's not exactly a shortage of them. The vast majority of them inspire that reaction.


I was more wondering about conservatives in general. Given that you possess a white-hot rage concerning perhaps 50% of the population, you're a bit of an outlier. :p

Quote:

Originally Posted by molson (Post 2323119)
The only ones that make me that kind of mad are Michael Moore, Jon Stewart, and the celebrity wing of the Democratic party. Keith Olberman is getting there. None of these have ever held public office, but Palin is really just a media figure at this point anyway.


Jon Stewart? Really? White-hot unfocused rage?

flere-imsaho 07-21-2010 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Greyroofoo (Post 2323121)
He's sitting in the White House


OK, good point.

Greyroofoo 07-21-2010 12:23 PM

I also want to throw in Nancy Pelosi as well.

stevew 07-21-2010 12:23 PM

Both Olbercunt and Palin make me shut down with anger when they talk.

molson 07-21-2010 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho (Post 2323122)

Jon Stewart? Really? White-hot unfocused rage?


Yes, but perhaps a majority of that is entertainment and personal-based rather than political-based. He just makes my skin crawl. He's a hack. I hate that he's famous, beloved, and seriously referred to as the new "most trusted man in America." He had this brilliant marketing plan and I hate that it succeeded, and I hate what that says about America. All that.

Passacaglia 07-21-2010 12:33 PM

Plus he's no Craig Kilborn.

larrymcg421 07-21-2010 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by molson (Post 2323128)
Yes, but perhaps a majority of that is entertainment and personal-based rather than political-based. He just makes my skin crawl. He's a hack. I hate that he's famous, beloved, and seriously referred to as the new "most trusted man in America." He had this brilliant marketing plan and I hate that it succeeded, and I hate what that says about America. All that.


What does it say about America? That they like a comedy show focused on political and news events? The horror!

JonInMiddleGA 07-21-2010 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larrymcg421 (Post 2323171)
What does it say about America? That they like a comedy show focused on political and news events?


For starters, it's a sign that they have no taste, no sense of humor. Beyond that, finding that worthless p.o.s. funny gives considerable pause about how far our collective judgment has fallen in terms of what is truly deserving of ridicule.

Or did you mean other than that?

RainMaker 07-21-2010 01:44 PM

He makes fun of politicians that happen to be Republicans sometimes. That makes Molson mad.

panerd 07-21-2010 01:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flere-imsaho (Post 2323114)
Yeah, as far as I'm concerned Sarah Palin is a shining example of all that's wrong with America. Although she doesn't piss me off as much as Beck, Hannity, Cheney or Rumsfeld.

Is there a liberal analogue to Palin? Someone who makes conservatives white-hot with unfocused rage? I need to know, so I can support that person more.


Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Keith Olberman, and that old lady on the McLauglin group.

On the conservative side: Palin for sure, Karl Rove, Glenn Beck.

EDIT: Palin and Beck are the worst because they have taken a movement that I believe in (government spends too much money and is very inefficient) and act like they are the chosen leaders of it and that God and endless war are somehow a big part of the solution.

JediKooter 07-21-2010 01:55 PM

Can't stand Olberman, Beck and Limbaugh. However, 2 of the 3 listed I would classify as entertainers as opposed to news/media. 1 of them I would classify as trying too hard, way too hard to be snarky with his self imposed "being offended".

All 3 suck. All 3 count on their little sheeple to not fact check or question them and most of their sheeple won't.

However, Jon Stewart and Colbert are and always have been comedy/entertainment and have never denied it or tried to claim to be something else. They don't claim to be the voice of america or the voice of reason or the voice of change. They are who we thought they are: comedians. Like them or not, if you can't see that, then you should have to turn all of your TVs in and get a full refund and sign a contract stating you will never own a TV again or watch TV again for the rest of your life.



Lunch time!!!

molson 07-21-2010 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainMaker (Post 2323176)
He makes fun of politicians that happen to be Republicans sometimes. That makes Molson mad.


You have a serious crush on him. You get all emotional when I say I'm not a fan. It's kind of cute. If you weren't such an ass.

molson 07-21-2010 02:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JediKooter (Post 2323187)

However, Jon Stewart and Colbert are and always have been comedy/entertainment and have never denied it or tried to claim to be something else. They don't claim to be the voice of america or the voice of reason or the voice of change. They are who we thought they are: comedians.


He's more comedian than say, Chris Matthews, and Michael Moore, but certainly less than David Letterman or the Onion (the latter being Rainmaker's favorite comparison). Letterman and the late night shows are somewhat closer, because those shows do, while having plently of non-policial comedy, on occasion, have serious interviews with policial figures, and express a specific point of view. Will Rodgers would be a decent comparison also.

I was just stating an opinion in response to a question. Criticizing Stewart is the only one from the list that causes people here massive butt-hurt for some reason.

sabotai 07-21-2010 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larrymcg421 (Post 2323171)
What does it say about America? That they like a comedy show focused on political and news events? The horror!


Liking a comedy show that focuses on political and news events is one thing. Getting your political and news events from a comedy show, however, is really fucking stupid.

lungs 07-21-2010 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JonInMiddleGA (Post 2323175)
For starters, it's a sign that they have no taste, no sense of humor.


I have a good sense of humor. I like Tony Danza.

larrymcg421 07-21-2010 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabotai (Post 2323216)
Liking a comedy show that focuses on political and news events is one thing. Getting your political and news events from a comedy show, however, is really fucking stupid.


No doubt. You know who would agree with that? Jon Stewart.

lungs 07-21-2010 02:48 PM

On a serious note, are Republicans sick of Michael Steele yet?

molson 07-21-2010 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabotai (Post 2323216)
Liking a comedy show that focuses on political and news events is one thing. Getting your political and news events from a comedy show, however, is really fucking stupid.


The Stewart lovers immediately point out here how this isn't his fault. And while that's true, you can't blame him for America's morons, he does love his MSNBC interviews, faceoffs with Jim Cramer, positive media portrayals of his election coverage, ect. Staying just "comedic" enough allows him WAY more leeway, and gives him a bigger soap box than would otherwise be entiteld to. You can find dozens of quotes from Stuart disclaiming his political relevance. (He went on MSNBC to argue that he wasn't relevant, which is kind of funny). How many such statements/disclaimers do Letterman, the Onion, and SNL feel the need to make about how they're "just comedy"? None. (And last I checked, those shows do make fun of Republicans on occasion).

RainMaker 07-21-2010 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by molson (Post 2323214)
or the Onion (the latter being Rainmaker's favorite comparison).

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart was created by the guys who ran The Onion. The whole concept of the show was to turn The Onion into a format for TV.

RainMaker 07-21-2010 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabotai (Post 2323216)
Liking a comedy show that focuses on political and news events is one thing. Getting your political and news events from a comedy show, however, is really fucking stupid.

No one gets their political news from the show. Their age demographic gets their news from the internet.

sabotai 07-21-2010 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larrymcg421 (Post 2323223)
No doubt. You know who would agree with that?


Jon Stewart?

Quote:

Jon Stewart.

:banana:

sabotai 07-21-2010 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainMaker (Post 2323236)
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart was created by the guys who ran The Onion. The whole concept of the show was to turn The Onion into a format for TV.


That might gave been their intent, but that certainly isn't what the show is now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RainMaker (Post 2323238)
No one gets their political news from the show.


LOL, sure.

RainMaker 07-21-2010 03:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabotai (Post 2323243)
That might gave been their intent, but that certainly isn't what the show is now.

What has changed? The show seems to be the same as it was 10 years ago. Probably a bit less funny as they lost a lot of their best talent (Carell, Colbert, Helms, Black).

Quote:

Originally Posted by sabotai (Post 2323243)
LOL, sure.

Really? Young people aren't getting their news from the internet? Someone tunes in at 10pm and finds out Michael Jackson died? Or that a black man was elected President? I hardly ever watch the news anymore as I'm finding it out instantaneously online. I didn't realize I was the only one.

RainMaker 07-21-2010 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by molson (Post 2323226)
The Stewart lovers immediately point out here how this isn't his fault. And while that's true, you can't blame him for America's morons, he does love his MSNBC interviews, faceoffs with Jim Cramer, positive media portrayals of his election coverage, ect. Staying just "comedic" enough allows him WAY more leeway, and gives him a bigger soap box than would otherwise be entiteld to. You can find dozens of quotes from Stuart disclaiming his political relevance. (He went on MSNBC to argue that he wasn't relevant, which is kind of funny). How many such statements/disclaimers do Letterman, the Onion, and SNL feel the need to make about how they're "just comedy"? None. (And last I checked, those shows do make fun of Republicans on occasion).

I remember David Letterman getting torched for jokes about Sarah Palin. I remember SNL being cast as holding a political bias for making fun of her too. For groups you are claiming to be "just comedy", they sure get a lot of play in political circles.

The problem with partisians is that if someone makes a joke about them, maybe points out their hypocrisy, they are automatically labeled as being for the other side and holding some political bias. You have to do that because it's much easier to just say someone is a hack and the enemy, than it is to say they're calling us on our bullshit.

All those people are comedians. They use political news as their inspiration. Calling them political hacks is just a sad way of trying to label someone on the other team because you can't take a joke about your own party.


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