McCain or Obama

Damn! I'd  love if you people could read Spanish. You would read some excellent commantary columns in Spanish and Hispanic (latin american) diaries all around the world, in which, in a word, they say that "America is America again". Just for the fact that a black man was chosen, just for the fact that prejudice was overcome, the US is already respected a little bit more today than a couple days ago.

Slartibartfast wrote: Tom Tomorrow: -->Eight long years We’ve regarded our leaders with dread and anxiety for so long, it has come to seem like the normal state of things. It has become a chronic pain, so much a part of our lives that we only really notice it when it subsides — and suddenly the relief is so overwhelming it becomes a tangible thing. After eight years of an administration whose actions have run the gamut from stupid to venal, we will have a rational president who believes in things like, say, science. Who can string a succession of words together into a coherent sentence. I confess, if McCain had won, my despair for this country would have been absolute. Instead, the cloud we’ve all been living under for so very long begins to lift, this morning. The Republicans tried to win with hate and fear and division, and instead they failed. Spectacularly, definitively, repudiated in a landslide. And you know what I hope, at this moment? That Joe the Plumber becomes a widely-used symbol for all that has been wrong with America. That tv commentators invoke his name as shorthand for the politics of stupidity — “Maybe Joe the Plumber thinks we need to put all the Danish-Americans in internment camps, but no rational person agrees!” — and a heartfelt chuckle is had by all, and no more need be said, so universal is the understanding. I very much want that to be the legacy of Joe the Plumber. Off to the wilderness with them all. I have no doubt they’ll claw their way back eventually, but at the very least we’ve bought ourselves some breathing room, some time to try to repair the damage they’ve done to the very foundations of this country. Uncategorized | --> posted by Tom Tomorrow at 10:30 AM | link

Yay for Democrats!  Republicans are so evil!  There's no possible way in the next 10-20 years that they would ever take over the White House or Congress!

NaturalScience wrote: Republicans are so evil!

I'm sure some of the Republicans mean well some of the time.  There are some in my neighborhood that seem to be totally respectable citizens.  But let's face it, when the Democratic party started to embrace civil rights, all of the nasty types began jumping ship to the Republican party. 

Remains to be seen if the sensible moderates will take back control.  If that day should come, I might actually consider voting for an R or two. 

But lets face it, they went from being the party of Lincoln, then became corrupt to match Democratic corruption going on the 19th century, were briefly progressive with T. Roosevelt, then were totally taken over by selfish wealthy people. Then they sucked up the racists and religio-fascists, buoyed by the support of those who vote against their own economic self interests.  Not a stable coalition in my estimation.  If it is in fact coming apart at the seams, it's their just desserts.

Slartibartfast wrote: NaturalScience wrote: Republicans are so evil!  I'm sure some of the Republicans mean well some of the time.  There are some in my neighborhood that seem to be totally respectable citizens.  But let's face it, when the Democratic party started to embrace civil rights, all of the nasty types began jumping ship to the Republican party.  Remains to be seen if the sensible moderates will take back control.  If that day should come, I might actually consider voting for an R or two.  But lets face it, they went from being the party of Lincoln, then became corrupt to match Democratic corruption going on the 19th century, were briefly progressive with T. Roosevelt, then were totally taken over by selfish wealthy people. Then they sucked up the racists and religio-fascists, buoyed by the support of those who vote against their own economic self interests.  Not a stable coalition in my estimation.  If it is in fact coming apart at the seams, it's their just desserts.

Man, just like Seinfeld said, you hold a grudge like Khomeini. I'm sure there might be a bit of an 'old boy network', but I thought McCain's concession speech the other night shows that Republicans are embracing their new President. How could you not be moved by McCain's speech. Granted, you voted for Obama, but I've heard Dems around the office and even at coffee shops absolutely stunned by his speech.

We're not all hooded cross burners, you know.

E

E-Dub wrote: Slartibartfast wrote: NaturalScience wrote: Republicans are so evil!  I'm sure some of the Republicans mean well some of the time.  There are some in my neighborhood that seem to be totally respectable citizens.  But let's face it, when the Democratic party started to embrace civil rights, all of the nasty types began jumping ship to the Republican party.  Remains to be seen if the sensible moderates will take back control.  If that day should come, I might actually consider voting for an R or two.  But lets face it, they went from being the party of Lincoln, then became corrupt to match Democratic corruption going on the 19th century, were briefly progressive with T. Roosevelt, then were totally taken over by selfish wealthy people. Then they sucked up the racists and religio-fascists, buoyed by the support of those who vote against their own economic self interests.  Not a stable coalition in my estimation.  If it is in fact coming apart at the seams, it's their just desserts. Man, just like Seinfeld said, you hold a grudge like Khomeini. I'm sure there might be a bit of an 'old boy network', but I thought McCain's concession speech the other night shows that Republicans are embracing their new President. How could you not be moved by McCain's speech. Granted, you voted for Obama, but I've heard Dems around the office and even at coffee shops absolutely stunned by his speech. We're not all hooded cross burners, you know. E

Personally, I'm not sure how anyone who has a conservative mindset (like myself, and I know I'm a very small minority these days) can support the Democrats or Republicans. Both parties are corrupt. They might as well be dead. Neither one cares about the future of this country, just trying to get more votes, more power, and more cash into their pockets. At this point we either need: 1) a third party to get involved or 2) to establish term limits and get rid of professional politicians. Because if neither happens, then both parties are just going to keep spending until the day China says, "Pay up" or our senators lose their vacation homes. Either way, I just hope that the next 2 or 4 years work out.

Slartibartfast wrote: NaturalScience wrote: Republicans are so evil!  I'm sure some of the Republicans mean well some of the time.  There are some in my neighborhood that seem to be totally respectable citizens.  But let's face it, when the Democratic party started to embrace civil rights, all of the nasty types began jumping ship to the Republican party.  Remains to be seen if the sensible moderates will take back control.  If that day should come, I might actually consider voting for an R or two.  But lets face it, they went from being the party of Lincoln, then became corrupt to match Democratic corruption going on the 19th century, were briefly progressive with T. Roosevelt, then were totally taken over by selfish wealthy people. Then they sucked up the racists and religio-fascists, buoyed by the support of those who vote against their own economic self interests.  Not a stable coalition in my estimation.  If it is in fact coming apart at the seams, it's their just desserts.

My point is that it's just a cycle - Democrats get thrown out on their asses in 1994, Republicans get thrown out on their asses this year, wash, rinse, repeat.  It's because it's mostly all platitudes and no real problem solving.  Then some number of years later, when the problems are obviously still there, everyone's convinced that Party X is a failure and Party Y has all the answers.  The point is none of them do.

But hey, if Obama and co. can make things better for our country, I'm all for it, don't care who it comes from.

E-Dub wrote: Slartibartfast wrote: NaturalScience wrote: Republicans are so evil!  I'm sure some of the Republicans mean well some of the time.  There are some in my neighborhood that seem to be totally respectable citizens.  But let's face it, when the Democratic party started to embrace civil rights, all of the nasty types began jumping ship to the Republican party.  Remains to be seen if the sensible moderates will take back control.  If that day should come, I might actually consider voting for an R or two.  But lets face it, they went from being the party of Lincoln, then became corrupt to match Democratic corruption going on the 19th century, were briefly progressive with T. Roosevelt, then were totally taken over by selfish wealthy people. Then they sucked up the racists and religio-fascists, buoyed by the support of those who vote against their own economic self interests.  Not a stable coalition in my estimation.  If it is in fact coming apart at the seams, it's their just desserts. Man, just like Seinfeld said, you hold a grudge like Khomeini. I'm sure there might be a bit of an 'old boy network', but I thought McCain's concession speech the other night shows that Republicans are embracing their new President. How could you not be moved by McCain's speech. Granted, you voted for Obama, but I've heard Dems around the office and even at coffee shops absolutely stunned by his speech. We're not all hooded cross burners, you know. E

I hold no grudges, except maybe for the way Republican politicians have been behaving in my lifetime.

Look I know that you're not all hooded cross burners (some of you are though), but I was merely pointing out the historical context of the Republican party evolution.  Oops, sorry, many of you don't believe in that. 

Are you a uniform lot?  Not in the least.  Still, hard to be moved by McCain's speech after he ran such a vile campaign.  Who gets the credit for that John or his underlings?  Here's to the moderates and reasonable folks reclaiming your party.  In the meantime, I'll be enjoying all the back biting and inter-party finger pointing for the loss of this election.


Edited by Slartibartfast - November 06 2008 at 17:09

laplace wrote: I don't understand how, a) how your electoral representation system can support three realistic candidates b) how any of the third parties running were anything other than actually insane people who didn't understand you can't just become president out of nowhere

I agree, there really is no simple solution in this country, because unlike a lot of other countries in Europe especially, we've never allowed a third party to gain a foothold in our political environment. Personally, I'd actually support Ron Paul if it wasn't for the fact that I find some of his beliefs and things he says to be......far out there. But until we can find enough competent, ordinary people who are willing to try and actually make some decent changes in Washington by dragging the current politicians out of there kicking and screaming, then nothing's going to change.

laplace wrote: I don't understand how, a) how your electoral representation system can support three realistic candidates

It can't.

Ok, folks, elections already decided and it's history now.