USA Presidential Politics - 2008

[diogeron]

Haven't you ever attended any St. Patrick's Day parades? You will see lots of IRISH flags, hoisted by Irish-Americans some of whom are sixth generation "Irish." The same is true of Americans of Italian descent. Here in Indiana, we have the "German-American Bank" which was established 100 years ago by German-Americans in Jasper, IN. Stop being so parochial, Stogey. Maybe you just didn't notice all of that because they are "your people."

Originally Posted by STOGEY

You are absolutely right. But what if that person isn't actually from Africa?

[STOGEY]

Originally Posted by diogeron

Haven't you ever attended any St. Patrick's Day parades? You will see lots of IRISH flags, hoisted by Irish-Americans some of whom are sixth generation "Irish." The same is true of Americans of Italian descent. Here in Indiana, we have the "German-American Bank" which was established 100 years ago by German-Americans in Jasper, IN. Stop being so parochial, Stogey. Maybe you just didn't notice all of that because they are "your people."

I'm using examples from what I hear and read.

[roni]

Originally Posted by STOGEY

I'm using exaples from what I hear and read.

what is an exaple?

[Lil G]

Easy Flippers! I was just poking fun at Stog!

[diogeron]

Consider this fact, courtesy of today's NYT. The U.S. has 3% of the world's oil reserves and we use 25% of the world's oil. Do the math on "drill, drill, drill."

Originally Posted by STOGEY

As far as drilling for oil is concerned we have a big oil pipe ine that was built in Alaska ove 20 years ago. Most of that oil goes to either Europe of Japan. Maybe we shouldn't sell that oil to Europe or Japan. Maybe yall in Europe could be black mailed by RUssia for your oil instead.

Not only that as far far as drilling for oil is concerned. Our legislators allow everyone but our own domestic oil companies to drill for oil off of the gulf. Bunch of sh--heads.

[ryberg]

Originally Posted by diogeron

Consider this fact, courtesy of today's NYT. The U.S. has 3% of the world's oil reserves and we use 25% of the world's oil. Do the math on "drill, drill, drill."

Uh, I was not aware there would be any math on the forum, actually...



Steve

[roni]

A very famous German is buried in Indiana

Paul Tillich’s gravestone in the Paul Tillich Park, New Harmony, Indiana, ...

One of the greatest Protestant theologians of the 20th Century - fled Hitler and spend the rest of his life in the US

Tillich was, along with his contemporaries Rudolf Bultmann (Germany), Karl Barth (Switzerland), and Reinhold Niebuhr (United States), one of the four most influential Protestant theologians of the twentieth century. Among the general populace, he is best known for his works The Courage to Be (1952) and Dynamics of Faith (1957), which introduced issues of theology and modern culture to a general readership. Theologically, he is best known for his major three-volume work Systematic Theology (1951–63),

Dad was greatly influenced by Tillich's Systematic Theology, but ended up doing his dissertation on Alfred North Whitehead, best know for his work "Process and Reality".

I come by it genetically, perhaps

[ryberg]

Oh, hey, look:

Palin agrees to interview

Under pressure for being shielded for questioning, Sarah Palin has agreed to sit down with Charles Gibson of ABC’s “World News Tonight,” according to an ABC News official.

No other interviews are scheduled. It will be the first TV interview for Palin since she was named 10 days ago as running mate to John McCain.

Palin had planned to return to Alaska this weekend but is so popular on the stump that she is going to stay out a few more days before returning home. One of her sons deploys to Iraq on Thursday.

Palin plans to sit down with Gibson later this week in Alaska, the source said.

The McCain campaign kept her off Sunday shows this weekend and plans to be sparing with high-risk network encounters, which they contend are unimportant to voters despite the media’s fixation on them.

But McCain officials could see her reticence was feeding the narrative of her being unprepared for the job.

Joe Biden of Delaware, her counterpart on the Democratic ticket, challenged her Sunday to submit to network questioning.

“She's a smart, tough politician,” Biden told Tom Brokaw in a “Meet the Press” interview live from Wilmington, Del. “So I think she's going to be formidable. Eventually, she's going to have to sit in front of you like I'm doing and have done. Eventually, she's going to have to answer questions and not be sequestered. Eventually, she's going to have to answer on the record.”

Let's hope for the sake of everyone involved that Gibson and ABC do a better job than they did at that awful last Democratic debate!

Steve

[roni]

I have been listening to McCain and Palin in New Mexico and am astounded by their ability and willingness to tell lies

[ryberg]

The Huffington Post today has a giant headline reading "IN PLAY" centered above this image, this morning:





Steve

[roni]

I also think that the Obama campaign needs to get Bill Clinton campaigning for the ticket on most days between now and Nov. 4.

Among other people, but Bill is the best surrogate possible.

[diogeron]

That is a non-sequitur. I have absolutely no idea what that means regarding the issue of people self-identifying as Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans, German-Americans or African-Americans. If this were an IQ test, maybe we should ask what do all of the above have in common?

Originally Posted by STOGEY

I'm using exaples from what I hear and read.

[horizon200]

Originally Posted by ryberg

Mike, let me ask you a separate question: what's the motivation? I mean to say, if one is just a partisan conservative trying to improve McCain's and Palin's images and beat down those of Obama and Biden, well that's clear. But you seem very earnest to get to a better type of politics and a better type of politician, and have seemed so for a long time. So, it seems you're working very hard against a lot of information here that is indicating that Obama is just that: not perfect but yes, a better type of politician offering a better type of politics.

It just makes me wonder if there isn't a lot of sheer backlash effect re Obama, here. I mean, I moved to Denver for college in the mid-80s, and all the unabashed Bronco-lovin' hoopla (not to mention the froth!) made me dislike them a good deal more than I ever had. Krugman has just noted the anti-elitism emphasis on the Republican side as being an invitation to vote against Obama as a way to "stick it to" people who, in your estimation, think they're better than you. McCain has made fun of the celebrity aspect, though he's been one himself and would love to have such attention. Polls have talked about Obama "fatigue" and people go on and on about the "magic Kool-Aid" Obama supporters must be drinking. Whether it applies to you or not, it does seem that a fair amount of criticism of, or negative reaction to, Obama and his campaign could well be this sort of contrariness approach, in one way or another, despite the fact that his campaign might well be offering the sort of fresh change and better approach to our politics that so many people say they've been looking for for so long, now.

Steve

I guess I consider myself the self appointed "not so fast guy". Since the majority of folks here are Democrat and therefore tend to post a lot more about the bad in the Republican party and the good of the Democrats, it would seem like I am working "against" a lot of the information presented. I also prefer to see facts posted instead of the same "so called" facts. Look at how many times we have heard about the "Middle class being $5M" or the "McCain doesn't know how many houses" nonsense. It gets old very fast. Roni and you both have posted some very good stuff about Palin's part in the trooper scandal. Most of the rest of it though has been, to me, just political hype.

I do wish we had a better political system. But, I don't think Obama-Biden is going to bring an Earth shattering change. Nor do I think McCain-Palin is going to either. Is Obama better than McCain? I just don't know. I still struggle daily with who I am going to vote for. I'll admit I am probably more likely to vote Republican...I will trace that to my Republican roots. I would submit that most anyone goes back with what they are comfortable with when faced with an uncertain option.

I guess part of me is going with the fact that McCain is a known entity...Obama just strikes me as a smooth talker with a lot of hollow rhetoric.

I still wish there was a viable third option...I would be able to sleep a lot better!

[diogeron]

It will be interesting to see what ol' Charlie does in the interview. Will he serve up softballs or go after her the way he went after Obama in the debate he moderated.

Originally Posted by ryberg

Oh, hey, look:

Let's hope for the sake of everyone involved that Gibson and ABC do a better job than they did at that awful last Democratic debate!

Steve

[roni]

Originally Posted by horizon200

rhetoric.

I still wish there was a viable third option...I would be able to sleep a lot better!

Bob Barr
Ralph Nader



Oh, and thanks.