USA Presidential Politics - 2008

[MikeW]

And then there is New York mayor Bloomberg
The Democrat, I mean Republican, I mean unafilliated 3rd party candidate.

[ryberg]

I always wonder about the judgment of some of these also ran types, you know? I suppose in some cases their campaigns serve them in alternate ways, I mean other than getting nominated and winning office, but it's hard to imagine why some of them join in, given all the tremendous money and time and work it takes, if everybody else can basically tell them, truthfully, "You know, you haven't got a chance in hell, friend -- not a chance in hell."

Steve

[Jacko]

Originally Posted by MikeW

And then there is New York mayor Bloomberg
The Democrat, I mean Republican, I mean unafilliated 3rd party candidate.

Hey, whatever (might) works I suppose

[Brent & Kim]

Originally Posted by ryberg

I always wonder about the judgment of some of these also ran types, you know? I suppose in some cases their campaigns serve them in alternate ways, I mean other than getting nominated and winning office, but it's hard to imagine why some of them join in, given all the tremendous money and time and work it takes, if everybody else can basically tell them, truthfully, "You know, you haven't got a chance in hell, friend -- not a chance in hell."

Steve

Most of their friends are probably in denial. You know the type, the feel good friends who tell you what you want to hear and not the truth.

[Jacko]

Originally Posted by Brent & Kim

Most of their friends are probably in denial. You know the type, the feel good friends who tell you what you want to hear and not the truth.

Yah..this reminds me of those early American Idol contestants who said, "Well, all my friends told me I could really, really sing well!"

[Brent & Kim]

Originally Posted by Jacko

Yah..this reminds me of those early American Idol contestants who said, "Well, all my friends told me I could really, really sing well!"

exactly! , I appreciate when my friends call me an ass, or good for nothing. Sure it hurts for a few minute, but I bounce back.

[ryberg]

Originally Posted by Brent & Kim

Most of their friends are probably in denial. You know the type, the feel good friends who tell you what you want to hear and not the truth.

That's kinda what I figure, along with the candidates themselves being in denial, of course. Or maybe some of them (particularly the richer ones, I guess) do it more for the sake of having said they did it, that they actually ran for President, regardless of how they did. But I mean you just look at the field for both parties and it seems patently obvious in a number of cases that they truly do not have any realistic chance at all. Maybe they're all thinking about Bill Clinton's surprise rise in 92 or something and saying, hey, it could happen to me, too!

Steve

[ryberg]

Originally Posted by Brent & Kim

exactly! , I appreciate when my friends call me an ass, or good for nothing. Sure it hurts for a few minute, but I bounce back.

Uh, was that an invitation?

Steve

[Jacko]

Originally Posted by ryberg

That's kinda what I figure, along with the candidates themselves being in denial, of course. Or maybe some of them (particularly the richer ones, I guess) do it more for the sake of having said they did it, that they actually ran for President, regardless of how they did. But I mean you just look at the field for both parties and it seems patently obvious in a number of cases that they truly do not have any realistic chance at all. Maybe they're all thinking about Bill Clinton's surprise rise in 92 or something and saying, hey, it could happen to me, too!

Steve

Speaker fees

[Brent & Kim]

Originally Posted by ryberg

That's kinda what I figure, along with the candidates themselves being in denial, of course. Or maybe some of them (particularly the richer ones, I guess) do it more for the sake of having said they did it, that they actually ran for President, regardless of how they did. But I mean you just look at the field for both parties and it seems patently obvious in a number of cases that they truly do not have any realistic chance at all. Maybe they're all thinking about Bill Clinton's surprise rise in 92 or something and saying, hey, it could happen to me, too!

Steve

I believe they're pawns thrown in to sway the voting for their true candidate. Just a theory, of course.

[ryberg]

Sorry to hear this, Roni, though it was not unexpected. Only pulls out the veto 3 times in almost 2 full terms now, but twice it was for this. Makes one wonder...

Even if he's outgoing, it's relevant to the topic at hand in this thread.

Bush vetoes bill aimed at promoting stem cell research

Pushing back against the Democratic-led Congress, President Bush vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have eased restraints on federally funded embryonic stem cell research.

Democrats, who had made the stem cell legislation a top priority when they took control of the House and Senate in January, were quick to denounce the president's decision.

"This is just one example of how the president puts ideology before science, politics before the needs of our families, just one more example of how out of touch with reality he and his party have become," Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-New York, a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, told the Take Back America conference of liberal activists Wednesday.

Sen. Barack Obama, another Democratic presidential hopeful, said Bush was "deferring the hopes of millions of Americans who do not have the time to keep waiting for the cure that may save or extend lives."

And former Sen. John Edwards, also vying for the Democratic presidential nomination, said the president "had a simple choice today: direct the full force of American scientific ingenuity towards responsible, life-saving medical research or pander to a narrow segment of his political base."

"With his veto, he made the wrong choice," he said in a statement...

Public opinion polls show strong support for the research, and it could return as an issue in the 2008 elections.

Steve

[ryberg]

On a rather different topic, anybody else see this report that the Secret Service is already protecting Obama? Not inappropriately reordering for purposes of this post info at this link, we have:

The secret service reassigns 250 agents to protect candidates. Not all of the candidates will end up with government protection, but the Secret Service expects that several more will ask for it later this year or early next year.

Obama picked up coverage in early May, months earlier than expected, because of the huge crowds he attracts and because of calls and letters some of his supporters found worrisome.

Clinton, because she is a former first lady, had protection before her candidacy.

Steve

[Mexivoof]

Originally Posted by ryberg

I always wonder about the judgment of some of these also ran types, you know? I suppose in some cases their campaigns serve them in alternate ways, I mean other than getting nominated and winning office, but it's hard to imagine why some of them join in, given all the tremendous money and time and work it takes, if everybody else can basically tell them, truthfully, "You know, you haven't got a chance in hell, friend -- not a chance in hell."

Steve

Well, Ross could've won, he really didn't want to or he wouldn't have dropped out. He Just had a problem with Bush I and wanted to screw things up for him, which he did. Obviously.
Not sure what Bloombergs motivation is. I'm still going for the former mayor!

[Just Lucky]

I read an article about Obama getting the Secret Service protection. I suspect the protection was provided early due to threats. A sad statement about some of the disturbed individuals in our country.

Bush's veto does not surprise me. I have high hopes the world will survive his Presidency.

[roni]

Originally Posted by Just Lucky

I read an article about Obama getting the Secret Service protection. I suspect the protection was provided early due to threats. A sad statement about some of the disturbed individuals in our country.

Bush's veto does not surprise me. I have high hopes the world will survive his Presidency.

It will:

O sweet spontaneous
earth how often have
the
doting
fingers of
purient philosophers pinched
and
poked
thee
,has the naughty thumb
of science prodded
thy
beauty .how
oftn have religions taken
thee upon their scraggy knees
squeezing and
buffeting thee that thou mightest conceive
gods
(but
true
to the incomparable
couch of death thy
rhythmic
lover
thou answerest
them only with
spring)

e.e. cummings