Election Madness

[whirlcool]

This election year I think we are seeing more crazy behavior amongst the candidates than ever before. And I have never seen such a group of worthless candidates before, either.
Couldn't the parties have come up with something better?
Here is what I think. This is a potential ballot:

Republican: McCain (Or Bush Part III)
Dems: Hillary or Obama (tax & spend democrats)
None of the above

Personally, I think "None of the above" would be the winner!

 

[retro-man]

Maybe your onto something here. I would rather go with none of the above. Maybe we should have like a board of directors running this country without a CEO. 8 - 10 elected officials that have to interact with each other and majority rules on issues by a vote. Hey it couldn't be any worse than the way we are going.

 

[oldhouseman]

I'ts time

for serious change alright. I paid $3.80 per gallon for gas at lunch (not premium either) and ran an errand to the grocery store. That errand made me mad as hell. We need to hold accountable the jerks in office. A french style revolution ala 1789 might (should) be in the making. King Geo. Bush the 2nd will dance his way out of office and live a comfortable life after he has ruined the nation. The democrats have little better to offer if anything.

 

[whirlcool]

You know over the years when you see price increases at the grocery store it used to be a few cents or maybe even a nickel. Now it's much more than that. Witness this. A box of Minute Rice used to be $1.24 a few weeks ago. The same box is now $1.71. That's a huge increase!
Other items are skyrocketing like hell too,
I looked at computer disk drives a few weeks ago at Frye's. The same drives that a few months ago that were $89.00 were now $169.00. But my wholesaler had the same drives for $60.00. When asked about the increase at Frye's I was told that "it takes fuel to bring those drives to the store!".
And what's worse is that salaries are not keeping up with these increases. Companies are asking their employees for more productivity ar lower wages while management hands themselves bonuses hand over fist for reducing costs.
What's wrong with this picture?
I think that this is the year of "screw the consumer". The government is doing it with the weak dollar, retailers are doing it with "increased fuel charges". Everyone wants a piece of the consumer. Or is this just corporate greed at its finest?

 

[danemodsandy]

We Need Royals!

I sort of favour the British system. There are elected officials, and they do run things, but having a King or Queen makes a difference, I feel. The role of the monarch is to "counsel, encourage, and warn" his or her government. This creates more continuity than we have here in the States, since one monarch works with many Prime Ministers over the course of a reign. Our two-party system here results in laws being made one Administration, then dismantled or gutted the next, since our parties are diametrically opposed in their approaches. In Britain, the Queen can guide PMs. While her words are not legally binding on a PM, she can at least inform the dolt that this, that, or the other is bloody important, and why it should not be messed with.

Also, having a monarch creates emotional continuity for citizens. No matter what crazy idiot is Prime Minister, the monarch is there as a symbol of stability. And in really tough times, one can blame everything on the royals, which is not the least of their value.

Okay, I'm not altogether serious, but think about it: If Dubya had had to meet with Elizabeth II each week, I don't think we'd be in the mess we're in now. The Queen would have served as counterweight to his imperiousness, impetuousness and obstinacy. In Britain, both headstrong and ineffectual Prime Ministers have come and gone (Heath and Thatcher come to mind), and thanks to the monarchy, Britain rolls along like Old Man River. A little up, a little down, maybe, but no one PM has been able to ruin her yet.

 

[dalangdon]

Sandy, we tried the monarchy, and it didn't work, remember? ;-) Not everybody is Elizabeth, and King George (the real one, not the imagined one who currently lives in the White House) was a real jerk. But I do like how the parliamentary system can get rid of idiots much more effectively.

As far as gas prices go, when you start two wars, and pay for them on credit, what do you expect the dollar to do? We can't just print more money (well, we have, but that always turns out badly) and people don't respect our dollar like they used to.

What nobody is talking about is how Saudi Arabia - our "great ally" - has cut oil production. Whether they are doing it to show their disapproval of our actions in the mideast, or because they are running out of oil is anybody's guess. After all, they lied about the size of their reserve back in the seventies to get a bunch of cash from the world bank.

Part of the reason why the 70's were so tough economically is because we thought we could have both guns and butter in the 60's, and it turned out we couldn't. We didn't learn that lesson however, and now we are probably heading for another period of high prices, high interest rates, and stagnant wages.

Eisenhower was right - war is expensive.

As far as the election goes, I like both the Democratic candidates, and would be happy to vote for either of them. The next president is going to have some real challenges, probably more than any other president since Roosevelt, and I think both of them are more than capable of cleaning up this mess.

 

[iheartmaytag]

I'm voting for Hillary

I think she is the most ready to grab the wheel and start driving. So she learned from Bill and may even use him for advice--Big F'n Deal. I think she is a strong person, with values and character that will be able to stand on her own.

Disclaimer: I never voted for Bill Clinton, didn't like him still don't.

HOWEVER,
Under the Clinton administration:
we weren't at war.
Gas wasn't almost $4.00 per gallon
Every other person on my block wasn't having their house forclosed on.

Which ever one we choose in Novemeber, all I know is we can't take another eight years of the same-ole-same-ole.

 

[tuthill]

It seems America is suffering from electile dysfunction in 2008... but i'm voting for OBAMA no matter what!!

 

[oldhouseman]

What if

he is not the democratic candidate Tuthill? Yea, I know he most likely will be but what if he's not. I have to say I really don't like any of them and I can't think of anybody in either party that I would like to see as Commander in Chief. In my post at Archives it scares me to think about the number of elected officials I have met over the years that have never actually read our Constitution or Declaration of Independence, much less the Bill of Rights. They simply tow the party line. It irks me to no end during the session for the general assembly that I have to be on call to answer questions for them. You would not believe the stupid things they ask and to top it all they never listen to anything we try to inform them of (take the boundry dispute we now have with Tenn.as an example). Line'em up for the guillotine I say! That will cure alot of headaches...

 

[tuthill]

If he is not the canidate? Then I will vote for Hillary. Like everyone else is saying here, it's prety much a "lesser of evils" in this election, but for the most part, I don't like conservative thinking.

 

[rp2813]

I will vote for either Democrat who gets the nomination--which will be no small feat for the winner the way it's looking. The 2008 election is the Democrats' to lose, just like 2004 was. At least this time around the Dems have candidates who are both capable of making their point. I am so glad the out of touch dolts in Iowa didn't succeed in giving the wrong candidate a push this time around.

Bush is fiddling while the Rome he lit a match to has become a raging inferno. He has done more damage to this country than anyone before him. And now Mc Cain says he's willing to spend another 100 years in Iraq? Like we were even able to afford being there for ONE year???? He makes my decision super easy, and should be doing likewise for anyone who doesn't want to see this country bankrupt and owned 100% by China, or simply wants to continue to afford to drive a car.

Whether it's Obama or Clinton who ends up in the White House (it had better not be Mc Cain or this country is indeed a hopeless accumulation of complete idiots) you can bet their first order of business will be dousing the flames of the disastrous Bush and cronies' bonfire. Then they will be left with the difficult and thankless job of cleaning up the charred remains, getting things back on track, and then the legions of idiot red staters will again put a repugnican back in charge so we keep going in circles as we have for decades. What a screwed up system. If anyone thinks we'd be worse off right now under 7+ years with Gore, I'd sure like to know what they're smoking.

 

[iheartmaytag]

I choosing the Democratic candidate we also have to remember even if they win the nomination among the Democrats, they have be be a candidate that will be able to pull over enough Elephant men to win the country.

I don't see Obama having the gusto to pull over the Moderates. I think Hillary has more horsepower in this arena.

I guess only the history books will be correct as we look back later.

 

[iheartmaytag]

I choosing the Democratic candidate we also have to remember even if they win the nomination among the Democrats, they have be be a candidate that will be able to pull over enough Elephant men to win the country.

I don't see Obama having the gusto to pull over the Moderates. I think Hillary has more horsepower in this arena.

I guess only the history books will be correct as we look back later.

 

[iheartmaytag]

Sorry about the double post

It kept telling me couldn't find server and to refresh and resubmitt.

My Naughty

 

[danemodsandy]

Dan:

"Sandy, we tried the monarchy, and it didn't work, remember? ;-) Not everybody is Elizabeth, and King George (the real one, not the imagined one who currently lives in the White House) was a real jerk."

Point taken, but I still feel there is real value in separating the functions of head of the government, and head of state, as the British have. At its best, the system serves as a check on arrogant PMs, and at its worst, it still decentralises things enough so that neither faction- royals or elected officials- can do as much untrammeled harm as they might without the system of checks provided for by Britain's constitutional monarchy.

I personally would like to see no one presently in national office re-elected. We need a serious house-cleaning.

 

[petek]

Well since somebody else started it far be it from me to hold my tongue now LOL
I've been watching CNN pretty full time for the last few months and find it fascinating the trivialties that are so overblown in US politics no thanks to CNN and the like. I would NEVER never never, never to the Nth degree never vote for Hilary Clinton over Obama based soley on the fact that she was so foolish to vote with Bush for the war in Iraq. I don't understand how so many people can even think of giving her a pass for that supreme gaffe. It just boggles my mind (said in the best of Lou Dobbs fashion) There's just no excuse,nada, none, zero, zip excuse. It was becoming more than abundantly clear beforehand that the UN Inspectors were finding zilch for WMD over there but no, she had to side with Bush and jump right in..no thought to giving it a few more months and let the UN inspectors finish up. Now look at the mess that's been going on for years and years for the sake of waiting a couple more months.
Not only that but she seems to be the one that more stirs the pot, anything to win style. Geeze and now she's touting a gasoline tax freedom scheme, how absolutely stupid and playing to the lowest common intelligence out there can you get.
Then she's promising to re-open NAFTA, well so did Obama but not to the degree she was talking but again this big bravado without actually explaining how or what might be the dire consequences of doing so might mean to the average American.
It certainly isn't going to bring any manufacturing jobs back, they're not here in Canada and there aren't many in Mexico either.. all that stuffs gone to China. Funny how they don't mention China much or the hundreds of other free trade agreements the US has entered into at an exponential rate compared to all other countries. Just Nafta because Joe Average American doesn't know anything about them or heard of the others so they just spout NAFTA as the bogey man.
There's just many things about her I don't like or trust, a gut feel. I guess is just that she'll say anything to win or leave much out.
But if it did come down to her or McCain I would hope and pray she go the vote as the lesser of two evils.

 

[rickr]

I am in full support for Obama. Will vote for Hillary this fall if she wins the primary however.

 

[dalangdon]

I think we citizens bear as much blame as the system. After all, it's worked well for 200 years or so. It's just recently that we've gotten lazy and complacent, with too many of us not even voting.

There are many forces out there (in corporate, media and certain - not all - religious circles) who know that it's in their best interest for us not to vote, and they propogate the myth that there's no point in voting, that the two parties are too much the same, that everyone is DC is bad, etc, etc, etc. And they reduce candidates to silly stereotypes and soundbytes: Who's wearing what kind of costume jewelry, or who can operate a coffeemaker. They make the perfect the enemy of the good.

Take, for instance, Paul Weyrich, one of the co-founders of The Heritage Foundation, who famously observed:

“Now many of our Christians have what I call the goo-goo syndrome — good government. They want everybody to vote. I don’t want everybody to vote. Elections are not won by a majority of people, they never have been from the beginning of our country and they are not now. As a matter of fact, our leverage in the elections quite candidly goes up as the voting populace goes down."

With that kind of person supposedly representing our "heritage", who needs enemies of the state? If the powers that be can keep us fat and lazy and sniping at each other over things like race, religion and who sleeps with who, they win.

The best way to clean house is to get informed and vote - and encourage others to do so. Not by imposing term limits (which is a lazy and counter-productive way of going about things, that absolves citizens of any responsibility) or wishing for a revolution, (because that's not going to happen. Not while we've got 165 channels to distract us ;-)

 

[dalangdon]

Gosh, remember when it was $1.19? or .79? It really wasn't that long ago.