Timewaster's Guide Archive
General => Rants and Stuff => Topic started by: CthulhuKefka on November 04, 2008, 07:53:16 PM
-
Yay finally it is election day! I don't know about anyone else, but I for one am ready for it to be OVER ALREADY! ;D
This thread is for discussion of the election today, and throughout the day and into the night until there is a winner.
....And here...we...go!
-
I just hope this one doesn't get dragged out like others have been. I know there are a lot of things riding in peoples minds, but everything has been so overplayed that I am a little annoyed at what is going on.
-
While I am extremely excited that I got to vote for the first time, this election has gone on far too long. I think it began around January 2007? That's an incredibly vast span of time.
I will be very relieved when it is over, no matter who wins.
-
I just hope we see how mean-spirited people can be. The things that have been said about these great Americans are a detriment to us all. It's easy to sit back and complain about our leaders, but who among us would step up to take their place? What I find most incredible is how all the truly negative and vicious attacks did not come from either candidate, but from special interest groups and PACS. Of course, they then get attributed to the candidate. The presidential elections have become the national equivalent to a sports rivalry. The team you play for has become more important than the player's ability, or the game itself. We certainly need to rein in our politicians, but I think some respect is in order, as well. I also think we need to take a serious look at the media as a whole. They have lost touch with what the viewers want, and have put getting the story out first over getting the story right.
-
I voted and there was no line. It will be good to see this thing end I agree. Who knows what will come of it but I think we are ready to find out.
Darx I couldnt agree more.
-
I'm amazed at the number of people who are afraid of the results one way or another. The scare tactics of both parties seem to be working. No matter who wins, life goes on, and for the most part, will stay the same. I got horribly negative ads for a state I haven't lived in for 3 years. Evidentally when you get on the roles, you are on it forever. They were so over the top, if I still lived in Nevada I would have voted the other way because of them.
I pity my sister who lives in Pennsylvania. She has gotten robocalls from every single major candidate. I like living in a small town in an ignored state.
-
I, for one, cannot wait for Bush to be gone.
Thank the lawmakers for term limits!
I agree that there is way too much negativity...but I also see that none of the candidates for any office actually represent the people who are supposedly electing them. Kind of makes you want to overthrow this entire system.
-
You know what? I finally want to give a little praise to the Electoral system. I never really understood the need for an electoral collague but I see at least one benefit. It prevents the un-educated masses from turning a presidential election into a popularity contest. I'm not saying that every one is un-educated I'm just saying that record numbers of voters are expected this year, a lot of these voters would never normally take the time but seeing how race and sex are now an issue some of these voters will choose only due to these factors. I am happy to realize that at least the electoral voters are required to have some intelligence and that my vote wont be washed away by the people who don't really care.
-
How does the electoral college currently change anything?
-
What do you mean? I don't think I understand the question of how it currently changes anything. You mean with the election and giving the real power of voting to a select few? I mean that seems pretty valid right now.
I am aware that the electoral college is supposed to simply ratify the popular vote of their region but really. If that were so then whats the point of even having them?
-
Scare tactics are scare tactics. I'm just afraid Obama will do all those things he said he would.
- Raise taxes even more on businesses. That means I'll probably get laid off because my company won't be able to afford me anymore.
- Regulate the financial markets just like the Dems did before, forcing and then encouraging Fanny Mae and Freddie Mac to make bad loans until they melted down taking the rest of the economy with them.
- Pull out of Iraq willy nilly, leaving the Iraqi people to the tender mercies of Al Quaeda, Iran and Jihadists everywhere in the name of political expedience.
- Institute a National Healthcare system so the doctors and insurance will function just like all the other bureaucracies, answering to no one but their distant masters in Washington. Innovation in the field will come to a screeching halt.
- Dole out cash in the form of "tax refunds" to those who didn't pay taxes in the first place, teaching even more people dependence on the government teat.
- Institute the "Fairness Doctrine" in the name of getting "both sides" of every issue heard while at the same time holding the sole power to decide what those sides are.
- The list goes on...
There were plenty of scare tactics on both sides. Easy to discern and separate. I'm scared of what Obama said plainly he was planning to do. It remains to be seen what he held back.
-
Plantation Monster, electors virtually ALWAYS vote for the candidate elected by their constituency; today, they are mostly useless.
-
Welcome to the U.S.S.A
United Socialistic States of America
-
Congratulations to Obama for becoming the first African-American President of the United States.
Congratulations for McCain for a pretty heartfelt concession speech, can't say I can say the same for the crowd. Stay classy.
-
Welcome to the U.S.S.A
United Socialistic States of America
I just had a very similar thought....
-
Fun fact: the actual Socialist candidate for President said that Obama wasn't socialist. Obama does not advocate nationalizing the banks, he merely advocates regulating the markets. There is a very, very large difference.
Considering I am part of those 95% who would get a tax cut under Obama's plan, I am extremely supportive of Obama. I am also extremely supportive of reform for No Child Left Behind, which desperately needs it.
It's important to know that Obama also only mandates health care for children. It is not universal health care.
And one cannot deny from a purely economic standpoint that getting out of Iraq will decrease spending multiple billions of dollars. Whether that is good politically for Iraq is something that I go back and forth on.
So, as with any president, there will be good points and there will be bad points with Obama. McCain would have made a pretty good president, but one of the things with Obama is that he seems to be very intelligent--in my opinion, at least. I think he will pick advisors who are not afraid to tell him that he is wrong. He just appears more open-minded, in my opinion.
Regardless, everyone can agree that it is a historic moment that the country has elected an African-American to the highest office in the land. (And it really isn't the end of the world)
-
Fun fact: the actual Socialist candidate for President said that Obama wasn't socialist. Obama does not advocate nationalizing the banks, he merely advocates regulating the markets. There is a very, very large difference.
Considering I am part of those 95% who would get a tax cut under Obama's plan, I am extremely supportive of Obama. I am also extremely supportive of reform for No Child Left Behind, which desperately needs it.
It's important to know that Obama also only mandates health care for children. It is not universal health care.
And one cannot deny from a purely economic standpoint that getting out of Iraq will decrease spending multiple billions of dollars. Whether that is good politically for Iraq is something that I go back and forth on.
So, as with any president, there will be good points and there will be bad points with Obama. McCain would have made a pretty good president, but one of the things with Obama is that he seems to be very intelligent--in my opinion, at least. I think he will pick advisors who are not afraid to tell him that he is wrong. He just appears more open-minded, in my opinion.
Regardless, everyone can agree that it is a historic moment that the country has elected an African-American to the highest office in the land. (And it really isn't the end of the world)
Well said Chaos. /clap
I think right now we need to put aside our political differences and acknowledge the great strides this country has taken with electing its first African-American president.
-
It is definitely a historic day. And thank you for setting facts straight Chaos. While gut reactions do point to me being upset, I do think we will see some good things. The No Child Left Behind thing needs a revamp if anything ever did.
-
I'm just hoping (very vainly) that Obama will somehow win my state of Montana. It's 50-47 for McCain right now, though, so I don't think it can be for Obama now. However, the very fact that it is one of the four states that haven't been called yet is a huge deal for Montana, being a traditional red state.
And hey, Obama visited Montana five times. That's commendable for a state like this, tied for the least electoral votes.
-
And one cannot deny from a purely economic standpoint that getting out of Iraq will decrease spending multiple billions of dollars. Whether that is good politically for Iraq is something that I go back and forth on.
You'd think, but in practice this isn't true—the defense budget does not depend on where the military is deployed.
-
I WISH we really had gone socialist...I wanted to emigrate to a few socialist nations (because yes, I AM a silly fluffy idealist...and I come from the Detroit area where I can essentially see the richest of the rich and the poorest of the poor in the course of the same day - I live near rich people and I drive ten miles to work in a service industry job dealing with obscenely ignorant people who have no bank accounts or credit and probably haven't bathed in a week - so virtually ANYTHING would be an improvement).
-
And one cannot deny from a purely economic standpoint that getting out of Iraq will decrease spending multiple billions of dollars. Whether that is good politically for Iraq is something that I go back and forth on.
You'd think, but in practice this isn't true—the defense budget does not depend on where the military is deployed.
The defense budget might not, but the cost to the average taxpayer on where they are sure does.
http://www.nationalpriorities.org/costofwar_home
-
And one cannot deny from a purely economic standpoint that getting out of Iraq will decrease spending multiple billions of dollars. Whether that is good politically for Iraq is something that I go back and forth on.
You'd think, but in practice this isn't true—the defense budget does not depend on where the military is deployed.
Quite right. The defense budget is always one of the most expensive things in the national budget (if not the largest thing, period).
-
Skar, you are totally my favorite Republican. I won't tell you who I voted for.
-
not to sound racist or anything (i don't mean it in that way at all), but i have a feeling that obama is going to have the highest chance of being assassinated of any president we've had in a long time, because, of course, the fact that he is african-american.
That being said, I didn't really care who won, obama or mccain, no matter who would have won, it would have been better than the current. IMO both candidates were quite intelligent and well spoken, but I think Obama will have more benefits to the common man than Mccain overall, but for the most part life will pretty well remain the same under either.
-
And one cannot deny from a purely economic standpoint that getting out of Iraq will decrease spending multiple billions of dollars. Whether that is good politically for Iraq is something that I go back and forth on.
Alright Chaos I do applaud your statement. Most of it at least. Let us all not delude our selves and think that Obama is going to be able to get us out of Iraq or Afghanistan (by the way a lot more dangerous right now) any faster than McCain. I understand that he may strive for it more, but in reality we cant be pulling out entirely or too quickly. That would be a huge mistake.
-
Oh, no, of course not. I believe 18 months is the plan thus far, which is quite a long time. It will not be instantaneous by any means. Also, if violence increases in Iraq, then troops could stay there even longer under Obama's plan. It is not a complete, immediate withdrawal. There's still a long road ahead on that.
From what I remember (don't quote me on this; I'm not entirely certain), a couple of months ago the Bush administration set this "time horizon" thing which basically created a time to withdraw, as long as violence would increase. So really, Obama doesn't represent much change on that matter.
-
You may be right with the Bush admin setting the timeline. realize that they could have set the timeline knowing that Bush would be out of office by then and it would be up to someone else to make it happen. Also I do not agree with the 18 month withdrawal. I mean honestly do you think that in that amount of time we can finish enough of what we need to so that the area is somewhat stable? It would be foolhardy to leave before the area has some stabilization. Also my National Guard unit is scheduled to deploy into Afghanistan at the end of next year so I don't know about the 18 month plan. I do know that orders can change but we only got the orders a couple of months ago and as of right now they still stand.
-
Like I said, I go back and forth on whether staying in Iraq is good for the political situation there.
I'm sorry to hear that you are going to Afghanistan, man. That wouldn't be changed under Obama; in fact, he just calls to focus more on Afghanistan instead of Iraq.
-
Didn't say if for that reason but thanks. I only stated it to solidify my standpoint on the US not being able to leave the middle east all too quickly. Iraq is relatively calm (relatively) for now and who knows what it will be like when we start to pull out. I'm not saying I want us there in force forever but I am saying we really are in no position to even think about pulling out yet.
Any way I'm sure If you asked someone like Skar he would tell you something about it. I haven't been there yet so I don't know. But in reality that's what soldiers are there for even if they don't believe in the struggle. not saying that I don't but some don't.
-
I think Obama will do a good job as president.
I didn't vote for him, but I actually feel good about him winning. (I almost voted for him, it was a very close decision on my part)
I'm not sure his economic plans are the best. They feel too much like a knee-jerk reaction, (especially the plan to raise minimum wage, in a time when business can't afford the wages they are paying already) but time will tell.
I woke up yesterday and felt pleased with America's choice. (Even though I am by no means liberal)
It was a historic election.
This country is interesting....we can't seem to do things in moderation. We send in a conservative and keep him until he messes up the country one way, then we send in a liberal until he messes up the country another way, then we start over again. I'm not really talking about this election here, but it is a pattern that has occured throughout. I have hope that Obama won't continue the cycle, but then again....it is a cycle for a reason... :D
-
I think Obama will do a good job as president.
I want to agree with you. But... this all gives me a bad feeling I just can't shake.
-
I tend to agree, Green. Everyone is so high on him, I think their expectations will be unreasonable. One of our biggest flaws in america is our impatience. If they don't see things he promised happen relatively quickly, or if he is forced to change his plan (which almost always happens to some extent), they will turn on him hard. I remember the Clinton presidency very well, and as much as he was loved at the beginning and ending of his term, 1993 thru 1996 was a very unpopular time for him. So much so that the Republicans regained control of the house and senate for the first time in 40 years. Obama could be a very good president and still end up a one-termer.
-
Exactly. I'm keeping an optimistic outlook.
I don't think he'll be the best president we've ever had, but from where things stand now I don't think he'll be the worst. Things could change, but I think he'll probably do ok. :)
-
I do as well. I just hope he doesn't feel obligated to reward all his friends with cabinet seats. He needs a politically diverse cabinet, and he needs to send a message to Reid and Pelosi early on that he is not their bitch. I would love to see him pick McCain as his Secretary of Defense. I don't know if he would accept, but it would go a long way to show people Obama isn't the super liberal he has been portrayed.
-
He's already off to a good start.
http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/243435.php
Take that Darth Cheney!
-
What exactly does this article say? Please don't quote unproven and incorrect facts from absurd blogging sites, especially when they don't make any sense. I am trying to be supportive of the new president. If you want to know, Cheney was absolutely correct in his interpretation of his job. If you don't believe me, please look up Article 1 chapter 3 of the US constitution, where it explicitly states that the VP is president of the Senate. There are plenty of things to criticize the previous Administration for, there's no need to continue to make stuff up.
-
Huh?
That article I linked was referring to Obama's OWN transition website, change.gov. At that site, he has the President under the Constitution, and yes, after 8 years of Bush wiping his ass with it, I'm glad to see that.
I know what Article 1, chapter 3 says. That wasn't the point I was making. Cheney has repeatedly tried to assert that the position of the VP is untouchable by certain laws and restrictions and has in the past tried to abuse his position.