Thread: US Presidential Campaign 2008

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

the race is over.

over 7 months out, and it's over?

ol' (and i do mean old--possibly even mccain old) boon mee has been predicting election results for the last few months. for the repugs, first it was hunter.
then it was thompson.
then it was romney.



boon mee you've been nothing but wrong....but then again, why is that surprising?

Originally Posted by Milkman

I believe the two Demos are tax and spend.

perhaps they are. can't really say.

but after 8 years of borrow and spend, it would be a welcome return to adult governance.

honestly, which practice would you rather have your govt. follow....

tax and spend

or

borrow and spend?

that $600 check most americans will be getting later this year is coming from money borrowed from china....and most of them will probably use it to buy crap at walmart made by the chinese.

they're surely laughing.

^ A few skeletons in McCains closet too, not least of which he signed an official declaration denouncing his own country and it's involvement in the Vietnam War! Now thats one hell of a qualification for someone trying to be the the next Commander in Chief of the US armed forces.

It seems to me to carry substantially more substance than some comments a Preacher made- which is all that anyone can find against Obama, or the fact that your husband was a bit of a philanderer- which seems to be the main thing against Hillary. Neither of these amount to anything near to Treason- which is a charge that could be very easily brought against McCain.

Then, when you consider that his Daddy was a US Admiral (and grandad) in charge of the Asian theatre, Johnboy signing that denunciation of his own country was a major PR coup for the VC. Lets face it, if McCain was running on a Democrat ticket you would never hear the end of it, given the right wings panchant for negative, dirty politics.

McCain is, understandably, using the vaccuum created by the ongoing Hillary/ Obama nomination campaigns to advance his own cause. So he went to Afghanistan recently, which seems to have gone down well in the Press. I wonder how many service personnel had somewhat mixed feeling about a Politician who publicly denounced his own country, coming over to a place they are fighting and dying, for political gain?

It seems that any US election campaign is mired in the Politics of Negativity these days. And it is the Right which is most deeply mired in this. But two can play at that 'lowest common denominator' game- and I would think that, once the Hillary/ Obama thing is decided, we will be hearing somewhat more about McCain's Treachery. Given the breast beating jingoism of Right wing American politics, this is serious stuff. A future President who, in many countries, would have been executed for being a Traitor? H'mmm.

Furthermore, McCain is noted for his Masterly Statesmanship. -

"Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran."
"I hope he has the opportunity to meet Karl Marx very soon," [about Fidel Castro].

His rhetoric is littered with gaffes (kinda like Bush actually). He seems an affable enough old gent, although many of his foreign policy comments come across as buffoon like- but he really doesn't seem anywhere near enough a Heavyweight to be a realistic Presidential candidate.

Vietnam Veterans against John McCain-

Vietnam Veterans Against John McCain

A few skeletons in the McCain closet alright.

Heh...it just keeps getting better!

Poll: Divisive Dem Contest Could Boost McCain

Poll: Divisive Dem Contest Could Boost McCain -- 03/21/2008

signed an official declaration denouncing his own country

Was that done while he was help captive by chance?

Originally Posted by Texpat

signed an official declaration denouncing his own country

Was that done while he was help captive by chance?

After a few finger and toenails pulled & some electroshock treatments...

Originally Posted by the war hero

Was that done while he was help captive by chance?

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

After a few finger and toenails pulled & some electroshock treatments

it was no worse than a manicure and static shock from the carpet.


probably took less then five minutes.

Originally Posted by Texpat

Was that done while he was help captive by chance?

Absolutely.

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

After a few finger and toenails pulled & some electroshock treatments...

Nope, the place he was held was the 'Good boys camp'. According to the other POW's there, people were not tortured in this place. The VC were well aware of his PR value, being both son and grandson of prominent Admirals, and after the first few days he was basically treated with kid gloves.

Governor Richardson backs Obama

PORTLAND, Oregon (Reuters) - Sen. Barack Obama won a coveted endorsement from New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson on Friday while the State Department apologized that employees snooped into the Illinois Democrat's passport files and those of his two main White House rivals.

The backing from the Hispanic governor is a victory for Obama and could improve his chances of winning over Latino voters who have leaned toward New York Sen. Hillary Clinton.

Governor Richardson backs Obama - Yahoo! News

This was an important endorsement. It will give Obama a booster shot with the important Hispanic vote, which has largely backed Clinton to date. It also signals a look ahead at one of Obama's future cabinet choices or perhaps VP.

^^^the more time that the media has to investigate his suspicious claims during that period, the worse it will be for mccain.

Originally Posted by Norton

The super delegates that have been sitting on the fence may well come out for Obama in the next few days because of Richardson's endorsement.

i hope you're right....obama has won more states, has more delegates, and is leading in the popular vote by nearly 700,000.....at this point it's little more than a media driven concoction that clinton has any real chance at the nomination.

Richardson = Veep. methinks.
Saw the vid of the anouncement -- Bambi was grinning like a Cheshire cat. I've noticed that his smile is getting quite lopsided these days. I bet that physiogamy would note a character flaw in that.

Heh...

RASMUSSEN: "Looking ahead to the General Election in November, John McCain continues to lead both potential Democratic opponents. McCain leads Barack Obama 50% to 41% and Hillary Clinton 49% to 42%."

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

I bet that physiogamy would note a character flaw in that.

Hmm, yeh, sure:
"Physiogamy means reading one's character by face and appearance.This science originated from India and spread to Iran, Rome, and France.Thereafter other countries have also made further research in this science."

What's your hair like, Jet?
"Hair : Long, dark hair are considered as part of beauty. Shoulder length hair (naturally) indicate a self praising, envious and jealous woman. If the hair is red in color, the woman is considered to be harsh tempered, quarrelsome and ill natured. Black and curly hair indicate that the woman is lucky and wealthy. A woman with thick, coarse, short and rough hair is considered to have bad luck. When hair is soft, silky, thin, dark, very long upto knees, it is an indication of beauty and good luck."
Physiognomy Of Women - Face

By David Kuhn
Politico
March 25, 2008

John McCain is scheduled to deliver a major foreign policy speech Wednesday in Los Angeles, one with a heavy Iraq focus, but chances are Democrats won’t be listening. They’ve already distilled his views into an easy to remember formulation: 100 years of war.

It is a reference to an offhand remark made by McCain in January about the possible duration of the U.S. presence in Iraq, a comment that Democrats now portray as the equivalent of the McCain Doctrine.

Though it’s not exactly an accurate representation of McCain’s views, Democratic strategists view the “100 years” remark as the linchpin of an effort to turn McCain's national security credentials against him by framing the Vietnam War hero as a warmonger who envisions an American presence in Iraq without end.

Both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama began citing McCain’s remark in Democratic debates not long after he made it and their campaigns have stepped up the focus in recent weeks.

On a recent conference call with reporters, Howard Wolfson, Clinton’s bulldog operative, mentioned four times in two minutes that John McCain “wants to be in Iraq for 100 years.”

“Instead of offering an exit strategy for Iraq, he’s offering us a 100 year occupation,” said Obama last week, in a speech marking the 5-year anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq.

McCain never actually went so far as to call for a century-long occupation. Rather, in response to a New Hampshire town hall questioner who asked about President Bush’s statement that U.S. troops could be in Iraq for 50 years, McCain interrupted and said, “Make it 100.”

“We've been in South Korea . . . we’ve been in Japan for 60 years,” he continued. “We’ve been in South Korea for 50 years or so. That would be fine with me. As long as Americans are not being injured or harmed or wounded or killed, that’s fine with me. I hope that would be fine with you, if we maintain a presence in a very volatile part of the world where al-Qaeda is training, recruiting and equipping and motivating people every single day."

McCain has found himself clarifying the remark ever since, from CNN’s Larry King show to exchanges with reporters on his campaign bus. In subsequent interviews, McCain has taken to saying the U.S. presence could be 1,000 years—or even one million years—in an attempt to make the case that the length of the presence is less important to Americans than the amount of casualties taken.

“The point he was making is really post war. He’s not even taken a position,” said Mark Salter, McCain’s top adviser. “He’s trying to explain whether you could have a presence, a base, in Iraq after war, and the American people would accept it. His argument always was, if we are not taking casualties, well they’ve accepted it in Japan, Korea and Germany.”

While reporters may have let up on the issue, Democrats have not.

“This is the middle of an entrenched, ethnic, religious, guerrilla war. The idea to stick it out for 100 years before they settle it is crazy on the substance and insane on the tactics,” said Jonathan Prince, a Democratic strategist who helped run John Edwards’ presidential campaign.

Regardless of what McCain meant, Democrats view his remark as a rare opportunity to define him early enough in the campaign to make the charges stick.

Dems to hammer McCain for '100 years' - David Paul Kuhn - Politico.com

I hope the US maintains a presence in Iraq. Recall the last time the West left in a flurry. This could well be a precursor to regional stability. Having a permanent, US presence without the bullshit politics and impermanance that was realized with Saudia Arabia.

^ Agree, Texy. Better to have a foothold in potential hot spots or for strategic purposes. Saves dragging the fleet and/or troops halfway round the world when something happens or somebody hollers for American help. Troops are needed for the embassy anyway, right?

Troops are needed for the embassy anyway, right?

Well about 20 or 30.

I can't help but think of the wasted effort by countless countries in trying to settle the middle east. Maybe the answer is to move in, figuratively. Maybe not. Glad I'm not in the forces any longer. I count those months in that region among my worst.

Over the decades, it seems Africa has eclipsed the ME as a troubled region. How long till nobody gives a shit about the ME?

Anyway. Whoever wins the election inherits the problem. I hope they remember gobal reach is a tenent of force projection.

Originally Posted by Texpat

Maybe the answer is to move in, figuratively.

Literally, surely.

Wasn't this the plan all along underneath the all the BS?

^ Shiite, Sunni and Kurd.
I like the new flame war -- Clinton (notice the press says the Clintons, plural) calling Richardson Judas for going to the Obama camp, Obama camp calling dirties on Hilde's "mispoken" (geez, call them like they are: LIES) stuff about her Bosnia
visit, etc, and the aide saying the stain is worse than that on Monica's dress. 555 Now Hilde's going after Bambi's pastor links coz the press is calling her on her LIES. McCain needs do nothing -- let the Dems kill each other off.
Clinton also wants to save the poor people who are facing mortgage foreclosures. Aww. FO. I equate it to folks who get a visa card. Spend, spend, spend. Then, suddenly, they have to PAY the bill. Ohhhh. My answer: be responsible for yourself. If you cannot afford it, don't fekin buy it.

How do you feel about the Bear Stearns $29-billion bail-out that tax payers have to underwrite?

Under the plan, the Fed will release 29 billion dollars in taxpayer funds to help support the takeover in return for 30 billion dollars worth of Bear Stearns assets, including ailing mortgage-backed securities.

AFP: JPMorgan hikes offer for Bear Stearns to over 1 bln dlrs

^ You changed the subject. Never mind. Better than bailing out mortgage owners who will never pay. Bear employed alot of people, and if it failed, the market would go tits up. JP bailed it out, gave the gov $1 bil, raised the buyout price and helped to steady the market. Don't forget Hooty, that may people's retirement savings are in mutual funds (ie, equities, like your Canadian RRSP). The market crashes, and well, it's the dirty 30s again, innit?

So investment banks that pay millions in bonuses to incompetent executives must be bailed out by taxpayers to the tune of billions of dollars in exchange for worthless debt, but it is less reasonable for taxpayers to directly help other taxpayers? These sub-prime mortgages were dreamed up and actively marketed by the banking and credit industry, not consumers.