Thread: US Presidential Campaign 2008

^ That's why I don't trust him.

^ Thats why I don't trust any of them. As his recent flim flam on campaign finance shows, Obama is first and foremost a Politician- expedience and self interest (ie Winning) will win over high falutin but impractical moral issues.

I just plain like his policy platforms and diplomatic persona more than Mccains, and after 8 years of the Bush crowd, boy do we need to cast the GOP into the wilderness for a while so they can sort themselves out, and the US can go about sorting itself out. They blew it.

Originally Posted by sabang

Thats why I don't trust any of them. As his recent flim flam on campaign finance shows, Obama is first and foremost a Politician- expedience and self interest (ie Winning) will win over high falutin but impractical moral issues.

Ron Paul is the only guy who can be trusted to speak his mind, stay true to his word and consistently practice what he preaches. It is clear from his lack of political success where this approach will get a candidate in today's political circus.

^ I think Paul lost out on his lack of social skills and ability to connect with everyman.

He'd have been better running as an independent imo- the republican party machine was resolutely opposed to him from the start.

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

I think Paul lost out on his lack of social skills and ability to connect with everyman.

Yes and this is where Bama excels. Policies aside, a fundamental "leadership" trait. The ability to inspire!

^ If he had any sort of track record in the big leagues you could be right. At the moment he is a demagogue. Platitudes he's good with. Church rallies are his thing.

Originally Posted by attaboy

Church rallies are his thing.

Think he would rather keep church rally's out of the equation.

^ & ^^ Yep, Wal-Mart inspires, too. The more Obama goes forth, the more I question his motives and sincerity, never mind his ability. Sure, give him a couple of years (do you think he'd make four?). And what if a real catastophe hit the country. I reckon each candidate should be put through a simulation test to see how they would respond to a terrorist attack like 9-11, nuclear war, a Chinese invasion. All tests would have to be secret so no pre-prep.

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

I reckon each candidate should be put through a simulation test to see how they would respond to a terrorist attack like 9-11, nuclear war, a Chinese invasion.

In a sense they are via Congressional cabinet approval hearings. The makeup of the cabinet for any President is to a great degree the key to his/her success or failure.

^ But Colbert was running as an independent and he even got on "Meet the Press".

Finally, an article about the disgruntled Conservative voters, that would normally vote Republican. According to this, it is about 20% of them. Now if you take away from Obama the blue collar Democrat and swinging voters that will not vote for him on the basis he is half black (surely not that many), I think that it looks pretty promising for Obama:-
Obama's strange appeal to high priests of US conservatism

WASHINGTON (AFP) — They're called the Obamacons -- the conservative thinkers who are disgusted with the Republicans and are rallying to Democrat Barack Obama as the nation's economic and diplomatic savior.

They are joining younger evangelical leaders who see more to their religious mission than slavish devotion to Republican social mores, and fiscal conservatives who reject the war-fueled spending of President George W. Bush.

"The Bush coalition is dissolving," pollster John Zogby told AFP.

"We have polling showing one-fifth of conservatives supporting Obama," he said.

It seems an unlikely alliance, as some of the star intellectual names who have long given philosophical sustenance to Republican rule clamber aboard Obama's bid for the White House.

But thinkers such as Francis Fukuyama, Andrew Sullivan and Andrew Bacevich -- all vehemently opposed to the war in Iraq -- dislike Republican candidate John McCain and see something alluring in his Democratic rival.

Fukuyama, the conservative author of the post-Cold War treatise "The End of History and the Last Man," said on a visit to Sydney last month that the Republicans were a spent force intellectually.

He told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. that many on the right of US politics believe "Obama probably has the greatest promise of delivering a different kind of politics" that breaks with decades of Republican orthodoxy.

Bacevich, professor of history and international relations at Boston University, believes that after eight years under Bush, the Republicans need to lose November's election to reinvent their thinking and policy platform.

"For conservatives, Obama represents a sliver of hope. McCain represents none at all. The choice turns out to be an easy one," he wrote in The American Conservative magazine.

Among conservative critics, there is often a strong streak of libertarianism that is offended by Bush's war in Iraq, his curbing of constitutional freedoms in the "war on terror" and his swollen budget deficits.

Through publications such as National Review, the house organ of Republican seers, conservatives claim to have had the ascendancy of ideas for decades -- a point Obama has acknowledged through his praise of president Ronald Reagan.

But if that tide of ideas is ebbing, that suggests trouble for McCain at a time when the Arizonan is already battling to shore up backing from Republicans mistrustful of his maverick Senate record.

Full article:- AFP: Obama's strange appeal to high priests of US conservatism

Quoting from the above- "The Republicans need to lose Novembers election to reinvent their thinking and policy platform". These are my thoughts in a nutshell.

There are a few Bush apologists, predictably staunch Republican voters. The majority of the US (and the world) however knows that the Bush administration was a failure, it's neo-conservative philosophies lie discredited, the amount of scandals that dogged the administration are unparalleled in recent history, and it has left the USA with several problems on the domestic and international front.

In business I did not reward failure, neither do I in politics. I am a pregmatist. Let the GOP lick their wounds for a while, and hopefully reinvent themselves as an actual Conservative party again- who knows, I might even support them at the next elections if they can achieve this.

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

^ I think Paul lost out on his lack of social skills and ability to connect with everyman.

I think Ron Paul lost out because his ideas were outside of the acceptable bounds of corporate America. He was ridiculed and ignored by the major news networks, even after he placed 2nd or 3rd in 29 primaries/caususes and won the majority of polls taken after his TV debates. Several large corporations monopolize the flow of America's news information and candidates who offend their world view don't stand a chance.

Originally Posted by benbaaa

Why does it have to go on for so long?! In the UK, there's usually about six weeks of bullshit before everyone gets to vote. In the US, it seems to be over a year.

and some good sleeping pls those shows

Is AFP some sort of foreign press agency? If so, then .

Agence France-Presse (AFP) is the oldest news agency in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency.
AFP is based in Paris, with regional centres in Washington, Hong Kong, Nicosia, and Montevideo and bureaux in 110 countries. It transmits news in French, English, Arabic, Spanish, German, and Portuguese.

Agence France-Presse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Originally Posted by sabang

Agence France-Presse (AFP) is the oldest news agency in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency.
AFP is based in Paris, with regional centres in Washington, Hong Kong, Nicosia, and Montevideo and bureaux in 110 countries. It transmits news in French, English, Arabic, Spanish, German, and Portuguese.

Agence France-Presse - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thanks. I don't see them as being neutral. Reuters is not proud company either.

^ Geez, Attaboy, I thought you were joking! AFP has some pretty good coverage, but best to read a range of reports to get an all-round view.

I don't think the economic woes can all be blamed on GWB. But, he certainly took some steps in this direction. Economies are very complicated in our globalized and sophisticated world. Americans themselves contributed to the current sub-prime problems which has trickled into other areas. Americans are also heavily dependent upon gasoline.

But...the point of this post in this thread is that with a large percentage of those who identify as Republicans blaming GWB, and with the economy heading south and getting worse before better ---> we may see a lot of GOPs in both houses of Congresses sent home packing.

Lost of focus on the Presidential election, of course. The both houses of Congress may shift as well.

75% blame Bush's policies for deteriorating economy

The figure includes large numbers of dissatisfied Republicans and represents a sharp increase in pessimism over the last year. Higher fuel prices have sharpened the criticism.

By Maura Reynolds, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
June 26, 2008

WASHINGTON -- Three out of four Americans, including large numbers of Republicans, blame President Bush's economic policies for making the country worse off during the last eight years, according to a Los Angeles Times/Bloomberg poll released Wednesday, reflecting a sharp increase in public pessimism during the last year.

Link & Entire: 75% blame Bush's policies for deteriorating economy - Los Angeles Times

AFP and Reuters are biased, same Euro-leftist slant as the beep. Fox is biased as well, but is nearer to the truth.

Originally Posted by RobAnderson

Fox is biased as well, but is nearer to the truth.

My prediction: Obama will lose, not because he is black, but because he is too inexperienced and radical. The general public don't want a FARC sympathizer in the White House.

Rob, I have to say that you're painting a really impressive picture of yourself, mate. Well done.