Thread: US Presidential Campaign 2008

Obama leads McCain nationally in 3 polls

THE NUMBERS (Quinnipiac University poll)
Barack Obama, 50 percent
John McCain, 41 percent
___
OF INTEREST:
Independents are evenly divided between the two candidates. Whites prefer McCain by 7 percentage points, but there are variations: whites without college are solidly behind McCain while college graduates are split equally. White men back McCain by a large margin, while white women prefer Obama by a hair. Virtually all blacks support Obama. Voters under age 35 prefer Obama by a 2-to-1 margin, those in middle age lean narrowly toward Obama, while those age 55 and up are evenly divided. Overall, 5 percent say Obama's being African American makes them less likely to vote for him, while 20 percent say they are less likely to vote for McCain because he would enter office at age 72.



THE NUMBERS (ABC News-Washington Post poll)
Barack Obama, 50 percent
John McCain, 42 percent
___
OF INTEREST:
Obama is more trusted than McCain on domestic issues like the economy, the budget deficit and immigration. But McCain is widely seen as knowing more about world affairs, and more say he would do the better job handling an unexpected major crisis. The two run about evenly on who would do the better jobs with Iraq, Iran and the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Obama is considered far likelier than McCain to restore the U.S. image abroad. During a campaign in which both candidates have been accused of revising their views on some issues, about three in four say it's better for a contender to adjust to changing situations than to rigidly stick to a position.



THE NUMBERS (CBS News-New York Times poll)
Barack Obama, 45 percent
John McCain, 39 percent
___
OF INTEREST:
Twelve percent were undecided, double the number a month ago, while at least one in four of both candidates' supporters say they may change their minds. McCain leads among whites of both sexes and working-class whites. Obama has a sizable lead with Hispanics and voters under age 65. The two are running about evenly among independents and people age 65 and up. McCain is seen as the better commander in chief and as more patriotic than Obama. Yet six in 10 of McCain's supporters say they'd want more candidates to choose from, double the number of Obama supporters who say so.

The Associated Press: Obama leads McCain nationally in 3 polls

Maybe y'all should be buying some Bling & Velour futures to offset those extra taxes you're gonna pay Republicans.

The recent economic news and sense of negativity may likely help the challengers and hurt the incumbants.

We'll see. The polls nationwide could tighten in the next 13 weeks until the election, and in particular, battleground states. Hard to say at this point, though.

McCain is old, this will become apparent late in the campaign,

Heh... More Iraq war airbrushing, at the L.A. Times.

Originally Posted by Boon Mee

Time' Publishes Definitive Obama Puff Piece | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

is the onion a news source now booners?

wondered where you got your material.

Looks like Obama has agreed to four debates – three for the presidential candidates and one for their VP’s. Hopefully all parties will agree to be a bit flexible with the format of the debates.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/us...te.html?ref=us


Some early reports on the so-called “shift” or even “flip-flop” on the offshore drilling by Obama were a bit over the top IMHO. All the man is saying is that he would agree to some offshore drilling as part of concessions to be made to get a broader energy bill passed. Good move as I see it, should almost completely take the heat off him on this issue. He can stand firm on that he opposes it, while at the same time not get beat over the head with the issue as he has already shown his willingness to compromise.
Obama says shift on drilling is practical step -- chicagotribune.com


An interesting bit brought to us by those folks across the pond:
Is Barack Obama too thin to win the White House? - Times Online
Will fat Americans vote for a skinny Obama?

Originally Posted by Norton

Slightly off topic but seems offshore drilling or for that matter any exploration should be a State (local) issue not a Federal issue? If Californians or Alaskans don't want it they should have the right to vote yea or nay.

As I understand it that is basically what will happen once the federal laws against the drilling have been lifted. The Feds trump the state so there was no need for the states to even debate it as long as it was against the rules on a Federal level. As the Feds step away it will be up to the states to control what happens in each area.

^ and ^^

Off-shore drilling

This seems like another election year issue.

If the off-shore drilling goes ahead, it'll be about 10 years before the oil hits the market. So, yes some oil (we don't know how much) will hit the US market, but it won't affect gasoline prices, IMO. Election fake issue. The US media has been discussing it in a shallow way for almost 4 weeks.

The serious problems that the US faces in not only energy costs, and these other more serious issues are not even discussed.

Great editorial from the NY Times- written by Bob Herbert, himself an Afro American. It says what Obama himself can not say, although I reckon he'd just love to.

Gee, I wonder why, if you have a black man running for high public office — say, Barack Obama or Harold Ford — the opposition feels compelled to run low-life political ads featuring tacky, sexually provocative white women who have no connection whatsoever to the black male candidates.

Spare me any more drivel about the high-mindedness of John McCain. You knew something was up back in March when, in his first ad of the general campaign, Mr. McCain had himself touted as “the American president Americans have been waiting for.”

There was nothing subtle about that attempt to position Senator Obama as the Other, a candidate who might technically be American but who remained in some sense foreign, not sufficiently patriotic and certainly not one of us — the “us” being the genuine red-white-and-blue Americans who the ad was aimed at.
Since then, Senator McCain has only upped the ante, smearing Mr. Obama every which way from sundown. On Wednesday, The Washington Post ran an extraordinary front-page article that began:
“For four days, Senator John McCain and his allies have accused Senator Barack Obama of snubbing wounded soldiers by canceling a visit to a military hospital because he could not take reporters with him, despite no evidence that the charge is true.”

Evidence? John McCain needs no evidence. His campaign is about trashing the opposition, Karl Rove-style. Not satisfied with calling his opponent’s patriotism into question, Mr. McCain added what amounted to a charge of treason, insisting that Senator Obama would actually prefer that the United States lose a war if that would mean that he — Senator Obama — would not have to lose an election.
Now, from the hapless but increasingly venomous McCain campaign, comes the slimy Britney Spears and Paris Hilton ad. The two highly sexualized women (both notorious for displaying themselves to the paparazzi while not wearing underwear) are shown briefly and incongruously at the beginning of a commercial critical of Mr. Obama.

The Republican National Committee targeted Harold Ford with a similarly disgusting ad in 2006 when Mr. Ford, then a congressman, was running a strong race for a U.S. Senate seat in Tennessee. The ad, which the committee described as a parody, showed a scantily clad woman whispering, “Harold, call me.”

Both ads were foul, poisonous and emanated from the upper reaches of the Republican Party. (What a surprise.) Both were designed to exploit the hostility, anxiety and resentment of the many white Americans who are still freakishly hung up on the idea of black men rising above their station and becoming sexually involved with white women.

The racial fantasy factor in this presidential campaign is out of control. It was at work in that New Yorker cover that caused such a stir. (Mr. Obama in Muslim garb with the American flag burning in the fireplace.) It’s driving the idea that Barack Obama is somehow presumptuous, too arrogant, too big for his britches — a man who obviously does not know his place.

Mr. Obama has to endure these grotesque insults with a smile and heroic levels of equanimity. The reason he has to do this — the sole reason — is that he is black. So there he was this week speaking evenly, and with a touch of humor, to a nearly all-white audience in Missouri. His goal was to reassure his listeners, to let them know he’s not some kind of unpatriotic ogre.

Mr. Obama told them: “What they’re going to try to do is make you scared of me. You know, he’s not patriotic enough. He’s got a funny name. You know, he doesn’t look like all those other presidents on those dollar bills, you know. He’s risky.”

The audience seemed to appreciate his comments. Mr. Obama was well-received.
But John McCain didn’t appreciate them. RACE CARD! RACE CARD! The McCain camp started bellowing, and it hasn’t stopped since. With great glee bursting through their feigned outrage, the campaign’s operatives and the candidate himself accused Senator Obama of introducing race into the campaign — playing the race card, as they put it, from the very bottom of the deck.

Whatever you think about Barack Obama, he does not want the race issue to be front and center in this campaign. Every day that the campaign is about race is a good day for John McCain. So I guess we understand Mr. McCain’s motivation.
Nevertheless, it’s frustrating to watch John McCain calling out Barack Obama on race. Senator Obama has spoken more honestly and thoughtfully about race than any other politician in many years. Senator McCain is the head of a party that has viciously exploited race for political gain for decades.

He’s obviously more than willing to continue that nauseating tradition.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/02/op...th&oref=slogin

Yep.

A 'Change' Election Changes the South | Newsweek Politics: Campaign 2008 | Newsweek.com

CAMPAIGN 2008
Southern Discomfort

A journey through a troubled region.

An interesting article that gives a bit of a picture of how things are in parts of the South. Me Mum and Da moved from the Midwest to one of the southern states near the Mason Dixon line not too long after I moved away to go to university. Even more than a decade later they are still known as “those Yankees” at the local corner store. Spending some time in the South with some good ol’ boys can be quite an interesting experience for one born and raised in the Midwest.

Must say some of the attitudes mentioned in the article are not specific to the South. Some of the roots of my family tree are based in a northern part of Appalachia and they would sooner cut off their hand than vote for Obama primarily because of the race issue. Ya'll should see the reactions out of some of them when I talk about my Thai partner.

Some snippets from the article:

…the past wasn’t forgotten or forgiven so much as put aside while people got on with their lives and their business.

Anyone can see and experience this aspect of the South fairly easily.

Many who thought themselves beyond prejudice were surprised by their suspicions of the young black man from up north.

My mom works at a bank in the South (interacts daily with lots of different folks) and this is one thing she has commented on several times. The number of folks that thought they were above racism and seem genuinely surprised that race has indeed factored in to how they will vote in Nov.

I set off on this trip wondering if Obama’s candidacy was helping to pull people in the South together, freeing them of their histories, or pushing them apart.

From the feedback I have gotten from me Mom it seems this is doing a bit of both, depending greatly upon the individual. Seems to mainly have magnified folks already ingrained ideas in regard to race.

Meanwhile, many slave-descended blacks, hugely supportive of the half-Kenyan, half-Kansan, Hawaii-reared Obama, seemed afraid to hope too much, inoculating themselves with pessimism about the chances that any man of color could win the presidency, even this man, even today, or that if he does, he will survive.

Obama couldn’t win, not in the South – or, if he could they wouldn’t let him. And that’s the dark side of the hope: it’s reminding people of their doubts about a white power structure that some think has never really atoned for its sins.

“Obama is going to win,’ he said. And if he does not? “Then he is preparing the way for the next.”

These highlight an aspect of the race that actually finds me pulling for Obama at times. It would indeed me a monumental thing to have Obama win this thing and hopefully move the US another step towards better long-term race relations.

“There are too many chances we would take if he became president, you know what I mean?” I said I wasn’t sure I did. “I don’t know if it’s a myth or it’s true,” said the boy, “but they say they caught him trying to sneak Iraqi soldiers into the United States.”

…said he can’t bring himself to vote for Obama, either. Why? “Because I believe he is a Muslim,” said my cousin. Not so, I said. He was raised a Christian and is a practicing Christian. My cousin shook his head. “I just don’t believe him,” he said.

These two are examples of how regardless of the facts folks can and will support their own preconceived ideas and simply say say they don’t believe the facts are the facts. IMHO one of the main reasons the negatvie campaigning works.

Dent argues that when Southerners criticize Obama, “They say ‘he’s a Muslim, he’s a mulatto Muslim, or quadroon Muslim…. [only because] they don’t want to use the old N word.”

Of course this is what Dent thinks because the N word is all he hears ringing in his feeble little mind whenever the O word is mentioned, or the M word for that matter. The thing is men like this still get a vote.

“I think if there were a better economy more people would take a risk on Obama,” said Patricia Murtaugh Wise, a lawyer from Nashville…

An interesting view of things, as I think almost the opposite. If the economy was not an issue/factor I think McCain would be leading in the polls right now.

Her friends are blaming Bush more than his party, she said. “I’m not sure people are saying, ‘Because Bush got us into this, let’s vote for a Democrat.’ I think people are saying, ‘Let’s get a new person in there’.”

This view of things bodes well for McCain and certainly is what McCain hopes people think – that he is not and will not be a third Bush term. To some degree I think McCain also is banking on some of the independents viewing him not only as not a third term for Bush policies but also “not a typical Republican”.

If democrats have hopes for making serious inroads into this Republican bloc, they are probably long term. “As the society becomes more diversified, there’s a huge opportunity for the Democratic Part,” said Merle Black.

I think across the US there will be a growing battle by both the Blue and Red teams for the Brown vote. Before this use to be mainly a Southwest issue, soon is will be a nationwide issue.

Originally Posted by Bugs

If the economy was not an issue/factor I think McCain would be leading in the polls right now.

I would add the general dissatisfaction, perceived or real, of the Republican Brand.

Originally Posted by Bugs

These highlight an aspect of the race that actually finds me pulling for Obama at times. It would indeed be a monumental thing to have Obama win this thing and hopefully move the US another step towards better long-term race relations.

That's where I beg to differ, Bugs. I think the lower classes of both races will change for the worse if Obama gets in, with whiteys angry that a "nigga" is president and the blacks shoving the fact in their face. That's why I've focused on this the whole race. And you know what rural white folks are like when they see an "uppity" black, never mind folks in the South.
Sure, the educated folks will do fine, but I don't think America as a whole will be able to embrace a black president.

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

Sure, the educated folks will do fine, but I don't think America as a whole will be able to embrace a black president.

Not sure they can stand another white man in office for 8 years either!

The real question is; will bigotry override common sense?

How many black mayors, governors have there been? Hundreds.

I don't think it's quite as dire as Jet alludes. Sure there are some fringe elements, but they don't represent anything significant.

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

I think the lower classes of both races will change for the worse if Obama gets in, with whiteys angry that a "nigga" is president and the blacks shoving the fact in their face. That's why I've focused on this the whole race. And you know what rural white folks are like when they see an "uppity" black, never mind folks in the South. Sure, the educated folks will do fine, but I don't think America as a whole will be able to embrace a black president.

I agree with 2 points of your post on the class/socio-economic status, Jet.

But there are potential over-generalizations in the above post, IMO.

Yes, I do believe certain whites from certain geographical areas and certain socio-economic backgrounds will resent a black candidate. But how many (what %) we don't know. The US has changed, with more young people, more mixed races and marriages, and changing attitudes for the better, IMO.

The second part of your post I agree with (as I stated above) about the "educated" folks.

The 3rd part: I do think that the US can embrace a black President if he appoints good people to cabinet and bureaucratic positions, has popular stands on policies, and if the economy rebounds (even though the Prez has little to do with the Macro economy), IMO.

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

That's where I beg to differ, Bugs. I think the lower classes of both races will change for the worse if Obama gets in, with whiteys angry that a "nigga" is president and the blacks shoving the fact in their face. That's why I've focused on this the whole race. And you know what rural white folks are like when they see an "uppity" black, never mind folks in the South.
Sure, the educated folks will do fine, but I don't think America as a whole will be able to embrace a black president.

Actually much like the civil war has never ended for many in the south, I don’t think the battle for civil rights has died with many of the blacks or poor whites in the US. At the bottom end of the scale things are still pretty bad when it comes to race relations in the US. In reality it has more to do with economics than race, but race is an easy excuse. On that front I don’t know that thing could get any worse. The blacks don’t think they have been given enough, the whites think they have been given too much, the browns are wondering when folks are going to notice they are a minority too, and the yellow folk are simply trying to tip-toe thru the minefield and get an education.

What Obama seems to have done in many places is make folks wake up to the fact that race plays a larger part in how they see the world than most thought was the case. It has always been pretty easy to pigeonhole Mr. Jackson, and Mr. Sharpton and the such as such out to make things better for the black folks - only. This is not the case for Obama. He has been able to appeal to a larger cross-section with a message that is not only focused on the lowest tiers of society, and while he has certainly taken advantage of race where he can, he has not beat people over the head with the race issue.

That is why I think many white folks who never really thought themselves as racists are having a bit of a hard time right now. They seem to agree with Obama on the surface, yet they also have a problem thinking of him as the candidate of choice for the next president of the US.

I also disagree a bit with Tex when he says we have governors, senators, and congressmen/women that are black already. It is much easier based upon how congressional lines are drawn to vote in a minority/female into office in other races than it is in the presidential race. Granted with the electoral college the presidential race is not a straight popularity contest, but it is much more difficult to appeal across the nation than it is to appeal across a single state/ senate/ or congressional district.

I think it is more than just at the fring. Hence the polls where Obama is in the high 90's with the black vote, yet I have not seen a single poll where Obama has even been in the mid-high 40's with the white vote.

Race is an issue, and more so than most thought it would be. Even folks that thought race would not matter to them find themselves contemplating the race issue now that is smack in their faces.

From another point of view the ladies in the house must be a bit miffed that not only did the blacks beat them to the voting booth they have also beat them to the race for the oval office.

I must say however that things have progressed alot further than what I had though in the US. When I left the US to live in Asia about ten year ago I would give anyone odd on a female or a minority getting the top spot with no questions asked. Now it seems that both have a real shot - which IMHO is a good sign of how things have progressed, and again one of the reasons that I find at times that I actually pull for Obama to excell even though I don't agree with most of his policies.

Not really an attempt to take things off the race issue but what the hell is Obama thinking with his current energy policy?

A generally negative review of the recently proposed Obama energy policy – out of those namby-pambies in SF none the less.

Obama goes for easy points on energy

Obama goes for easy points on energy
Sen. Barack Obama's energy policy is offering more flip flops than a Lake Tahoe souvenir stand.

Must say I generally agree with the SF assessment. Although I think they were being a bit harsh in the assessment. McCain seems to be getting extra credit from some reporters for flip-flopping on the off-shore issue sooner. And there is quite a bit of an economic difference between suspending the gas taxes (pennies on the gallon and a few dollars a month) as opposed to handing out $1000 dollar checks. Don’t get me wrong I think the Obama idea of taxing the oil companies to simply turn those dollars back over to the populace is a horrible idea and flies in the face of my idea of how a market should operate and the place of governments in said markets. But such a move would result in a real impact as opposed to suspending the gas tax which would IMHO have a minimal impact on individuals.

Obama unveils plan to deal with high energy prices - Muskegon Chronicle - MLive.com

He told a crowd of more than 1,000 people at the Lansing Center that he would provide $4 billion in loans and tax credits to American auto plants and manufacturers to retool their factories and build more such cars. He also wants to offer a $7,000 credit to motorists who buy those cars.

Not to keen on the idea of the $4 billion in loans and tax credits for American auto plants and manufacturers either. Sure I would like to see the US manufacturers improve their positions in the market, but they have shown us time and again they do nothing but abuse any assistance given to them by the government and do little to truly strengthen their positions in the market.

On the flip side I have no problem with the $7K credit to motorists for buying more fuel-efficient cars as long as the credit was available for cars that meet efficiency criteria regardless of manufacturer.


Obama calls for end to foreign oil dependence in 10 years- Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama called on the United States to end its dependence on oil from the Middle East and Venezuela within 10 years as part of a broad speech laying out his energy plans on Monday.

Pretty lofty goal - independent of foreign oil (middle east and Venezuela) in ten years? Limited offshore drilling, no nuclear, etc, etc, where in the hell are we going to get the power and be able to transfer out of foreign oil in 10 years?

I think the guys that wrote this speech were smoking some of the same stuff the speech writers where smoking that wanted an undivided Jerusalem as the capital of Israel during Obamas AIPAC speech.



BBC NEWS | World | Americas | Obama urges opening oil reserves

Obama urges opening oil reserves

US presidential hopeful Barack Obama has outlined his plans to tackle the growing cost of energy and its impact on the American economy.
It is an issue that is expected to play a critical role in the presidential election in November. In a reversal of policy, Mr Obama said the US should release 70m barrels of oil from its strategic reserves to lower petrol prices in the short-term.

Obama urges opening oil reserves – WTF. I love the liberties some folks take to how they report on events. While Obama has indicated he would be willing to open up the oil reserves to help lower current gas prices. I would hardly categorize his comments as him urging it to happen. More like he is reluctantly agreeing to compromise on the idea (much like his reluctant agreement on the off-shore drilling). Still a far cry from urging it to happen IMHO.


As far the the engergy issue goes I sure hope Obama takes another hard look at things and what can/needs to be done to move the US ahead on the energy issue.

On the plus side Obama seems to have an open mind and his policy does not seem as confined as most of the reports in the press seem to indicated:
TRAIL BLAZERS Blog | The Dallas Morning News

On Energy, Barack Obama and T. Boone Pickens Converge

One of the more interesting things about the energy plan that T. Boone Pickens is promoting is how closely the ideas track Barack Obama's proposals.
I'm not saying there was collusion or even any contact between Pickens and Obama, and McCain has offered similar proposals that are consistent with what Pickens is dishing. But Obama has gone a bit farther than McCain on things that Pickens likes.

As the artical says neighter McCain or Obama seem to be too far off what Pickens has said recently, but the real key will be getting any of these seemingly simply ideas placed into action - unified grid, more natural gas to tide the US over until we can make battery, wind, solar, etc (non carbon based fuels) real large scale alternatives.


For those of you out there looking for a good chuckle – here is Mitt Romney comparing Obama to “an Internet date”.

We didn’t know who he was. And now we’re getting to know who he is.. And we say gosh, this guy just doesn’t have the judgment and experience, as Hillary Clinton used to say, to be president of the United States…

Mitt Romney: Obama an 'Internet date': The Swamp


And here is an editorial submission from the heart of WV about what the author feels is Obama’s “fear” of having the town-hall meetings with McCain.
Obama Fears Open Dialogue on Issues - The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

In other words, Obama apparently doesn’t think well on his feet and prefers to avoid uncomfortable situations. That isn’t exactly a recommendation for someone who wants to be president of the United States.

I tend to agee with this point of view when it comes to debates. If someone wants to the top dog they should not shy away from a mono-on-mono deal like a town hall meeting IMHO.

The Hindu News Update Service

A week ago, Obama had a three-percentage point lead and the candidates were even among unaffiliated voters. Today, McCain leads 52 per cent to 37 per cent. McCain is current favourite of nation's voters with 55 per cent votes as compared to Obama's 51 per cent, lowest rating for the Illinois Senator since he wrapped up the nomination.

Ouch.. that hurt....

Sorry to say it appears the negative tilt of the current McCain crew seems to be working and therefore we are likely to see more of it. Heard one pundit on Anderson Cooper saying how the Paris/Britney ad while maybe not the slickest bit of work had basically been run/ reported in the print and video news for most of the week. Thus giving McCain about ten times the value for the ad as a standard ad. Polls first had McCain pulling even, then getting an edge, and now obtaining an edge that is close to or more than the margin of error in the polls. Thus giving McCain his first real edge in the polls since Obama locked up the blue team nomination. The result of which is sure to be more negative out of McCain until it is proven to be unaffective - if ever.

Doubts weaken Obama, polls show

White, independent voters hedge

Growing doubts among white working-class and independent voters blunted the momentum of Sen. Barack Obama's presidential run in recent days, leaving him in a tight contest with Republican candidate Sen. John McCain, pollsters say.
"His bubble hasn't burst, but it's leaking a little bit," said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. "It is not massive. It is incremental, but we've seen it across the board in all of these states, that [Mr. McCain] is doing better among white voters, especially white voters without college educations."
Mr. Obama, Illinois Democrat, led by double digits earlier this summer but now barely edges out the Arizona Republican in most national polls. A Gallup daily tracking poll released Tuesday showed Mr. Obama with a four-point advantage but, for the first time since June, losing the battle for independents 43 percent to 40 percent.

Washington Times - Doubts weaken Obama, polls show

Still leading according to the Washington Post, but not by much.

Originally Posted by Bugs

I think the Obama idea of taxing the oil companies to simply turn those dollars back over to the populace is a horrible idea and flies in the face of my idea of how a market should operate and the place of governments in said markets.

The idea of taxing oil companies or any others because they happen to make a large profit is not what either candidate should support.

Tax is just a part of overall cost when a company sets it's price. A ten percent increase in tax will likely result in a ten percent increase in the cost of the product. Raising tax on a particular industry sounds good politically to some but I can't see where it will significantly reduce the price of the product.

Raising taxes is merely a method of punishing success. There are many companies that have performed well in the profit arena. Taxation of their profits will increase government revenue proportionally to the increase in their profits. To suggest these successful companies be further tapped for more revenues makes no sense. Should the approach of increasing tax on success be adopted, it only follows the government should reward none performing companies by granting tax breaks or bailouts. The recent bailouts of lending institutions is an example of what I believe is rewarding bad business practices.

Government regulation of business practices is a must but rewarding failure or punishing success based on profitability is an area the government has no business getting involved in.

Good posts, Bugs, but I disagree on some points, as usual. As you noted, it's easier for minorities to be elected at the local and even state levels. Heck, in Canada, city councilmen and MLAs are non-English-speaking immigrants, and you can get info in several non-official languages for your district, even if the member is fekin white. The burbs stuffed with Chinese have a Chinese rep, same for the Indos. Just a comparison. But country leader? Don't think so.
OK, look at Chicago: how many black politicians do they have there and what's the B/W ratio? Ask Chitown.
The energy plan viz T. Boone Pickens. That's a fekin far stretch. T Boone is interested in alt energy, but what is he doing? He's buyin up all the water reservoirs in the Texas panhandle and any other place he can nearby coz he views water as the next must-have commodity with a price tag -- ie, it's going to run out and people will have to pay and he's going to be the seller. He knows oil is nearing its end and is looking to the future, like any sharp investor does. The blogger linking him to Obama viewpoints needs social study home tutoring.
I still have qualms about Obama in the Oval Office. Sure, he's the figure head for the dem team, but who is the dem team? What if there is another attack on America. Just too unstable and cocky for my liking.
Forgot: tax breaks to car cos? 555 Get the fekin unions outta there and make the mgmt turn the cos around like any smart bizperson should.

Originally Posted by Jet Gorgon

Heck, in Canada,...

I wish we could discuss Canada and the current Canadian situation. I think Jet and only a couple of others have enough knowledge, as their Canadian. I have relatives in Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., but they are older now. I wish I knew more. I've learned about Canada from Canadian expats I've befriended, but Jet, and anyone else, feel free to start a Canada thread, or offer info anytime.

The energy plan viz T. Boone Pickens. That's a fekin far stretch. T Boone is interested in alt energy, but what is he doing? He's buyin up all the water reservoirs in the Texas panhandle and any other place he can nearby coz he views water as the next must-have commodity with a price tag -- ie, it's going to run out and people will have to pay and he's going to be the seller.

T. Boone Pickens is one of the reasons why the US is not a democracy. 527 groups and pumping millions of dollars into them. Now his face is on the TV a lot.

Get the fekin unions outta there and make the mgmt turn the cos around like any smart bizperson should.

The unions are an endangered species. Less than 10% of workers in the US belong to a union. I know of one industry, that if it goes non-union, will make it not even worth working in: lower pay with high cost of living, and a 401K.

This is when it's time to switch industries.