Just watched the State of the Union. The Republicans are truly up shits creek once any of their clown candidates have to go up against Obama.
US Presidential Election: Tuesday November 6th, 2012
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Ron Paul would be the candidate that would unite the Congress 
Ron Paul would be the candidate that would unite the Congress
...against him.
You do get the impression that something needs to happen in America. Another term of Obama isnt going to be very fruitful, the way things are going. You cant imagine Romney doing much better - for all his bluster about the skills he acquired at Bain, streamlining companies and streamlining countries are not the same thing.
Maybe something radical does need to be done. Maybe building a gigantic fence and abolishing the Fed are just the tonic the country - and the world economy - needs.
Maybe something radical does need to be done. Maybe building a gigantic fence and abolishing the Fed are just the tonic the country - and the world economy - needs.
everything he said is miles away from anything the GOP candidates are saying.
indicates how far right the GOP has gone, because there was a lot of stuff Obama said that would be considered untouchable like tampering with medicare and social security.
fortunately the majority of the electorate does not agree with that.
No I dont either.
If I was part of the US electorate I probably wouldnt even joke about it.
If I was part of the US electorate I probably wouldnt even joke about it.
You mean of those running now, or from the beginning, or any eligible candidate?
Of those now, I'm torn... in all likelihood Obama would absolutely muller Gingrich. But if something mad happened, Newt Gingrich would be President. As Mike says, in terms of actually getting in, Romney easily.
Of those who ran, Huntsman.
Of the rest, I wouldn't mind Chris Christie or Daniels. Didn't see Daniels last night, but he seems alright for a Republican. Both have positions I think are awful but both seem to have some integrity.
I'd love Paul to run as an independent. Not just because it would hand the election to the Dems, but because some of his points would have to be debated properly - e.g. endless war, civil liberties, the lack of distance from the Israel. I think Obama should be asked why he has signed into law that he has the right to kill US citizens, without trial, nowhere near any battlefield.
Nail on the head, you think that campaign after campaign where a presidential candidate has promised the world and congress has subsequently stifled him the Americans would come to understand that.
The president has never been powerful and the constitution deliberately designed it so the presidency wouldn't be powerful, with regard to legislative change the president is little more than a lobbyist who can command and direct public opinion which is why between the early presidents and the twenty century they were mostly non-entities.
So would you like to see Newt win the nomination from where we stand now, just to ensure an Obama second term? Would you take that risk if it was in your gift?
Probably not. I'm risk-averse, and the downside is too big. Romney's unlikely to start World War III because the girls laughed at him in high school.
What about you?
It's an amusing notion, it being in my gift. "Sorry everyone, we've decided this year not to bother with a traditional primary. Instead, the decision will be taken by a single gimp, on a forum, in London, England. He gets most of his info from the New York Times. Hope that sits alright with y'all... God bless America."
Need help replying to this anti-Obama rant, por favor.
*He has increased federal funding to local police departments resulting in the militarization of the entire u.s. police force. *He has printed more money (legal tender - backed by nothing) than all other presidents combined. *He 'ended the Iraq War' which wasn't a war at all because it was never declared by congress, but, he left behind a 1 billion dollar U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that is bigger than the Vatican and 50,000 private contractors...the 10,000 U.S. Troops who were stationed in Iraq pulled back to Kuwait awaiting conflict with IRAN...*He literally laughed at the Idea of legalizing pot even though he admitted in his book to smoking it on the regular in his youth. * He signed into law in the NDAA of 2011 authorizing the detention of American Citizens, without trail or warrant. That is ANY American can be arrested at the wishes of Obama or any future President by the MILITARY (a clear breech of posse comitatus act) and detained indefinitely, without charges or right to an attorney and shipped to Gitmo, Bagrahm or any other 'black site'. Obama is at least a hypocritical liar...he clearly believes that the rules don't apply to him, or his cronies...most of his cabinet is comprised of former employees and bigwigs of goldman sachs, lehman brothers, monsanto, GE and Exxon.
*He has increased federal funding to local police departments resulting in the militarization of the entire u.s. police force. *He has printed more money (legal tender - backed by nothing) than all other presidents combined. *He 'ended the Iraq War' which wasn't a war at all because it was never declared by congress, but, he left behind a 1 billion dollar U.S. Embassy in Baghdad that is bigger than the Vatican and 50,000 private contractors...the 10,000 U.S. Troops who were stationed in Iraq pulled back to Kuwait awaiting conflict with IRAN...*He literally laughed at the Idea of legalizing pot even though he admitted in his book to smoking it on the regular in his youth. * He signed into law in the NDAA of 2011 authorizing the detention of American Citizens, without trail or warrant. That is ANY American can be arrested at the wishes of Obama or any future President by the MILITARY (a clear breech of posse comitatus act) and detained indefinitely, without charges or right to an attorney and shipped to Gitmo, Bagrahm or any other 'black site'. Obama is at least a hypocritical liar...he clearly believes that the rules don't apply to him, or his cronies...most of his cabinet is comprised of former employees and bigwigs of goldman sachs, lehman brothers, monsanto, GE and Exxon.
Er... that bit's basically true. Or he can just blow them up with a drone.
Its not like you arent giving them a choice. We could frame it as a cost saving measure. All the money from the campaigns will instead be used to fund medicare. Happy days!
I feel very detached from American politics now. (Strange to say, given I am a British national who has never lived in the States.) I was absolutely horrified when Bush won his first term, I had a sense of foreboding that in retrospect I had no real right to have, given I was in my early 20s and knew nothing about American politics. But I was vindicated. I was very caught up in the last 2 elections - the first because of Bush hatred, the second because of Obamamania (tho I was very sceptical about what he would be able to achieve.)
Now I just feel so exasperated with the lot of them I dont want to have anything to do with it. I wish I didnt have anything to do with it. Unfortunately, we in the rest of the world are highly exposed to the decisions of the US electorate.
Romney doesnt seem too bad.
I know the polls indicate Newt is gaining against Mittens...but how many here seriously think Newt can win the nomination?
The average Republican voter may not like the insiders backing Romney, but they are the ones who have the money.
The onky way I see Newt getting teh nomination is if they have at least 2 debates before each primary.
The average Republican voter may not like the insiders backing Romney, but they are the ones who have the money.
The onky way I see Newt getting teh nomination is if they have at least 2 debates before each primary.
I honestly believe Romney's religion is hurting him in the GOP race. If he were a "regular" Christian he'd probably be fine and cruise through.
I could be wrong though.
I could be wrong though.
If he were a regular christian he would have beaten McCain last time around wouldnt he? He might even be President right now.
I'm 99% sure Romney doesn't believe any of the religious doctrine anyway. He may as well abandon the Mormon Church and join a more mainstream one, though I guess that could be construed as 'flip-flopping' or cynicism.
Do you think that would wash with the electorate? Would they be forgiving?
Surely if he wasn't a true believer he wouldn't be tithing vast amounts of money.
Dunno, he was a missionary for them when he was young. And judging by this year's tax return, he's giving them $4m a year. If he wasn't a believer, he'd probably have left a while ago, saving himself tens of millions of dollars and a political albatross.
Albatross that looks a bit like Ed Miliband
The money he's given to the Church is tithe. And I reckon he's just used the institution over the years a tool to gain prominence and because that's how he was brought up.
It's tithe that he wouldn't have to pay if he didn't remain in the church. A decision which will also cost him net votes.
It's not so simple to just up and leave though is it, especially if you have a family connection to the Church and served the institution as an adult.
You do things that aren't easy if they're costing you, let's say, 30-50 million dollars over a decade.
It's a lot easier to leave when you have millions in the bank and a public profile. Your family can also leave as they are likely to follow the money, unless each family member (individually) cares more about their faith.
On the other hand, Mike is always right, about everything.
I wouldn't be surprised if Romney didn't suddenly lose 99% of his faith at 16.43 this afternoon.
I wouldn't be surprised if Romney didn't suddenly lose 99% of his faith at 16.43 this afternoon.
You get shunned and become an outcast in Mormon society. Which, ironically, would probably win him the election.
I think a lot of people in this thread are misjudging the religious mindset in this country. Anyone who's not voting for Romney because he's a Mormon wouldn't necessarily vote for him just because he left that church. That just makes him an apostate. And possibly a Manchurian Candidate. Meanwhile, Romney's huge base in the Mountain West, which he's going to need to win this nomination, would evaporate like smoke, as the tiny bit of benefit Romney would get among a segment of nonmembers would not really outweigh the fact that all of Mormondom would consider him a traitor.
It also really wouldn't help him with his core problem, which is people's perception of him as having no real moral or ideological center, to leave the church he's been a part of his whole life.
It also really wouldn't help him with his core problem, which is people's perception of him as having no real moral or ideological center, to leave the church he's been a part of his whole life.
Well you'd know better than me, but surely if he not only left Mormonism but enthusiastically embraced evangelism, he'd win some support. Lot of tribalistic evangelicals...
He's not one to rock the boat.
Except even tribalistic evangelicals could likely spot the difference between a genuine convert and someone just switching teams because of the payoff they get for doing so. (They're not City fans...)
I don't have as much faith in the bullshit-spotting abilities of Evangelical Christians as you do.
??
Highly disagreeable. GWB's presidency is clear evidence that the executive office can wield a lot of power.
The presidency is more powerful when both houses of congress are controlled by the same party as the president simultaneously and also when there has been a national disaster - in the nine months before 9/11 he was very ineffective and in his second term he was very ineffective, especially after the 2006 midterms.
When the constitution was designed in Philadelphia in 1787 it was determined that the presidency would be the weakest of the three branches of government, the presidency as we see it today is a construct of the 1930s when the president became more vocal and more visible thanks to the rise of the modern media. Constitutionally the president has as much say in the matter of legislation and budget setting as Her Majesty in the United Kingdom does.
Isn't the Presidents power much more in areas of foreign policy? So perfect for a war monger like Bush. Not so much for.someone who wants to make the country a better place for Americans.
(Spot the bias.)
The senate has to ratify all foreign treaties, many a trade deal, treaty with the Russians and of course membership of the League of Nations has been scuppered by them.
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