2012 ELECTION

[Cynical Ninja]

It reminds me of an old Geordie saying:-

"If in doubt say nowt (nothing)"

[username]

I hate the media and polls. They're already writing off candidates and declaring some "unelectable". Well gee, do you think you might be creating a self-fulfilling prophecy? Bastards.

[Cynical Ninja]

To be fair none of the GOP candidates stands a snowballs chance in hell against Obama, and Obama hasn't even been that great.

Cosying up to the tea bagger loonies was the worst thing the GOP could have done.

[username]

To be fair none of the GOP candidates stands a snowballs chance in hell against Obama, and Obama hasn't even been that great.

Cosying up to the tea bagger loonies was the worst thing the GOP could have done.

Romney has a better shot with the independents than the rest of the bunch.

I heard Romney referred to as a mood ring. It fits.

[Duchess]

We are so screwed. Anyone qualified has no desire to go through what they would have to in the course of an election year. Not a one of those people have anything that interests me & I really am tired of going with the "lessor evil". *sigh*

[username]

We are so screwed. Anyone qualified has no desire to go through what they would have to in the course of an election year. Not a one of those people have anything that interests me & I really am tired of going with the "lessor evil". *sigh*

I agree. I was listening to a radio discussion and the "political expert" was saying we're basically screwed until the right moves away from the religious right and the left steps away from organized labor. As long as both sides are pandering to their special interests, we're fucked.

[aussiefriend]

Oh no, Warren, I meant Rick Warren. I just realised it was Rick Warren, sorry. I am not going to comment any further.

Well, at least I owned it! Unlike some!

Ya know OP I think sometimes we have alot in common when it comes to points of view, except of course when you talk crap about people and act all evil and weird. I can't relate to that.

[Cracker]

I agree. I was listening to a radio discussion and the "political expert" was saying we're basically screwed until the right moves away from the religious right and the left steps away from organized labor. As long as both sides are pandering to their special interests, we're fucked.

That sounds about right.

I think the two blacks guys should battle for the position. It will be like the good ol' days before Mexicans learned to box...

[username]

The same talking head suggested that the country might finally be ready to elect a centrist independent candidate. Michael Bloomberg was one possibility.

I think he's right (about an independent candidate). People are so pissed off at all the politicians (congress and the President) if some charistmatic, smart, experienced, independent candidate joined the fray, I think they might have a shot at it.

I'd happily vote for someone that wasn't in the hands of the unions or the religious right. I want someone who will take most of the recommendations of the deficit reduction committee and run with them--regardless of who gets pissed about it. Not that the President operates in a vacuum. Getting that stuff by congress and the senate seems like an impossibility to me right now (thanks to the Tea Party and Pelosi and her cronies).

We're fucked.

[HairOfTheDog]

I was listening to a radio discussion and the "political expert" was saying we're basically screwed until the right moves away from the religious right and the left steps away from organized labor. As long as both sides are pandering to their special interests, we're fucked.

This sums up the problem for those of us who don't vote strictly according to party lines (and even some of those who do) really well, imo.

Now it seems like Congress is all about in-fighting and winning, not so much about resolving problems and maybe compromising where prudent, for the sake of progress. Too many extremists in office and not enough commitment to the people who elected them, imo.

Our elected officials are supposed to be representing our concerns and our voices. Doesn't feel like it to me, at all.

[Cynical Ninja]

Michael Bloomberg was one possibility.

I saw him interviewed on TV once and he never blinked, not once, like a goldfish or a shark.

[Midwest Spy]

We are so screwed. Anyone qualified has no desire to go through what they would have to in the course of an election year. Not a one of those people have anything that interests me & I really am tired of going with the "lessor evil". *sigh*

I'm in complete agreement with you here. None of the candidates does anything for me (except for Jon Huntsman, who I think could be an exceptional leader), and I don't believe any of them can beat Obama.

That means that we're in for 4 more years of he and congress sparring and getting nothing accomplished for the country.

[IMaDick]

We are so screwed. Anyone qualified has no desire to go through what they would have to in the course of an election year. Not a one of those people have anything that interests me & I really am tired of going with the "lessor evil". *sigh*

I'm in complete agreement with you here. None of the candidates does anything for me (except for Jon Huntsman, who I think could be an exceptional leader), and I don't believe any of them can beat Obama.

That means that we're in for 4 more years of he and congress sparring and getting nothing accomplished for the country.

I think the country is ready for a change of leadership, I can't see obama getting re elected.

How do you sell poverty to the masses? He is going to have a problem with that, everyone knows they are worse off than they were 3 years ago.

[Midwest Spy]

We are so screwed. Anyone qualified has no desire to go through what they would have to in the course of an election year. Not a one of those people have anything that interests me & I really am tired of going with the "lessor evil". *sigh*

I'm in complete agreement with you here. None of the candidates does anything for me (except for Jon Huntsman, who I think could be an exceptional leader), and I don't believe any of them can beat Obama.

That means that we're in for 4 more years of he and congress sparring and getting nothing accomplished for the country.

I think the country is ready for a change of leadership, I can't see obama getting re elected.

How do you sell poverty to the masses? He is going to have a problem with that, everyone knows they are worse off than they were 3 years ago.

I just don't see any of these people being 'electable'. I know most people are worse off, but who do they blame for it? Obama, or Bush and the Republican controlled congress.

IMO, Romney would have the best chance to unseat Obama, but, he's Mormon, and I don't know how that will sit with the rest of the country.

[Cynical Ninja]

I can't see obama getting re elected.

Would you like to place a wager on that dick?

Hmmmmm?

[IMaDick]

only an idiot would see Bush as having a republican controlled congress, The dems voted for everything Bush did or he would not have been able to do any of what he did.

Obama on the other hand had a 60 vote majority for the first year of his presidency, they actually did have control, and what we see today is the result of that.

I give people more credit than I should probably but in the end the bottom line of each household will be the deciding factor.

[Midwest Spy]

This crazy 'fringe' element of the Republican Party, known affectionately as the 'Tea Partiers' is also ruining things for moderate Republicans. Obama is traveling the country, letting ordinary folks know that the Republicans are blocking everything he's trying to do to improve their lives.

So, believe him or not, he's got a heckuva chance to get re-elected next November in spite of everything that's gone wrong.

[IMaDick]

I can't see obama getting re elected.

Would you like to place a wager on that dick?

Hmmmmm?

Not with a lying sack of shit. you wouldn't pay up if you lost. you would just make up some crap why you shouldn't have to pay up and that would be your reality.

[Cynical Ninja]

Not with a lying sack of shit. you wouldn't pay up if you lost. you would just make up some crap why you shouldn't have to pay up and that would be your reality.

So not that confident then after all?

I didn't think so, I was more than willing to put up a token amount to see just how confident you were, as it turns out not very.

[HairOfTheDog]

Interesting article about why absolutely nothing is getting done in Congress. It cites professionals from a variety of backgrounds. Depressing, but helpful in understanding the current gridlock that is hindering progess in key areas.

One of the factors that I hadn't really considered is how the growing number of emerging extremist candidates is affecting those Congresspersons and Senators currently in office (those seeking long term job security).

http://www.cnn.com/2011/09/26/politics/c...hpt=hp_bn3

Snipped:
This is especially true in the House, where districts are drawn with scientific precision to be overwhelmingly Democratic or Republican. Now more than ever congressional elections are a general election incumbency racket. The GOP landslide of 2010? Eighty-five percent of House incumbents won another term, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. And that was the lowest percentage since 1970.

The changing rules of the political game have policy consequences. Congressmen seeking a long political career are probably better off catering to the wishes of their party's most extreme activists, not some vaguely defined middle-of-the-road voter.

"Some Republicans are ideological purists," said Adam Sheingate, a political science professor at Johns Hopkins University. But "others are running scared, fearful they could lose a primary challenge to a more extreme candidate."