USA Politics

Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

cornfedhick said:
I do think higher taxes on business and the most productive workers, coupled with trade barriers that will make goods more expensive (and thereby offset the extra few hundred dollars that lower-income workers would save in taxes), very well could further hurt the economy.  See the article by Professor Boskin I posted in this thread -- page 16, Reply # 477.  (I don't know how to link it.)  Professor Boskin is very smart.  He's at Stanford, so I necessarily think very highly of him.   :)  
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I do recall the article, and it was very smart and powerful.  Problem is that I don't think we're talking about *that* much money.  Admittedly, I haven't seen too much of Obama's trade protectionist stances, but while he has talked about such things, such as renegotiating NAFTA, I don't think it'll actually happen.  I don't particularly think free trade with Bolivia is going to positively affect prices currently.  More likely, prices in the US will be altered more by the plummetting dollar as the US gets further into debt and as they (shudder) may just print more money to pay off these massive bailouts. 

Also, I don't think wage = productivity, since you have many people who make a lot of money but do not directly add into the economy.  For instance, a CEO or a high-end criminal lawyer make millions, and do important jobs, but may not be directly "productive" as a guy making 30k/year working for GM in Detroit.  I think Reaganomics (or as George H. W. Bush called it, Voodoo Economics) is a failed policy.  It failed under Reagan and it failed under George W. Bush.  In the end, people are still going to be paying less taxes under the Obama plan then they were in 1999, and that's all people.

Obama's plan will not increase taxes on small business either, which is a claim McCain loves to make.  Big business?  Probably, and I can't tell what the effect will be, but I do know that business tax in the USA is much lower than it is in Canada.

On this [McCain's plan to buy up all bad loans in the US and the irresponsibility of massive debt bailouts], I agree with you completely, absolutely, unequivocally and 100%.
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It was one of those things that just made my jaw drop.  A definite, absolute WTF moment.  I'm not going to call on some sort of probably partisan calculator, but it seems to me that the cost of doing what McCain suggested would be higher than instituting a Canadian-style health care system in the entire US of A.  Which would probably be a better use of the money, if still retarded.

I agree with SMX that it is probably too late to get Romney on the ballots, but as you say, Palin could be - ahem - persuaded to withdraw, and McCain could promise to appoint Romney to fill the vacancy if elected.  I'm not entirely sure whether that would be subject to Congressional approval, but if so, it would presumably be given.  In any event, it's almost certainly a moot point, as McCain almost certainly won't do this.
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If Palin drops off the ticket, then her name remains on the ballot.  However, she refuses the nomination of the electoral college.  At which point, Sen. McCain would be inaugurated on Jan 20th without a vice president, and he could then utilize the Twenty Fifth Amendment to nominate whosoever he chooses.  Congress would then need to ratify this nominee by a majority.


Also, CFH, don't know if you read the madness forum, but please check this out:
http://forum.maidenfans.com/index.php?topic=18021.0
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

Rolling Stone has written an interesting article on John McCain's past.  You'll hear Sarah Palin tell us lots that we don't know who Barack Obama is, but in reality, he's put himself out there pretty thoroughly.  We know he was born in Hawaii, that his mother and father divorced when he was young.  We know he lived in Indonesia, and Kansas.  He tried some serious drugs when he was younger.  He smoked till a year ago, enjoys a beer and a basketball game.  Et al.

But do we *really* know that much about John McCain's past?  We know that he was in the Navy and he was held prisoner by the North Vietnamese during the Vietnam War.  But how many people know what he was like when he was 20?  Since this is (apparently) important for Obama to tell us, it should be the same.

http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/ ... rick/print

The article has a large anti-McCain slant, but if you can pick through the editorial comments, you can still get a sense of who John McCain was, and you can use that to tell if he is the man he seems to be.  For me, it makes a lot of his recent campaign decisions make a hell of a lot of sense.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

Listening to the local radio, Larry King came on, and one of the Washington pundits remarked that Sarah Palin was not interested in the McCain ticket as much as promoting herself for Palin 2012 and doing damage control since her Katie Couric interview. 

The irony is that one of Palin's supporters was adamant that without her, McCain would not even have the base support.

Would do you folks think about that?
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

I think the tone of the campaign is getting worse and worse. A woman stood up and spoke to McCain, on a microphone, and said, "I don't trust Obama.  I've read about him...he's an Arab."  At which point McCain tore the mike out of the woman's hand and corrected her.  When you listen to the crowd at McCain rallies you can hear people saying racially charged things.  I swear I heard one say "Lynch the [you know what]".  CNN played clips of someone yelling "kill him" and another saying "off with his head".  This all started when Palin accused Obama of palling around with terrorists.  I don't think it started, but I think she finally said what a lot of people were thinking.  It scares me.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

It is scary.  I've been reading an article about polling done in Missouri.  Many polled stated that they consider voting Obama, but when asked in private by Canadian papers many admit feeling uncomfortable voting for a black man.  But that's still not as bad as accusing someone of cavorting with terrorists.  A JFK-like drama and tragedy is not what the country or the world needs right now.  Judging by some of the responses, I'd not be surprised if a radical makes an attempt on Obama's life.  No one likes to talk about it, but shooting at presidents is not unncommon in USA.  They should do it Canadian style, a pie in your face.  ;)
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

If by "pie" you mean "sniper rifle" and "face" you mean "face", then that might happen
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

I always wondered if Sarah Palin was going to leave an Inukshuk in Washington.

"Now the people will know we were here."
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

General Colin Powell endorses Barack Obama for President

(CNN) -- Former Secretary of State Colin Powell announced Sunday that he will be voting for Sen. Barack Obama, citing the Democrat's "ability to inspire" and the "inclusive nature of his campaign."

"I think he is a transformational figure, he is a new generation coming onto the world stage, onto the American stage, and for that reason I'll be voting for Sen. Barack Obama," Powell said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Powell said he was concerned about what he characterized as a recent negative turn of Republican candidate Sen. John McCain's campaign, such as the campaign's attempts to tie Obama to former 1960s radical Bill Ayers.

"I think that's inappropriate. I understand what politics is about -- I know how you can go after one another, and that's good. But I think this goes too far, and I think it has made the McCain campaign look a little narrow. It's not what the American people are looking for," he said.

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Wow!  One of the only big names out there that haven't endorsed, and one of the single most respected people in the United States has finally made his preference clear.  I had been wondering if Gen. Powell would be endorsing this season, and if so, whom he'd endorse.  I agree with his assessment of Sen. Obama, and I think his honesty is refreshing.  People shouldn't ever vote a party line, and while Gen. Powell remains a Republican, he's decided in this election to switch his support because of an individual.  It's like it's how democracy is supposed to work.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

That is very interesting.  I was wondering if he would come outright and endorse anyone.  Great news for the Obama camp.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

Everyone who pays attention knows I respect General Powell quite a lot, and I am reminded why upon watching his interview with Tom Brokaw on Meet The Press.  The man is a powerful orator and has a great sense of what should be.

General Colin Powell said:
I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, "Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim." Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim, he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that's not America. Is there something wrong with some seven-year-old Muslim-American kid believing that he or she could be president? Yet, I have heard senior members of my own party drop the suggestion, "He's a Muslim and he might be associated terrorists." This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

I feel strongly about this particular point because of a picture I saw in a magazine. It was a photo essay about troops who are serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. And one picture at the tail end of this photo essay was of a mother in Arlington Cemetery, and she had her head on the headstone of her son's grave. And as the picture focused in, you could see the writing on the headstone. And it gave his awards--Purple Heart, Bronze Star--showed that he died in Iraq, gave his date of birth, date of death. He was 20 years old. And then, at the very top of the headstone, it didn't have a Christian cross, it didn't have the Star of David, it had crescent and a star of the Islamic faith. And his name was Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan, and he was an American. He was born in New Jersey. He was 14 years old at the time of 9/11, and he waited until he can go serve his country, and he gave his life. Now, we have got to stop polarizing ourself in this way.
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Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

Way to go out on a limb.  In other news, I am endorsing the sun to rise tomorrow morning. 
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

I happen to think that Gen. Powell would have endorsed McCain now if he thought it was the right thing to do.  This is probably the only man associated with the Bush Administration who's managed to do so and keep his "honour" as the case may be.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

cornfedhick said:
Way to go out on a limb.  In other news, I am endorsing the sun to rise tomorrow morning. 
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What? Are you serious?

It looks like you're accusing Powell of jumping on a bandwagon. But doing so holds no benefit for him - he's retired from politics and doesn't need to be seen as being on the winner's bandwagon.

In fact, this endorsement really surprised me. Not the part that he prefers Obama - the part about saying so publicly. Being a lifelong Republican, I thought he'd make no endorsement.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

Here's what really bothers me. I was reading an article in America about being a conscientious voter and rather than voting for "party" one should vote for "candidate." That's true and that's why I try to pay attention to, what candidate regardless of party says. However, I've always come to the same conclusion. The bipartisan system is so ingrained that however, eloquent, individual and great politician/thinker a candidate is, by the end of the process they do nothing but throw out partyspeak. When I hear Obama I don't hear Obama, I hear The Democrats. When I hear McCain I hear The Republicans, not McCain. I actually like McCain, but the bullshit he's been spewing out is classic republican speak and it's sad. screened town hall debates are a joke and so are trained candidates. I will die happy the day I see Candidates prepared with information and nothing more, to answer how they REALLY want rather than what their advisers hammer in... I know it's too much too ask.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

SinisterMinisterX said:
It looks like you're accusing Powell of jumping on a bandwagon. But doing so holds no benefit for him - he's retired from politics and doesn't need to be seen as being on the winner's bandwagon.
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Then why say anything at all?  If he preferred Obama, why didn't he endorse him when the election was in doubt?  People have been asking him about his endorsement for some time.  My cynical view is that the only person that this endorsement benefits -- at this time, with the election pretty much sewn up (other than the unpredictable Bradley Effect, which Powell's endorsement presumably wouldn't avoid) -- is Colin Powell himself.  Part of me wanted to believe that he is trying to send a message to the Republican Party to clean up its act in 2012, but I don't really buy it. 
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

I think some of it has to do with the dissention within the inner circle and cabinet during the early days of the war. Colin Powell was pretty well used as a scapegoat for policy failures and was forced into resignation. Some of this may be his big F you to the Republican Party.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

Even with the scapegoating, Powell came through being part of the Bush Administration fairly cleanly.  People like Ashcroft, Rumsfeld, Cheney and others really aren't going to be popular in the future.

Of course, what's scary is all those people save Powell had jobs in the Nixon Administration originally.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

In the immortal words of the rap group Tag Team, "Whoomp! There it is":

Obama: Powell will have a role in administration
By LAURIE KELLMAN, Associated Press Writer Laurie Kellman, Associated Press Writer 1 hr 1 min ago

WASHINGTON – With or without a formal title, Colin Powell will have Barack Obama's ear if the Democratic presidential candidate wins the White House in the Nov. 4 election, the candidate said Monday.

"He will have a role as one of my advisers," Barack Obama said on NBC's "Today" in an interview aired Monday, a day after Powell, a four-star general and President Bush's former secretary of state, endorsed him.

"Whether he wants to take a formal role, whether that's a good fit for him, is something we'd have to discuss," Obama said.

Being a top presidential adviser, especially on foreign policy, would be familiar ground to Powell on a subject that's relatively new to the freshman Illinois senator. Obama has struggled to establish his foreign policy credentials against GOP candidate John McCain, a decorated military veteran, Vietnam prisoner of war and ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee.

In the NBC interview, Obama said Powell did not give him a heads-up before he crossed party lines and endorsed the Democratic presidential candidate on the network's "Meet the Press" a day earlier.

In that interview, Powell called Obama a "transformational figure" in the nation's history and expressed disappointment in some of McCain's campaign tactics. But, Powell said, he didn't plan to hit the campaign trail with Obama before Election Day.

"I won't lie to you, I would love to have him at any stop," Obama said with a grin Monday. "Obviously, if he wants to show up, he's got an open invitation."

Powell's endorsement came just hours after Obama's campaign disclosed that it raised $150 million in September — obliterating the old record of $66 million it had set only one month earlier.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said she had not spoken to Bush about his reaction to Powell's endorsement but added that Bush and Powell have a good relationship.
 
Re: USA Elections: Candidates Comparison

I would say that if a President Obama isn't listening to the advice of General Powell, then there's something wrong with him.  I'd say the same about a President McCain.
 
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