No matter what anyone thinks of the respective candidates, or even who "turns out to be right" (if you will--and if we ever really know) there actually are times when two bright people (and I think you're "bright" though many here may object to either of us being considered such) can disagree on even big issues.
Exploring such is valuable to me, and it's part of why one of my basic philosophies is that it's not just what position you hold on most issues that matters when I'm making an evaluation of your opinions, it's how you arrived at them. I know well-adjusted and intelligent folks who are committed to Romney (if not with great enthusiasm--just as is the case with many on the Obama side) and Obama.
Unfortunately, I also see hordes of folks on both sides whose thinking process leaves me less than optimistic about the nation in general, from the electorate to the elected.
I can see much in the way of intelligent concerns with either candidate and any party. I think many of us can.
"Captain, it's a viewpoint--not one of ours! We're under attack!"
"I see it, ensign! Engage amygdala! Transfer all power from frontal lobes!
Suspend critical thinking field! Go to course heading of reflexive response 101 at full bias!
Now!'Enter' at will!"
"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so."
I voted R and D in the past for President. Last election I wasn't sure how I was going to vote until Palin. I had a lot of respect for McCain and he was a real prospect for me until that decision.
With Romney he just seems like a sleazy guy who will say ANYTHING to be elected, I've never considered voting for him. I don't trust him a bit and doubt he has any type of plan past being elected.
I don't see it and do not place anywhere near the value or credence as you apparently with regard to those indicators-reports Larry. Things may be improving in some aspects, but at a pace slower than a snail's. We have to do better. We have to get the debt and spending under control. We have to create an environment for individuals to take some risks with regard to exploring entrepreneurial opportunities. We have to have a leader that imbues confidence and allows a platform for corporations of all sizes to expand without strangling them with unnecessary regulations and causing further uncertainty about what the future holds for them.
We can certainly agree on this my friend...
Last edited by Chump Bailey; November-3rd-2012 at 11:25 AM.
I want the peace of God in my life.
To say these words is nothing.
But to mean these words is everything.
Nobody can mean these words and not be healed.
~Eckhart Tolle
The thing about it is, every historical precedent says that's not what's going to happen under a Republican president.
Particularly the debt and government spending. Every time a Republican has been an office, government spending has gone up. Eight years of tax cuts and fewer regulations and the economy went into the tank, and the toxic economy certainly didn't encourage small business owners and entreperneurship. We had a less regulated corporate sector and all that happened is that corporations made more money and the rest of the economy still suffered.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...f-victory.html
Mitt Romney’s Delusions of Victory
"If Gallup knows something the rest of the polling world doesn’t, it will be a major news story and Gallup will cement itself as the pollster of record as it once was in its glory days. If not, what Gallup is doing to Republicans is cruel. "
On this note, Nate Silver's most recent article argues that the only way Romney has a chance to win is if the state to state polls are wrong. He says that his model gives Romney a 16% chance of victory but that 16% is only the estimated probability that the polls are wrong.. Remove that and Obama's chances of victory are close to 100%.
Got it.
GDP going up? Doesn't matter.
More jobs? Details.
Deficit going down? Well, anybody can point at statistics.
You've decided that things are bad, and that Obama did it, and therefore they are.
Obama has added twice as many jobs per month, in his entire time in office, than W did in his.Things may be improving in some aspects, but at a pace slower than a snail's.
(In fact, if you look at private sector jobs, W left office with fewer than when he came in.)
GDP has grown more, (in terms of percentage growth per year), in Obama's entire term, than in W's entire term.
And it's certainly not like Obama inherited more to work with.
Spending, and the deficit, have been lower every year Obama has been in office.We have to get the debt and spending under control.
Yes, I understand. We need to cut taxes on the super wealthy and eliminate more regulations.We have to create an environment for individuals to take some risks with regard to exploring entrepreneurial opportunities. We have to have a leader that imbues confidence and allows a platform for corporations of all sizes to expand without strangling them with unnecessary regulations and causing further uncertainty about what the future holds for them.
After all, it's worked so well, for the last 30 years.
Last edited by Larry; November-3rd-2012 at 03:14 PM.
Corporate profits at all time highs, while wages aren't.
There is nothing about allowing corperations to expand that ensures they will pay their workers reasonable amounts of money.
http://www.businessinsider.com/corpo...ime-low-2012-6
We can certainly agree on this my friend...[/QUOTE]
Essentially my core belief is that wealth primarily goes in one direction: up. Essentially, we KNOW that wealth trickles up. Given this certainty, I believe that the fundamental core of building a robust and healthy economy is to build a healthy foundation. Push policies that help the poor and middle class earn more, get more (low end) jobs, and give them the education and opportunities to succeed. Doing so creates a healthy and wealthy consumer base that can create the demand needed to drive a strong economy. The wealth of the poor/middle class is the primary difference between a 3rd world and a 1st world country.
Given this belief, I feel that the Republicans who believe in a top down approach does not fundamentally address this problem. They believe in a flawed indirect approach that by helping those on top, this will somehow "trickle down". The Democrats do have a greater focus on helping out the poor/middle class and thus I believe their policies are fundamentally better off for America.
Last edited by Kindred; November-4th-2012 at 02:27 AM.
I didn't mind what Obama said at all. In fact I was already voting for revenge before Obama even said it. I'm voting to spit in the face of a hypocritical, jacka**, filibuster-happy congress that has done nothing but throw the American people under the bus in an attempt to regain power. These hypocrites (including Paul Ryan) wrote a blank check to Bush for 8 years but conveniently got "conservative" when they lost. I'm voting for revenge because of Republicans suddenly trying to pass voter ID laws and kill early voting to obviously suppress the vote. I'm voting for revenge of the GOP trying to buy an election with the Citizens United crap. I don't want to see their actions of the last 3+ years rewarded with the presidency because it will do nothing but encourage these fools to keep trying these tactics in the future. Mitt Romney talks about voting for love of country? Well I see no love of country from the GOP. I see nothing but contempt and I've grown sick of the birther talks they've fed into, the ignorance they spout, and the blatant obstructionism.
I don't like Mitt Romney and I don't trust him. He strikes me as a guy who feels he's entitled and wants to be president not to help people or this country, but to have a legacy. And he has shown time and time again that he will abandon all principles and integrity to get what he wants. He's been shape-shifting himself for the last 6-7 years for this moment. I believe the man stands for nothing but his own ambition and I would take much pleasure in seeing him fail. His economic policies are the same old crap we've seen the last 30 years. Reagan cut taxes, had no revenue to pay for it and put it on the govt credit card. Bush? More tax cuts, no revenue to pay for it, put it on the govt credit card. Romney wants to continue down the same path on steroids. Ask him or Paul Ryan to do the math to make their plans work? You hear crickets.More of the same BS of the last 30 years and people still want more. It's amazing to me.
Last edited by AJ*; November-4th-2012 at 04:20 AM.
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