The Democrat Thread

[Balta1701]

I'm pretty sure my statement covers that exact scenario.

My definition of smart but ignorant would suggest that if she set out to familiarize herself with a campaign's policy issues, at least on a basic level, she wouldn't struggle to do so nearly as much.

[BigSqwert]

Bouncing around from mediocre college to mediocre college lends me to believe she isn't very smart. In fact, I have yet to see an examples of her smarts. Seems to be getting by on looks most of her life.

[NorthSideSox72]

My definition of smart but ignorant would suggest that if she set out to familiarize herself with a campaign's policy issues, at least on a basic level, she wouldn't struggle to do so nearly as much.

 

Bouncing around from mediocre college to mediocre college lends me to believe she isn't very smart. In fact, I have yet to see an examples of her smarts. Seems to be getting by on looks most of her life.

 

First let me say, the defintion of "smart" is obviously subjective, as well as highly disparate. There are lots of different kinds of "smarts". But as to her not learning things, I didn't get the impression from anything I've read that she spent much time trying. Furthermore, you can't spend a lifetime remaining blissfully ignorant of actual fact, then suddenly in an evening prep session become versed in foreign policy. She's ignorant by choice, which is what I was getting at.

 

Now, is she a genius? Probably not, definitely not in the overall sense. Is she an idiot? No, I'd bet her IQ is higher than the average American. Is she on the same plain as Obama or McCain in this regard? No, not even close, probably. She's clearly not fit for high office.

 

And I think her bouncing around from school to school is yet another example of chosen ignorance. She achieves what she wants to achieve, not what someone tells her she should achieve. And actual, factual or historical knowledge are not what she chooses to understand well.

 

[southsider2k5]

Or, the pendulum will swing, like it always does. At some point, the hyper-partisan schtick will stop working.

 

The GOP had serious control over Congress, and had a real heyday, from the early 90's until around 2006. Then the country decided they hadn't achieved much lately, and it was time for a change. So we got the 2006 and 2008 elections. Some of the GOP reacted by trying to go to the middle, which is the conventional wisdom. But many decided to try something different - go FURTHER away from the current mainstream thinking, and FURTHER to the right. So far, that hasn't worked much for them, at all. And if they continue down this road, it only leads to a regional party, and never again having control of Congress. Therefore, at some point, the GOP leaders will realize they have no choice but to "come to Jesus" (see what I did there?), and get back to what the "middle" actually wants, if they want control again.

 

Palin is a fail in a Presidential race, a big fail, unless Obama shoots a few puppies.

 

The Democrats just spent 8 years as the party of "No" and it won them elections all over the country. There is no wonder why the Republicans are trying this strategy. It worked.

[BigSqwert]

The Democrats just spent 8 years as the party of "No" and it won them elections all over the country.

 

Obama’s stimulus package — with vast tax cuts in the middle of the steepest downturn in memory — garnered zero Republican votes. Zero. That’s why a health insurance reform plan that is in many ways more conservative than the Republican leader Mitt Romney’s Massachusetts pilot, a reform that cut the deficit, ruled out a public option, and gave the health insurance and drug companies millions of new private sector clients, won zero Republican support in the Senate and one, yes, one, Republican vote in the House.

 

Now recall Bush’s first signature proposal, his massive 2001 tax cut. Unlike Obama, he came to office with fewer votes than his opponent. In the wake of that election, 12 Democratic senators voted for Bush’s campaign promise, and 28 Democrats followed suit in the House. McCain actually voted against his own party on this critical first test. Now look at him. That is a sign of how partisanship and polarisation have only deepened since 2000, and Obama’s attempt to overcome it has simply fallen on barren ground. The response of the Republicans to Obama’s open hand has been pretty close to that of the Iranian junta: a clenched fist.

 

Link

[southsider2k5]

Link

 

Thanks for helping prove my point. Democrats tried very hard to stop the tax cuts, even if a small percentage of them voted for them.

[BigSqwert]

27% of Democratic Senators voted with Bush. That better than 0% of the GOP Senators this year.

Edited January 12, 2010 by BigSqwert

[southsider2k5]

27% of Democratic Senators voted with Bush. That better than 0% of the GOP Senators this year.

 

Which means two things. 73% didn't, and the Republicans learned their lessons well about being the party of "no".

[jasonxctf]

I was listening to Genesis's Land of Confusion last night. That song could have been written today.

 

 

[Balta1701]

Tomorrow appears to be the day that the Taco Bell Burrito Supreme Court will essentially eliminate all restrictions on corporate campaign contributions.

[BigSqwert]

[lostfan]

So the more I read arguments about the Harry Reid dust-up and the more I thought about it the less I cared. Good old-fashioned politics at work, there. Frankly what Reid said isn't even racist, the word "negro" isn't a racist word. Socially outdated and extremely awkward to be used, but Reid is an old man and is old enough to have been around before "black" and "African-American" phased it out. Yes he deserves to be laughed at and criticized for being out of touch but not much more than that, really. Secondly, I have yet to find anyone who can show that what he actually said was factually incorrect, unless they want to suggest that a dark-skinned person who talks like one of Madea's relatives in a Tyler Perry movie could actually get elected president.

 

I don't see black people getting offended because... well... it really wasn't offensive. The ones who are acting offended are mostly white conservatives which I think is hilarious, because isn't that what they always accuse liberals of doing?

[southsider2k5]

I think they are more asserting the double standard in how these situations are handled, versus actually being offended.

[lostfan]

Of course there's a double standard, but if we are going to try to paint an equivalency between Reid and Lott (which many have done) well, just no. One guy was talking (clumsily) about race, the other was actually glorifying racist ideas. And the Republicans have really kind of put themselves into that position over the past 40 or so years anyway, you got people doing things like forwarding inappropriate e-mails and instead of admitting it was wrong saying "oh, I didn't realize which account I was using" and so on.

[Rex Kickass]

I think they are more asserting the double standard in how these situations are handled, versus actually being offended.

 

Using an out of date and awkward way to compliment a candidate on his viability in a private conversation and publicly stating that if we'd enacted the Dixiecrat States Rights "Segregation Forever" platform in 1948 all of our problems would have disappeared are CLEARLY THE SAME THING.

[Balta1701]

Lott would have survived just fine if the Bush's had wanted him to.

[Balta1701]

Sigh.

PAT ROBERTSON: And, you know, Kristi, something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, "We will serve you if you will get us free from the French." True story. And so, the devil said, "OK, it's a deal."

 

And they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other. Desperately poor. That island of Hispaniola is one island. It's cut down the middle. On the one side is Haiti; on the other side is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, et cetera. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. They need to have and we need to pray for them a great turning to God. And out of this tragedy, I'm optimistic something good may come. But right now, we're helping the suffering people, and the suffering is unimaginable.

 

KRISTI WATTS (co-host): Absolutely, Pat.

[lostfan]

Lott would have survived just fine if the Bush's had wanted him to.

True, Lott wasn't pushed out by the left (they can only dream of having such influence), he was not rescued from the bus by the GOP establishment because they wanted another guy in charge of the Senate, so Rove et. al. left him to the media wolves.

Edited January 14, 2010 by lostfan

[StrangeSox]

Sigh.

 

 

That makes my brain hurt, but it isn't even close to the stupidest thing to come out of that man's mouth.

[kapkomet]

That makes my brain hurt, but it isn't even close to the stupidest thing to come out of that man's mouth.

 

 

 

On that we agree.

[Balta1701]

That makes my brain hurt, but it isn't even close to the stupidest thing to come out of that man's mouth.

If you multiply the amount of stupidity by the casualty toll of the event he's being offensive about...

[Balta1701]

And, here's the much expected Limbaugh one. Obama's just helping to improve his standing with the "light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country". Audio at site, check it out for yourself.

 

Meanwhile, here's the Fox Nation article:

 

[kapkomet]

And, here's the much expected Limbaugh one. Obama's just helping to improve his standing with the "light-skinned and dark-skinned black community in this country". Audio at site, check it out for yourself.

 

Meanwhile, here's the Fox Nation article:

 

 

Okay, it's true, re: the Fox heading, right, wrong, or indifferent (not stating my opinion of when he should have done what, because honestly, it's a moot point).

 

And the whole thing is mocking Harry Reid, so whatever... I'm sure Limbaugh is a racist machine now. Gotta keep up those appearances.

[BigSqwert]

Okay, it's true, re: the Fox heading, right, wrong, or indifferent (not stating my opinion of when he should have done what, because honestly, it's a moot point).

 

And the whole thing is mocking Harry Reid, so whatever... I'm sure Limbaugh is a racist machine now. Gotta keep up those appearances.

Yeah the 5000 examples provided over the years still hasn't convinced me either.

[BigSqwert]

Sarah Palin is going to get the Republican nomination in 2012 and she's going to win to presidency. Hard to even know what that is going to be like, but the means to that end have been stirring up for quite a while now.

After reading Sullivan today I'm starting to rethink that possibility.