What to read?

[OldJack]

I've voted Republican for years, and even was the Republican nominee for County Treasurer once, but this time I split my ticket.

I have voted a straight ticket for years. This year the state of Missouri did away with that option on the ballet. I didn't know what to do so I voted for myself.

[jainen]

Why do you mention

Why do you mention your new judge's [edited], which is basically only of concern to the Religious Right that you object to?

[TMI Moderator]

Decorum

OK folks, let's maintain decorum.

I'm amazed and thankful that with all the participation on this Message Board there are relatively few incidents where we have to worry about content of the posts. I'm asking everyone to help out here so we can continue to allow as free a forum as possible.

[Unregistered]

John Stossels new book "Everything you know is wrong" and a somewhat more serious tome "The World is Flat" by Thomas L. Friedman. After those two I bet the Dish Network will be looking pretty good. And you might rethink that voting thing.

I like John Stossel and Friedman. However Stossel who used to be a liberal just espouses what I think already except for social concerns.

As far as voting goes I live in a state where the majority are so contrary to what I beleive there is no middle ground. They reelected the most poor excuse for a state governor by such a wide margin that it is breath taking. Even one of the country's most liberal papers, The Oregonian recomended the republican and he still lost. They voted in nearly every bond and levy the government put on the ballot. The people here believe that the right to choose is an inalienable right even for a 10 year old.

So no more politics for me.

[jainen]

I won't be posting

All right, sorry. I'm leaving town for two days now (camping in the rain!), so I won't be posting.

[Black Bart]

Ahhh, c'mon -- can't you stick around?

All right, sorry. I'm leaving town for two days now (camping in the rain!), so I won't be posting.

I was all ready to go a few rounds with a liberal (if I must).

[Black Bart]

Veritas

I need help in resolving some tax issues.

Can I call you?

I also need some help in resolving some tax issues.

Can you send me some money?

[veritas]

All those pedestrian comments are coming home to roost. Or was it pedantic? anywho send me your bank account number and I will be glad to share a large sum of money my brother in law has found at the ministry of economics. The money has been recently discovered by him and accounting is unawares of these funds. Please be to be so kind as to forward your routing number and account number in extreme importance. We will wait most anxiously for your prompt to be reply.

Yours in friendliness

Dr. Jacko Simba
Minister of Economic
Nigeria

[Black Bart]

Dear Sim,

Only if you give me your word as a gentleman that you will forward the money to me. Also, can you vouch for your brother-in-law (I don't want to take any chances)?

[Snaggletooth]

Liberal Victory?

I don't think so. I am a macro-economist, therefore a Democrat. But you would be hard-pressed to find a Republican more conservative than myself. Notice the wild-eyed liberals like Nancy Pelosi, the Feinstein woman, Howard Dean etc. are so deliriously happy they are bellying up to the plate and are taking credit for sweeping out the evil Republicans.

But take another look - there were ballot initiatives in 38 states. Subjects ranged from same-sex marriage to illegal aliens. The huge conservative issues received sweeping support by the population. Many of these ballot-box questions were successfully put on the ballot by conservative activists because of inaction by the elected officials.

And take another look at the Democrats who won. Most of them were moderates, or at least they ran on a moderate agenda. There should be a lesson here, as well as those perceived moderate Democrats such as Carter, Clinton, and Gore winning (or nearly so), and extremist liberals such as Kerry, Dukakis, and McGovern getting literally trounced. If I have any political energy left, I believe if we can rid the Democrats of the far left such as Kennedy, Kerry, Reid, and Dean, then conservative and moderate Democrats will start winning.

I watched with interest the election of Jesse Ventura as Governor of Minnesota, and wondered how he did as governor. I don't know Minnesota like the natives, but for some reason he did not seek re-election.

This post is too political by my own admission, but I believe taxation is too much engrained in politics for us to ignore it on this board.

[Joe Btfsplk]

Judge's " "

Why do you mention your new judge's [edited], which is basically only of concern to the Religious Right that you object to?

I did not mean to offend you.
I oppose the agenda of the Religious Rlght in many areas because it is based on intolerance for other legitimate ideas. However, even most agnostics and atheists would agree with them on some things like opoosing murder, rape, etc.

I probably should avoid the subjects of religion and politics in the future.

[Black Bart]

The Independent Voters

...look at the Democrats who won. Most...were moderates, or at least they ran on a moderate agenda. There should be a lesson here...

Snag / it probably won't happen, but I think 2008 would be ripe for a third party to run and -- just possibly -- even win. Perot tried it in '92 and didn't have enough support, but took many votes away from Bush who hadn't been conservative enough to suit his followers. Clinton won by running as a "moderate" Democrat; exploiting the split between those conservatives. There might be enough dissatisfied independent voters to pull off an upset this time.

Almost everybody I talk to nowadays says "I vote for the man." They're for issues rather than the whole party line. And I'm the same -- I don't like radicals of either side. I vote Republican, but there's not much question that they give preferential treatment to "big business" at the expense of average Americans. For instance, does anyone really believe that drug industry lobbyists have successfully managed to keep Canadian imports out because elected officials are worried about "safety?" Or the GOP position that competitive bidding by Medicare is "price control" (the prices seem well-controlled already--by the drug companies)? I agree with the Dems on stem-cell research for disease. I never liked their "tax and spend" philsophy, but...my guys have been spending (without taxing) like a drunken sailor for the last six years.

I notice Hillary's been sort of following the trail Bill blazed by playing to all audiences (they both go whichever way the political wind is blowing). She was trolling for red state votes a few months back, making statements supportive of the war until the far leftists began screaming bloody murder and "foul." She then changed course and summoned Rumsfeld to a Senate hearing "show trial" to ream him out; the performance of which pacified Kerry and company.

So anyway, I think a "Perot" would have a good shot at the prize. Barring my hoped-for third party entry, it looks like it's going to be between her and Senator McCain. Do you know of anybody else who might run and has a chance of winning? What do you think?

[OldJack]

So anyway, I think a "Perot" would have a good shot at the prize. Barring my hoped-for third party entry, it looks like it's going to be between her and Senator McCain. Do you know of anybody else who might run and has a chance of winning? What do you think?

I don't think Clinton will necessarily be representing the Dem's. I think the Republicans would like to run against her as it would be an easy win (Yeah, I'm a Republican). There are several other Dem's such as that Illinois Senator Bomma guy that the media is all talking about running. Face it, the media will decide who will win.

[Snaggletooth]

Third Party

Bart, almost everyone I talk to supports the idea of a third party. Ross Perot did so well in 1992, pulling millions of voters and embarrassing the two big parties in the debates, that the big TV networks refused to let him debate in '96 against Clinton and Dole. But these same people shy away from voting from candidates they don't think have a chance. There's little doubt that the entry of Ralph Nader cost Al Gore the election.

Being from Arkansas, you know more about Slick Willie than I do. As a President, I would vote for him. As a person, I wouldn't have him for dogcatcher.

You did ask about possible Republican candidates? I'll tell you about Bill Frist from my state, the influential Senate majority leader. Frist quit his job as Senator this year so he could run for the Presidential election in 2008. However, exit polls in his HOME STATE, voted against him 44%-37% to run. Frist was a heart surgeon prior to involving himself in politics, with an income of some $15,000 per DAY. He was part of the Republican sweep in 1994 -- when Hillary introduced her health care plan and the AMA financed more medical candidates than ever before. Being a doctor, he is dedicated to keeping our health care system exactly as it is -- and the AMA is his constituency, NOT the people who voted for him. Frist and others like him are why the United States is the ONLY country amongst the top 18 industrial countries NOT to have socialized medicine. It must also be noted that only one of these other 18 countries has a lower life expectancy than the U.S.

Bart, I'm all for a 3rd party -- but there has to be a viable entry. There have been third parties throughout our history, but the last one to win even one state was the American Independent Party of George Wallace in 1968.

[Black Bart]

Don't worry about

I did not mean to offend you.
I oppose the agenda of the Religious Rlght in many areas because it is based on intolerance for other legitimate ideas. However, even most agnostics and atheists would agree with them on some things like opoosing murder, rape, etc.

I probably should avoid the subjects of religion and politics in the future.

jainen -- that big blowhard (maybe he won't read this) has gone campin' for the weekend (hope he doesn't break PC protocol and burn wood). A person would think he'd agree with you about politics since he's a liberal too, but that guy would argue with a signpost and complain if he was hung with a new rope.

Don't give up on politics either -- you may not change any minds (liberals are scarce around here), but you can get your two cents worth in and this bunch absolutely needs a good talkin' to ever' now and then. There's even a bright spot of agreement -- we all oppose murder and rape (though I'm not quite sure that's political).