Let's talk POLITICS ( NO FIGHTS)

[Guest]

There aren't any candidates that I like in this next election. I didn't mind Kucinich, but as usual, he didn't last long.

 

I'll check out Rendition. Thanks for the suggestion, Sienna!

 

I like Huckabee.

 

I think he's pretty stellar.

 

But if it comes down between Obama and McCain, I just won't vote for either. I don't want anything to do with the victory of either of them.

[BonjourMika1990]

Obama's got dreams and ambitions... Out of all the candidates he is the one getting the most slack because of his speech making abilities. People say that's all he's capable of doing is making an awesome speech...and they call him "too dreamy and unrealistic" Which gets on my nerves because we havn't gotten any where for the past two terms of office by being complacent or realistic.

 

I love how he wants the gay vote, but I am confused as to how he plans on getting it when he doesn't agree with gay marriage.

 

 

Although Barack Obama has said that he supports civil unions, he is against gay marriage. In an interview with the Chicago Daily Tribune, Obama said, "I'm a Christian. And so, although I try not to have my religious beliefs dominate or determine my political views on this issue, I do believe that tradition, and my religious beliefs say that marriage is something sanctified between a man and a woman." Other than that, he wants those troops out of Iraq and wants to clean up that oval office. See, I don't think anyone on the Republican side has said that "Bush screwed up..." The Democrats are the ones that are like " We're gonna fix this!"

 

I honestly believe that in the end, whoever is running on the Democratic side :Hilary or Obama that they will end up becoming our president.

 

The country has been in a ditch for the past 8 years...under a Republican President... I think that mainly those who are neutral will end up going with the Democrat in the race.

 

The point is to vote for the BEST candidate, and if that means the lesser of two evils than so be it because our votes make a difference in the end.

[Guest]

But the point is, he's got dreams and ideas, yes. But he's not making any real promises as to what he's going to change. He says "We need change, we need change", but he doesn't talk about what he plans to fix or how to do it.

 

To be perfectly honest, if he wasn't black, he wouldn't be as far in the race as he is. People see "Ooh, black president = change."

 

Nothing's going to change except the amount of pigment in the Head of State's skin.

[BonjourMika1990]

I still think he'd be in the race if he weren't black...

 

OBAMA is CHANGE because of his skin...so there's no secret about that.

 

But if he weren't African American than he'd have the same type of charisma that we as a country have not seen since JFK...It's in his way of speaking, his sincerity with the people of this country that is amazing. Maybe it's because he's the senator of Illionois and lives in Lincoln Park right here in Chi-town, but I just always thought of him as powerful and wise

 

His book is supposed to be genius...I havn't read it, but reallly want to.

 

He talks about courage and rising above defeat and negativity...something that he's coped with. He brings personal experience, a personal struggle.

 

I got this from yahoo...there's some of his ideas on taxation and healthcare

A universal type health care...providing to illegals and drug dealers along with those who truly need help (most of whom already receive help)

 

Increase of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) a tax which pays "back" to the poor more than they paid in-taxes. This is known to be the tax credit with the most fraud by illegals, and druggies.

 

Add to the child tax credit...so those few who actually are paying taxes in that category, have no tax burden so that they can take full advantage of the EITC.

 

 

 

He wants to CHANGE the intelligence level of the American public, so that not everybody will believe everything their chain emails tell them, as you do.

 

He wants to actually CAPTURE mass murderer Osama bin Laden, which your golden boy GW Bush does not. OBL is handy for Bush politically to put pressure on Congress.

 

He wants to CHANGE the economic system to stop oil CEO's from ripping off the American

 

 

But like I said...

I want Barrack Obama to be my president NOT because of the color of his skin but because of his confidence, charisma and ability to communicate peacefully with people of other nations...That's what we need... Foreign relations are crap right now. He's got a great heart, and is realllly down to earth over here in the Chicago community... He's sensitive without being weak... He's kind without being tolerant of BS... His dream is mine: For this country to pave the way for a more peaceful world much less continent.

 

I just love him:wub2:

[BonjourMika1990]

I still think he'd be in the race if he weren't black...

 

OBAMA is CHANGE because of his skin...so there's no secret about that.

 

But if he weren't African American than he'd have the same type of charisma that we as a country have not seen since JFK...It's in his way of speaking, his sincerity with the people of this country that is amazing. Maybe it's because he's the senator of Illionois and lives in Lincoln Park right here in Chi-town, but I just always thought of him as powerful and wise

 

His book is supposed to be genius...I havn't read it, but reallly want to.

 

He talks about courage and rising above defeat and negativity...something that he's coped with. He brings personal experience, a personal struggle.

 

I got this from yahoo...there's some of his ideas on taxation and healthcare

A universal type health care...providing to illegals and drug dealers along with those who truly need help (most of whom already receive help)

 

Increase of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) a tax which pays "back" to the poor more than they paid in-taxes. This is known to be the tax credit with the most fraud by illegals, and druggies.

 

Add to the child tax credit...so those few who actually are paying taxes in that category, have no tax burden so that they can take full advantage of the EITC.

 

 

 

He wants to CHANGE the intelligence level of the American public, so that not everybody will believe everything their chain emails tell them, as you do.

 

He wants to actually CAPTURE mass murderer Osama bin Laden, which your golden boy GW Bush does not. OBL is handy for Bush politically to put pressure on Congress.

 

He wants to CHANGE the economic system to stop oil CEO's from ripping off the American

 

But like I said...

I want Barrack Obama to be my president NOT because of the color of his skin but because of his confidence, charisma and ability to communicate peacefully with people of other nations...That's what we need... Foreign relations are crap right now. He's got a great heart, and is realllly down to earth over here in the Chicago community... He's sensitive without being weak... He's kind without being tolerant of BS... His dream is mine: For this country to pave the way for a more peaceful world much less continent.

 

I just love him:wub2:

 

 

That part was obviously written by a bush hater:roftl:

[Guest]

I just think people are being blinded by his race. People in other countries who know nothing about Obama OR Clinton are saying things like "I wish they'd win, I think that'd be a great change for America."

 

But if you ask them why, they say they have no idea. That's so stupid, it's nauseating.

 

I don't like Hilary Clinton, because we don't agree on some subjects. And I don't like Obama, because he's playing the "race card." Nobody wants to look like a racist and say they dislike Obama, and that's what he's counting on.

 

I'd have no problem with a black president. I don't like him.

[Hannah]

I just think people are being blinded by his race. People in other countries who know nothing about Obama OR Clinton are saying things like "I wish they'd win, I think that'd be a great change for America."

 

But if you ask them why, they say they have no idea. That's so stupid, it's nauseating.

 

I don't like Hilary Clinton, because we don't agree on some subjects. And I don't like Obama, because he's playing the "race card." Nobody wants to look like a racist and say they dislike Obama, and that's what he's counting on.

 

I'd have no problem with a black president. I don't like him.

 

Well, people in other countries may say that, but they have nothing to do with America and therefore won't be voting in the election. It really doesn't matter what they think.

 

I don't believe Obama is playing the race card. Sure, it helps him out because the majority of African American democratic voters would most likely choose him over Hillary, but I definitely do not believe that the motivation behind his campaign is his hope to be the first "black" president. He wants to be the president of the US because he believes that he would do a good job, he cares about the future of America and he wants to help fix the sh!t that Bush broke.

 

I know plenty of people that do not like Obama and are vocal about it, regardless of his race. If I didn't like him, I would have no problem saying that I didn't like him. I can't stand Hillary Clinton, but it doesn't make me sexist. People aren't entirely stupid. If they, black/white/hispanic/whatever race, didn't like Obama for his politics, they wouldn't vote for him. No one is obligated to tell anyone who they voted for, so it's not like everyone is just voting for him because they're afraid that others would think they were racist if they didn't. People are voting for him because they agree with him.

[kk448]

The point is to vote for the BEST candidate, and if that means the lesser of two evils than so be it because our votes make a difference in the end.

 

See, that's what happened in the last election and we got stuck with Bush again. I don't think we should succumb to the idea of, "Well, I really don't like either candidate so I'll just vote for the one I dislike the least." There should be more options, and I think people need to start becoming more informed on what each candidate plans to do earlier on.

 

But the point is, he's got dreams and ideas, yes. But he's not making any real promises as to what he's going to change. He says "We need change, we need change", but he doesn't talk about what he plans to fix or how to do it.

 

To be perfectly honest, if he wasn't black, he wouldn't be as far in the race as he is. People see "Ooh, black president = change."

 

Nothing's going to change except the amount of pigment in the Head of State's skin.

 

Actually, it's how active the melanocytes are.

 

Haha, I had to. Learned that in anatomy like a month ago.

 

Though, I do agree with the "we need change" part. It's so easy for all of the candidates to sit there and say how they're going to fix what Bush screwed up. Once any of them get into office, it will be much harder. Talk is cheap, and I would like for whichever candidate that wins to stick to what they said they'd do. It's easy to say that you'll withdraw the troops, but it's not just that simple. It's easy to say that you'll improve health care and education. Again, it isn't that easy to do.

 

I agree that it will probably be a Democratic candidate that will win. Mostly because Bush was a Republican if nothing else. However, I'm not sure I agree with the Republican/Democratic opinions on Bush. Not all Republicans are with Bush just like not all Democrats are against him.

 

Anyway as far as Barack and Hilary go, there are quite a bit of similarities in what they want to do. Their views on immigration, war in Iraq, and environmental issues are all basically the same. I like where Obama's going with the education, but I also like that Hilary wants to cut the cost of higher education. Obama wants health care for even those uninsured while Hilary wants to make it so that everyone is insured through lowering the costs, the way I take it.

 

In regards to the dreamer versus realist part. Of course it's great that Barack has plans and dreams for the future. However, you can't lead a country if you head is too far up in the clouds. You have to be somewhat grounded.

 

I don't think Barack plays the race card too much. I actually like the excitement around the idea of having a woman president or a black president or any president of a minority. It just shows you how far we've come. However, the basis on voting for someone shouldn't be just because they're the (insert special first here) person to become president.

 

Anyway, overall I like Barack Obama. I hope he wins. Hilary is all right, I like some of her platform ideas, but it just seems to me that Hilary and Bill will be running the country, and I don't really care for that.

 

As far as the Republicans, I like that Huckabee has education high on his priority list. Some of his other ideas I like, though I don't agree with some of his stances just because Republicans are more conservative in certain areas. I'm not sure I like the idea of having a minister as president. It seems it would get a little messy. As long as it isn't a big factor in his presidency then I say fine.

 

I'm not too sure about McCain. My dad really likes him, but I'm not very informed on what his platform is.

 

Then there's Ralph Nader. I was curious what he was all about and one of his top 12 things to do is to impeach Bush and Cheney. Dream on... Although there is one that says go with solar energy before nuclear power which I definitely agree on.

 

Well, those are my thoughts on everything....so far.

[nico_collard]

I'm curious... what exactly is Barack saying about education?

[Guest]

I like what Huckabee said, as far as illegal aliens goes.

 

He said something like "I think it's better for people to come into the house through the front door, instead of breaking in through the windows at night."

[kk448]

He basically likes some of the goals of the No Child Left Behind act but wants to give it the proper funding. He doesn't want to go along with it unless it goes through some major reforms. He also wants more emphasis on getting young kids ready to go into kindergarten and such. A huge plus is that he wants to scrap the standardized testing. With Bush's plan, teachers are awarded based on how well their students do on a standardized test. I think that's absolutely absurd. How can you judge how well a student is doing based on one single test? He wants a better way of judging how well the students are doing, though I am not sure what he proposes to do exactly. Obviously, he also wants to cut down the drop out rates and the number of teachers quitting after only a few years on the job. With his plan, math and science will be the priorities, and there will be qualified teachers to do the job. Along with the teacher retention, he wants to up the salary of the teachers and reward for other things besides having a class do well on a standardized test. As for college, he wants the tuition costs down and wants to make financial aid easier to obtain.

 

That's really all I've gathered about his plans for education a nutshell. I agree with almost everything thing he wants to do, especially paying the teachers more and not having such a huge emphasis on the standardized tests. I know that a lot of the other candidates say they education is a priority, but it seems as though Barack is the only one who has an extensive, detailed plan on what he wants to. His and Hilary's are similar but like I said, his is more in depth.

 

I also think Mike Huckabee has some good ideas for education. I like that he wants the arts and music to be just as important as any subject. Then again, he does play the bass so of course he'd feel that way.

[Guest]

Correction!

 

He plays bass.

 

Bass players do it with rhythm.

 

Don't believe me? I have a shirt that says the same thing.

[kk448]

I knew that. I don't know why I wrote guitar.

 

 

 

 

 

And if it's on your shirt, then it must be true.

[rilo8913]

See, that's what happened in the last election and we got stuck with Bush again. I don't think we should succumb to the idea of, "Well, I really don't like either candidate so I'll just vote for the one I dislike the least." There should be more options, and I think people need to start becoming more informed on what each candidate plans to do earlier on.

 

 

 

Actually, it's how active the melanocytes are.

 

Haha, I had to. Learned that in anatomy like a month ago.

 

Though, I do agree with the "we need change" part. It's so easy for all of the candidates to sit there and say how they're going to fix what Bush screwed up. Once any of them get into office, it will be much harder. Talk is cheap, and I would like for whichever candidate that wins to stick to what they said they'd do. It's easy to say that you'll withdraw the troops, but it's not just that simple. It's easy to say that you'll improve health care and education. Again, it isn't that easy to do.

 

I agree that it will probably be a Democratic candidate that will win. Mostly because Bush was a Republican if nothing else. However, I'm not sure I agree with the Republican/Democratic opinions on Bush. Not all Republicans are with Bush just like not all Democrats are against him.

 

Anyway as far as Barack and Hilary go, there are quite a bit of similarities in what they want to do. Their views on immigration, war in Iraq, and environmental issues are all basically the same. I like where Obama's going with the education, but I also like that Hilary wants to cut the cost of higher education. Obama wants health care for even those uninsured while Hilary wants to make it so that everyone is insured through lowering the costs, the way I take it.

 

In regards to the dreamer versus realist part. Of course it's great that Barack has plans and dreams for the future. However, you can't lead a country if you head is too far up in the clouds. You have to be somewhat grounded.

 

I don't think Barack plays the race card too much. I actually like the excitement around the idea of having a woman president or a black president or any president of a minority. It just shows you how far we've come. However, the basis on voting for someone shouldn't be just because they're the (insert special first here) person to become president.

 

Anyway, overall I like Barack Obama. I hope he wins. Hilary is all right, I like some of her platform ideas, but it just seems to me that Hilary and Bill will be running the country, and I don't really care for that.

 

As far as the Republicans, I like that Huckabee has education high on his priority list. Some of his other ideas I like, though I don't agree with some of his stances just because Republicans are more conservative in certain areas. I'm not sure I like the idea of having a minister as president. It seems it would get a little messy. As long as it isn't a big factor in his presidency then I say fine.

 

I'm not too sure about McCain. My dad really likes him, but I'm not very informed on what his platform is.

 

Then there's Ralph Nader. I was curious what he was all about and one of his top 12 things to do is to impeach Bush and Cheney. Dream on... Although there is one that says go with solar energy before nuclear power which I definitely agree on.

 

Well, those are my thoughts on everything....so far.

 

 

Yep, I agree... voting for someone should without a doubt be determined by the candidates' stances on issues and not by their race, gender, or spouse. The excitement surrounding the upcoming election is really a positive thing, I have to say. This primary season's seeing record turnouts because so many people are getting riled up by the potential nominees. For example, where I live, the early voting turnout actually tripled this year.

 

Something I think Obama's very good at is inspiring people to get up and move (like going to the polls...). He gets people so pumped up with his speeches because he tends to appear to be very charismatic and personable (the personality part is no reason to vote for him but it does unfortunately sway most people voting based on emotions). People taking initiative is something this country is in need of right now. People should be more involved rather than just shrugging their shoulders and running in the other direction whenever something government-related is mentioned. There is definitely strength in numbers, and the more people who have the desire for their opinions to be heard, the more likely it is that those people will be able to make a real difference. The American public's apathy is one of the most dangerous factors threatening the US right now from the inside because it leaves us wide open to be taken advantage of, not only by outside forces but by our own government... politicians frequently capitalize on that laziness (for example, when people don't even pay attention to what they're voting for and automatically choose the incumbent for a position... thus leading to career politicians who are more focused on their own advancement than serving the people ... yes, they count on that).

 

If Obama (or Hillary since she also tends to incite people) is able to spark such a reaction in the masses (positive or negative), then great. Maybe people will choose to become more educated about our system of government, and thus have increased motivation to try and actually do something to influence the governing bodies that affect us all everyday rather than just moan and groan and blame the president for all our misfortunes (when it really shouldn't be entirely placed on any one person).

[kk448]

So I was watching the news and they are pretty sure that John McCain will be the Republican nominee.

[soon-to-bemrs.penniman]

So I was watching the news and they are pretty sure that John McCain will be the Republican nominee.

 

he did.

 

It's pretty awesome considering they (political analysts) were counting him out a couple months ago.

[Guest]

So I was watching the news and they are pretty sure that John McCain will be the Republican nominee.

 

Ewwww. dammit.

[norwalk174]

GO DEMOCRATS!

That's all I have to say.

[artsyfartsy17]

GO DEMOCRATS!

That's all I have to say.

 

Erm......elonquent.

[heineken22]

I personally am Republican, but I can't say that I support McCain.

 

This election is going to be so....

weird.

[artsyfartsy17]

Yes, it will. I'm getting sick of the "choose the one you hate the less" method. Why can't the candidates start improving?

 

I demand a politician I can support 100%.

[ohwowitsnicka]

I have a question.

Other than the Republican and Democratic parties, what other parties can you vote for in the US?

[artsyfartsy17]

I have a question.

Other than the Republican and Democratic parties, what other parties can you vote for in the US?

 

Oh, there's tons, and seeing the full list is really frightening. There's popular ones right now like Green, and Libertarian, but there's also Communist, and "The American Nazi Party", which is exactly what it sounds like.

 

Full list here: http://www.politics1.com/parties.htm

 

EDIT* Sorry, forgot to add: few of their candidates get anywhere, even the Green party's. It's all about the Demo/Repub in the primaries.

[BonjourMika1990]

I think this election is exciting, but I don't see it like many do...alot are saying that they don't like anyone lol

 

but I knew that I wanted OBAMA from the very beginning based on what he's done for Illinois. I'm proud of him:punk:

 

I would love to see a woman president, just not Clinton. If it were Oprah lol I'd soooooo vote for her... Every tuesday would be " donate a car day" or

"read a book day"

 

But anyways

 

The only thing that I don't agree with Obama on is his stand on gay marriage. I'm catholic, and technically should not believe what I believe.

 

BUT, i've always maintained my own personal beliefs on this topic without letting my religion influence me. I think that if you are commited enough to a person and want to symbolize all of that love with a wedding ceremony and a ring exchange, why not? Too many people get married and don't really mean it...

[ohwowitsnicka]

Oh, there's tons, and seeing the full list is really frightening. There's popular ones right now like Green, and Libertarian, but there's also Communist, and "The American Nazi Party", which is exactly what it sounds like.

 

Full list here: http://www.politics1.com/parties.htm

 

EDIT* Sorry, forgot to add: few of their candidates get anywhere, even the Green party's. It's all about the Demo/Repub in the primaries.

 

 

Oh my... That's a lot. I didn't think there would be that many, because all I ever really hear about are the Republican and Democratic parties. The description about the American Nazi Party is quite scary

 

EDIT: Ahhh, ok! I wonder why not many people vote for the Green party... It seems like the best party to vote for IMO. But I dont know much about politics... Most of it confuses me really..