The random political thoughts thread (Part Deux)

[BarTopDancer]

Very interesting. One thing is clear - the people of IA want change - someone outside the greenbelt (to quote someone on Today). Let's see if the rest of the country follows suit.

I don't know enough about Huckabee to know if I'll be upset if he wins the general. I am so happy Obama won!

I'm still not sure why IA and NH have such a big impact on the results - but I am super happy that our Primary has been pushed up so CA can get an actual choice before people start dropping out.

[scaeagles]

I think it will be interesting to see the Republican results in NH....Guiliani and Thompson really didn't campaign hard there. I think this hurts Romney a bit, but Romney should do well in the NH. I don't see Huckabee plaing above 4th in NH. I figure Guiliani, McCain, and Romeny will all beat him fairly soundly.

The dems....tough call. NH is typically independent minded, so I see them going for Obama as well. An Iowa and NH win would really, really hurt Hillary.

As much as I dislike Hillary, I'd rather have her than Obama. Hillary lies through her teeth and is going to play politics to keep her poll numbers up if elected. Obama doesn't seem to care and will do things that I think will hurt the country because he thinks they'll be the right thing to do.

[BarTopDancer]

Originally Posted by scaeagles

Obama doesn't seem to care and will do things that I think will hurt the country because he thinks they'll be the right thing to do.

Can you elaborate?

Because right now I'm thinking of Bush, Iraq v2.0, the housing market, oil prices, impending recession.... because he thought it was the right thing to do.

[blueerica]

I am really not liking anyone this "political season," but I am happy that Obama won. I like how he used to talk, even if he's now moved to the stupid Jesse Jackson emphasizing-first-and-last-words style of speech. There's something about it that turns my stomach... not so much that his speeches come off that way, but that they didn't used to. Alas, doing stuff like that is what politics are all about.

[Strangler Lewis]

Originally Posted by blueerica

I am really not liking anyone this "political season," but I am happy that Obama won. I like how he used to talk, even if he's now moved to the stupid Jesse Jackson emphasizing-first-and-last-words style of speech. There's something about it that turns my stomach... not so much that his speeches come off that way, but that they didn't used to. Alas, doing stuff like that is what politics are all about.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought he sounded "blacker" last night. Much as I like him, and inflections aside, I thought it was a horrible, incoherent speech from an intelligent man.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Hmm, since I get the vast majority of my news by reading, I haven't heard him in quite a while.

I still like what he's saying, even if I don't know how he's saying it.

[Morrigoon]

I'm glad Obama won. I hate Hillary. Also, I have to admit being very impressed with the speech he gave last night. I know it's the usual political speechwriter stuff, but I admit to being somewhat swayed by how "presidential" he managed to appear last night. If we must have a democrat for president, I supposed I'd prefer him.

Very disappointed with Giuliani's failure to show. I'm not sure his campaign can really afford to focus on the large states at the expense of the small. Especially with the very first primary. He runs the risk of not being taken seriously by the media.

[Moonliner]

Originally Posted by Morrigoon

Very disappointed with Giuliani's failure to show. I'm not sure his campaign can really afford to focus on the large states at the expense of the small. Especially with the very first primary. He runs the risk of not being taken seriously by the media.

Giuliani took a pass on both Iowa and NH. If South Carolina and Florida don't go his way then you can start to worry.

[Morrigoon]

I know that's his strategy, but I think it will backfire. SC and FL don't exist in a bubble... those people are likely to be affected by his failure to show in the previous states.

[scaeagles]

I'm not sure if I should go about defending Bush on these things or not....there is only one thing that is really attributable to Bush in your list

First of all, the surge is working. The mistake is that we didn't surge immediately upon invasion.

Secondly, Bush has nothing to do with the housing market. This was a private banking practice of sub prime loans that irresponsible people used to purchase a house and when the rates went up they couldn't pay.

Oil prices? How is that his fault? Is there something he should be doing to influence OPEC nations to increase production? Or for India and China to reduce their increasing demand? The best thing he could have done is blanketly opposed by dems - drill for domestic oil. But that's not his call either.

Impending recession? What should Bush do to influence the economy? How? Raise taxes? That never spurs economic growth.

Honestly, the only thing there that should be laid at the feet of Bush is Iraq. Disagreement on that point is valid, but on the other points, they are outside his scope of control, and they should be. The problem is that whenever there is a problem everyone expects the government to impose policies and pass laws to solve the problem, and more problems are created by the solution more often than not. It is not the job of the government to fix everything. It is the job of government to stay out of the way. Obama does not share this philosophy, and this is why I don't like him.

I don't currently like most Republicans for the same reason - it isn't just Obama.