Go vote

[Celestialstrife]

Do they talk about what happened with Maes a lot in CO? Cuz I never hear about it on the national news, even though it's hilarious. Something about alleging that the U.N. was engineering a takeover of Denver by providing the people with bicycles, and a big problem with diverting campaign funds for personal expenses, and that he claims he used to work for the Kansas Bureau of Investigations. I mean, 11% is better than 8%, but I think he's done with politics for a while lol

Pretty much that, I wish he would have gotten 8% because it proves the republican party is now a 3rd party.

[Atreides]

Yes, because when 60% of people in a poll say the economy was their highest priority problem in their lives the Republicans sure are honest about what their highest priorities are going to be, cutting spending everywhere but social security, medicare/medicaid and defense.

hint: voters don't like/trust/want republicans any more than democrats

[Kurokikaze]

Presidential Address:

[Yugl]

Racial polarization. South seats (HoR): White democrats gone. African American democrats remain (Remember districts drawn to compact minorities into single districts). Not reverse discrimination (before one of you dumbasses concludes that).

[Atreides]

i was thinking about possible republican candidates for 2012

Probably:
Mike Huckabee
Mitt Romney
Sarah Palin
Newt Gingrich

Possibly:
Haley Barbour
Chris Christie
Eric Cantor
Tim Pawlenty
Jim DeMint

Maybe:
Eric Cantor
Bobby Jindal
Mike Pence
Ron Paul

Michelle Bachmann I could see running in the primary, although if the GOP puts forward an establishment candidate you might see her in the VP slot to appeal to Tea Party voters

Anyone else?

[SwampdonkeyPLD]

Yes, because when 60% of people in a poll say the economy was their highest priority problem in their lives the Republicans sure are honest about what their highest priorities are going to be, cutting spending everywhere but social security, medicare/medicaid and defense.

You're saying those are not focusing on the economy?

[Kuya]

lol

[Atreides]

the point is that social securty/medicare/medicaid/defense accounts for nearly all of our deficit, so when republicans talk about cutting things like the National Endowment for the Arts or the Department of Education/Energy it's just talk, since those things are like 1-2% max

[SwampdonkeyPLD]

If that's what he was saying, agreed then.

[Kurokikaze]

^ this.

Those are the major contributors to our deficit and the only thing that when cut will add up to a significant portion of the deficit. The problem here is that:

1. Social Security - Old people are mostly republicans. Can't cut.
2. Medicare - ^
3. Medicaid - Can probably cut. Fuck the poor? Would be unamerican.
4. Defense - Republicans want to keep us at war.

This is the problem with the country; the men and women elected to fix these issues are only mostly concerned about one thing: the next election.

The problems can and will be fixed but at the very start it'll seem downhill and the party responsible for it will be crucified.

[Atreides]

I don't necessarily think Republicans want to keep us at war any more than Democrats too, since popular support for the war in Afghanistan is so incredibly weak right now it'd be political suicide to suggest we need to increase the amount of money we're spending there

[Atreides]

unless you're talking about possible future conflicts with Iran/Mexico/North Korea, although no matter who is in charge I fully expect us to have troops on the ground in at least one of those places in the next 20-30 years

[Correction]

I don't necessarily think Republicans want to keep us at war any more than Democrats too, since popular support for the war in Afghanistan is so incredibly weak right now it'd be political suicide to suggest we need to increase the amount of money we're spending there

Except the Republicans won't push that button, they'll keep on pushing the Obamacare/Immigration/Tik Er Jerbs buttons until they've secured themselves a presidential candidate for 2012. Pretty easy to distract the unemployed and ignorant about the effects of two simultaneous wars on the government's ability to stimulate our national economy. Won't be long before they start aiming rhetoric at the fed's quantitative easing efforts as another bailout to blame on obama. Dey Tik Er Currency Value!

[Atreides]

true yea, although I definitely think the Fed's new QE came at a perfect time today, since everyone is talking about the election and not the 600 billion they're spending, but you never know if and when it'll catch up with the dems come 2012

[Psion]

true yea, although I definitely think the Fed's new QE came at a perfect time today, since everyone is talking about the election and not the slightly over 1 trillion they're spending, but you never know if and when it'll catch up with the dems come 2012

fixed for accuracy :3

[Correction]

fixed for accuracy :3

Er, what? They're spending 900B, how is that slightly over a trillion?

[Yugl]

^ this.

Those are the major contributors to our deficit and the only thing that when cut will add up to a significant portion of the deficit. The problem here is that:

1. Social Security - Old people are mostly republicans. Can't cut.
2. Medicare - ^
3. Medicaid - Can probably cut. Fuck the poor? Would be unamerican.
4. Defense - Republicans want to keep us at war.

This is the problem with the country; the men and women elected to fix these issues are only mostly concerned about one thing: the next election.

The problems can and will be fixed but at the very start it'll seem downhill and the party responsible for it will be crucified.

What kind of ridiculous analysis is this? Find some writings on path dependence and reevaluate the situation. The forces that maintain these programs are cross-cutting.

[Kuya]

Have we already discussed that the bloc within the Democratic party that took the biggest hit was the Blue Dogs and that simultaniously pundits are saying that the Democrats were appeasing their partisans too much and that they need to be more bipartisan, while at the same time blaming the "professional" left for making the Democrats lose seats?

[Atreides]

I don't think anyone (politicians, anyway) is blaming democrats for democrats losing seats, at least not publicly. Obama said something vaguely to that effect a few weeks ago and then almost instantly walked back from it

[Caiyuo]

the point is that social securty/medicare/medicaid/defense accounts for nearly all of our deficit, so when republicans talk about cutting things like the National Endowment for the Arts or the Department of Education/Energy it's just talk, since those things are like 1-2% max

To demonstrate, this is the 2010 Federal Budget. "Cuts across the board", lol

http://imgur.com/H50AA.jpg