American Midterm Elections

[Digger's Peg]

We have no one the size of the Beck phenomenon

 

Because we don't need one. Beck really isn't as influential as we like to think, and not even close to the power of that Axis of Evil down in Canary Wharf have.

 

Beck's show has ratings of between 1.3 and 1.5 million. That's 0.5% of the US watching his show.

 

The Mail sells around 2,000,000 copies a day, the S*n over 4 million a day. That's almost 10% of the population reading the same rhetoric that Beck spouts every show.

[WaltonRed]

Fair point DP, fair point well made.

[Digger's Peg]

On a side note, is there a bigger attention whore than Palin?

 

Her daughter.

 

She doesn't want to talk to the press anymore, and just wants to get on with her life without public attention, but is an advocate sexual abstinence for unmarried teens, a paid speaker on the subject of teen pregnancy, has an interview in every single American tabloid and magazine that will listen, and is on Dancing with the Stars...

[Red Jersey]

You really think they're a joke? I disagree. Most Republicans I know salivate over the T.E.A. party, and embrace it as part of their WASP'y Christian way of life.

I think President Obama dallied too long on the health care plan and had that complete tool Nancy Pelosi licking his arse at every moment trying to push it through. It stalled all his momentum and now he's left with the prospect of losing the house and senate and seeing his bill delayed forever.

 

On a side note, is there a bigger attention whore than Palin?

 

Palin, an attention getter she is. But what politician isn't in a capatalist society. Wait till Obama writes a book, and goes on the speaking circuit ala Clinton. Will you give me that?

 

As for the Tea Party, look at how many election spots they have actually affected(effected, never really knew the difference). It is tiny, and will be because America has always been a moderate place.

 

I agree about Pelosi, she is the real cause for the demise of the Dems majority, she is nuts from a truely crazy district.

 

Aikido, where in Jersey are ya?

[WaltonRed]

Clinton and Obama have been president though so the books and tours are fair enough.

 

Palin hasnt been yet...

[Jose Jones]

Plus, you know, Clinton and Obama are pretty intelligent with fairly interesting things to say.

[Red Jersey]

Clinton and Obama have been president though so the books and tours are fair enough.

 

Palin hasnt been yet...

 

Respect to that point, but she is only the 2nd woman ever that ran for that position(on a serious ticket) and may well again. Again if you know America, the more you are in the spotlight the better, she is campaigning, putting her feelers out. Is that not the way in England?

 

 

I hope she doesn't as i said. I like the moderates.

[Red Jersey]

Plus, you know, Clinton and Obama are pretty intelligent with fairly interesting things to say.

 

Clinton, absolutely. 100% agree.

 

But are you really serious about Obama? Have you heard him when not rehearsed? He may be as bad as Bush, give him 6 more years to make more mistakes.

 

And how many times do i have to say i don't think she is a good candidate!!!!!??????? Most moderates will agree.:wallbutt:

[Jose Jones]

Clinton, absolutely. 100% agree.

 

But are you really serious about Obama? Have you heard him when not rehearsed? He may be as bad as Bush, give him 6 more years to make more mistakes.

 

And how many times do i have to say i don't think she is a good candidate!!!!!??????? Most moderates will agree.:wallbutt:

 

Not really - just going off his books being quite good and him seeming an intelligent fellow.

[Red Jersey]

Not really - just going off his books being quite good and him seeming an intelligent fellow.

 

I think he is intelligent, but a free speaker he is not. Not everyone can be Tony Blair. Now with that said i thought he(Blair) was an incredible speaker, but you folks from acroos the pond and beyond may have a different story

[Skrtel Milk]

For anyone interested I'm going to throw my 5 cents in. Both on a academic level and a personal level I have studied American politics for many years now. I have visited the US several times (especially the south) and I have interviewed hundreds of people who places themselves all over the left/right paradigm.

 

And many things I have witnessed about the new political climate and especially the Tea Party Movement, are not fully represented in the mainstream media. Neither in the US itself or over here in Europe. The Tea Party has evolved itself into just another front for the Republican Party with Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck leading the line and the largest established Tea Party groups have undoubtedly been infiltrated and overtaken by the Republican National Committee.

 

In my view what is going on is that there is an national fundamental identity crisis happening in the US. It's hard to pick an exact time line for it, but it has expanded exceptionally the last four-five years. And the crisis is an constitutional one. This is the whole essence of the picture we are now served by the media.

 

The Tea Party Movement established itself as a true grass root movement about three years ago during the republican campaign for the primary elections. The movement, which was nation wide, but first and foremost based in the souths, was created as opposition to the two party system, both the democrats and the republicans. Why it sprung out of the republican camp is in my view because of two obvious reasons. 1) Some very basic conservative values are still mostly preserved within the Republican Party. But it still had no trust or belief towards the neo-conservative republicanism which was so shining under the Bush/Cheney Administration. 2) Ron Paul - Republican Congressman of Texas.

 

Ron Paul was more or less the front person for the original Tea Party the first two years where the agenda was anti-war and to reduce government spending (which Bush expanded three times the size and he is still refered to as conservative). Generally an agenda of restoring their republic and constitution. People may disagree, but the aim was true conservative values. Republicans such as Rick Parry and John Cornyn was confronted and booed at most Republican meetings and speeches they attended. The same scenario could be found at democratic meetings.

 

What we now see is a completely fake and overtaken movement by Palin and Glenn Beck which have clearly convinced thousands of people that they are part of a movement for the better and that they represent an alternative to the current regime. The movement is now funded by the RNC though large events nation wide and the creation of "Tea Party Nation". The problem is they do not represent anything different to the Obama Administration. She in favor of the Patriot Act, torture, arrests without due process or jury trail and war confrontation with Iran. She was in total favor of the banker bailout and funding Wall Street through Federal Reserve money, as was Glenn Beck and Obama.

 

I'm too drunk and tired... Fuck them all. Lying, puppet cunts the lot of them.

 

Good night.

[Guest ShoePiss]

Clinton, absolutely. 100% agree.

 

But are you really serious about Obama? Have you heard him when not rehearsed? He may be as bad as Bush, give him 6 more years to make more mistakes.

 

And how many times do i have to say i don't think she is a good candidate!!!!!??????? Most moderates will agree.:wallbutt:

 

Nonsense.

[Red Jersey]

I'm too drunk and tired... Fuck them all. Lying, puppet cunts the lot of them.

 

That is the first truely insightful perspective all night. I, as an American, HATE our 2 party system!!!!!!

 

 

Now, something we can all take part in and agree, LET'S GO REDS!!!!!!!!!

[Red Jersey]

Ok, what is your basis? I have numerous clips to send you to if need be.

[Guest ShoePiss]

No thanks, a couple of video clips? They've wrote fucking books on Bushisms.

 

Get some sleep.

[Rex Banner]

We Thought We Could!

[theghost]

We're so fucked.

[Skrtel Milk]

What's the difference between the Obama Administration and the Bush jr Administration?

 

Apart from:

 

- Skills of speech

- Bank bailouts which they can't afford

- Expansion of government which they can't afford

- Record campaign fundings from Wall Street

- Talking like a mong without his teleprompter

- Support of the Patriot Act

- Support of the Military Commission Act

- Lobbyism

- Wars/"Secret" wars which they can't afford

 

 

He was just a black face on a very white idea. He was the new cool product of Madison Avenue and the New Messiah for the the whole western media.

 

He was found out. He failed.

 

Get over it.

[Jose Jones]

What's the difference between the Obama Administration and the Bush jr Administration?

 

Apart from:

 

- Skills of speech

- Bank bailouts which they can't afford

- Expansion of government which they can't afford

- Record campaign fundings from Wall Street

- Talking like a mong without his teleprompter

- Support of the Patriot Act

- Support of the Military Commission Act

- Lobbyism

- Wars/"Secret" wars which they can't afford

 

 

He was just a black face on a very white idea. He was the new cool product of Madison Avenue and the New Messiah for the the whole western media.

 

He was found out. He failed.

 

Get over it.

 

While a lot of that is pretty much on the money, it's only been 2 years though hasn't it SM?

How can you say found out and failed already? Clinton wasn't so great either in his first two years as I recall. Could you expect one president to so thoroughly overhaul the US political system in that time? Could you expect a new president to be able to make all sorts of decisions without making a few cock ups?

 

It seems to me from far away that Obama has suffered a backlash over and above his actual performance. Mainly due to:

1. Over promising with his rhetoric and campaigning to become Pres. If you bang on about hope and change, people actually expect more than if you just have a few policy differences.

2. Economic woes left over from the previous regime.

3. Racist, un-American, lies, scaremongering and bastadry from much of the mainstream right wing media. Muslim, Marxist, Socialist, etc.

4. Poor policy making, bad communication, floundering about on some issues.

[Skrtel Milk]

JJ:

 

I can't stand Clinton either, so I won't go into that messy thing with anybody. Clinton's reputation have grown massively positive the last 10 years for some very obvious reasons (BUSH).

 

1. Agree. He was also a victim of the enormous hatred which was created while/after Bush. He went into the campaign with a clear "Bring the boys back home/end the Iraq War" message. That was also the whole case Pelosi and the Democrats won the senate with in 2006. We'll, they lied. The war is still going on based on lies which are documented left, right and center.

 

2. Agree again. Bush tripled the size of government and spendings. He also brought the country into two wars. One illegal due to UN law. It would be easier to defend Obama if he took the leftovers on the chin and started working in the right direction. But I can't see much economic progress in bailing out banks and corporations for 13 trillion tax payer dollars, continue the wars in the middle east, ObamaCare (which sounds good, but if you read the bill it turns out to be a little different + it will cost tremendous amounts of more money) And when you decide to bail out business, bail it out sosialism style (give it to infrastructure, small businesses and larger industry, not fascism style to foreign banks and corporations which only will lend you the money they took/was handed back at higher rates.

 

3. The race card I don't have much faith in. I've heard old bollock Jimmy Carter saying Obama's a victim of racism, and in some circles I'm sure he is. But from my own research I'm not convinced about that aspect. He is very un-american yes. He has a political philosophy which deviates much with traditional american views. In some eyes he's very marxist leaning, I some eyes he's "too" slick and academic. But these things wouldn't mean much if his actions spoke for themselves. Which they don't.

 

4. I can't agree with that at all. He's the president. He's got the smartest, most talented people working FOR him all week long. But yes, I agree it's bad policy making.

 

Look, I have a problem with the whole culture of Washington and Wall Street. My view is that there are some very, very bad forces who run amok there with no interest at all of working for the american people or the good of the world in general. Yes, we could say "give him four more years, he haven't been giving the time required" but thats become a politically mantra for decades now, and it turns to shit every time.

 

Maybe I'm a sad nutter who think it's cool to hate the system or whatever, but history is repeating itself to a degree which is frightening.

 

But at least it's interesting times we live in.

 

I must sleep now. Last bottle of Holsten gone.

[Digger's Peg]

3. The race card I don't have much faith in. I've heard old bollock Jimmy Carter saying Obama's a victim of racism, and in some circles I'm sure he is. But from my own research I'm not convinced about that aspect.

 

I'll have to agree with Carter on this. I do not think that the majority of his issues are race related (they are more due to the fact that the Democrats are such pussies, they never push anything through), but I believe some of the tactics used by his opponents in government and the press would never have been used had be been white.

 

McCain isn't constantly badgered by the press and Democrats to produce a birth certificate to prove he was born on American soil, even though McCain was born in Panama. I'd wager half of the people who question Obama's nationality think Arnie was born in America...

 

The fact that Limbaugh, Hannerty, Beck, O'Reilly, etc all make sure that they emphasise Obama's middle name whenever they refer to him also makes me uneasy. It's very clever; emphasise "HUSSAIN" and add a pause for effect, and it's a wink to say "he's not one of us, he's one of those dirty foreign Muslims".

 

And can anyone remember the last representative to have the audacity to interrupt the Head of State during a speech? There is no way Joe Wilson would have disrespected Hilary Clinton by shouting at her "YOU LIE" if she was President and giving a speech, no matter how impassioned he felt at the time.

 

I could cite more examples, but thinking about this current Republican campaign just makes me nauseous.

[Mustangt125]

I think many Americans will relish not giving up half their paycheck anymore and love some tax breaks.

 

Obama couldn't follow through on...well...anything. He's a liar and a puppet and the guy talking about his speeches being shit is right. Without a teleprompter and all that he sounds like a dipshit....his wife too.

 

And that's the way it works in American politics if you aren't familiar. One side wins and fucks up, then the other side takes over and fucks up and it goes back and forth.

 

It's our turn to try now. You can bet that fuckin healthcare bill will be back on the floor reallllly soon.

[Paulie Dangerously]

Does anyone else get the impression that after all the pot heads campaigning in Cali for proposition 19 that they've all just got high and can't be bothered going to the polling station?

[Mike84]

"Don't tread on me" being their unofficial slogan says it all really. Interesting times ahead.

[neko]

canada watches with great interest.

 

divide and conquer.