General Pres. Candidate 08 Thread

[Drbio]

Perhaps OA, but I doubt he even wins his own party nomination. Too little experience and he has yet to come forward on his views on several issues.

[chumdawg]

Originally Posted by Drbio

Perhaps OA, but I doubt he even wins his own party nomination. Too little experience and he has yet to come forward on his views on several issues.

Who is OA? And would you be able to advise him on child porn?

[Drbio]

Do you even try to contribute anymore cumdawg?

[chumdawg]

Hey, don't look at me. I like naked cheerleaders as much as the next guy.

[Drbio]

Got anything to contribute to this thread chum? Of course not. Troll away.

[chumdawg]

Nekkid!!!

[chumdawg]

.

[jacktruth]

There's some news today about Barak Obama. . .attended Muslim school for 4 years. Not that big of a deal, really. It's easy to spin to positive.

I still can't get over the fact that his middle name is Hussein.

What is interesting about this Muslim school thing is that it was uncovered and made public by Hilliary's campaign people.

On another note, Hilliary is a witch. Personal opinion.

[big_pth]

Originally Posted by jacktruth

There's some news today about Barak Obama. . .attended Muslim school for 4 years. Not that big of a deal, really. It's easy to spin to positive.

I still can't get over the fact that his middle name is Hussein.

What is interesting about this Muslim school thing is that it was uncovered and made public by Hilliary's campaign people.

On another note, Hilliary is a witch. Personal opinion.

He was there for 2 years between 6 and 8 years old. Then he went to a Roman Catholic school for 2 years. It was not an "muslim" school, it was a public school in Indonesia where his parents were.
While I agree Hillary is a bad candidate, she and her staff did not put this out there, a newspaper owned by Newscorp did, and then said they got it from a Clinton staffer. Newscorp is parent company of FOX news.

[Usually Lurkin]

Hillary on hardball (sorta)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SH49pKxKWes&eurl=

[Mavdog]

that skit was one of the better ones out of snl in a LONG time.

truly funny.... "he might actually look at the issue and change his mind, is that someone you could trust?" and "I'm a female AND half black..."

priceless!

[Usually Lurkin]

I was listening to a story on NPR about how the main stream media isn't far enough to the left because they spend all their time covering Obama and Clinton and treat Kucinich like he's fringe.

That was hilarious.

[Mavdog]

kucinich makes me consider a philosophical question.....

if kucinich fell out of the race, would it make a sound?

[FishForLunch]

Have any one off you guys taken up Hillary on her offer to just chat and exchange ideas? How long will you think she will just chat and avoid telling us what she stands for?

[alexamenos]

Godzillary Clinton, Your Next Prez.....interesting article, here --

The vaulting ambition of America's Lady Macbeth
Gerard Baker

Hillary Clinton’s shameless political reconstructive surgery




You can measure the scale of an American president’s troubles by the number of skutniks he deploys during his State of the Union address.

Every year during his big set-piece speech to Congress, the president will digress from the main thrust of his remarks to offer fulsome praise to some member of the audience in the gallery. This person will have been carefully selected in advance by the president’s speechwriters as an exemplar of some virtue and placed there for the purpose. The television producers will have been alerted in advance so that at the right moment, as the president talks about the heroics of this American Everyman, he or she can rise self-consciously and receive the praise of a grateful nation. This now obligatory part of a constitutional ritual is called a skutnik after the name of the first person so honoured.

One January evening in 1982, Lenny Skutnik, a government employee, dived into the freezing waters of the Potomac River to rescue a victim of a plane crash. Two weeks later, during his second State of the Union address, with the US mired in recession, Ronald Reagan had Mr Skutnik sit in the gallery and paid a moving tribute to his heroics.

This week, for his penultimate State of the Union, Mr Bush had a veritable galaxy of skutniks — soldiers, military people, a firefighter. Whatever you might feel about the wisdom of Mr Bush’s Iraq policy or the feasibility of his plans to wean Americans off petrol, you can’t help but stand and cheer the good works of a decent person.

But there was something unusual about this year’s constellation of ordinary American heroes, beyond the sheer numbers. Usually the skutnik is a presidential privilege. But so intense already is the competition for the 2008 presidential race that others have muscled in.

And so Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton had a skutnik of her own. She arranged for the son of a New York policeman sick with lung cancer to be there. As it happened, the man’s father died that day, and the son’s grief became a sad and very visible coda to the event.

This little incident, the skilfully choreographed exploitation of a human tragedy, the cynically manipulated deployment of public sympathy in service of a personal political end, offered a timely insight into the character of the politician who this week launched the most anticipated presidential election campaign in modern history.

There are many reasons people think Mrs Clinton will not be elected president. She lacks warmth; she is too polarising a figure; the American people don’t want to relive the psychodrama of the eight years of the Clinton presidency.

But they all miss this essential counterpoint. As you consider her career this past 15 years or so in the public spotlight, it is impossible not to be struck, and even impressed, by the sheer ruthless, unapologetic, unshameable way in which she has pursued this ambition, and confirmed that there is literally nothing she will not do, say, think or feel to achieve it. Here, finally, is someone who has taken the black arts of the politician’s trade, the dissembling, the trimming, the pandering, all the way to their logical conclusion.

ctd....

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/printFr...6485-6,00.html

[big_pth]

Originally Posted by alexamenos

Godzillary Clinton, Your Next Prez.....interesting article, here --

The vaulting ambition of America's Lady Macbeth
Gerard Baker

Hillary Clinton’s shameless political reconstructive surgery

Hillary is not a good candidate. She is a large target and a bought and sold politician. Never wanted her to run.

[alexamenos]

Originally Posted by big_pth

Hillary is not a good candidate. She is a large target and a bought and sold politician. Never wanted her to run.

The point of the article, which is IMHO unpleasant but entirely valid, is that being "a bought and sold politician" does not make one less likely to win....certainly no less likely to win than being fat and sidelined makes one less likely to start at center for the Eastern Conference

Godzillary is a shameless hussy with a solid political machine. This is her strength, and it's quite enough in my estimation. Republicans will continue to slide downward for the next two years, and Godzillary will pull in the Dem vote and pander enough to other demographics to get over the top.

the ever smiling national socialist lesbian lizard queen is your next prez....

[alexamenos]

CLINTON HAS 33-POINT LEAD
By GEOFF EARLE
October 4, 2007 -- WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton has jumped to an astounding 33-point lead over Barack Obama, topping her main rival among every major slice of the electorate and widening a dominating advantage she has held all summer.

Clinton got support from a full majority for the first time in any national survey about the Democratic presidential field. She is backed by 53 percent in the latest Washington Post/ABC News poll.

Obama follows far behind, with 20 percent, and John Edwards has 13 percent.

"I think it's pretty well done, don't you? All over but the voting," said Rep. Tom Petri (D-Wis.), when asked about the poll.

The contours of the survey are striking, even considering Clinton's previous edge.

Clinton leads her rivals on every major policy issue - and gets backed by an astonishing 66 percent on health care. The New York senator just released her health plan last month.

She wins backing from voters who want "strength and experience" (62 percent) as well as those who want "new direction and new ideas" (45 percent to Obama's 31 percent). She even rates as more "inspiring" than the charismatic Obama, 41 to 37 percent.

the lesbian lizard queen has all but locked up the Dem nomination, and the biggest strategic question she will face over the next several months will be just how far into submission should she beat Obama. On the one hand she might like to see him curled up in a fetal position and begging for mercy, but on the other he might be useful to her down the line.

anyhoo....

as alexamenos so eloquently put it more than eight months ago.....

Originally Posted by alexamenos

...Godzillary is a shameless hussy with a solid political machine. This is her strength, and it's quite enough in my estimation. Republicans will continue to slide downward for the next two years, and Godzillary will pull in the Dem vote and pander enough to other demographics to get over the top.

the ever smiling national socialist lesbian lizard queen is your next prez....

[Mavdog]

it is interesting to read how in some eyes hillary is "ruthless, unapologetic, unshameable", that she is "a bought and sold politician", and even a "socialist lesbian lizard queen".

quite an assortment of negative stereotypes...

tell me, how is it that hillary is more "ruthless" than say McCain, or Brownback, or Guilani, or Edwards?

is she more "unapologetic" than Hunter? Brownback?

is she more of a "bought and sold politician" than her contemporaries mentioned above or others who have thrown their hat into the ring?

and what in her actions leads anyone to believe that she is not only a "socialist" but also a "lesbian"? should we hurl invective at all the men in the race for possibly being gay? after all apparently having a marriage and giving birth to a daughter doesn't preclude her from being a homosexual so why should we presume any of the men in the race who are married are not homosexual as well?

I'd suggest that hillary be treated no different than the male candidates whom she is facing in the race. the fact that she is a women shouldn't lead her to be called a "bitch" merely because she is aggresive, as we don't call a male politican a "bastard" merely due to their showing themselves to be aggressive like she is. I'd refrain in calling her a "lesbian" just like we typically don't call her competition "homos" if they show themselves to be sensitive men.

equal opportunity. equal treatment.

[alexamenos]

Originally Posted by Mavdog

it is interesting to read how in some eyes hillary is "ruthless, unapologetic, unshameable", that she is "a bought and sold politician", and even a "socialist lesbian lizard queen".

quite an assortment of negative stereotypes...

tell me, how is it that hillary is more "ruthless" than say McCain, or Brownback, or Guilani, or Edwards?

is she more "unapologetic" than Hunter? Brownback?

is she more of a "bought and sold politician" than her contemporaries mentioned above or others who have thrown their hat into the ring?

and what in her actions leads anyone to believe that she is not only a "socialist" but also a "lesbian"? should we hurl invective at all the men in the race for possibly being gay? after all apparently having a marriage and giving birth to a daughter doesn't preclude her from being a homosexual so why should we presume any of the men in the race who are married are not homosexual as well?

I'd suggest that hillary be treated no different than the male candidates whom she is facing in the race. the fact that she is a women shouldn't lead her to be called a "bitch" merely because she is aggresive, as we don't call a male politican a "bastard" merely due to their showing themselves to be aggressive like she is. I'd refrain in calling her a "lesbian" just like we typically don't call her competition "homos" if they show themselves to be sensitive men.

equal opportunity. equal treatment.

she's plainly a socialist, and the lesbian bit is just my bit of speculation that her relationship with ballin' Bill is every bit as much an arrangement of appearances as the relationship between carpet munching Eleanor and her unapologetically fascist husband, Franklin D (tho histoy won't dare call franklin's version of national socialism, 'fascism').

the article posted makes the case for her shamelessness, and I only argue that it is her skill in the black art of politicking that makes her the most likely to be our next elected dictator....

...that is to say, I do not argue that she is less able than her male counterparts, but far more skilled.........this has nothing to do with dicks or lack thereof.........

anywho, i think 'ever smiling national socialist lesbian lizard queen' has a nice ring to it, and if it didn't offend liberal wankers a bit it wouldn't be funny.

cheers

[Mavdog]

Originally Posted by alexamenos

she's plainly a socialist

hurling it again, eh?

so tell us, just what in her proposals is socialist? does she advocate a redistribution of wealth? does she advocate the nationalzation of any industry? has she gone on a rampage about "workers rights"?

nope. none.

and the lesbian bit is just my bit of speculation that her relationship with ballin' Bill is every bit as much an arrangement of appearances as the relationship between carpet munching Eleanor and her unapologetically fascist husband, Franklin D (tho histoy won't dare call franklin's version of national socialism, 'fascism').

so if she isn't the loyal (which she was) dutiful (have no idea) wife of bill she must be a "lesbian"?

that is just the gender inequality I'm against. congrats, you are the epitome of the sexist male chauvinist!

the article posted makes the case for her shamelessness, and I only argue that it is her skill in the black art of politicking that makes her the most likely to be our next elected dictator....

yeah, it isn't "shameless" when bush does the VERY SAME THING is it?

...that is to say, I do not argue that she is less able than her male counterparts, but far more skilled.........this has nothing to do with dicks or lack thereof.........

seems that you feel that belittling, sexist comments are compliments. odd to say the least.

anywho, i think 'ever smiling national socialist lesbian lizard queen' has a nice ring to it, and if it didn't offend liberal wankers a bit it wouldn't be funny.

cheers

it isn't the phraseology that is offensive, it is the lack of equal treatment.

[alexamenos]

Originally Posted by Mavdog

it isn't the phraseology that is offensive, it is the lack of equal treatment.

I'm honestly not certain, Mavdog, whether being Liberal makes one incapable of grasping a larger point, or whether being incapable of grasping a larger point makes one more likely to become a Liberal. 'tis an interesting thing to ponder, but perhaps another time.

You are a correct, tho in an unwitting sort of way.

I do not view Hillary Clinton and McCain (eg, et al) as equals....if I did I wouldn't be quite so confident that Hillary will be the next president and dictator of these united states.

(and I might add....I'm almost postive that George W. Bush will not be the next electa-dictator of the united states, hence I'm not sure why you bring him into the equation)

cheers

[Mavdog]

Originally Posted by alexamenos

I'm honestly not certain, Mavdog, whether being Liberal makes one incapable of grasping a larger point, or whether being incapable of grasping a larger point makes one more likely to become a Liberal. 'tis an interesting thing to ponder, but perhaps another time.

You are a correct, tho in an unwitting sort of way.

I do not view Hillary Clinton and McCain (eg, et al) as equals....if I did I wouldn't be quite so confident that Hillary will be the next president and dictator of these united states.

cheers

just what makes a person"liberal"? desire for equality? the desire for people to be treated with respect?

in the eyes of a person who is prone to calling the elected leader of our country a "dictator" it would appear to include the vast majority of the citizens of the usa....

as far as your prediction on hillary, I'll take that bet. it is difficult to envision that she, or any other women for that matter, could overcome the flood of negativism that being of member of their sex generates in the political arena.

[Five-ofan]

the basics of mavdogs feelings about clintons chances at the whitehouse seem to be that he feels that she will lose enough portion of the votes simply by being a woman that whatever else she might gain by being a superior politician or candidate will not be enough to overcome those she loses by being a woman. Thats pretty much how i feel about obama. I have generally voted republican but i would probably vote for him if he ran. That said i can tell you, hes not going to win. The reason neither of them will win is that they are both democratic candidates which means that a large portion of their support is elderly white men who lived through the depression. Those people are also generally speaking the least likely type of people to vote for either obama or hilary.

[alexamenos]

Originally Posted by Five-ofan

the basics of mavdogs feelings about clintons chances at the whitehouse seem to be that he feels that she will lose enough portion of the votes simply by being a woman that whatever else she might gain by being a superior politician or candidate will not be enough to overcome those she loses by being a woman. Thats pretty much how i feel about obama. I have generally voted republican but i would probably vote for him if he ran. That said i can tell you, hes not going to win. The reason neither of them will win is that they are both democratic candidates which means that a large portion of their support is elderly white men who lived through the depression. Those people are also generally speaking the least likely type of people to vote for either obama or hilary.

you're right, of course, that Barrack doesn't stand a chance....if for no other reason than that the Lizard queen will eat him for breakfast...

i certainly understand mavdogs' argument -- vis. the primitive and unenlightened nasty western male simply can't imagine sending a chick to do a man's job.....

....nevermind that the english gladly put dear old Maggie Thatcher in office two decades ago, and this the english did even tho they are arguably twice as racist and twice as sexist as their american cousins.....

we might also note that those Stodgy Ole Republican Males, the bastion of all things evil and sexist, are generally quite content to have a black female serving as Secretary of State........well....she is a secretary, so perhaps she's kept adequately in her place, but I digress....

(IOW, if english males can pick a chick, and Republimales can stand a Condi, the american everyman can vote for a chick)

.......anyhoo...I understand the argument, i just think the argument is based more on liberal mythology than on the actual dynamics of our present society.

To be certain, I think saying someone is a very skilled politician is like saying someone is a skilled thief, liar, and whore. It is nonetheless a skill.

...and Hillary is very politicially skilled.
Skilled and extremely well-funded..............
.....with a mobilized and capable political machine.....

.......and partisan useful idiots who will bleat the party line that any criticism of the lesbian lizard queen is a matter of sexism, just as even national conservatives invariably reflect on the racist undertones of anyone who criticizes madam condi.

....................

alternatively stated.....

no one else in the Democratic Party can match her clout........ergo she will get the nomination;

hence the next prez will either be the lesbian lizard queen or a republican....

George W. Bush is currently in office, hence no republican stands a prayer.......

.....ergo Godzillary is your next prez, barring injuries of course.........

qed, or somesuch.

cheers

[Mavdog]

Originally Posted by alexamenos

i certainly understand mavdogs' argument -- vis. the primitive and unenlightened nasty western male simply can't imagine sending a chick to do a man's job.....

....nevermind that the english gladly put dear old Maggie Thatcher in office two decades ago, and this the english did even tho they are arguably twice as racist and twice as sexist as their american cousins.....

that's a very baffling assessment of the english.

btw they never elected thatcher as the pm, or any other pm for that matter.

2x's as "sexist"???

perhaps you forgot that england has a queen....

[mcsluggo]

Originally Posted by alexamenos

you're right, of course, that Barrack doesn't stand a chance....if for no other reason than that the Lizard queen will eat him for breakfast...

i certainly understand mavdogs' argument -- vis. the primitive and unenlightened nasty western male simply can't imagine sending a chick to do a man's job.....

....nevermind that the english gladly put dear old Maggie Thatcher in office two decades ago, and this the english did even tho they are arguably twice as racist and twice as sexist as their american cousins.....

we might also note that those Stodgy Ole Republican Males, the bastion of all things evil and sexist, are generally quite content to have a black female serving as Secretary of State........well....she is a secretary, so perhaps she's kept adequately in her place, but I digress....

(IOW, if english males can pick a chick, and Republimales can stand a Condi, the american everyman can vote for a chick)

.......anyhoo...I understand the argument, i just think the argument is based more on liberal mythology than on the actual dynamics of our present society.

To be certain, I think saying someone is a very skilled politician is like saying someone is a skilled thief, liar, and whore. It is nonetheless a skill.

...and Hillary is very politicially skilled.
Skilled and extremely well-funded..............
.....with a mobilized and capable political machine.....

.......and partisan useful idiots who will bleat the party line that any criticism of the lesbian lizard queen is a matter of sexism, just as even national conservatives invariably reflect on the racist undertones of anyone who criticizes madam condi.

....................

alternatively stated.....

no one else in the Democratic Party can match her clout........ergo she will get the nomination;

hence the next prez will either be the lesbian lizard queen or a republican....

George W. Bush is currently in office, hence no republican stands a prayer.......

.....ergo Godzillary is your next prez, barring injuries of course.........

qed, or somesuch.

cheers

The first woman/black president will likely be a republican. You gotta think of it from a costs/benefits type of analysis standpoint.... by fronting a black and/or woman candidate, the democrats are just appealling to relatively safe votes, without gaining anything, but potentially scaring off some segment of "joe-sixpack" swing votes. No gain, just cost.

Similarly, middle america, particularly small state southern candidates that are dems have an advantage while its really a disadvantage for republicans. Republicans already have the south largely locked up, but a Rudi or mcCaine probably won't lose those votes to a democrat challenger, (i.e. in a GENERAL election, rather than a primary) they WILL win over some coastal voters that wouldn't vote for brownback, or whomever. So similarly, a southern style religious conservative republican candidate doesn't do himself any favors in a general election... No gain, just cost.

my opinion, at least: Jimmy Carters and Ronald Reagans (who appeal to the OTHER sides voters, a-priori at least) do well, hillary clinton and sam brownback... don't do as well.



as to your other general posting thesis, (which seems to basically be that the hildebeast is a ruthless politician on a scale UNSEEN in national politics...) you don't think its an appropriate comparison to discuss her antics relative to past political machines that WERE successful gaining the presidency? Since she is the only contender thus far that really has her "machine" rolling yet, you CAN'T really compare her to the current field.... yet... but certainly as other frontrunners become firmly established, and their campaigns get rolling we will begin to see the claws and daggers coming out from all sides. BUT for now, its really a one "machine" race, since the established republican machine is still engaged with Bush, who can't run again, and has no heir apparent....

so really the ONLY machines we can compare her with are ones from the past. CLEARLY her machine hasn't pulled out all the stops to ANY extent than can be considered comprable to the Attwater, Turdblossum (Rove) campaigns... yet. We'll se what she and her handlers do when the fur and the blood really start flying, but they would have to make some serious advances to hope to even come close to matching dark-mastercraft of the attwater/Rove machines.

[dude1394]

Think the "other" america will hold this against johnny?

Carolina Journal Exclusives
Edwards Home County's Largest
The 28,200-square-foot home also Orange County's most valuable

Republicans wouldn't but not so sure about dems.

[Mavdog]

Originally Posted by dude1394

Think the "other" america will hold this against johnny?

Republicans wouldn't but not so sure about dems.

you mean the dems who nominated a multi-millionaire for pres in 2004? or the dems who nominated "johnny" for veep in 2004?
apparently it doesn't mean as much to the dems as you think it might.
here's the article.
--------------------------------------------
Edwards Home County's Largest

The 28,200-square-foot home also Orange County's most valuable

By Don Carrington
January 26, 2007

RALEIGH — Presidential candidate John Edwards and his family recently moved into what county tax officials say is the most valuable home in Orange County. The house, which includes a recreational building attached to the main living quarters, also is probably the largest in the county.

“The Edwardses’ residential property will likely have the highest tax value in the county,” Orange County Tax Assessor John Smith told Carolina Journal. He estimated that the tax value will exceed $6 million when the facility is completed.

The rambling structure sits in the middle of a 102-acre estate on Old Greensboro Road west of Chapel Hill. The heavily wooded site and winding driveway ensure that the home is not visible from the road. “No Trespassing” signs discourage passersby from venturing past the gate.

Don Knight, Orange County building plans examiner, told CJ that, including the recreational building, the Edwardses’ home would be one of the largest in Orange County.

Knight approved the building plans that showed the Edwards home totaling 28,200 square feet of connected space. The main house is 10,400 square feet and has two garages. The recreation building, a red, barn-like building containing 15,600 square feet, is connected to the house by a closed-in and roofed structure of varying widths and elevations that totals 2,200 square feet.

The main house is all on one level except for a 600-square-foot bedroom and bath area above the guest garage.

The recreation building contains a basketball court, a squash court, two stages, a bedroom, kitchen, bathrooms, swimming pool, a four-story tower, and a room designated “John’s Lounge.”

Edwards was the Democratic candidate for vice president in 2004 and a former N.C. senator.

Thursday afternoon, the Edwards for President press office was unable to provide information on any additional buildings planned for the estate.

[alexamenos]

Originally Posted by mcsluggo

The first woman/black president will likely be a republican. You gotta think of it from a costs/benefits type of analysis standpoint....

I understand the argument, but i just don't buy it. The same argument could of course have been made about the un-likelihood of electing a female governor in the state of texas........been there, done that, and she was a democrat.

anyhoooo...........personally I think it takes two things to get elected -- money and machinery. All else (ie, appeal to southern males, testicles, moral center) is a matter of convenience but not ultimately a determining factor. Godzillary has both money and machinery, and no other candidate can match her.

and still, the basic question is 'if not the lesbian lizard queen, then who?' I simply can't see any other candidate matching her, or it as one may prefer.

Originally Posted by mcsluggo

as to your other general posting thesis, (which seems to basically be that the hildebeast is a ruthless politician on a scale UNSEEN in national politics...)

I don't think I'd say unseen in national politics -- just unmatched amongst the current field. It's a fair point to say that others have not yet put their machines into motion...but then again, if these other candidates were Godzillary's political equals they would have their machines in motion.

cheers

[mcsluggo]

Originally Posted by alexamenos

I understand the argument, but i just don't buy it. The same argument could of course have been made about the un-likelihood of electing a female governor in the state of texas........been there, done that, and she was a democrat.

anyhoooo...........personally I think it takes two things to get elected -- money and machinery. All else (ie, appeal to southern males, testicles, moral center) is a matter of convenience but not ultimately a determining factor. Godzillary has both money and machinery, and no other candidate can match her.

and still, the basic question is 'if not the lesbian lizard queen, then who?' I simply can't see any other candidate matching her, or it as one may prefer.



I don't think I'd say unseen in national politics -- just unmatched amongst the current field. It's a fair point to say that others have not yet put their machines into motion...but then again, if these other candidates were Godzillary's political equals they would have their machines in motion.

cheers

I don't think they are "deciding factors", its just the simple fact that a having a woman as a candidate is actually a hinderance in a general election for the Dems, while it would be an asset for the reps to run a woman.

[Five-ofan]

mavdog, did i get your basic idea on hilary right? Do you feel basically the same way i do about obama or did i read too much into your statements?

[Mavdog]

Originally Posted by Five-ofan

mavdog, did i get your basic idea on hilary right? Do you feel basically the same way i do about obama or did i read too much into your statements?

generally, yes, tho i do not place hillary's political abilities above all of the competition. I do not see her as a "superior politician", there's some very good politicians who are her equal. she's good, yes, she has a seasoned cadre of people around her (much of them bill's old group).

it's the conundrum...if she acts like the men she's running against to show that she is as tough as they are, she's labeled a bitch..or worse, like "lesbian lizard". exhibiting toughness brings out the sexism inherent in a patriarchal society. if she doesn't try and show her toughness, then she will be labeled as being too soft and not capable of making the hard choices the office demands.

hillary is riding on the idea that she is like bill, that she can lead the dems back to the promised land when things were so much better in terms of a positive direction. imo they are fooling themselves, because this is a different decade with a different world. things are never just like they were. could she be a good pres? sure, she's smart and has the capability of organizing a good group of people to serve under her. at the same time she could be a failure as well, trying too hard to prove herself by setting ambitious goals that would never be accomplished, taking the focus and energy away from attainable goals.

I expect obama to not face much resistance from voters due to his ethnicity. although I do see racism still existing in america, it is not deeply seated. in other words, yes there are people who make racist remarks about black people and continue to express negative stereotypes, yet when most of these same people see or meet a person such as obama who speaks intelligently and acts with thought, they drop those ideas and say to themselves "he's different..".

obama's biggest test imho is to show that in spite of his youth and inexperience he is capable and up to the task. that is not easy. otoh his lack of time inside washington's political scene is making him attractive to many voters who want a change in business as usual.

should be a fun race to follow.

[Five-ofan]

yeah, i wasnt saying she was a superior politician i was just saying that even if she was, her gender would put her at a big enough disadvantage that i dont think it would help.

[Mavdog]

Mike Huckabee launches presidential bid

Conservative Republican Mike Huckabee, seeking to repeat the success of another former governor from Hope, Ark., said Sunday he is taking the first step in what he acknowledged is an underdog bid for the White House in 2008.

"I think this is an opportunity to show the American dream is still alive and there's hope and optimism that can be awakened in a lot of people's lives if they think that a person like me can run and actually become president," Huckabee told The Associated Press

The 51-year-old Huckabee, who took over as governor at the height of Bill Clinton's Whitewater scandal, comes from the same small town — Hope — in the same rural state as the former Democratic president.

Huckabee, who left office Jan. 9 after serving 10 1/2 years as governor of a Democratic-leaning state, faces steep odds in a crowded GOP field that includes well-known and well-funded hopefuls such as Sen. John McCain (news, bio, voting record) of Arizona, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

"One of the reasons that I'm running for president is because I think that America needs folks who understand what it is to start at the bottom of the ladder and climb their way to the top," Huckabee said in a broadcast interview. "We've got a lot of people who are born on third base and think they've hit a triple.

"America loves an underdog. America loves people who have had to struggle and for whom every rung of the ladder has been sometimes three rungs up and two back down, Thank God for the one you've gained, and keep climbing," Huckabee said.

He planned to travel to Iowa, an early nominating state, on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Huckabee is setting up an exploratory committee that will allow him to raise money and hire campaign staff in an effort to gauge his prospects.

Huckabee is a staunch opponent of abortion rights and gay marriage, but faces a tough fight from other conservatives in the field for support from the GOP's right flank. This is an important voting bloc in the nominating contests.

Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback (news, bio, voting record), a favorite son of the religious right, is already in the race. Other conservatives, such as California Rep. Duncan Hunter (news, bio, voting record) and Colorado Rep. Tom Tancredo, will battle for their share of the vote.

While Arkansas is a predominantly Democratic state, Huckabee won two full terms in landslides. He championed tax increases for public schools, expanded state insurance programs for the children of the working poor and opposed banning state services for illegal immigrants.

Nationally, Huckabee is perhaps best known for his dramatic weight loss and his emphasis on healthy lifestyles. He shed 110 pounds after being diagnosed with diabetes. He also saw his political profile rise when he headed the National Governors Association for one term.

Since he left office, Huckabee has been on a nationwide tour to tout his book, "From Hope to Higher Ground: 12 Stops to Restoring America's Greatness." With chapters on taxes and foreign policy, Huckabee's book lays out his potential talking points for a presidential campaign.

Huckabee appeared on "Meet the Press" on NBC.

[Drbio]

The more qualified Repubs that throw their hat into the ring the better. Let the best candidate rise to the top.

[Mavdog]

Hunter makes it official: He's a candidate

By Finlay Lewis
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
January 25, 2007

Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, best known for his advocacy on behalf of the military, launched a longshot bid for the presidency Thursday in this early voting state.
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – U.S. Rep. Duncan Hunter, hoping to become the first San Diegan to occupy the White House, became an official candidate for president Thursday morning with a forceful pledge to carry forward Ronald Reagan's policy of “peace through strength.”
Speaking at a breakfast rally in a ballroom filled with about 250 enthusiastic supporters, the Alpine Republican offered a staunchly conservative message that attacked unfair trade deals, warned about China's mounting military might and voiced support for President Bush's troop surge in Iraq. He also promised to toughen border security and pledged to appoint anti-abortion judges to the federal bench.

Hunter's announcement propels him into the 2008 race for the GOP nomination as an extreme underdog – one who registers only 1 percent in most polls.

With the campaign sorting itself into a top tier of two front runners, former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Arizona Sen. John McCain, with everybody else below, Hunter clearly begins his effort clinging to the bottom rung.

Hunter made an earlier announcement of his campaign intentions in October in San Diego. He billed his appearance Thursday in South Carolina as his formal announcement. South Carolina is an early primary state with a strongly conservative, protectionist, anti-abortion, pro-military tradition.

Presenting himself as a Vietnam combat veteran and as the son of one Marine and the father of another, Hunter, 58, cited his service on the House Armed Services Committee-including a four-year stint as chairman that ended three weeks ago – as having helped to reverse the policies of the Clinton Administration, which he blamed in part for the deterioration of the armed services.

He cited a short list of winners of the Congressional Medal of Honor for valor in combat and the estimated 600,000 Americans who died in 20th Century wars and then he declared, “Our obligation is to stay strong. That's what they want us to do.”

After listing security threats now being posed by North Korea, Iran and China, Hunter said, “We have lots of problems. We're going to have to work on those. We're going to have to look over the horizon.

“But, you know something? We can do it. We can do it with a policy of peace through strength. And, ladies and gentlemen, I want to lead that policy of peace through strength.”

Afterward, Roger Milliken, 91, a wealthy textile magnate, applauded Hunter, in particular his stance against trade agreements he and others have blamed for the loss of U.S. manufacturing and its factory jobs to lower-cost rivals overseas.

“What's happened is that we've lost three million manufacturing jobs over the last six years. That's a disaster,” said Milliken, a prominent bankroller of conservative Republican causes. “Nobody is worried about how we defend our manufacturing strength and our middle class–Duncan Hunter understands that.”

Hunter also won the support of Carole Wells, 63, a Spartanburg resident who recently left a position as South Carolina's Commissioner for Employment Security.

“I believe he carried my thoughts and how I feel about the situation,” said Wells, an unsuccessful candidate for Congress two years ago. “It's very important to be strong on immigration, and I'm pro-life. That's my two defining issues.”

Hunter mentioned his support for legislation to build a border fence along San Diego County's which that he credited with halting the “smuggling of hundreds of thousands of people” and of “tons of illegal narcotics,” Hunter mocked Washington bureaucrats he said are blocking efforts to fence off an additional 700 border miles in Arizona, New Mexico and Texas.

He said border security has now become a national security as well as an immigration issue and urged swifter action, saying, “Let's do it.

“We have just one message:. . . When you want to come to the United States, come knock on the front door, because the fence is gonna be up and the back door is gonna be closed.”

[dude1394]

I really like it when folks who've been executives (rudi, governors of states) run. They have the executive experience to run the guvment. Senators can't come close to that experience.

When is the last senator elected anyway?

[Mavdog]

Originally Posted by dude1394

I really like it when folks who've been executives (rudi, governors of states) run. They have the executive experience to run the guvment. Senators can't come close to that experience.

it matters tho, some governors (such as TX) don't really run the government. I'd disagree that the position of a mayor is comparable to that of pres. a senator would be much more experienced than a mayor in understanding the federal system.

When is the last senator elected anyway?

John Kennedy.

[dude1394]

Originally Posted by Mavdog

it matters tho, some governors (such as TX) don't really run the government. I'd disagree that the position of a mayor is comparable to that of pres. a senator would be much more experienced than a mayor in understanding the federal system.



John Kennedy.

When the mayor is the mayor of NYC I disagree with you. He's got more people, budget, international affairs than probably 2/3's of the states and many,many countries.

You can belittle texas governorship but I disagree there as well. He may not be the executor, but he's responsible for the big stuff. You actually may be correct about how much administration he does, I'd have to look it up, but I think you are belittle'ing the job.

But whichever, comparing the governor of texas to someone running a staff of pages and political operatives (ala a senator) I think is not a winning argument.