Totally Politikul

Fixed.


"It has been observed, by an honorable gentleman, that a pure democracy, if it were practicable, would be the most perfect government. Experience has proved that no position in politics is more false than this. The ancient democracies, in which the people themselves deliberated, never possessed one feature of good government. Their very character was tyranny; their figure, deformity."- Alexander Hamilton (A$$hole)

D'
"I send flowers to Aaron Burr's grave once a year (sometimes twice)."

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Being a long-time Dem and coming from a family of south-side Dems, my vote is with Obama. I have Republican friends who'll argue til they're blue in the face that he has no experience but after the last 8 years of horror from someone who was governor and has had a long political history, my money's on Barack. Change is what we need and change is what I think he can deliver.

He ran on change to be our state rep...what has he changed and how many times did he miss a vote that could have led to change?


PS not sure and a ham sandwich are pretty good candidates

Like most things in politics, it?s not a black and white issue. I can?t say a two party system is always bad, and would wholeheartedly agree it?s not always good. It exists because under the rules we use it?s the one that fits best.

I should clarify. The constitution does not create political parties. It does allow them to exist; 1st 10th and can be inferred in the 12th amendments.

The reason we have two parties is a purely organic response the ?winner takes all? elections I mentioned before. If candidate X wins 51% of the electorate, he/she win regardless of what the other 49% have to say. State constitutions, 12th &17th amendments.

The long and short of it is, as long as we are governed by a representative system, politicians will naturally gravitate towards similar ideas and form parties/voting blocs.
There?s no way around it without a direct elections by the people. Eliminate Articles I & II.

These layers of abstraction exist because 300 million people will never agree on anything, no matter how simple. And 300 million people can?t possibly have intimate enough knowledge about all the issues facing the nation.

It?s not a bad thing, just highly unlikely. A politician?s primary goal is to be reelected. I might sound callus, but it?s true.
In a two year election cycle, members of the government spend 1 year campaigning, 6 months reorganizing, and 6 months actually making/passing laws.
Case and point: It took 200 years to pass and ratify the 27th amendment. The 27th limits how congress can give itself a pay raise.

To Goat & Femme...are you really torn between Obama & Clinton? That is assuming you're not currently considering Mike Gravel or an Independent. I completely agree with your (Erica's) assessment of BHO. He was the first Democrat I ever pulled a lever for, and though I don't find him to be an energizing candidate (outside of being an energizing speaker), he doesn't register as being a conniving scum-sucker like Clinton. Hopefully she'll be nothing but a bad memory after Texas/Ohio next week.

I've been campaigning for Mike Gravel, as he best represents what I would want in a President (not that I don't disagree/question some of his policies. ie. mostly Iraq & energy). But, my goal with Gravel was not so much that I think he has a chance at getting in the oval office, but that if he were allowed to debate he could in fact force ClintBama to somewhat answer as progressives instead of the status-quo party line toeing that we've seen. Sadly, the Democratic Party put an end to Dodd, Kucinich & Gravel pretty quickly (as seen in the videos I posted on page 1).

Obama certainly doesn't = "Change". If Obama (or Clinton) get a Universal Healthcare bill passed in the next 8 years I'll get a Donkey tattooed on my a$$ (no pun intended)...if they get one passed in the next 4 years while fighting the impending recession, I'll get it on my forehead.

D'

I am very seriously voting for Not Sure. None of them are tolerable to me.

I will never tell who I vote for on an internet board, probably not IRL either. I heart secret ballots. I just don't have the Obama fever most Illinois folks have.

I would just like to put out there that I am old enough to legally be prez.

Fixed.

I think the best we all can hope for is that everyone puts at least a little bit of thought into who they will vote for before they vote. With the websites these candidates have, it's never in the history of America been easier to read up and understand at least what the candidates CLAIM they believe and will try to do.

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Boshtalk gains Aura of Truth.

I think you mean: Aura of Truthiness

D'

Nerfed.

Here is a point of view I find interesting,

and so,

when it becomes a three way race in the general election


too soon

[image=http://usera.imagecave.com/boshtalk/Chicago_Force/haiku.JPG]

D'

Exactly!

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D'

"Goat rolls 1d20....doesn't care...walks away."

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