The Next Step for the GOP

[drone]

This is not a serious argument. He's not too fat to run New Jersey, he should be good enough to run the nation.

Is he too fat to run the nation? No. Is he too fat to get elected? Image counts, we like our Presidents tall, thin, and distinguished, not Bobby Baccalieri look-alikes.

[rvg]

Is he too fat to run the nation? No. Is he too fat to get elected? Image counts, we like our Presidents tall, thin, and distinguished, not Bobby Baccalieri look-alikes.

He wasn't too fat to become a governor of NJ. If he's good at what he does (and he is), people will overlook his flaw. Everyone is allowed to have one flaw. Obama is a commie, Romney is a liar, McCain is old, Clinton was(is?) a womanizer, Bush 43 was an idiot. The list can go on and on. If anything, Christie's weight doesn't look so bad.

[Hooahguy]

Also, Christie would just reinforce the "all Americans are fat" stereotype.

[rvg]

Also, Christie would just reinforce the "all Americans are fat" stereotype.

Who cares?

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Who cares?

Not sure, but if the answer is "a few thousand mugwumps in Ohio and Florida" then Christie comes up a cropper in a general election. Both states are important in the college and both are often decided by fewer than 50k worth of votes.

Obama is NOT a commie. He is a left-wing, big government, democratic semi-socialist. In Europe, his politics would probably be viewed as no more than mildly left of center and, I suspect, there would be more than a few who'd label him a tad on the conservative side by European standards. A communist? Not hardly.

Florida in 2k was decided by a very small margin, Gelcube, but subsequent recounts done by media outlets confirmed that the votes were slightly in Bush's favor. On the other hand, if even 25% of the fruit-bat left who voted for the Greens (Nader) in that election had held their noses long enough to pull a lever for Al "the internal combustion engine is evil" Gore, then Gore would have been President and W would have returned to baseball.

[rvg]

Not sure, but if the answer is "a few thousand mugwumps in Ohio and Florida" then Christie comes up a cropper in a general election. Both states are important in the college and both are often decided by fewer than 50k worth of votes.

Exactly, if. Speculation can run wild, but to dismiss Christie solely because of his weight is silly imho.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Exactly, if. Speculation can run wild, but to dismiss Christie solely because of his weight is silly imho.

Granted. On the other hand, sizism is one of the "acceptable" bigotries -- more so even then religion bashing -- so it may well be that it would harm Christie's chances.

[rvg]

Granted. On the other hand, sizism is one of the "acceptable" bigotries -- more so even then religion bashing -- so it may well be that it would harm Christie's chances.

It's certainly a disadvantage, but a surmountable one. He's a political heavyweight either way.

[Rhyfelwyr]

All I know is I want to see the next American President travelling around the world meeting national leaders on a mobility scooter.

[gaelic cowboy]

All I know is I want to see the next American President travelling around the world meeting national leaders on a mobility scooter.

Maybe they could get the Popemobile on the cheap seeing as Benny isnt using it much

[Rhyfelwyr]

Maybe they could get the Popemobile on the cheap seeing as Benny isnt using it much

Well they would have to paint it red white and blue, always wanted to do that myself.

But srsly I now have this image in my thread of Honey Boo Boo becoming the First Lady...

[gaelic cowboy]

Well they would have to paint it red white and blue, always wanted to do that myself.

But srsly I now have this image in my thread of Honey Boo Boo becoming the First Lady...

goes and googles this boo boo person and cops that we must be living in the last days of the roman empire

[Kralizec]

All I know is I want to see the next American President travelling around the world meeting national leaders on a mobility scooter.

Somehow I'm reminded of the Baron Harkonnen from Lynch' Dune movie...

[gaelic cowboy]

Somehow I'm reminded of the Baron Harkonnen from Lynch' Dune movie...

The spice must flow

[Major Robert Dump]

Just because a fat guy got elected by New Jersey is no proof he is electable anywhere else but in states full of dysfunctional beach people.

I mean, did I just seriously read the arguments that if a guy can run, or get elected in, New Jersey, that he can run a nation?

This country will not elect an obese president ever again. We are too shallow in terms of image, and the government, whether dems or repubs run, is too much of a big nanny big brother, and we will be damned if a guy whose naval is deeped than his index finger is going to tell us we cannot smoke, drink, get high or buy hookers. Not going to happen. EVER.

[CrossLOPER]

Hey there! What's the news from Mother Russia?

People watching scantily clad girls vandalize property and cause civil disturbances while the government is trying to find ways to prevent people from forced to work until they are in their 100s while maintaining a high standard of living. Same as usual.

[Centurion1]

Maybe, maybe not. So much of the evidence was destroyed or mishandled.

But you know what? I never liked Gore much anyway. The Bush Administration could have been something entirely different, if 9/11 hadn't prompted them (and everyone else) to jump over the deep end. If a Republican candidate (looking at you Mitt) would come out and say something like "Yo, don't judge us by Bush. The wars were a costly mistake that destroyed our economy and ruined an entire generation, but because of them you never got to see us at our best. Sorry for that, we'll be smarter next time" then I'd be quite moved.

Why does a man have to apologize for another mans actions (who by the way not everyone reviles as much as you). I think you have the issue if you think that's a necessity.

[Greyblades]

goes and googles this boo boo person and cops that we must be living in the last days of the roman empire

...That's real?

Oh, dear god, I thought that was just something south park came up with.

Oh god.

I need to lie down.

[rvg]

People watching scantily clad girls vandalize property and cause civil disturbances...

One of those girls is really cute. They should let her go.

while the government is trying to find ways to prevent people from forced to work until they are in their 100s while maintaining a high standard of living. Same as usual.

Don't they have a saying in Russia about this? Something along the lines of people pretending to work and the government pretending to pay them.

[Centurion1]

Hold the party accountable, that's what I'm saying. Bush was not the architect of the wars, the REPUBLICAN PARTY was. Lack of party accountability is our biggest problem.

But that also isn't true. Large numbers of the Democrats voted for the wars as well. And don't say the CIA with the WMD thing. Try to remember post 911 patriotism; everybody was running around screaming hooah like they were in black hawk down. The Wars were a group effort and the democrats have had time to get out if they wanted. Plenty of the republicans would probably kick and scream if we withdrew but others would probably just be glad to get out of there.

[a completely inoffensive name]

But that also isn't true. Large numbers of the Democrats voted for the wars as well. And don't say the CIA with the WMD thing. Try to remember post 911 patriotism; everybody was running around screaming hooah like they were in black hawk down. The Wars were a group effort and the democrats have had time to get out if they wanted. Plenty of the republicans would probably kick and scream if we withdrew but others would probably just be glad to get out of there.

I think your assessment is correct for the Afghanistan war, but I believe the post 9/11 patriotism had subsided by 2003 when the Bush Administration pushed false info to get enough support to invade.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

I think your assessment is correct for the Afghanistan war, but I believe the post 9/11 patriotism had subsided by 2003 when the Bush Administration pushed false info to get enough support to invade.

There is a difference between knowingly peddling false information so as to deceive and succumbing yourself to bad information through poor analysis. The former cannot be proven, though the latter demonstrably has been.

I wish it had been articulated from day one what the goals were/are in the WoT. It is pretty clear but has never been acknowledged. Should have been stated as part of a proposed DofW and then either done to the hilt or not.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Would you agree, then, that we should end the practice of committing troops to war zones without a formal declaration of war from Congress?

In general, yes. I believe that there is a place for quick executive response in an emergency -- even the War Powers act which attempted to curtail Presidential deployment by fiat acknowledges this -- but longer or more substantial deployments of ANY kind should require the "advice and consent" and any effort at true war-making should be done under a specific declaration of war (or at least a formal approval for the use of armed force) SPECIFICALLY DELINEATED by Congress. The legislative "dipsy-doo" that essentially gave Bush a blank check to attack and fight by fiat without additional oversight was grossly negligent by Congress. I know it wasn't impeachable on their parts, but it felt cheap and irresponsible. I am still annoyed by their willingness to simply hand that most critical of powers reserved to the legislative branch over to the executive simply so that they could avoid the political responsibility of authorizing conflict. If it is important enough to kill people, then have the gonads to vote on it and make your support known. Jeanette Rankin had more frimping courage than the whole lot of them combined.