The Final US Election Thread

[Alexanderofmacedon]

Why don't you just watch the news hour with Jim Lehrer?


Then you can watch Shields and Brooks.

Now we're talking. World in focus is quite good too.

Only channel I really care to watch unless I feel like going totally braindead (which happens about once every six month at the end of final exams )

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Thank you!

Now that, my dear Fenrig, is a PROPER backroom response.

[Crazed Rabbit]

Sarah Palin's daughter is due to give birth soon.

No word yet if this will finally make Andrew Sullivan shut up.

Also, Caroline Kennedy is trying to get Hillary Clinton's old senate seat on the sole basis that her father was famous.

CR

[Lemur]

Sarah Palin's daughter is due to give birth soon.

No word yet if this will finally make Andrew Sullivan shut up.

What does Bristol's illegitimate child have to do with Sullivan's specious contention that Trig was Sarah's baby? (Yikes, I got dizzy typing that sentence.) Meanwhile, Bristol's mama-in-law-to-be is having some problems with Johnny Law.

Also, Caroline Kennedy is trying to get Hillary Clinton's old senate seat on the sole basis that her father was famous.

No more Kennedys. No more Clintons.No more Bushes. Death to dynasties! Down with inherited position! A republic has no room for hereditary aristocracy.

[Hosakawa Tito]

Also, Caroline Kennedy is trying to get Hillary Clinton's old senate seat on the sole basis that her father was famous.

CR

She'll get it on the sole basis that the Kennedy "free speech" generating machine will help our current un-elected Governor, *he who got promoted because of Spitzer's resignation*, with collecting enough "free speech" for his re-election campaign. What's one more clueless Manhattan elite in a State, the most dysfunctional State government in the union, going to matter? Every major political office in New York is dominated by New York City area politicians. Not one represents my area, Western NY, or any place north of Albany. We have been lucky to get the crumbs that fall off the New York City plate for years and it's never going to change. Better to take our hydropower and secede from New York State and form our own state, but that won't happen either. Plan B: join the exodus of Western NYS residents to another state after our retirement. You can't vote the bums out so vote with your feet. and my .

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Supreme Court definition of free speech = legalized bribery.

[Banquo's Ghost]

Also, Caroline Kennedy is trying to get Hillary Clinton's old senate seat on the sole basis that her father was famous.

Look on the bright side: at least she's not going to get it on the sole basis she's the highest bidder...

[CountArach]

No more Kennedys. No more Clintons.No more Bushes. Death to dynasties! Down with inherited position! A republic has no room for hereditary aristocracy.

I know I shouldn't but I read polls every day anyway... as it turns out only 47% of Americans agree with you...

[ICantSpellDawg]

I know I shouldn't but I read polls every day anyway... as it turns out only 47% of Americans agree with you...

47% of Americans probably wish we had a queen. 47% of Americans most likely lie about being able to tie their own shoes.

I'm with Lemur - Down with dynasties. Does anyone here think Caroline as an appointed dynastic sucessor is a good idea? Let her run in 2 years like the rest of us, until then appoint someone who has put in the prerequesite work.

[Hosakawa Tito]

47% of Americans probably wish we had a queen. 47% of Americans most likely lie about being able to tie their own shoes.

I'm with Lemur - Down with dynasties. Does anyone here think Caroline as an appointed dynastic sucessor is a good idea? Let her run in 2 years like the rest of us, until then appoint someone who has put in the prerequesite work.

That's a nice idealistic sentiment, but the cold cruel reality of power politics, not to mention human nature, dictates that this Senate seat will also be bought. It won't be as crude as the Illinois Guv's ebay auction style of shake-down, but the result will be the same. The hardest part of being an adequate Senator is what? Generating campaign contributions for oneself & party? How hard will that be even for a rookie Democrat in a Democrat Dominated state like NY, especially with the Kennedy dynasty money generating political machine. For a Guv looking at his own re-election needs in 3 years it's a no brainer. He might be blind but he can see, and he certainly isn't stupid. Let the peasants eat cake.

[ICantSpellDawg]

That's a nice idealistic sentiment, but the cold cruel reality of power politics, not to mention human nature, dictates that this Senate seat will also be bought. It won't be as crude as the Illinois Guv's ebay auction style of shake-down, but the result will be the same. The hardest part of being an adequate Senator is what? Generating campaign contributions for oneself & party? How hard will that be even for a rookie Democrat in a Democrat Dominated state like NY, especially with the Kennedy dynasty money generating political machine. For a Guv looking at his own re-election needs in 3 years it's a no brainer. He might be blind but he can see, and he certainly isn't stupid. Let the peasants eat cake.

Have you guys seen that SNL skit BTW? It is absolutely spot on and hilarious. Watch the whole thing.

THis is a link to "black voices" blog with a full skit linked

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Caroline Shlossberg (sp?) is qualified for the Senate -- U.S. citizen, resident of the state in question, 30+ years of age. She's been an active political operator for a couple of years now, with most of her experience on the important side (=$) of the political equation. She is also a Kennedy by birth, so it lets us maintain a connection with the glory that was Camelot even after her ailing uncle shuffles off this mortal coil.

We've had people in Congress before simply because they were a celebrity of sorts. Its not a guarantee that they'll be any good in the office, but it doesn't preclude the possibility either. After all, most of the British officers who "stood firm" at Waterloo had purchased their commissions -- some without much in the way of intervening experience.

[Lemur]

Look, I know almost nothing about Caroline Kennedy, and I know full well that she meets the requirements for the Senate, such as they are.

It's just that I get all worked up about dynasties. It's just so ... so unamerican.

[Ironside]

Look, I know almost nothing about Caroline Kennedy, and I know full well that she meets the requirements for the Senate, such as they are.

It's just that I get all worked up about dynasties. It's just so ... so unamerican.

To change the subject a bit, what do you consider Obama II:s cabinet choise? And how is that compared on what you would guess McCain III would've ran with?

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

It's both a serious question and a note about the US tendencies to name people dynastically.

[Louis VI the Fat]

Half a dozen threads are competing for this. It deals with Bush' legacy, with his War on the Environment, the War on Ordinary Americans, and the War on Political Decency. I'll put it here because it deals with the transition of power to Obama as much as with anything else.

After spending eight years at the helm of one of the most ideologically driven administrations in American history, George W. Bush is ending his presidency in characteristically aggressive fashion, with a swath of controversial measures designed to reward supporters and enrage opponents.

By the time he vacates the White House, he will have issued a record number of so-called 'midnight regulations' - so called because of the stealthy way they appear on the rule books - to undermine the administration of Barack Obama, many of which could take years to undo.

The regulations cover a vast policy area, ranging from healthcare to car safety to civil liberties. Many are focused on the environment and seek to ease regulations that limit pollution or restrict harmful industrial practices, such as dumping strip-mining waste. The Bush moves have outraged many watchdog groups. 'The regulations we have seen so far have been pretty bad,' said Matt Madia, a regulatory policy analyst at OMB Watch. 'The effects of all this are going to be severe.'

Bush can pass the rules because of a loophole in US law allowing him to put last-minute regulations into the Code of Federal Regulations, rules that have the same force as law. He can carry out many of his political aims without needing to force new laws through Congress. Outgoing presidents often use the loophole in their last weeks in office, but Bush has done this far more than Bill Clinton or his father, George Bush sr. He is on track to issue more 'midnight regulations' than any other previous president.

Many of these are radical and appear to pay off big business allies of the Republican party.

Bush' parting gifts.

Thank you very much you bastard and if the world ever hears of you again after January 21st it will be a billion years too soon.

[Crazed Rabbit]

What does Bristol's illegitimate child have to do with Sullivan's specious contention that Trig was Sarah's baby? (Yikes, I got dizzy typing that sentence.) Meanwhile, Bristol's mama-in-law-to-be is having some problems with Johnny Law.

Ah, so classy. Throwing in "illegitimate" and referencing her fiance's mother.

And Sullivan contended Trig was not Sarah's baby - that was the point behind this whole thing. Surely that is clear. You seemed to understand it when I posted earlier about this. And that is why Bristol giving birth some eight months after Trig was born should finally put Sullivan's "Trig was Bristol's baby" argument to rest. Why are you putting up such a stiff defense of Sullivan?

Bush' parting gifts.

Thank you very much you bastard and if the world ever hears of you again after January 21st it will be a billion years too soon.

Calm down. That Guardian article is full of bull excrement.

Take this one example:

• Allow people to carry loaded and concealed weapons in national parks.

That has nothing to do with Bush pushing through some last minute regulatory change. The Department of Parks (or whatever federal office controls the regulations on carrying guns in National Parks) opened up the possibility of a rule change earlier this year after years of activism by people trying to get rid of the stupid federal prohibition on loaded guns in national parks. The public comment period around summertime was extended beyond the usual time frame for people wanting to comment on the proposed change.

After all that the agency decided to change the regulation to have the legality of carrying weapons decided by applicable state law - basically making the law in national parks equal to the law in the rest of the state the park is in. The agency also issued a lengthy report on the subject a while ago that you can look up, in which they addressed numerous concerns from gun-control pansies like Guardian writers.

So now, when I'm walking in a national forest with my legally carried gun, I no longer have to worry about being thrown in jail when I cross the imaginary line into a national park.

CR

[Lemur]

Sullivan contended Trig was not Sarah's baby - that was the point behind this whole thing.

Not quite right, friend. Sullivan wanted Palin to release her medical records, a step she never took, but said she would take if she became VP. Kinda odd, you'll have to admit.

And yeah, Sully got suspicious about Trig's matrimony, a blind alley he spent a good deal of time barking at. I don't agree, although I understand why he was suspicious, seeing as Palin claims to have gone into labor in Texas and given birth in Alaska, taking an eight-hour flight while in labor. Probably just another BS story from her, but Sully took it to a strange and unexpected place. And to repeat, she never released any medical records, so he wasn't being completely bat-guano crazy.

You seemed to understand it when I posted earlier about this. And that is why Bristol giving birth some eight months after Trig was born should finally put Sullivan's "Trig was Bristol's baby" argument to rest. Why are you putting up such a stiff defense of Sullivan?

"Understand" what? Did I not choose to engage you on one of your many anti-Sullivan rants? Does that mean I agree with you? Fascinating.

You don't appear to even understand the arguments you're disagreeing with, seeing as you've been incapable of summarizing Sullivan's arguments so far. I don't argee with him, but at least I understand what he's written. All you've got is the Malkin summary.

-edit-

Ah, doing some digging it seems that the McCain/Palin campaign released a two-page letter from a physician on November 3rd, and then declared that it had released all relevant medical info about Palin. I suppose that should be enough to satisfy ardent partisans, but for normal people it raises more questions than it answers.

-edit of the edit-

Clearly, you're just trying to deistract yourself from your real issue: Uncontrollable attraction to our hot, black President-elect:

I'm not sure I want our President to be cut like that ...

[Crazed Rabbit]

Not quite right, friend. Sullivan wanted Palin to release her medical records, a step she never took, but said she would take if she became VP. Kinda odd, you'll have to admit.

And yeah, Sully got suspicious about Trig's matrimony, a blind alley he spent a good deal of time barking at. I don't agree, although I understand why he was suspicious, seeing as Palin claims to have gone into labor in Texas and given birth in Alaska, taking an eight-hour flight while in labor. Probably just another BS story from her, but Sully took it to a strange and unexpected place. And to repeat, she never released any medical records, so he wasn't being completely bat-guano crazy.

He was definitely dog-**** crazy though, even if it didn't rise to the same exotic level as bat-guano crazy. Not a 9/11 truther style crazy, but far out there nevertheless. The point is that this story should finally kill his suspicions.

"Understand" what? Did I not choose to engage you on one of your many anti-Sullivan rants? Does that mean I agree with you? Fascinating.

You don't appear to even understand the arguments you're disagreeing with, seeing as you've been incapable of summarizing Sullivan's arguments so far. I don't argee with him, but at least I understand what he's written. All you've got is the Malkin summary.

No, you said:

Sullivan's specious contention that Trig was Sarah's baby?

That wasn't his contention. And I haven't read anything from Malkin since before the GOP convention. Also; one of my many "anti-sullivan rants"? At my last count, I've posted twice about Sullivan's strange obsession with Trig's mother.

Ah, doing some digging it seems that the McCain/Palin campaign released a two-page letter from a physician on November 3rd, and then declared that it had released all relevant medical info about Palin. I suppose that should be enough to satisfy ardent partisans, but for normal people it raises more questions than it answers.

I never really cared.

Clearly, you're just trying to deistract yourself from your real issue: Uncontrollable attraction to our hot, black President-elect:

I'm not sure I want our President to be cut like that ...

There's a poll going on at Drudge and Putin, oddly, is winning. I love the link name for the photo, by the way.

CR

[Marshal Murat]

Putin is "built" where Obama is "athletic".

[Louis VI the Fat]

Calm down. That Guardian article is full of bull excrement.

Well I am delighted for you that you can take a walk in a park fully armed. My ire is more over the War on the Environment midnight legislation, none of them quite as sustainable and biodegradable as bull excrement.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

Many of these are radical and appear to pay off big business allies of the Republican party. One rule will make it easier for coal companies to dump debris from strip mining into valleys and streams. The process is part of an environmentally damaging technique known as 'mountain-top removal mining'. It involves literally removing the top of a mountain to excavate a coal seam and pouring the debris into a valley, which is then filled up with rock. The new rule will make that dumping easier.

Another midnight regulation will allow power companies to build coal-fired power stations nearer to national parks. Yet another regulation will allow coal-fired stations to increase their emissions without installing new anti-pollution equipment.

The Environmental Defence Fund has called the moves a 'fire sale of epic size for coal'. Other environmental groups agree. 'The only motivation for some of these rules is to benefit the business interests that the Bush administration has served,' said Ed Hopkins, a director of environmental quality at the Sierra Club. A case in point would seem to be a rule that opens up millions of acres of land to oil shale extraction, which environmental groups say is highly pollutant.

One more chips away at the protection of endangered species.

Not to mention, a War on the Health and Safety of the American people:

There is a long list of other new regulations that have gone onto the books. One lengthens the number of hours that truck drivers can drive without rest. Another surrenders government control of rerouting the rail transport of hazardous materials around densely populated areas and gives it to the rail companies.

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Al Franken has taken a VERY narrow lead in the Minnesota recount.

This could be THE cinderalla story of the election. From Coke-crazed comic to civic centerpiece in 3 decades!

[Crazed Rabbit]

Well I am delighted for you that you can take a walk in a park fully armed. My ire is more over the War on the Environment midnight legislation, none of them quite as sustainable and biodegradable as bull excrement.


Not to mention, a War on the Health and Safety of the American people:

My point is, if they are so very wrong on that issue, the Guardian is likely to be very wrong on the other issues as well. So they all they say with a grain several pounds of salt.

CR

[Strike For The South]

Obama has gyno. Who knew?

[Tribesman]

So now, when I'm walking in a national forest with my legally carried gun, I no longer have to worry about being thrown in jail when I cross the imaginary line into a national park.

But you now have to worry about being thrown in jail if while carrying your legal gun in a national park you cross an imaginary line into another state that has different gun laws

[Crazed Rabbit]

Nah, you can't stumble across the Columbia River.

Anyway, here's a priceless quote from Caroline Schlossberg Kennedy that shows she doesn't understand the basic concepts of mathematics:

"I came into this thinking I have to work twice as hard as anybody else," she said. "I am an unconventional choice."

Ooo, sorry Caroline, but the word you were looking for is half. You have to work half as hard as anybody else to get the appointment.

Can we please get anybody but her in the seat?

CR

[Tribesman]

Nah, you can't stumble across the Columbia River.

How many national parks contain more than one State Rabbit ?
But hey for a better one how far north of boundary creek would you walk to still be in a national park but not even in the same country ? or even better what natural barrier east of the lake is there to mark the border ?
Crossing imaginary lines with your gun

[Gawain of Orkeny]

I see most of the same old crew is still haning out here. Happy New Year guys


As to the elections why do we even bother. Its a sad joke.

[Banquo's Ghost]

Happy New Year to you too, Gawain. You have been much missed - it would have been especially interesting to have had your input in this thread.

[Lemur]

Gawain! An entire election passed without ye! Nice to see you back, pardner.

[Kralizec]

I see most of the same old crew is still haning out here. Happy New Year guys


As to the elections why do we even bother. Its a sad joke.

Happy new year, and welcome back!

[Hooahguy]

I see most of the same old crew is still haning out here. Happy New Year guys


As to the elections why do we even bother. Its a sad joke.

wow. over 13,000 posts....