213 replies to this topic

[Mike]

US politics. Usual. Let you entertain us.

[Paul F]

Are the quotes coming from fictional presidents now? Or will they all be Bartlet?

[Robert B]

I've got some fresh masturbation material for Jim:

Stephon stood just a few feet away from Barack Obama. The president, busy shaking hands, looked right at him. “It was like he was waiting for me to say something,” he said later.

So the 26-year-old Prince George’s Community College student took his cue and spoke to President Obama in his first language: American Sign Language. “I am proud of you,” Stephon signed. The president, almost involuntary, instinctively, immediately signed back.

“Thank you,” Obama replied.

http://distriction.c...n-of-the-times/

Edited by Robert B, 21 March 2012 - 02:22 AM.

[Jim Ohara]

Very considerate of you Robert.

It's very weird for me, this Obama love thing. Every time I meet someone who doesn't like Obama I think there's something fundamentally wrong with them. And I know it's me, but my brain can't make the connection to see what's wrong with Obama. It's almost an irrational thing now - as if someone were criticizing my mother or the wife. Deep down there's an urge to punch you in the face if you dare mock the chosen one. The guy is like Nelson Mandela, Ghandi, MLK, Jesus, Frank Sinatra and the Pope in my head and I can't understand how anyone sees it diffrently. I've got a slightly lesser thing for Biden, but I still want to fight anyone who says a bad word about Uncle Joe. I like him better than I like most of my uncles.

I guess there's worse people to be irrational over - I'm just not sure how I ended up here. Obama, Drew Brees, Joakim Noah, Brad Pitt, Louis CK - the list of people I will defend to the point of trading punches. Anyone else have a politician they can't help but praise? Or a famous person in general?

[Chewy Sun]

My faith in greedy corporations acting in only their best interest pays off....


http://www.latimes.c...?track=lat-pick

Sugar fights back against corn syrup makers from calling their product "just as good as sugar" and "all natural."





Chewy.............................................. they do have a point. High fructose corn syrup is crazy engineered, and definitely does not occur without laboratory level manipulation

[Johnny Henning]

This has been a fight for a long time. Back when sugar producers managed to get legislators to prevent the makers of "corn sugar" from calling it "sugar," their response was to claim that meant that companies who used their product could label their drinks and sweets as "sugar free." Thus we came up with the completely idiotic "corn syrup" compromise.

After reading THE BIG SHORT by Michael Lewis, I can't believe anyone would trust anything Goldman Sachs recommends:
http://www.cnbc.com/id/46808343

Goldman Sachs, in a sweeping report to clients Wednesday, said it is an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to buy stocks, which the firm said are undervalued after 20 years of relative underperformance against bonds.

Seriously, this is a company that is too evil to succeed.

[Christian U]

The sign language thing was awesome.

[garjones]

Anyone else have a politician they can't help but praise?

Nick Clegg.

[Ogul]

In other news, Rick Santorum endorses Barack Obama as president, saying that if Romney is the nominee, which he will be, eventually, we might as well stick with what we've got.

[garjones]

They really are trying their best not to get elected aren't they?

[Ricardo_C]

They really are trying their best not to get elected aren't they?

If the Republicans in my immediate circle are any indication, then yes. Most are ready to vote for Obama if Santorum wins the nomination.

[Ogul]

If the Republicans in my immediate circle are any indication, then yes. Most are ready to vote for Obama if Santorum wins the nomination.

And if Santorum's people are willing to do the same if Romney wins then that means that either way maybe 10-15% of the reliable Republican base would either vote for Obama or not at all, and that's the election right there.

[Ricardo_C]

A Santorum candidacy would probably give Obama the biggest bump. Santorum's objections to a Romney candidacy are pretty much all about religious animosity. To Santorum, a Mormon in the White House is probably worse than the proverbial handicapped black lesbian. But that's a fear that doesn't really seem to play well across the whole conservative spectrum. Media hysteria aside, most Republicans I've met throughout the years are actual small-government conservatives, who may have strong personal opinions on social issues like gay marriage or abortion, but who don't actually want morality enforced by the federal government.

So if Romney gets the nomination, the average conservative would stay put and vote for him. The possibility of a Santorum presidency, with all its Big Brotherish overtones, would cause a far bigger stampede.

Of course, I may be totally wrong, but then my theory's no crazier than anything you hear on talk radio :p

[garjones]

A Santorum candidacy would probably give Obama the biggest bump.

Elections, anywhere in the world with a true free vote, are decided by inependents or moderates. The centre can move but politicians have to look at the centre. They didn't vote for Palin, they won't vote Santrum. They may vote for Romney but his party are rapidly ripping him to pieces.

[Jim Ohara]

I find it unbelievable that in 2012 there's discussion of a Santorum candidacy. It's like saying Ronald McDonald is running for president. This guy is a punchline, his political career in ruins, and yet he's the one left on the board after the not-Romney wheel stopped spinning. And with that he's actually winning states! No-one wuld have believed that possible a year ago. It goes to show that many people vote for party and not individual, and that they really don't know what they're doing when selecting a leader. Or that the process is broken so at this point only fools and snake oil sales men bother to run. The vanity of politics, that you vote for the person most like you, is going to be a real issue in the future. If a politician needs to be like as many people as possible, then they're not going to be anything other than a clever actor who'll tell you what you want to hear. maybe that's what they've always been, but in effect we're electing the worst people rather than the best of us.

[Ogul]

A Santorum candidacy would probably give Obama the biggest bump. Santorum's objections to a Romney candidacy are pretty much all about religious animosity. To Santorum, a Mormon in the White House is probably worse than the proverbial handicapped black lesbian. But that's a fear that doesn't really seem to play well across the whole conservative spectrum. Media hysteria aside, most Republicans I've met throughout the years are actual small-government conservatives, who may have strong personal opinions on social issues like gay marriage or abortion, but who don't actually want morality enforced by the federal government.

Most are, but there's that devoted core of crazy, a definite minority, but an extant minority, and they need that devoted core of crazy to win. I don't argue that Santorum would more likely lead to a larger desertion, but it's looking like Romney will lead to desertion enough.

I find it unbelievable that in 2012 there's discussion of a Santorum candidacy. It's like saying Ronald McDonald is running for president. This guy is a punchline, his political career in ruins, and yet he's the one left on the board after the not-Romney wheel stopped spinning. And with that he's actually winning states!

Tim Paulenty is going to be found swinging in his closet if Santorum gets the nomination.

It goes to show that many people vote for party and not individual, and that they really don't know what they're doing when selecting a leader.

It's more that there's this cancerous growth within the Republican party that actually likes the crazy bullshit Santorum spews. They certainly aren't a majority, but they're more than enough to give him a 25-35% vote within the party.

If a politician needs to be like as many people as possible, then they're not going to be anything other than a clever actor who'll tell you what you want to hear.

But without changing positions or appearing phoney.

Edited by Ogul, 23 March 2012 - 02:05 PM.

[Rory Abel]

If the Republicans in my immediate circle are any indication, then yes. Most are ready to vote for Obama if Santorum wins the nomination.

Santorum has no chance of winning the nomination at this point. He's trailing too far behind in the delegate count. The best he can do hope for is that Gingrich stays in and the two of them collect enough delegates to keep Romney from winning outright before the convention but even then Romney will win the nomination there.

[Todd Gross]

I find it unbelievable that in 2012 there's discussion of a Santorum candidacy. It's like saying Ronald McDonald is running for president. This guy is a punchline, his political career in ruins, and yet he's the one left on the board after the not-Romney wheel stopped spinning. And with that he's actually winning states! No-one wuld have believed that possible a year ago. It goes to show that many people vote for party and not individual, and that they really don't know what they're doing when selecting a leader. Or that the process is broken so at this point only fools and snake oil sales men bother to run. The vanity of politics, that you vote for the person most like you, is going to be a real issue in the future. If a politician needs to be like as many people as possible, then they're not going to be anything other than a clever actor who'll tell you what you want to hear. maybe that's what they've always been, but in effect we're electing the worst people rather than the best of us.

Votes Skin Deep for Presidential Candidates: Photos

[Ogul]

Santorum has no chance of winning the nomination at this point. He's trailing too far behind in the delegate count. The best he can do hope for is that Gingrich stays in and the two of them collect enough delegates to keep Romney from winning outright before the convention but even then Romney will win the nomination there.

It's impossible for him to secure the nomination on delegates alone. It is however possible, if a bit unlikely, for him to secure the nomination at the convention, or in deals before the convention. This is not likely to go pretty either way.

[Ogul]

I'm not a huge fan of Mellisa Harris-Perry's show, but she had a funny bit on this morning in which she quizzed the viewers and her panel about "who said this quote?" Newt Gingrich or Kanye West. I got very few of them right.