Exit question: given that the same poll has Rudy with a 25-point lead over McCain head to head, how much do the social issues even matter?

From what I hear, McCain is a liar (don’t remember what he did, exactly). Personally, I’d rather vote pro choice than pro choice pretending to be pro life. A lot of my American pro life friends feel the same way.

Are they for free and open political speech (McCain-Feingold, the Fairness Doctrine)?

Are they for border enforcement or open borders?

Small government libertarians or big government compassionate conservatives?

Are they the party of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness or are they socialist-lite?

There are some very good candidates in the mix now and more may run. Early polls are nothing but exercises in name recognition and gathering data from folks who don’t vote in primaries (which have notoriously low turnouts).

Attention people who think I’m just being mean when I say Giuliani can’t win the primary: 57% of Republican voters either think Rudy is pro-life or don’t know his position on abortion at all. Allah wonders “Exit question: given that……

To answer your last question, the Nazis didn’t get nukes. There are intentions and capabilities. The former is why we should be scared.

His service FAR outweighs his mistakes.

No, it doesn’t. I admire McCain as a man, but cannot abide him as a politician.

But it sounded to me like this was evidence of a family or community that was not integrateing or assimilating to the American melting pot.

EFG on February 15, 2007 at 5:43 PM

Was it the community in general or the family that isn’t assimilating. It’s really hard to argue that in any large American city there isn’t some type of effort by the community to assimilate people.

Lawrence on February 15, 2007 at 7:12 PM

Well, yeah. But that’s not the point. Is there enough of an effort? Is there enough assimilation going on? Why is this mans body being shipped back to Bosnia?

I have no idea if he was a jihadi, or a trench coat mafia copycat.

Either way, that burial thing stood out to me.

This is a time for heros,Misha….and McCain, you must admit, is a hero.

He most certainly was, and nothing would please me more than to see him realize his mistakes, work to undo them and become one again.

I’d hate for him to go down in history as what he has become.

(And I am SO going to get you for that video. My ears, my EEEEEARSSS! ;-) )

;-)

Is any politician’s record perfect?? Has any public servant ever done everything we wanted or how we wanted?

I could name things that Reagan did wrong, but does that negate every good and powerful thing he DID do? Of course not.

These are scary times. It is VITAL that we elect men who can lead us through a world changing violently. We need someone who understands war, who understands sacrifice, who understands why we fight. We are not in a time where we can dismiss a great leader for a past mistake.

His service FAR outweighs his mistakes.

For God’s sake, if we don’t step up to this, we will end up with a Pres. Hillary, who will be a social and economic disaster, not to mention how our safety will be compromised.

This is a time for heros,Misha….and McCain, you must admit, is a hero.

We need a hero.

As a matter of fact, it is a huge disappointment to me and I wish that it wasn’t so, more than you know.

But reality can be massively disappointing and unpleasant like that at times, which is something that I truly hate.

There is alot more to it than that. The way you describe it is spin. Do you honestly think that he went into it thinking,”Yeah, I will outlaw some aspects of freedom of speech. Yeah, that’s the ticket.” How absurd! He went into honestly trying to stop money from completely corrupting the system! Hate him for it all you want, but that was what he wanted to do!

His intentions don’t matter, assuming that you’re right about them, which isn’t at all certain. Unless you are McCain, of course.

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions, and there is nothing negotiable about the Bill of Rights. Nothing. The oath isn’t negotiable either, no matter how pure of heart you think that you are, and I’m more than willing to entertain the notion that HE felt that he was just that.

Listen, I can make a pretty damn convincing case in favor of not letting poor people vote, for the good of the economy and survival of the country. It’s really quite simple. Not because I wish to disenfranchise the poor, but because I realize the inevitability of us going bankrupt if people can vote themselves largesses out of the treasury.

So are you saying it would be OK for me to suggest (which I never would) abolishing, at least partially, the right to vote because of my “good intentions” and “deep concern for the budget?”

I don’t for a second think that you are. You’d call me on it and point out, as well you should, the outrageousness of such a suggestion.

It makes my blood boil to read such name calling for a man who suffered horribly for 5 1/2 year for his country (especially when he didn’t have to!)

Benedict Arnold did a great deal for his country before he decided to turn on it too.

Nothing can take the heroics and honor he earned in Viet Nam away from him, but it doesn’t buy him a free pass either.

And I swear, if it’s the last thing I do, I’ll find a way to get McCain to explain it.

I’ll be looking forward to that, because I too would love to hear that explanation.

They matter a GREAT DEAL. Listen. I grew up in the Bible belt. Most Church going folk I know don’t care about politics. When it comes to actually voting they look up and ask simply, “Is he pro-life?” It’s a DEAL BREAKER. If he isn’t, he doesn’t get their vote.

Those sort of litmus tests are exactly where we get Big Government Republicanism from… is being 100% pro-life and 100% anti-gay all it takes for someone to be able to call themselves a Conservative anymore?

There is alot more to it than that. The way you describe it is spin. Do you honestly think that he went into it thinking,”Yeah, I will outlaw some aspects of freedom of speech. Yeah, that’s the ticket.” How absurd! He went into honestly trying to stop money from completely corrupting the system! Hate him for it all you want, but that was what he wanted to do! Saying he is a traitor is irresponsible. It makes my blood boil to read such name calling for a man who suffered horribly for 5 1/2 year for his country (especially when he didn’t have to!)

And I swear, if it’s the last thing I do, I’ll find a way to get McCain to explain it.

To call McCain a traitor is unfair.

Did he, as a serviceman, lay down an oath to the Constitution?

Did he, as a Senator, take the initiative in creating a bill that, in effect, outlaws freedom of political speech?

That’s treason, and the correct term for somebody who commits treason is, you guessed it:

Traitor.

Also, the primary voters pay much closer attention naturally, which is why I think Rudy can NOT make it throught the primaries.

Allah asked: how much do the social issues even matter?

They matter a GREAT DEAL. Listen. I grew up in the Bible belt. Most Church going folk I know don’t care about politics. When it comes to actually voting they look up and ask simply, “Is he pro-life?” It’s a DEAL BREAKER. If he isn’t, he doesn’t get their vote.

It doesn’t matter how you or I feel. You can get mad at this “one issue” voting all you wish, but it doesn’t change the fact that that is a deal breaker for most religious conservatives.

So please don’t ask me to forgive Rudy for his pro-choice and pro-gay positions and then not expect me to ask you to forgive McCain for McCain/Feingold.

… “Springtime For Hitler”

At least we know exactly where Rudy stands. McCain is a traitor to his own party.