- The Cat

Down here in New Orleans, William Jefferson still has a loyal following of fools who will vote for the man every time because of the pork he brings into the city.

How true. We have Solomon Ortiz in my neck of the woods. It never ceases to amaze me.

Ideally, I’d hand the candidate’s a box of markers, some posterboard and glitter and tell them that they can make all posters they want

Especially for someone like Obama who is running what seems like a campaign for head cheerleader instead of POTUS. A soda machine in every classroom! A’s for everyone! Free lunch! (oh yeah, they already get that…)

how does the electorate impose term limits on them? THEY are the only ones who can vote for term limits and they’ve been riding the gravy train for so long that only a fool would vote himself off of it!!

Which is why voluntary term limits or electorate-derived term limits don’t work. Down here in New Orleans, William Jefferson still has a loyal following of fools who will vote for the man every time because of the pork he brings into the city. Personally I like Virginia’s system where the Governor can only serve two non-concurrent terms. Keeps things mixed up.

Term limits would have to come about by a popular movement and an amendment to the Constitution. It clearly isn’t likely to happen but that doesn’t mean that it is the wrong idea.

it is cost-prohibitive to run for office. Only the truly wealthy have the money to run for office these days – especially if the candidate is from a large city.

The whole reason McCain took away some of our First Amendment rights. Realistically, I’m for public funding at a very low level and more stringent rules about what is political advertising and what is merely and advocacy message.

Ideally, I’d hand the candidate’s a box of markers, some posterboard and glitter and tell them that they can make all posters they want but they have to stick to substantive debate if they want to get their message out on the airwaves. Think about it, why do we put ourselves through months of ads telling half-truths (or less) to smear the other candidates. Why not clean up the airwaves by making it harder to put out attack ads.

I think the solution is to get rid of the political class in society. No! Not through anarchy but through real term limits. Teddy Kennedy, for example, hasn’t worked an honest day in his life (in Congress since the 1960s). Congress has become too comfortable with itself and incumbency when what is required is a continual refreshment of the political pool by those with new ideas and perspectives.

highhopes on July 28, 2008 at 12:39 PM

Number one, how does the electorate impose term limits on them? THEY are the only ones who can vote for term limits and they’ve been riding the gravy train for so long that only a fool would vote himself off of it!!

Number two, it is cost-prohibitive to run for office. Only the truly wealthy have the money to run for office these days – especially if the candidate is from a large city. (This might not hold true for a candidate from a small town or district.)

So many candidates “promise” to stay in office for only one or two terms, but once they are voted in, they figure out that it’s a pretty darn good deal and most reneg on their promises.

Think_b4_speaking on July 28, 2008 at 12:47 PM

Because of his views, right?

EJDolbow on July 28, 2008 at 12:11 PM

Not to sound Clintonian here but “Novemeber” has never been a good month for Democrats but their chances are pretty good in November! ;-0

I hope you don’t take offense at pointing out the typo but it was just too good an opening to pass up. It would have to be a pretty big gaffe for Obama to reach a 1972-like defeat. The MSM is clearly part of his propaganda machine. His opponent is hardly a beloved character who is able to rally the GOP to his cause. Would you care to elaborate how McCain goes from a 9 point lead in the latest polling (I know- meaningless at this point) to a landslide for cranky old bastard?

The only way I can see a 1972 repeat is huge Obama gaffe, a hitherto undisclosed character issue in Obama’s life to undermine his carefully crafted facade, or a McCain medical condition that would force the GOP elites to find a real candidate instead of propping up a RINO who isn’t finding the kind of support necessary to expect anything but a 51/49 outcome.

If Obama matches Kerry’s performance among white voters and increases Democrats’ share of black voters to 95 percent, he will still need to increase black turnout in Georgia by 64 percent and in Mississippi by 51 percent to win. Virginia and North Carolina would be in closer reach, requiring increases of 30 and 36 percent, respectively.

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The problem with this theory is that Obama is not going to match Kerry’s performance among white voters. There are a lot of dems who will not vote for him.

I’m left with writing letters and making phone calls to congressmen who don’t listen, letters to the editor that don’t get published and reading blogs. Sad.

pullingmyhairout on July 28, 2008 at 11:58 AM

I think voter turn-out would go up and there’d be more substantive debate if individuals didn’t feel that their participation in the process was so meaningless. Congressmen don’t even make a pretense of reading letters or listening to the electorate. At best you get a response months-later defending their position. Nobody reads newspaper letters to the editor so that is hardly a worthwile forum to get one’s ideas out.

I think the solution is to get rid of the political class in society. No! Not through anarchy but through real term limits. Teddy Kennedy, for example, hasn’t worked an honest day in his life (in Congress since the 1960s). Congress has become too comfortable with itself and incumbency when what is required is a continual refreshment of the political pool by those with new ideas and perspectives.

If 95 195% percent of black voters support Obama in November,

That’s more like it.

I think the Messiah is heading towards a McGovernesque defeat in Novemeber.

EJDolbow on July 28, 2008 at 12:11 PM

Your keyboard to some kindly god’s inbox!

Can he divide and conquer to the point of riots? “Yes, We Can!”

Another problem is that in order to get the black vote, you can’t go wrong bashing Whitey—which just brings Whitey out to vote.

And shame on US for getting to this situation.

I agree completely. I think more people would get involved with politics if it was guaranteed that their private lives would be off-limits. I know I would. I don’t even have many skeletons, but the ones I do have need to stay in the closet. So, I’m left with writing letters and making phone calls to congressmen who don’t listen, letters to the editor that don’t get published and reading blogs. Sad.

Now add the perception that Grandpa McCain does not campaign on weekends nor even use a computer illustrates the fact the the “nex-gen” voters are coming out for Obama in droves although I have read that Cindy does have a blog!

Note that also the AJC article (6/15) states that the McCain campaign does not even have a permanent staff in GA? I give the Dems credit, they are running a very good campaign and the GOP needs someone or somebody to stop this train wreck now!

luckybogey on July 28, 2008 at 11:31 AM

McCain has always had contempt for the conservative base. As a proud member of said base, I think the only hope we have is for McCain to lose bad. With a double digit McCain loss, the Republican party will get the message that we the conservative base are not intolerant, racist, bigot, homophobes, but are small government, tax cutting, strong defense voters who are not reached by either party. The RNC needs us, and their leadership does not reflect this very fact. We aren’t the base to be placated with the occasional bone, we are the party and our priority should be the party’s priority.

Don’t even try to convince me to vote for McCain, I firmly believe Americans are victims of their own prosperity. I firmly believe we need a walk in the wilderness to remind us how good we have/had it.

/Resume lurking.

We all know McCain is not the perfect candidate. He’s not even close – but he’s all we have right about now.

pullingmyhairout on July 28, 2008 at 11:33 AM

And shame on US for getting to this situation.

I will fully live up to my moniker by putting faith in the people over the next four years. The worst of the McCain/Obama/Democrat initiatives can still be stopped by the voice of the people in the way that the McCain/Kennedy plot for amnesty was thwarted by outraged citizens.

That’s quite an assumption, a good percentage of Obama voters will not have to worry about taking time off from work to vote for the messiah.

Whether they can sleep off the hangover from the previous evening in time to stagger to the polls, is the real question.

The question then is if the republic can survive four years of hopeandchange.

I simply don’t have that kind of faith

Come on, highhopes!! Live up to your moniker – have high hopes. We all know McCain is not the perfect candidate. He’s not even close – but he’s all we have right about now.

The other day I was listening on the radio to the Mayor of Tybee who is the Chairman of McCain’s campaign for the Savannah area. He spent the first 15 minutes defending McCain being a conservative.

Now add the perception that Grandpa McCain does not campaign on weekends nor even use a computer illustrates the fact the the “nex-gen” voters are coming out for Obama in droves although I have read that Cindy does have a blog!

Note that also the AJC article (6/15) states that the McCain campaign does not even have a permanent staff in GA? I give the Dems credit, they are running a very good campaign and the GOP needs someone or somebody to stop this train wreck now!

At least with a McCain presidency, we would still have a fighting chance – especially if, through some sort of voodoo magic, we don’t end up with a veto-proof senate.

pullingmyhairout on July 28, 2008 at 11:13 AM

You’re basing your premise on the idea that McCain is going to be a fighter when it comes to standing up to Democrats on issues like taxation, SCOTUS nominees, etc. McCain is no Reagan. He doesn’t stand for principles over political expediency. His most prominent fights over the past decade have all been with conservative Republicans not Democrats.

I simply don’t have that kind of faith when McCain is out there talking about capping oil company profits, talking about raising “some” taxes, calling for US particiapation in a Kyoto-like treaty, etc. McCain is going to sell the farm, fold like a cheap suit, or pick for favorite metaphor for simply going along with whatever the Congress wants. I hope there is something more to McCain’s character than the bitter hate-filled political opportunist we see out there on the campaign trail pandering to the left and completely ignoring the base constituency (particularly in the South) that was the key to the GOP’s success since 1980.

Frankly from where I am sitting the risk of McCain or Obama is about the same. McCain with the Democrat congress is going to be virtually identical to Obama.

highhopes on July 28, 2008 at 10:41 AM

I respectfully disagree. With an Obama presidency and a democratic congress, we WILL see higher taxes, more regulation, liberal justices, more environmental restrictions, more money spent on social services, more government handouts, the very real possibility of socialized medicine… I could go on and on…

At least with a McCain presidency, we would still have a fighting chance – especially if, through some sort of voodoo magic, we don’t end up with a veto-proof senate.

I think part of Obama’s strategy for winning the south is simply claiming it’s competitive, absent any real facts to support the assertion.

I can’t speak for Georgia but there may be some truth in what you are saying vis-a-vis Louisiana. Virginia, on the other hand, is definitely in play for the first time since 1960.