Here I am now in Tennessee. I'm better off now than I was at any point in prior life. I make more money, I have more private property via pure ownership. I just paid off the Jeep, recall busted ball joints and all (but that is another story...) Election voting is important and right here and now...A senate seat between Bob Corker and Harold Ford Jr. is heating up. The mud slinging ads by both sides is entertaining. The propaganda is just too transparent, but that seems to be the rules of the "game" in the art of winning elections or not, especially when it's close ...and boy according to the polls it's close...with the Republican Bob Corker slightly leading...For months, I realized Corker is the prime person for the senate, he has a strong position on the border, he is strong on gun rights, and has a family values position in his message as well.... Some of you may not realize this, but my wife is a democrat. Some of you may not realize this, but in real life, I'm quite amicable around those of such political ideology...In fact, a couple years ago...At Behad's gracious hosting of a game+eat session by fellow posters, I got along quite well irregardless of a political slant that I realized from others...Rocketman 95 thought I was cool for a split second. Andymoon and myself breifly conversed nicely,...although I think he got a tad nervous around me, he probably thought I was eventually going to go for a rear naked choke, and cross body him for ground and pound...Anyways, the point is when all is said and done I generally slant Republican through and through, but that does not mean I don't see a point of view with opposite political ideology without merit...In fact, I think in previous posts, I demonstrated I am absolutely "politically left" when it comes to healthcare. I believe I stated this when exchanging posts with geeimsobored in the past, for example... Which brings us to the the present and the point, I stated in my view the best U.S. President as Truman...coincidentally a Democrat. The reason, is I believe he demonstrated the traits of real leadership. He was obviously "politically left" in areas I believe in being politically left, yet he had demonstrated an aggressive national defense strategy. Historians generally put him in the top 5 consistently, and he was known as one of the best Presidents when it comes to strength of "decion-making". He did not attack the 2nd admendment rights, and in my view should be the model of future Democrats to aspire themselves....Somehow, some way the Democrats changed, I think at the time of Carter. A less agrressive, and weaker mindset on national security became the new deal. As much as I rag-tagged on Clinton, truthfully he did do much better in his last 4 years than his first 4 years...Bush fumbled the handoff, and in my view had the right mindset after 9/11, but that is one of the few things I believe Bush has done right (the post 9/11 mindset) It didn't help Clinton that he surrounding himself with far-lefters who proposed national security budget cuts despite the dangers... So, with that in mind, you get the idea on what would impress me... The thing is I never liked the smooth talking Ford Jr. ...The problem is he is saying all the right things...For example, he stated yes, he voted for the Iraq war and isn't ashamed of that, but he feels a new direction is needed...In addition he has stated he supports gun rights... I'm flabergasted! This isn't the neo-demo Schumer-Clinton-Feinstein model we have here...I got to tell you this Democrat has me impressed and my vote of no doubt is conflicted... Democrats help me out, please.. Is this guy for real, or just saying what this slanted Republican wants to hear?. Honestly, no games...
Regardless of what Ford may be saying at the moment, if he becomes a member of the Senate, he will try to take your guns away and raise your taxes, all the while helping to increase privacy for terrorists who plot against us. Ford is saying what he thinks will get him elected, but once in the Senate, he'll start taking orders from the rest of the lunatic fringe cooks in the Democratic party.
More politicians are shifting right as the election nears, gobbling up a few of the 'issues' that looked like they won elections in the last cycle. But I wouldn't expect a Democrat who shifts Republican to be anymore capable of keeping a campaign promise than any other politician. The problem we have with governance is not a Republican/Democrat problem. It's both of them, and the culture they've developed by being too rich, too distant, and too hypocritical for too long. What I'm saying - a vote between your two candidates is not going to make a slight bit of difference, it doesn't whether heads or tails comes up on the coin toss.
:/ Trader_Jorge, it has come to my attention that you have lost all touch with reality. I'll bring you back, and hopefully help ROXRAN in the process. The odds that electing Ford Jr. will cause an increase in taxes is questionable. You fail to take into account that with either candidate winning, the taxes will most likely go up. The budget is not balanced, and our wars are costly. Would you rather pay your taxes and have the most advanced military in the world, or eventually run up enough debts where we have to curb our military research and development? As for taking away the people's guns, I am quite confident that our guns will remain available. The biggest threat to gun ownership is not the government, but the corporations running traditional business bankrupt. WalMart has a bigger influence on the proliferation of guns than a Senator from Tennessee with a (D) by the name. As for the blatent lie of giving terrorists privacy rights, I have to ask you where do you live? Because I live in America, and as an American I am taught that individuals are guilty until proven innocent. The concept, while not new, provides a stable and reliable framework for the United States Judicial system. If an investigator feels that someone is engaging in legal activities, demonstrate it to a judge and get a warrent to investigate. Otherwise, you are subverting the foundation of our nation by giving a group of people (the government) a status to be above the law. The Patriot Act has yet to net any results, but it has caused a great deal of privacy lost through scandals like the warentless domestic wiretapping and the log requests from the telecommunication companies. Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it, and I am not keen on giving up my privacy and the concept of innocence until proven guilt to the government that says we should just trust them. We need more transparency in our DEMOCRACTIC-REPUBLIC, not less. Oh, and ROXRAN, I realize none of the above can justify voting for either candidate, but I hope it at least provides you with a basis of not taking T_J's advice.
Didn't Harold Ford go to a playboy party or something....with a white girl. I don't know how you could vote for scum like that!! Seriously, I've only seen/read a little of Ford and it is amazing how much of a republican he is/seems to be, considering he's a democrat, so I can see why you'd be conflicted, as a republican. Take my opinion for what it's worth, but your current position in life is probably significantly attributable to things you are doing with your life, regardless of what political party is in power. Sure, an improved economy may help, but I have yet to see any solid argument pointing to one party or the other as definitively better on the economy. Republicans and Democrats have both been in power durring economic recessions and expansions. And yes, to small degress you may be better or worse off with one party in power than another (but if you'd be doing well under one party, you'd likely be doing well under the other and vice-versa). Is there anything specific to Tennessee that you think one or the other would better represent you at? No...how about macro-issues, then - the war, the response to Katrina, the environment, taxes, illegal immigration, etc...are you happy with where things are now in those areas. If so, you might as well vote Republican, and try and give the Republicans the seat. If you aren't enormously impressed on responses to these issues, or are even neutral, vote for Ford (as mentioned, he is fairly "republican" anyway), see if they can get that seat, and see if you like it. If not, you can always go back next time.
So you don't like someone who is always saying the right thing? What if he is saying the right things because that is what he really thinks? Or do you prefer someone who is gonna say all the wrong things, does the wrong things, follow Bush on every stupid decision he makes? It is a nobrainer to me.
What has ROXRAN ever done to make you think he was a racist. If you are going to make accusations like that you better have something to back that up. It's like saying I ****ed your mother. If it's true you can get away with it, even though it might cause hard feelings, but if you are pulling it out of your rear it is just cause for getting your ass kicked. Unless you want me to start posting what I did to your mother last night you might want to pony up some evidence or retract your BS. ROXRAN the NRA has very honest rankings on gun issues for all people running for office. They do actually give a number of Democrats in Texas a rating of A+ and they do endorse a few Democrats over Republicans, so it's not as partisan as it could be. You might check what the NRA says about him on that subject. If he's honest in that regard it might be a good sign that he is honest in other regards.
I think the era of voting on politicians based on regional issues seems to have passed on and now voting almost seems like a referendum on national politics in most instances. In today's increasingly polarized forum of politics, a vote for a democratic candidate is a vote against the Republican agenda and Republican control. I do think that most fears of traderjorge are 1) ridiculous and unfounded and 2) don't assume the fact that Bush is still president so he'd veto any of the supposedly ridiculous things that the democrats might do. Rather a democratic congress would force bush and the democrats to compromise and be bipartisan in order to get anything done, which is something that is sorely missing from Congress today. Most of us forget that the economic stimulus legislation, welfare reform, defense budgets, etc.. all came through bipartisan consensus that was forced by a divided government. I think that is something that is sorely missed today.
take it easy thats why I said maybe twice.. and I would have said it about anyone not only roxran.. what's funny is that you're so trigger happy to trounce on someone who suggests that race plays a part in poeple's thinking as if it's never the case..
Apparently I consider it a greater crime than you do. You don't throw that out as a maybe. It's like accusing someone of maybe being a child molester, or a woman standing up in front of a crowd and dropping innuendo that a specific man might have raped her. Do you not understand that? Either accuse the man or shut the **** up and apologize. Otherwise I will change my signature to read, "maybe vlaurelio likes to fondle little boys". Won't that be a hoot and make me look witty and urbane?
ROX doesn't deserve that! What's the matter with you?? Keep D&D Civil. ROX, if you're even thinking of voting for Ford, I think you've already made up your mind. Go ahead. You'll be glad you did, win or lose.
i'm not gonna apologize or shut up for speculating something.. try and force me.. if not, you shut up, mother f***er! accusation? first "maybe" is not an accusation second, lets say its an accusation, what did I accuse him of? preference to whites? whats wrong with that? its just like me saying its easier for me to be attracted to some race..
That's just fine. Hope you like my new signature. It will not go away until you apologize. Apparently you are not man enough to take responsibility for your own words. By the way I really like the half-@ssed way you try to back out of your accusation above by claiming it was really some sort of benign comment all the while defending your right to say what you didn't really say. It shows real character.
Ford has a voting record in the House. Most of his House votes were before he decided to run for Senate. The votes should give you the insight you seek.
http://www.ontheissues.org/Senate/Harold_Ford.htm He is certainly the "moderate" that most people say he is.