The Republicans Dodged a Bullet there

[surprise_i'm_armed]

It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense,
common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office.
H. L. Mencken

We would all like to have less government, less war, and the accompanying need for less taxes.

But neither Rep or Dem admininstrations show any tendency to move in these directions.

Ronald Reagan ran the deficits sky high but is admired as a Republican saint.

Bill Clinton was villified by the Reps but gave an honest attempt at attacking the deficit.

Obama's gambling that by running the deficits to the moon, he can avoid a depression and get
many people working again. I don't think you can borrow billions from Red China and create
wealth.

The Reps may well take the Presidency back in 2012 based on the public's fear of deficits.
But if they get back in, the deficits of past administrations will not be their problem, so they
will cut taxes, deregulate again, and let the corporate big boys drive our economy off the
cliff again, but in a diferent style than the Dems.

SIA

[chabouk]

I didn't like the decision McCain made - from the get go.

I still can't believe they nominated him. It's like the Republicans wanted to lose.

Right. The problem half of the ticket wasn't Palin.

Darn them for putting someone who would get Republican and Possible Democrat votes, what were they thinking?

I know several people who quit the election in disgust after McCain was nominated, and were only persuaded to vote at all after Palin was named.

[ChuckW]

It is inaccurate to say that I hate everything. I am strongly in favor of common sense,
common honesty, and common decency. This makes me forever ineligible for public office.
H. L. Mencken

We would all like to have less government, less war, and the accompanying need for less taxes.

But neither Rep or Dem admininstrations show any tendency to move in these directions.

Ronald Reagan ran the deficits sky high but is admired as a Republican saint.

Bill Clinton was villified by the Reps but gave an honest attempt at attacking the deficit.

Obama's gambling that by running the deficits to the moon, he can avoid a depression and get
many people working again. I don't think you can borrow billions from Red China and create
wealth.

The Reps may well take the Presidency back in 2012 based on the public's fear of deficits.
But if they get back in, the deficits of past administrations will not be their problem, so they
will cut taxes, deregulate again, and let the corporate big boys drive our economy off the
cliff again, but in a diferent style than the Dems.

SIA

Truer words were never spoken! Both major parties seem to play pingpong with with "solutions" that don't work.

[Zee]

The Buddha learned the Middle Path is the best way. Not too much this way or that way.
Ben Franklin: All things in Moderation
Bacardi Rum: Drink responsibly
Even Goldilocks passed up too hot and too cold and went for just right.

Not a new theme but seemingly impossible for the US.

[mr surveyor]

Congress holds the purse strings. Ronald Reagan had to deal with a Dem Congress, and Bill Clinton had a Repub Congress to thank for the decreased deficit. Obama has a Dem Congress to thank for giving him every thing he desires on a silver platter.

[pdubyoo]

I think it's refreshing to find someone who is real, not scripted, and also intelligent and principled. In other words, Palin is pretty much the anti-Obama, with more governing experience to boot.

I'm not advocating a Palin for prez campaign either, but she has smarts and guts, and she knows what she stands for and why. She isn't in the game for personal gain. She seems to really want to make a difference for the common good. I challenge anyone to find many politicians (DC or otherwise) that meet that same characterization. I believe the reason that many people think she's aloof and ditzy is because she isn't a typical polished politician. That's a breath of fresh air to me. We need more "normal folk" leaders in government.

I'm not surprised about some of the dirt that is being revealed about the way the McCain campaign handlers tried to make her "just stand there and look pretty". McCain and his mousy political correctness approach to the campaign was a big reason the GOP lost. He had no spine. McCain wasn't the right man for the job, but Obama is far far worse.

For anyone that wants to criticize Palin for her character and mannerisms, I'd say that they feel threatened. If a person doesn't agree with her politically or ideologically, that's one thing, but to tear her and her family down on a personal level for not seeing eye to eye with you is cowardly and pusillanimous.

I believe the Democratic strategists are very fearful of Palin. She has a massive following of conservatives and women in general. While I appreciate the efforts of folks like Mike Huckabee, the fact that the Dems don't talk about him ANY tells me that he's a non-threatening politician. Palin is in the center of their radar screen, and they watch everything she does in minute detail. I wonder why...

[chabouk]

While I appreciate the efforts of folks like Mike Huckabee, the fact that the Dems don't talk about him ANY tells me that he's a non-threatening politician.

It hurts a lot of "family values" voters' feelings when I point this out, but Mike Huckabee isn't a conservative when it comes to government and taxes. He's another "big government conservative" like Dubya turned out to be. I used to live in Arkansas, and Huckabee never saw a program or issue that he didn't think could be handled better by the centralized government than by local communities. He massively increased the size and power of state government.

He also supports the "Fair Tax", which isn't.

[pbwalker]

He also supports the "Fair Tax", which isn't.

How so? (not being argumentative...just curious because everything I have read says otherwise)

[Dudley]

He also supports the "Fair Tax", which isn't.

How so? (not being argumentative...just curious because everything I have read says otherwise)

It's a step in the right direction and more fair than the current system but it still isn't fair across the board.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

"Giving the government power and money is like giving
teenage boys a quart of whiskey and the car keys."
P.J. O'rourke

It's a sad state of affairs that the government will always have the power
and our tax money. We the people never seem to agree with what the DC
folks are doing.

Just remember - it's not the left vs. the right. It's the state vs. you.

My 2 cents on Sarah Palin: I think she's an empty vessel without the strength
of core beliefs that 50% + 1 of the electoral college will elect, should she run in 2012.
If her supporters are so strongly behind her, she wouldn't have bailed on her governor-
ship in order to write the book in order to pay off her legal fees. The supporters would
have paid her legal fees as part of the campaign to groom her for the 2012 race.

SIA

[chabouk]

He also supports the "Fair Tax", which isn't.

How so? (not being argumentative...just curious because everything I have read says otherwise)

This is straying off topic, but I have several objections to FT.

First, it puts the entire country on welfare, via the prebate check.

Next, it does so in a horribly intrusive way, by requiring you to register your whole family to get the check.

And, it does not "eliminate the IRS", despite the proponents' claims. It will require just as many (possibly more) Treasury employees devoted to collecting, processing, auditing, investigating, and prosecuting.

It creates a huge incentive for black market sales to avoid the sales tax. Their calculations might be correct that the sales tax and embedded taxes would cancel each other out, making the retail price the same. But the incentives to avoid correctly stating the sales price (reducing the tax), or not reporting them at all, are huge.

Finally, it doesn't guarantee that an income tax wouldn't be added on later.

Reduce the budget to just year 2000 levels, repeal the 16th Amendment, then we'll talk.

[rm9792]

I would be in favor of a true, graduated by income levels flat tax. You fill out a postcard that says you grossed this much, you have x dependants, here is your bill. No differences between married and single either, all income earners fill out a card. I guess dependants would have to be divided or go with the larger earner. No loopholes, tax shelters, complicated forms, etc. But back on topic,.....what was the topic? Oh yeah, I still think the Repubs ran candidates they knew were gonna lose, Dems were throwing up a black man and a woman with name recognition. With todays wishy washy PC environment and Bush teeing off most of the world (undeservedly) there was no chance for a Conservative to win. Public just had to prove to the world how progressive we are, to heck with qualifications. Dems could run a dead guy and have won.

[Oldgringo]

rm9792 wrote:

...I still think the Repubs ran candidates they knew were gonna lose,...

That thought has definitely crossed my mind. The Repubs want someone to blame for the state of the state AND the economy in 2012.

[rm9792]

This would also allow them to gauge interest in McCain and Palin possibly. Or use them knowing the outcome then run much better choices in 2012 to show the "vast improvement" in the party.

[03Lightningrocks]

pbwalker wrote:

True...I just think that if the GOP is to take back the WH in 2012, it won't / shouldn't be with her. My $0.02...

I totally agree! The Repubs blew the last election...for various reasons. The candidates were just a couple of the reasons. If the GOP is to prevail in 2012, it must listen to the people and come forth with viable programs to address our problems in the good 'ol USA.

I dont think the GOP could run anyone that would have beat Obama. The media lovefest guaranteed his victory. The chance to elect any black man president was too great to ignore. I dont mean this in a racist way just the current PC trend and desire of libs to show their "colorblindness". You couldnt speak out about his lack of qualifications without literally being called a racist or bigot. Even quoting his own words back seemed to make you a bigot. I personally could care less if a green woman pygmy was running the WH as long as she is qualified and believes in the Constitution.

I take offense with your slight against the green pygmy. You are obviously racist.