Presidential campaign and candidates

Subject: Re: Presidential campaign and candidates Fri Apr 18, 2008 4:45 pm

With the two parties in our country, you get either far right or left. With three or more parties, a coalition between any two to beat the third could mean that you get some blending of ideas. Having the extremes that we have endured has been harmful. Working together in harmony sounds good when making speeches but it seldom works out that way. Whoever has the majority get their way while the other side must wait four to eight years to try to win and get some of the things they want.
In the past several elections third party candidates surfaced because the big two didn't meet their needs. Since the third party was not available for voting everywhere or given the recognition it deserved, it became a spoiler of sorts. That's sad.
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Subject: Re: Presidential campaign and candidates Sun Apr 20, 2008 12:11 am

Subject: Re: Presidential campaign and candidates Sun Apr 20, 2008 5:53 am

William,
I agree. It becomes a popularity contest. Chrisma plays a much greater role than brains.
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Subject: Re: Presidential campaign and candidates Tue Apr 22, 2008 11:40 pm

Or, in some cases, it becomes an anti-popularity contest. People vote for the one they detest the least.
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Zada Connaway
Mother's Journals: parts 1, 2 and 3 ISBN # 1-4241-6969-0

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Subject: Re: Presidential campaign and candidates Wed Apr 23, 2008 5:35 am

Zada,
I have a feeling that is the way I will be voting.
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Subject: Re: Presidential campaign and candidates Wed Apr 23, 2008 6:13 am

Starting with Ronald Reagan, the churches have played a huge role in the election campaign. Separation of church and state seems to have been forgotten.

I think that any church who promotes any political candidate should lose its tax-free status. Either they will shut up or pay up.
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Subject: Re: Presidential campaign and candidates Wed Apr 23, 2008 12:36 pm

Hmm, neat idea Abe. Perhaps that would also force some of those groups that organized and call themselves religion (when they aren't) to make a decision about being based on faith, or politics. I'm just glad I only have to hear about it up here and can change channels anytime...I think I would die of soap-opera-itis by the time the election actually takes place otherwise.
I really prefer our own backwards methods of choosing leadership and organizing elections here. It's cheaper too.
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Pam Robertson

http://andthebandplayedonmylawn.blogspot.com

Subject: Re: Presidential campaign and candidates Mon Jun 09, 2008 3:05 am

I think the election is rather exciting. Of course, that could be that my son loves politics and calls me daily with the latest. Where was I when he was at the university and I had no idea he needed to major in political science.

Hillary is from my home town. One time she said there was no discrimination towards women in that town. She was right about that. There wasn't, not there or in the high school.

A friend of mine whose son is a professor of political science at the University of Illinois has told her for years to watch Obama as a fantastic man.

My grandson at the University of Wisconsin went to a rally Obama had there and was VERY impressed. He even did some work on his campaign.

I believe my family cancels each other out when they vote, at least my husband and I do. We are both really into history of this country. Presidents are real people with quirks and faults, and somehow we have survived a few with more than their share.

Carol

Subject: Re: Presidential campaign and candidates Mon Jun 09, 2008 1:02 pm

The system is so flawed I have long favored a draft for all political offices. Everyone has to sign up, you can't refuse the job and there are no second terms.
So back to the present. Gentlemen, start your mudslinging.
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Three Star Member Joined : 07 Jun 2008 Posts : 171

The U.S. is and always has been a representative democracy. Pure democracy doesn't work beyond electing a prom queen. The Electoral College is a culmination of a tiered voting system that was devised by some savvy politicians of a couple of centuries past who knew what they were doing. It has to do with equality of the states. A populous state could overrule a handful of lesser states in a purely popular vote. We are not the Individuals of America but the United States of America.

The political party system is necessary to formulate plans for governing, wherein groups with common interests put forth their plans for all aspects of that major function and the people are allowed to choose which party holds answers to most of the problems that we as voters see. Obviously no party can please all its members. But if six or eight out of ten problems as the individual sees them can be handled by one party, but a lesser number of solutions are credited to the opposing party, the voter takes what he can get with the party most likely to provide the leadership he desires.

The checks and balances work, not only in the three tirered goverment but in the party system. One party is elected and has its way for a while and the alternate party comes to power and reverses the bad decisions of the previous party, The newly appointed party then makes its own mistakes and those are reversed once again with the next election. The good works of either party remain in effect no matter which party is in power, and of course each party claims credit for those lasting qualities, but in truth, those good works are joint efforts, as are the debacles.

All this is preferable to the Imperial system of politics wherein one man or one organization imposes his or their wills for the lifetime of the authority figure. When things go bad for us in America we have an almost unique right to dispose of the ruling entity and try a new solution. That's not a bad way to go.

Jim Woods
www.ultrasw.com/jwoods

Subject: Re: Presidential campaign and candidates Mon Jun 09, 2008 2:37 pm

Jim,

I agree completely. Things could be a lot worse.

Carol

Subject: Re: Presidential campaign and candidates Mon Jun 09, 2008 4:05 pm

In the Vanity Fair magazing, there is a story about Robert Kennedy's presidential bid 40 years ago. He was against the war in Vietnam and there is much similarity between then and now.
There is also an editorial note with the following statement:
"In less than a year, the Bush administration will strut out of office, leaving the country in roughly the same condition a toddler leaves a diaper."
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Subject: Re: Presidential campaign and candidates Mon Jun 09, 2008 6:03 pm

Great quote!

Three Star Member Joined : 13 Jun 2008 Posts : 86

Subject: Re: Presidential campaign and candidates Mon Jun 16, 2008 11:33 pm

There has been extensive negative untrue information spread about Obama. There is a website regarding this:

fightthesmears.com

You can check out any information on this website. It is part of Obama's campaign but it usually includes some documenting evidence, like a copy of Obama's birth certificate.

Obama spoke of fathers absent from their children, not because of being in Iraq but because they just left their families. He spoke of the importance of fathers to children. (His father left when he was two years old, and not to serve in a war.)

I think everyone should vote for who they want, but I don't think it should be as a result of remarks only repeated to smear a candidate.

Whoever is the next president just has to be better than what we have. My grandson heard Obama speak recently and was very impressed by his character.

Carol