[vladekad]

I was one of the people who voted for Obama that wasn't enamored by him. Hillary was more qualified but less charismatic.

McCain would be better as president than Bush, but after he picked Palin as his running mate, that sealed the deal for me. Dan Quayle was bad, but Palin makes him look like a genius.

I was just saying to my wife yesterday how I really like Sec. Clinton but I just can't stand watching her speak. She always comes off as artificial to me. Pres Obama might be charismatic but he's just not an effective leader and I think it's really going to hurt him come election time.

I don't know what Sen. McCain was thinking in picking Sarah Palin. I understand he was attempting to appeal to his base but there were just better options. Realistically he could have thrown a dart at a board with Republican names and made a better decision.

[Khurlxgq]

*hugs Sunshine*

hail oh Sunshine me dear!!!

by any measure 'o what a liberal is supposed to be, whether it be crusadin' fer poor and the downtrodden...to bein' a staunch stickler fer human rights...to bein' a "save the whales" environmental lunatic - whatever metric ye wish to use - President Obama be no liberal, and he certainly doth not breathe bluebirds and fluffy clouds.

aye!

- MeadHallPirate

Well no, he doesn't. That is something I have in common with him!

[Ladbarbastirm]

This thread started out by talking about how moderate Americans are. To prove it, it showed that most people preferred a compromise to the budget cuts the Republicans are demanding because of supposed Republican anxiety over the deficit.

But many, or maybe even most Americans don't pay close attention at all to political fights like this. Of course they are going to be for "compromise." We're all for "compromise" when we don't really know the details of the issue. Most people bring to the word "compromise" the assumption that both sides are reasonable. When that assumption is true, then compromise is usually best. But that isn't always the case, I'm sure we'll all agree.

When it comes to the budget debate currently before us, most people would prefer not to be having it at all. Most people don't think the deficit is the biggest problem, not by a long shot:

(The GOP is seriously miscalculating if they think a government shutdown over this issue of theirs is a good political tactic).

Most Americans care about jobs, jobs, jobs. And the Republican plan to cut spending will make that issue worse, not better, per forecasts by Moody's and Goldman Sacks and others.

But if we put real choices in front of Americans and ask them to choose which they would cut, it's not the choices the Republicans have chosen:

The survey — which was conducted Feb. 24-28 of 1,000 adults (200 reached by cell phone), and which has an overall margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points — also listed 26 different ways to reduce the federal budget deficit.

The most popular: placing a surtax on federal income taxes for those who make more than $1 million per year (81 percent said that was acceptable), eliminating spending on earmarks (78 percent), eliminating funding for weapons systems the Defense Department says aren’t necessary (76 percent) and eliminating tax credits for the oil and gas industries (74 percent).

The least popular: cutting funding for Medicaid, the federal government health-care program for the poor (32 percent said that was acceptable); cutting funding for Medicare, the federal government health-care program for seniors (23 percent); cutting funding for K-12 education (22 percent); and cutting funding for Social Security (22 percent).

[nvideoe]

I don't know how you figure that. Wasn't that decided in the Democratic primaries, which if memory serves are separate from the Republican ones?

Hmmm....McCain was installed what...4 months before the Dem primary was wrapped up? As soon ans the Dems knew who they would be facing they went into Obama overdrive. He'd managed a pretty good showing in Iowa and then blew Hillary away in South Carolina. After the SC primary it was pretty obvious that Obama was going to pick up at least 125% of the Black vote and bring hundreds of thousands of new voters to the polls so Hillary backed off for the good of the party.

If ever there was an engineered campaign it was 2008. McCain sat on the sidelines while Hillary and Obama nudged each other without taking any real swipes. Heck, the only point at which things got a little dicey was when it looked like Palin was going to draw a chunk of the female voters.

[Gedominew]

When did Palin ever look like she was going to take any kind of significant chunk of female voters?


Ohh, you mean the time between her being announced and her opening her mouth, perhaps?

[nvideoe]

When did Palin ever look like she was going to take any kind of significant chunk of female voters?


Ohh, you mean the time between her being announced and her opening her mouth, perhaps?

Quite a few of the PUMA's moved Palin's way.

[ThomasMannfanny]

With respect to the thread title: most Americans are centrists, and are now beginning to rumble .. like an Egyptian.

Some Americans are sojourning moderates, hidden from static view ..

.. And few Americans are true liberals/conservatives.

Obama is one of the few: a liberal. Anyone can utilitarianly feign unnatural behavior when challenged for survival. If he had a super-majority in both Houses, how do you think he'd behave?! It's not how he behaves .. it's who he is .. when the going gets easy.

[Abnorttrano]

Unfucking real. Most American are Americans who dont like getting raped and told it is for own good and if we werrnt so stupid we would see that. That's what Obama all the progressive liberals in power are doing.

[Greapyjeory]

Unfucking real. Most American are Americans who dont like getting raped and told it is for own good and if we werrnt so stupid we would see that. That's what Obama all the progressive liberals in power are doing.

Well, that was a moderate response.

[Abnorttrano]

Well, that was a moderate response.

It was. Cause to many republicans are liberal progressives.

[Greapyjeory]

It was. Cause to many republicans are liberal progressives.

If you're right of Attila the Hun, maybe.

[Abnorttrano]

If you're right of Attila the Hun, maybe.

Attila the Hun would have been a progressive cause Fascism is their bailiwick.

[Greapyjeory]

Attila the Hun would have been a progressive cause Fascism is their bailiwick.

lol... Alrighty. So basically, everything evil is liberal or progressive, right?

[Gedominew]

lol... Alrighty. So basically, everything evil is liberal or progressive, right?

It's pretty typical of the over-simplified righties that we get in here. "Everything I don't like is socialist/leftist/liberal/progressive." It's the only way they can function in the world.

Broccoli? Socialist.

Nazis? Socialist.

Rain? Socialist.

[Abnorttrano]

lol... Alrighty. So basically, everything evil is liberal or progressive, right?

Yes..........

[Greapyjeory]

Yes..........

Is Al Quida liberal or progressive?

[Abnorttrano]

Is Al Quida liberal or progressive?

Sure. They wish to oppress freedom as well.

[Gedominew]

Sure. They wish to oppress freedom as well.

Wow

Reality just went and passed you right by, didn't it?

[Abnorttrano]

Wow

Reality just went and passed you right by, didn't it?

The difference between me and you is simple. I see the truth and you refuse to get past your ideology.

[Gedominew]

The difference between me and you is simple. I see the truth and you refuse to get past your ideology.

Wow. Are you looking into a mirror?

AQ is a fundamentalist religious organization. The're CONSERVATIVE. They are neither liberal nor progressive.