Jump to content

2008 Election Previews


Recommended Posts


  • Replies 58
  • Created
  • Last Reply
I respectfully disagree with that assessment of the candidates. Huckabee's not a "big government Republican." As governor, he enacted broad-based tax cuts, streamlined government, and did so with a legislature that was overwhelmingly controlled by Democrats. Yes, he supported raising taxes for improving our highways, which over 80% of voters approved, and he also complied with the state Supreme Court's order to meet school funding requirements. Governors don't have the luxury of voting yes or no on a bill. They have to deal with complex sets of issues, and at the end of the day, they have to make government work. Huckabee could have defied the court order, or let our highways remain the worst in the country. But I'm glad he didn't, and I'm a strong supporter of limited government.

It's ironic that you compare Huckabee to Bush, when McCain is the ultimate neocon. Excerpt from a recent Pat Buchanan article:

I don't consider wasting money on unnecessary wars to be the mark of a fiscal conservative. One more thing on McCain: he voted against the Bush tax cuts twice.

Your assessment of Romney is spot on.

Regarding the Fair Tax, we know that the majority of Americans are dissatisfied with the current tax system; the desire for change is there. It's premature to say that it would be unpopular, because most Americans aren't familiar with the plan. I believe that most people would find the idea of keeping their entire paycheck appealing. A president who supports the Fair Tax could use the bully pulpit to sell the idea to the American people. It already has 77 cosponsors in Congress.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like it's going to be a photo finish for the Democrats. Clinton is winning in delegates but Obama is close. After the South Carolina vote it became clear that Obama is bringing in voters that might never have participated in the process otherwise. I don't think that is necessarily a good thing though- it makes it look like some voters are going for him simply because of his race. It might not be politically correct to make that statement but I think the numbers point to that conclusion. It's not a good way to elect a president and if Obama gets the nomination would be divisive in the general election.

On the Republican side McCain seems to be the clear front runner and didn't need the help of his West Virginia supporters voting for Huckabee to keep Romney from winning. That was the ugly side of American politics. I can see McCain choosing Huckabee as his running partner in order to strengthen his support among conservatives- that's probably a no-brainer.

The general election did look like a sure thing for the Democrats before but now is much closer. If the Democrats have a deep division as looks possible the Republicans could be the stronger party in November. The Iraq war has become less of a concern than the economy now and that helps the Republicans and especially McCain. Both of the healthcare plans of the Democrats involve huge outlays of tax dollars and won't play good in a recession. I think Clinton would be stronger candidate for the Democrats based on the experience factor and she doesn't seem to be winning based on image. I also think should would be a better match for a McCain/Huckabee pairing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the Republican side McCain seems to be the clear front runner and didn't need the help of his West Virginia supporters voting for Huckabee to keep Romney from winning. That was the ugly side of American politics. I can see McCain choosing Huckabee as his running partner in order to strengthen his support among conservatives- that's probably a no-brainer.

The general election did look like a sure thing for the Democrats before but now is much closer. If the Democrats have a deep division as looks possible the Republicans could be the stronger party in November. The Iraq war has become less of a concern than the economy now and that helps the Republicans and especially McCain. Both of the healthcare plans of the Democrats involve huge outlays of tax dollars and won't play good in a recession. I think Clinton would be stronger candidate for the Democrats based on the experience factor and she doesn't seem to be winning based on image. I also think should would be a better match for a McCain/Huckabee pairing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks like it's going to be a photo finish for the Democrats. Clinton is winning in delegates but Obama is close. After the South Carolina vote it became clear that Obama is bringing in voters that might never have participated in the process otherwise. I don't think that is necessarily a good thing though- it makes it look like some voters are going for him simply because of his race. It might not be politically correct to make that statement but I think the numbers point to that conclusion. It's not a good way to elect a president and if Obama gets the nomination would be divisive in the general election.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are you kidding me about Obama?

Obama won 14 states, and Clinton only won 8 on Super Tuesday.

What states did Obama win?

Alabama

Alaska

Colorado (92% white)

Connecticut (87%white)

Delaware

Georgia

Idaho (95% white)

Illinois

Kansas (91% white)

Minnesota (86% white)

Missouri

North Dakota (92% white)

Utah (95% white)

Clearly, Obama has staying power in majority-white states. In fact, his biggest margins of victory were in the rocky mountain/midwestern states.

Here are some local numbers: my college campus supported Obama 81% to Hillary's 19%. The enthusiasm for Obama is rampant and contagious here. His grassroots base is immense! Droves of hundreds and hundreds of students from my school of 6000 turned out to see him speak just a few days ago.

It really, really peeves me when people suggest that Obama's only getting his attention because of his race. (I had a few friends suggest that earlier in the election.) Unquestionably, Obama's race is part of the initial allure, but its his substance and record that close the deal. My favorite stat to recite is that he was the first black elected president to the Harvard Law Review, where he was accoladed by his professors as "brilliant" and whatnot. And of course, he was against this reckless war before it became popular to be against it.

If you doubt in any way the intellectual force, the pragmatism, and the idealism of Obama, you need look no further than his first book, "Dreams from my Father." It was written when he graduated from Harvard Law School at the wee age of 33. It's indisputably one of the preeminent books on the American identity and--concerning prose--is one the most precise, cogent books I've ever partially read (Ok, ok, I didn't get done with it before a tide of new classwork assignments overwhelmed me for the school year.) And I read decently often.

Look, all I'm saying is that he's the real deal, and it would be foolish to brush off his success as merely media hubbub (although, that has certainly helped) or that mystifying "black charm" (</sarcasm>).

He's smart, he's insightful, he's both an idealist while also being a realist..... and he is our next president.

Yes, we can!

P.S. This video is awesome, and absolutely must-see:

Seriously, watch it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The fair tax is regressive, it hits the poor and middle class far more than the wealthy. I just don't see how a 30% sales tax will appeal to ordinary voters. For me it would be terrific, especially with elimination of capital gains. I just don't see it being practically accepted. I would prefer a flat income tax of some sort. The whole IRS deduction system is inefficient and expensive. How much money would America save without all of the IRS to support and accountants and lawyers to fight it?
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.