Election '08: Republican Primary

[monsoon]

Ahh Fair Tax = European VAT. The GOP would never ever support that just based their current philosophy. I don't know why they just don't call it a Sales Tax which is what it really is.

[Captain Worley]

Isn't a VAT added at each step of the manufacturing process? I heard that back in the 80's, but I'm not sure if it is true.

[dgreco]

The only reason I would consider voting for Huckabee is that he is pushing the Fair Tax. Outside of that I couldn't vote for any politician who wears his or her religion on his or her sleave.

I hope more people warm to the Fair Tax, that would be one governmental reform that would benefit everyone. For those don't know about it, it is a tax on goods and services instead of it coming out of your pay check. You could get rid of the IRS or at least downsize it to a small agency. You would get rid of all the tax forms and complicated regulations. I doubt this will ever happen, as both parties are dead set against it.

[monsoon]

Isn't a VAT added at each step of the manufacturing process? I heard that back in the 80's, but I'm not sure if it is true.

[voyager12]

Huckabee has a good shot of winning Iowa as things currently stand. New Hampshire is going to cool his jets though. The state is much more libertarian than socially conservative Iowa. Romney or McCain will mostly likely win there and depending on how badly Huckabee does in the NH primary he could bounce back in christian conservative dominated South Carolina. We shall see....

[kayman]

If you guys really want to know how well an economy and budget fairs under a "fair tax" just look none other than the State of Alabama. Bascially the state's whole budget is based on sales taxes, and if anytime there is dropped in sales tax revenue, there is proration and the dipping in the slush fund to run basic services. This "fair tax" is a glorified sales tax, and trust me the US would be in worse shape than today if it did switch to this system of taxation. Monsoon, I agree that the deficit spending does have to cease if we are to ever regain value of the American dollar.

[kayman]

On topic, I think Huckabee just showed how much of a buffoon than anything when he opened his mouth about AIDS and homosexuality. The guy is only popular because he panders to the lowest common denominator in society.

[Charlotteman]

On topic, I think Huckabee just showed how much of a buffoon than anything when he opened his mouth about AIDS and homosexuality. The guy is only popular because he panders to the lowest common denominator in society.

[dgreco]

If you guys really want to know how well an economy and budget fairs under a "fair tax" just look none other than the State of Alabama. Bascially the state's whole budget is based on sales taxes, and if anytime there is dropped in sales tax revenue, there is proration and the dipping in the slush fund to run basic services. This "fair tax" is a glorified sales tax, and trust me the US would be in worse shape than today if it did switch to this system of taxation. Monsoon, I agree that the deficit spending does have to cease if we are to ever regain value of the American dollar.

[dgreco]

On topic, I think Huckabee just showed how much of a buffoon than anything when he opened his mouth about AIDS and homosexuality. The guy is only popular because he panders to the lowest common denominator in society.

[voyager12]

Huckabee refuses to recant his ignorant stance on HIV. He only says he may have stated it " a little differently." He is lying when claiming that AIDS was a great unknown in the 90s because transmission was not verifiable. Koop had already stated that AIDS could not be transmitted through casual contact. Huckabee is an intolerant christian theocrat with a smile. I don't want a televangelist as President. As an openly gay jew I think he would be a nightmare and make us even more of a global laughingstock than Bush has done. Before Huckabee I did not think it was possible.

[Gusterfell]

Each presidental candidate makes their "stupid" comments. Also, every negative comments towards Huckabee have been misleading in some sort. His statement on AIDS was a fairly long time ago. I do not agree with what he said, but the ideas of AIDS were different in this country then. We also have to understand people change. The thing I like about him is that he stands by what he says, and if he was wrong he admits it.

[dgreco]

Huckabee refuses to recant his ignorant stance on HIV. He only says he may have stated it " a little differently." He is lying when claiming that AIDS was a great unknown in the 90s because transmission was not verifiable. Koop had already stated that AIDS could not be transmitted through casual contact. Huckabee is an intolerant christian theocrat with a smile. I don't want a televangelist as President. As an openly gay jew I think he would be a nightmare and make us even more of a global laughingstock than Bush has done. Before Huckabee I did not think it was possible.

[kayman]

Anyone can make a statement like that. There are openly xenophobic americans who would never vote for Hillary or Barack. There also Americans who are racist, and mariganlizers... Personal beliefs aside we have to look at what is best for the country. Even if you do not agree completely with a person, you still have to look at a vision. I do not agree with most of the candidates, but I would vote for one who stands by what they say and isn't all over the board. Thats why you may see a McCain come out, or even an Edward (even though he is big business) because they haven't been caught up in the idea of having to be on both sides of the fence to often.

[dgreco]

If current trends continue, Huckabee will never be president. He may be gaining ground with the Republican base, but those are people who would never vote Democratic anyway. Polls show Huckabee losing soundly to any of the serious Democratic contenders. Most of the country has tired of rule by the religious right.

[dgreco]

If current trends continue, Huckabee will never be president. He may be gaining ground with the Republican base, but those are people who would never vote Democratic anyway. Polls show Huckabee losing soundly to any of the serious Democratic contenders. Most of the country has tired of rule by the religious right.

[monsoon]

Huckabee will never be elected president. There are not enough religious fanatics in this country to put him in office. However I have said that if the democrats nominated Hillary they also stand a good chance to lose the election. People are tired of the same old same old and Huckabee, Hillary and a number others represent this. Good God, we just suffered through the administration of the worst president in American history. One would hope this would have been enough for Americans to realize who they might be voting for.

[Lowerdeck]

Is anyone else here worried about the amount of fundie Christians there are in this country? I am. And I can honestly see someone like Huckabee, if not Huckabee himself, becoming president in the not too distant future... like 2008, 2012, or 2016? There are people out there who do want to turn America into a Christian state and a theocracy... a Saudi Arabia under the Bible. And they are probably more motivated to vote than many other sectors of the population, because they are so driven to turn everyone to Jesus and turn America into a Christian state.

[Charlotteman]

It's looking to me as though Republicans don't have an "A List" this time around. Romney is almost laughable, McCain has pandered himself into oblivion, Huckabee is just a plain ol' goofball, Guliani is a NYC queer-loving liberal, and Thompson is....well, er...just awful.

At least the Democrats have a true A list of candidates to choose from. Candidates that garner serious attention, some with national prestige, and others at least halfway respected....

Being a Republican is gonna be tough this time around. But I happen to agree with monsoon---Hillary as the nominee could very well lead to a Republican victory.

[erdogs]

Is anyone else here worried about the amount of fundie Christians there are in this country? I am. And I can honestly see someone like Huckabee, if not Huckabee himself, becoming president in the not too distant future... like 2008, 2012, or 2016? There are people out there who do want to turn America into a Christian state and a theocracy... a Saudi Arabia under the Bible. And they are probably more motivated to vote than many other sectors of the population, because they are so driven to turn everyone to Jesus and turn America into a Christian state.

[Lowerdeck]

I wouldn't worry about it too much; the world is going to end in 2012 anyway.

Hillary is going to be our next president. Her and Bill have too many friends in high places and too many resources at their disposal for any other candidate to overcome. I see this whole thing as a foregone conclusion and the rest is just a dog and pony show. There are the unseen that will and have always decided the outcome of our presidential elections.

[dgreco]

Ugh. I won't believe in that unless it happens, and I find the concept preposterous.

Anyhoo... I don't fear Hillary and the same old ways. Been there, done that. We're just sliding along in mediocrity. I fear a radical change to a Christian theocracy. Having been brought up in my teenage years in a fundie church, when you gather them together and energize them enough, they can start doing some damage to that seperation between church and state. They will probably do more to urinate on the Constitution and the Bill of Rights than Hillary and the money club could imagine.

[runawayjim]

Huckabee was elected to office 4 times in Arkansas and not once did he enforce any evangelical views on the state or its people. I think we think that if he wins people will think he is just going to be a wacky Southern Baptist Evangelical.

Also, over the last week McCain has made a very strong push. It looks like a Romney, McCain and Huckabee race. Giuliani has fallen out of all the polls dramatically recently.

[dgreco]

then why is huckabee coming out with all his evangelical stuff now?

guiliani didn't really stand a chance with the religious right being pro-choice and pro-gay rights. romney is a complete moron and more of a flip flopper than kerry was, and mccain is just mccain.

however, i really worry if obama or hillary get the democratic nomination. i have a feeling that our country won't see beyond race or gender, and aside from that, i think they're too much "politics as usual" (especially hillary).

[ChiefJoJo]

then why is huckabee coming out with all his evangelical stuff now?

guiliani didn't really stand a chance with the religious right being pro-choice and pro-gay rights. romney is a complete moron and more of a flip flopper than kerry was, and mccain is just mccain.

however, i really worry if obama or hillary get the democratic nomination. i have a feeling that our country won't see beyond race or gender, and aside from that, i think they're too much "politics as usual" (especially hillary).