As my colleague is drunk on Sake, I'll deliver the political news of the day.
WASHINGTON - The party conventions and the Sarah Palin surge behind them, Barack Obama and John McCain are neck and neck again in their race for the White House — with the momentum and the political environment tilting toward the Democrats.
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Upcoming televised debates provide the next likely opportunity for someone to take control.
In recent days, Democrat Obama has seemed to regain his footing amid Wall Street's chaos and a renewed focus on the economy, a Democratic strength with a Republican in the White House. Also, McCain's late-summer boost, credited to his choice of Palin as his running mate, has appeared to dissipate.
A flurry of national polls now show Obama even or slightly ahead of McCain depending on the survey. The race to reach 270 Electoral College votes, however, remains extraordinarily close in Ohio, Florida and other key states.
"The tide came in, but the tide has gone back out. We're back to where we were" in early August, said Alex Castellanos, a GOP operative and veteran of President Bush's re-election campaign. "Republicans are in for a tough week."
If not six.
By most indicators, this is an election year made for Democrats.
Most people think the country is headed the wrong direction, and they are very sour on Bush. The nation is at war and in economic straits. History shows voters are reluctant to keep a political party in office for three straight terms, and people are hungry for change.
Even so, Obama has struggled to stake out a significant lead. He has been fighting to reassure voters who can't see him — a first-term senator from Chicago with a foreign-sounding name, black skin and a liberal voting record — as president.
Most of those polled said that they have heard of Obama supporters going door-to-door to get out the vote, and the idea of a black guy knocking on their door scared them. They'd rather have him in Washington, as far from their homes as possible.
"He wanted to make a campaign stop here in Vegas," said Rogue II, "and I told my wife to hide the silverware in the basement until he was gone.
Speaking of politics...Have you ever walked into a political discussion that you didn't want to be part of? Today I went into one of our senior project manager's offices. Our work is slowing down because of the economy and she quickly turned the discussion to politics. She was borderline livid at the government and anyone willing to vote for McCain. Trying to avoid the wrath, I told her I was Libertarian and would probably be "throwing away my vote on a 3rd party" in an attempt to lighten the mood. Bad move. She said I may as well not vote at all and any vote not towards Obama may as well be a vote for McCain. I got out of there as fast as I could after that.
Yes, it is bad, but I really don't care for politics. People who get all militant about voting for a particular candidate just make me want to vote for the other guy.
My dad likes to get into political conversations with me or my sisters even though he has no idea what is going on. He always blames everything on "those Democrats" even when it has nothing to do with that. It's really quite frustrating. He's only a Republican since a Democrat offered him a free college scholarship on the basis that he was handicapped (he has no bones in his right hand). He took offense at that, so . . . now he is pro-life and racist because Democrats want to help people? I really don't understand the connection.
I prefer less government. That is what bothers me about Democrats. They want more to "help" people with their programs. It is one thing to help someone get things turned around. It is another to keep people dependent on government hand outs.
What bothers me about the Republicans is the anti-abortion and anti-gay thing they got going on. I don't see what the problem is with same sex marriages (although I wouldn't change the current policy about gays in the military).
I'd probably vote for someone if they proposed either a national sales tax to eliminate income taxes or revising income taxes to a flat rate (with a lower income limit).
Basically, I'd be happy with someone who keeps the roads paved, the schools running, the borders safe, and the economy stable.
I really wish the two parties were what they originally were designed to be -- one favoring more government involvement, the other less, and both pretty much in agreement on non-economical issues.
Funny thing is, the way things have been run for the past couple of decades, regardless of what the parties stand for on paper, the Republicans have been the party of big government.
*--For behavior unbecoming anyone, perpetrated in real time over an extended--AH, FUCK IT! MORE MALIBU, BITCHES!!
vote for the fat old guy who is gonna die soon or vote for the lean younger guy who will be around long enough to see changes made and take the country forward rather than stagnate it.
I have never read any of your posts, but from what I can learn I should say that for people who like the kind of posts you deliver, they are just the kind of posts such people like. Whatevah! Osculum mihi asinum!
Senor JabbaJohnL wrote:(he has no bones in his right hand).
Wow ??? I can't even picture that...unless he looks like Mr. Fantastic? Seriously, that is interesting. Please realize I am not making fun of his condition, I'm seriously curious. Does his hand just look like an glove filled with tissue? I have a cousin who was born without a hand as a birth defect so I can picture that, but not a boneless hand...wow.
Senor JabbaJohnL wrote:(he has no bones in his right hand).
Wow ??? I can't even picture that...unless he looks like Mr. Fantastic? Seriously, that is interesting. Please realize I am not making fun of his condition, I'm seriously curious. Does his hand just look like an glove filled with tissue? I have a cousin who was born without a hand as a birth defect so I can picture that, but not a boneless hand...wow.
No, I know. It's not like he has limp fingers or anything . . . they were removed when he was an infant, from what I know. It kind of looks like a small fist with a small thumb. But it's not like I stare at it or anything; that's just how it's always been. (There's actually a kid here on campus with the same deal, from the looks of it.)
