Rolling politics thread...

by **phdave** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 16:53:17

It looks like John McCain probably won't be our next president. Big surprise. I think that ironically titling his campaign the "Straight Talk Express" was a bad move.

Here are some of my favorite recent moments from John McCain's campaign for the White House.

by **Disco Stu** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 17:01:56

phdave wrote:
Phan In Phlorida wrote:
phdave wrote:
Woody wrote:boobies

Speaking of...

Senator's Number on Escort Service List

Sen. David Vitter, R-Louisiana, apologized Monday night for "a very serious sin in my past" after his telephone number appeared among those associated with an escort service operated by the so-called "D.C. Madam."

OUCH!

Asked by an interviewer in 2000 whether she could forgive her husband if she learned he'd had an extramarital affair, as Hillary Clinton and Bob Livingston's wife had done, Wendy Vitter told the Times-Picayune: "I'm a lot more like Lorena Bobbitt than Hillary. If he does something like that, I'm walking away with one thing, and it's not alimony, trust me."

Is there any proof she hasn't?

by **phdave** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 17:21:48

Disco Stu wrote:Is there any proof she hasn't?

the absence of evidence is not evidence of absense

by **dajafi** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 17:37:13

Of all the big-name Republicans, McCain was the one that I would have had the least problem with. I'm no longer a fan (I know, I know), but I do still think he takes governing more seriously than any of the other clowns, nutjobs, and ideologues.

I was absolutely shocked to read that Weaver and Salter, who seemed to have a deeper level of commitment to McCain than any public figure I could remember to the guys they supported, have both parted ways with him.

by **phdave** » Tue Jul 10, 2007 20:00:15

More conservative humor:

On the July 9 broadcast of his nationally syndicated radio program, Michael Savage responded to a caller who described former Vice President Al Gore's efforts to raise awareness of global warming as "passionate" by saying, "Oh, I'm sure he's also passionate. There are many passionate individuals in history. Mussolini was passionate about bringing back fascism to Italy." He added: "[O]f all of the dictators in the past, you know the one Al Gore strikes me as [being] closest [to] is Mussolini -- sort of a non-racist, benign demagogue using global warming in an attempt to take over the world's economy and put it in his own hands and the hands of his cronies."

Think about this...Michael Savage is very popular.

The Savage Nation reaches more than 8 million listeners each week, according to Talkers Magazine, making it the third most-listened-to talk radio show in the nation, behind only The Rush Limbaugh Show and The Sean Hannity Show.

by **dajafi** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 10:30:51

Okay, phdave: Clinton in his most grandiose post-coital moment couldn't have come up with this one:

Former Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona told a Congressional panel Tuesday that top Bush administration officials repeatedly tried to weaken or suppress important public health reports because of political considerations.

The administration, Dr. Carmona said, would not allow him to speak or issue reports about stem cells, emergency contraception, sex education, or prison, mental and global health issues. Top officials delayed for years and tried to “water down” a landmark report on secondhand smoke, he said. Released last year, the report concluded that even brief exposure to cigarette smoke could cause immediate harm.

Dr. Carmona said he was ordered to mention President Bush three times on every page of his speeches. He also said he was asked to make speeches to support Republican political candidates and to attend political briefings.

And administration officials even discouraged him from attending the Special Olympics because, he said, of that charitable organization’s longtime ties to a “prominent family” that he refused to name.

“I was specifically told by a senior person, ‘Why would you want to help those people?’ ” Dr. Carmona said.

Emphasis mine. Can't you just imagine the fresh-faced youth, presumably working in the White House after successful completion of an American Enterprise Institute internship--it was this or becoming a minister in the Iraqi government, after all--reading Carmona's speeches with a red pen to make sure he met the quota of three Decider mentions per page?

Words really fail to convey how disgusting these people are.

by **Phan In Phlorida** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 15:21:05

The Red Tornado wrote:Not to perpetuate stereotypes, but why are republican's idea of a joke completely unfunny?

Ever see that lame effort at comedy on Faux News (1/2 hour news hour, or whatever)? I watched it once, only to be left speechless. Not really, I think I said "What the %$@! was that?".

by **uncle milt** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 15:53:06

lewis black had a great line on the daily show last night- "fake news of fox should be called 'news'."

by **Phan In Phlorida** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 16:03:59

phdave wrote:

Did they have an overstock of Lorne Greene figures?

by **TomatoPie** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 20:43:31

Phan In Phlorida wrote:
The Red Tornado wrote:Not to perpetuate stereotypes, but why are republican's idea of a joke completely unfunny?

Ever see that lame effort at comedy on Faux News (1/2 hour news hour, or whatever)? I watched it once, only to be left speechless. Not really, I think I said "What the %$@! was that?".

Great idea, horrible execution.

Dennis Miller, OTOH, is genuinely funny. Lefties don't see the humor, the same way that righties don't appreciate Jon Stewart. But Miller is the more talented of the two. Right now, though, I bet he's sorry he went right, since it's more fashionable to go left.

by **kimbatiste** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 21:09:22

TomatoPie wrote:
Phan In Phlorida wrote:
The Red Tornado wrote:Not to perpetuate stereotypes, but why are republican's idea of a joke completely unfunny?

Ever see that lame effort at comedy on Faux News (1/2 hour news hour, or whatever)? I watched it once, only to be left speechless. Not really, I think I said "What the %$@! was that?".

Great idea, horrible execution.

Dennis Miller, OTOH, is genuinely funny. Lefties don't see the humor, the same way that righties don't appreciate Jon Stewart. But Miller is the more talented of the two. Right now, though, I bet he's sorry he went right, since it's more fashionable to go left.

Not sure why Miller is the more talented of the two but it's a false comparison anyway. Stewart's audience is high-school/college/mid-20's demographic. Miller appeals to a different audience. Stewart is mostly just trying to get laughs and any policy arguments he makes are subtle or by accident. Miller tries to make arguments with humor mixed in. The proper "left" comparison would be Bill Maher. But Maher is the more talented of the two.

by **jemagee** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 21:10:00

Cause, miller of course is the 'right' thinking one, so obviously more talented...

by **TomatoPie** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 21:34:32

jemagee wrote:Cause, miller of course is the 'right' thinking one, so obviously more talented...

No, because he's smarter, less predictable, and not aiming his schtick at impressionable college kids.

by **kimbatiste** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 21:46:00

TomatoPie wrote:
jemagee wrote:Cause, miller of course is the 'right' thinking one, so obviously more talented...

No, because he's smarter, less predictable, and not aiming his schtick at impressionable college kids.

Actually its much more impressive to try appealing to college kids on a subject that they usually would not care about.

by **jemagee** » Wed Jul 11, 2007 22:26:27

TomatoPie wrote:
jemagee wrote:Cause, miller of course is the 'right' thinking one, so obviously more talented...

No, because he's smarter, less predictable, and not aiming his schtick at impressionable college kids.

Sure he is, if you say so, based on your history of things you like and dislike i'm going to have to completely disagree with you.

by **Disco Stu** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 00:24:18

TomatoPie wrote:
jemagee wrote:Cause, miller of course is the 'right' thinking one, so obviously more talented...

No, because he's smarter, less predictable, and not aiming his schtick at impressionable college kids.

This is silly. Being knowledgable and smart are not the same thing. I can go look up a ton of crap and then write up some long diatribe using greek mythology and opera singers if I spent the time to do so. First, all Miller does is try to insult (a very common practice among the right). When you can't outwit, call them fat or ugly or that their voice annoys you. See my post with Miller's comments on Harry Reid. About as lame as you can expect.

Moreso, Stewart puts his schtick together based on THAT day's news. He is completly reactionary and dead accurate. Miller has to spend about a week writing crap about stuff that is 6 months old. Miller hasn't been funny since the mid-80s and is so far past anything that is worthwhile to watch that it doesn't surprise me in the least that you like him. I am sure you hated him when he was a democrat, but you are such a partisan hack it is mind boggling.

by **Disco Stu** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 06:21:54

Michael Moore and Rosie O'Donnell are victims of weightism.

by **uncle milt** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 08:17:14

TomatoPie wrote:No, because he's smarter, less predictable, and not aiming his schtick at impressionable college kids.

they may be younger* (and "impressionable", god knows the git r done imbeciles in alabama watching o'reilly aren't), but at least they know some stuff.

http://www.wired.com/culture/culturereviews/magazine/15-07/st_infoporn

* reports place the the median age at around 35.

by **Stay_Disappointed** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 12:53:54

Wondering about 2 things:

First, with Iraq being so far gone now that its only a matter of time before the US withdrawals troops in defeat, why doesn't anyone take the idea of partitioning the country into 3 zones seriously? It would appear that there would be at least a chance of that working as opposed to the definite chaos that will continue otherwise.

Second, with the terror alert being sounded the past few days, would a major attack on US soil within the next year hurt bush or actually help him?

by **kimbatiste** » Thu Jul 12, 2007 21:23:01

Warszawa wrote:Wondering about 2 things:

First, with Iraq being so far gone now that its only a matter of time before the US withdrawals troops in defeat, why doesn't anyone take the idea of partitioning the country into 3 zones seriously? It would appear that there would be at least a chance of that working as opposed to the definite chaos that will continue otherwise.

Second, with the terror alert being sounded the past few days, would a major attack on US soil within the next year hurt bush or actually help him?

1. This is basically what Joe Biden has been saying and I wish his candidacy was being taken more seriously. Not saying I would want him to be the nominee but just that he makes some good, reasoned and factual arguments that I would like to see the other candidates be forced to reply to.

2. At this point, I don't think there would be much effect. People have already made up their mind of Bush. The nuts who still support him will say it is evidence how it important his efforts have been. The other 70% of us would see that it is just another example of him making things more dangerous.

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