Recent word is that McCain has just hired Bush’s campaign team.

So expect the nastiest frickin’ campaign imaginable ... AGAIN ... from the GOP.

If you ever thought of McCain as a nice level-headed moderate, put the thought away. He’s a vicious shark, willing to do or say anything to get into the White House.

Counter to the laid-back image he projects on camera, I’ve read several times that he sometimes has screaming fits when things don’t go his way.

He’ll be nothing but a continuation of Bush/Rove’s GOP.

You may all find this interesting about Hillary clinton and the New world order theory:

http://www.cultdeadcow.com/archives/2006/11/hillary_clinton_will.php3

Ps Obama sounds way too much like Osama

Thanks for the link DC.
From there I got to here and noticed this little gem:

In Cuba, children are separated from their parents for extended periods of time and indoctrinated in Communist dogma.

As opposed to children in the US going to summer camp and being indoctrinated into the beliefs of the evil-surveillance-camera-in-the-sky guy.

Is it just me or do others notice that dyed-in-the-wool Republicans are to a large extent much noisier and much more likely to suggest taking up arms against the Democrats than the other way around … over a point of view?
Most of the world sees Republicans as little better than Nazis and therefore, is it any wonder, US citizens in general are seen as a buncha scary, hate-mongering, fuckwits by association … present company excluded of course … well, most of you. 

… whereas we Aussies (Ozzies) … well this found its way into my inbox the other day (from a Kiwi). It’s a bit schmaltzy but it made me grin.

Subject: Australian Values
There may be better places in the world to visit, but I’ll be buggered if I’d live anywhere else than here.

When I think of a ‘typical Aussie’ I get an image of a bronzed man or woman, who has Milo and Weet-Bix for breakfast, Vegemite for lunch, and a BBQ and beer for tea. Tim-Tams are the national snack, beating the Poms at anything the national sport (although we’re getting tired of that, time to move focus to the Yanks). It’s getting in there and having a go. It’s calling your best mate a total bastard, and your worst enemy a bit of a bastard. It’s the Hills Hoist, the Holden Ute, Gum Trees and Simpson washing machines. It’s dusty kids with big smiles. It’s veranda’s as large as the rest of the house.

It’s Victa mowers cutting foot long grass that was only mowed two weeks ago. It’s having a laugh with your mates.  It’s scones, sheep stations the size of European countries, and Tim-Tams. It’s being girt by sea and pissed by lunchtime. It’s about being so lustful for international recognition we celebrate winning against the Poms in Darts. It’s about a Highway which kills more people each year than die by murder. It’s taking a criminal and making him a hero. It’s “no worries mate”, “she’ll be right mate”, and “Waltzing Matilda” all rolled into one. It’s sheilas, blokes, wankers, poofters, dancing queens, wowsers, Jumbucks, Jackaroos, Jillaroos, Wallaroos, Kangaroos, Koalas and an animal that is so strange that when it was first discovered, people thought it was a joke.

It’s women in unfeasibly small bikinis putting coins into your parking meter while you’re off getting pissed. It’s immigrants from the 50’s saying they don’t want any more immigrants. It’s making a feature film about a bunch of travelling queers and calling it a national triumph. It’s taking our greatest military defeat and turning it into the birth of a nation, while simultaneously ignoring Black Sunday against the Germans. 

It’s footy in the office, betting on the Finals, supporting your local team (even if half of them come from Melbourne) and code wars in the Pub. It’s massive bronzed Aussie blokes with arms like power poles meeting you at Customs with a smile and a G’day. It’s calling out to the man on the boundary for thirty minutes to turn and wave, and when he does, give a cheer and start all over again. It’s having 9 of the 10 most deadly land animals on the face of the planet in our backyards. 

It’s the population of New York occupying a country the size of Europe. It’s about standing by your mate, no matter what stupid thing he’s done now. It’s about a tennis star who is called a brat with one breath, and a bloody legend the next. It’s about flying over the centrepiece of our nation on the way to Bali or Malaysia. It’s Melbourne and Sydney competing with each other as to which is the best city in the country, while the rest of us know they’re both rubbish. It’s our distrust of politicians and moral elitists. It’s having the world record for the single largest mass shooting, which the Yanks can’t seem to beat no matter how often they try.

It’s surf lifesavers who are the envy of the world. It’s meat pies with sauce, calling French Fries chips, and buying wine by the cask. It’s hating the French, beating the English, and laughing at the Americans, who think ‘World Series’ means only two countries are allowed to participate. It’s about arguing whether it’s Cabanossi or Kabana. It’s the Blue Heeler, the Kelpie, and the Tuckerbox. It’s making cars so good that we export them to every Continent except Antarctica.

It’s inventing a sporting catch-cry in three seconds, while other teams’ supporters plan for months. It’s chasing fish poachers halfway around the world just so we can confiscate their boat and sell their catch. It’s cricket in the backyard, over-and-out, batter fetches, one-hand-one-bounce, electric wickets, and tipsy-runs. It’s having some of the brightest coloured birds in the world that you can’t see in the trees no matter how hard you look. It’s Magpies calling in the morning, Crows cawing in the afternoon, and Possums climbing in your window after dark.

It’s getting a Kiddie Pool and suddenly finding your children have a lot of new friends. It’s wearing thongs on your feet, not up your bum crack. It’s walking into the shopping centre bare-chested for the guys and shorts and bikini top for the girls and no one gives you a second glance. It’s budgie-smugglers on the beach, and tackle out at home. It’s Hoop Snakes, Drop Bears, Bunyips, Yowies and Queensland Tigers. It’s leaning over the fence to have a yarn with the neighbours. It’s playing a code of football so tough and without padding, overseas visitors think we’re mad. It’s not knowing for sure what half the words to the National Anthem are, but still singing what they ‘might be’ with pride. And it’s a sports flag and team colours which have nothing to do with the national flag.

There. That just about covers it

Clinton has my vote, if she does even half the things she says she’ll do.

Great synopsis of the Australian people, John. As far as I am concerned, any country whose citizens can stomach Vegemite on a daily basis must have great character. 

Well first off, my computer is back, and so am I.
Election time is so depressing, being a die hard socialist and knowing we stand a better chance of seeing hell freeze over than getting near “The White House “

Socialism will eventually make it as a last resort before the country completely goes into default as a Nation. Well enough....I’ll spare the rant.

I can’t stand any of them, as usual the American people are left to decide the lesser of evils.

Lucky John...That was Great !!!

Glad to see yer (you’re as opposed to your ) back, Paul.

Sadie & Paul - if there’s any part of that ... that whatever, you don’t understand, it’d give me great pleasure to explain as there are even some bits I didn’t immediately register. 

It’s women in unfeasibly small bikinis putting coins into your parking meter while you’re off getting pissed.

The Gold Coast City Council decided to put parking meters ‘everywhere’.
The business men/people got together and employed scantily bikini clad ’meter maids’ to fill the meter so the illegal parker wouldn’t get a ticket.

It’s budgie-smugglers on the beach, and tackle out at home.

It’s wearing speedos, cossies, bathers, togs, or swimmers, or whatever one wears at the beach (whilst smuggling budgies) and leaving the wedding-tackle unencumbered at home.

I agree with you that it will be an interesting race, especially the Democratic primary. At this point, I’m leaning towards Edwards. I always liked him, and he strikes me as rather sincere. However, I would have no problem supporting either of the two out in front.

My main concerns with Obama are that America is still too racist to elect him and that he is inexperienced enough that they will be able to use this as a socially desirable excuse. I’d love to be wrong about this.

With Clinton, I’m just not sure sufficient numbers of voters will be able to see past her standing by Bill or how he has been demonized since leaving office.

I live in New York, and I have to say, there is some resentment of Hillary moving here just to run for the Senate, even among those that voted for her.  I personally feel a little resentment toward her for that fact, but I am more concerned that she does not have a strong stance on Iraq, and seems to shift political direction based on the President’s popularity ratings.  Before the 2004 election, she did not generally oppose the President on anything, but now, after the results of the 2006 mid-term, she seems to be speaking out against some of his policies more vocally.

Perhaps I’m being too harsh on her about this since barely anyone in Congress said anything against Bush until the political winds shifted against him, but not everyone is running for President (and I’m still a tiny bit angry over the carpet-bagging thing...I feel used).

That’s not to say I’d ever vote for the GOP candidate.  Obama seems a bit too inexperienced having only been in Congress two years, but we’ve done worse (the current resident for example).

Personally, I’d like to see Russ Feingold run for President, he doesn’t appear to have a problem taking unpopular stances (voted against the PATRIOT Act, voted to Censure Bush for the illegal wiretaps), and he has 13 years in the Senate under his belt.  Too bad he announced that he won’t run for President.

I’m still waiting for Biden to start stomping, because he’s probably the only Democrat I can see gut punching a Republican on the White House steps and I think it would be a beautiful first step if he were able to further convince Obama to be his running mate. Personally I just can’t see voting for Hillary under most normal circumstances, and I think she’s going to be more of a distraction for the electable candidates than anyone with a real chance of removing the Republicans from the White House.

A Pom’s British, if Wiki’s got it right.  Hadn’t heard that one before.  Good post, LJ. 

I don’t know if Clinton would win the election.  She would galvanize the right to oppose her because she’s a woman and was Bill’s First Lady, along with them dragging out Whitewater and the healthcare reform she wanted.  Obama would be great, imo, but his just being inexperienced would probably hurt more than help. 

The thing is, with W tanking in the ratings, it’s looking like a pretty sure thing the Dems will have the next POTUS, unless they really drop the ball.  Which also makes sense for Hillary to run, as it would be the best shot for her, or Obama for that matter.  If Obama doesn’t run now, he couldn’t go against an incumbent Dem in 2012.  I could see him as VP with Clinton, and running for POTUS in 2016, unless Clinton pisses off too many while in office.  On the other hand, if Obama waited until the 2010’s for an opportunity, I think he’d be a sure thing if there wasn’t a popular incumbent.  But that also means he waits a decade or so before running.

I liked McCain in the past, but he’s changed now that he’s decided to run, and I would only vote for him as the lesser of two evils at this point.  At this point, however, the Dems would have to put up someone REALLY awful for me to do that.

It’s interesting that so many folks are citing Obama’s inexperience as I was watching MSNBC the other day just after the announcements and they were talking to some political pundit about Obama’s supposed inexperience and the pundit pointed out that 4 of the last 5 presidents didn’t have a lot of experience before becoming President. George W. being one of them.

I’m not american, but I was wondering for elections in general, is there a way I can sell/auction my vote so I get something out of it? Maybe illegal but somebody with a strong enough opinion or who benefits from a certain candidate is sure to pay something

Are you kidding Distant Claws, of course you can sell your vote—this is America, damn it!  And you don’t even have to be a citizen.

Welcome to the election futures market.  The 2008 presidential race has already opened for trading.

Go to http://www.biz.uiowa.edu/iem/markets/Pres08.html

(Link courtesy of http://www.electoral-vote.com/.

Good luck!

I have followed this site since I worked at IBM. 6-7 years ago. But, I had to register and make my first post just for this thread.

Please consider Obama.

I live with-in his state. I am very impressed with him. He has returned every email I ever sent him. With personal responces specific to my email. As opposed the Senator before him, who would just fire off canned responces ie: Thank you for your concern…
So at any rate, I have actually had a few email conversations with Sen. Obama.

Outside of two issues, he has agreed with me on all the other issues I have presented to him.

Cheers RDNewman, I was lucky and got offered 2 votes last election because as a student I was registered as living in 2 constituencies

“Brownback?”
Do I smell racism?

Hillary vs Obama Hussein (ironic name) vs a Republican? Great, looks like I’m not going to be voting.

Doctor M: “Brownback?”
Do I smell racism?

I’d always assumed that his name was Native-American, but apparently he’s of German extraction. If there’s one good thing to come of his 2008 campaign, it’s the fact that I laughed my hardest in a long time when I first heard of it.

I just keep thinking of the Daily Show (we get it a day late) pointing out how the right keeps confusing Osama with Obama in their reports

LH: how the right keeps confusing Osama with Obama in their reports

I could well imagine he’ll strugle in some areas just because of his name

And the fact that he is actually MUSLIM!!!!  There was actually a move to ban Keith Ellison the first Muslim member of Congress he was elected last year because HE REFUSED TO SWEAR HIS OATH OF OFFICE ON A BIBLE!  How dare he want the Koran.

Link

Even though he used Jefferson’s Koran

Or try this small minded bigot

Yes I know- but how many people will assume he is, as he was raised a Muslim, and has Hussein as a middle name.

Obama’s been pretty open about his Christianity, perhaps precisely because people might mistake him for Muslim.

I’d like Hillary to win just so’s y’all can say your last 4 presidents were Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton. 

I wonder if Jeb will make a run for the feeding trough before or after 2008.