Personally the only candidate that’s remotely excited me is Biden.

thinking that no President could be worse than Nixon

Apart from the corruption in trying to stay in 1600, was he so bad?  Didn’t Agnew make major inroads into poor housing?

It’s a truism that JFK won the TV debate, but Nixon won the Radio debate- the start of the slippery slope into today’s ‘pretty boy’ politics. (not just looks, it’s all theatre now).

(PS I was born ‘69)

...the Forest Gump of creationist ideas. We all know it’s retarded, but it stumbles on through life gaining wealth and popularity.

Thanks you for the out-loud laugh.  The only quibble that I have with that is that all the people I’ve ever known who would be classified as “mentally retarded” are decent souls who take you as you come.  IDers on the other hand, are the angry misfit clique from high school who aren’t happy unless they can feel misunderstood and persecuted.  Basically, Dembski, Behe, O’Leary and the lot seem to operate at the same emotional level as a fifteen-year-old from a dysfunctional family.

I’ll see zilch’s “Amen, DOF” and raise it with a “Hallelujah!  Preach it, Brother!”.  Very good points, all.

Actually, I can only think of two things that I can say in favor of GW Bush.  The first was his address to the nation on 9/11 in which he stressed that the attacks were not an excuse for anti-Islamic bigotry/violence (although that didn’t stop some poor guy from being murdered by mouth-breathing knuckle-draggers couldn’t tell the difference between a Muslim and a Sikh).  The second was when he drew fire from the religious right for pointing out that Christians, Jews and Muslims all really worship the same God.  For a guy who credits his “born again” Christianity with saving him from alcoholism (which I normally consider merely trading one addiction for another), that’s actually pretty impressive to my mind.

Personally the only candidate that’s remotely excited me is Biden.

I’m astounded that the plaguarism rap from the 80s hasn’t resurfaced, though.  Then again, I’m also floored that the “Keating 5” isn’t back to haunt McCain.  Oh, but wait--those scandals didn’t involve sex.  Whatever was I thinking?

I’m astounded that the plagiarism rap from the 80s hasn’t resurfaced, though.

Probably because the speech plagiarism rap is pretty easy to understand given that he forgot to give credit just once out of many times he made the exact same speech and it’s documented; and the paper plagiarism issue got an independent wave off by the state law board.

Biden’s been a Senator for decades and he’s never lived in Washington, preferring to commute by public transportation so he could raise his kids as a single father after his wife died in a car crash. He refuses to own stock because he claims it could lead to conflicts of interest. Even his finances are pretty amazingly clean for a guy so long involved in politics, I understand he had to sell his house to afford to send his son to college.

As far as his principles go I’d rank him up there with Dennis Kucinich, without the “unelectable because he’s sort of weaselly looking” tag Dennis tends to attract. Biden’s a Catholic, but he supports women’s rights. Why? Because apparently he simply thinks that the rule of law trumps his personal feelings. That’s awesome.

Biden’s a Democrat that looks like he’s ready to leap over the desk and grab someone by the balls sometimes, and that’s another good reason I think he’s a great candidate. He’s a more competent and confidant candidate than Edwards or Obama. I think Hillary might be able to hold her own in a verbal exchange with Biden, but I think Biden’s senate record explains itself better even in the questionable votes once you start looking at the amendments and such he added. Hillary’s senate record is less about doing the right thing and more about getting her face on tv at the right moment so people never forgot that she’d be running for President.

Didn’t mean to imply that I look down on Biden, Mr. Mook.  I’m just surprised, that’s all--and not a little disgusted at a populace that’s more easily scandalized by extramarital sex than by epidemic corruption and the wholesale vandalism of the Constitution. 

In any election, the least pecadillo will be pounced-upon and flogged to death, and the Rethugs still somehow manage to convince a whole lotta hayseeds (urban and rural) that they’re the trustworthy ones.  That was the main drift of my comment.  McCain was still up past the eyeballs in the S&L;scandals.  But who cares if the American taxpayer saved that bacon to the tune of millions?  McCain didn’t blow anybody in a men’s room, and we all know that’s far better proof of his “morality”, riiiight?  [extra-sarcastic eyeroll]

When I was six, my father took me along on his door-to-door campaigning for Stevenson.  As far as I recall, my dad regarded Eisenhower as a threat to Democracy.  Would that the Republicans fielded someone like Ike again- he is looking better and better as time goes on.  What Republican of today would warn us about the military-industrial complex?

I wasn’t considering anyone being specifically “down on Biden,” just taking the opportunity to promote the man’s good qualities. :D