GOP Candidates
Sir_Hugo_Drax
Beneath the Flat Stone Posts: 40MI6 Agent
So I follow politics intently and you'd have to be pretty blind to do so and miss the GOP race going on right now across America. I was just wondering if anyone else on here is also doing so with the same vigor (American or not) and if so, what their thoughts are on the whole situation as it stands presently.
To get the ball rolling, I myself am a massive Ron Paul supporter but I'm not going to stand here and force anyone to share my views; I'm merely interested in a healthy discussion on the topic. This is not a soapbox. Feel free to share you thoughts on anything regarding the race:
- the candidates and their standings in the polls
- campaigns
- the media coverage and influence
- etc. etc.
Hopefully this will yield some interesting opinions. -{
To get the ball rolling, I myself am a massive Ron Paul supporter but I'm not going to stand here and force anyone to share my views; I'm merely interested in a healthy discussion on the topic. This is not a soapbox. Feel free to share you thoughts on anything regarding the race:
- the candidates and their standings in the polls
- campaigns
- the media coverage and influence
- etc. etc.
Hopefully this will yield some interesting opinions. -{
Then he looked again at Bond and spoke very quietly, the red moustache lifting slowly from the splayed upper teeth.
"I should spend the money quickly, Commander Bond," he said.
Then he turn away from the table and walked swiftly out of the room.
"I should spend the money quickly, Commander Bond," he said.
Then he turn away from the table and walked swiftly out of the room.
This discussion has been closed.
Comments
Politics never really goes down well here, so good luck with that!
As an outsider looking in, the presidential race always intrigues me. Mainly how such a large country with a wealth of great minds and personalities always yields such lame ducks! Looking back over the years there have been some terrible names, and this time round seems little different. You're probably in the better camp though.
I think Obama has lacked any real substance and dealt poorly with most issues come his way. Getting Bin Laden was a great boost, but I know personally of French Special Forces and British SBS being told to stand down with near certain verification. It was so much more than the military rumour mill, I actually knew people behind the scenes, manning comms and waking up the big bosses. I guess it wasn't the right time, or the right government on the other side of the guns...
American politics always seems to need so much money to get the candidate on their way. Clear, strong and concise policies don't seem to be so much of an issue. Throwing the biggest party, having the most flag wavers and giving the best sound bite is what matters. Hell, even Obama sung the other day!
At least most British politicians have worked their way up through political parties and served on the cabinet, making decisions or at least debating them before throwing their hat into the ring for election. They also have to be the elected leader of their political party. It's far from perfect, and still yields some lame ducks! But it seems a little more qualifying to me.
http://apbateman.com
"Now you've started it! Now you've really started it!"
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Santorum has identified himself with the Tea Party movement and the religious right. Cutting public expences and believing in God is OK. But both groups has views that are anti science (global warming, evelution etc) anti-gay and simply backwards in their thinking. Santorum has in my opinion placed himself too far to the right to win .... or for me to like him. Do you believe Romney is the candidate who has the best chance to beat Obama? Does it matter that Romney is a metodist?
I have written some of my personal views here. I hope people will take them for what they are and debate tham calmly if they disagree.
http://apbateman.com
Thank you?
Some people say politicians are the price we pa for having a demcrasy just like lawjers are the price for a legal system. I see their point, but I think there are more good people in both profecions than we usually belive. I was bored and wondered if I wanted to thread lightly and stay bored or kindle a debate. Guess what I decided ?
Hat is your take on it?
I did not vote for the President last election and I won't this one, however, I do not care for any of the Republican candidates either. In fact, I see very few political figures in the U.S. that I am willing to support. What we need in this country, IMO, is more statesmen and fewer politicians who only live to make the other side look bad. Congressman Paul Ryan from Wisconsin is someone I could support, but he didn't run due to family concerns. He is smart, articulate and does not take cheap shots at the other side; he will point out the differences in policy, but doesn't inflame the issue.
We have become a country where the people on the far left and the people on the far right garner all the attention as they yell and scream at each other. Meanwhile, the majority of the country that is middle of the road (myself) is ignored because we tend to be quiet and go about our business, meanwhile, nothing gets done. Depressing really!
http://apbateman.com
Really? You have a far left in the US? Can you please educate me and name a couple of far left politicians in the US?
They are all con men, Money grabbers. " No More Heros anymore "
I haven't voted in Years and Can see no reason to start, Unless the start puting a box with
something like " None of the above " or a joke candidate like Katie Price for PM.
Most of the names I would have given you were in this article, so I will let the article name the names. Bernia Saunders from Vermont is an interesting character, he is an Independent/Socialist.
http://nationaljournal.com/congress/most-liberal-members-of-congress-20110226
Secretagent said that with such a wonderful country, the US should have good candidates. Well, Ralph Nader was the one. He ran 4 or 5 times, people didn't vote for him. Now they're on their own. I don't feel bad for them. We never had someone like him in Canada. Someone with a perfect background, who devoted his entire life to others, who put safety belt in your car, who cleaned the air, someone who fought all his life for the greater good when he could've used his Harvard Law degree to make 4 millions per year. He is the one who you can't buy.
Thank you. But i have some more questions: I try to follow current affairs, also in the Us, but I have barely heard of any of these men and women. Yet you claim these people "garner all the attention". Strange, isn't it?
Also, the article says nothing of the practical politics or ideology of these people. Do they worship leaders like Lenin, Stalin, Pol Pot, Castro, Enver Hoxsa or Mao? Do they advocate an abolition of private companies, the stock exchange and private ownership? Do they want to end freedom of speach, free elections and religious freedoms. And to make it clear: not just in your opinion, but have they said so, openly and in plain language?
They do have all the attention, and that's sad.
I don't think they worship communist leaders... Quite the opposite, communist and even socialist is a word they hate.
They do NOT advocate for the abolition of private companies, in fact they see the US as a company.
Then they are not ectreme leftists, are they?
Perhaps they are social democrats or left of centre. I don`t want to be difficult, I`m sorry if I have been. When Americans talk about the left, extreme left or communists I often find they ment someone to the left of themselves. Ths tends to lead to laughable statements such as "Obama is a communist because he wants to raise the taxes." You are clearly better than that, but I still say it is hypebole to call them extreme leftists. I have talked to some real extreme leftists who distribute Mao buttons or belive the Cubans are more free than the Norwegians. They also tend to call anyone to the right of them fascists. I think it is important to to call people what they are and not what you hate. It makes the political debate much better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Go4N7oAFiQ&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmQfDls_AUo&feature=related
Even though Ron Paul is a libertarian, at least he makes sense and he's against the US wars and the big corporations that run the country. All of the others are muppets.
or vote at all. Also, Obama should still be weakest on the issues of employment and the economy. The numbers are slowly getting better, but only .... slowly. But the Republicans seem to focus on issues like abortion, birth control, homosexuals etc. Not to mention, they haven`t found a candidate with the talent for campaigning Obama has. No-one on this election is likely to create something close to the enthusiasm Obama did four years ago, includidng Obama himself.
True. Ron Paul is the only option. The other GOP candidates and Obama support more endless wars and intrusion of personal liberty.
I think us Europeans hate it when the US uses its power, military or other types of power, in theory at least. But often we don`t really mind that much in real life. Examples here are the former Yugoslavia and Libya this winter.
Also, if you want to know why you're wrong about how the Republicans would do a better job with the economy, you can read Paul Krugman's column in the New York Times.
The US should not intervene, especially since it does not declare its wars and they are financed by debts. They are simply making more enemies overseas. Countless retired 4 star generals have said that the US is endangering itself by doing this.
I would prefer to see Ralph Nader president (not running this year) than Ron Paul (mostly because of healthcare), but at least he makes sense. All the other Republicans are corporate candidates.
The word democracy is not in the constitution of the United States, actually.
Fashinably cynical and jaded, but I believe you are wrong. Big companies and big money play a major part on the world stage today, probably more than ever before. But politics and the wil of the people still matters. If elections didn`t matter, why do rich people and companies spend so much time and money on elections and the candidates ? And if the outcome of elections is decieded by them, why do they spend money on diferent candidates? I think it is because politics, candidates and even the people stil matters. Money is important in elections, in the US more than most countries, but people can still vote for for a candidate who didn`t get the most money.
Oh dear god. (facepalm)
Well as I'm 'fashionably cynical and jaded' I see no point. You started it, old heart.
Haha. I think that Number24 is more optimistic because he lives in Norway... The US is in pretty bad shape... Their politics are completely ruined by money.
http://www.opensecrets.org/pres12/index.php
http://www.opensecrets.org/industries/index.php
As scaramanga1 has said, please consider that while we respect freedom of speech, we also advocate that members respect each other's beliefs, political or otherwise.
Use PMs by all means provided that their contents abide by the rules of the site, but otherwise consider this a second notice on this thread.
Thanks