Experts say that barring the unexpected, Democrats will win control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November

[Saddle Bronc 124]

...Perhaps they should change the Republican Party logo to an eight pointed star of chaos to remind people where to point the finger of blame?

I thought that the symbol of an elephant was supposed to be "bureaucratic, hard to move, and impossible to work with"--meaning big government/bureaucracy, while that of donkey (democrat) was representative of politician as a whole (only good for carrying dirty laundry). :lol:

[Alex+R 0]

FISHDUDE, EREKOSE, whatever

Are you fundamentally against voting?

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Admittedly, a flaw in my idea about donkey--in many cases, the dirty (and smelly) laundry is much cleaner than the pol's. :lol:

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

FISHDUDE, EREKOSE, whatever

Are you fundamentally against voting?

time to watch alex try to nail jelly to the ceiling

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

FISHDUDE, EREKOSE, whatever

Are you fundamentally against voting?

Certainly not.

Though I will say that voting for one of two equivalent and equally inadequate parties that don't represent your interest is not in the best democratic tradition. Better to deface your voting paper (which gets counted as a destroyed ballot) is a better use of the vote than voting for "the lesser evil". But that's just my opinion.

[Nikita2Charles 32]

I'll bet ya before election time, they will find Bin Ladden, they might know where he's hiding, same as the iraqi fellow. Talking about Christian values, all those people that got killed in Iraq and afghanistan( Oil Pipeline) so the oilman in Texas and the white house can get Richer, while the family of those soldiers mourn the lost of their children, died for for WHAT?

Whatever happen with Bill with Monica under his desk was a private matter, call it a sin but that sin didn't kill people.

Time for a Regime change here in Washington

Start with the House, Congress, then the white house at election time.

Well if Billy boy hadn't wasted time maybe Bin ladden would have been caught earlier. What year did bush come into office?? What year did sept 11 occur?

PS. Sep 11 was planned numerous years earlier, that is during the time democrats were in office..

Under clinton, they almost got bin ladden by a drome but he managed to escape that bombing. IF they really want you, just be discret and atchat kaboom, no need for a major war, or better off buy the politician like we always do, and have a regine change, that would not have been the 1st

[Alex+R 0]

Better to deface your voting paper (which gets counted as a destroyed ballot) is a better use of the vote than voting for "the lesser evil". But that's just my opinion.

I just don't understand this perspective. I know a very nice anarchist who thinks the same way.

Isn't doing SOME good better than doing no good at all? Why not? Withdrawing from the process does not seem to me to be the best way to a) effect change of any type or B) change or challenge the system.

I ask because I'd really like to understand.

[mawilson 2,133]

...the last 6 years, the Republicans were almost exclusively in control of the country, and it's not as if things have dramatically improved since then..

They say all politics is local, I take it one step further and say all politics is personal. The Bush years have been the best years, professionally speaking, of my short life. Do I think Bush gets the credit for that? No. But does the charge that America isn't doing well resonate with people like me? Not at all. I'm doing well, everyone I know is doing well. My neighborhood has never looked better. My town is growing at faster rate than I've ever seen it grow. Where I stand, things look very good.

I have to agree with Gupt here. If the country is falling apart as some people claim

it is, it must be happening in some parallel Universe.

Edited August 28, 2006 by mawilson

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Barring an unexpected and big event, Democrats will win control of the U.S. House of Representatives in November and conceivably the Senate, too.

If the Democrats do take over it will be because of anti- Republican/anti-Bush votes, not Pro-Democrat votes.

Hasn't that been the case for both parties for awhile now? Politics of negativity and fear - don't vote Democrat unless you want gays to marry, don't vote Democrat unless you want terrorists to run amok...blah, blah, blah..

[mawilson 2,133]

FISHDUDE, EREKOSE, whatever

Are you fundamentally against voting?

time to watch alex try to nail jelly to the ceiling

LMAO - that would be JellyFishDude

[rclouse 0]

Who knows? More to the point, what does it matter?

My point is that the Democrat charge that America isn't doing well will not resonate with a large segment of Americans. People trust what they see in their communities. What I see in in my community is good.

That's a very narrow viewpoint and you're not looking at the consequences for the future. I could break out the credit cards and buy all new furniture and a plasma TV, but we'll be hurtin' when the bills come due. That's basically what this administration has done.

[Ban Hammer 13,352]

Better to deface your voting paper (which gets counted as a destroyed ballot) is a better use of the vote than voting for "the lesser evil". But that's just my opinion.

I just don't understand this perspective. I know a very nice anarchist who thinks the same way.

Isn't doing SOME good better than doing no good at all? Why not? Withdrawing from the process does not seem to me to be the best way to a) effect change of any type or B) change or challenge the system.

I ask because I'd really like to understand.

i'd take his answer as a yes to your question, btw

[one...two...tree 2,762]

My neighborhood has never looked better. My town is growing at faster rate than I've ever seen it grow. Where I stand, things look very good.

But is that because of, or in spite of GWB?

Who knows? More to the point, what does it matter?

My point is that the Democrat charge that America isn't doing well will not resonate with a large segment of Americans. People trust what they see in their communities. What I see in in my community is good.

It should matter or you're not paying attention.

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

I just don't understand this perspective. I know a very nice anarchist who thinks the same way.

Isn't doing SOME good better than doing no good at all? Why not? Withdrawing from the process does not seem to me to be the best way to a) effect change of any type or B) change or challenge the system.

I ask because I'd really like to understand.

For starters - its your ballot and you can choose to do whatever your like with it, whether you choose to vote Republican, Democrat, Donald Duck or simply wipe your ####### with it, that's the freedom you enjoy.

All three are valid means of expressing your political opinions, as opposed to not voting at all - where your ballot is not counted (at all) and you have essentially no voice whatsoever. These days however, and this is my view, wiping your ####### with the ballot is pretty much the best option. It's not withdrawing from the process - your vote still gets counted.

Fishkoepfin made the point earlier that it’s the system that needs changing - and it’s the system that is the problem. Its simple - election campaigns in the US and most other western countries have been taken over by clever marketers who use advertising strategies to make people think that a particular candidate stands for their interests when they really don't. Political discourse (certainly during the 2004 US election was heavily dominated with sloganising, with the barest pretense of actual debate).

Even if say, the Dems were to win the next election I have to say I honestly don't think it will make much difference - there's really no such thing as the "lesser evil", just a continuous spiral of "business as usual" mediocrity.

Incidentally I'm all for compulsory voting - if you can be fined by the courts for not turning up to jury duty I don't see this as much of a stretch.

Edited August 28, 2006 by erekose

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Better to deface your voting paper (which gets counted as a destroyed ballot) is a better use of the vote than voting for "the lesser evil". But that's just my opinion.

I just don't understand this perspective. I know a very nice anarchist who thinks the same way.

Isn't doing SOME good better than doing no good at all? Why not? Withdrawing from the process does not seem to me to be the best way to a) effect change of any type or B) change or challenge the system.

I ask because I'd really like to understand.

I agree with believing in the political process, however, if for example the two presidential candidates were Stalin and Hitler, would you still vote for one of them?

I just don't understand this perspective. I know a very nice anarchist who thinks the same way.

Isn't doing SOME good better than doing no good at all? Why not? Withdrawing from the process does not seem to me to be the best way to a) effect change of any type or B) change or challenge the system.

I ask because I'd really like to understand.

For starters - its your ballot and you can choose to do whatever your like with it, whether you choose to vote Republican, Democrat, Donald Duck or simply wipe your ####### with it, that's the freedom you enjoy.

All three are valid means of expressing your political opinions, as opposed to not voting at all - where your ballot is not counted (at all) and you have essentially no voice whatsoever. These days however, and this is my view, wiping your ####### with the ballot is pretty much the best option. It's not withdrawing from the process - your vote still gets counted.

Fishkoepfin made the point earlier that it’s the system that needs changing - and it’s the system that is the problem. Its simple - election campaigns in the US and most other western countries have been taken over by clever marketers who use advertising strategies to make people think that a particular candidate stands for their interests when they really don't. Political discourse (certainly during the 2004 US election was heavily dominated with sloganising, with the barest pretense of actual debate).

Even if say, the Dems were to win the next election I have to say I honestly don't think it will make much difference - there's really no such thing as the "lesser evil", just a continuous spiral of "business as usual" mediocrity.

Incidentally I'm all for compulsory voting - if you can be fined by the courts for not turning up to jury duty I don't see this as much of a stretch.