Yahoos protest

[Johnd]

John, if what I've said is such "Poppycock;" when in our history, has your version of how it should be, ever taken place?

I strongly believe our political system isn't supposed to 'work'.
It is supposed to give (we, tax payer lemmings) the allusion of it 'working'
The system works just enough to keep the tax payers pacified.
Pacified, just enough to keep the tax money 'Shell Game' going.

Don't take offense to that Rickster. I employ colorful language often, sometimes to my own demise. It is not a personal attack...simply my disagreement with that statement. Forgive me.

To answer your question...it worked in the 1960's and 1970's and 1980's. There was substance in the platforms, debates, and the candidates were required to be more reponsive to us.

 

[Halon451]

Don't take offense to that Rickster. I employ colorful language often, sometimes to my own demise. It is not a personal attack...simply my disagreement with that statement. Forgive me.

To answer your question...it worked in the 1960's and 1970's and 1980's. There was substance in the platforms, debates, and the candidates were required to be more reponsive to us.

Again, do agree - there have been times in history where the system has worked as it should have. The important thing to note here is that since we are, in fact, part of the system - if we lose faith, then the system automatically fails. For that reason, I have to hold on to what faith I have in the ability of the democratic process to function as it was designed to do, or else I run the risk of just becoming another part of the problem.

 

[Rickster71]

John and Halon,
You'll have to forgive my negativity; I live in the most politically corrupt state in the country, New Jersey.

Regards,
Rick

 

[Halon451]

John and Halon,
You'll have to forgive my negativity; I live in the most politically corrupt state in the country, New Jersey.

Regards,
Rick

Ah - nevermind then.

 

[Rickster71]

Ah - nevermind then.

If I can talk my wife into it; we'll be coming your way soon.
Negotiations are on going.

 

[Halon451]

If I can talk my wife into it; we'll be coming your way soon.
Negotiations are on going.

Sweltering heat and humidity, mosquitoes and palmetto bugs the size of small dogs, deadly lightning storms, hurricanes, outrageous home insurance and tax rates, and Charlie Crist to save us all?

Come on down man, we're all having a blast here!

By the way for all you fellow Florida guys - Yay or Nay on Amendment 1? Which way are you going to vote? I say nay - it's a pitiful attempt at solving a real crisis down here, and though the idea seems to be good on the surface, I think we can do much better.

EDIT: Let's see just how many times we can hijack this thread away from it's original topic - didn't we start somewhere on the subject of racism?

 

[Johnd]

EDIT: Let's see just how many times we can hijack this thread away from it's original topic - didn't we start somewhere on the subject of racism?

Yeah, and here I am to get you back on track Halon.

It was more about the stupidity of the separatists, which of course lends itself to racism, which, of course is of national interest, so, it is only natural that Obama, the White vote and the Black vote were introduced. The one post that is off topic had to do with speech correction...enough of that.

The commentary I had was it is not enough that there is a Black man (or a white woman) running for president. Not until that's no longer an issue is it enough.

The vote is still clearly along racial lines...and the inside view is that Obama's too white for some Blacks, and those that remain with him are then asked the question: "But would you vote for Obama were he not Black?" This has everything to do with race, and racism.

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

it is impossible to be the one golden candidate in which everyone rallies behind.[/I].

Didn't Castro garner virtually 100% of the vote during his presidency on a regular basis throughout his presidential career?

 

[Highlander]

...I think it's the opposite, I think it demonstrates a progression beyond the former school of thought, when no one would even think about considering a black or woman President.

I appreciate that, but the point is; we shouldn't at the present time, where we are at now, bat an eye about the notion of a black or white president.

...Margaret Thacher made an excellent PM, if she were an American running for office I would vote for her.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

 

[Johnd]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Well, she was good for America Robbie! She was kind of our queen.

 

[Halon451]

Didn't Castro garner virtually 100% of the vote during his presidency on a regular basis throughout his presidential career?

I have no idea... did he?

Is that really an accurate representation of our own political condition?

 

[stratman]

Sweltering heat and humidity, mosquitoes and palmetto bugs the size of small dogs, deadly lightning storms, hurricanes, outrageous home insurance and tax rates, and Charlie Crist to save us all?

Come on down man, we're all having a blast here!

By the way for all you fellow Florida guys - Yay or Nay on Amendment 1? Which way are you going to vote? I say nay - it's a pitiful attempt at solving a real crisis down here, and though the idea seems to be good on the surface, I think we can do much better.

EDIT: Let's see just how many times we can hijack this thread away from it's original topic - didn't we start somewhere on the subject of racism?

For heaven's sake vote against it!!!!! If you read the fine print it's a horse manure cart waiting to fall on us the tax payer. It sounds beautiful, carry-over current tax burden to new property and stay at current bracket, well here's where the horse manure comes in, we voted for 3% per year cap on our real state taxes, well with this new wonderful plan that cap goes out the window and our trusted leaders strap us with a 10% cap, meaning what they lose up front they make up through the back door, all it takes is two years of raising taxes and the carry-over bliss is over. Now you'll have your old taxes and a 10% cap on top of that, that is insulting to our intelligence. Marco Rubio who earnestly tried to change this horror has been side tracked in Tallahassee by special interest groups and a governor who is confused or has been corrupted by lobbiests.

John, there are so many variables working against our system that cleaning up will almost be impossible. For one, special interest groups, which politician isn't beholden to one? Steve Forbes could have been great, I just don't know what happened.

 

[Buckeye_Nut]

I have no idea... did he?

Is that really an accurate representation of our own political condition?

LOL... I think you totally missed the point.

 

[Johnd]

John, there are so many variables working against our system that cleaning up will almost be impossible. For one, special interest groups, which politician isn't beholden to one? Steve Forbes could have been great, I just don't know what happened.

While it is true special interest groups exist, a defeatist (don't be offended strat) attitude is a large part of our (society's, voter's) problem. Does that make it "impossible" for our representatives to remain true to us? Does that mean that they do not still answer to us? What can be done about this?

If this truly is a major concern, I submit the first step is to relay that fact to your representatives, and to vote on that topic strictly (soft money vs. hard money). After the problem of soft money is reasonably curbed, the door is opened for more stringently regulated special interest groups, and how those sig's are not the vox populi, and that sig's may in fact speak against the interest of the people. The door is then opened to regulating/minimizing the influence of sigs. Not Utopia. Not easy. But our responsibility.

Strat, as you've honored me with my 1,999th post, I'm now off to address more important matters.

 

[Halon451]

For heaven's sake vote against it!!!!! If you read the fine print it's a horse manure cart waiting to fall on us the tax payer. It sounds beautiful, carry-over current tax burden to new property and stay at current bracket, well here's where the horse manure comes in, we voted for 3% per year cap on our real state taxes, well with this new wonderful plan that cap goes out the window and our trusted leaders strap us with a 10% cap, meaning what they lose up front they make up through the back door, all it takes is two years of raising taxes and the carry-over bliss is over. Now you'll have your old taxes and a 10% cap on top of that, that is insulting to our intelligence. Marco Rubio who earnestly tried to change this horror has been side tracked in Tallahassee by special interest groups and a governor who is confused or has been corrupted by lobbiests.

John, there are so many variables working against our system that cleaning up will almost be impossible. For one, special interest groups, which politician isn't beholden to one? Steve Forbes could have been great, I just don't know what happened.

I agree Strat, which is why I'm strongly against it myself. This whole freaking thing is specifically designed to assume that the general public in this state really has no idea what's going on (insulting to our intelligence, an understatement). The analogy I had to give my wife, because it was her idea that any little help we can get is good, was this:

You take a man who has been wandering through the desert, dying of thirst. He desperately needs water, so you show up with a 5 gallon bucket of clear, pure H20. Instead of giving him the bucket, you offer him a shot glass, in exchange for an added 30 miles of the remainder of his journey through the desert, with still no guarantee of finding his way out.

Then I asked her, "It doesn't make a hell of a lot of sense does it?" I think she got it after that.

Unfortunately - I'm nearly 100% certain that what they assume of the general public will play to their benefit, and we (as Floridians in general) will vote it through. Then what...

 

[Johnd]

and we (as Floridians in general) will vote it through. Then what...

Oh yeah, vox populi. That is the very creed of the Floridian polling machine Halon.

 

[chadnliz]

As D. Miller noted "Martin Luther King Day makes Racist folks confused, they love the day off but kinda mad about the reason"

 

[Johnd]

As D. Miller noted "Martin Luther King Day makes Racist folks confused, they love the day off but kinda mad about the reason"

?

Who? D. Miller? Never heard of him. It may help the thread and others' understanding if you post the author, his work, and what you think his reasoning was. Otherwise, this strikes me as a Bazooka Joe piece of literature. Don't have the author's name, the book (or paper) you referenced, and the inference seems rather dark. Please, chad, enlighten us.

 

[Johnd]

and the inference seems rather dark. Please, chad, enlighten us.

Yes, I agree wholeheartedly!

 

[highfihoney]

?

Who? D. Miller? Never heard of him.

You've never heard of Dennis Miller or any of his comedy commentary on racism.

And i thought i was a shut in