You basically vote Libertarian or you vote Lesser of Evils. Since the media routinely blackballs the LIBS, look what we have. The media have run a steady anti-Clinton campaign yet she overcame all of that just to break even; pretty amazing. Imagine if the media had behind her where she’d stand today. She wouldn’t have to pander about hating smart people because she wouldn’t have had the battle the media have depicted. Politicians hate smart people because their CAMPAIGNING to the redneck populace that turns the vote. It’s a pose.

I’m not a fan of either Republicrats.
Lesser of Evils, people. Which would make this a country you’d be happy to live the future in? I don’t think Obama can get the red states. Not in the end. Clinton has a 50/50.

I don’t know how to respond to those who say “I can’t take 4 more years of Clinton”. Are they saying they’d rather have the conservative right than the center? Are they saying they think Obama would succeed somewhere left of center? There’s nothing to indicate that would be true. Are they saying that Bill=Hillary and Bill was such a bad president that Hillary will be exactly the same? What is this based on? Aren’t all 3 candiaites equal unknowns given that they are all distinct individuals? If so, you can only base on policy regarding issues. I agree with Hillary on more issues than I do Obama. Do you?

There is no question that the Republicans have a significant religious input in their party. Did I say otherwise? I certainly never claimed that the religious right does not hold sway over the Republican party.

Dood—facts, okay? Stick to the facts.

I don’t have to wear blinders.

Yeah, right.

The Democrats have their own set of nonsensical things that drive me batty…just not that one.

As an independent, I don’t have to wear blinders.

http://www.metrobostonnews.com/us/article/2008/05/07/03/0542-66/index.xml

An interesting read, I think.

You can think it’s unrealistic all you want, but it doesn’t change the fact that gas costs about double what it did 5 years ago, and people are still driving, cars are still being sold, yadda yadda. Does the increase in price force some people to make other transportation arrangements? Sure it does… absolutely. But it doesn’t rapidly drive demand down in a way that would affect any kind of supply/demand curve.

Everyone can’t just take the bus – the transit systems in place couldn’t handle the load.

Everyone can’t just take the bus – I live IN A CITY, and taking the bus is so unreliable that I cannot depend on it to get me where I need to be when I need to be there.

Everyone can’t ride a bike – not every climate allows for 365-day cycling season.

A lot of people will eat less food to continue driving to work or wherever they need to go. North Americans have an addiction to gasoline that rivals any drug addiction.

And while I have no doubt clinton will be claiming the rest of the states as her “home,” that’s more than home-turf landslide.

W claiming divine inspiration is NOT the same as saying God wants you to vote Republican. Do you really NOT see the difference between the two statements? I’m not making any excuses.

The Republican party is not the only party in this country that is influenced by religion.

Why don’t you check out the following:

1. http://www.faithfuldemocrats.com

2. From “How the Democrats Got Religion,” Time magazine July 12, 2007:

Clinton has hired Burns Strider, a Congressional staffer (and evangelical Baptist from Mississippi) who is assembling a faith steering group from major denominations and sends out a weekly wrap-up, Faith, Family and Values. Edwards has been organizing conference calls with progressive religious leaders and is about to embark on a 12-city poverty tour. In the past month alone, Obama’s campaign has run six faith forums in New Hampshire, where local clergy and laypeople discuss religious engagement in politics.

3. Check out some of these excerpts from “Democrats get religion” (sfgate.com, November 5, 2006):

In Tennessee, Democratic Senate candidate Harold Ford Jr. — known to shout “I love Jesus, I can’t help it!” at a campaign rally — appears in one ad strolling past the pews of a sunlit sanctuary.

. . . the chief of staff of the Democratic National Committee, Leah Daughtry, also happens to be a Pentecostal pastor

I could go on and on. But you would probably think I was making excuses.

Oh, geez, are you one of those EUians who thinks adding a hyper-Left party to the USA would somehow *help* matters?

And all these skeptics and no one answered Phil’s original question, so I’ll do it.

Politicians hate smart people because smart people are harder to control.

Note I did *not* say *impossible* to control.

“‘I feel like God wants me to run for President. I can’t explain it, but I sense my country is going to need me. Something is going to happen… I know it won’t be easy on me or my family, but God wants me to do it.’”—George W. Bush

Make all the excuses you want.

Tom, I agree with you 100%.

Not all of us think we have two political parties. They’re separate wings of the industrial party. The points where they disagree are spotlighted (providing interesting and distracting political theater), while the brass tacks of running things (and spending the people’s money) quietly continue.

Still, ‘d be nice if you did all vote for the /lesser/ of two Evils this time around.

Okay, so I guess you are saying it is your opinion. Your “personal and professional experience” may be valuable to you, but it doesn’t translate into facts.

In what, 5 posts, you still have not come up with anything to back up your statement about Republicans saying “all the time” that God wants you to vote for their party.

Wright is a fool, no less a fool than Robertson or Hagee or Parsley. The differences between McCain and Obama in this arena are many and significant. At the very least, McCain didn’t spend 20 years sitting in a pew in Robertson’s church. Obama’s involvement with Wright and his church is much more deep and involved and longterm than McCain’s with Robertson (or the other two). There are statements that Robertson has apologized for over the years; I don’t recall any contrition on the part of Rev. Wright.

I’m not so sure that Robertson is a major player in the Republican party anymore; is that your opinion/personal/professional experience, or do you have some factual basis to make that statement?

While Wright may have no “direct connection” to the Democratic platform, he most certainly has a “direct connection” to the (probable) Democratic presidential candidate. Oh, by the way–you are correct: Wright does not claim that God wants us to vote Democratic. Wright claims instead that God damns America (and no, I didn’t take that out of context).

I think that’s unrealistic. If you can * afford * to continue buying gas, then yes, you’ll pay whatever price they set. But there are many people who live paycheck-to-paycheck, and even a slight increase means that they are unable to pay for the same amount of gas.

I’ve already seen a lot more people taking the bus, bicycling to work, and carpooling. Avoiding high gas prices doesn’t require an alternative energy source, just choosing not to drive.

And while the bus companies are still paying for gas, the buses will run regardless of whether there’s 1, 10, or 50 people on board.

I wrote a very simple, declarative sentence that had the phrase “in my personal and professional experience.” How much more clear could I be?

And Reverend Wright is a fool. OTH, I haven’t heard him claim God wants you to vote Democratic. Maybe I missed it.

Btw, why isn’t McCain being asked to distance himself from the wacky posturings of Pat Robertson?

“We have insulted God” with legal abortion and restrictions on religion in public places. “Then we say ‘why does this happen?’ Well, why it’s happening is that God Almighty is lifting his protection from us.”—Pat Robertson on 9/11

Hmmm? Pat is a major player in the Republican party (unlike Wright who has no direct connection with the Democrats’ platform). Why isn’t McCain being required to repudiate such nonsense?

I am sorry it offends you…

Where did I say I was offended?

many Republicans do indeed claim that God wants us to vote Republican.

Just because you say it doesn’t make it so. You should back up your statement with facts. If it is just your opinion that many Republicans feel this way, or your perception, then state it as such.

But don’t make me go looking for “facts” in your post that are not there.

And are you really unaware of any similar religious overtones in the Democratic party? Have you ever heard of Reverend Wright?

I thought the national motto of the USA was

E Pluribus Unum

I am sorry it offends you…but in my personal and professional (I worked for 5 years in religious broadcasting—and, no, I am not proud of that) experience many Republicans do indeed claim that God wants us to vote Republican.

I have heard the same claim made by Democrats…maybe twice in my life. Republicans say it to me all the time.

If it makes you feel any better I am not a Democrat and never have been.

It’s true, abstinence is the absolute best prevention for these things. Unfortunately, telling teenagers to abstain, has been demonstrated to be one of the worst methods. It is probably superior only to giving them no information or advice whatsoever.