| obama's chances in the general election
Posted: 4/26/2008 8:05:43 PM | obama's strong point is very kennedy like with alot of charisma.
He speaks of hope and change andis a smart eloquent speaker. This country is so damaged by the war and the recession that any change is better than we had. Now the problem is obama isnt really saying anything about important isueus like the fuel crisis and the economy. What is his plan? A anti bush sentiment or anti carter sentiment may not be enough to get you elected. Now he could get at least 30 percent of the black vote which is alot more impressive than jessie jacksons run for the presidency.
If he can sway some of the conservative democrats then he has a legitmate shot.
I think some of the southern democrats will vote for obama because the dont like hilary. There is a new south so to speak that i think looks pass his color. Tiger woods one of greatest golfers in the world broke the mold as mixed person. Obama has the chance to make history and i dont think he will be denied that. He weathered the rev wright thing very well. Watch for the ads in the south by the clinton campaign. They darken his skin to make him appear blacker. Just watch. | |
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| obama's chances in the general election
Posted: 4/26/2008 9:39:59 PM | | welcome to the conversation bluesinger52. there is a new south, I am part of it. I was born in detroit and grew up in DC. unfortunately, there is still the old south which outnumbers the new south. I don't care the color of the candidate, I don't care the creed. I want the best person for the job. I don't see him/her in this current class of candidates. | |
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| obama's chances in the general election
Posted: 4/27/2008 6:35:46 AM |
maybe you should ask yourself why you are refusing to delve deeper into these associations of obamas... why are you so willing to dismiss them? why are you so sold on a candidate that you know so little about? why are you so willing to swallow every thing you are fed and not question?
How do you know what I know about Obama? How do you know what I've 'delved into'? Why do you presume to think that I am exhibiting blind faith? I cannot stand the superiority that comes along with this thought process some people have toward others when they support someone. (Be it McCain, Hillary or Obama). If you asked me my reasons for continuing to support Obama in light of his associations, I'd tell you. But it is much easier for people to assume I'm just going along with 'what I'm fed' because .....because why? You assume I cannot think for myself? You assume millions of Obama supporters cannot think for themselves? If you've noticed, I'm not answering the question. Because the way it was asked does not warrant an answer.  | |
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| let's get real for a second
Posted: 4/28/2008 12:19:40 AM |
mcain is not bush III. sorry... there is no proof to support your assertion that he is
..
The prospects of passing Sen. Jim Webb's 21st Century GI Bill increased on Thursday after Sen. Daniel Akaka, a veteran of WWII and the Democratic chairman of the Senate Veteran Affairs Committee, signed on in support.
"I think we've got a terrific bill," said Webb, "it reflects the desire of all of us to act as proper stewards for all of those who have done so much since 9/11."
Akaka became the 54th cosponsor of the measure -- including 10 Republicans -- which increases educational benefits and reduces school costs for veterans of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.
In doing so, he left Sen. John McCain as one of the few remaining veterans in Congress to not yet offer his or her support. Indeed, several weeks after the Arizona Republican told a member of the Student Veterans of America that he had "not had the chance to examine [the bill] carefully," and need more time to weigh the measure, McCain's mind is still not made up.
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| let's get real for a second
Posted: 4/28/2008 12:25:46 AM | Vets to McCain: Back New GI BIll
April 10, 2008
Inter Press Service
SAN FRANCISCO - A leading political action committee founded by veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has launched a new internet video and petition demanding that Sen. John McCain throw his support behind a new GI Bill.
The video -- a joint project of Brave New Films, VoteVets.org and WesPAC, a group formed by former Supreme Allied Commander in Europe General Wesley Clark -- is aimed at persuading the Republican nominee for president to agree to provide improved education benefits for soldiers returning home from the two wars.
The video features four veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, testifying about the problems they have with the current GI Bill.
"When I enlisted, I was under the impression that my college would be paid for, that I would have everything taken care of," Iraq war veteran Joshua Drake said in the video.
Take Action: Tell your public officials how you feel about the New GI Bill.
"The current GI Bill is inadequate," the former Navy Corpsman added. "It hasn't kept up with the cost of inflation, or the cost of tuition or the cost of books. ... If I could talk to John McCain, I would try to appeal to him as a fellow veteran."
Originally enacted in the waning days of World War II, the GI Bill of Rights is one of the most popular social programs in U.S. history. When President Franklin Roosevelt signed the GI Bill into law in 1944, he saw it as part of his New Deal package of social programs. The law, officially called the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, promised returning veterans that the government would pay the full cost of tuition and books at any public or private college or job-training program. It also provided unemployment insurance and loans to buy homes and start businesses.
But over the years, the GI Bill has lost most of its value.
The current Montgomery GI Bill, passed in 1984, asks active duty members to accept a pay reduction of $100 per month through 12 months of military service. When they return to school, they receive $1,100 monthly for a maximum of three years of education benefits. It is an amount that doesn't come close to covering the cost of a modern college education, veterans say.
Advocates are supporting a bipartisan bill by Sens. Jim Webb and Chuck Hagel that would bring back WWII-era standards of providing vets with full tuition, room and board. So far 51 senators have signed on as co-sponsors. But the bill remains nine votes short of the supermajority necessary to dissuade a filibuster.
John McCain has refused to comment on the bill. Numerous calls and e-mails to McCain's Senate office in Washington and campaign office in Virginia seeking comment on this story went unreturned.
"It's time for Senator McCain to stand up for veterans and be a leader," the chairman of VoteVets, Iraq war veteran Jon Soltz, said in a statement. "The success or failure of this bill largely rests on his shoulders. He is the de facto leader of the Republican Party. If he signs onto the bill, it will pass and become law. If he doesn't support it, he needs to explain why he doesn't."
McCain's silence on the GI Bill may surprise some observers, given the senator's six years behind bars as a former prisoner of war in North Vietnam. On the campaign trail, McCain speaks almost daily about "supporting the troops."
But organizations that have followed the senator's voting record have noted that McCain's actions are rarely in line with the interests of veterans' organizations. In 2006, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Senator McCain a failing grade of "D" based on his voting record.
The same year, McCain supported the interests of the Disabled American Veterans just 20 percent of the time. The main reason for the low scores is a consistent pattern by Senator McCain of voting against appropriating money for veterans' health care and disability payments.
According to Disabled American Veterans, McCain voted almost a dozen separate times against spending additional money on veterans' health care in 2005 and 2006, even as hundreds of thousands of soldiers and Marines were returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and filing disability claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
During that time, McCain voted against expanding mental health care and readjustment counseling for returning service members, efforts to expand inpatient and outpatient treatment for injured veterans, and proposals to lower co-payments and enrollment fees veterans must pay to obtain prescription drugs.
"There was an effort to increase the budget for veterans' health care beyond what President [George W.] Bush had requested as part of his budget," Disabled American Veterans spokesperson Dave Autry said. "The idea was to increase funding for veterans' health care by cutting back on tax breaks for the wealthy. The proposals were pushed by Democrats and opposed by Republicans in almost straight party-line votes."
McCain's vote also helped defeat a proposal by Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow that would have made veterans' health care an entitlement program like social security, so that medical care would not become a political football to be argued over in Congress each budget cycle.
"The budget and appropriations process for veterans has been late the majority of the time the last 20 years and the funding proposed by the president is almost always insufficient," Autry said. "As a result, the VA could not plan for the number of returning veterans and staff the medical centers based on the likely demand. So we tried to make the funding sufficient, timely and predictable. If the Stabenow bill had passed, it would have been a big step in that direction."
Like the other funding bills, the Stabenow bill failed on a virtual party-line vote with John McCain voting against the veterans. According to Autry, virtually every single initiative to support veterans was defeated in Congress until the Democrats took control of both houses in January 2007.
McCain's Democratic rivals for president, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, both support the bipartisan effort to improve the GI Bill. In 2006, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America gave Obama a B+ and Clinton an A-. Obama and Clinton both voted with the interest of Disabled American Veterans 80 percent of the time.
This from a Vet himself? | |
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| let's get real for a second
Posted: 4/28/2008 6:46:08 AM |
This from a Vet himself?
Maybe it takes a vet to know when the benefits are good enough already.
Seriously, every special interest group want more, whether they are vets, teachers, businessmen, whatever. As it is, for the last 15 years military salaries have had a higher annual increase than regular government workers - getting the same increase is considered a big victory for civil servants. Over time the discrepancy adds up. It's very difficult for an outsider with no military background to say no - that usually has to come from an ally. It took Bush I to draw down the military - Clinton couldn't have gotten away with it. It took Clinton to bring about welfare reform - a Republican president couldn't have pushed it through. So maybe it takes a vet to look objectively at the current pay and benefits and decide 'enough.' | |
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| let's get real for a second
Posted: 4/28/2008 10:59:38 AM |
So maybe it takes a vet to look objectively at the current pay and benefits and decide 'enough.
Let's see Jim webb' After graduating from Annapolis, Webb was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps. As a first lieutenant during the Vietnam War he served as a platoon commander with Delta Company, 1st Battalion 5th Marines. He earned a Navy Cross, the second highest decoration in the Navy and Marine Corps for heroism in Vietnam. Webb also earned the Silver Star, two Bronze Stars, and two Purple Hearts.
Chuck hagel Hagel is a Vietnam War veteran, having served in the United States Army infantry, attaining the rank of Sergeant (E-5) from 1967–1968. While serving during the Vietnam War, he received the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, Purple Heart, Army Commendation Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
Frank lautenberg served overseas in the United States Army Signal Corps in World War II after graduating from Nutley High School.
John warner He is one of five World War II veterans presently serving in the United States Senate
Daniel Akaka During World War II he served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including service on Saipan and Tinian.
The following Vets obviously disagree. | |
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| let's get real for a second
Posted: 4/28/2008 11:14:18 AM | It seems reasonable to ask John McCain why he would ask for heavy service from our soldiers while allowing inflation and time to massively erode their benefits. Today's veterans serve with just as much honor and patriotism as John McCain did, but they have far fewer available benefits from a grateful nation than he did. | |
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| let's get real for a second
Posted: 4/28/2008 11:16:06 AM |
The following Vets obviously disagree.
That's fine - I have no opinion on the matter. And one would expect that most veterens would put the interests of the veterens first. I'm just saying that just because somebody is a vet it doesn't mean that they have to.
What would you say about a general who stood up and said "enough with the big ticket weapon systems!" even though the rest insist they need them. Is he disloyal, or not to be believed? | |
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| let's get real for a second
Posted: 4/28/2008 11:23:52 AM | I meant no opinion on whether vets get enough already, which is what you seem to be addressing by rolling out vets in favor of the bill and highlighting their service.
I *do* have an opinion on whether a military man can oppose increasing veterans benefits further without being disloyal.
And you didn't answer my question - would you ridicule a general who said we don't need any more expensive weapons systems if most other generals said we did? | |
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| let's get real for a second
Posted: 4/28/2008 11:31:38 AM |
And you didn't answer my question - would you ridicule a general who said we don't need any more expensive weapons systems if most other generals said we did?
That IMO is a strawman argument were talking about a Presidential candidate always harping on how he supports the troops yet cant decide whether to sign a bill to help veteran's? Disloyal yep totally hypocritical also! | |
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| obama's chances in the general election
Posted: 4/28/2008 12:11:17 PM | bluesinger52, I dont see how any candidate could venture an opinion on how to solve the fuel crisis, food crisis, iraq crisis or any crisis. These are very, very complex things and it also takes bring the Senate and Congress along: there are no magic bullets.
All you get from a candidate, I think, is:
1. Do you like them? Do you like to look at them and listen to them? Who do you want in your face for 4-8 years? This is our national leader.
2. What are they committed to? You can tell that from voting records and compare how you would vote from what you know.
3. What are they promising? No, many promises arent kept, but we elect on promises.
FYI, here is a link to a series of debates by Kenndy and Nixon..........very interesting to compare then and today.
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/JFK+in+History/Campaign+of+1960.htm
Both had a good grasp on issues, both respectful, it came down really to who you liked better... | |
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| obama's chances in the general election
Posted: 4/28/2008 12:26:09 PM | | oh my god! barack obama was in my city campaigning today. hillary was here yesterday. he gave some speech at the college, I actually could have gone. but you know what he talked about? "change we can believe in." thanks buddy, got that message already. I couldn't believe that when I went to check local news, it was on the front page. we all know that his campaign hands out these yes we can and change signs in order for you to get into an event. they also hire people to faint at his speeches. but it just annoys you a little bit more when it happens within 1 mile of your house. oh and yes, it was on the front page of the local page because our local paper is owned by the tabloid new york times. | |
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| obama's chances in the general election
Posted: 4/28/2008 12:41:31 PM | QUOTE: right or wrong, this is reality. any thoughts?
^^^ OP, personally I'm all for Obama. I realize what you say in the 1st post has some truth to it as well, but, personally I feel his biggest challenge will be (or IS) getting past Hillary. I believe if he gets past her to get the Dem Party nod, and particularly if he picks a strong choice for VP (I'm thinking perhaps Edwards but who knows) , he'll trounce McCain. | |
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| obama's chances in the general election
Posted: 4/28/2008 1:01:36 PM | 
you obviously don't know how unpopular john edwards is in this state. that would be the kiss of death! people who don't live here have a different outlook on it I guess. when you are in a liberal city, you just assume everyone is going to vote against the republican. I am telling you, a democrat in the south, is WAY different than a liberal in NYC. | |
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| obama's chances in the general election
Posted: 4/28/2008 1:17:30 PM | | ^^ perhaps so. But then he hasn't chosen or mentioned Edwards yet, it was just an example. I thought he'd be a good candidate for VP personally, but if he's unpopular to that degree in the south then clearly (I would hope at least) Obama's advisers would know that. | |
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| obama's chances in the general election
Posted: 4/28/2008 1:34:35 PM | | I personally dislike john edwards based on his "two americas" theory and his vision for "one america." I have a hard time listening to this message from a guy that is worth $30 million dollars. his vision for one america obviously doesn't include himself. | |
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| let's get real for a second
Posted: 4/28/2008 7:27:21 PM | JEd~
mcain did not back social security reform... he went against the president.
mcain did not support tax cuts ... he went against the president again.
mcain and bush do agree on immigration though... except mcain is even wimpier on immigration then bush...
mcain also brieflyu considered running as john kerry's vp.
mcain is much more moderate then the bushwacker...
oh yeah... and one last thing... mcain has never taken ONE ear mark IN OVER 30 YEARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! NOT ONE!!!!!!!!!!!!! so again... unlike bush HE DOESN"T SPEND SPEND SPEND!!!!!
thank you and i rest my case...
lar | |
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| obama's chances in the general election
Posted: 4/28/2008 7:31:39 PM | bluesinger52
you know, i think you are right on about the jfk thing, except obama's embarressing crazy uncle pretty much messed that up for him by actually mocking jfk in his speech today. it was pretty shocking actually. i couldn't believe it.
wright is a complete moron. i think he is intentionally trying to mess up obama's chances. what else could explain his bizarre behavior?
obama has already dropped like 5 points within twenty four hours in indiana!
lar | |
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| obama's chances in the general election
Posted: 4/28/2008 7:50:21 PM | - Iraq War, Bad Economy favors the Democrat
Obama would win but it would be close.
I'll say Obama 280, McCain 258
The Toss Up States
Pennsylvania: Obama +2
Ohio: McCain +4
Michigan: Obama +5
Wisconsin: Obama +6
Minnesota: Obama + 4
Iowa: Obama +5
Indiana: McCain + 4
Virginia: McCain +2
Colorado: Obama +1
New Mexico: Obama +1
Nevada: McCain +3
New Jersey: McCain + 1 (Upset Pick)
New Hampshire: McCain + 1
North Dakota: Obama +2
South Dakota: McCain + 4 | |
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| obama's chances in the general election
Posted: 4/28/2008 7:56:54 PM | | jmarchise, I doubt very, very much that the Obama campaign is hiring people to faint at their rallies. You have a vivid, sick imagination. | |
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| obama's chances in the general election
Posted: 4/28/2008 8:35:39 PM |
jmarchise, I doubt very, very much that the Obama campaign is hiring people to faint at their rallies. You have a vivid, sick imagination.
I guess I am sick. I also guess that these people are fainting from the words he delivers by another's pen. thanks for the education. | |
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| obama's chances in the general election
Posted: 4/28/2008 8:53:33 PM | McFlopPander is nothing but dubya II. Same old shit for 4 years.
dubya's got 70% disapproval ratings. I don't see how McFlopPander can distance himself from the totally failed dubya and the totally failed dubya war and economy. McFlopPander consider dubya a close friend and supports all dubya's failures.
The impression I of McFlopPander is that he's too old, pretty stupid, has no vision, will as much Charlie McCarthy as dubya, and is not under control, not mature emotionally. He's chosen to ride the tiger, and he's simply not man enough.
McFlopPander is pro-Iraq war forever. America has been, is,will majoritaily anti-war.
Obama will be next President on pro-Obama vote + anti-dubya vote
His coattails will bring in large majorities in both houses.
He will have the Congressional votes to implement real change, but will spend a lot of time and energy undoing dubya's widespread, deep ****ups. I figure the corps/Wall St will have him assassinated. | |
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| let's get real for a second
Posted: 4/28/2008 9:55:53 PM | | Obama himself stands for hate, sure he would like you to believe he is the great uniter and that he will bring the country back together after the huge rift that separated conservative from Liberal. Facts are he couldn't pull even his pastor back from a endless hatefilled sermons. His little slips calling his own Grandmother a racist and disowning his pastor but unable to disown him. An american born terrorist is a friend to him but his Grandmothers fear of black men aproaching her makes her a racist? What? If your confused... me too. What can Barrack change? He couldn't change his pastor of 2o years or his Grandmother of all his years and a terrorist of recent years. Or maybe he didn't care enough for them to want a change? How much more does he care for you or me? Thank God he stands up for the one thing he does care about. He is not about wear a pin to show his patriotism or reverance to the country he believes he qualified to be the leader of. Thats a man determined to make a change. | |
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