US 2008 Presidential Campaign/Debate Discussion Thread - Part Catorce!

[onebloodonelife]

Originally posted by sulawesigirl4
Wait a minute, did I read this right? Obama got a Grammy award? lol.

Yep. I always knew Obama was a rock star.

[U2isthebest]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080211/...l_race_ap_poll

These results seem to be almost exactly the same as those in the TIME poll from a few days back.

[deep]

Originally posted by U2isthebest
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080211/...l_race_ap_poll

These results seem to be almost exactly the same as those in the TIME poll from a few days back.

You do realize this is only a distraction that can lead to defeat for Obama.


If the election were held today and everybody voted exactly as that poll indicates in each state..

Very good chance > McCain wins.

[MrsSpringsteen]

NY Times

February 11, 2008
Bush, Breaking Campaign Silence, Offers a Nod to McCain (and Huckabee)
By SHERYL GAY STOLBERG

WASHINGTON — President Bush broke his silence on the 2008 presidential race on Sunday, giving his imprimatur to Senator John McCain of Arizona as a “true conservative,” who nonetheless has “got some convincing to do” to persuade fellow Republicans of his bona fides with the right.

The remark, in an hourlong interview broadcast on “Fox News Sunday,” was as close to an endorsement as Mr. McCain will get from Mr. Bush at this stage, before a nominee has been officially declared. It was also a sharp departure for Mr. Bush, who had refused to be drawn into commenting on the race.

“I think that if John’s the nominee, he’s got some convincing to do to convince people that he is a solid conservative,” Mr. Bush told the Fox host, Chris Wallace. “And I’ll be glad to help him if he’s the nominee, because he is a conservative.”

With conservative pundits like Rush Limbaugh saying that a McCain nomination would destroy the Republican Party, the senator’s advisers had been hoping for just this sort of public embrace. It came on the heels of Mr. Bush’s call for unity in a speech Friday to the Conservative Political Action Conference, which was also widely interpreted as an implicit endorsement of Mr. McCain.

Until now, with the exception of an early prediction that Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York would be the Democratic nominee, Mr. Bush had done his best to steer clear of extensive discussions of the candidates, especially the Republicans. He has repeatedly said he will not be the “pundit in chief,” and said on Sunday that he did not want to get “into the trap again of getting involved in this primary.”

Even so, Mr. Bush offered his thoughts not only on Mr. McCain, but also on the other remaining Republican candidate, Mike Huckabee, and the Democrats as well. He also defended former President Bill Clinton, who has been accused of playing on racial sentiments by attacking Mrs. Clinton’s opponent, Senator Barack Obama of Illinois.

“I can understand why President Clinton wants to campaign hard for his wife,” Mr. Bush said. “And you know, these accusations that Bill Clinton is a racist I think is just wrong. I just don’t agree with it.”

Mr. Bush did not stick with his earlier prediction that Mrs. Clinton would win.

“I predicted Senator Clinton because I knew that she understands the klieg lights and understands the pressures,” he said, adding, “And that race seems far from over to me.”

He also criticized Mr. Obama’s foreign policy positions, saying, “I certainly don’t know what he believes in.” That brought a retort from the Obama campaign, whose spokesman, Bill Burton, said Mr. Obama “doesn’t need any foreign policy advice from the architect of the worst foreign policy decision in a generation.”

On the Republican side, Mr. Bush took pains to describe Mr. Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas who is trailing far behind Mr. McCain in the race for delegates, as “a good, solid conservative person.” Asked about Mr. Huckabee’s accusation that the White House exhibits an “arrogant bunker mentality” with respect to foreign policy, Mr. Bush dismissed it.

“Yeah, I think he’s tried to walk back that position,” the president said.

Mr. Bush reserved his most extensive remarks for Mr. McCain. Conservatives are deeply mistrustful of the senator, whose advisers are hoping an embrace by Mr. Bush could help bring the divided party together.

Mr. McCain’s differences with the White House are well known. He did not vote for the president’s 2001 and 2003 tax cuts, a sore point with groups like the conservative Club for Growth. And he disagreed with Mr. Bush on campaign finance reform and the use of harsh interrogation tactics against terrorism suspects. But Mr. Bush defended him.

“I know him well,” Mr. Bush said. “I know his convictions. I know the principles that drive him. And no doubt in my mind he is a true conservative.”

[U2democrat]

Does anybody listen to him anymore?

[MrsSpringsteen]

Fried squirrel is a Southern delicacy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QB-Y7Pi_10Y

[U2democrat]

He is a disgrace to GRITS like myself. (Girl raised in the south)

[yolland]

I've encountered people hunting squirrels for food while hiking in Michigan, Maine, New York and Indiana...it's common enough in lots of states with large rural populations and extensive forests, I think. Never tried it personally...

[U2democrat]

Squirrels up north are much larger than squirrels down here. You'd have to kill an awful lot of squirrels just for a little bit of meat.

[phanan]

Originally posted by DaveC
This weekend is the tipping point that carries Obama into the nomination.

Mark my words.

Way to go out on a limb there!

I think it's quite obvious that Obama is going to surge ahead and win this now. I don't see Clinton being able to stop it, unless something drastically changes over the next few weeks.

[U2democrat]

I've just been asked to go on a local radio show tomorrow as an Obama supporter...

[unico]

wear the coexist tshirt!

ETA: i know it is radio, but it will sure strike up some conversation

[namkcuR]

Originally posted by phanan


Way to go out on a limb there!

I think it's quite obvious that Obama is going to surge ahead and win this now. I don't see Clinton being able to stop it, unless something drastically changes over the next few weeks.

I don't know. It's still ridiculously close. If Hilary takes Texas and Ohio.....

I want Obama though.

[U2democrat]

Originally posted by unico
wear the coexist tshirt!

ETA: i know it is radio, but it will sure strike up some conversation

Too bad my Obama tshirt hasn't arrived, and if it has I can't do anything about it because my parents have left for Indianapolis

[namkcuR]

Originally posted by U2democrat


I've just been asked to go on a local radio show tomorrow as an Obama supporter...

By 'asked', do you mean they've asked you to simply give your time to them, or will they give you $?

Either way, congrats.

[U2democrat]

I'm simply giving my time.

I'm not sure what station yet, I'm still waiting for the info (one of my professors called me saying a friend of his is a producer of a radio show and they were looking for a well spoken Obama supporter )

[MrsSpringsteen]

I saw this story on ABC News over the weekend and thought it was interesting, they interviewed some of them and it was more than what is on their site

Are Young Evangelicals Skewing More Liberal?

Observers Say Younger Christians Have Longer, Broader List of Social Concerns

Feb. 10, 2008—

A younger generation of evangelical Christians is coming of age -- and as they head to the polls, they are breaking from their parents and focusing on a broader range of issues than just abortion and gay marriage.

This weekend at a concert and a rally in New York City, a huge gathering of Christian youth came together to decry the coarsening of culture.

"What should be done to stop glamorizing the things that are destroying my friends, your friends -- like drugs, alcohol and sex?" cried a young evangelical.

The top three issues these young evangelical Christians said they most want the presidential candidates to address are Internet pornography, media glamorization of sex and drugs, and children orphaned by AIDS. Abortion and gay marriage were not at the top of their list.

Many of those who did rank abortion as their number one issue also said their favorite candidate was Barack Obama.

When asked if they were bothered that Obama is pro-choice, one young evangelical responded: "Maybe a little bit, but it's all personal preference. I mean, you can't really pass judgment on someone because that's their belief."

This is a significant departure from the older generation of evangelicals.

Only 40 percent of evangelicals younger than 30 call themselves Republicans, according to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. Two years ago, 55 percent of them did.

The study also found that they are more interested in environmental causes, improving health care and combating poverty than their parents.

Observers say traditional leaders like Pat Robertson and James Dobson are now being replaced by more moderate leaders like mega church pastor Rick Warren -- and by a young generation with a much broader agenda.

[U2isthebest]

I would definitely agree. I would hope we're moving past those 2 issues into those that are imperative right now. I'm actually quite disappointed that these young Christians are ranking Internet porn as their most important issue. Are you kidding me? It's not something I'm into, and I think many parents need to have much stricter rules and controls over what their kids can do on the Internet; however we have far more pressing issues that our government has to focus on. More aid and solutions to reduce poverty here and abroad, fixing our healthcare system to ensure that every one is covered by some form of insurance, innovative environmental policies addressing everything from carbon emissions to alternative energy sources, fixing our education system so students in inner city and rural schools are receiving the same quality of education as those in the suburbs, ensuring equal rights for all citizens, etc. are far more important than what consenting adults watch in the privacy of their own homes. I know many Christians, myself included, who are broadening our care and concern to all these issues, so that gives me a lot of hope.

[MrsSpringsteen]

NY Daily News

Monday, February 11th 2008, 4:00 AM
An inconvenient feud

Democratic insiders agree that Al Gore is the ultimate prize among uncommitted superdelegates, and Clintonistas well understand a Barack Obama endorsement by Bill Clinton's veep would be a huge blow to Hillary.

They're hoping Gore will stay on the sidelines, but shudder over reports Obama has been courting Prince Albert for months.

They also believe that Gore must be sorely tempted to stick it to the Clintons, whom he blames in large part for his defeat in 2000.

"The level of animus between them is unbelievable," a well-placed Hillary partisan confided.

A prominent Democratic strategist with close ties to both camps echoes: "The Clintons and the Gores can't stand each other."

[U2democrat]

I'm nervous/excited about being on the radio tomorrow. I'll do my best to make Obama folks proud