2012 Presidential election thread

[Dak]

Yeah his wife wrote a book about it. Crazy.

 

[King Richard]

Ya crazy bastards indeed.

 

[Dak]

Ron Paul vindicated on Iran

Underlying our Iran strategy is the assumption that if we keep ratcheting up the pressure, the regime will eventually say uncle. A problem with this premise is that throughout human history rulers have shown an aversion to being seen by their people as surrendering. Indeed, when you face dissent, as the Iranian regime does, there's actually a certain appeal to confronting an external threat, since confrontation tends to consolidate domestic support. As Nasr puts it, "the ruling clerics are responding with shows of strength to boost solidarity at home."

This doesn't mean Iran's rulers haven't wanted to make a deal. But it does mean the deal would have to leave these rulers with a domestically plausible claim to have benefited from it, and it also means these leaders can't afford to be seen begging for the deal. When President Ahmadinejad visited New York last year, he gave reporters unmistakable signals that he wanted to negotiate, but the Obama administration chose to ignore them. After Ahmadinejad "went home empty handed," reports Nasr, power increasingly shifted to Iranians who argued for confrontation over diplomacy.

Even so, Iran's foreign minister made another appeal to re-open talks only days ago, suggesting that they be held in Turkey. But, as the New York Times reported, western nations interpreted this overture "as an effort by Iran to buy time to continue its program." Got that? If Iranians refuse to negotiate it means they don't want a deal, and if they ask to negotiate it means they don't want a deal.

Nasr says the tightening of the screws is making Iran increasingly determined to get nuclear weapons--not to start a war, but to prevent one. Having seen what happened to Muammar Qaddafi, says Nasr, Iran's leaders worry that foreign powers would "feel safe enough to interfere in the affairs of a non-nuclear-armed state."

This is the kind of thing Ron Paul presumably had in mind when he said Iran may want nuclear weapons in order to get some "respect." But hey, what does Ron Paul know?

 

[MasterOLightning]

That party sure has no idea how to pick an electable candidate. I watched that last debate, and it shocks me that Huntsman isn't getting a bigger push. He's by far the most appealing candidate to the moderate voters that will end up deciding the election. Everyone else is going as hard as they can to the right, while Huntsman actually suggests he's interested in working with the other party to accomplish things. People in the middle politically do not like the Republican obstruction tactics of the past few years, and most of the people on that stage promised more of the same. He says he's for closing corporate loopholes and means testing for entitlements, so he's at least not treating the 1% like our overlords like too many others.

 

[King Richard]

All I have to say is, if Romney is indeed the Republican nominee, he's going to be absolutely curb stomped by Obama.

 

[Dak]

All I have to say is, if Romney is indeed the Republican nominee, he's going to be absolutely curb stomped by Obama.

This is truth.

As I stated on another forum, the divide between the 50+ crowd and the 30- crowd is showing in this GOP race. As the old idiots die off, and the yound liberty supports increase, how is the US going to look? Especially as the unavoidable results of baby boomer/entitlement economic and political idiocy assert themselves.

 

[King Richard]

I also have this really strange sneaking suspicion that Romney might ask Ron Paul to be his running mate in the end. It would make a lot of sense to do so.

 

[Dak]

I also have this really strange sneaking suspicion that Romney might ask Ron Paul to be his running mate in the end. It would make a lot of sense to do so.

RP would never accept a VP-ship from Romney, and if he did, he would lose a lot of supporters. I am philosophically against democracy/voting anyway, so it makes no personal difference, other than to accept would be disappointing.

 

[V.V.V.V.V.]

This is truth.

As I stated on another forum, the divide between the 50+ crowd and the 30- crowd is showing in this GOP race. As the old idiots die off, and the yound liberty supports increase, how is the US going to look? Especially as the unavoidable results of baby boomer/entitlement economic and political idiocy assert themselves.

Wow, it is weird how much I agree with you on this post. Kudos.

 

[Dak]

Wow, it is weird how much I agree with you on this post. Kudos.

Despite my beer induced typos, thank you.

I think the possibility of the *Russian professor predicted balkanization of the US* is extremely high in the next twenty years, along libertarian/socialist/"southern conservative"(idealogically fascist)/Hispanic lines.

His map isn't exactly accurate but close enough.

From everything I have been reading in libertarian/anarcho-capitalist publications, the "new frontier" in libertarianism is South Central/South America. Montana has a strong individualist/libertarian streak, but I don't know if it's enough to withstand the chaos of collapse/control in the rest of North America.

 

[Einherjar86]

I agree about Romney losing to Obama, which other Republicans I've spoken to don't seem to understand.

The only Republican candidate that can actually beat Obama is Paul.

 

[Dak]

I agree about Romney losing to Obama, which other Republicans I've spoken to don't seem to understand.

The only Republican candidate that can actually beat Obama is Paul.

There's this FoxNewsPundit-induced haze that has Republicans thinking that the whole country thinks Obama is a complete failure.

As per polling, he has been hovering within 50%. If Obama has 50% general approval in the country, and Mitt Romney can't even get 40% approval against the current jokester Republican field (sans Paul), in a state he lived in/next to, and campaigned in for years, that does not bode well. It's pretty obvious Paul votes won't gravitate towards Mitt in the general election, not to mention most "hardline conservatives" are already considering voting for Mitt a "hold your nose and vote" situation.

The "the anyone on this stage could beat Obama" line has been used repeatedly throughout the debates (I think I even heard Paul use it once, unfortunately), and it has no basis in fact.

 

[Xorv]

Watching Romney do a speech is painful, he's such a snake I can sense it instantly. If elected he would destroy the middle class. Some conservative republicans are such close-minded individuals though, ugh...

and what is it with obama suddenly being the worst president in history in some corners of american media? However, I rarely hear anyone mention the republican house congress and their "successes"

 

[Dak]

Watching Romney do a speech is painful, he's such a snake I can sense it instantly. If elected he would destroy the middle class. Some conservative republicans are such close-minded individuals though, ugh...

So are liberal Democrats. The party nonsense is killing the country.

and what is it with obama suddenly being the worst president in history in some corners of american media? However, I rarely hear anyone mention the republican house congress and their "successes"

Not that there's been a major improvement in Congress, but Obama basically didn't follow through on any of his major campaign platforms, and practically doubled the national deficit. He realy isn't any worse than Bush Deuce, who did the same thing.

 

[Xorv]

How is Obama suppose to do anything when republicans, especially house republicans, love to go against Obama on seemingly everything, even cutting payroll taxes!!

 

[King Richard]

3 in 5 Republicans Polled Want To Vote For Ron Paul, But Just Can’t:

CONCORD, New Hampshire (ILN) — In their latest poll, Nielsen’s revealed that out of 10,000 registered Republican voters, 6,000 want to vote for Presidential Candidate Ron Paul, but just can’t. The question, “why can’t they?”, could audibly be heard throughout the state.

Ryan Shark, a school teacher from Michigan who was included in the Nielsen poll, said, “I want to vote for the guy, I really do. I agree with almost everything he says.” When asked why he wouldn’t be voting for Representative Paul, Shark replied, “It’s like asking a smoker to quit cold turkey. Logically they know they should, but committing to and actually doing it is really freaking hard. I know the government spends ridiculously crazy amounts of cash and it blows my mind into little itty bitty pieces… but when it’s someone else’s money, it’s kind of easy to justify.”

One political analyst, who wishes to remain anonymous, agrees with Shark. “The American people know that they should balance the books… but they just don’t think it sounds like much fun.”

In a country where a millionaire lottery winner is allowed to receive food stamps (link), Ron Paul has done remarkably well on a platform of strong budget cuts. He secured 22.8% of the votes Tuesday in the New Hampshire primary and is now optimistically looking forward to South Carolina’s primary where he “hope the voters continue to grow a pair.”

 

[Dak]

How is Obama suppose to do anything when republicans, especially house republicans, love to go against Obama on seemingly everything, even cutting payroll taxes!!

Congress has nothing to do with his further military expeditions around the world, failing to withdraw troops from around the world, and closing Gitmo.

 

[Dak]

 

[zabu of nΩd]

I think i'm gonna start posting this link a lot until people start talking about it:

http://www.americanselect.org/

 

[Jimmy... Dead.]

The Fantastical Crackpot Cult of Ron Paul

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/bob-cesca/the-fantastical-crackpot-_b_1200608.html

anti intellectual at its best