Not 100% related to the current election, but: President Bush regrets his legacy as a man who wanted war (link)
I just wanted to note that, Bush it the president so he may get more grief than someone not yet elected.
Arlene, I won't argue with you over the speech issue, because everybody screws up at times. But on the original point of Obama's Iraq/Middle East policy being an improvement over the current one, yes, it is. Have you seen the 'status of forces' proposal? 58 US military bases in Iraq, basically letting the US forces stay on indefinitely. Plus it would give the US the power to decide whether a hostile act by another country constituted an aggression against Iraq. I'm sure I'm not the only one who can see where that might go with Iran. I don't have the actual article on me at the moment, but I'll post a link once I do.
I always thought it was stupid to belittle President Bush for the way he delivers his speeches, to be honest. Yes, as the leader of a country, you should probably have better grammar and delivery than President Bush, but it's not as if he doesn't get his point across, you know? It's like people were saying when he first took office: It makes him seem a little more human, which is one quality about Bush I like. Unfortunately, it's just about the only quality about him I like. Getting on Senator Obama's case for delivering one bad speech on very little sleep is sort of stupid and just looking for an excuse to call him out on something.
Exactly. Yes he had a bad speech, but the man is neither stupid, nor unable to give a good speech. Some of his most important speeches he has written by himself, and he also wrote two books...both of which are beautifully written and impressively worded for someone in political office. Everyone can make mistakes while on the stump. If 'breathalyzer' is the worst we can throw at him then it is still better then claiming he landed in Bosnia under sniper fire, or that he plans to keep people in Iraq for over 100 years, or as McCain now said today, that it 'isn't important' when the troops come home: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11005.html Obama has also done very well in some of the Clinton Vs Obama debates, events in which we know are not scripted and still require live answers without a teleprompter. I think you're a smart person Arlene, but I hope you realize how incredibly crazy it is to focus on one bad speech/answer, when he's given dozens of great ones without the need for a teleprompter.
Yeah I agree it's not a big deal, I was just pointing it out that everyone automatically thinks that Bush can't speak properly, and everyone overlooks the fact that Obama can't speak and make sense without a teleprompter.
I don't think so. It's always basically socialist and communist ideas that he's saying, when you can grasp what he means, which have never worked. I don't mean to start something, I'm just saying what I think. I personally think that both candidates are pretty awful.
I think it's safe to say most of his proposals aren't going to work, seeing as how more than half of a candidates proposals never actually get proposed anyway. Yet just because those things didn't work in the past doesn't mean he can't set the wheels in motion to make them work some time in the future, whether it's actually during his presidency (assuming he wins) or not.
That's not entirely true. Many have accused his universal health-care plan as being socialist, but the truth is that it's used by most western nations, and has encountered success in Europe and elsewhere. Realistically, I don't expect Obama to deliver on many of his promises. It isn't so much that he's just lying or giving people false hopes (because he does seem to believe in what he's saying), but four years just isn't long enough to bring this country out of the hole it's in. Whether Obama or McCain gets elected, one thing is for sure... they have a LOT of work on their hands. I must say that I respect the fact that you do express your opinion, even if it isn't very popular among other forum members. Would be kind of boring if we all felt the same way, huh? haha.
But something like communism is bound to fail. He never said that he's going to introduce communist ideas, but that's basically what it sounds like. That just scares me a little bit about him becoming the president. Granted, I really don't like McCain either. I really can't say who I think would do better. I'm just happy as hell that Clinton is out of the running. *shrug* It will be what it shall be. Todd: If you ever listen to Rush, you'll realize that he's a very intelligent person. Sure, you aren't conservative, but he makes SO much sense if you just listen to him. EDIT: Tim: Haha, good point. About universal healthcare, that's also something I really don't like about Obama. Sure, I want everyone to be healthy, but not if it's going to take that much more of my money in taxes. In Canada, if you make over $100,000 a year, they take $52,000 for Uni health care. If you're making that much money with your job, do you want someone to take over half of your yearly salary for other people's healthcare? And what if you get sick once in the year, and you need to go to the doctor once, that's only a few hundred dollars pdr visit rather than thousands and thousands. Just how I feel about that.
It's not even as if socialism and communism are the same. Most of Obama's policies aren't communist, no matter how far into them you look. It's just McCarthyism to say so.
The possibility of Senator Obama converting the United States into a communist state is extremely small. I'm sure an ideal or two might make its way into a bill or proposal, but I can't see him attempting to convert the United States into Soviet Russia. It's just beyond reason to even worry about it, in my opinion. I don't like Senator McCain because he's going to attempt to continue on in President Bush's shoes. We don't need another four years of being lead by a war-mongering president. I'd really rather that the rest of the world starts liking the United States again, otherwise I'm just going to be looked at as a stupid, ignorant American whenever I decide to travel some place. I think universal healthcare is a smart idea for the United States. Far too many people don't get the care they desebecause they can't afford the thousands of dollars it takes to have a procedure or something along those lines. It's completely and totally unfair that a businessman can pay off his bill in an hour while my family is still in debt from my surgery two summers ago. I think, before they ever try to provide universal healthcare, they should look into lowering the costs. It costs way too much money to go have simple procedures done anymore. I'd like to point out that I respect your opinions, I just don't agree with them too much. But it's good you've got the balls to express your opinion, especially since (no offense) it seems to be the minority around here. I never really realized how liberal this place is. (I'm not saying you're not, but you seem to be more on the "other side" of the fence, so to speak.) Edit: @Dean Exactly.
He's a pill popping piece of crap who has made fun of Michael J Fox for having Parkinsons, he's called soldiers who have served in Iraq but are against the war "phony." Other lovely things that piece of shit has said: "Wouldn't it be great if anybody who speaks out against this country, to kick them out of the country? Anybody that threatens this country, kick 'em out. We'd get rid of Michael Moore, we'd get rid of half the Democratic Party if we would just import that law. That would be fabulous. The Supreme Court ought to look into this. Absolutely brilliant idea out there." "The difference between Los Angeles and yogurt is that yogurt comes with less fruit." "Have you ever noticed how all newspaper composite pictures of wanted criminals resemble Jesse Jackson?" "I prefer to call the most obnoxious feminists what they really are: feminazis. The term describes any female who is intolerant of any point of view that challenges militant feminism. I often use it to describe women who are obsessed with perpetuating a modern-day holocaust: abortion." (as a Jew, comparing woman rights and abortion to the holocaust is just disgusting and downright offensive) Yeah, he does make a lot of sense and sounds intelligent He's a disgusting, offensive, racist, sexist, homophobic, right-wing drug-addicted douchebag that needs to be kicked off the air. Again, automatic fail for citing that moron.
I agree that procedures are way too expensive, but universal healthcare will only bankrupt the country, and that's 100% true. However, if a business man makes that much money, that he earned, I don't think it's fair for him to have to pay half of that for other peoples healthcare. Yes, I would like everyone to get the care they need, but not if it costs way more than you would end up paying for a procedure. And yes, my whole family are conservatives and sure, my political standings are developing, but I agree with most of the things that my dad talks about, or that Rush says. Todd: Most of those quotes are basically funny. He doesn't literally mean to throw people out of the country who speak against the US. Although I don't agree with the abortion thing, I think that it's your decision to get an abortion to a certain point, but the feminist thing is so true. Feminists are the most obnoxious people on the face of the earth. I also feel that you're being very ignorant by calling him what you did. Well not ignorant, but extremely immature. And that's the truth. Dean: I did not say that they were the same. I'm saying that those are things he's basically said. If you're going to criticize, or analyze what I say, read it correctly, please.