I watched the speeches from all 5 candidates, and all I can say is WOW. My thoughts regarding each one.
Lincoln Chafee - Pretty un-inspiring and echoed the the usual democrat talking points. At least he did outline some of his experience and qualifications.
Hillary Clinton - Very robotic and very much "playing politics". She didn't have a whole lot to say other than talk about herself and criticize republicans. I found it kind of amusing that she is trying to give a similar message that Marco Rubio has been talking about, that being the need to think about the future and that old ideas from the past are not what is needed. The funny thing is she never offered any solutions, and she didn't outline any of her past "accomplishments" (or lack thereof).
Martin O'Malley - Very well spoken, almost sounds like a preacher. He did outline some of his experience and qualifications, and he does put forth a couple of "solutions", but I very much disagree with much of what he had to say. He's more-or-less a young Bernie Sanders.
Bernie Sanders - He was clearly the "star" of the stage. As I've pointed out in other threads, he sounds to me like an angry old man. I admit that he does identify some of the problems facing us, but I strongly disagree with him on pretty much every point. As an example, he wants "free" college tuition for all and is very much a wealth redistribution advocate. He very much lives up to being a socialist when he advocates a single payer health care system.
Jim Webb - Probably the most boring to listen to, but yet he seemed to be the most reasonable of the bunch.
I would encourage everyone interested in politics, both on the left and the right to watch their speeches. The video linked below is 1:51:47 long, but you can skip much of it to get to the actual speeches. I don't think that any one candidate spoke for more than about 20 minutes.
Video from CSPAN
This is the best that the democrats have to offer. How anyone can really support any of these candidates is beyond me.
Quote:This is the best that the democrats have to offer. How anyone can really support any of these candidates is beyond me.
Funny, I see the Republicans and think the same thing.
Quote:Funny, I see the Republicans and think the same thing.
Do you bother to watch any of the speeches made to see what the message is that they bring to the table? I could make a case for supporting at least a half dozen of the current republican nominees if not more of them.
Which of the above do you support, and why? What part of their speech do you agree with?
Quote:Do you bother to watch any of the speeches made to see what the message is that they bring to the table? I could make a case for supporting at least a half dozen of the current republican nominees if not more of them.
Which of the above do you support, and why? What part of their speech do you agree with?
Well of course you can, you support Republican policies. I doubt you could make a case supporting any of them to me. Just like I couldn't make a case supporting any of the Democrats to you.
I haven't watched that video, but I have done a little more digging on the three Democratic front-runners (Clinton, Sanders and O'Malley). My views on Clinton and Sanders haven't changed--Hillary is unelectable for all kinds of reasons and Sanders, despite having some views that I agree with, is very much an extreme, incredibly polarizing left-winger who would be unable to defeat a more moderate Republican candidate, and I'm still feeling like the Republicans will push a moderate-by-comparison candidate with a big name like Bush or Rubio over the far right-wingers to try for some of the moderate vote that might be completely disenfranchised by a Clinton/Cruz race.
The guy who keeps on impressing me is Martin O'Malley. He essentially pulled Maryland out of the economic toilet by himself, cut unnecessary government jobs, slowed government spending (it still increased every year, but more slowly than in the past), had the stones to raise taxes--particularly the sales tax, which should be the future replacement for income taxes--and championed a cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay. He's a little farther left than I would like in a few areas, particularly in granting reduced tuition to illegal immigrants and passing very strict gun control legislation, but the man's got a record of getting things done, and we could really use a leader like that right now. I don't think he's a young Bernie Sanders at all. Politically, I think he's the closest candidate to the center out of all the players in the field now, and that certainly wouldn't change if Biden jumped into the fray. Rand Paul remains my choice, but I wouldn't be surprised if that changes to O'Malley over time. I might actually change my party from Republican to Democrat so I can vote for him in the primary, especially if it keeps looking like Paul won't stand a chance of surviving against the Bush, Rubio and Cruz camps.
Quote:
The guy who keeps on impressing me is Martin O'Malley. He essentially pulled Maryland out of the economic toilet by himself,
More Jobs LEFT Maryland under O'Malley then anything else. He Taxed people to the breaking point with that stupid rain tax and anything else he could tax. Tolls went up, fee's went up, he took more money out of the pockets of working Marylanders than anything else..... Why do you think we Elected Hogan to clean that mess up.
Quote:I haven't watched that video, but I have done a little more digging on the three Democratic front-runners (Clinton, Sanders and O'Malley). My views on Clinton and Sanders haven't changed--Hillary is unelectable for all kinds of reasons and Sanders, despite having some views that I agree with, is very much an extreme, incredibly polarizing left-winger who would be unable to defeat a more moderate Republican candidate, and I'm still feeling like the Republicans will push a moderate-by-comparison candidate with a big name like Bush or Rubio over the far right-wingers to try for some of the moderate vote that might be completely disenfranchised by a Clinton/Cruz race.
The guy who keeps on impressing me is Martin O'Malley. He essentially pulled Maryland out of the economic toilet by himself, cut unnecessary government jobs, slowed government spending (it still increased every year, but more slowly than in the past), had the stones to raise taxes--particularly the sales tax, which should be the future replacement for income taxes--and championed a cleanup of the Chesapeake Bay. He's a little farther left than I would like in a few areas, particularly in granting reduced tuition to illegal immigrants and passing very strict gun control legislation, but the man's got a record of getting things done, and we could really use a leader like that right now. I don't think he's a young Bernie Sanders at all. Politically, I think he's the closest candidate to the center out of all the players in the field now, and that certainly wouldn't change if Biden jumped into the fray. Rand Paul remains my choice, but I wouldn't be surprised if that changes to O'Malley over time. I might actually change my party from Republican to Democrat so I can vote for him in the primary, especially if it keeps looking like Paul won't stand a chance of surviving against the Bush, Rubio and Cruz camps.
I would suggest watching them
in their own words. One of the things that O'Malley "brags" about is his supposed change in Baltimore. Why not really do the research regarding that?
If you actually watch his speech, his talking points are pretty close to Bernie Sander's talking points. Blame and demonize the "evil rich" and "make them pay their fair share". In other words "give more free stuff" to people and tax the "evil rich" in order to pay for it.
There is nothing in his message that unites the people of our country, but plenty more that divides us. That's a common theme among the democrat candidates. The video that I linked demonstrates that. I'll put up another thread soon that will feature republicans giving their message. I would point out one thing. The message given my most republican candidates talks about America's greatness and the American dream. They actually give a true message of hope, and have an appreciation for the fact that someone can
work their way up.
I personally tend to believe the republican message. In every single job that I had, I got on the bottom rung of the ladder, and climbed up to the top. It wasn't government regulation that enabled me to
earn promotions and enabled me to move into higher positions and thus earn higher wages. It was because of my own hard work. Every single American citizen has every bit of opportunity to achieve what I have achieved in my life time. My "success" in life wasn't given to me and I certainly don't feel like any of it was "deserved". I worked for everything that I have.
The democrat candidates want that to be a "given".
Quote:I would suggest watching them in their own words. One of the things that O'Malley "brags" about is his supposed change in Baltimore. Why not really do the research regarding that?
If you actually watch his speech, his talking points are pretty close to Bernie Sander's talking points. Blame and demonize the "evil rich" and "make them pay their fair share". In other words "give more free stuff" to people and tax the "evil rich" in order to pay for it.
There is nothing in his message that unites the people of our country, but plenty more that divides us. That's a common theme among the democrat candidates. The video that I linked demonstrates that. I'll put up another thread soon that will feature republicans giving their message. I would point out one thing. The message given my most republican candidates talks about America's greatness and the American dream. They actually give a true message of hope, and have an appreciation for the fact that someone can work their way up.
I personally tend to believe the republican message. In every single job that I had, I got on the bottom rung of the ladder, and climbed up to the top. It wasn't government regulation that enabled me to earn promotions and enabled me to move into higher positions and thus earn higher wages. It was because of my own hard work. Every single American citizen has every bit of opportunity to achieve what I have achieved in my life time. My "success" in life wasn't given to me and I certainly don't feel like any of it was "deserved". I worked for everything that I have.
The democrat candidates want that to be a "given".
I remember the last guy who have a message if hope and the right villifies the people who voted for him based on that. Just saying.
Quote:I remember the last guy who have a message if hope and the right villifies the people who voted for him based on that. Just saying.
The key difference is, when did the last guy talk about the "hope" that is "The American Dream"? His idea of "hope" apparently is a government "taking care" of someone cradle-to-grave. His failed idea, as well as the ideas of those in the video above is that "government knows what's best for you".
Take a look at the video that I posted above and point out anywhere where a democrat candidate gave an example of "The American Dream". American Exceptionalism is a "false" thing to those on the left.
I would argue that American Exceptionalism is why we are great as a nation.
Quote:The key difference is, when did the last guy talk about the "hope" that is "The American Dream"? His idea of "hope" apparently is a government "taking care" of someone cradle-to-grave. His failed idea, as well as the ideas of those in the video above is that "government knows what's best for you".
Take a look at the video that I posted above and point out anywhere where a democrat candidate gave an example of "The American Dream". American Exceptionalism is a "false" thing to those on the left.
I would argue that American Exceptionalism is why we are great as a nation.
I think American exceptionallism stopped being what it used to ve after multiple failed attempts at bringing "democracy" to the world. I.E. picking the winners and losers on a geopolitical scale. It's a great thing for our nation to have and to embrace on a national level. I think its arrogance of the highest order on the world stage.
In regards to Obama, the hope he brought was to change what most of us agree is a flawed political process from top to bottom. Clearly he had no intention to do so or changed his mind on it after election but that's what I agreed with.
America is great and it never stopped being great. I take offense at those running sayng its not soley because we are not leaders of the free world anymore. The world has changed in that regard and i think its not wrong to adjust with it rather than fight against that.
Believe it or not, I was a conservative republican in college. Then w Bush came along and opened my eyes.
What's wrong with free tuition? We spent 1 trillion dollars on research and development of the next generation fighter jet. You're telling me we can't provide higher education to the working class?
Quote:Believe it or not, I was a conservative republican in college. Then w Bush came along and opened my eyes.
What's wrong with free tuition? We spent 1 trillion dollars on research and development of the next generation fighter jet. You're telling me we can't provide higher education to the working class?
Bush was never a conservative but he ruined the republicans for me as well.
Quote:Bush was never a conservative but he ruined the republicans for me as well.
In his soul, I don't really know what Bush is. But in his time in office, he was America's consummate corporate politician. I respected his response to 9/11 (not sitting reading a children's book for 10 minutes but rather going to NY that day) and not wasting time going into Afghanistan. But ultimately his legacy is an unnecessary war in Iraq and the financial collapse of 2008.
Quote:Believe it or not, I was a conservative republican in college. Then w Bush came along and opened my eyes.
What's wrong with free tuition? We spent 1 trillion dollars on research and development of the next generation fighter jet. You're telling me we can't provide higher education to the working class?
It's not free.
It drives up the cost of tuition.
It increases the amount of fraud perpetrated across the nation.
It lowers the value of a degree.
Anything else you'd like to know?
Quote:
The guy who keeps on impressing me is Martin O'Malley. He essentially pulled Maryland out of the economic toilet by himself...
I'm cherry-picking one sentence to make this particular point: when the economy picks up, every politician tries to take credit, and when the economy slumps, every politician tries to blame someone else. It's like trying to take credit for the weather.
A friend of mine keeps saying Rick Perry is responsible for the economic success of Texas. Which is hogwash. Rick Perry didn't invent fracking, and he didn't build all those FEDERAL military bases in Texas. Just like Bill Clinton didn't invent the PC, which was the cause of the economic boom that he and HC like to take credit for.
Anyway, tell me, what did Martin O'Malley do to "pull Maryland out of the economic toilet by himself?" Mind you, the economy in the entire country was recovering from the incredible financial disaster of 2008, so it would have been pretty odd if Maryland had not gotten out of the economic toilet.
If I had to list every governor who is claiming to have been responsible for their state returning to prosperity, I'd have a list of 50 governors.
You watch all these governors running for President. One of the first things they say is "I created x number of jobs." Well when you take office with the national unemployment rate at 10%, and you leave office with an employment rate at 6%, there better be some new jobs in your state, or something is really wrong!
Quote: :blink:
Never change your ways.
You disagree that we have a problem with tuition and academic fraud?
Quote:You disagree that we have a problem with tuition and academic fraud?
We have a tuition problem that increase constantly with no end in sight. I am sure there is some fraud but fail to see how providing tuition to public institutions is a correlation for more fraud other than more students equals more fraud.
Quote:More money = more fraud.
You've so clearly thought this through.