President-Elect Obama on the tube

Defender

LTM wrote: »

Zoolander wrote: »

Defender wrote: »

Zoolander wrote: »

Let's talk about a couple of those constituencies. The youth vote — what role did it play? Was it big enough to really make a difference?
HART: It made a huge difference. Remember: When we talk about the youth vote, we're talking about all 50 states. It's not like the evangelical vote or an ethnic group that is located in one particular area. Youth voters — coast to coast, border to border — turned to Obama in numbers that are just hard to fathom.

That argument seems flawed. Like, yeah, OK, the youth vote extends all over the country. But the evangelical vote extends all over the range of ages. And there's overlap, too, so a 20-year-old guy isn't strictly "the youth vote," because he could also be part of "the evangelical vote." It just seems like he's setting up a false basis for comparison.

I guess the justification is that youth vote >> evangelical youth vote.

Speaking of youth vote, I hope Obama focuses on fiscal discipline. Because this huge debt is really just fucking over the young 20 years from now.

I realize this is an old post, but really?

Fiscal discipline isn't something I'd hope for in a Dem controlled congress/white house...

If we could balance our budget that'd be cool, but I wouldn't expect much actual discipline.

edit for clarity: I mean we can expect more taxes and higher spending even if they manage to "balance the budget", which I don't consider fiscal discipline.

So I seem to remember we had a surplus under Clinton and then a ridiculous deficit under Bush.

Defender

Mysst wrote: »

Defender wrote: »

Alaska should be taxed, but not represented.

what's there to be represented, anyway, right?

They still get two Senators! Even though they allowed Ted Stevens to be one of them. That's 2% of all Senate votes in filthy, Alaskan hands.

LTM

Defender wrote: »

LTM wrote: »

Zoolander wrote: »

Defender wrote: »

Zoolander wrote: »

Let's talk about a couple of those constituencies. The youth vote — what role did it play? Was it big enough to really make a difference?
HART: It made a huge difference. Remember: When we talk about the youth vote, we're talking about all 50 states. It's not like the evangelical vote or an ethnic group that is located in one particular area. Youth voters — coast to coast, border to border — turned to Obama in numbers that are just hard to fathom.

That argument seems flawed. Like, yeah, OK, the youth vote extends all over the country. But the evangelical vote extends all over the range of ages. And there's overlap, too, so a 20-year-old guy isn't strictly "the youth vote," because he could also be part of "the evangelical vote." It just seems like he's setting up a false basis for comparison.

I guess the justification is that youth vote >> evangelical youth vote.

Speaking of youth vote, I hope Obama focuses on fiscal discipline. Because this huge debt is really just fucking over the young 20 years from now.

I realize this is an old post, but really?

Fiscal discipline isn't something I'd hope for in a Dem controlled congress/white house...

If we could balance our budget that'd be cool, but I wouldn't expect much actual discipline.

edit for clarity: I mean we can expect more taxes and higher spending even if they manage to "balance the budget", which I don't consider fiscal discipline.

So I seem to remember we had a surplus under Clinton and then a ridiculous deficit under Bush.

This is why I edited my post.

Surplus/deficit doesn't really indicate fiscal discipline to me. The overall cost of the budget vs the overall wealth of the country is the indicator of discipline, imo.

Langly

Defender wrote: »

DouglasDanger wrote: »

Alaska is weird. I can't believe that many people voted for a convicted criminal anyway. I'm having trouble wrapping my brains around the concept. This is a man who not only accepted gifts, but hid them and lied about them. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of hidden gifts. A person so blatantly dishonest as to be laughable, and he damn near got re-elected!

And not only that he's a criminal, but his crime is very specifically tied to abusing the powers of the office to which they are trying to (re)elect him. It's like saying "well I know this babysitter rapes children, but I think we should still hire him as our babysitter." Seriously, what the fuck is wrong with you, Alaska?

The guy did a lot for the state of Alaska. He was the incumbent with, what, six terms under his belt? He had a system that got Alaskan programs money, and that is what people care about. I mean, most constituents don't give a fuck if you are dirty as long as you serve their interests. It's different than, say, a Huey Long situation here because Stevens was actually convicted in court, but Alaskans see the continental states as "outsiders" anyway, so they don't care as much. (It's funny that we are the outsiders, instead of the other way around)

I'm not saying that he should have won, but it isn't hard to see why people would still vote for him.

Douglas

I guess he did make sure pork money got sent to the state.

risumon

So is this the new politics thread?

Anyone know wtf is up with GA? Apparently Chambliss hasn't clinched it and there is going to be a run-off election. Does this mean I need to go vote again? I don't watch local TV or read the paper, so I have no clue.

Butters

Minnesota is doing a recount for the like 200+ vote difference in the Franken race.

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D94I53S80&show_article=1

Defender

Al Franken needs to be shot.

Dog

Defender wrote: »

Al Franken needs to be shot.

The Geek

I don't know much about Al Franken, but from what little I've heard, he seems like kind of a douchey guy.

MrMonroe

LTM wrote: »

Defender wrote: »

LTM wrote: »

Zoolander wrote: »

Defender wrote: »

Zoolander wrote: »

Let's talk about a couple of those constituencies. The youth vote — what role did it play? Was it big enough to really make a difference?
HART: It made a huge difference. Remember: When we talk about the youth vote, we're talking about all 50 states. It's not like the evangelical vote or an ethnic group that is located in one particular area. Youth voters — coast to coast, border to border — turned to Obama in numbers that are just hard to fathom.

That argument seems flawed. Like, yeah, OK, the youth vote extends all over the country. But the evangelical vote extends all over the range of ages. And there's overlap, too, so a 20-year-old guy isn't strictly "the youth vote," because he could also be part of "the evangelical vote." It just seems like he's setting up a false basis for comparison.

I guess the justification is that youth vote >> evangelical youth vote.

Speaking of youth vote, I hope Obama focuses on fiscal discipline. Because this huge debt is really just fucking over the young 20 years from now.

I realize this is an old post, but really?

Fiscal discipline isn't something I'd hope for in a Dem controlled congress/white house...

If we could balance our budget that'd be cool, but I wouldn't expect much actual discipline.

edit for clarity: I mean we can expect more taxes and higher spending even if they manage to "balance the budget", which I don't consider fiscal discipline.

So I seem to remember we had a surplus under Clinton and then a ridiculous deficit under Bush.

This is why I edited my post.

Surplus/deficit doesn't really indicate fiscal discipline to me. The overall cost of the budget vs the overall wealth of the country is the indicator of discipline, imo.

The whole exercise is intellectually bankrupt to begin with. Sometimes spending more is the disciplined thing to do, and sometimes raising less money than you spend is the disciplined thing to do.

Deficits are bad for you when you hold them in boom times. This indicates you are spending too much and probably creating inflation and/or a market bubble somewhere. (plus you need the saved money for tougher times) Deficits can be really good in recessions because there's little chance of creating inflation and the market could use somebody doing some investing.

Large debts, on the other hand, are always bad, because you're just burning money on interest.

The size of the budget versus the size of the economy has pretty much no effect on how well the economy performs, though the smaller it is, the less the government can do to influence the economy by running a deficit on purpose or by cutting back when things are going swimmingly.

Tube

acclaimed panderer to the masses panders shamelessly to the masses

more at 11

JoeUser

Cardboard Tube wrote: »

acclaimed panderer to the masses panders shamelessly to the masses

more at 11

No one ever panders to me.

Weaver

Everybody should see this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbIGbZ6gq_Y

Defender

I like Louis CK.

Douglas

Weaver wrote: »

Everybody should see this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbIGbZ6gq_Y

That was good. I don't really see the connection this has to the thread, but that was good. Everything he says is true.

Butters

The Geek wrote: »

I don't know much about Al Franken, but from what little I've heard, he seems like kind of a douchey guy.

The worst thing is that he's pretty much never been funny.

earthwormadam

I thought Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them was kinda funny...

Butters

I feel sorry for you.

Weaver

Butters, how do you feel about Obama's efforts to be as open & honest as possible? I'm liking what he's doing and I feel that regardless of what affiliation a person has, maintaining an air of personal contact with the people is a great thing.

Butters

I'm pretty indifferent to it at the moment. I care mostly about the results of what he does when he's actually in office.

Weaver

I care about that too. I was just wanting to hear how you felt about his current efforts & plans of keeping everyone informed and involved.

Butters

Well has he been informing everyone that all of the proposed entitlements he and McCain had been promising for 2 years have all been reduced to pipe dreams of the distant future? If so then bravo!

Agent Cooper

Weaver wrote: »

Butters, how do you feel about Obama's efforts to be as open & honest as possible? I'm liking what he's doing and I feel that regardless of what affiliation a person has, maintaining an air of personal contact with the people is a great thing.

Talking to somebody and being open & honest are not the same thing.

Not saying Obama's lying, just that one does not necessarily mean the other.

Cosmic Sombrero

I thought Supply-Side Jesus was kind of funny, in a harmless sort of way.
http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/03/09/franken/ssj05.html





I had no idea Stevens was eighty-five years old. The guy served under Eisenhower.

Weaver

Being skeptical is cool guys, just if things go well please man up about it.

Also;

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/11/19/daschle-health-human-services-secretary/

LTM

Weaver wrote: »

Being skeptical is cool guys, just if things go well please man up about it.

Also;

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/11/19/daschle-health-human-services-secretary/

I think the last 8 years have turned me into an abused wife about politics.

But I'll gladly man up if Obama turns out to be a good president.

Tube

supply side jesus is only funny if you're an absurd liberal

to anyone else supply side jesus actually has some pretty good fucking points

Weaver

I'm still dealing with the mental fallout of being a soldier in one of the first infantry battalions deployed to the fight immediately after 9/11. I've gone from wanting a military administered government to being a functional socialist. I want this country to mend the wounds of the last 20 years and get on with our tradition of innovation. I want our people to let go of our political animosities and come together as a united people that can show the rest of our planet what we can do when we focus on improving the life of all peoples, despite our differences.

No more prop-8s, no more racism. We have written than all people are equal and we should start believing and acting accordingly to that.

/idealism

SithDrummer

he also has tons of money which is a good fucking point too

Langly

Ahahhahahahah

Is anyone else watching the Daily Show? Lewis Black just did an amazing bit on the crap that people are already selling as "historic" memorabilia for the Obama election.

Man, my stomach hurts after watching that.

FyreWulff

Cosmic Sombrero wrote: »

I thought Supply-Side Jesus was kind of funny, in a harmless sort of way.


I had no idea Stevens was eighty-five years old. The guy served under Eisenhower.

Stevens is older than Alaska's statehood, in fact.

NotASenator

TheySlashThem

FyreWulff wrote: »

Cosmic Sombrero wrote: »

I thought Supply-Side Jesus was kind of funny, in a harmless sort of way.


I had no idea Stevens was eighty-five years old. The guy served under Eisenhower.

Stevens is older than Alaska's statehood, in fact.

ahahahaha what

Defender

Still younger than McCain.

The Geek

Defender wrote: »

Still younger than McCain.

No, Ted Stevens is older.

BusterK

I just want to say I'm really glad this Lieberman thing turned out the way it did
I just don't understand how the same people who shout about peace
Can't even be magnaminous towards people who slightly disagree with them

Defender

The Geek wrote: »

Defender wrote: »

Still younger than McCain.

No, Ted Stevens is older.

IMPOSSIBLE!

FyreWulff

ThatDudeOverThere wrote: »

FyreWulff wrote: »

Cosmic Sombrero wrote: »

I thought Supply-Side Jesus was kind of funny, in a harmless sort of way.


I had no idea Stevens was eighty-five years old. The guy served under Eisenhower.

Stevens is older than Alaska's statehood, in fact.

ahahahaha what

Ted Stevens, born November 18, 1923

Alaska admitted to union, January 3, 1959

Ted Stevens also played a big part in making Alaska into a state

Butler

Bush's parting words to America: Screeeeeeeeeeew yoooooouuuuuuuuu!