bogus wrote:
Quote:

red_johnny wrote:
Well though I wanted Romney I have to go with McCain...its the ONLY answear in my mind if you are any kind of an American. I wish I could leave the country as well if BORAK wins.

I need to say something about this comment.

Damn, dude, it's one thing to have an opinion, but to blast the other guy as somehow being "un-American" is wrong.

Flat out dead wrong. He may not have the politics you do, but to call voting for Obama a cardinal sin is EXACTLY what has made this country so divided.

It all started under Reagan. He did do some good things, no question, but his cutting of taxes forced Bush I to actually RAISE TAXES. Wow. What an abstract.

Supply side economics, as a stop gap, is a good thing, but much like the New Deal, it had to end sometime (there are a few of the ND programs floating around, Social Security and the TVA to name two, but the program ended with the end of WWII).

I feel Reagan's legacy was that of two sins:

Sin #1, in my opinion, that Reagan committed was to politicize the military. Sure, they have a collective tendency to be conservative, but he sucked that up and spit it out as needed. It has made being patriotic a joke, really. Now you have to wear a damned lapel pin or else you are a commie or something. It's all about perceptions of patriotism (I remember a TV news magazine years ago that had some chick who claimed to be the most patriotic person in America... she would even pull over and salute the flag whenever the national anthem played on the radio... or when she saw a flag from the road... her car? A VW Rabbit. Hypocrite).

During WWII, General George Marshall was a firm beleiver that the military served the country and answered to the president. It did not serve the party or the politics. As such, he wanted the military to be independant of the party in charge. Otherwise, the military becomes aligned to a specific faction and could become a political force unto itself. Think military coup and you are where he was. Marshall was so sure of this that he resisted laughing at FDR's jokes. As an aside, he didn't much care for FDR, but he still served and served well. Marshall was also rather anti-semetic. I agree on some of his policies, but others are a lot hard to swallow.

As it stands, the debate between conservative and liberal is a war of words that was started by Reagan and amplified by an exceptionally arrogant and agressive GOP machine. Ding. Sin #2. It is a war that has gone on for so long that the DNC HAS swung way to far to the left. Just to delineate itself. This is sad, really, because the message has been lost in a shit storm of abused words.

To answer JrRifleCoach - the perceptions that the GOP does one thing and the Democrats do another, is just that, a marketing perception.

Democrats were in office for both WWII and Korea. GOP was in charge when we got involved with Vietnam, however it was Democrats that grew that brand. And it was a Republican that escallated it more and ultimately ended it.

Nixon had all the charisma of a dead skunk.

Under Carter, not much happened... sadly... stagflation was a bitch... and it took Supply Side to jump start it, but end it already (Ford was actually doing a good job helping to jump start the economy. I wish he had more of a shot with it).

Reagan had a few shootouts, but nothing huge... then Bush I had Gulf War I. Clinton had some things, but again, quite there, and didn't do anything draconain with taxes. If anything, the rates started to come down with the end of the Luxury Tax (started by Reagans admin).

Then we come to Bush II. Don't get me started. I am not going to waste breath on that subject.

The maps that CC posted were incorrect. Delaware voted for Gore. The first time in 9 elections that Delaware did not vote for the winner. They did vote for the winner of the popular vote.

As for McCain. I don't dislike him, but I am afraid the party machine will hurt his chances. After 8 years of Bush's progressivly myopic leadership, the people of this country ARE ready for a change.

Obama is purely a man of his party. I don't think he has been around long enough to have fully flushed out his politics. This may be good, it may be bad. But all I know is that on Jan 20, 2009, GWB will be gone and I will be happy. I will be curious how history treats him, but I don't suspect it will be kindly.