Barack Obama Elected President!

[wiccachick_1]

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0908/13216.html

McCain will ask cabinet members to work for $1 a year. Also, McCain talks about Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac.

[Wales2004]

For Roman:

We were basically on the same page about Obama appearing on Fox News and you held out hope for Murdoch. I don't know if this means anything but during the primaries he took credit for influencing the NY Post to endorse Obama. Now that they've endorsed McCain, it remains to be seen whether or not he'll take credit for this too.

And for those who think McCain canceling an interview on CNN is the same as certain Democrats avoiding Fox, I disagree. CNN has increasing fallen off in quality over the years but Campbell Brown asking a McCain rep a question does not compare to Fox referring to Mche;e Obama as Barack's baby mama, calling the Obamas bumping fists a terrorist jab, and calling Rachel Ray's scarf in a Dunkin' Donuts ad terrorist garb (causing Dunkin' Donuts to pull the a out of fear), among others.

[wiccachick_1]

See I disagree there too. Who made those remarks on FOX? Was it Brit Hume? Chris Wallace? They are the news anchors for Fox News. Sean Hannity, Greta Van Sustern, Bill O'Reilly, Alan Colmes are all commentators. There is a difference. Just like Wolf Blitzer is different than comentators like Al Franken etc. (and sorry, I'm totally using Al Franken at the first hard core left winger that comes to mind).

Should McCain talk to Wolf Blitzer? Yes. Should he grant an interview to Al Franken? No, if he so choses.

Should Obama talk to Brit Hume? Yes. Should he be forced to sit down with Sean Hannity? No, if he so choses.

I do give credit to Obama for sitting down with Bill O'Reilly. That was walking into the lion's den and Bill O'Reilly is a flaming idiot of a talking head that is not even remotely rational in his opnions.

[George008]

You have hit it on the nose, wiccachick. Campbell Brown is supposed to be an unbias anchor, not a commentator.

Just out of curiosity, did anyone in this thread equate Republicans avoiding CNN to Democrats avoiding FOX?

[wiccachick_1]

I think I did. I'll own it anyway.

I think someone complained about McCain not talking to Campbell Brown and I said it was no more noteworthy than Barack Obama not talking to FOX. Now if Campbell Brown steps over the line (which is SO common in today's media) into political commentary, then it makes sense that Brown is treated as a commentator and I think that is the candidate's discretion.

[George008]

Oh, okay. I didn't see it anywhere. I must have scrolled past it...

[Jess]

Wrong again. The economic downturn started long before the price of gasoline. Price of gasoline does effect inflation. The Bush tax cuts did not do as promised and stimulate economic performance. It just did not. His tax cuts had the same effect on the economy as Reagan's tax cuts, and in fact were the same thing. They drove up the deficit, the deficit increases the national debt, the national debt increases what we owe other countries. Right now 14 percent of the national budget goes to the debt. I will argue with you all night because you are wrong. Bush's tax cuts were counterproductive.

As far as the mortgage crisis, yes you are right on the causes, but an interest rate inflated by the national debt does not help and in fact contributes to problems. When the national debt increases, it takes money out of the market place. It also means more of the fed's loaning capacity is going to the federal government rather than to consumers.

You are right, no party has a monopoly on dishonest, but it also totally wrong for people who pretend to be leaders to stand up and just say crap. The GOP is the worst about that.

[George008]

McCain leading in 3 of the latest national polls:

McCain is now up 2.1% in average of national polls.

[wiccachick_1]

I will see if I can find the GDP and unemployment date for the past couple of years and see where we stand.

I'll get back to you. I like data. I'm a data junkie.

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/th...ok/geos/us.html

Seems like we have an inequity in world trade that is driving down the American economy but since it appears to be a global inflationary period, that makes sense. Post-tax cuts, the GDP and unemployment was still in line and according to this site soaring gas prices did have an effect in 2005 through 2007 althought we still have positive growth.

I will be looking for more data. One source is not good enough for me. It's that stupid journalism degree that forces me to have multiple sources.

[Jess]

That is NOT right. They do not have that control, in fact, the parties are limited in what they can provide candidates as far as direct assistance. That was done by McCain-Feingold. The United States has candidate=centered not party centered campaigns. Go google in the phrase candidate=centered campaigns and read away. I personally wish the parties did have more control over the process because it was diminish the influence of far-right and far-left wing factions of each party.

As far as the electoral college, yes it does limit and third-party candidacies. But ANY suggestions that the electoral college is somehow controlled by the parties is just flat wrong. Our system discourages third-party candidacies, particularly in presidential elections. Third parties are discouraged by our plurality voting system, petition requirements and the electoral college. The parties do play a part in that because they are instrumental in petition requirements. Our system of government, however, is geared toward a two-party system.

[Jess]

I'm a big data junkie also. The best information is available at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Economic Analysis (www.bea.gov.)

All the polls today are showing McCain taking the lead. I think they are probably correct.

[George008]

The tax cuts pulled us out of the 2001 recession.

It most certainly does. Gas is almost to the point of necessity in the US. It would be calculated into the "cost of living" that is a hot topic right now with Democrats who are pushing for another increase in the minimum wage.

The rate of inflation is influenced by so many economic factors that blaming one element such as a raise in the minimum wage or gas prices appears to be short-sighted, but they certainly do have a very strong culminated impact.

The biggest impact on the deficit has been the war. If the unexpected events of 9/11 not occured then the tax cuts would have been far more successful.

I will strongly disagree with that comment. The Democrats (especially in this campaign) have been guilty of a lot of populous double-talk (or "crap" as you call it). For one example (among many) Obama has been promisiong to give tax breaks to companies that "invest" in America, while at the same time he promises to roll back the Bush tax cuts and increase corporate "windfall" profit taxes, income taxes, and capital gains taxes. How will he accomplish both of these goals at the same time?

[Roman]

Well, it's up to RM himself, but it doesn't appear likely. The hypocricy is there, that he would pull in private for Obama but let his network appear to not give him a fair shake. And somne of the stuff they have said......horrendous. Unfortunately, some of the other nets have went along with the same crap at times, especially the JW debacle, so once again, I guess we'll see.

But I'm not holding my breath on any of the tv news nets.

[wiccachick_1]

McCain - Feingold has limited the central organization of the DNC or the RNC to "directly" contribute to campaigns beyond limits. It just changes the framework of how those donations are received within the campaigns and encourages the creation of smaller coalitions throught the country. The money is still the same. The electoral college by party control over balloting does have a large influence on candidates. Opinions on this are subjective. You don't agree with it but as an independant voter with no party affiliation, my perspective is different which does not invalidate the symbiotic relationship between the electoral college and the two major parties in the US.

http://www.america.gov/st/elections08-engl...s0.6480067.html

It's fairly telling how much control they have over major elections by the following information:

http://usinfo.state.gov/products/pubs/election04/parties.htm

I have the opposite opinion as you do as far as party control lessening the influence of the far right and far left. Splintering the parties into smaller mulit-party systems would have the greatest effect in jarring the control of the far right in the Republican party and the far left in the Democratic. They would form their own party on the ballot and the more moderate on both sides would represent more of the typical American voter with either right or left leanings.

That is my opinon and disagree if you like but I stand by it.

[Roman]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/20...;feed=worldnews