Who do you think should be elected in 2008?

[faerie_child]

I'm just looking for some informed opinions here. I admit I don't know a whole lot about the Republican candidates for 2008.
Right now, I like Hilary Clinton. She knows what she's doing, she's got the experience and the know-how. Not to mention I think she's the only one who has a decent and resolute plan for Iraq.
I'd like to hear some other opinions.

[hectorberlioz]

Maybe I should do one of my unbiased series of (you heard right, BJ!) profiles of these guys (Giuliani, Biden, Richardson, McCain) and gals (Hillary, Edwards)...

[Lief Erikson]

It's good to meet you, faerie child . Never encountered your posts before, and it's good to meet you.

My preferred candidate is Mccain. Fred Thomson and Mitt Romney also look good to me, but from my perspective, Mccain is the best. He's clearly brave and determined to do what he sees as right for the nation. I say this partly because of his stance on the immigration issue, which he knew was unpopular. He chose that stance because he believed it was right even though it lost him votes. He also was a very brave hero in the Vietnam War, one who was tortured by the North Vietnamese. He has been a maverick in the Republican Party, partly over the interrogations bill, among other things, which demonstrates again his willingness to stand up for what he believes is right in the face of politics. Unfortunately, this courage to stand up for what he believes in makes him less likely to come out winner in this race .

I also support most of his positions on the relevant issues.

I think I understand what you mean about Hillary Clinton though, Faerie. She has more of my respect at present than any other Democrat candidate.

[brownjenkins]

I'd be happy with Mccain or Guliani on the Republican side, or Hillary or Obama on the Democratic side. Any of the four would be a good change of pace and seem a lot more pragmatic than we've had in a while, which I think is needed these days.

Romney is the only one I don't particularly like. He was governor of my state for a while and always seemed a lot more concerned with his image than taking any real stances on anything. I don't think he has a strong enough character to do the office justice.

Thompson might be okay, but he hits me as a bit too much pro-corporation when you look at his record. With all the trouble we've had in that area from the savings and loan crisis to the current mortgage company problems, I think we need someone who isn't too big on corporate deregulation.

[inked]

Oh, ho, BJ! All is NOT relative, after all.

Have you heard the one about Chelsea Clinton asking the soldier returning from Iraq if he had been frightened during his tour?

"Not as frightened as I am on returning to the USA," he replied.

"What are you afraid of at home?" she inquired.

He replied, "Osama, Obama, and your mama!"

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by inked

Oh, ho, BJ! All is NOT relative, after all.

Have you heard the one about Chelsea Clinton asking the soldier returning from Iraq if he had been frightened during his tour?

"Not as frightened as I am on returning to the USA," he replied.

"What are you afraid of at home?" she inquired.

He replied, "Osama, Obama, and your mama!"

Bwahahahaha!!!!! Oh, that is good!

[brownjenkins]

I'd be interested in hearing what makes Obama so "frightening".

[GrayMouser]

Originally Posted by brownjenkins

I'd be interested in hearing what makes Obama so "frightening".

Don't you get it? He's got a funny name....that means he's, you know, one of Them.

Did you know his middle name's Hussein? Ohmigod, They're coming to kill us all!!

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by GrayMouser

Don't you get it? He's got a funny name....that means he's, you know, one of Them.

Did you know his middle name's Hussein? Ohmigod, They're coming to kill us all!!

Very few people even care

It is kindof a funny name...even Barack makes jokes about it. Pretty good idea for PR, if you ask me

[Lief Erikson]

It appears that Giuliani is not in favor of the creation of a Palestinian State.

Originally Posted by BBC News

Republican presidential hopeful Rudy Giuliani has said he is not in favour of the creation of a Palestinian state, contradicting current US policy.

In an essay, he said it was not in the US interest to help create a state that, he said, would support terrorism.

He also said he would consider talks with Iran, so long as its rulers understood the US might be prepared to destroy Iran's nuclear infrastructure.

The former New York mayor leads polls for the Republican party's nomination.

Outlining his foreign policy views in the latest issue of Foreign Affairs magazine, Mr Giuliani said too much emphasis had been placed on brokering negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians

"It is not in the interest of the United States, at a time when it is being threatened by Islamist terrorists, to assist the creation of another state that will support terrorism," he wrote.

"Palestinian statehood will have to be earned through sustained good governance, a clear commitment to fighting terrorism, and a willingness to live in peace with Israel."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6950829.stm

His foreign policy position here is a huge, huge mistake. Mahmous Abbas has proven from his record that he is strongly opposed to extremism. Fatah has recently turned a corner for better relations with Israel and the US. Turning on them in this way now is stupid.

He also doesn't seem to grasp that one of the key reasons terrorism flourishes in the Palestinian territories is that there is neither a state nor an economy. As long as there is no state, how can there be "good governance"? As long as there is no hope, how can there be "a willingness to live at peace with Israel?" And "a clear committment to fighting terrorism" is not likely to materialize either under the hostile kind of government Giuliani would lead.

[brownjenkins]

I'd say the key reason is the economy, not the state. Many groups have nationalistic ambitions, but it's extreme poverty and deprivation that garners the violent ones so much support. Most people won't give up their lives solely for concepts like nationhood.

That said, I do agree that one major negative with Guliani is that he thinks, much like the current president, that terrorism can be defeated by force. But so does Mccain and Hillary. I'm not sure on Obama.

I think it'll take another generation or so of failure before we are ready to change our approach to the middle east.

[faerie_child]

Originally Posted by brownjenkins

That said, I do agree that one major negative with Guliani is that he thinks, much like the current president, that terrorism can be defeated by force. But so does Mccain and Hillary. I'm not sure on Obama.

Yeah, I don't like that either. That's one thing I don't like about Clinton. Terrorism can't be dealt with by force. I don't like Mccain's policies, but I've gotta admit, he's got guts standing up for the war in Iraq right now.
Obama wants to take the troops out of iraq and then put more in afghanistan.

[faerie_child]

What are you guys seeing as the main issue this election? The war in Iraq is obviously a biggie, but what else? Just wondering

[brownjenkins]

I hope it's things like education, healthcare and the economy, but war is so much more fun to argue about along with the hotbutton, but much less relevent issues like abortion, gay marriage, etc.

The only thing that might change that is the possibility of an economic recession during the election year. We'll have to see.

[Gwaimir Windgem]

When you believe, as I do, that a fetus is a living human person, then abortion is no more an irrelevant issue than is murder, war, or the death penalty.

[faerie_child]

Originally Posted by Gwaimir Windgem

When you believe, as I do, that a fetus is a living human person, then abortion is no more an irrelevant issue than is murder, war, or the death penalty.

I think he's just saying that war is much more publicized and much more talked about. Abortion is in no way an irrelevant issue, it just doesn't get as much press.

[brownjenkins]

Originally Posted by Gwaimir Windgem

When you believe, as I do, that a fetus is a living human person, then abortion is no more an irrelevant issue than is murder, war, or the death penalty.

I said less relevant, not irrelevant. Abortion, over most of the forty years I've been around, has gotten an awful lot more playtime in the political game than education has. And attention for one issue only takes away from others. If you can't learn to prioritize, nothing gets solved, and abortion has had it's chance and is still basically a 50/50 toss-up at best after years of conservative control.

I'm just asking for a bit more attention to our children after they are born. Sometimes I think conservatives care more about the dead.

[faerie_child]

Originally Posted by brownjenkins

I hope it's things like education, healthcare and the economy, but war is so much more fun to argue about along with the hotbutton, but much less relevent issues like abortion, gay marriage, etc.

The only thing that might change that is the possibility of an economic recession during the election year. We'll have to see.

I hope education gets a lot more attention towards election time- I went to public school for a few years and it was horrible. We need so much reform there.
I hope global warming gets some more attention too, America really needs to get with it.

[faerie_child]

Originally Posted by brownjenkins

I'm just asking for a bit more attention to our children after they are born. Sometimes I think conservatives care more about the dead.

Well said

[Gwaimir Windgem]

Originally Posted by brownjenkins

I'm just asking for a bit more attention to our children after they are born. Sometimes I think conservatives care more about the dead.

I imagine you know I'm fully in agreement with you about that; I believe very much in caring for the human person throughout life, and don't care any more than you for the way some people abandon them after birth. However, given my convictions and the rate of abortion, can't you see that for me, abortion would be an even more pressing issue than education?