The President Obama Thread: "Screw You Thread Manager" Edition

[Matt]

New thread before Thread Manager can start one!

Last few posts of the old thread:

As Matt said above, Perry and Bachmann are only doing so well because the general voting public isn't familiar with the candidates themselves. Once people realize how bat**** insane they are, their poll numbers will plummet.



Nader is a spoiler. Paul is a spoiler. Both have no chance of winning the presidency...and you know it. The best either can do is syphon votes away from a more credible candidate.

Ron Paul has changed the GOP. You have Bachmann and Perry attacking the Federal Reserve. You have Paul Ryan talking about the need for sound money. You have GOP Committee Chairman talking about Austrian economics.

Ron Paul has had a substantive impact. Something Nader never had.



Nader was a spoiler. Paul is the head of a movement. Nader affected one election. Paul has affected an entire party.

Yep. People like the idea of an out of the box, anti-establishment, maverick....but then once they become acquainted with these "mavericks," they realize that they are psychotic.




You're giving Paul too much credit. He has never spoiled for anyone. Therefore he doesn't even deserve that distinction.

 

[Matt]

Ron Paul has changed the GOP. You have Bachmann and Perry attacking the Federal Reserve. You have Paul Ryan talking about the need for sound money. You have GOP Committee Chairman talking about Austrian economics.

Ron Paul has had a substantive impact. Something Nader never had.



Nader was a spoiler. Paul is the head of a movement. Nader affected one election. Paul has affected an entire party.

Yeah, you keep saying that but it just hasn't happened.

Don't get me wrong, eventually libertarianism will become prominent in the GOP, but it won't be real libertarianism and Paul will have had nothing to do with it. They'll do about as much to limit federal government as the Christian Right has done to end abortion.

 

[StorminNorman]

It's not about "libertarianism" as much as it is about monetary policy.

You have Forbes regularly talking about the Gold Standard now. You have candidates focusing on the Fed. He has changed the conversation, the entire scope of the debate. Hell, his foreign policy has been embraced by many in the GOP these days.

He's the intellectual father of the Tea Party. He is the reason his son is a Senator.

Compare Ron Paul to the rest of the 2008 field and he is the most influential today.

 

[Matt]

Oh brother....you sound like a cult follower. How exactly do you figure that the most influential is a joke candidate rather than the current front runner for the presidency?

 

[hippie_hunter]

It would only be for the primary.

Search your feelings. You know that deep down you're nothing more than a closeted Republican! It's okay. There's nothing to be ashamed of.

 

[Paradoxium]

the day libertarianism takes hold in the GOP, is the day Nolan decides not to create ugly ass designs for his Batman films

edit: THE BATCRABBBBB

 

[StorminNorman]

Oh brother....you sound like a cult follower. How exactly do you figure that the most influential is a joke candidate rather than the current front runner for the presidency?

Because Romney has no chance of becoming President and, outside of supply cash, Romney has no influence on any national Republicans (and since he lacks a real ideology, his cash is only to buy support - not to press any sort of message).

By comparison, Paul will leave Congress with several Congressional disciples (at least on monetary policy), a son (he got elected) in the Senate and a large, active political following. He will retire to Texas and serve as elder statesmen that aspiring libertarian candidates court for support.

If he loses in 2012, do you think anyone is going to give a damn what Romney thinks?

 

[Marvolo]

Paul Ryan announced he will not be running for president.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...g-for-the-American-presidential-election.html

 

[DACrowe]

No one can objectively compare the electoral significance of Ron Paul to Ralph Nader. And Ron Paul would obviously agree that involuntary slavery should be outlawed - only that the sin of slavery by a minority of Southerners authorized Lincoln to make slaves of the entire south.

You just compared being a state in the union as the equivalent of slavery and made Lincoln comparable to people who chained, whipped, raped and bred other human beings as they saw fit. Further, your logic would infer that since there is no leaving the Union after 1865, that Lincoln made slaves of us all by not letting the South secede.

x 1 bajillion

Seriously dude, just wow.

 

[Schlosser85]

Because Romney has no chance of becoming President and, outside of supply cash, Romney has no influence on any national Republicans (and since he lacks a real ideology, his cash is only to buy support - not to press any sort of message).

By comparison, Paul will leave Congress with several Congressional disciples (at least on monetary policy), a son (he got elected) in the Senate and a large, active political following. He will retire to Texas and serve as elder statesmen that aspiring libertarian candidates court for support.

If he loses in 2012, do you think anyone is going to give a damn what Romney thinks?

Does anyone outside of his limited libertarian/independent following give a damn what Paul thinks right now?

Look, Paul has some great ideas, but he keeps putting his own foot in his mouth by making nutty comments about other things. And, especially when you're considered, fairly or unfairly, a "joke" candidate in the first place, the media is going to ignore the good stuff you say and focus on the stuff that makes you sound like you're senile.

Most of the public only hears about Ron Paul this way, and they think he's too much of a fringe nutter to be electable.

 

[StorminNorman]

You just compared being a state in the union as the equivalent of slavery and made Lincoln comparable to people who chained, whipped, raped and bred other human beings as they saw fit. Further, your logic would infer that since there is no leaving the Union after 1865, that Lincoln made slaves of us all by not letting the South secede.

x 1 bajillion

Seriously dude, just wow.

Check your economic history. Lincoln instigated the first income tax (which effectively involves the government deciding how much of ones own labor one is entitled to...hmmm sound familiar). Lincoln also decided it was okay for those, and other taxes, to be spent on pet projects, which rewarded certain industries and certain privileged men at the expense of others. Ones labor being used to reward others? Hmmm...sounds familiar.

Further, yes - a state that lacks the right to leave the union is a slave of the union. If 100% of the people of Texas want to leave the US government, along with the rights and privileges that come with it, why shouldn't they be able to do so? Wouldn't the prevention of such an action be involuntary servitude (implicit without an income tax, explicit with one).

Does anyone outside of his limited libertarian/independent following give a damn what Paul thinks right now?

Look, Paul has some great ideas, but he keeps putting his own foot in his mouth by making nutty comments about other things. And, especially when you're considered, fairly or unfairly, a "joke" candidate in the first place, the media is going to ignore the good stuff you say and focus on the stuff that makes you sound like you're senile.

Most of the public only hears about Ron Paul this way, and they think he's too much of a fringe nutter to be electable.

Yes. There are Congressmen who have gone to Ron Paul to ask about monetary policy. (This is one area where I have a privileged position to see.) Sean Duffy, freshman congressman from Wisconsin, consulted with Paul after the Bernanke hearing. David Schweikert, freshman congressman from Arizona, has been one of the most active and engaged members of Paul's subcommittee. Walter Jones from North Carolina has been influenced. You have Michigan freshman Justin Amash who regularly seeks Paul's council.

Again, whenever Austrian economics is mentioned by anyone in the "established GOP", like Ways and Means Chair Dave Camp, or Bachmann referencing Mises on her reading list - that is Ron Paul.

Again, look at the difference between the GOP field in 2008 and 2012. The talking points today are sound currency, auditing the Fed, putting Bernanke on trial for treason, re-evaluating our position overseas (in the case of Romney and Bachmann at least), etc.

Ron Paul is the only one in Washington who has been right on just about every economic issue. Again, he blatantly called the housing crisis in 2002. It is only natural that people looking for answers (and make no mistake, most in Washington do want answers) take notice.

You guys miss the point entirely when you focus purely on Paul's libertarianism. It is important to him, and important to his appeal - but it is secondary to monetary policy for him. It was Bretton Woods that pushed Paul into politics, not the criminalization of marijuana, not Vietnam, not the draft. Austrian economics is what he is there to preach. And that is where he is making most of his headway.

It's just much more subtle than having the GOP push for decriminalization.

 

[dodgers2213]

Romney will not win a general election, no matter what. He is more annoying than anything since his entire platform these days is focusing entirely on why Obama sucks and he is better without offering much in his own words. I don't trust smooth talkers

Rick Perry absolutely will not win a general election. Never

 

[StorminNorman]

I agree about Romney.

I am not so sure about Perry. I am not a fan, but I think his swagger will appeal to many people desperately looking for a leader.

 

[Batman jr.]

Romney will not win a general election, no matter what. He is more annoying than anything since his entire platform these days is focusing entirely on why Obama sucks and he is better without offering much in his own words. I don't trust smooth talkers

Rick Perry absolutely will not win a general election. Never

You guys have a smooth talker now as a president and he made a mess out of it. His cult of personality is annoying, even for this "simple european interested in the USA".

I think Perry will win the final nomination.

 

[dnno1]

I guess they had an earthquake in Washington D.C. just a few minutes ago.

 

[hippie_hunter]

Romney will not win a general election, no matter what. He is more annoying than anything since his entire platform these days is focusing entirely on why Obama sucks and he is better without offering much in his own words. I don't trust smooth talkers

That's why Romney will beat Obama in the general election. Things have gotten so bad for Obama that Romney doesn't have to offer his own words, he just simply has to not **** up. Romney beats Obama in several states that he won in 2008 such as Indiana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Florida and comes extremely close in states such as Iowa, Colorado, Ohio, Virginia, and North Carolina and he continues to fall that at this rate, Romney will probably win most of those states as well.

Rick Perry absolutely will not win a general election. Never

I think the major reason why liberals are afraid of Rick Perry is because he's essentially George W. Bush on steroids and he actually has a chance of winning the general election. Here's the thing about Perry, he's really good at campaigning and so far has never lost. Add in the state of Texas compared to the state of the nation and Obama has a serious challenger here.

Under normal circumstances, Perry wouldn't win. But with this economy. He has a good shot.

 

[dnno1]

I guess they had an earthquake in Washington D.C. just a few minutes ago.

News reports are saying it was a 5.9.

 

[Marx]

I just heard about the earthquake. It's very odd that such a higher magnitude quake would hit this area.

 

[dnno1]

I just heard about the earthquake. It's very odd that such a higher magnitude quake would hit this area.

It was felt all the way in Toronto. Some people are attributing it to the fracking that is being done on the east coast.

BTW. Hurricane Irene is expected to hit the east coast in a couple more days.

 

[hippie_hunter]

My sister just called me and said she felt it in Brooklyn. It was also felt in Syracuse. She called me to ask if I felt it and I didn't feel a thing.

 

[dnno1]

Here's an update. Two nuclear reactors in Louisa, Va were taken offline as a result of the quake. This was automatic due to the safety system there at the plant. The plant is currently being run on diesel generators.

 

[StorminNorman]

Being in one of the House Office Buildings during this thing was pretty interesting. It took a while for the Congressional alarm system to kick on. Didn't know if it was an earthquake or an attack or what.

Naturally all the evacuated congressional staff went immediately to the bars.

 

[dnno1]

Now you guys know what it's like in California. Don't be wishing that we will fall into the ocean anymore.

 

[Schlosser85]

I got home from work about an hour ago and saw people talking about the earthquake all over Facebook (apparently a lot of people in NE Ohio felt it, but I didn't feel anything).

 

[Marx]

I didn't feel anything in my corner of Ohio either.