posted
According to some BBC Newsnight polls they just showed on TV, the majority of Bush-supporters did not think that terrorism, Iraq or the failing economy were the main issues. They think the main issues were social values.
Which brings this frustrating day back full circle, in that I will say again that apparently a majority of the inhabitants of the 'land of the free' are actually extremely conservative.
Look on the bright side. Republicans pretty much now have control of Congress, the presidency, and eventually the Supreme Court. Now people who may be in the middle or who voted for Bush over a couple issues will see what we're really in for without very much checks and balances. Or not. The neat thing about giving a group of people too much power is that their ugly side, if there is one, will emerge all the more quickly.
posted
Not that we'll be able to do a damn thing about it for FOUR YEARS.
Good fodder for comedians, cartoonists and songwriters though.
I played Greenday's new album when I heard the news this morning....prime stuff.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
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posted
On the bright side, at the very least he can't be elected again.
Although that could change when the Republicans amend the Constitution to allow for another term in office for Mr. Bush because we in the middle of a war and all.
-------------------- Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war. ~ohn Adams
Once again the Bush Administration is worse than I had imagined, even though I thought I had already taken account of the fact that the Bush administration is invariably worse than I can imagine. ~Brad DeLong
You're just babbling incoherently. ~C. Montgomery Burns
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
As for the issues that made a difference, I've seen the polls as to what made the difference for most people. But I think those polls are a little deceiving: there were plenty of people I know voting on both sides that had several reasons for voting for one or the other. The social issues I always saw as more akin to the issues commanding the most common ground, not necessarily the highest priority. However, I am of course open to contrary evidence in post-election polling. (Maybe it will be better than the pre-...)
As for the libertarian critique, I hope the increased majorities, a clear win in the popular vote, and the constitutional limitation on third terms will allow Bush the room to reign in discretionary spending, farm subsidies, tarriffs, and runaway Social Security liabilities. Who knows? Maybe the dominance by one side will discredit divided government as a spending-limitation forever. Here's to hope!
-------------------- "Warfare is the greatest affair of state, the basis of life and death, the Tao to survivial or extinction. It must be thoroughly pondered and analyzed."
"...attaining one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the pinnacle of excellence. Subjugating the enemy's army without fighting is the true pinnacle of excellence."
-Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 6th century B.C.E.
Registered: May 1999
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posted
I am deeply disappointed and saddened because it seems the majority of Americans voted for a guy whose only credentials are that he walks around like a sheriff and talks with a homey accent.
My one vote in opposition wasn�t enough to stop it.
The Republicans carpet-bombed political discourse in this country to get Mr. Bush back in office, and the press did next to nothing to hold Mr. Bush and the Republicans accountable for their distortions.
This Administration doesn�t have a clue, and the number of ways it doesn�t have a clue is frightening.
I only hope that the terrorists don�t smuggle something into the country in a non-inspected container. Remember, 95% of containers are not inspected....
I only hope that Mr. Bush�s deficit doesn�t hurt our country in ways that we�ll be paying for for years to come....
I only hope that some of the people who are unemployed in this country can find a job at a place other than Wal-Mart....
I only hope that some of the millions of people who lost their health insurance coverage can get it back in some way...or avoid getting sick in the meantime....
I only hope the Administration can do something about North Korea and Iran....
I can only hope that the Administration can do something about these things cause they haven�t cared to do much about them for the last 4 years.
What�s most saddening is that that apparently doesn�t matter to 53 million Americans. What matters is Mr. Bush�s empty rhetoric and posing.
And the result is that we get another four years of blinding incompetence.
The problem is that America will have to pay the price for that incompetence sooner or later.
But there�s nothing I can do about it now.
-------------------- Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war. ~ohn Adams
Once again the Bush Administration is worse than I had imagined, even though I thought I had already taken account of the fact that the Bush administration is invariably worse than I can imagine. ~Brad DeLong
You're just babbling incoherently. ~C. Montgomery Burns
Registered: Mar 1999
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quote:Originally posted by David Sands: As for the libertarian critique, I hope the increased majorities, a clear win in the popular vote, and the constitutional limitation on third terms will allow Bush the room to reign in discretionary spending, farm subsidies, tarriffs, and runaway Social Security liabilities. Who knows? Maybe the dominance by one side will discredit divided government as a spending-limitation forever. Here's to hope!
Well, good old George already had a Republican Congress during the last term, and the spending increased more in his first 4 years than during Clinton's two terms. What's changed? If anything, the fact that he can't have a third term gives him the license to spend as much as he wants without worry of re-election.
posted
Jay: As Art Williams said, All you can do is all you can do, and all you can do is enough. Sometimes you just have to let the shit hit the fan before people realize what's going on.
quote:Originally posted by David Sands: As for the libertarian critique, I hope the increased majorities, a clear win in the popular vote, and the constitutional limitation on third terms will allow Bush the room to reign in discretionary spending, farm subsidies, tarriffs, and runaway Social Security liabilities. Who knows? Maybe the dominance by one side will discredit divided government as a spending-limitation forever. Here's to hope!
Well, good old George already had a Republican Congress during the last term, and the spending increased more in his first 4 years than during Clinton's two terms. What's changed? If anything, the fact that he can't have a third term gives him the license to spend as much as he wants without worry of re-election.
WASHINGTON - The Bush administration announced Wednesday that it will run out of maneuvering room to manage the government's massive borrowing needs in two weeks, putting more pressure on Congress to raise the debt ceiling when it convenes for a special post-election session.
Treasury Department (news - web sites) officials announced that they will be able to conduct a scheduled series of debt auctions next week to raise $51 billion. However, an auction of four-week Treasury bills due to be completed on Nov. 18 will have to be postponed unless Congress acts before then to raise the debt ceiling.
"Due to debt limit constraints, we currently do not have the capacity to settle our four-week bill auction scheduled to settle on Nov. 18," Timothy Bitsberger, acting assistant Treasury secretary for financial markets, said in a statement.
-------------------- Great is the guilt of an unnecessary war. ~ohn Adams
Once again the Bush Administration is worse than I had imagined, even though I thought I had already taken account of the fact that the Bush administration is invariably worse than I can imagine. ~Brad DeLong
You're just babbling incoherently. ~C. Montgomery Burns
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
What a bunch of gloomy guses. I for one can't wait for my all-expenses-paid trip to downtown Tehran. Think of the history!
Registered: Mar 1999
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posted
I've been thinking it over, and really there's only one conclusion we can come to.
Libertarians are twats.
No, really, they are. We all know the definition of a libertarian - someone who wants to maximise personal freedoms while minimising government intervention. But scratch a libertarian and you'll find a conservative underneath. It's all the same - I don't like paying so much tax, or any tax at all in fact. I don't like the idea of my taxes going to benefit anyone but me. And so on and so forth.
Really, a libertarian is someone who doesn't like to be called a conservative. Because conservatives are such ghastly people, aren't they? Rednecks, fundies, militiamen. . . Why, how can one be taken seriously associating with such common folk? Let's use a word that almost sounds like 'liberal,' but with lots of manly, tough consonants in there. Libertarian, that'll do!
National Socialist Worker's Party, anyone? Why not just call yourselves the conservative elite - or don't they feel particularly elite? Perhaps you feel that only the liberals should have an elite?
posted
Sure, libertarians don't like to pay taxes, but who does?
But you are absolutely right about libertarians like maximum personal freedom and limited government, which is not exactly like liberals (max personal freedom and greater gov't control) or conservatives (limited personal freedom and limited gov't control). Although I've observed that libertarians could be liberal-leaning or conservative-leaning, and they tend to say "liberal" like a dirty word as hard-core conservatives do.
As for being twats, well....they always nominate some twat for president who doesn't get any votes, during election year talk about how the two major candidates are both fucked up, and then spend the rest of the time complaining about liberals and conservatives. Yep, you're right about that too.
posted
Tora: I hope you're wrong. But you might be right. The way I saw it was that it was buying the opposition off on some issues in exchange for their compromising with you on other things, i.e., logrolling. Since he really has nothing to gain with a third term denied him, he might not need to compromise on some of those issues (especially with photogenic guys like DeMint in the Senate to act as the frontmen). But your theory could be right too. Only time will tell, but as the article Jay quoted talked about at the end, I think he's going to save most of his free-market energy for social security reform, not getting rid of textile tarriffs or whatnot.
Lee: interesting theory on the semiotics of the label. Having been attracted to it in youth, I can remember seeing the double takes when you throw that word out and the attention it gets you. There's also some shock value is getting to exaplain what kind of libertarian you are.
-------------------- "Warfare is the greatest affair of state, the basis of life and death, the Tao to survivial or extinction. It must be thoroughly pondered and analyzed."
"...attaining one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the pinnacle of excellence. Subjugating the enemy's army without fighting is the true pinnacle of excellence."
-Sun Tzu, The Art of War, 6th century B.C.E.
Registered: May 1999
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posted
Well, I just read some article saying Bush wants to focus on cutting down the deficit by half AND reform social security, but he also admits it's difficult to do both at once. We'll see, I guess.
quote:Having been attracted to it in youth, I can remember seeing the double takes when you throw that word out and the attention it gets you.
Yeah, I mentioned being mostly libertarian at work yesterday and got a double-take. I have to admit not expecting that kind of reaction, although the word has the advantage of not instantly labelling yourself as "the enemy" and make people defensive when you call yourself a liberal in front of conservatives or a conservative in front of liberals.
Saltah'na
Chinese Canadian, or 75% Commie Bastard.
Member # 33
posted
Look, I am not surprised by Bush's reelection. I was expecting Bush to basically take it away from Kerry from the start. Kerry, to me at least, seem to be stumbling everywhere, not sure of what he is saying, making one too many promises on one side and flip flopping on another.
Sound familiar? DALTON MCGUINTY. The dude did the exact same thing that Kerry did and won. Now he is fast becoming one of Ontario's most hated politicians, even more so than Mike Harris himself. It seems that many Americans were smart enough to pay attention to Ontario's Election when it really counted.
-------------------- "And slowly, you come to realize, it's all as it should be, you can only do so much. If you're game enough, you could place your trust in me. For the love of life, there's a tradeoff, we could lose it all but we'll go down fighting...." - David Sylvian FreeSpace 2, the greatest space sim of all time, now remastered!
Registered: Mar 1999
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