| REVIEWER | REPLY |
 | Wiseguy
(124)
05/19/2008 | At this point, I wouldnt vote for half the Republicans. My critics need to ask themselves one question; why am I on one side? Thats off topic so I'll leave it there. |
| Wiseguy
(124)
05/19/2008 | afternoon ridge |
 | Ridgewalker
(64)
05/19/2008 | Magellan...here's one of the greatest...and perhaps...one of the most successful of Obama's campaign points: "I have always been willing to reach across the aisle". I. Am. Open-minded. From what I can gather, the only reaching has been to try to move people to the left...to gather support for his agenda. He is not a compromiser, has no intention of meeting the opposition halfway. That's a strength, for sure, when winning is the only thing and thickens the illusion that he is flexible and open-minded and opened to change. His acumen as a martketeer makes him look like he's actually a nice guy, when he's as ruthless and deceptive as anyone, regardless of which side of the aisle they're on. For as long as I can remember, Chevrolet has been selling cars based on a slogan..."Chevy, The Heart Beat of America". Well, what about the frickin' engine? Do you have any idea of how dangerous history has proven people to be who lead their flock based on hope? |
| Ridgewalker
(64)
05/19/2008 | 'morning, guy.... |
 | magellan
(177)
05/19/2008 | Wiseguy, I know you could, and you would probably do a solid job at it. I know that you follow this stuff closely. But you know why I wouldn't listen? Because you knew who you would vote for in this election long long before the candidates even announced. You're a loyal soldier of the Republican party - any arguments you make are simply working backwards from a preestablished position. Therefore, regardless of how good your points were, why would I care what you say? Republicans are the good guys, Liberals are evil. No matter who the players or issues involved. |
| Wiseguy
(124)
05/19/2008 | Seeing that Ridge didnt make a dent. No offense Ridge, great comments! |
| Wiseguy
(124)
05/19/2008 | I could address every talking point you make in detail, and explain why Obama is the worst choice, but why would I? |
| magellan
(177)
05/19/2008 | Well, if you are going to give credit for a phenomenal marketing job, you at least have to give some of that credit to Obama himself. The ability to run a tight, on message campaign is not something to scoff at methinks... Giuliani couldn't do it, Hillary couldn't do it, Dean couldn't do it. |
| Ridgewalker
(64)
05/19/2008 | Obama's marketing team got to you, magellan. He didn't get to me. We'll just have to agree to disagree on this one... |
| Ridgewalker
(64)
05/19/2008 | Magellan, I don't admire Obama any more than I admire that guy who claims to have made a fortune placing ads in Penny Shoppers. |
| magellan
(177)
05/19/2008 | If only I could think for myself. Perhaps you could lead a clinic? |
| Wiseguy
(124)
05/19/2008 | For someone who doesnt care for talking points Magellan, you got it down pretty damn good. (bad!) |
| magellan
(177)
05/19/2008 | I don't really disagree with you that many of his messages could have been recycled from just about any candidate. But I think he's talented, I think he has charisma by the truckload, I think he's honest, and I think he's smart. We have a saying in tech that "there's no new ideas." There's only execution. And I think that Obama has the tools to execute. And as for change? I don't see how you can look at Obama vs. Bush and not see a massive difference in worldviews - in how they were brought up, in the obstacles they overcame, and in their mental processing power. I find it impossible that you wouldn't admire Obama Ridge (whether or not you think he should be president). |
| Ridgewalker
(64)
05/19/2008 | Magellan...I'm not confused. I just don't believe him. He's riding the wave of discontent, as abichira put it so nicely. THAT'S his platform. The changes that he proposes are worn-out campaign promises that, virtually, every politician has used for the last 1000 years...including Bush. He's young and fresh and well-funded and is tapping on the masses discontent. So, what's new? I am unimpressed by him and believe that the one and only reason that he has momentum is the exact same reason that any item gets bought...marketing. His team is good at this. The same reason that radio ads repeat their phone number 5 times in each spot. I am really looking hard at this, but when you tell me that "I can take it from here"...what I hear is "Let's do lunch..." I know that you're on a learning curve, here, just like me and that you've been playing catch-up with political issues, just like me, but it's gonna take a lot more to move me than marketing copy from his website. Obama is an infomercial... |
| magellan
(177)
05/19/2008 | Ridge, I thought I laid out the big things - I know that you're good at research so I bet you can take it from here. It seems to me that you're not really confused about where Obama stands. I think you just don't like the guy. That's fair, but I think it's disingenuous to say that he hasn't shared details on what he wants to do. He has. |
| Ridgewalker
(64)
05/19/2008 | Good morning. So that's it? This is the best that RIA's luminaries can do...send me to Obama's OWN website? Thanks again for the link, magellan. I still don't buy into the "Change..no matter what" ideology. Seems to me that instead of "illuminating" us, this most savvy of election campaigns is running on the very platform that I said they would, one year ago: Their strongest point is to campaign against someone who isn't even running...Bush...for the next 20 years...To me, this is not forward-thinking... |
 | louiethe20th
(81)
05/19/2008 | Record low approval ratings for Democratic led Congress too! |
 | fitman
(51)
05/19/2008 | Barack and Hillary scare me. McCain scares me more. Must admit any of the three look better than the designated loser and/or actual winner of 2004. |
| Ridgewalker
(64)
05/19/2008 | I dunno, magellan...we're led to believe that these three guys ARE the game when they're not. There's much stronger forces at play here. That's where I'm looking. These three guys are small potatoes. For me, unfortunately, it's once again looking at choosing the best of the worst. And Barack is in a dead heat with Hillary as two of the most disingenuous candidates ever put in our faces...I read his fiscal plan...nothing new there...sounds good...always has. (BTW, I didn't understand the first sentence in your last post...) |
| magellan
(177)
05/19/2008 | Well, disagreeing is not really the same as not knowing what it is. And I agree - much of it is off the shelf political jargon, similar to what you would find on Hillary or McCain's site, though some of it is not. The fiscal one, for example, is fairly specific. I'm in the minority here in that I am thrilled with the candidates. I think Obama, Hillary, and McCain would all make fine presidents. I think we're in a lot better shape in terms of candidates than in either of the last two elections. |
| Ridgewalker
(64)
05/19/2008 | Thanks for the reference, magellan. You do know, don't you, that this is all self-serving rhetoric that was written by staff writers that he may not even know. This material could be cut and pasted onto Hillary's, or McCain's website. The irony is that he has little or no track record in promoting change. If his "vision" on health care is indicative of any of his other visions, then things will continue to go in the direction that they have been going. His take on health care, which is virtually identical to Hillary's, is a great example of his lack of depth. Knowing that 98% of the working public will stay in their crappy j-o-b's JUST for the insurance is a cheap and dangerous trick. Why? Because the more people that get shoved up the anus of the world's most dangerous health care system, the sicker we will become as a society. It's an old story: Cover the wound and the problem will go away. His over-all policy is to "try this Pill of Hope and we'll see what happens, okay? Come on! Follow me! Let's take a shot at "it"". His plan to rename Medicare to Federal Employee Health Benefits Program is a joke and here's why: Mainstream medicine does not have any "proven disease management programs". What mainstream medicine DOES manage to do is keep people sick. This is not change. Nor is promoting programs that "improve coordination and integration of care of those with chronic conditions". This is a shell game...no one's talking about eliminating the CAUSES of these chronic conditions. They exist...for every known disease, but if anyone thinks that anyone can bend the will of the FDA, or the AMA, they'll end up dead...because these are the puppeteers. No matter what changes he's "allowed" to implement, the only one's who will benefit are the insurance and drug companies. The reason he IS in the position that he's in (from obscurity) is that he is the perfect shill...he's impotent to promote any of the changes that he claims to be able to make. The problem, here, from our little, personal POV is that we only see the skin...the inner machinations are hidden from us. I'm publishing something this week (I promised Louie)on this very subject...some startling things that I have been researching...Barack and Hillary scare me...McCain sacres me less... |
| magellan
(177)
05/19/2008 | Who is silencing dissidents? You? Bush? Obama? Or me? You sort of lost me... |
 | lmorovan
(19)
05/19/2008 | Don't forget, silence the dissidents. Can't work with them on the loose. |
| magellan
(177)
05/19/2008 | From Wikipedia: "Socialism refers to the goal of a socio-economic system in which property and the distribution of wealth are subject to control by the community.[1] This control may be either directexercised through popular collectives such as workers' councilsor indirectexercised on behalf of the people by the state. As an economic system, socialism is often characterized by collective ownership of the means of production..." |
| lmorovan
(19)
05/19/2008 | Changes? How about the Unites Socialist States of America? |
| magellan
(177)
05/19/2008 | Yeah LM, I'm not a fan. He's pretty much diametrically opposed to everything a want from a President. A big spending, pork loving, socially conservative incompetent idealogue. I couldn't draw up a worse president. |
| lmorovan
(19)
05/19/2008 | "catastrophic incompetence"? Wow. |
| Ridgewalker
(64)
05/19/2008 | I'm reading.... |
| magellan
(177)
05/19/2008 | Doesn't seem that mysterious to me... slow down intl trade (bad), move towards universal health care (good), get us out of iraq faster (good), repeal tax cuts for the very rich (mixed feelings), give tax cuts to middle class (good), cut the influence of the evangelicals (good), revive diplomacy (good).... if you go right down his platform, I think that pretty much everything represents some degree of change from what we have now. cool thing about the web is that all the info is out there... here's a good place to start: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/ |
| Ridgewalker
(64)
05/19/2008 | Can anyone answer this question? He can't. I'd really like to know if there's something that I'm missing here... |
| fitman
(51)
05/19/2008 | Should Obama beat the odds (not likely in my opinion) any changes he makes will be minor and relatively inconsequential. He's a typical Chicago politician. |
| Ridgewalker
(64)
05/19/2008 | What. Will. Those. Changes. Be? |
