"A black sheriff?!": The Official Topic of Obama and New Era American Politics

[Human Snorenado]

No way, he won because we were all promised ponies.  Ponies and rainbows.

[Ichirou]

He promised "change" but he turned out to be a weak-kneed do-nothing.  He's been nothing but a joke so far, he has horribly mishandled health care reform, and I'll honestly be surprised if he wins a second term.

[Human Snorenado]

He promised "change" but he turned out to be a weak-kneed do-nothing.  He's been nothing but a joke so far, he has horribly mishandled health care reform, and I'll honestly be surprised if he wins a second term.

That's a bit of hyperbole.  He has made a couple of mistakes so far, chief among them thinking that Republicans would be interested in doing anything other than screaming "NO!" at anything he said, but they have accomplished a few things.  I kind of think he'd have an easier time of things if he was white, tho.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

He's like Jackie Robinson, he's got to be twice as good as anybody else to avoid dismissal by everyone.

I hate to blame to Republicans for everything that's wrong, but yeah, I'll do that.  The democrats are being weak little children, but they somehow shockingly expect the GOP to behave like actual adults or at the very least allow for the government to operate.

I'm not surprised by the Democrats spinelessness, I am surprised by the GOP's shamelessness.

[Phoenix Dark]

They're spinless and suck at creating messages. Where's the pushback on the Ryan budget or demanding up and down votes or laughing at the republican HC plan etc.

bunch of god damn distinguished mentally-challenged fellows (/sarcasm)

[ToxicAdam]

JERUSALEM – Palestinian protesters have added a colorful twist to demonstrations against Israel's separation barrier, painting themselves blue and posing as characters from the hit film "Avatar."
The demonstrators also donned long hair and loincloths Friday for the weekly protest against the barrier near the village of Bilin.
They equated their struggle to the intergalactic one portrayed in the film.
Israel says the barrier is needed for its security. Palestinians consider it a land grab.
The protests have become a symbol of opposition. They often end in clashes with Israeli security forces involving stones and tear gas.
The "Avatar" protest comes a day after the Israeli government began rerouting the enclosure to eat up less of the Palestinian village.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100212/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_palestinians_avatar_1

[Human Snorenado]

Yifftastic.

[brawndolicious]

yesterday I heard a guy I'm related to saying he loved the message of the movie because it shows the US losing but that it was a bit confusing because it basically showed like an American soldier joining the Taliban.  I immediately gave up on changing any of his political opinions.

[Ichirou]

nintenho related to terrorists!?

[Rman]

I still think the disapproval numbers are due to the economy.  If there was a strong turnaround, I bet we see a strong turnaround of Democratic disapproval.  Especially since Obama won mostly because of the economy.

I definitely agree with this one.  Especially with the unemployment situation that hovers around 10 percent right now, and many economist believe many of the jobs lost will be gone forever due to the contracting economy. 

The Republicans definitely beat him in the Health Care debate.  The insurance and pharmaceutical lobbies have deep pockets and many of congressman already in their corners.  The interesting thing is that Health Care reform as proposed by the original bill would've have reduced the deficit and Medicare/Medicaid spending recently surpassed private spending in total American health care cost.  We have to do something about it, but just like the financial issue, it's going to be reactionary instead of preventative.

[brawndolicious]

nintenho related to terrorists!?

well terrorists or avatar fans...where exactly do you draw the line?

[Green Shinobi]

I still think the disapproval numbers are due to the economy.  If there was a strong turnaround, I bet we see a strong turnaround of Democratic disapproval.  Especially since Obama won mostly because of the economy.

I definitely agree with this one.  Especially with the unemployment situation that hovers around 10 percent right now, and many economist believe many of the jobs lost will be gone forever due to the contracting economy. 

See this is what I don't get. Why is it that we can't find work for all these people? Why can't we have exactly the same economy we have now, but 10% bigger?

[brawndolicious]

I still think the disapproval numbers are due to the economy.  If there was a strong turnaround, I bet we see a strong turnaround of Democratic disapproval.  Especially since Obama won mostly because of the economy.

I definitely agree with this one.  Especially with the unemployment situation that hovers around 10 percent right now, and many economist believe many of the jobs lost will be gone forever due to the contracting economy. 

See this is what I don't get. Why is it that we can't find work for all these people? Why can't we have exactly the same economy we have now, but 10% bigger?

How?

[Green Shinobi]

Well if 10% of the population is unemployed, that means they're doing nothing right now.

But what if some of them were building houses and apartment buildings, and some of them were producing food, and some of them were producing energy, and some of them were working in factories, and some of them were doctors and lawyers and so on?

In a tribal society, you would have full employment. Why is it so hard to do the same in an advanced society?

[brawndolicious]

That doesn't make any sense at all because the average person doesn't need to buy 10% more housing, food, or energy.  Employers can't just make things without having anybody to sell it to.

[Green Shinobi]

The unemployed people could be consuming things that would need to be produced.

Are you saying that 90% of the population does enough work and produces enough for everyone, so 10% is basically useless?

[Barry Egan]

I don't think the economy works that way.

[Green Shinobi]

Why not?

[Barry Egan]

*shrug*

[Green Shinobi]

I'd like to know more. I took some econ courses in university, but not enough to really "get" this stuff. Any suggestions on some good reading material to start with?

[Barry Egan]

[brawndolicious]

The unemployed people could be consuming things that would need to be produced.

Are you saying that 90% of the population does enough work and produces enough for everyone, so 10% is basically useless?

90% can make everything that gets consumed.  why is that hard to believe?

[Oblivion]

You can't have 'full enemployment' because there's always gonna be a percentage of people switching between jobs.

[Stoney Mason]

Joe the Plumber goes off on McCain, says he 'screwed up my life'
By Eric Zimmermann - 02/14/10 11:12 AM ET

Joe the Plumber is no longer a fan of either Sarah Palin or John McCain, it seems.

Joe, also known as Sam Wurzelbacher, told an audience in Pennsylvania this week that McCain "is no public servant."

"McCain was trying to use me," Wurzelbacher said, according to public radio correspondent Scott Detrow. "I happened to be the face of middle Americans. It was a ploy.”

"I don’t owe him s—," Wurzelbacher continued. "He really screwed my life up, is how I look at it.”

In fact, Wurzelbacher's dislike for McCain is so strong that he no longer supports Sarah Palin simply because Palin will campaign for McCain's re-election.

As for Obama: "I think his ideology is un-American, but he’s one of the more honest politicians. At least he told us what he wanted to do."

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/81035-joe-the-plumber-tears-into-john-mccain

[Phoenix Dark]

sounds like a bitter rapper making diss songs at jay-z

[Mandark]

Except Jay-Z's way more likely to exhort the crowd to put their hands in the air.

[Brehvolution]

It took this long for him to JTP to realize this!?

[Phoenix Dark]

Evan Byah abruptly retired from the senate today. And there's not even enough time to start a primary so the party will pick his replacement. smh to the max

 

[The Fake Shemp]

Sounds like he got tired of all the bullshit.

[Phoenix Dark]

Yea, the bullshit he was constantly involved in.  Fuck Byah. Grandstanding on the deficit commission and constantly giving aid and comfort to republicans on health care.

Nevermind that he didn't give a shit about deficits during Bush's years

[Dickie Dee]

nvm

[Mandark]

Bayh was a big time perpetrator of the current bullshit.  On the other hand, he was basically Senator-for-life in Indiana if he wanted to be, and ultimately better than having a Republican in the seat, even if it's a "moderate" Republican like Lugar.

Unless there's a scandal brewing, the only thing I can think is that he's realized -- after years of being The Next Big Thing -- that the moment of DLC-style Democrats is over, he's not going to be president or VP, and that the current White House doesn't share his perspective and will only placate him so far as it needs his vote.  Bayh's used to being treated as a lot more important than he is, and never seemed to care a ton about accomplishing actual policy goals.

Basically, he might just be a smarter, Hoosier version of Palin.

[Rman]

James Surowiecki at the New Yorker writes about the problem with the whimsical electorate:

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2010/02/15/100215ta_talk_surowiecki

Good read.  He talks about how Americans want things like more jobs, while slashing spending and balancing the budget, which may not possible.

[Human Snorenado]

James Surowiecki at the New Yorker writes about the problem with the whimsical electorate:

http://www.newyorker.com/talk/financial/2010/02/15/100215ta_talk_surowiecki

Good read.  He talks about how Americans want things like more jobs, while slashing spending and balancing the budget, which may not possible.

I WANT A PONY!  AND IT MUST BE A FREE, MAGICAL PONY!  OR ELSE!

[Barry Egan]

It's a heart-breakingly democratic position, as in, democracy springs politics on people who just don't have the equipment to vote.

[Human Snorenado]

Here we see more news of our glorious Free Market health care system proving that it works.

[Mandark]

People always want lower taxes and more services, yet somehow there have been plenty of democracies that did a fine job of balancing their books (including the USA for almost all of its history), thankyouverymuch.

Rather it's a combination of institutional supermajority requirements and one party being completely intractable and dogmatic while they're in the minority.  Decades of demagoguery on taxes produced short term gains for the GOP but it handcuffed them to an activist base that now considers any raise in marginal rates to be a criminal act, and that prevents them from making any serious attempts to lower the deficit.

Just cause the electorate rejected your fringe candidate doesn't mean the system can't produce rational budgets.

[Stoney Mason]

Evan Bayh much like Palin is simply starting an insurgency in the Democratic party which has been hi-jacked by socialists and communists like Obama. He will wrest the nomination from Obama in 2012 and the presidential race will be Palin versus Bayh.

Two candidates by and for the people!

[Mandark]

Odd thing about him was that his dad was such a better public servant.  He was deeply involved in the Civil Rights Act, the amendment which lowered the voting age to 18, and the Equal Rights Amendment.  The son has to be considered a disappointment.

[Mandark]

I'm not reading that.

[Human Snorenado]

I got as far as the second sentence, where he gets all aflutter over people not being rational and coldly calculating libertopian cash fetishists.  I mean, it's like he honestly believes that the majority of the country isn't fucking stupid.

[Stoney Mason]

Odd thing about him was that his dad was such a better public servant.  He was deeply involved in the Civil Rights Act, the amendment which lowered the voting age to 18, and the Equal Rights Amendment.  The son has to be considered a disappointment.

The sins of the father shall not be visited upon the son!

On a serious note, Bayh is simply out of step with his party as you hinted at earlier. He was a product of that DLC era Democratic politican which will always be a wing of the Democratic Party especially in conservative states or districts but it doesn't hold the sway it once did especially on a national level. The power center has moved on.

[Mandark]

Is there a more obvious sign of of a disturbed mind than fisking?  Science has not yet reached a consensus, but I say no.

[Van Cruncheon]

what percentage of the overall budget is "social spending" that isn't social security and medicare, again? why, i am simply curious.

i am also not sure why i should prefer a corporate aristocracy over the "big government" bugbear but what do i know

[Van Cruncheon]

also, where were these deficit histrionics 6 years ago when bush trashed it? or was it because that deficit spending was an "investment" in proper nation building



i will say that obama propping up a crooked bank regime with our tax dollars is pretty odious unto itself, but at least i'm still employed thanks to that

[Phoenix Dark]

911

[Van Cruncheon]

i hear 60% of our tax dollars go to black people

and by "our" i think you know who i mean, you know, the folks that "work hard" and "don't need handouts" wink wink get yer hood

[The Fake Shemp]

Remember when it was acceptable to say social spending was a waste because black people were gaming the system for unemployment and welfare checks?

I don't!

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Man, remember when people were talking in 2004 and 2008 about how good Bayh is or how he should run for higher office?

I think that for most moderate Democrats these days, well in the Senate anyway, being a moderate Democrat is just a form of attention whoring.

[Mandark]

One time this guy told me that since 1990 there were twice as many new black millionaires as new white millionaires, because of professional sports.

You learn something new every day!

[The Fake Shemp]

When will there be affirmative action for white running backs or Jewish point guards?

[Van Cruncheon]

i remember when they didn't need handouts but instead did a fair day's work and received room and board for free from their employer

stupid libruls and their war of northern aggression ruined it for everyone

[Mandark]

Charles Murray is shocked, shocked to see darkies in Paris.

He co-authored The Bell Curve, which is purely coincidental, given how that book is merely a dispassionate scientific analysis of the heritability of intelligence and its effects on the American class system, with no social or political agenda whatsoever.  *whistles innocently*

[The Fake Shemp]

MY GOD

[Phoenix Dark]

The Harold Ford Jr. camp is changing its story after Ford, a prospective Senate candidate, told a Buffalo TV station that he has never filed a New York State tax return, even though he's been commuting to the city since 2007 to work for Merrill Lynch.

Ford's comments were initially echoed by his spokeswoman, Tammy Sun, who last week told Gawker that Ford "will file a New York tax return in April for the first time."

But now they're telling a different version.

"Harold has always paid New York taxes and filed the appropriate New York tax returns for all income earned in New York. And as a New York resident as of 2009, he is filing a resident tax return this year," Sun told TPM in a statement.

http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/02/ford-spox-he-has-paid-new-york-taxes.php?ref=fpblg

this guy can't do anything right

[ToxicAdam]

Bayh represents the "current bullshit" and Landrieu/Nelson represent the courageous progressives. What a twisted world we live in.


What a shame Murtha passed away, another person not afraid to fight against the "current bullshit". At least Charlie Rangel is still holding on.


Just to think, a year ago the liberals were dancing on the graves of the conservatives with their regional viewpoints and their litmus tested candidates. Now they are yearning for the same direction. Bu bu bu better to be a minority party with REAL liberals than a party of sissy Dino's. So laughable.


I hope Evan Bayh runs in 2012. There's a shitton of disaffected Hillary supporters that are eager to jump ship. At least it will raise his profile, even if it is for a losing cause.





 

[Phoenix Dark]

 

[Oblivion]

i hear 60% of our tax dollars go to black people

and by "our" i think you know who i mean, you know, the folks that "work hard" and "don't need handouts" wink wink get yer hood

My roommate absolutely insisted he was correct in saying that the negroes and messicans were gaming the system to the tune of $500 billion a year. Nevermind the fact that that number is around the entire budget allocated for welfare every year.

The darkies are collecting millions of dollars in reparations, and hiring the illegals to work in their yards, thus screwing over White folks with maximum efficiency. Meanwhile, honest hard working god fearing, light skins get

[Howard Alan Treesong]

Charles Murray is shocked, shocked to see darkies in Paris.

He co-authored The Bell Curve, which is purely coincidental, given how that book is merely a dispassionate scientific analysis of the heritability of intelligence and its effects on the American class system, with no social or political agenda whatsoever.  *whistles innocently*

Europe as "we" know it is about to disappear

"we"

[The Fake Shemp]

Soon, there will only be one place left for "us"...

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