2008 Presidential Candidates

[lester1/2jr]

the problem isn't taxes it's spending.  the federal governement spends 3 trillion of our hard earned dollars every year.  Unless that changes there is no way to collcet the taxes that will put us in any sort of better predicament. 
BUt no one on either side wants to say no.  spending increased by almost a trillion under the republican congress with a republican president.  who would have predicted that?  then again, who would have predicted that the new york times and that same republican president would hqve colluded to get us into a war that has now cost us 2.4 trillion.  I wouldn't have predicted that in a million years

[CheezeFlixz]

Government (over) spending is only a symptom of the real problem which is voter apathy. People don't get involved and say enough is enough. The only recent exception to that rule it the recent amnesty bill the the voters shut down and many politicians were appalled that voters DARE tell them what to do.
Yesterday we had the state governor election here in glorious KY and we had in my county a whopping 30% turn out ... 30% ... that is pathetic. Only 30% of the registered voters choose to exercise there right to vote and yet 99.9% will exercise their right to b***h. They couldn't take the few minutes it takes to go vote, but you can bet your ass if they wanted ice cream they find a way to get to Dairy Queen. So voter apathy of "I don't care" and "what I say doesn't matter" is the real problem. Because as the old saying goes "If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem."
All people have to do is pick up the phone and say no to wasteful spending, or write or email. If people in mass make their voices heard change can happen. But if you say nothing then silence implies consent and congress is going to think what they are doing is ok. They are like a kid in a candy store with Mom and Dad's credit card, if Mom and Dad (i.e. the voter) doesn't say "No you don't need 200 lbs of gummy bears." then that kid is going to get 200 lbs of gummy bears. The voter is the parent and the the congress is the child and it is the parents job to steer and guide and tell the child what to do so that they may not screw up. And if the parents doesn't do anything then they have only themselves to blame. Call congress, write them what ever get their attention and put a stop to partisan politics and make the clowns do what best for America, not what best for their party, otherwise toss the bums out.
When congress and government is out of control it is because the voters and their collective apathy let it happen, it's time they are reeled in.   

ok I'm don't for now ... next.

[Scott]

Well said CheezeFlixz. I think I'll be quite now and be more active. 

[CheezeFlixz]

Well said CheezeFlixz. I think I'll be quite now and be more active. 

Thanks, but to be active you can't be quite ... I have Mitch McConnell my rep and Senate Minority Leader on speed dial. A long with Ed Whitfield and Jim Bunning too. You want to see voter apathy at work ... ask around your work or town to see how many people even know who their Reps are, you'll find most people don't even know who there congressmen are, but you'll find those same people whining about government.

Remember you eat an elephant one bite at a time. Think about it.

[indianasmith]

Maybe you and I should run for Prez and VP, Cheeze. Flip ya for the top slot . . . . 

One of the most fascinating things I ever saw was a county by county election return for the 2004 Presidential election.  THERE WERE NO BLUE STATES!!! In every state, the rural and suburban areas went for Bush while the largest cities and pockets of deep poverty - the lower Mississippi and Rio Grande valleys, for example - all went for Kerry.  In terms of square miles, it was staggering how LITTLE of the country voted for the man from Massachusetts.  The map was reproduced in USA Today and I hung it on the wall in my government class.

Overwhelmingly, the poor and ignorant vote for the most liberal candidates, while those who are middle and upper class (with the exception of the academic and entertainment elites) seem to go more conservative.  That map educated me a great deal.

[CheezeFlixz]

Try this map for size ...

For you in Rio Linda ... the Blue is LoopyLib's and the Red is evil NeoCon's




Indiana you don't want me running for the Whitehouse ... my first act would be to disband congress. Second act would be that you speak English or you get out. And if we fight a war and win the war we plant a flag and start building Wendy's and Home Depots.

this is the USA Yesterday map you speak of ...

[Scott]

Congressman? I don't even think I have speed dial. I must be way out of line. I'll have to get with the program. One Home Depot at a time.

That's one reason I don't say to many things against capitalism till I become successful at it myself.

That's one reason I don't like democrate party candidates. They do use minorities to get into office. They really don't help.

[Jack]

jack- I know you are cynical  but I promise you, this guy is different. 

He wants to get rid of the IRS for one.  and all our bases around the world.  and gradually ween people off of entitlements.  He's frmo the old school man.  the OLD school.   "conscience of a conservative" type anti government GOP

I guess I don't really see the IRS as the problem - they're a bunch of bookkeepers and bureaucrats.  The tax code is the problem.  The never ending increases in taxes in every way shape and form possible.  They nibble away around the edges - always the edges - until the whole center is gone.  What really makes me mad is all these politicians babbling about the rich and how bad off the poor are, while at the same time the middle class is barely keeping their heads above water.  Oh man, I could go on a good rant right about now  I don't really see a sales tax fixing this.  I predict it would take one nanosecond for them to start fiddling with that around the edges.  It would even give them more edges to work with, as right now they've basically got income brackets to work with.  Imagine how much fun they could have with thousands of categories of products, each one descended on by a lobbying group with dollar signs in their eyes.

As far as our overseas bases, I'm not sure that's such a good idea.  Some of them certainly, but when a real emergency does happen, it's nice to have a large base in that part of the world so that troops can get to the trouble as quickly as possible.  The whole centerpiece of our defense strategy is based upon getting where we need to go as fast as possible.  You can have all the power in the world, but if you can't get it to where it needs to be, it's worthless.  Of course it's debatable as to whether we need to get involved in a lot of stuff, but it's certainly important that we have the ability to do so when it's actually necessary.

Gradually weening people off entitlements - I wish I could get excited about that.  With all the demagoguery, lies, spin, and voter ignorance, all designed to make the tiniest decrease in the rate of increase out to be a drastic cut, I don't see the subtle approach working.  Somebody needs to stand firm in the face of all that BS.  I honestly think the only way entitlement spending will go down is when they enact a gigantic tax increase on the working men and women to pay for all this crap and people can no longer afford to live in a house or pay for anything.

Anyhow, I may be a bit cynical.  I suppose as far as candidates go, if Ron Paul gets the nod I'd vote for him. 

[CheezeFlixz]

Entitlements ... I find this word to be bazaar. Here is what those that are currently REALLY entitled to in my pay your way world , they are ...

Entitled to get off their ass and get a job.
Entitled to work hard and get an education.
Entitled to take the jobs that American don't want to do. (but illegals do)
Entitled to get off the government tit.
Entitled to be a productive citizen and tax payer instead of a tax leach.

Now with that said I'm talking about the able bodied people that have nothing wrong, no physical or mental handicap that are living off the government 'brestestes'.

If you look at the maps I posted above you'll see that the areas with the largest amount of entitlement leeches are largely shades of blue. And the current field of blue is running on entitlements handouts ... it equate to a nanny state with mommy government telling you what you need, don't need, and were to live. The government can't manage their own books, they need to stay out of mine.

Jack - a national sale tax without income tax will come closer to working than the tangled mess we call the tax code that changes every day. You don't want to know what I spend on CPA's just to keep legal and follow the ever changing tax code. A sale tax would be simple and would not require a huge bureaucracy to insure compliance. Is it the perfect solution? NO, every plan has flaws, just find the plan with the least flaws. The IRS needs to stop auditing people and begin to audited itself.
If you (the government) could capture a portion of the underground economy you could reduce the overall rate of taxes that everyone spends and in turn, maybe just maybe get people to live within their means.
I have rental property and I have people that get government aid that are renting from me, but somehow they can afford a 50" flat screen TV and Bose surround sound system and a new car, high speed internet and computers ... how? But they can't afford to buy their own groceries or pay they own rent? Something is wrong with the system when those collecting government aid live better than those trying to pay their own way.  I have tenants that refuse government aid and opt to give up some luxuries of life in order to do what is American ... make it on their own.

It is in fact our job as citizens to give people a hand up, not a hand out.

I'll stop ranting now before I go on a tangent ...  

 

[AndyC]

Cheeze, you're a pleasure to read. I can agree that for every person legitimately disadvantaged, there's a bunch more who simply believe they are, as an excuse for not trying, or feel that the world owes them a living. Making things worse are people who feed that in misguided efforts to help.

My wife used to work at a big downtown church when we were in the city. They ran a shelter in the winter. On those nights, doors got kicked in, equipment went missing, crap got smeared all over washrooms, the caretaker was fishing needles out of the toilets, people were smoking and drinking wherever they wanted, and harassing church people who were using the building at the same time. There were also a lot of teenagers with perfectly good homes abusing it as a place to party.

The people running the program were the first ones to defend all of this, refusing to enforce the rules or hold anyone to account.

In my view, that shows less respect for the homeless. It reduces them to the level of animals. Treating them like human beings means holding them to some standard of behaviour.

And God forbid somebody should suggest that simply giving out food and shelter is not enough, that maybe these people need some counseling and assistance in bettering their own situation. Nope, just there to give them food and shelter with no strings attached.

To me, that's just enabling a lot of the people there who could do better if they applied themselves. More than a few knew they were dealing with a bunch of idealistic suckers.

My wife figured it out quickly enough. Part of her job was to administer the church benevolent fund. She heard more BS than you can imagine from people looking for a handout.

"I need money for food"
"I can give you grocery vouchers"
"I don't want grocery vouchers, just give me some money"

"I need money to go visit my mother"
"I can give you bus tickets"
"I don't want a bus ticket"

"I need money to pay for a prescription"
"I just need to confirm that with your pharmacist"
"No"

And if a story wasn't working, it simply changed, sometimes several times. And if all else fails, they'd resort to "You're the church. You're supposed to help me. What kind of Christian are you?" This from the guy who started things off by lying to a minister.

Of course, the other minister there was a soft touch, and kind of lazy. A couple came in looking for a handout once, and this guy just let them loose in the hall where the rummage sale had been set up. Just take whatever clothing you need. They were walking out of there with armloads of stuff, including stereo equipment.

It does no long-term good to simply redistribute wealth. It discourages responsibility on the part of the recipient, and it discourages the generation of wealth at the other end. It invites dishonesty from everyone, from the tax-dodging earner to the fraudulent recipient.

[CheezeFlixz]

Thanks AndyC you've only scratched the tip of my common sense approach to life. I have like time for moochers, whiners, and 'oh woh's me' crowd.

I try to refrain from my all out out and raves ... but I too, see to much of it.

I have a tenant who was behind in his rent I offered him work to pay it down, he didn't want it when he found out the work ACTUALLY required work. So I evicted him.

I said Work or Street ... your choice. He took the street, sad, really sad. I took most of his stuff too for his back payment. It's in the lease personal property forfeitures for monies owed. I guess if they got an education they'd understand that part of the agreement.

[Allhallowsday]

Well said CheezeFlixz. I think I'll be quite now and be more active. 

Thanks, but to be active you can't be quite ...

QUIET !  QUIET !!  BOTH OF YOU QUIET !!!

[RCMerchant]

"The POOR and IGNORANT".

 Hmmm. So...the poor equates ignorance? Does RICH equate smart? BS!!! That is the STUPIDIST thing I have ever heard.
 Get rid of Congress?
 Ok...and then what, Mein Fuhrer?
Make the poor work.
 Gee...we're too IGNORANT to work for  SMART rich people!

 Mebbe the poor and ignorant should not be allowed to vote.

 The currant run of  lying bulls**t on BOTH sides of the fence is sooo  deep...and sooo self centered...it's not even about what we want any more. I'ts about two elite groups telling lies to the public to get power. And f#ck the liittle man. UGH!!!


 A bunch of salesmen?

 "Your neither. A Deleivery boy,sent by the grocer,to pick up the bill."

[Allhallowsday]

Entitlements ... I find this word to be bazaar.

"Bazaar?"  Bizarre!  Bizarre!!  BIZARRE!!! 

[CheezeFlixz]

Entitlements ... I find this word to be bazaar.

"Bazaar?"  Bizarre!  Bizarre!!  BIZARRE!!! 

Ahh you caught me using the wrong spelling of a word. So yes, I'm guilty of a spelling violation ... sue me.