Mid Term U.S. Election

[Red Slinger]

Originally Posted by Phaneuf3

Evil will always triumph because good is dumb.

I think that went right over everyone's helmut.

[Rockin' Flames]

Originally Posted by Stimpy

Two questions. 1. Did you read the report? 2. Did you understand the report and the myriad of agencies that these cuts would affect?

This report is a complete hatchet job, passing all responsibility and budget requirements of issues that should be handled at the federal to the state and sticks it to the poor while giving more and more to the rich. Based on where it came from I'm not overly surprised, but seriously, this is so flawed it hurts to read. A lot of the measures aren't really cuts by transfers to the state level, increasing the regional spending requirement and debt load on the states. It isn't a plan to cut a lot of spending but is nothing more than fancy parlor trick to shuffle the debt around. Also the cuts that are there affect programs that keep jobs in depressed economic regions or allow for poor people to improve their standard through training and education. The cuts to the arts have always been a target for the conservatives, which is something I don't understand. The arts are a big way of protecting our culture and passing it along to future generations. The arts is part of what makes us human. The reasoning behind cutting that doesn't make sense. Finally, a lot of the cuts would impact the small business owner, especially in agriculture, and put money directly into the coffers of the corporate farms. I don't think that report makes much sense and is not what America is about.

Ya I read the report. I know it shuffels some of the items to the states so the states can handle items that affect each state respectively. The local governments that better understand their needs and can address their respective needs. Than the federal government can focus on the few things they do well (smaller government)

Yes I understand that there is a great deal of cuts to various agencies. I know this will impact a lot of people but going at the current pace is not sustainable. The debt increasing at the rate it is will result in the bankruptcy of the nation so there will be a lot of painful cuts required. America is also not about wealth transfer and Marxist/Socialist policies. The cuts to the arts are a target for conservatives just like higher taxes on higher income people (and wealth transfers) are targets for liberals. Kind of a policy of lets punish those who are successful and those who create jobs.

My biggest concern is to get rid of deficit spending then get rid of the debt.

[billybob123]

You have to wonder how well the GOP would have done (probably won the senate) if they'd hadn't nominated so many crackpot teaparty nutters. Angle is very possibly the only person in the world who could make Harry Reid win again. And O'Donnell in DE sunk their chances at the Senate.

Replace them with intelligent moderates and GOP wins both House and Senate?

[Stimpy]

Originally Posted by Rockin' Flames

Ya I read the report. I know it shuffels some of the items to the states so the states can handle items that affect each state respectively. The local governments that better understand their needs and can address their respective needs. Than the federal government can focus on the few things they do well (smaller government)

Yes I understand that there is a great deal of cuts to various agencies. I know this will impact a lot of people but going at the current pace is not sustainable. The debt increasing at the rate it is will result in the bankruptcy of the nation so there will be a lot of painful cuts required. America is also not about wealth transfer and Marxist/Socialist policies. The cuts to the arts are a target for conservatives just like higher taxes on higher income people (and wealth transfers) are targets for liberals. Kind of a policy of lets punish those who are successful and those who create jobs.

My biggest concern is to get rid of deficit spending then get rid of the debt.

But you're not doing anything you hope for it to do. You don't see a reduction of debt as it is transferred to the States. In fact, you like see the debt increase because the individual state credit ratings vary and that increases debt servicing costs. You will also see an increase in the size of government as each state will have to develop the mechanisms and bodies to do what the centralized federal body was doing. There are 50 states so I'll let you do the math.

I seriously doubt you have a clue what a Marxist or Socialist policy is, let alone explain transfer of wealth, so please refrain from injecting that talking point into the discussion. I think we can agree that the only transfer of wealth that has taken place in the United States in the last century was from the poor to the rich, and the stats back that up in way imaginable. The rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer. Every single one of the suggestions from the Heritage Foundation would only exacerbate that problem, which is in alignment with their agenda.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by billybob123

You have to wonder how well the GOP would have done (probably won the senate) if they'd hadn't nominated so many crackpot teaparty nutters. Angle is very possibly the only person in the world who could make Harry Reid win again. And O'Donnell in DE sunk their chances at the Senate.

Replace them with intelligent moderates and GOP wins both House and Senate?

I think they would have won less without the Tea Party.

[mikey_the_redneck]

Originally Posted by billybob123

You have to wonder how well the GOP would have done (probably won the senate) if they'd hadn't nominated so many crackpot teaparty nutters. Angle is very possibly the only person in the world who could make Harry Reid win again. And O'Donnell in DE sunk their chances at the Senate.

Replace them with intelligent moderates and GOP wins both House and Senate?

Replace the "tea party nutters" with intelligent moderates and then what?

You will have a self-serving republican establishment running the show again just like when George W. was president.

Although O'Donnell is a bit wierd to me, I enjoy seeing some of the normal, grass-roots Americans get into office. I hope they stick with their guns..

[troutman]

Originally Posted by mikey_the_redneck

I hope they stick with their guns..

Literally?

[mikey_the_redneck]

Originally Posted by troutman

Literally?

Haha .....metaphorically.

[Displaced Flames fan]

I would like to see voters vote for the best candidate on important issues for once. That's what I do. Often I vote for Republicans, sometimes I vote for Democrats. I imagine there are very few people in this country that vote based on issues and integrity. Most often, it's (R) or (D) that is the determining factor for a voter, and that's sad and dumb.

[Azure]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

I would like to see voters vote for the best candidate on important issues for once. That's what I do. Often I vote for Republicans, sometimes I vote for Democrats. I imagine there are very few people in this country that vote based on issues and integrity. Most often, it's (R) or (D) that is the determining factor for a voter, and that's sad and dumb.

Or, they vote for the candidate that will get them the most 'goodies' for their district or state, thus driving up the debt further and further.

The US can't sustain trillion dollar deficits forever. There HAS to be a plan to fix that and get back on a stable curve.

A lot of things will need to be cut, including the military.

[Azure]

Another thing that bothers me a lot if the amount of subsidization involved with the 'farming' industry, especially with corn producers, and how it not only creates a huge cesspool of money basically being thrown away, but it also affects a lot of other countries who can't grow a competing crop because the US government artificially increases the value of their own 'produce.'

Even worse, nobody seems to care.

[tjinaz]

I typically vote R in the national races but will vote D in the state or local depending on the issues and candidates.

The problem is what issue is important to you. Usually you get the party line. Pro life, pro business, pro gun, low tax, low govt involvement on one side and pro abortion, high tax, big govt anti gun on the other. What do you do if you are a hunter that wants govt healthcare? You have to decide which is more important to you.

Most of the Rural areas are filled with people that like to take care of themselves and want to be left alone. In the cities people expect more from govt services and expect higher taxes to go along with it. Take a look at the Red vs Blue areas it is fairly apparent what the demographics lay out. East and West coast cities tend to vote Dem and the areas in between vote Repub typically.

This is where I hope the Tea Party gives a viable third option. I like the fiscally conservative views but can do without all the religious aspects the Repubs have had lately. If you could get the Blue Dog Dems to join the Tea Party and help round them out you would really have something that the middle of the road American could get behind. Leave the extremists in both parties behind and go their own way.

[GirlySports]

Issues are important. I don't think anyone can be 100% one way or the other.

Like I'm conservative when it comes to issues like crime and liberal when it comes to issues like brothels!

[PIMking]

Originally Posted by Azure

Another thing that bothers me a lot if the amount of subsidization involved with the 'farming' industry, especially with corn producers, and how it not only creates a huge cesspool of money basically being thrown away, but it also affects a lot of other countries who can't grow a competing crop because the US government artificially increases the value of their own 'produce.'

Even worse, nobody seems to care.

Ethanol has something to do with this, some feared that at the rate they were pushing corn producers (I was in iowa at the time) that they might force another dust bowl.

[mikey_the_redneck]

Originally Posted by Azure

Another thing that bothers me a lot if the amount of subsidization involved with the 'farming' industry, especially with corn producers, and how it not only creates a huge cesspool of money basically being thrown away, but it also affects a lot of other countries who can't grow a competing crop because the US government artificially increases the value of their own 'produce.'

Even worse, nobody seems to care.

The US Department of Agriculture is so corrupted it is stupid. They operate like a business. Farming has become extremely corporatized in the last 10-15 years.

It's disgusting..

[SeeBass]

Originally Posted by Azure

Another thing that bothers me a lot if the amount of subsidization involved with the 'farming' industry, especially with corn producers, and how it not only creates a huge cesspool of money basically being thrown away, but it also affects a lot of other countries who can't grow a competing crop because the US government artificially increases the value of their own 'produce.'

Even worse, nobody seems to care.

If Iowa wasn't an early primary there would never be any for corn.

[HOZ]

Hopefully the Tea Party will continue to push the Republicans and Democrats to greater fiscal responsibility. They have already pushed the Republicans away from their "Christian" talking points towards cutting government and spending. They will need to continue to pressure the Republicans to keep their words.

Obama:
Not sure how anyone can defend his presidency anymore. He has been one gaffe-stricken, out of touch snob of a President. Absolutely brutal.

His foreign policy is a joke. The only people that trust this guy are the USA's enemies....they trust him to be an empty suit. Is there an ally's toes that he hasn't stomped on?

Domestically his spending has been a disaster. The stimulus bill was a big ticket pork bill for friends and family of Reid and Pelosi. The Democrats had a majority in both houses, meaning the Republicans could say or do Boo to them. Yet Obama insisted on trying to BS the "Stupid, red neck, bigoted, know nothing, scared, clinging to their guns and religion" American public that it was the Republican's fault....for everything.

Obama is off to India with a carbon footprint the size of Detroit. We will see if this guy is a real leader or not over the next 2 years.

Will see him actually work with people that may disagree with him?
or
Will we see more of the same?

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

I would like to see voters vote for the best candidate on important issues for once.

It's all about priorities. I hardly ever have more than a mild interest in what a candidate's opinion is on things like abortions, don't-ask-don't-tell, gun rights, gay marriage etc. They might have their place and time, but to me they are so far down the line of priorities in the grand scheme of things, that it just won't affect my decision whatsoever.

The things I care about are big picture items.....the economy, the environment, foreign relations, wars, health care, education. The rest just seem to be puffed up distractions to get minds off of the things that really make a difference in the majority of people's lives.

[Flames Fan, Ph.D.]

Originally Posted by HOZ

Hopefully the Tea Party will continue to push the Republicans and Democrats to greater fiscal responsibility. They have already pushed the Republicans away from their "Christian" talking points towards cutting government and spending. They will need to continue to pressure the Republicans to keep their words.

Obama:
Not sure how anyone can defend his presidency anymore. He has been one gaffe-stricken, out of touch snob of a President. Absolutely brutal.

His foreign policy is a joke. The only people that trust this guy are the USA's enemies....they trust him to be an empty suit. Is there an ally's toes that he hasn't stomped on?

Domestically his spending has been a disaster. The stimulus bill was a big ticket pork bill for friends and family of Reid and Pelosi. The Democrats had a majority in both houses, meaning the Republicans could say or do Boo to them. Yet Obama insisted on trying to BS the "Stupid, red neck, bigoted, know nothing, scared, clinging to their guns and religion" American public that it was the Republican's fault....for everything.

Obama is off to India with a carbon footprint the size of Detroit. We will see if this guy is a real leader or not over the next 2 years.

Will see him actually work with people that may disagree with him?
or
Will we see more of the same?

As usual your posts are vapid and full of indulgent rantings.

Pointless hyperbole, unsupported positions, and a desperate clinging to catch phrases that I suspect are meant to disguise the absence of an informed opinion.

[Slava]

Originally Posted by HOZ

Domestically his spending has been a disaster. The stimulus bill was a big ticket pork bill for friends and family of Reid and Pelosi.

This in particular is not totally accurate. Was there pork barrel politics involved in TARP? Absolutely. Obama had nothing to do with it though. TARP was passed before the election even took place, although the republicans consistently play revisionist historian and skip that point.

Furthermore, the entire economic system was crumbling. Something had to happen, and frankly there were very few entities who were in any position to do anything about it! The government absolutely had no choice but to act, and to act very fast. In that circumstance (which I can only assume is incredibly stressful and full of untold pressures) there could be mistakes made, but the mistake of doing nothing would've catastrophic.

Lastly, these so called fiscal conservatives are going to be in for a rude awakening. QE2 was unveiled today by the Fed, and if anything doesn't go far enough. The people in the US who feel that no bailout was needed, and that no debt relief or anything should take place now are about to learn a hard lesson in economics. Paul Krugman has been arguing for increased debt relief because without it those in debt will only pay down debt and not spend; those without debt feel that the recovery is tenuous and won't borrow/spend and of course business is not going to spend despite being flush with cash for the same reasons. All of that points to the need for increased debt relief and spending by the government. Failing that, it just prolongs the economic doldrum and means that this tea party way of thinking will be the root cause of that prolonged state.