McCain/Palin v. Obama/Biden

[Schatze]

(If) the Bradley effect is applicable in Obama's case, which is a very big if, it's likely to be outweighed by the massive register/GOTV effort that is brand new and most of the pollsters can't really model accurately.

I mean, I think by this point all the outright racists have outed themselves throwing snits about secret Muslims etc. by this point.

[Sharmai]

Originally Posted by dFiend

I don't think it's been posted before, but it's a pretty good read:

Myspace.com Blogs - This is Your Nation on White Privilege - Tim Wise MySpace Blog

Good read.

[Etoille]

How We Became the United States of France - TIME

oh khoooooooooooooooooooooruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuummmm mmmmmmmmmmm!!!!

[Tuco]

Did Time just say that USA has worse food than france?

Get the fuck out.

[Darus Grey]

What's wrong with being like France? I'd consider them to have even more freedom than the U.S., and a government that actually serves it's primary role to protect the people.

I can't say the same things about the U.S. well keeping a straight face.

[GrobbeeTrull2.0]

Except, we're not anywhere close to being as socially responsible as France. We took all of the bad stuff of France without taking any of the totally amazing parts.

[Darus Grey]

Actually reading the article there's a lot to nit-pick, like their use of welfare state(which in polysci has a very specific definition that France does not meet, the U.K. is a welfare state).

But that is kind of what I was implying Grobbee, If we were *like* France, I don't think that'd be a bad thing...but we're not.

[Dworkk]

From "ABC This Week"

Minutes after conservative columnist George Will declared that the Senator was decidedly un-presidential is his unexpected call for the firing of SEC Chairman Chris Cox, Sam Donaldson, the long-time ABC hand, said that McCain's erratic message on the economy again raised questions about his age.

"I suppose the McCain campaign's hope is that when there's a big crisis, people will go for age and experience," said Will. "The question is, who in this crisis looked more presidential, calm and un-flustered? It wasn't John McCain who, as usual, substituting vehemence for coherence, said 'let's fire somebody.' And picked one of the most experienced and conservative people in the administration, Chris Cox, and for no apparent reason... It was un-presidential behavior by a presidential candidate."


George Will also said "John McCain showed his personality this week," said the writer and pundit, "and made some of us fearful"

[CnCGOD]

Originally Posted by Darus Grey

If we were *like* France, I don't think that'd be a bad thing...but we're not.

Yes because 8% unemployment, lack of jobs for young people, and tax rates approaching 50% are good stuff. Heck, many of the people have to work across the border in Germany due to the restrictive labor laws.

France has some great culture and history but they are a hardly a role model for a modern nation.

[GrobbeeTrull2.0]

We have 6% unemployment now, but that doesn't count people who have given up looking for jobs entirely (which would factor in to about 11-15%).

We already have a lack of jobs for young people--as evidenced by many degreed individuals still working at Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, etc instead of... you know... using their degrees.

And let's not fool ourselves, the tax rate here is pretty high too. Except we don't get all of the juicy benefits that French citizens do.

As for France not being a role model--they haven't started wars, caused economic disturbance of any import, and their citizens actually are involved and active with their government. Whereas here...

[Gurgeh]

Originally Posted by CnCGOD

Heck, many of the people have to work across the border in Germany due to the restrictive labor laws.

Many ? Like several people ? Don't know where you heard that, but it's just plain wrong, there are barely 25 000 people working from France in Germany.

[Schatze]

Boy, you can really tell the Americans who don't know their history by inane rage against France.

1.) Whose intervention and support allowed for a successful revolt and the formation of the US?
2.) Which countries intellectuals formulated the ideas that the American government and constitution were largely based upon?
3.) Where did the statue of liberty come from? They even covered her tits so as not to offend puritan sensibilities!

P.S. Tax rates in top brackets approach 50% in the US too, if you count both state and federal taxes which is what is assuredly being done by anyone going on inane zomg tax rants. You can tell who doesn't understand taxes by the complete lack of understanding of what brackets are and how they apply to income.

[aychamo_aycono]

Originally Posted by GrobbeeTrull2.0

We have 6% unemployment now, but that doesn't count people who have given up looking for jobs entirely (which would factor in to about 11-15%).

We already have a lack of jobs for young people--as evidenced by many degreed individuals still working at Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, etc instead of... you know... using their degrees.

And let's not fool ourselves, the tax rate here is pretty high too. Except we don't get all of the juicy benefits that French citizens do.

As for France not being a role model--they haven't started wars, caused economic disturbance of any import, and their citizens actually are involved and active with their government. Whereas here...

Do you have any data regarding what types of degrees these people have that can't find any jobs? Not disputing, just curious.

[Sunder]

Originally Posted by Gilgamel

So fucking sad. I hate the thought of an Obama White House with democrats in control of both houses, but McCain has run the worst campaign in recent memory. All he had to do was be himself and he would have won. Instead he's turned toward gimmicks(Palin) and dirty campaigning. Fucking disappointing.

Wow, I 100% agree with you. If McCain had run as 2000 McCain instead of McSame, you'd see me on here telling everyone how great a McCain administration would be as a return to real independent politics in this country. Which is what we need worse than ever, but we won't get yet again. Both candidates, Obama and McCain, have so married themselves to their party strategists/far wing radicals that we will get yet another 4 years at least of same-old same-old politics.

That being the case, I'll take the younger version of same-old same-old over the ancient and decrepit version.

[Schatze]

Originally Posted by GrobbeeTrull2.0

We have 6% unemployment now, but that doesn't count people who have given up looking for jobs entirely (which would factor in to about 11-15%).

We already have a lack of jobs for young people--as evidenced by many degreed individuals still working at Barnes & Noble, Starbucks, etc instead of... you know... using their degrees.

And let's not fool ourselves, the tax rate here is pretty high too. Except we don't get all of the juicy benefits that French citizens do.

As for France not being a role model--they haven't started wars, caused economic disturbance of any import, and their citizens actually are involved and active with their government. Whereas here...

... individuals polish their guns and mutter about liberty, while in France the citizens outright riot and march and force the government to heel...

... while other people in other countries mutter about what pussies the French government are for fearing the marches/riots of 100k-millions of citizens.