The Best Thing About this Election

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Nov 13 2006, 09:54 AM) [snapback]348274[/snapback]</div>

Jellyfish. An exclelent description of Democrats the past 6 years. Will they find some backbone now that they will control the Congress? Will we finally see health care for the working poor? Will a single mom working 60 hours a week finally be paid enough to afford both rent and food for her kids? Will they find the courage to deny Bush the authority to continue plunging the country ever-deeper into debt?

Sadly, I doubt it.

But I love the term "jellyfish" to describe them.

Off the subject: There are very odd jellyfish in the mangrove forest on Bonaire, where I spent 2 weeks snorkeling. They lie on their backs in the shallow water, with their stubby tentacles up. They do not have the long trailing tentacles often pictured on jellyfish. But they have a symbiotic relationship with an algae on their tentacles. They are not as poisonous as some species, but if you brush against them, or even get too close, you will feel a burn, kind of like touching a cut surface of a chile pepper.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Nov 13 2006, 05:31 PM) [snapback]348455[/snapback]</div>

Yeah, Democrats have been totally spine-lacking the past six years (actually, even longer. Democrats during the Clinton years were about as "liberal" as Republicans have been "conservative" since Reagan). However, sometime in the past year, they actually grew some semblance of a spine, which is one reason they won this past election. Let's just hope it stays there, and maybe even grows.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Nov 13 2006, 03:04 PM) [snapback]348472[/snapback]</div>

I completely disagree that Dems have grown any kind of a spine in the past year. If they had, they would have had a real plan for the war, and would have taken Republicans on directly in all other venues. The only reason why it may have appeared that they had a spine is because they were on the campaign trail.

They didn't win this election, the Republicans lost it. All the Democrats had to do was just sit back and watch Bushco implode.

Vince

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dbermanmd @ Nov, 01:10 PM) [snapback]348283[/snapback]</div>

And your grandparents, before that?

 

As an eternal optimist, I am in "wait and see" mode. I refuse to let the loss by the republicans get me down. This country has the gov't it deserves and we will all do the best we can.

The Bible says that all those who have authority are given that authority by God. So, I accept the verdict...there must be a plan here somewhere.

 

Was there an election - I thought it was a killing!!

 

The best thing for me was regaining faith in the majority of Americans. I had lost it completely in 2004.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Schmika @ Nov 13 2006, 05:06 PM) [snapback]348515[/snapback]</div>

 

"I accept the verdict...there must be a plan here somewhere."

If God is a pro-gay, tree-hugging, anti-war, pinko socialist then he seems to be learning a thing or two.

 

Although I'm a Republican I'm glad this whupping happened. The very conservative element of my party arrogantly pushed their agenda without even considering the possibility of compromise. They didn't have to. They had absolute control. There have been instances of one party control in the past, but still there was a bi-partisan approach to doing America's business. These guys have been bullies.

Here are some of their agenda examples:

• Fighting tooth-and-nail to keep minimum wage increases from occurring
• Making every effort to do away with Social Security as we know it
• Pushing to provide major cuts in income and estate taxes for the very rich
• Pressing for bankruptcy reform that targets the less well-to-do in our society
• Helping business in attempts to cut back on worker protection programs
• Helping the logging industry penetrate protected forest lands
• Helping the oil industry in its attempt to defile a major national wildlife refuge
• Favoring the pharmaceutical industry to the detriment of the consumer
• Watering down programs aimed at reducing power plant polluting emissions
• Significantly scaling down FEMA thus prolonging New Orleans like disasters
• Working hard to fog separation between church and state
• Projecting to the world the arrogant image that says 'my way or the highway'
• Taking us into this devastating war with Iraq under false pretenses
• Promoting a policy that provides for the torture of prisoners of war
• Holding of prisoners without possibility of constitutional due process of law
• Fully supporting the terrible drubbing of virtually defenseless Lebanon
• Foolishly (my opinion) refusing to talk directly with enemy leaders

Of course, on top of all this, they've built up a massive federal dept that our grandchildren are going to get stuck with - not fair.

Conservatism is fine as long as it's not abused and driven to its extreme. I think backlash is what this last election was about.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(VinceDee @ Nov 13 2006, 04:25 PM) [snapback]348420[/snapback]</div>

Right On! Though, I consider myself to be a conservative Dem.
Wanna be president????

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hjon71 @ Nov 14 2006, 05:15 PM) [snapback]349210[/snapback]</div>

Thanks for the vote! I've got a Presidential Exploratory group right now studying the possibility of my running in '08

The thing is, I suspect that the majority of people are moderate about most issues and feel the same way as you and I. Unfortunately, the extremists have taken the major party's megaphones and guide their platforms, so it's not acceptable to be a moderate; you have to be WAY on one side of an issue or WAY on the other, with no in-between.

Common sense not allowed in politics anymore, I'm afraid, which probably keeps us out of the running. <_<

Vince

 

We have some protection against an extreme-right ideologue being appointed (and confirmed) to the Supreme Court should another vacancy occur in the next two years.

Other than that, even legislative gridlock is going to feel like blessed relief.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Schmika @ Nov 13 2006, 05:06 PM) [snapback]348515[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Alnilam @ Nov 14 2006, 10:12 AM) [snapback]348814[/snapback]</div>

Jesus said "Render unto Caesar..." Paul said that all rulers have their authority from God.

The interesting thing about insisting on this point is that it means god gave Stalin and Hitler and Pol Pot their authority, and that all their citizens had a god-commanded obligation to obey those leaders. It means god gave Saddam Hussein and the Taliban their authority.

I say this god fellow has a lot to answer for. ... If you believe Paul.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hjon71 @ Nov 14 2006, 08:15 PM) [snapback]349210[/snapback]</div>

I hate to tell you, but I'll be casting a vote that will offset yours.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Ken Cooper @ Nov 14 2006, 11:25 AM) [snapback]348830[/snapback]</div>

Here's what Senator McCain has to say along these lines:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/17/us/polit...amp;oref=slogin

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ Nov 15 2006, 04:37 PM) [snapback]349773[/snapback]</div>

Figures....... Someone's gotta spoil it.