Presidential Address 9/8/2011 7:00 p.m.

[hankmoody]

American electoral politics: a brief introduction
by MICHAEL BÉRUBÉ on SEPTEMBER 3, 2011

[Now updated for clarity and symbolic reasons!]

I can see from the comments on John’s post below that there is some confusion out there about the way the American political system works.  Specifically, there seems to be some serious misunderstanding of the dynamics of national elections in the US.  So let me try to clear this up once and for all.

You are welcome.

Basically, post-Watergate America works like this.  It’s what you might call a “twelve-step

 

[callhimar]

It makes me laugh when people bring up Ron Paul and his "backbone." We have a damn near CENTER RIGHT President in office right now and HE can't get anything done. You think electing someone with such extreme ideas is going to get anything done? Do you think any of Paul's policies will make it through Congress? The Republican party barely supports Paul. Any self respecting Democrat should be afraid of his policies because of how destructive they could be. Yet HE could get things done? 

 

[sundoobie]

Originally Posted by JohnnyRedStorm

What do you want dude to do with Iraq? Pull out right away and have a bunch of soldiers come home with no job and nothing to do?

<Sarcasm>No it was much better to see 1,369 troops killed since 2009. It feels great to know that Obama spent over $300 Billion on wars.  I mean don't you feel great knowing that Obama is fine building bases, bridges, schools, and Disneylands in Kandahar, Afghanistan instead of fixing the freeway I drive on everyday? <end of Sarcasm>

 

[johnnyredstorm]

Originally Posted by CallHimAR

It makes me laugh when people bring up Ron Paul and his "backbone." We have a damn near CENTER RIGHT President in office right now and HE can't get anything done. You think electing someone with such extreme ideas is going to get anything done? Do you think any of Paul's policies will make it through Congress? The Republican party barely supports Paul. Any self respecting Democrat should be afraid of his policies because of how destructive they could be. Yet HE could get things done? 

Dude's love him on here but fail to realize there's a reason why he'll never be elected, and it's not because he has the potential to be "too powerful."

 

[sundoobie]

Originally Posted by CallHimAR

It makes me laugh when people bring up Ron Paul and his "backbone." We have a damn near CENTER RIGHT President in office right now and HE can't get anything done. You think electing someone with such extreme ideas is going to get anything done? Do you think any of Paul's policies will make it through Congress? The Republican party barely supports Paul. Any self respecting Democrat should be afraid of his policies because of how destructive they could be. Yet HE could get things done? 

Hmmmmm

[h2]General Election: Paul vs. Obama[/h2]http://
[h3]Polling Data[/h3][table][tr][th=""]Poll[/th][th=""]Date[/th][th=""]Sample[/th][th=""]Obama (D)[/th][th=""]Paul (R)[/th][th=""]Spread[/th][/tr][tr][td]RCP Average[/td][td]7/14 - 8/18[/td][td]--[/td][td]46.0[/td][td]41.7[/td][td]Obama +4.3[/td][/tr][tr][td]Gallup[/td][td]8/17 - 8/18[/td][td]879 RV[/td][td]47[/td][td]45[/td][td]Obama +2[/td][/tr][tr][td]Rasmussen Reports[/td][td]8/15 - 8/16[/td][td]1000 LV[/td][td]39[/td][td]38[/td][td]Obama +1[/td][/tr][tr][td]ABC News/Wash Post[/td][td]7/14 - 7/17[/td][td]RV[/td][td]52[/td][td]42[/td][td]Obama +10[/td][/tr][/table]
See All General Election: Paul vs. Obama Polling Data

 

[essential1]

After second review it should be a much larger bill, with a much smaller percentage of it being tax cuts/credits...  

But there will be a huge ruckus-by Republicans and Conservatives because they don't give a @$*# about people getting back to work..

 

[Smorgasbordgie]

Originally Posted by jm2000

Everyone's complaining about Obama...just imagine if a republican was in office

...no seriously, just imagine..

This damn country would have tanked lol.

 

[smoke ya later]

LOL @ y'all making excuses for a President who has done nothing for you, he doesn't care about any of you at all.

 

[essential1]

Originally Posted by SunDOOBIE

Originally Posted by CallHimAR

It makes me laugh when people bring up Ron Paul and his "backbone." We have a damn near CENTER RIGHT President in office right now and HE can't get anything done. You think electing someone with such extreme ideas is going to get anything done? Do you think any of Paul's policies will make it through Congress? The Republican party barely supports Paul. Any self respecting Democrat should be afraid of his policies because of how destructive they could be. Yet HE could get things done? 

Hmmmmm

[h2]General Election: Paul vs. Obama[/h2]http://

Last presidential election at this time Rudy Guilianni was the favorite to win the Primary and the election...

Obama was 3rd behind Edwards and Clinton...

Ron Paul will never win the Republican Primary.... Nor will he win the election... And has less than a 0% chance to get within 10 points of Obama or even the Republican Primary in a real election... He's beating Herman Cain by 10 points average based on RCP's polls... He's beating Bachman by 7% average... And they are both jokes....These polls are of no basis of anything...

  

 

[cada5]

Originally Posted by Crispy Cream

Originally Posted by jm2000

Everyone's complaining about Obama...just imagine if a republican was in office

...no seriously, just imagine..

This damn country would have tanked lol.

As opposed to the model of success we're in now, right?

I'm not even laughing at the lesser of two evil mentality that two have. Thats your opinion and people are set in their ways. Fine, whatever.

What I really laugh at is the criticism obama is bereft of. He can do no wrong in your eyes. It saddens me as an american. I have no party affiliation and I consider myself pretty patriotic. But i will be the first to admit that americans as a whole are the most apathetic in the world. Really sad.

 

[shoeking2101]

Yeah, mind=blown, on all of this. Way over my head smh..

 

[back1ntheday]

more and more i realize how @$+ backwards this country really has become. if our "leaders" even had an ounce of wisdom that our founding fathers had......
franklin knew even way back when, too much of a divide/confusion with a multiple party system. the only time they come together is when something tragic happens. @%*% is beyond pathetic. i cant even stand to watch "debates" anymore, big government and corporations are going to win out out regardless of what promises are made most of the time, thats how !%%+$# up the game is. its much harder for a president to get anything done than it ever has been. seems to me most politicians vote so THEIR party wins out to keep in line with their ideologies, and WE end up losing.

 

 

[rufiorufiorufio]

same people bashing obama. hope yall did the same thing with the BS that occured 8 years before. funny how now its an issue but when we were off fighting for freedom and our economy was tanking, it was all good right?

 

[eddiehouse5]

Some if you are right. Obama should just be a stubborn mule. That's what's best for the country.

 

[callhimar]

Originally Posted by SunDOOBIE

Originally Posted by CallHimAR

It makes me laugh when people bring up Ron Paul and his "backbone." We have a damn near CENTER RIGHT President in office right now and HE can't get anything done. You think electing someone with such extreme ideas is going to get anything done? Do you think any of Paul's policies will make it through Congress? The Republican party barely supports Paul. Any self respecting Democrat should be afraid of his policies because of how destructive they could be. Yet HE could get things done? 

Hmmmmm

[h2]General Election: Paul vs. Obama[/h2]http://
[h3]Polling Data[/h3][table][tr][th=""]Poll[/th][th=""]Date[/th][th=""]Sample[/th][th=""]Obama (D)[/th][th=""]Paul (R)[/th][th=""]Spread[/th][/tr][tr][td]RCP Average[/td][td]7/14 - 8/18[/td][td]--[/td][td]46.0[/td][td]41.7[/td][td]Obama +4.3[/td][/tr][tr][td]Gallup[/td][td]8/17 - 8/18[/td][td]879 RV[/td][td]47[/td][td]45[/td][td]Obama +2[/td][/tr][tr][td]Rasmussen Reports[/td][td]8/15 - 8/16[/td][td]1000 LV[/td][td]39[/td][td]38[/td][td]Obama +1[/td][/tr][tr][td]ABC News/Wash Post[/td][td]7/14 - 7/17[/td][td]RV[/td][td]52[/td][td]42[/td][td]Obama +10[/td][/tr][/table]
See All General Election: Paul vs. Obama Polling Data

That literally has nothing to do with anything I said, please re-read my post. I didn't say he couldn't get elected, I said he wouldn't get anything done while in office because of Congress. 

 

[jkomorowski09]

Originally Posted by back1ntheday

more and more i realize how @$+ backwards this country really has become. if our "leaders" even had an ounce of wisdom that our founding fathers had......
franklin knew even way back when, too much of a divide/confusion with a multiple party system. the only time they come together is when something tragic happens. @%*% is beyond pathetic. i cant even stand to watch "debates" anymore, big government and corporations are going to win out out regardless of what promises are made most of the time, thats how !%%+$# up the game is. its much harder for a president to get anything done than it ever has been. seems to me most politicians vote so THEIR party wins out to keep in line with their ideologies, and WE end up losing.

 

u watching that packer game playa



oh yeah ... preach mane

 

[domc03]

Originally Posted by SunDOOBIE

Originally Posted by letsgetit22

Originally Posted by SunDOOBIE

That is the whole point... Obama give or take is equivalent to a female vagina.  He has no guts and no backbone.  He compromises on everything.  He bows down to GOP leaders. For crying out loud the dude had to reschedule this speech because the Majority Republican leader TOLD his #%* too. 
Dude doesn't have what it takes bottom line and he needs to GO!  

He couldn't have this speech last night unless both sides agreed. So what was he suppose to do? (srs question)

Yes he had to post phone it but the entire thing blew up on Obama's face.  Look how the media spun it.  It made Obama look like a fool yet again. Poor planning by the White House. 

 Really?! Post phone?!!

 

[rashi]

Obama's job plan:

Pay people to dig holes, pay people to fill holes, pay people to watch people fill and dig the holes.



We should build a 1,000 Tower of Babels, so anyone who wants to work can work and have the minimum wage at $1,000,000 an hour. We should also print $300,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.00 for every man, woman, and child.

It makes me laugh when people bring up Ron Paul and his "backbone." We have a damn near CENTER RIGHT President in office right now and HE can't get anything done. You think electing someone with such extreme ideas is going to get anything done? Do you think any of Paul's policies will make it through Congress? The Republican party barely supports Paul. Any self respecting Democrat should be afraid of his policies because of how destructive they could be. Yet HE could get things done?

Ending the wars and this militarized Keynsianism alone would do wonders.

 

[sillyputty]

Originally Posted by domc03

Originally Posted by SunDOOBIE

Originally Posted by letsgetit22

He couldn't have this speech last night unless both sides agreed. So what was he suppose to do? (srs question)

Yes he had to post phone it but the entire thing blew up on Obama's face.  Look how the media spun it.  It made Obama look like a fool yet again. Poor planning by the White House. 

 Really?! Post phone?!!

 

[finnns2003]

Originally Posted by rashi

Obama's job plan:

Pay people to dig holes, pay people to fill holes, pay people to watch people fill and dig the holes.



We should build a 1,000 Tower of Babels, so anyone who wants to work can work and have the minimum wage at $1,000,000 an hour. We should also print $300,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000.00 for every man, woman, and child.

It makes me laugh when people bring up Ron Paul and his "backbone." We have a damn near CENTER RIGHT President in office right now and HE can't get anything done. You think electing someone with such extreme ideas is going to get anything done? Do you think any of Paul's policies will make it through Congress? The Republican party barely supports Paul. Any self respecting Democrat should be afraid of his policies because of how destructive they could be. Yet HE could get things done?

Ending the wars and this militarized Keynsianism alone would do wonders.

We'll be like Nigeria pretty soon with inflation. $1,000 for a loaf of bread.

 

[doublejs07]

I'm not taking this terrorist threat lightly, but you'd be a fool to think that there isn't a threat against the US EVERY day. Just because you don't hear about it doesn't meant that it's not out there.

 

[fac3 tak30v312]

So how many of you "outraged" people have written and called your representative "house and senate" about the shenanigans going on in Congress. Better yet in last year's house elections, how many of you went out to rallies, town house meetings and called up the reps running and held them accountable for their promises.

All this talk about jobs, jobs this and jobs that ....... guess what the gov't doesn't create jobs, better yet it's not their place to even attempt to create jobs .... or yeah and the tax cuts, guess where that piece of legislation is suppose to begin in the House of Reps, not the president ...... So the next time you to be all "OUTRAGED" go look in the GoT Damn mirror and remember who put these clowns in office and no I'm not talking about Obama or the power you believe he has, it's the Congress that holds all of that power, and what's even worst is that it's a Republican Congress that holds all that power now ........... But yeah why should he compromise on legislation he shouldn't have to attempt to create or start in the first place

 

[finnns2003]

Oh absolutely, I've been known that, have family in Congress. It's all one big circus.

 

[erickm713]

Originally Posted by RufioRufioRufio

same people bashing obama. hope yall did the same thing with the BS that occured 8 years before. funny how now its an issue but when we were off fighting for freedom and our economy was tanking, it was all good right?

Didn't like Bush.
Didn't like Obama.

The U.S. needs a better president.

 

[deuce king]

Originally Posted by JohnnyRedStorm

Originally Posted by CallHimAR

It makes me laugh when people bring up Ron Paul and his "backbone." We have a damn near CENTER RIGHT President in office right now and HE can't get anything done. You think electing someone with such extreme ideas is going to get anything done? Do you think any of Paul's policies will make it through Congress? The Republican party barely supports Paul. Any self respecting Democrat should be afraid of his policies because of how destructive they could be. Yet HE could get things done? 

Dude's love him on here but fail to realize there's a reason why he'll never be elected, and it's not because he has the potential to be "too powerful."

Exactly.  Ron Paul and all his supporters are just wasting their time.  I mean with Ron Paul you have a guy that said the airlines companies themselves should be in charge of checking bags and luggage on airplanes and wanted to eliminate TSA.