Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Controversial Subject

In the interest of seeing what happens I think Steve would like to have a lively discusion so I would like to know your thoughts on the upcoming election and why.

38 comments:

Vicky said...

I was thinking of starting a topic very similar to this one MJ, so you beat me to it.
I didn't vote in the last election because I thought both candidates were saying the same thing, just saying it differently. While I think it would be a huge mistake to vote in another Republican, Obama isn't really saying anything that's making me go "Woo!" I probably won't vote in this election either, simply because I don't think either candidate deserves my vote.

mj jones said...

so tell me are you still able to vote even though you don't live here please explain that to all of us who don't know.

personally I think McCain is likely to die in office and I agree a republican is not the way to go. I like Obama because he is the closest one to us who is able to look back and realize what it means to work hard and struggle in this country. the others are so far removed from that and seem clueless to me because they are all rich and have everything handed to them. not that Obama doesn't or isn't rich its just that he seems to remember where he came from and the struggles that came with it. with the cost of living skyrocketing here I really hope whoever gets in is able to fix that. over the last year things have gone up so much food, gas, heating oil, everything it seems that life/spending/saving have become differant for many of us. Bush got us into so much dept i feel for whoever gets into office because they have a big mess to clean up and it won't be easy.

steve said...

<-- writing in Ron Paul

steve said...

forgot the "why": when he was still in the race, he was the only American in the bunch.

And, Steve doesn't really want/need to know who you're all voting for.

Vicky said...

MJ, it's called "absentee ballot". I call the U.S. Embassy in London and they send me the form. I fill it in, sign it, and send it off. A record number of American expats are expected to vote in this election because, like me, most expats go home and feel like they're anywhere but the United States. The U.S. feels totally foreign to me, and I know part of that comes from the current political climate.

Steve, what do you want to talk about? Who's a right winger and who's a bleeding heart liberal? Why that might be so? Abortion? Same sex marriage? Name the topic dude.

kristen said...

my thoughts are simply....things are so bad under the republican control that a change is needed now!

kristen said...

and vicki, did you ever answer MJ about why gwyneth is so hated? i couldnt find anything on that...i'm curious too

Jamie said...

The candidate I was hoping would make it did not. So although I don't think either one is "the one" to vote for, I am going with McCain.

Michelle (Heist) Edwards said...

I think a change is in order as well. My daughter's class was following the election which I thought was good because I told her that she is watching history being made. On a funny note, my daughter told me to vote for Obama because she felt Hillary had an attitude problem....like my daughter is one to talk about attitude! I have to admit that I will be glad when it is over because it gets to be overkill after awhile.

Vicky said...

Sorry, didn't mean to ignore the Gwyneth question! It's just that she's an expat, living in the UK, like the other 250,000 of us that are here, and she's all up herself. She's snobby, she gives her kids stupid names, and she hangs out with Madonna - another annoying American expat. So there are lots of Yanks here who dislike her. I'm ambivalent, personally, but I don't think she deserved an Oscar for Shakespeare in Love.

steve said...

Vicki,

My problem is that ALL these topics are being legislated at the federal level. WTF does the federal government have to do with marriage? And it's not stated in the Constitution, so it's left to the States, and the people, to decide - according to the Constitution, anyway.

The population is stuck in the political "us" vs. "them", to the exclusion of the Constitution and the "we." The federal gov't quietly takes on more authority and gets involved in ever more shit that they have no legal right to be involved in the first place, while we all argue over which rich white guy is going to represent our side of the issue??!!

"We the people" have dropped the ball big time. If you're happy with what the federal gov't has become, you're a traitor, IMO... and I'm not talking about whether they have or haven't legalized gay marriage, or pot, or whatever.. it's that we're not storming the capital with torches and pitchforks when they assume that they get to decide.

I would love for the fed to start pushing a national ban on hunting. THAT would get Pennsylvania's attention.


Hmmm, did I hold back enough?

Tracy said...

Steve, that is very conservative of you. from the way you sounded in previous post, I never thought I would agree with you on anything. I also believe in state authority on most issues. The Feds should not be redistributing the wealth the way they do, but should encourage those who have benefited from capitalism to give to the areas they see need it.
I am with you Jamie, I will probably vote for McCain, but would have liked to see another Republican on the ballot. Who knows, maybe he will be named the VP canidate.

mj jones said...

Vicki an absentee ballot I thought that was only for people who are traveling or in the service. I find it a bit odd that you haven't lived here for years, are raising your family in the UK with no plans to move back but you still get to vote for a US pres.......hmmm not sure how I feel about that. Hope that doesn't offend you but it just doesn't seem quite right to me.

Vicky said...

No, you didn't offend me. I've lived in the UK for 13 years and I still have to file a tax return in the U.S. every year. The United States has the right to tax me if I earn over a certain amount, even though I live in another country and pay my taxes to that country. How would you feel about the possibility of having to pay taxes to two governments? If I have to report my earnings to Uncle Sam, you can be damn sure that I'm going to have a say in who's running the place. I'm still a citizen, I just don't live there.

Vicky said...

And actually, now that I think about it, I read recently that the IRS is getting rid of the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, which means that the U.S. Government can now tax me on ALL my earnings, not just what I earn over x amount. Never mind that I already pay 30% income tax or that there is a Dual Taxation Agreement in place with the U.K. If they need some more money to fund their illegal war, they'll start garnishing expat wages. Steve, what were you saying about state versus federal government? ;-)

kristen said...

vicki...that fucking sucks!

mj jones said...

wow that really sucks, have you ever considered giving up your citizenship? pretty soon you'll be wroking for nothing

Vicky said...

I won't ever give up my citizenship. The thing is, just because you leave the country, doesn't mean that you don't have the rights and responsibilities of someone who's still present in the country. So, yeah, I have to declare what I earn (they haven't ever taxed me, but that's not to say it couldn't happen) but I still get to have a say (however small) in how things are run.

kristen said...

and by the way...i love madonna

steve said...

What happened to that fat cat?

...


Vote Quimby

Jeff P said...

This is a controversial topic. I hope Steve wasn't really serious about "the only American" comment -he was being sarcastic -right?

Anyway, this is a "lesser of two evils" vote. The guy who wants to change the world, with overall good ideas, but no real experience at that level vs. another incumbent Republican.

My vote will be for whoever is in favor of regulating the Oil Companies, developing alternative fuel/energy supply and STOPPING the export of American Jobs to China and the like. Whoever can dot that -gets my Vote (American or not!!).

Jeff

steve said...

Jeff, I'm not sure, but I think Steve was seriously accusing all the other candidates from both parties of being un-American.

I wonder what his definition of "American" is?

I bet he'd rather see the fed stop subsidizing oil companies than regulate them, too... and it's probably going to be news to him that any presidential candidate has the technical wherewithal to develop alternative energy.

...

Mullen appears to be un-smoke-out-able. :(

Vicky said...

I miss Mullen. I was thinking about this the other day - how most people have just gone, even the ones who started this thing in the first place. Not that I don't like hanging out with you guys!

kristen said...

matt showed up somewhere a day or two ago...i think it was under the "fat cat" post

mj jones said...

I guess we bore them, oh well.

Donna Thomas said...

Jeff P,

It seems to me that EVERY election is an exercise in voting for the lesser of two evils.

Of course, why would anyone in his right mind go into politics? Talk about filth. Many people who are attracted to public office are interested in power over other people. Some people who run for office are decent human beings but I don't know how you avoid getting ground down by system once you become a part of it.

Yeah, I know I sound cynical.

steve said...

Hmmm.

A 'controversial topic' post with 26 comments, several blurkers checking in, and no crying or name-calling.

I'm just sayin'...

steve said...

The last post that had more comments was when Randy brought up the issue of faith - another controversial topic.

It looks like a pattern.

Garlic.

Sex sells.

I think I'll post some naked pictures of my dog.

steve said...

Maybe I can just keep posting comments to this topic until it hits 40.

steve said...

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steve said...

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steve said...

[yawn]

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steve said...

You saw the comment number go way up and couldn't wait to see what was going on in here, didn't you?

steve said...

OK, that was a lot less fun than I thought it would be.

mj jones said...

sex definatly sells

Donna Thomas said...

Let's see those naked dog pix! ;-)

Sonya C said...

I haven't been here in a long time and am finding what has been going on interesting. On this topic, I agree, elections are usually picking the less of two evils....

I will not vote for McCain - he is too old, Republican, another Bush, an oil man, and a huge liar!!!

I am voting for Obama because he appears to not have his head up his ass!! I agree with his policies and ideas - really haven't found one that I agree with McCain. I'm just afraid that he won't get elected because of his race. It's sad that even in this time and age, that there are so many racists in our country.

Oh well, that is my 2 cents....

Jeff P said...

Sonya,

I'm there with you...it's ashame that race is an issue on anything in this day & age. At this point, I'm leaning towards O'bama as well....I just have this reservation, because I'm republican and the last time I voted Democrat was for Clinton!! We all know how that went....but hey -if he can get interns back into the white house....Power to him!!

Jeff