new - newer - news

[elpollodiablo]

Wait... Freddy really does like Thompson?

[DCDave]

His girlfriend works on Thompson's campaign

[dieblucasdie]

She volunteered for him when she lived in MT.  Since they didn't have much campaign infrastructure in MT (especially in hippie Missoula), she got pretty high up in his state campaign IIRC.  Now that they're in DC I don't think she's involved with it anymore.  I don't know if FK really likes him or just gets defensive on her behalf (fair enough), so I should've let him speak for himself.

[FreddyKnuckles]

"worked"

and never for his campaign.  It was all pre-announcement infrastructure establishment. 

[elpollodiablo]

His girlfriend works on Thompson's campaign

Otherwise known as 'shoveling shit against the tide'

[Andrew_TSKS]

two things--1) that evel knievel/kanye west thing is ridiculous. kanye parodied evel, which is allowed under fair use rules. there's no way that lawsuit would have made it to judgment.

2) huckabee interests me in that he is actually kind of taking thomas frank's "what's the matter with kansas" to its logical conclusion and linking evangelical social conservatism with economic populism. however, he's apparently incredibly corrupt, and i would be willing to bet he'd be as bad a president as dubya. that said, i like him better than the rest of the republicans (other than ron paul). but that's not saying much.

[dieblucasdie]

(other than ron paul)

NO

NO

BAD ANDREW

[dieblucasdie]

Sorry, you did say "not saying much," but I just really hate the left's flirtation with Paul.

[DCDave]

Ron Paul's HQ is around the corner from my office, on the 2nd floor of a drycleaners, next to a camping supply company.

[Andrew_TSKS]

hah, yeah, blucas, don't assume that i'd actually vote for either ron paul or mike huckabee--it's just that i'd be less appalled at either of them becoming the president than, say, rudy giuliani or mitt romney.

but i would still be pretty appalled.

[FreddyKnuckles]

huckabee and paul are definitely best case scenario republican candidates.

[dieblucasdie]

I'm no big booster of his, but McCain would definitely be a better president than either of those crackpots.

[DCDave]

Ron Paul doesn't understand much about the Constitution, and he plans to run the country according to his interpretation of it.

Huckabee is a fundy, isn't he?

I like McCain if any Republican is going to win.

[Andrew_TSKS]

mccain = politics as usual, and i, like much of the relatively ignorant electorate, have a kneejerk reaction against that sort of thing. it's why i don't like hilary, and why i didn't much like kerry in 2004 (though i tried to talk myself into it, there was still some nose-holding when i voted for him). i didn't like edwards in 2004 either, but i like him now precisely because of everything he's saying that makes him less like a typical politician (all of those things are what i actually want to hear).

at least i agree with paul and huckabee a little bit about one or two things, you know? if mccain became president, things would be uniformly bad. with paul or huckabee in office, one or two good things might happen, and a hundred incredibly horrible things would doubtless also happen. but that scenario is preferable to me because it makes it less easy for middle america to just roll over and go back to sleep like it did after the elections of 2000 and 2004.

but hey, my bad for bumping this, there's a new thread right HERE.

[DCDave]

McCain isn't really what I would describe as a "politics" or "usual" guy.

[Greg Nog]

A senator isn't someone you'd describe as a "politics" guy?

[DCDave]

Not McCain.  He's not strategic.  He doesn't deal with Washington on Washington's terms.  He has too much force of character and personal charisma.  McCain doesn't get reelected in Arizona because he's good at being a Washington insider and steers pork home.

[slow west vultures]

2) huckabee interests me in that he is actually kind of taking thomas frank's "what's the matter with kansas" to its logical conclusion and linking evangelical social conservatism with economic populism. however, he's apparently incredibly corrupt, and i would be willing to bet he'd be as bad a president as dubya. that said, i like him better than the rest of the republicans (other than ron paul). but that's not saying much.

and we'd have to endure endless clips of him playing guitar to prove he's cool.  i think that in itself should negate any interest people might have in him.  

if i had a digital camera, i would start a photoseries of all the ron paul posters i come across scattered around the valley.  they are always in the most forlorn destitute looking intersections, or on the side of highways etc.  i'm not sure if these are ironic statements or what.  the best one was driving to downtown phoenix on 9/11 and there were all these people gathered with signs saying '9/11 was an inside job' on the freeway overpass right above signs that said 'ron paul for freedom'.  i really wish i had gotten a picture of it.  

and as far as mccain goes, i think he gets reelected because he's pretty much a fixture in arizona (and national) politics now, and nobody seriously considers running against him.  i like john mccain.  i thought his snl performance a couple years back was probably the best i've seen as far as political guests go.  and i gained another measure of admiration for him seeing his 'headliners and legends' special on msnbc.  dude was kind of the fonz of the naval academy when he went there.  had the 2nd worst grades in his class, would ride around on his motorcycle and just get back to base on time.  i know he's associated with arizona, but he really has no connection with arizona except for marrying the daughter of a liquor fortune tycoon -  i don't think he would make a great president (or that he has much of a shot), and from what i've heard him speak it sounds like he's just grasping at conservative talking point straws.  he probably learned his lesson from the 2000 election, but its a little too late for him now. 

[dieblucasdie]

McCain holds a bunch of positions I dislike, and a few I *really* dislike.  Whatever else you might say about him, though, he's not an ideologue.   Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee are definitely ideologues (one a kool-aid-hound libertarian, one a fundie of the highest order).  Ron Paul isn't against the war because it's stupid; he's against the war because it runs counter to his strict ideology. 

It's pretty sad that simply trying to apply rational judgment to a problem makes one an above-average public servant, but thems the breaks.

Incidentally, this is also why I'm not a big fan of Kucinich, even though in theory I'm as far or farther left than he is.

[FreddyKnuckles]

I think the reason Paul gets so much buzz is that he refuses to do the typical bow down politician thing. 

I also think its funny how conservative and righty tighty all the republicans act and how crazy left wing all of the democrats act. After the primary, the tune will change and Hillary will be talking about God, and national security and Rudy Guiliani will be reminding everyone constantly that he's pro choice and doesn't hate gays.

[dieblucasdie]

Actually seems like primary voters are generally pretty pragmatic.  If you'll recall, Iowa voters in '04 liked Dean better but picked Kerry because they thought he'd fare better in the general election (they were stupid, of course).  Dean had it sewn up until Kerry started pushing the "electability" issue.

Also I don't really see the evidence for Clinton and Obama pandering to the left.  The Republican candidates are more concerned about their right flank, but only really on a handful of social issues (and maybe immigration, but no one's on safe ground electorally there), and where that's concerned it's their own damn fault for making "crazy people" an important part of their base.

re: Paul.  He gets buzz because he's a nominee for the GOP nomination and he's against the war.  That's the only reason.

[FreddyKnuckles]

yeah and he's crazy.  You listen to the debates and he really doesn't bother with the polities and general bullshit. 

[dieblucasdie]

Yeah, but Gravel is fuckin' nuts too and no one talks seriously about him.

[FreddyKnuckles]

"Cliches about supporting the troops are designed to distract from failed policies, policies promoted by powerful special interests that benefit from war, anything to steer the discussion away from the real reasons the war in Iraq will not end anytime soon."

No candidate on either side would answer a question about "support the troops" that way.  They'd all go "who me? I support the brave men and women of our armed forces etc. etc. ad nauseum". 

I'm not saying I like Paul, at all, but you gotta give him credit for no bullshit.  You know what the guy believes and really know it. 

[C of heartbreak]

Isn't hating on someone for being idealogical a little, um, idealogical?

Besides, I only vote for crazies. My one problem with Obama is that he seems so level-headed.

Also,

there's a new thread right HERE.[/b]