Democratic Convention

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by Eugene

You mean, I suppose, that he is opposed to gay marriage? So are a lot of Democrats.

And a lot of white people - on both sides of the aisle- don't like blacks. Does that mean we should role back civil rights?

Originally Posted by Eugene

I would only be disturbed if he opposed my right to gainful employment because I am gay

The previous post notes McCain's record on this issue.

As the saying goes....with friend's like that...

Eugene- Now would be a good time to get disturbed.

[tpdncr4christ]

I love the democratic convention! OMG, Hillary's speech was phenomenal, and I think it really helped the party. It seems to me that the country really wants significant distance from these last eight years, we don't want to be associated with a president who engineered a war, destroyed the American economy and almost tripled the deficit. No one wants another Bush, and that's a good thing. Obama is a big unknown, and I mean, a BIG unknown. We have very little experience with him in a large public office to understand how he reacts under stress, what he does to get things done, and how he accomplishes his goals. We know that he is a fantastic speaker, rivaling perhaps even Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, but that's about it.

I'm actually rather glad he chose Bidden for his running mate, because Bidden brings the experience to the ticket that few other candidates would have. Early in the race, when Bidden was still in the primaries, he mapped out a clear exit strategy from Iraq, something which I am grateful to be on Obama's side.

I really wish Obama wasn't the canidate though, because I know just how flawed he is. There are allot of areas that he cannot win, big important areas with lots of electoral votes, that Hillary won by a landslide. She may not have won the majority of the votes, but she did win the strongest votes. If you look at a map, Hillary covered all of the areas that the democrats need to make it to the white house. It was an arrogant decision not to include her as vice president.

I must say, my favorite part of Hillary's speech, one that hasn't received too much attention to my knowledge, is when she said, "No way, no how, no Mcain." I love it. It was beautiful.

But I am looking forward to Obama's speech tomorrow, I expect it to be one of the defining speeches of his campaign. Because we've come to expect so much from him, if he doesn't deliver it could deal a powerful blow to his numbers late in the campaign. But if he comes out strong, that speech will be one that people remember. Hopefully...

[u-dog]

Austin!!! Good to see you! I don't think you need to worry about Obama's speech. The man is nothing if not a skilled wordsmith. I was not that enthusiastic about Biden (I was still holding out hope for Hillary) but after last night's speech I think he is JUST the right person to soothe the fears of white catholic voters. He has the skill and the relationships to be able to rip out McCain's throat without appearing disrespectful. AND he has a son on his way to Iraq. that can't hurt. Though I am ready for this election to be over I think the last months of the campaign are going to be fun. I can't WAIT for the debates.

[u-dog]

And how about Bill Clinton's speech!!??? He used his position as a former president to articulate clearly and strongly why the Bush administration has been a world class disaster for this country (not to mention this planet) I hope to hear more and more speeches like that. It was a classic "The emperor has no clothes" speech.

The record is clear:

George Bush is evil
GB is a war criminal
GB is an incompetant
GB is a whore to big oil
GB is a liar
GB is a tyrant in sheep's clothing
GB is an embarrassment

and McCain is his lapdog.

I want to hear this speech over and over again until America GETS IT

[Zerbie]

Originally Posted by Eugene

There are far more pressing things -- like keeping the American debt economy from collapsing (and taking the Western world down with it).

By itself, an excellent reason NOT to support McCain. He recently stated that he doesn't understand economics. Did he also say that he thinks the economy is doing just fine? I thought I heard some references to that at the convention.

[Rick336]

Originally Posted by Zerbie

Did he also say that he thinks the economy is doing just fine? I thought I heard some references to that at the convention.

I think what they're referring to at the Democratic Convention is the quote McCain made during the debate in South Carolina when he said:

“I don’t believe we’re headed into a recession. I believe the fundamentals of this economy are strong and I believe they will remain strong.”

Rick

[u-dog]

Originally Posted by Zerbie

By itself, an excellent reason NOT to support McCain. He recently stated that he doesn't understand economics. Did he also say that he thinks the economy is doing just fine? I thought I heard some references to that at the convention.

Exactly Zerbie. This economy is going to implode because the Republicans have engaged in war that they are unwilling to pay for. we hear a lot about borrowing from China to Pay Saudi Arabia? how about borrowing from China in order to pay Halliburton?

The Iraq war costs TEN BILLION DOLLARS A MONTH !!!! That is the equivalent of buying TWO NIMITZ CLASS AIRCRAFT CARRIERS EVERY MONTH !! We cannot afford this war ! How well it is going or whether we are acheiving our objectives ... is irrelevant.

And the TEN BILLION doesn't include replacement costs for equipment that is being worn out and destroyed and doesn't include the VETERANS benefits that we will be paying for the next 60 years and it doesn't include the social costs that will be incurred as thousands of PTSD afflicted Vets come home and start abusing their wives and children.

It also doesn't include Opportunity costs (what else you might do with your military if you weren't doing that) Do you think Putin would have invaded Georgia if he didn't know that we are tied up in Iraq? Not a chance.

The Bush/Republican agenda is a total failure -- a fiasco in every aspect of American public life. Now would indeed be a good time to get disturbed.

Gosh... I wish I could whip up some passion around this election ...

[Rick336]

Originally Posted by u-dog

how about borrowing from China in order to pay Halliburton?

But that's just good business, at least for Halliburton stockholders.

The last report I saw in 2007, Cheney holds 100,000 shares of stock in Halliburton with a gross value of $3.2 million.

Rick

[Zerbie]

Originally Posted by u-dog

The Iraq war costs TEN BILLION DOLLARS A MONTH !!!!

And the TEN BILLION doesn't include replacement costs for equipment that is being worn out and destroyed and doesn't include the VETERANS benefits that we will be paying for the next 60 years and it doesn't include the social costs that will be incurred as thousands of PTSD afflicted Vets come home and start abusing their wives and children.

Aw come on, Udog. There's no cost to taking care of injured, disabled, and PTSD-ridden veterans, because we aren't providing the care.

(This folks, is my one and only (seriously flawed) attempt at using sarcasm. Shows ya why I usually don't.)

Udog, you've nailed the problems. Thanks for speaking up.

[ctozrn]

Everyone has brought up great reasons why Obama has to be elected. I hear a lot of really strong arguements but as I was watching him last night, do you know what I thought about? Finally, after 8 years, we will have a president who is intelligent and speaks proper english! This may seem like a really trivial matter but I just could not stand to even hear GWB speak. Everytime he opened his mouth he sounded like an idiot!

I like Obama for many reasons but this is something I am really looking forward to...a smart, intelligent, well spoken president!

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by ctozrn

Everyone has brought up great reasons why Obama has to be elected. I hear a lot of really strong arguements but as I was watching him last night, do you know what I thought about? Finally, after 8 years, we will have a president who is intelligent and speaks proper english! This may seem like a really trivial matter but I just could not stand to even hear GWB speak. Everytime he opened his mouth he sounded like an idiot!

I like Obama for many reasons but this is something I am really looking forward to...a smart, intelligent, well spoken president!

Vanity Fair highlighted the dyslexia of our current president. And a webpage that discusses the issue can be read here:

http://www.bushwatch.org/dyslexia.htm

Dyslexia Diognosticians Comment on Bush's Language

Bush's inability to distinguish between the word "tears," meaning to rip, and "tears," meaning crying, while a student at Andover, suggests, "he really didn't understand the language. Bush is probably dyslexic, although he has probably never been diagnosed." --Sue Horn, former president of the Maryland branch of the International Dyslexia Accociation, who has been diognosing dyslexics for 25 years. (Vanity Fair, October, 2000)

"The errors you've heard Governor Bush make are consistent with dyslexia." --Nancy LaFevers, Houston Dyslexia Diognostician. (Vanity Fair, October, 2000)

"Based on his speech and behavior, his hyperactivity and impulsivity, you can say there is a possibility of some sort of disorder. If he were in a New York City school, they would pick up on this and say, 'Let's check out this person.'" Dr. Irwin Rosenthal, who sits on the board of the New York Association for the Learning Disabled. (Daily News, 9/12/00)

Note: Dr. Rosenthal appears to be considering the belief in a 30% crossover between dyslexia and attention-deficit disorder. As far as school testing, Gail Sheehy notes in her Vanity Fair profile that younger brother Neil, like George, was tutored by his mother for language deficiencies. "Neil was later diagnosed as dyslexic, but it is unlikely that lower schools would have identified the problem in either boy in the 50's or 60's. Even today it is often missed, and learning difficulties are attribute to laziness or poor teaching. Although Barbara Bush has previously told the nation, "Please don't treat [dyslexia] as a secret. Treat it with help," her son George is unwilling to take a test to determine if he is dyxlexic. At present, the Bush team says Bush is not dyslexic and notes that he has never been tested, implying that without taking the test, he could not be dyslexic. --Politex

"I don't think you can diagnose anyone with dyslexia just from the way they talk." --Dr. Larry Silver, president of the Learning Disabilities Association (Daily News, 9/12/00)

Note: Here, Dr. Silver agrees that an actual professional diagnosis demands a test. --Politex

Bush "definitely has problems with word retrieval. He's dipping into the right word pool in his brain but pulling out the wrong word. We all do that to some extent, but we catch ourselves doing it. He doesn't seem to correct himself. That's kind of curious." --Linda Bejorian, speech pathologist, New York's Speech Matters, suggesting that, in the words of the reporter, "Bush sometimes sounds like a stroke victim." (Daily News, 9/12/00)

Of course, the current President has denied the assertion. And equally, dyslexia has little to do with intelligence. But it seems- in the current President' case- that the severity of his dyslexia may have impacted world events more than we might care to admit. This is the man who - it should be noted- has taken more vacation than any other president in history. As many have noted, he may be charming and can hold a room's attention. That said, is seems that it takes a great deal more to hold his.

Doug Hannah, a friend since childhood, has found that the attention problem runs in the family: "They have an attention span of about an hour." When he and George were boys, he remembers, "Mr. Bush would pick us up to take us to the movies and leave after an hour and 20 minutes.... At ball games George would sometimes want to leave in the fifth inning." "Even today," writes Gail Sheehy in the October Vanity Fair, "nothing engages Bush's attention for more than an hour, an hour max—more like 10 or 15 minutes. His workday as governor of Texas is "two hard half-days," as his chief of staff, Clay Johnson, describes it. He puts in the hours from 8 to 11:30 A.M., breaking it up with a series of 15-minute meetings, sometimes 10-minute meetings, but rarely is there a 30-minute meeting, says Johnson. At 11:30 he's "outtahere." He tries everything possible to have at least two hours of what he calls private time in the middle of the day to go over to the University of Texas track or run a hard three to five miles on a concrete path at a pace of 7.5 minutes a mile, then relax and return to the office at 1:30, where he'll play some video golf or computer solitaire until about three, and then it's back to the second "hard half-day" until 5:30.

It this the work ethic that helped get us into Iraq? One wonders.

A last thought worth reading here:

http://www.thenation.com/doc/20001009/hitchens

And to think, this was known in 2000, eight years ago. But it didn't seem to matter to anyone, much less the voting public. Does it matter now? Should it matter? I think so. Being dyslexic isn't a crime. What has been a crime is the extent to which the president's problem has become our collective problem.

Did I mention that it's highly likely that pesident Bush didn't read the clemency files on those who he ordered executed while the govenor of Texas- which- by the way- has put more people to death than any other state? I ask you, is that the action of a compassionate conservative?

[nmwolfboy]

At times i wonder (it's the influence of all the Social Workers and Nurses i've worked with for the past 11 years) if GWB might not have one of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders. Barbara is awfully devoted to her Glenlivit, and drinking during pregnancy was much less stigmatized during the 1940s than it is today...i'm just sayin'. He's got some of the facial features, and learning disabilities are common with FASD.

Of course, this is entirely idle speculation on my part.

-scott

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by nmwolfboy

At times i wonder (it's the influence of all the Social Workers and Nurses i've worked with for the past 11 years) if GWB might not have one of the Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorders. Barbara is awfully devoted to her Glenlivit, and drinking during pregnancy was much less stigmatized during the 1940s than it is today...i'm just sayin'. He's got some of the facial features, and learning disabilities are common with FASD.

Of course, this is entirely idle speculation on my part.

But what an interesting one it is!

After having had my ears trained for better singing (yes- one can do that!) at the Listening Centre in Toronto, I learned some interesting things from those who work with listening problems- which is another way to talk about dyslexia and autism etc. While not the same thing as FASD, the spectrum of learning problems also has much to do with facial features- as I learned from those in the field. Apparently, facial features can tell one a great deal about a person, in this case, how they are using their ears ie their listening faculty, which is something more than hearing sound passively. In particular, it seems that the more facile one is in terms of their listening ability, the more the face is mobile, especially around the upper lip. And an observant person will note that the upper lip of president Bush often appears to be frozen into place. This tells one that the president may have learning problems- ones which probably have gone undiagnosed to this day.

So- is this idle speculation? I don't think so. I think you are putting things together. Things which are obvious to those who know what to look for. Could Fetal Alchohol Syndrome play a part? I think that's an intensely interesting question. We already know that gayness may have everything to do with the environment in the womb, right? As well, one would think that the brain itself would be affected by the use of alchohol when the fetus is in the womb. Makes a lot of sense. And it's only in the last 30 years that anyone started to take notice of these things.

Here's some info on listening and how it affects learning and language:

http://www.listeningcentre.com/

Now back to politics and the democratic convention! It's taking place in the Mile High Stadium tonight. That should be interesting, no?

[Gennee]

Now the real work begins. I hope that bitterness over Hillary losing will not prevent her supporters from voting Democratic. Look at it this way; is McCain for womens rights? Is he a supporter of LGBT rights? I think we all know the answers to those questions. I always say that each person should vote for the person who they feel will do the best for the country.

Lastly, and this is my two cents worth, we need a fresh face. You had eight years of Clinton and twelve years of Bush(es) . I don't feel many Americans wanted another 4 years of a Clinton.

Gennee

[Daniel]

Wow! Just heard Gore's speech this evening, and while one may quibble about his delivery (he can read the tele-prompter too fast!) the content of his speech blew me away. Among other things, he likened Obama to Lincoln. Both opposed a popular war. Both served as state legislators and had a brief term in Congress before becoming President.

Is Obama a pivotal candidate for our time as Lincoln was? That's a very provacative thought.

Many see Gore as being too wonky. I thought he was right-on in observations and comments about the war as well as torture. And by-the-way, I read a NYTimes article this morning about the loss of the polar ice cap- one which indicates that global warming is a serious matter. Gore mentioned it. If anything, he's paying attention to 'what's happening now'. And I see this as more than topical interest: I believe that it's only when we see things as they are- not as we wish them to be- that we can effect change.

Am I getting excited about a possible Obama Presidency? Truthfully? I'd love to see him in the oval office. He would be a breath of fresh air after the stale and suffocating presence of the last 8 years. However, I'm not sure that the country is that progressive and far-thinking.

[BruceChris]

The gay community was mentioned in Hilary's speech, we were mentioned in Bill's speech, we were mentioned by Ted Kennedy, and finally we were mentioned in Barack Obama's speech.

Do I have any takers on the bet that the word "gay" will never be mentioned in front of a microphone at the Repub's convention?

They're getting together right next door, in St. Paul, and I will be there to greet them.

Onward and Upward, Bruce Chris

Daniel: You have to remember that Al Gore is really more of a college professor, than he is a politician.

[Matt Algren]

Originally Posted by BruceChris

The gay community was mentioned in Hilary's speech, we were mentioned in Bill's speech, and finally we were mentioned in Barack Obama's speech.

Do I have any takers on the bet that the word "gay" will never be mentioned in front of a microphone at the Repub's convention?

They're getting together right next door, in St. Paul, and I will be there to greet them.

Onward and Upward, Bruce Chris

Daniel: You have to remember that Al Gore is really more of a college professor, than he is a politician.

They'll use the word "homosexual" with finger quotes.

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by BruceChris

Daniel: You have to remember that Al Gore is really more of a college professor, than he is a politician.

Gore taught here in NYC for a semester at Columbia University, if I'm not mistaken. Maybe that's what appeals to me. He knows his stuff. In addition, he won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts regarding global warming. And in this last respect, he may be remembered as neither professor or polictican, but rather, a prophet.

[Daniel]

That the Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin, was tapped by McCain to be his running mate.

Now that's an provocative choice. Once which seems designed to steal those who intended to vote for Hillary. A very shrewd tactic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us...9palin.html?hp

McCain Chooses Palin as Running Mate

By MICHAEL COOPER and ELISABETH BUMILLER
Published: August 29, 2008
DAYTON, Ohio — In a surprise move, Senator John McCain announced here Friday that he had chosen Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate, shaking up the political world at a time when his campaign has been trying to attract women, especially disaffected supporters of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton.

She's a Christian Conservative, at least, according to Ralph Reed. Another demographic that is very much wanted by Senator McCain.

Know what? I have a sinking feeling about all this.

[Matt Algren]

Originally Posted by Daniel

That the Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin, was tapped by McCain to be his running mate.

Now that's an provocative choice. Once which seems designed to steal those who intended to vote for Hillary. A very shrewd tactic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/30/us...9palin.html?hp



She's a Christian Conservative, at least, according to Ralph Reed. Another demographic that is very much wanted by Senator McCain.

Know what? I have a sinking feeling about all this.

Don't. It's an obvious ploy, and she's woefully unqualified. Her experience is two years as governor of the 3rd smallest population state and several years as mayor of a town of less than 6,000 people. No, I didn't forget a zero.

Are people who wouldn't have voted for McCain going to vote for him just because he has a female running mate? I don't think so. In just about every way, she's the anti-Hillary. Pro-life, anti-gay, anti-gun control, pro-fur, pro-drilling in Alaska. You're not going to see a lot of feminist defection to the Republican ticket when the only similarity between Palin and Clinton is that they both have vaginas and bewbs.

There's a (pretty minor) ethics investigation going on having to do with her trying to get her ex-brother-in-law, who worked for the state government, fired. She doesn't bring a big regional voting block with her. She'll have to debate Joe Biden. Her relative youth makes McCain's big argument against Obama unusable.

This is a huge mistake. It'll backfire. We won last night. Today just widened the margin.