presidential stuff

[bafleyanne]

Who should you vote for in 2004?

Your Results:

1.Kucinich, Cong. Dennis, OH - Democrat (100%)

2.Dean, Gov. Howard, VT - Democrat (94%)

3.Kerry, Senator John, MA - Democrat (92%)

4.Leahy, Patrick Senator, Vermont - Democrat (89%)

5.Moseley-Braun, Former Senator Carol IL - Democrat (89%)

6.Green Party Candidate (87%)

7.Feingold, Senator Russ, WI - Democrat (86%)

8.Gephardt, Cong. Dick, MO - Democrat (85%)

9.Sharpton, Reverend Al - Democrat (82%)

10.Edwards, Senator John, NC - Democrat (81%)

11.Biden, Senator Joe, DE - Democrat (79%)

12.Lieberman Senator Joe CT - Democrat (75%)

13.Libertarian Candidate (75%)

14.Graham, Senator Bob, FL - Democrat (71%)

15.Jackson, Cong. Jesse Jr., IL - Democrat (68%)

16.Bradley, Former Senator Bill NJ - Democrat (58%)

17.Kaptur, Cong. Marcy, OH - Democrat (55%)

18.Socialist Candidate (53%)

19.Feinstein, Senator Dianne, CA - Democrat (53%)

20.Buchanan, Patrick J. — Reform/Republican (30%)

21.Hagelin, John - Natural Law (25%)

22.Bush, George W. - US President (21%)

23.McCain, Senator John, AZ- Republican (17%)

24.Phillips, Howard - Constitution (13%)

25.Vilsack, Governor. Tom IA - Democrat (7%)

26.Clark, Retired Army General Wesley K "Wes" Arkansas - Democrat (-7%)

27.LaRouche, Lyndon H. Jr. - Democrat (-9%)

Comments

[crazyarjay.livejournal.com]

Okay, I have to ask.....has ANYONE gotten a positive number for LaRouche? :)

Baf, it's frightening....your top three are exactly the same as mine. :)

[bafleyanne.livejournal.com]

I don't know what one would have to do to get a positive for LaRouche. Other than be crazy, like the nutjobs who are always standing outside the DMV here campaigning for him.

For the record, the candidate I actually support is Dean. :) I just made a donation to his campaign, and I'm looking into some volunteer opportunities. But really, (almost) anyone will do as long as we can get Shrubya out of the White House.

[quartzpoet.livejournal.com]

Is calling the President "Shrubya" really any better than terms like "Shrillary" or "Slick Willie"?

[apis-mellifera.livejournal.com]

Hey. we had to deal with it for 8 years, now it's your turn to deal. *grin*

[kerinda.livejournal.com]

Nah, but the way I see it, people who engaged in such behaviors for 8 years, or better yet passively approved of such, have no reason to suggest that we take the higher moral road now that the tables are turned. ;)

Re:

[quartzpoet.livejournal.com]

Ah, the "he hit me first" defense. :) Well, I won't say that you're not entitled to it. I hate the Clintons both, but I've never resorted to name-calling as a tool of political discourse.

When you take on the traits of those you oppose, you become that which you despise.

Re:

[kerinda.livejournal.com]

Of course you do. This is something I've tried to get Republicans to see for years now, but alas, the concept is too deep for many. :)

Although, I disagree with you on the "he hit me first" defense being a valid statement. In politics, it's been dirty so long, I doubt anyone can actually remember who hit first.

Re:

[quartzpoet.livejournal.com]

You're right, it has been dirty forever. We can still choose to elevate our own level of discourse above the average.

[kerinda.livejournal.com]

I think, in discussing it, we're already above the "average", whom in my opinion will rely on whatever is fed to them by the 6 o'clock news, whether it is factual or not.

I mean, really, 1/3 of the citizenry of this country actually believes Saddam was responsible for 9/11. I think the best campaign slogan this year should be "Educate yourself".

But don't give Baf such a hard time for what is, really, not that offensive a namecalling. It's her journal, surely she should be allowed to vent there without worrying about being politically correct?

Re:

[quartzpoet.livejournal.com]

Baf can say whatever she likes in her journal. I never said otherwise. But if she's going to say things like "Shrubya", then she shouldn't expect to breated any differently than people who say things like "Shrillary".

[apis-mellifera.livejournal.com]

But many others have resorted to it, and done so very loudly. For years. To the extent where those loud voices decree that those who disagree with them aren't good Americans. (Fox News, I'm looking at you.)

I wish more people wouldn't use name-calling and personal insults as political discourse, but the fact of the matter is that people do, and it's hard not to get dirty when those you would discourse with are bound and determined to drag you down with them.

Re:

[quartzpoet.livejournal.com]

No one can drag you down into name-calling. :) It's something one chooses to do. :)

[catyak]

I think it has more to do with distinguishing him from his father. Why oh why do people give the kid the same name as the father? Same name, same job, who are we talking about? We could detail the idiocy, then you would know, but who has time for all that?

Texans are the ones who started calling him the Shrub back when he was governor, a diminutive bush, to distinguish him from daddy. Dubya is how he pronounces his own middle initial. Neither one of these is inherently derogatory.

Shrillary and Slick Willie DO contain judgments, are meant to be derogatory, and are name calling. I have plenty of negative judgments for the actions and mentality of the sitting president, but they are reflected in ways other than the names I call him. And I favor "The Shrub" for casual conversation.

--Susan

[cvantien.livejournal.com]

Are you guys seriously already gearing up for another election? It doesn't seem like it's been 2.5 years already since the last one. But then it's looking more likely that we'll be having our Federal election early (ours aren't scheduled like yours, our terms are no less than 2.5 years, no more than 4 years so they can be called when it's politically expedient) so I guess our PM wants to get in before the US President runs the risk of being voted out.

[bafleyanne.livejournal.com]

We'll be having an election in November of 2004. But our primaries start fairly soon, and most of the candidates are gearing up for that. I don't know how things work in Aussie-land, but here the primary elections happen with all candidates, and then the two big parties pick their candidate and only those (plus the candidates for other smaller parties, of course) are on the ballot. Of course you can write in other people. :)

[cvantien.livejournal.com]

There was a big discussion about this in misc.kids about a month ago, but I didn't realise that primaries start so far out from the election. Our political parties work differently, if you want to become a member of the party you then have the right to vote in the primaries but because everyone has to be enrolled to vote and then actually vote in State and Federal elections it would be unrealistic to have the entire voting public vote in primaries. The candidates are picked internally, and mostly the only people who join the political parties and are thus eligible to vote are those who are interested in a career in politics. So we only vote when it comes time to select a candidate for the seat, not for which candidate for each party will stand for the seat. If that made sense.....

[cvantien.livejournal.com]

Just for interest, I did the questionnaire. Who knew I was actually a Green Democrat? FWIW, here are my top 10 candidates according to the questionnaire:
1. Green Party Candidate (100%)
2. Kucinich, Cong. Dennis, OH - Democrat (98%)
3. Dean, Gov. Howard, VT - Democrat (86%)
4. Moseley-Braun, Former Senator Carol IL - Democrat (85%)
5. Sharpton, Reverend Al - Democrat (83%)
6. Gephardt, Cong. Dick, MO - Democrat (82%)
7. Leahy, Patrick Senator, Vermont - Democrat (82%)
8. Edwards, Senator John, NC - Democrat (77%)
9. Kerry, Senator John, MA - Democrat (75%)
10. Socialist Candidate (70%)

I have no idea who any of these specific people are, but I have heard of #11. Daschle, Senate Minority Leader Tom, SD - Democrat. And my first Republican was Senator John Cain who I have also heard of.