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Commentary: Will we come together after the election?
The 2008 Presidential election has been long and bitterly contested by both sides. The passions of the political season will not subside quickly for those who immerse both heart and soul into the effort as so many campaign volunteers and activists do each election cycle.
That is not a bad thing; nor is it new. The insults and attacks that we see today are somewhat tame compared to the personal assaults that typified American politics in our first hundred years of campaigning.
In the not-so-distant past there seemed to be common understanding that after a Presidential election we should unify behind the winner and at least afford our “duly elected” leader a modicum of respect — for the office if not for the person. Those who share that attitude these days are an increasingly small minority.
The fact is, neither Barack Obama nor John McCain harbor any ill will towards this nation, although both have embraced policies that could cause major damage. Each has supported some form of amnesty for illegal aliens; both have shown a disturbing willingness to spend “other people’s money” to bailout their Wall Street cronies; their choices of some business and political associates over the years have reflected disturbing blind spots when it comes to overlooking warning signals of misbehavior that seem remarkably clear in hindsight.
But the fact that they pursue those policies through a misguided sense of direction rather than a desire to destroy the nation should entitle them to at least a bit of slack from all of us.
The next President must sincerely reach out to those in the other party and its supporters with more than mere rhetoric. The winner of a Presidential election wins it all and doesn’t need to establish a “coalition government” no matter how thin the margin of victory may be. But recognizing that a narrow election in a divided nation does not provide a “mandate” on the issues most important to his most radical supporters will be important.
If Obama takes the White House with a significant majority of Democrats in the House and Senate he should remember that the Congress currently enjoys an approval rating in the low teens. Rejection of the Republicans at the ballot box in 2008 will not mean that voters have embraced the extremist policies of the far Left wing of the Democratic Party – particularly since Obama has denied supporting most of those policies throughout the election.
Likewise, if McCain is able to slip to victory in the final days of this election he will take office with little likelihood that the Democrats who will control the House and Senate will have any real intention to work cooperatively with him. Just because President George W. Bush wanted to be a “uniter not a divider” did not mean that the Democrats in Congress shared his ambition. Reaching across the aisle to work hand-in-hand with Sen. Ted Kennedy to develop and pass the “No Child Left Behind” Act did not earn him any grace period, but at least he tried.
The next President will have an extremely short “honeymoon” period…if he gets one at all, and he will need to immediately develop a bi-partisan approach to a couple of critical issues if his Administration will have any chance to move past the election and enable him to become a President of the entire country, not just the Red or Blue portion that put him in power.
Nevertheless, if McCain wins on Tuesday, then Hillary Clinton will start her 2012 bid the next day. If Obama prevails, Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin and a long list of others will immediately begin positioning themselves for a run. Win or lose, the long and exhaustive Presidential election of 2008 gives way to the 2012 version sometime early next week.
Contact Gill at gillreport.com
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The real question is whether we can survive 4 years of either. Best hope I have is that McCain wins and Palin takes over asap.
So you want McCain dead, idgaf? You are one cold right winger. No wonder the Republican are in such disarray.
I think it will be hard for us to come together with people like the first to post here today. I doubt that the narrow closed mind of such people will never change.
Cpt. Nemo: You think id. is a "right winger"?His wheels came off years ago. And there are 10 or more nuts that use this forum as their own personal psychiatrist. All Republicans/Conservatives (Ultra).Myself and Dooley are the only Democrats/Libs to post.
Come together? Not as long as Gill, Rush and O'Reilly are around blowing hot air.
Are there no LTEs today?
How funny! I'm a Dem but no way in Hell am I insane like some of the ultra Marxists that post on this site. Puh-lease~Plus, I'm married to a Rep, so together we make a "normal" person. LOL
Know the fundamental difference between a Democrat and a Republican?When "Joe the Plumber" was found out to be 99% fraud, McPain's camp still propps him up and hauls him out, signing autographs at campaign stops...and refers to him as "All American". "Typical middle class". Oh, and 99% FRAUD.Republicans think no one will know truth from reality, and what's the difference, anyway?Obama would of cut the fool loose, immediately.It's called core morality and ethics.
It will depend on Obama and his posse. It will also depend on if he implements his Civilian Security Force and what their mission is. Chief posted something late yesterday afternoon in the LTE's that bears repeating. Be sure to read the comments after the article about the German engineer.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~By: chiefpayne568 on 10/30/08 I wonder who Obama plans to recruit for this??? He plans for a “civilian national security force” that is as powerful and well-funded as the US military.Obama outlines plan for national servicehttp://bulletin.aarp.org/states/il/articles/obama_outlines_plan_for_national_service.htmlNow if THIS isn't SCARY!!!
No LTE's today.Odd that, I'm sure Paulie and George Reynolds have filing cabinets full of their tomes waiting to be published. Must be a work slowdown at the USPS.
As soon as I find out how much Obama is going to take out of my pocket I will immediately begin working on a plan to see how much I can cut out of the operating budget for my company. (Intelligent people will know what I am alluding to)
CAH, Obama's "civilian national security force" will constitute a militia. That way, gun possession will be restricted to those militia members. Private ownership of guns can be outlawed.
CAH - It sounds like it is going to be manned by high school and college students. It should be interesting to see what it’s make up is and used for.
“As soon as I find out how much Obama is going to take out of my pocket I will immediately begin working on a plan to see how much I can cut out of the operating budget for my company. (Intelligent people will know what I am alluding to)”‘Cause that is the American way. “ I AIN”T GIVEN’ UP NUTING!!!!”
Increased taxes on businesses will be met with decreased payroll and employee benefits. That's basic business.
fund-tto.... right , Gill does blow.. O`Reilly, he has no n-ts... Yes the country will need Rush, Hanity, and the rest... BECAUSE.. O-bama continues to skirt the issue concerning his true political worldview based upon his associations with avowed SOCIALISTS / COMMUNISTS who were very active in the 60`s. There is little doubt but what he is a SOCIALIST.. Welcome to the NEW DEMOCRAT PARTY !
Well, of course it could also be a decrease in profit, or decrease in overhead and a more lean running company. It could mean rethinking the way business is done and learning to operate more efficiently. Or, we could all just pitch a fit and piss and moan about everything.
When you fools get out of bed, have your bottle of warm milk and a crushed half tab of Viagra, go to TCP newsbox...there are "Letters" published in the hard copy.
When Pelosi says that Democrats achieving absolute control of both houses and the White house will mean "...Congress of the United States will be more bipartisan." And a dictatorship is more democratic than a two-party system.Obama does not have the spine to stand up to Reid and Pelosi. Voters will not come together because they are the only ones left to fight against the tyranny of the Democrats.
Ahhh... But ya see Paulie, we couldn't tell you what a fool you are if we had only the printed copy. Now, go out in the street and play.
Lou, overhead includes facilities and inventory, hard to decrease. Some companies consider "salary related expenses" (benefits) as overhead. A leaner running company means doing more with less (employees).If you raise the price of the product to recover the increased taxes, sales will decrease and require either additional price increase or a corresponding decrease in operating cost.Face it, increasing taxes on business hurts the economy.
CAH: What will you do for 4 years while Obama runs the country? Ah, no doubt say all his successes can be traced back to GW Bush. Why not get on board with his "library" cite committee? And take I.D., Daddy, and the usual conclave of brains with you.
CAH and Dragon, are you really so deranged as to think that Sen. Obama's civilian service program is a militia? It's community service! Like the Peace Corps but here in the US! It has nothing to do with "security"!It's posts like your that make me wish the NCP would just get rid of the comment section.
Dragon - Facilities can be relocated, inventory can be reduced in many ways (look at the auto industry). A leaner running company can, and does, also mean working more efficiently, producing more work in less time and reaping the benefit of that.I am not saying that every company can do that, and that there won’t be some adjustments to be made, but a lot of this is about attitude. It can be made to work, if we want it to.
Now dprice, I am gonna have to take issue with you on that. Either Obama miss spoke, or somebody is confused, because the words “NATIONAL SECURITY FORCE” sounds very military to me, civilian or otherwise.
gg, exactly what is it about you that makes you a dem? From your posts over time, you sound like you live the rightie life.
Lou, the USAToday has a lead article about a yarn maker closing "plant 76". Looks like the company is relocating and consolidating facilities. Granted, it is because of decreased sales rather than higher taxes.Funny you should say that "a lot of this is about attitude". Biden thinks paying higher taxes is patriotic. I guess that is the attitude required.
I'm all for gun control: keen adjustments for windage and elevation.But just try to take away the 2nd amendment rights. The real American militia will rise up and make fodder out of those who will try.
Whatever.Obama's comin' and you better get out of the way.
"We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we've set," he said. "We've got to have a civilian national security force that's just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded."Yeah, we're deranged. What would YOU call a civilian military force?
By: dargent7 on 10/31/08 "...Republicans think no one will know truth from reality, and what's the difference, anyway?Obama would of cut the fool loose, immediately.It's called core morality and ethics. "There is no difference between truth and reality. Manufacturing either truth or reality by pretending that everyone can have their own personal truth or morality causes the apparent difference. A liberal actually desiring morality and ethics is something hard to find. It does not matter the fraud percentage on Joe the Plummer. What matters is the future tax consequences that Joe might run into down the road. By saying that Joe the Plummer is a fraud, some people might think that he is an actor hired by Carl Rove.
By: on 10/31/08 Cpt. Nemo: You think id. is a "right winger"?His wheels came off years ago. And there are 10 or more nuts that use this forum as their own personal psychiatrist. All Republicans/Conservatives (Ultra).Myself and Dooley are the only Democrats/Libs to post. Maybe I will repharse that dargent7 and say that idgaf is on the fringe of the far right. He still is a cold person and a coward for wanting McCain dead. His post said as much to me. I would think that others of is kin would praise him or discredit him. But then again they seem to rant at different levels of insanity. Fluttering like leafs in rageing wind storm.
By: Dragon on 10/31/08 When Pelosi says that Democrats achieving absolute control of both houses and the White house will mean "...Congress of the United States will be more bipartisan." And a dictatorship is more democratic than a two-party system.Dictatorship? No....they're getting voted in because of the last 8 years of GOP hell.
Steve is scared 'cause he thinks Obama has the same ethics as Bush.Right after Bush first "got elected
Blanket, there will no longer be any checks and balances. Dictatorship is an accurate description.
Wrong again Dragon. You are taking that quote out of context, the Senator is not proposing to arm anyone, he is speaking metaphorically about his plan to expand and fully fund AmeriCorps in exchange for college scholarships. God, why am I even bothering...
dprice, these are Obama's exact words. Please explain the metaphor between national security, the military and AmericCorps.
Just like there has been no checks and balances for the last eight years, Dragon. But that is different, the Republicans was in charge of their little dictorship.
Captain, neither party has had a filibuster-proof majority in either house in the last eight years. Where have you been?
to ole lou.... what a dumb a ... no I`m wrong... u gov-a -ment employes will always have some kind of suck-up job... But my facilies will move to my house and I`ll just buy everything from Chiner... mark-it up even higher.. and sell it to u...for cash maybe u can join-up in the J. Wright church.. but wait u already belong there...u and Barry all the other SOCIALIST/COMMIE PINK-OS... go shave ya legs...
dprice45;Because if you don't try others will think the way Dragon does. Incorrectly.
There is no assurance that this will happen now, Dragon. And if it does then it was the people that decided.
Dragon:"Captain, neither party has had a filibuster-proof majority in either house in the last eight years. Where have you been? "Have you read the City Paper today ?It says just the opposite about the Republican "filibuster" tactics.Where have you been ?
I'll try posting here since it is not the Letters forum. Let's see if the forum members (you know who you are)will allow me to post this without harassing and stalking me in retaliation.Here is the American Thinker's review of Obama's Red Guard program -http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/07/obamas_civilian_national_secur.html
Not watching Rush or Fox, pandabear. lol
Pandabear - which article are you referring to?
DaddyYo:I checked it out. He's just another guy with another opinion. No gospel there.He's obviously had it in for Obama for quite a while.More like "American Opinion" than american thinker...
Dragon:"Huffington: Obama’s spilled ink turns red states blue"
"Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has called the GOP tactic "obstruction on steroids." McConnell countered by deeming the filibuster flood an "ordinary procedure." And he makes it clear it's going to become even more "ordinary" if he's allowed to wield it in the 111th Congress"
"43501
I wouldn't either, but it's a place to start.When the level of journalism today, you always have to do some digging to get to the truth....now if the media would just sell popcorn, we wouldn't need to buy expensive theatre tickets...