Presidential race in 2008

[merryman]

As I have mentioned in the "would you vote for Bush in '04... ) thread, I feel that Bush is practically unbeatable in '04 (baring some terrible development), so Hillary Clinton will not run against him, because she knows she would lose to him; she is in my opinion gearing up for '08.

I fear she has a real good chance of winning in '08; she will draw strongly from women and minority voters, and will have huge backing from all the liberals, the minorities, the major media, etc.



Who do the republicans have comming on to run successfully against her??? I don't see any one who, at this time, appears to be comming on strongly enough.

But, there is a prospect whom I think could be a great candidate and have what it would take to run successfully against Clinton; Condaleesa Rice (sp). Pay attention to her. She has now served on two presidential cabinets, she is super intelligent, she is from Calif. and is a black woman-----the very things needed to pull Hillarys primary support away, and she is considered by those who know her to be absolutely honest.

If she were Bush' Vice President running mate in '04, she would be in perfect position to take on Hillary in '08.

Think about her and spread the idea if you agree; I am so afraid of seeing Hillary slide in in '08, and I think she would be a total disaster for America.

Vaughn

 

[Fireman Dave]

Maybe I'm naive, but I just can't see Hillary getting elected as President. I agree with you on the support she'd get, but a lot of those groups are loud, but not necessarily representative of Mr. and Mrs. Joe Average Citizen. I think the majority of the average citizens can't really stomach her. She just carries too much baggage - her own and her husband's. Although she did get elected in NY, I don't see her pulling it off nationwide. Just my opinion.



I like Condi, too. I could see myself voting for her. Also, W has a ways to go to lock it up for '04 (remember Geo Sr). He might look unbeatable right now, but the economy has to turn around for him to pull it off in '04 - which I hope it does and he does.

 

[illflem]

Heard that Rice might be running for gov of Calif against Arnold Schwarzenegger next time around. You guys can have both of them.

The way Bush is running the country now by '08 he'll probably cancel the elections and declare himself emperor.

 

[lschultz]

I will vote for Bush as long as he wants to stay in there,he's got the balls to take action. I put dilliar in with those dixie chicks-a female with a big mouth. The door is closed on them.

 

[sdalton]

I would vote Rice in before Clinton, any day. But, do you honestly think this country will elect a female to the presidency?? That being said, do you really think the either party will allow for a "Black" female to be elected?? Look at what is being offered now, as far as a "Black" candidate goes, Al Sharpton. That shows you how serious that idea is at this time. I think after the Riots, the Blind loyalty to Idiotic politicians, and the O. J. Simpson ordeal, the American public does not trust the black voting base. This is not meant to be racist, just the general feel in America. It wouldnt bother me to have a black elected into the presidency, as long as "He" has shown himself to be truly "colorblind", and a responsible politician. Women, on the other hand, tend to rule with emotion, no way, no how. As far as a Clinton ever getting into office, I will fight tooth and nail to prevent that.

 

[The patriot]

Wouldnt bother me to have a black prez, as stated before by me, I voted for Keyes in the primary, and I was fully prepared to give him my vote for prez if it got that far. I just liked what he said.

I dont know Condi's political views, and where she stands on the issues. I suppose she's conservative. ??

If she stood for what I feel the country should be/do, I'd vote for her in a heart beat.

I have to agree woth sdalton on the female and emotional issues.

I tend to think that she's extremely intelligent and would be able to seperate logic from emotion in such circumstances.

Ya never know... the GOP MAY view a candidate like her as the ultimate candidate. Get those black caucus votes!!

I dont vote solely on outward appearances, but some voters do.

(does anyone really know what church Jessie Jackson, or Al Sharpton are reverends at? )

This can be a great advantage if used smartly.

Eric

 

[RMcCulloch]

Actually, I think that Colin Powell would make a good successor to our current president.



Think about his record, both in and out of the military.



Also consider that, as Secretary of State, he's #5 in line right now: President, VP, Speaker of the House, President Pro-Tempore of the Senate, Secretary of State.



He'd also have another advantage: No Political "Baggage"!

 

[merryman]

To me its a nightmare thought, but don't count hillary out.

Just think about the groups that would do anything to see her in.

All the fringe left,

many of the womens groups

nearly all of hollywood

and

the democratic leadership

Then add to that the histerical support of much of the major media

These groups would do all they could to make her look/sound like a saint.

There is significant building sentiment for a woman or a minority president, and barring a really effective opponent, all that together in my FEAR, has a to-good chance to see her elected.

I am looking at who would be both a good candidate i,e, a pretty good conservative and have the attributes that would offset those factors that would be hillarys big support base---it looks to me like the person who could be most sure to do that would be a minority woman. Whether we like it or not, we are going to see one or the other or both(minority/woman) in the near future. Powell does not look bad, but he seems to me to not have real good standing in the minority communities and of course he would not pull the womans vote, so I don't see him as being a real formidable obstacle to hillarys plans for '08; I would darn near bet the family farm that she is in her mind doing the redecorating of the white house allready.

I would sure rather see Condi there than hillary.



While '08 is a ways away, these things have to, in most cases, be pretty well planned out years in advance to be effective.



And illflemand CF, I am genuinely perplexed by your antipathy towards Bush; I follow politics about as much as most, and I can find no basis in fact for anything but the mildest criticism.

I believe him to be a thoroughly good man who is doing his best to apply good principles to his position. Note, I do not say he is perfect, no one is, nor is he doing a perfect job, no one can, but within the limits of what is possible in that position, I think he deserves overall a really good rating. In any elected position in the executive branch of government, there are restraints at every turn on what can be done in a given situation, no one there is free to do many of the things they would like. The President can not enact laws, he can not fire anyone in government other than his appointees; its really only in his role as commander in chief of the military that he can make dramatic decisions.



Well enough on that.



Vaughn



Vaughn

 

[sdalton]

merryman, I can sum CF and illfems attitude for Bush quickly. Bush is everything Clinton and Gore never were, and will never be. He represents the Moral Majority in this nation. He beat the Democratic party with his election, and his positive leadership helped win the House and Senate. Because of Bush, the Democratic party look like immoral fools and it is only getting worse for the Democratic party, the longer Bush stays in office. The Democratic party can only spout off their blind hatred for Bush, without really understanding why, because when they do understand why they hate him sooo much they will, in fact realize their own failure in backing a loosing party, blindly for so many years. That same party which accepts scandle, immoral behaviors, and Felonious acts of their president. This will be their legacy as Democrats, and is a direct reflection on themselves. Sooo, with that being said, they must get their own party member in officer as soon as possible, to make amends for the 8 years of failure and degradation that the Clintons have subjected on the people of the United States.

 

[illflem]

The real reason I don't like Bush

Addiction, Brain Damage and the President



Bush's belief in God is based on his personal story of divine salvation as a recovering alcoholic. As he once told members of the clergy, ''There is only one reason that I am in the Oval Office and not in a bar, I found God. '' Most all recovering alcoholics tend to trade one excess for another be it religion, chain smoking, sex or outbursts of violence.



A very common trait exhibited by persons whose brains have been altered by years of alcohol abuse is called a dry drunk by members of Alcoholics Anonymous and substance abuse counselors. The term describes an alcoholic who is no longer drinking, one who is dry, but whose thinking is clouded. Such an individual is said to be dry but not truly sober. Or as one wise old drunk put it, if a horse thief goes into A. A. all you end up with is a sober horse thief. A common line uttered by the family of a dry drunk is, "I wish he would go back to drinking. "

Some common traits of a dry drunk are;



dangerous obsessing about only one thing to the exclusion of all other things. (leading America into a massive 100 billion dollar strike-first war?)



a kill or be killed mentality, tunnel vision



"I" as opposed to "we" thinking;



black and white polarized thought processes (good versus evil, all or nothing thinking).



irritability with anyone who dares disagree with them.



incoherence while speaking away from a script. Ever heard George speak when not reading off a teleprompter? He can't do it.



Pretty much describes George to a T.



Medical experts agree that years of sustained drinking can do irreversible physical damage to the brain. Obsessive thought patterns are also pronounced in persons prone to addiction. There are reasons for this due to brain chemistry changes, messages in one part of the brain become stuck there. This leads to a maddening repetition of thoughts. Read Iraq, Iraq, Iraq...



GWB himself admits to over twenty years of daily binge drinking, four times the amount of time researchers believe leads to irreparable brain damage. Landed him in jail several times, till he finally traded the bottle for the pew when his wife left him. He once said, "He couldn't remember a day he hadn't had a drink". Although the number of years was constantly changing from Junior's mouth till he finally refused to talk about it (another alcoholic trait-denial) close friends contend 20 years is an very conservative estimate. Interviewed members of the Texas National Guard with whom he served remember George as a mediocre soldier and barhopping party animal.

Just the look in his eyes indicates a brain reduced to putty.



Bush of course deserves credit for his realization that he can't drink moderately, and his decision to abstain. But I still can't ignore the fact that some residual effects from his earlier excessive substance abuse are clouding the U. S. President's thinking and judgment. I find this very frightening and totally unacceptable.



I've always voted Republican but kick myself in the ass for voting for Junior.

 

[sdalton]

I would like some specifics as to what EXACTLY President Bush has done that makes you hate him so much??? I want specifics, not hypotheticals. DRY DRUNK??? Give me a break. He wasnt a complete 24 hr drunk like those who had fried their brains 24 hrs a day, half their lives. . If he was so bad, how did he fly the fighter jets? Graduate from Harvard? Get elected as Gov of Texas, and do a great job. Not to mention become President, Kick the Democrats Butts,, helps gain control of the House and Senate(which hasnt happened in how many decades)? Then he takes care of Afganistan Taliban, Osama Bin Laden, Saddam Hussain, and puts a scare in most of the worlds terrorist leaders and their countries. Geee, guess we need more Dry Drunks in public office. Give me a break.



Ok, Liberals, next stupid excuse why you dont like Bush. the last one was the Stupidest so far.

 

[Boomer II]

illflem, what a bunch of drivel!! You base your knowledge of AA on what, heresay, rumor, or first hand knowledge?

 

[Champane Flight]

Emotion

Saying a woman in office would be more emotional than GWB is calling the kettle black. Lets see "I don't like them" referring to Saddam and Jung is pretty emotional. And then pulling hundreds of thousands of troops into a aggression, committing America into a 80+billion dollar bill to rebuild (when Americas economy is taking a dump) is mighty emotional. Just walking through the middle east with a "If you don't do as we say, we will kick your #$@" isn't a little emotional? All this while our real enemy is laughing in Iran, drinking pina coladas. Bush is an egotistical dry drunk (worse kind) , ignoring the American people and following a doctrine of outside influence. Do you really need more of a reason to dislike the man?



As far as Hillary being a good pres, or having a chance, no way. Condaleesa (sp) is the closest thing to a candidate for the Rep. She is a good little yes girl and would follow the doctrine of the PNAC like a good little puppy. Hail Bush!

 

[Boomer II]

What's this dry drunk BS, you guys wouldn't know a dry drunk if you tripped over one. Gary Crosby could fill you in on what that's like.

 

[sdalton]

DRY DRUNK, kind of sounds as silly as Liberal Intelligence

 

[Mike Ellis]

I think President Bush will have a tough time winning in 2004, in fact if the Demos had someone more charismatic running against him, I don't think he would have won in 2000. People care more about their $$$$ than any other factor in politics it seems, and there are a lot of people taking a beating out there right now who will take their anger to the polls. Between the economy and the issues discussed in the other thread, President Bush has some serious PR work to do in his last 2 years in order to stay in office in 2004.



I think it would be pretty tough for Condoleeza to win the Presidency without more experience as an elected representative / senator / governor. The race / gender factor would undoubtedly sway a large portion of the electorate as well. Her academic credentials and native intelligence are very strong, so the pertinent questions are: what kind of leader is she, and what are her actual political views? If the Republican party is serious about running her, they need to start softening up the defenses now and getting her platform put together in the public eye in case President Bush loses in 2004.



I have not seen a lot of strong candidates on the Republican side in the last few years, perhaps they will bring Jeb out of the bullpen in 2008 and try to have Bush III take office. Given the nasty rhetoric about a "royal dynasty" some of the press was throwing around during the 2000 elections, this would be a recipe for disaster IMHO.

 

[loncray]

Originally posted by sdalton

merryman, I can sum CF and illfems attitude for Bush quickly. Bush is everything Clinton and Gore never were, and will never be. He represents the Moral Majority in this nation. He beat the Democratic party with his election, and his positive leadership helped win the House and Senate. Because of Bush, the Democratic party look like immoral fools and it is only getting worse for the Democratic party, the longer Bush stays in office. The Democratic party can only spout off their blind hatred for Bush, without really understanding why, because when they do understand why they hate him sooo much they will, in fact realize their own failure in backing a loosing party, blindly for so many years. That same party which accepts scandle, immoral behaviors, and Felonious acts of their president. This will be their legacy as Democrats, and is a direct reflection on themselves. Sooo, with that being said, they must get their own party member in officer as soon as possible, to make amends for the 8 years of failure and degradation that the Clintons have subjected on the people of the United States.

The Moral Majority ceased to be years ago - and was always a joke to the TRUE majority in this country. The Supreme Court decided the election, not the people. As to the Senate and House: remember, all those elections are local. And the 8 years of the Clinton Administration resulted in one felony conviction - as compared to the 8 years of the Reagan Administration.

That said, I agree that the Democratic Party needs to get a cohesive message together. The economy is a good place to start - that message beat Bush41 even after a successful war.

And when did George W fly fighter jets? His daddy was a legitimate war hero - W was a frat kid. Did I forget some military service that George W did sometime or another?

As to Condoleeza Rice, I agree that a black female is probably not electable at this point in time, no matter what her qualifications. And I think Colin Powell would be a fine candidate, but the right wing of the GOP won't support him 'cause he's too moderate.

 

[illflem]

Knew you guys couldn't handle the truth.

My knowledge of dry drunks comes from a substance abuse counselor whose husband I work with and is a good friend.



My dislike of alcoholics and dopers goes further GWB, reformed or not I'd trust one for cleaning urinals or pulling weeds but not in a position of responsibility. In my opinion a person with addictive tendencies just shows weak personality traits and never should be trusted even if they are reformed.



If you don't believe what I say about GW just do a search for George Bush alcoholic and you will find enough info to turn your stomach, much of it from George's own mouth.

 

[RustyJC]

Originally posted by illflem

In my opinion a person with addictive tendencies just shows weak personality traits and never should be trusted even if they are reformed.

So I assume your litmus test for a presidential candidate would include, "Were you ever a smoker, coffee drinker, junk food junkie, etc. ?" I guess that only leaves Utah as a potential source of our politicians, huh? Sigh... ... .



Rusty

 

[me4osu]

Originally posted by illflem

In my opinion a person with addictive tendencies just shows weak personality traits and never should be trusted even if they are reformed.

Bill,

How did you rationalize your vote for Bubba Clinton (admitted sex addict)?