What I learned from the DNC speeches last night...

[Compuvette]

A couple corrections: Limbaugh entered the Indianapolis market in '91.

The last time we had major gas shortages was under Jimmy Carter - an artificial crisis because there WAS no gasoline shortage, as it turned out.


For most of our lifetimes, "compromise" has meant Democrats get what they ask for and renege on what they promise. Reagan was promised Congress would cut spending in return for his allowing various tax deductions to be eliminated. He allowed it; they reneged & didn't cut spending. GHW Bush promised no new taxes. Democrats promised to make matching spending cuts if he allowed them to raise taxes. He allowed it; they reneged on their spending cuts; they used his "broken promise" to sabotage his second term bid. Bill Clinton promised to lower taxes, but reneged with his Democrat Congress. He didn't cut spending until a Republican Congress forced him to - then took credit for the economic recovery. Republicans took control of the Senate; Democrats talked Jim Jeffords into becoming an "Independent" and caucusing with them; bringing the Senate to a 50/50 tie with the Republican VP the tie-breaker; Democrats pushed for "committee sharing" and "compromise", but as soon as they took power again, they kicked the Republicans to the curb. Barak Obama ran on a promise to be the "most transparent Administration ever" and promised he would work to be "President for all the people." But once he got elected, it was "Elections have consequences, shut up, Republicans."

I've seen Republicans do stupid things, hypocritical things, but I've also seen them taken down, chastised and removed by their own Party. I've seen Democrats be hypocritical, thieving, raping, murdering (2nd degree), tax evading jerks and not only has their Party defended them; it's lauded them for their "sensitivity", or their "compassion."

Well said.

No, all Democrats are not evil socialists. No, all Republicans are not selfish pigs who hate women. However, right now we have a president who is a lot more socialist than he is a capitalist. He and his administration has done a wonderful job of spending a whole lot of our money with nothing to show for it. To deny that he and his administration has nothing to do with our situation is just denying reality. Yes, Republicans are also partially to blame. But the majority of blame for our current situation has to fall to the sitting president and his admin and policies.

 

[88GT]

"You" is anybody from any party, it applies to everyone.

That's just it, I don't think it applies to everyone. The only parties who scream about the superiority of their candidate against the absolute are the libs and the libs. Romney's only chance of winning is because he's not Obama. Doesn't exactly paint a picture of a bunch of supporters who think he walks on water and has all the solutions.

 

[hacksawfg]

That's just it, I don't think it applies to everyone. The only parties who scream about the superiority of their candidate against the absolute are the libs and the libs. Romney's only chance of winning is because he's not Obama. Doesn't exactly paint a picture of a bunch of supporters who think he walks on water and has all the solutions.

Got nothing to do with the absolute. Even if you don't like Romney that much, to Republicans he still looks like Obi-Wan next to Obama, when in reality they're still both of Jar Jar's.

Regardless, I was trying to mock the whole voting thing, not make an issue of D vs. R vs. L.

 

[gvbcraig]

Democrats look more like you and me.
Both parties distort the truth.
Republicans do it more.

They might be more like you, but they are far far far way from being like me.
I support the military.
I oppose abortion.
I oppose big government.
I support the right to bear arms.
I support off shore drilling and the Canadian Pipeline.
I oppose same sex marriage.
I oppose legalization of marijuana.
I support everyone's right to their religion.
I oppose open borders.
I support voter ID.
I support the death penalty.

So please explain how Democrats look like me?

 

[Blackhawk2001]

They might be more like you, but they are far far far way from being like me.
I support the military.
I oppose abortion.
I oppose big government.
I support the right to bear arms.
I support off shore drilling and the Canadian Pipeline.
I oppose same sex marriage.
I oppose legalization of marijuana.
I support everyone's right to their religion.
I oppose open borders.
I support voter ID.
I support the death penalty.

So please explain how Democrats look like me?

Oh you unfeeling CAD! How can you stand to look at yourself in a mirror? (Can you even SEE yourself in a mirror?)

 

[NYFelon]

What I learned from this thread: people from New York don't know we're called Hoosiers, not "Indianians"

Hoosier is a Nickname. The proper name is Indianan or Indianian. But I did know about Hoosiers. After all, the little old lady from The Outlaw Josey wales didn't care much for Hoosiers neither.

Indianan - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

They might be more like you, but they are far far far way from being like me.
I support the military.
I oppose abortion.
I oppose big government.
I support the right to bear arms.
I support off shore drilling and the Canadian Pipeline.
I oppose same sex marriage.
I oppose legalization of marijuana.
I support everyone's right to their religion.
I oppose open borders.
I support voter ID.
I support the death penalty.

So please explain how Democrats look like me?

Slightly off topic, and it is your unequivocal right to hold that opinion, but why do you oppose legalization of cannibis/marijuana? Do you also support the prohibition of alcohol or coffee or cigarettes?

 

[Blackhawk2001]

They might be more like you, but they are far far far way from being like me.
I support the military.
I oppose abortion.
I oppose big government.
I support the right to bear arms.
I support off shore drilling and the Canadian Pipeline.
I oppose same sex marriage.
I oppose legalization of marijuana.
I support everyone's right to their religion.
I oppose open borders.
I support voter ID.
I support the death penalty.

So please explain how Democrats look like me?

Getting ready to go to the funeral of a friend's son who died over the weekend as a result of a heroin addiction. How did he get started on drugs? Marijuana.

 

[Blackhawk2001]

How about this from the DNC last night: ". . . government is the only thing we all belong to . . .

 

[gvbcraig]

Slightly off topic, and it is your unequivocal right to hold that opinion, but why do you oppose legalization of cannibis/marijuana? Do you also support the prohibition of alcohol or coffee or cigarettes?

Sorry, I was told that I looked like a Democrat, just wanted to clear the air.

 

[DRob]

No thanks

Haven't watched and won't watch the DNC. I doubt there's anything I can learn from watching that I don't already find disgusting!

The one related item I really liked was the unions whining about having the DNC in a "right to work" state.

 

[IndyDave1776]

^ This. It is sad when I have to explain the difference between a republic and a democracy to my little brother who just graduated high school. He is a smart kid too.

Look at the bright side. Your brother can understand the difference when you explain it to him. I have had many people, including some here, after addressing the issue continue to insist that there is no difference between the two. Yes, I know, how can there be 'no difference' between a narrowly-defined limited government and totalitarianism by 51% vote? It is a sad thing that we are surrounded by so many people who have been conditioned to exist from the neck down.

 

[KG1]

How about this from the DNC last night: ". . . government is the only thing we all belong to . . .

Look at the empty chair speech that Clint Eastwood made at the RNC where he said "We own this country".

Now contrast that with the DNC version "Government is the only thing we all belong to".

 

[Blackhawk2001]

Look at the empty chair speech that Clint Eastwood made at the RNC where he said "We own this country".

Now contrast that with the DNC version "Government is the only thing we all belong to".

I hope BOTH phrases are oft-repeated during the remainder of this campaign; I can't think of much which more clearly defines differences in philosophy of government.

 

[hacksawfg]

Getting ready to go to the funeral of a friend's son who died over the weekend as a result of a heroin addiction. How did he get started on drugs? Marijuana.

That is an unfortunate situation - at the same time marijuana and heroin are both already illegal. I've never smoked marijuana in my life, and I have no desire to. What I do think though, is decriminalizing it might help. If people are going to use marijuana anyway, at least let them do so without associating themselves with a criminal element to do so. I guess the fundamental question is what is root cause of situations like this - marijuana as a gateway drug, or the crowd that one may have to associate with to obtain it? Prohibition cause a LOT of crime, the only ones making any money were the mobsters, and they probably weren't paying taxes on it.

Oh yeah, I'm going to borrow from above and state MY positions:

I support the military, and think they should be home with their families NOW.

I oppose abortion, but don't think it's the US government's business to legislate.

I oppose big government.

I support the right to bear arms.

I support off shore drilling and the Canadian Pipeline, and government reimbursement of research costs if PROVEN TO WORK environmentally friendly proprietary technology is WILLINGLY (key word there) shared with other companies / made public in order to benefit all Americans and reduce dependency on oil (especially foreign).

I oppose same sex marriage, but if a church/state wants to allow it, it's NOT the governments job to interfere.

I support legalization and regulation of marijuana. Get the druggies out of prisons, and keep more violent criminals in them.

I support everyone's right to their religion or lack thereof.

I oppose open borders; legal immigration should be streamlined.

I support voter ID.

I support the death penalty and in cases where the perpetrator is caught in the act (i.e. the William Petit case), no appeals should be granted.

I support consumption based taxation. Get rid of the IRS, and give people more of their money to save or spend as they see fit.

 

[NYFelon]

Getting ready to go to the funeral of a friend's son who died over the weekend as a result of a heroin addiction. How did he get started on drugs? Marijuana.

My deepest condolences to you and your friends and family in this time of grief. The argument could just as easily be made that cigarettes or alcohol got him started on the road to his heroin addiction. I apologize for sounding cold and callous, but the gateway drug theory is nonsense. What quantifiable difference is there between alcohol intoxication or THC intoxication, non-pharmacologically? There's no such thing as "pot-muscles." Granted, either alcohol or marijuana may produce poor decisions based on the fact that they affect mood. However, I'm not aware of marijuana consumers starting bar brawls or becoming otherwise belligerent based solely on the nature of their intoxication. The same cannot be said for alcohol.

end threadjack

 

[Blackhawk2001]

So, apparently, neither you, hacksawfg, nor you, NYFelon, subscribe to the "marijuana as a gateway drug" theory? I ask, because my father and his father were alcoholics and chain smokers, but never once, as far as I know, used heroin. Yet every heroin addict I've ever heard of started out by smoking pot.

 

[NYFelon]

How many heroin addicts do you know? Have you surveyed them all?

For instance, I have smoked marijuana, though I have not touched it since I was 19 years old. I have never done heroin. My father is a functional alcoholic. I am unaware of him having ever touched heroin either. I drink alcohol in moderation, and never get "smashed". Blaming marijuana is just like blaming guns. It is the person at fault, not the intoxicant. Some persons have addictive personalities. The drug itself is only the crutch. It could just as easily be drano they choose to snort or inject. Objects are inanimate, and cannot make people do things. People must choose to act. Whether that action is the commission of a crime with a firearm, or the ingestion of a chemical intoxicant, the responsibility lies with the person, not the object.

 

[IndyDave1776]

So, apparently, neither you, hacksawfg, nor you, NYFelon, subscribe to the "marijuana as a gateway drug" theory? I ask, because my father and his father were alcoholics and chain smokers, but never once, as far as I know, used heroin. Yet every heroin addict I've ever heard of started out by smoking pot.

I see three possible answers:

1. There is no connection whatsoever beyond coincidence.

2. The connection as previously suggested is interaction with the same criminals who also supply heroin, thus putting the marijuana smoker in the right place at the right time with the right people to encourage the use of hard drugs, so the connection is the people, not the weed.

3. Use of marijuana inherent to its nature leads to the use of hard drugs.

I am more inclined to think that it is the human bond, not the chemical bond that causes the 'upgrade' to hard drugs, hence I see a strong possibility that if marijuana users were not interacting with the people who supply the hard (and presumably more expensive) drugs, they may well be happy limiting themselves to marijuana for the rest of their lives.

For the record, I do not condone substance 'use' but at the same time have a problem with the .gov getting into the business of protecting people from themselves as this completely nullifies the concept of individual liberty, invites myriad abuses, and in the end in inherently unworkable.

 

[level.eleven]

Even hardened drug warriors long ago abandoned the gateway idea. There are numerous studies on the concept. This one is cited quite often. Oh, and your pops could buy his vice at the corner shop never having to enter the underworld, black market.

PsychiatryOnline | American Journal of Psychiatry | Predictors of Marijuana Use in Adolescents Before and After Licit Drug Use: Examination of the Gateway Hypothesis

Using Marijuana May Not Raise the Risk of Using Harder Drugs | RAND

 

[88GT]

Regardless, I was trying to mock the whole voting thing, not make an issue of D vs. R vs. L.

Right. Well, I won't buy your Arizona oceanfront property either. So save yourself that speech.