Talking politics is for idiots.

[Dr Z]

We do need a sarcasm font as suggested.

Try using this after you write something that is intended as sarcasm.Example: I really think congressman Smith is an honest guy.

[GoZips]

I am just curious how NAFTA was against the Constitution.

The Constitution requires 2/3 majority for treaties. FT skirts that requirement. It is an example of people believing something is true regardless of whether or not it is true. It doesn't have to be real, it just has to be believed to be real.It's sort of like how West Virginia became a state. WV became a state by the presidential decree of President Lincoln. A presidential decree is not one of the methods of becoming a state defined by the Constitution, yet everyone believes WV is a state. As a point of law, it isn't. After the Civil War, WV should have become part of VA again and we should have 49 states. It would have been a minor issue back then, unnoticed in today's world. I stayed the night one time in Charleston, WV and WV Public TV had a half hour special where they talked to a guy who wrote a book about this issue. He was a professor at WVU or Marshall or somewhere in WV.

If West Virginia and Virginia had been reunited after WWII, Obama would have only had to visit 56 states during the campaign instead of 57.

Belly laugh of the day, week, maybe the year.

[GoZips]

At least two of the posters on this thread are members of the group that I labeled as "too young to vote". Oddly, they have not grown in wisdom sufficiently to realize why children should notvote.Some one posted that the United States has a system of government that is difficult to usurp. Thismust have been stated tongue in cheek as Mr. obama has installed more than forty "czars" tobypass a system already well tried. Worst part .. .no one has to date challenged this underminingof our government. This is the same tactic Hitler used in Germany.

[g-mann17]

At least two of the posters on this thread are members of the group that I labeled as "too young to vote". Oddly, they have not grown in wisdom sufficiently to realize why children should notvote. Some one posted that the United States has a system of government that is difficult to usurp. Thismust have been stated tongue in cheek as Mr. obama has installed more than forty "czars" tobypass a system already well tried. Worst part .. .no one has to date challenged this underminingof our government. This is the same tactic Hitler used in Germany.

There I fixed that for you.

[Dave in Green]

As in every political discussion these days, this thread offers the usual mix of angry dogma and sincere thoughtfulness. Personally, I no longer pay attention to the spewers of angry dogma. I try to focus on the thoughtful discussion.For example, the point about the founding fathers having a concern about the federal government becoming too big and having too much control is a good one. I'm a big fan of the system of checks and balances they engineered into the three main branches of government to try to keep too much power and control out of the hands of one group.The other side of the coin is also important. We know that being overweight is bad for your health. But we also know that anorexia is not a healthy alternative to being overweight. What happens if the federal government becomes too weak and has too little control? Is there a risk of balkanizing the great United States into a collection of weak little fiefdoms ruled by local warlords of the extreme left or the extreme right who are more concerned about competing with the neighboring fiefdoms than in keeping the U.S. great?Those who have not surrendered their souls to a rigid set of political dogma tend to be concerned about extremes, whether of the left or the right. Moderate independents tend to believe that no political party has all the answers, and that the best way to keep checks and balances alive is to avoid any kind of permanent takeover by any special interest group.Neither the left nor the right is all good or all bad. Both have important contributions to make, which vary depending on the primary needs of the country at any given time. So over the course of one's life, a good moderate independent will find himself voting for more than one party. From the positive side, you look for the party that offers the best set of solutions for the most pressing problems of the time. From the negative side, you try to avoid the party that's dominated by crazy talkers, because crazy talk can turn into crazy action.In the often difficult decision of trying to select between the lesser of two evils, picking the party that's trying hardest to pin the "evil" label on the other party is not productive. You really have to dig through a lot of dirt to get a clean picture of what each side is really saying, and what effect their proposals will actually have on the country. When they speak in code, it's important to understand what that code means to that party's base, because that's the true message of what you're going to get from that party.America's system of checks and balances is always under threat by those who are constantly working on new ways to game the system. As the gaming gets more sophisticated, it becomes more challenging to filter out the static and focus on what's important. Thoughtful, intelligent poitical discussion is a good way to help better understand legitimate issues. Table-pounding and name-calling is not.

[GP1]

The French try to cut back executive power. We should be looking at the same type of reforms here. Three equal branches of government, not one and those other two.

[g-mann17]

The French try to cut back executive power. We should be looking at the same type of reforms here. Three equal branches of government, not one and those other two.

So we should be more like the French? Sacrebleu!

[GP1]

As long as we are talking politics, this lady could actually win the Republican nomination. The last three seconds are cringeworthy.

[g-mann17]

As long as we are talking politics, this lady could actually win the Republican nomination. The last three seconds are cringeworthy.

I'm sure most of her followers would say "You need to stop being an intellectual elitist!"

[Buckzip]

She just needs to use a teleprompter for everything. Even talking with kids.

[GoZips]

As long as we are talking politics, this lady could actually win the Republican nomination. The last three seconds are cringeworthy.

GP1, if you had half the balls she has ... why ... you'd actually have some creds on this board.

[g-mann17]

She just needs to use a teleprompter for everything. Even talking with kids.

Have to be able to read to use a teleprompter.

[Zipmeister]

She just needs to use a teleprompter for everything. Even talking with kids.

Have to be able to read to use a teleprompter.

Speaking of which, one thing good about Obama that cannot be denied: he is an excellent reader. Sometimes words with similar spellings cause a gaff or two (like BHO referring to some Marines as corpsemen, but for the most part, he reads very well.

[GP1]

As long as we are talking politics, this lady could actually win the Republican nomination. The last three seconds are cringeworthy.

GP1, if you had half the balls she has ... why ... you'd actually have some creds on this board.

If having balls means being a complete fool, nobody needs balls.This woman is as dumb as a dried up bag of leaves. She is married to someone even more stupid with homophobic and racist ideas. No thanks. Birds of a feather flock together. If you want to support that, then I guess it is a free country. I guess you are one of them. I take pride in knowing a fool like you doesn't share my ideas. There was a time in American history when someone with her ideas would have been laughed away. Because of FOX News, her ideas are taken seriously. This woman is a danger to this country. There was a time in this country when William F. Buckley was the head of the conservative movement in the US. Today, it is Rush Limbaugh and Michelle Bachmann. We are doomed.

[GP1]

She just needs to use a teleprompter for everything. Even talking with kids.

Have to be able to read to use a teleprompter.

Nice!!!!!

[GP1]

As long as we are talking politics, this lady could actually win the Republican nomination. The last three seconds are cringeworthy.

I'm sure most of her followers would say "You need to stop being an intellectual elitist!"

Do you mean "stupid"?

[Buckzip]

She just needs to use a teleprompter for everything. Even talking with kids.

Have to be able to read to use a teleprompter.

Do you know for a fact that she can't read or are you just doing what you accused others of doing?I don't like here so I don't know one way or the other.

[Buckzip]

As long as we are talking politics, this lady could actually win the Republican nomination. The last three seconds are cringeworthy.

GP1, if you had half the balls she has ... why ... you'd actually have some creds on this board.

If having balls means being a complete fool, nobody needs balls.This woman is as dumb as a dried up bag of leaves. She is married to someone even more stupid with homophobic and racist ideas. No thanks. Birds of a feather flock together. If you want to support that, then I guess it is a free country. I guess you are one of them. I take pride in knowing a fool like you doesn't share my ideas. There was a time in American history when someone with her ideas would have been laughed away. Because of FOX News, her ideas are taken seriously. This woman is a danger to this country. There was a time in this country when William F. Buckley was the head of the conservative movement in the US. Today, it is Rush Limbaugh and Michelle Bachman. We are doomed.

The biggest danger to our country is in the White House right now. Only pure partisans can't see that.

[Dave in Green]

GP1, I know you appreciate libertarianism, which I also happen to think has some good ideas. The Tea Party is pretty closely linked with libertarianism, and Michelle Bachman has been referred to as the "darling of the Tea Party." So where is the disconnect with you? What is it about Bachman and/or the Tea Party that you think doesn't fit the true libertarian philosophy?By the way, I first became aware of Bachman a couple of years ago when I saw the video of her interview with Chris Matthews where she said that she hoped the media would investigate and expose all of the "anti-American" representatives and senators. I still recall as a young child back in the 1950s watching the Joseph McCarthy hearings on TV, and was dumbfounded that Bachman was channeling McCarthy. The day after seeing the Bachman video, I asked one of my good conservative friends what he thought of Bachman, and he said he'd never heard of her.I just went back and watched video of Bachman's "anti-American" statement, and am finding it hard to believe that this is the state of conservatism in America today. There are many conservative concepts that are good for America. But labeling liberals who respectfully disagree with some of your concepts as "anti-American" does nothing to advance the conservative cause with moderate independents like me.

[Doug Snyder]

As long as we are talking politics, this lady could actually win the Republican nomination. The last three seconds are cringeworthy.

I'm sure most of her followers would say "You need to stop being an intellectual elitist!"

GP1 an intellectual elitist?? You just made his day...no year!!! lol you made me laugh...thanks it has been a difficult day.

[GP1]

GP1, I know you appreciate libertarianism, which I also happen to think has some good ideas. The Tea Party is pretty closely linked with libertarianism, and Michelle Bachman has been referred to as the "darling of the Tea Party." So where is the disconnect with you? What is it about Bachman and/or the Tea Party that you think doesn't fit the true libertarian philosophy?

I respectfully disagree. The Tea Party is a fleeting group that will run its course here in the next couple of years. The Tea Party is more like the nuts in the Constitution Party. They also talk a lot about the ideas of the founding fathers, yet they have no idea what the founding fathers stood for. Case in point. A couple of weeks ago, Bachman said the founding fathers worked tirelessly to end slavery. That was complete rubbish and a lack of understanding of history. This woman is a fool.Last week, Bachmann signed a pledge that basically said black people were better off during slave times because families were kept in tact. First of all, it is NEVER ok to be a slave. Secondly, here is where the lack of understanding history comes in, slave families were frequently broken up by sale of the youth to other slave owners. Bachmann is absolutely nuts and a racist. I almost never call someone a racist because I think it is a cheap shot and overused, but in this case, Bachmann is a racist.

[GP1]

The biggest danger to our country is in the White House right now. Only pure partisans can't see that.

The voters are the biggest danger to this country. Obama didn't just walk up and claim the job, he was voted in office. Had the Republicans not run a babbling idiot with moron for a running mate in the last election, Obama would not be president right now.

[g-mann17]

The biggest danger to our country is in the White House right now. Only pure partisans can't see that.

The voters are the biggest danger to this country. Obama didn't just walk up and claim the job, he was voted in office. Had the Republicans not run a babbling idiot with moron for a running mate in the last election, Obama would not be president right now.

I think the Republicans are destined to run a babbling idiot with a moron for a running mate. Go back to 2000, McCain was the far better candidate and they (I voted McCain) ended up with Bush. But then when you are going against a snoozer of a democrat whose wife and running mate our bent on destroying the liberties granted in the 1st ammendment I think anyone can win.

[GP1]

I think the Republicans are destined to run a babbling idiot with a moron for a running mate.

I agree. Obama is currently losing to the generic Republican by 8%. Believe me, when the generic becomes real, that number will turn quickly. Obama is so easy to beat is isn't even funny, yet the Republicans won't be able to do it.There was a good article written recently about how FOX News has destroyed the Republican Party. Great read. FOX basically puts lunatics on the air and because they are on the air all the time, they become normal to the viewers. There was once a time when people like Hannity and Bill O' would have been laughed off the air by Republicans. Palin is alive today because FOX kept her alive. Bachmann is alive today because FOX kept her alive. Newt is alive today because FOX kept him alive. There is a list as long as your arm of fools who are kept alive by FOX News.

[Buckzip]

The biggest danger to our country is in the White House right now. Only pure partisans can't see that.

The voters are the biggest danger to this country. Obama didn't just walk up and claim the job, he was voted in office. Had the Republicans not run a babbling idiot with moron for a running mate in the last election, Obama would not be president right now.

I can't disagree with that. Actually I have had this same type of argument with some conservative friends of mine about a lot of issues. I blame the Obamacare nightmare on the Right. If they would have done something during their years in complete control this would never have happened. Instead, they decide to come up with alternatives when it is too late. The right appears to be more reactive where the left is proactive.