My idea of The "Ideal Politician" ......

[DarylB]

This is an unpublished letter to the editor, which expresses my wishes for the "ideal" politician.......

........

It's almost impossible to miss ... it's election season. Everyone and his brother (aunt, uncle, cousin, dog, pet rock, ...) wants your vote. Nearly all office seekers claim to have done something. That's the problem, they've all done something (or plan to).

Where is the candidate that promises to give us nothing? Please, spare us the philanthropy, we simply can't afford it.

We've been blessed with your desire to give away sub-prime mortgages, and we're just so grateful. For Fannie and Freddie, we simply can't thank you enough. You've lathered us with the blessings of Social Security, and after numerous offerings from my wallet over the years, I hear you'll also solve that "crisis" too. I should just ask for my money back, (never mind the interest), but I do appreciate the thought. You made me a promise that I would be "Socially Secure", so I'm relaxed, knowing my government is looking out for me.

And now, more promises!!! Oh, goody!! Income tax refunds (I'm set for life, if I can just "spread around my wealth"). I'll never be sick again with nationalized health care. My kids are going to go to the finest schools (MINE is going to be a highly paid rocket scientist, unlike those others). Roads? .. paved with gold. Water? won't run dry ever, and extra pure .... and ... and .... PLEASE, make it stop!

I GET IT..!!!!! You meant well, (yet again), some other politician failed (again), it was some guy on the other side of "the aisle" (again), so if I simply re-elect you (again), you'll point the correct fingers, and you'll "fix" it. YOU are "the solution". I've gotten your appeals for more money, so as to aid your campaign in this time of crisis. Yep..got it again. And I fully understand "more money" (I did live through the Cold War arms race).

So what I'm actually asking for is another choice on the ballot. I would like to find a box, where I could check "None of the Above". Then, for once in my life, I'd actually feel like I've cast a vote for something: That would be a "Change I can believe in"! Thanks a bunch...Got it!

[francejamie]

Maybe Daryl's real idea of the ideal politician is a person like himself, who puts blinders on himself so he doesn't have to listen to ideas different than his own. Chaboard and I were challenging his beliefs and disproving his flawed logic, so he got upset and put us on block.

Oh well, his loss.

[JoeCiulla]

Maybe Daryl's real idea of the ideal politician is a person like himself, who puts blinders on himself so he doesn't have to listen to ideas different than his own. Chaboard and I were challenging his beliefs and disproving his flawed logic, so he got upset and put us on block.

Oh well, his loss.

I have chaboard on block also, not because he was challenging my logic, but because he could not do so without expletive-laced rants, or without attacking my character. FWIW, I disagree with you too on a lot of things, but I'll always be happy to hear the other side when it is presented in a mature fashion.

I've seen polls that show Americans are going out in droves to vote, but have never been more pessimistic that either candidate will bring about the change promised. Both parties have are far more concerned about gaining and holding power than anything else. Witness the recent widespread Dems' back-peddling on campaign finance reform. Now that they have developed an advantage in fundraising, Dems who spent years arguing that controlling campaign expenditure was the right thing to do are now backing off. It was never about the right thing to do, it was about political advantage. They are the political version of SkyNet becoming self-aware. Both parties.

[chaboard]

I've seen polls that show Americans are going out in droves to vote, but have never been more pessimistic that either candidate will bring about the change promised.

That last bit sounds like BS to me - got a reference? I'm thinking you're dealing with the same kind of badly outdated information you were dealing with on that "unaffiliated voters are the fastest growing set" thing. The optimism in the air is stronger than I ever recall it.....certainly stronger than the pure unbridled pessism that anything would change that we aw on both sides in 2004. Can you prove me wrong?

Somebody want to quote me so he can substantiate his claim? ;)

[DarylB]

Maybe Daryl's real idea of the ideal politician is a person like himself, who puts blinders on himself so he doesn't have to listen to ideas different than his own. Chaboard and I were challenging his beliefs and disproving his flawed logic, so he got upset and put us on block.

Oh well, his loss.

I have chaboard on block also, not because he was challenging my logic, but because he could not do so without expletive-laced rants, or without attacking my character. FWIW, I disagree with you too on a lot of things, but I'll always be happy to hear the other side when it is presented in a mature fashion.

I've seen polls that show Americans are going out in droves to vote, but have never been more pessimistic that either candidate will bring about the change promised. Both parties have are far more concerned about gaining and holding power than anything else. Witness the recent widespread Dems' back-peddling on campaign finance reform. Now that they have developed an advantage in fundraising, Dems who spent years arguing that controlling campaign expenditure was the right thing to do are now backing off. It was never about the right thing to do, it was about political advantage. They are the political version of SkyNet becoming self-aware. Both parties.

We're on the same page so far as chaboard. My reasons for putting jamie on ignore are quite different. I've argued for what I believe in, and contested points of view for almost five years here, with lots of intelligent exchanges during that time. What I found recently with my discussions with Jamie was intransigence, and repetition of the liberal talking points... I just found that there was never going to be a time when I felt he'd be able to see the hand in front of his face. I like to exchange ideas, not talk to brick walls. It made me realize that it was a fools errand to try, so I'd just rather not. When Jamie actually presents his points of view, he's worth talking to. I don't know why he decided to stop. I just finally got to the poiint where I realized it was simply not worth my time pursuing. As I said in my last exchange, enough is enough.

Obviously, my idea of a politician that serves the people best is one who rolls back the expenditures, and makes every dollar count. I don't even know where to look for such a person any more, and I truly feel that if such a person were to run for office, they would be Bork'ed without mercy. I stand by my conviction that the best government is the least government, and that government should be the last answer, not the first. It should not grow, unless we absolutely need it. Government should meet only our needs, our wants are not the province of government to satisfy.

I know this is far from the position of most who now find a home on CP. It is no big secret that the liberal mindset is in greater numbers by far than conservatives on this site, and out of relation to the actual public at large, which continues to grow conservatively throughout the country. I also know that I speak for many who have asked me to do so. While I have come to the conclusion personally that it was no longer worth my time to discuss the issues at all, simply to work for them through political action, I'm trying to keep my perspective alive, and simultaneously trying to avoid getting into the cul-de-sac's of urinary confrontations without a point. While the ignore feature doesn't work well enough to block out the quoted passages, as happened with JoeCiulla's post, I can and am going to chose the self-ignore feature from this point forward for quoted passages as well. It's my choice, and we all know how much liberals LOVE choice.

[francejamie]

We're on the same page so far as chaboard. My reasons for putting jamie on ignore are quite different. I've argued for what I believe in, and contested points of view for almost five years here, with lots of intelligent exchanges during that time. What I found recently with my discussions with Jamie was intransigence, and repetition of the liberal talking points... I just found that there was never going to be a time when I felt he'd be able to see the hand in front of his face. I like to exchange ideas, not talk to brick walls. It made me realize that it was a fools errand to try, so I'd just rather not. When Jamie actually presents his points of view, he's worth talking to. I don't know why he decided to stop. I just finally got to the poiint where I realized it was simply not worth my time pursuing. As I said in my last exchange, enough is enough.



This is funny, because I had the same feeling about Daryl. However, call me naive if you want, I have always had hope that I could get through the the conservative brainwashing, and actually get him to apply the rational part of his mind to issues. We've found some middle ground in the past. My guess is that politics is just a little too raw right now, with it looking like a possible big loss for the Republicans this election, after the big losses in 2006. That may be a little to much to allow Reps to look at things with a clear and open mind. Maybe after the election things will ease back some and allow us all to have interesting debates again.

[JoeCiulla]

You raise a good point about politics being "raw" right now. The life expectency of an Obama or McCain sign in someone's yard seems to be getting shorter by the day. We have therapists advertising themselves as experts in treating "Election Obsession" (mine doesn't :). NC has largely been left out of Presidential campaigns, now we find ourselves in the crossfire. The Dole/Hagan and McCrory/Perdue campaigns are bringing mudslinging to a new low.

The only thing I will miss about this campaign season are the SNL parodies, which have gotten me back to watching that show for the first time in many years.

[Wuptdo]

It times like this, I miss the good old days of politics in North Carolina:
Sen. Helms, we miss you!!
12 years later and still nothing has changed, except now English is a 2nd language in North Carolina.

Old Glory
What is sad is about half the folks on CP view this as offensive.

[francejamie]

OMG - You are really trying to use Helms' Gantt ads as examples of something good.

Helms makes me wish I was religious, so that I'd be certain he was burning in Hell.