Not Totally Happy With Bush!

Off Topic Politics and World Issues
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I thought that might attract some readers to this post! I was right you clicked it and here you are. So why is Zeb, seemingly a staunch republican admittedly conservative not happy with President Bush?

I voted for President Bush (no surprise there) but I voted more against John Kerry than for President Bush. As a matter of fact in previous elections I voted more against Bill Clinton than for Bob Dole, against Bill Clinton the first time than for George Bush (the father). In fact, the last time that I recall voting ?for? a candidate was the last time that Ronald Reagan ran for President. That would be about 21 years ago, and he was only ?close? to my ideal candidate.

Unfortunately the type of man whom I would choose as President has never run. I thought that he was running back in 1992 when Ross Perot shook up the political world with his third party candidacy. However, I was mistaken, Perot was a bit to rich, and somewhat to fanatical (which could be because he was a bit to rich). As some remember, before dropping out, and then returning to the fray he was leading both our sitting President George Bush and the other guy who ultimately won the White House; Bill Clinton. Even after dropping out and reentering he garnered about 19% of the vote! That alone tells us that there is a desire out there for someone who is different, someone who can really change the face of Washington.

There is an old Jimmy Stewart movie (If you have to ask who Jimmy Stewart is you are not smart enough to vote yet, so go find another thread). Stewart plays ?Jefferson Smith? an average guy who thinks he can make a difference by running for elected office. He is faced with political corruption, but ultimately wins out over these evil forces and scores big for the little guy. Yea, that?s what I want! I want someone, (maybe one of you T-Men), to go to Washington and kick some ass!

Stop the games that both parties play at the expense of the voters. Cut back the pork barrel projects which seem to pass unnoticed right under the voters noses. Stop the games played regarding judicial nominees. Actually pass some fair tax legislation which makes the fat cats pay their fair share while at the same time removes taxes altogether for those making a menial income. How many ?tax cheats? would gladly pay their fair share if it was really ?fair?? Stop trying to regulate every freaking thing that moves! Fore example, if I want to drive without a stinking seat belt it ought to be my right. My car! My insurance! My life! The same can be said about plenty of other laws. What happened to freedom and independence? This country was not made great by those who choose to control others (the bureaucrats, politicians etc) but by those who felt that there was enough freedom in the air so that they could accomplish anything that their own creativity could muster. Our current system (whoever the President might be at the time) only discourages this sort of independent thinking.

Political games are only fun for those playing them. Everyone else is hurt by them whether they realize it or not. If we could only put to good use the money that is wasted in our current federal government we could feed and cloth the truly disadvantaged, and also have the means to be able to tell the fakes from the truly needy. We could do many things which would actually help human beings without the PC police telling us how to live, how to act, and what to say. Am I wrong here, or would an independent strong leader have a great deal to say from his ?bully pulpit??

I want to send someone to Washington who will do these things. Unfortunately, no one yet has run who is capable of such a task. Furthermore, we are faced with the real possibility that candidates like this only exist in the movies?sigh?

Until one such candidate does emerge I will not walk away from the political system. What I will do is continue voting against anyone who even hints of increasing the size of government, raising taxes and generally playing more political games than their opponent might if given the chance. I may not ever be 100% in favor of the candidate I am voting for, but until a would be ?Jefferson Smith? walks through that political door I will at least be voting, and that will be, in most cases for the lesser of two evils.

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Well said, ZEB! Ron Paul in 2008!

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Zeb, I hear ya bro and yes I am familiar with Mr. Smith goes to Washington. It is the nature of man to fuck things up… greed, ego, lust, are the folly of men and power corrupts and so forth.

A man could start out with good intentions, but to rise to the level of being a contender you are in the pockets of too many to lead from a totally honest place.

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[quote]Elkhntr1 wrote:
Zeb, I hear ya bro and yes I am familiar with Mr. Smith goes to Washington. It is the nature of man to fuck things up… greed, ego, lust, are the folly of men and power corrupts and so forth.

A man could start out with good intentions, but to rise to the level of being a contender you are in the pockets of too many to lead from a totally honest place.[/quote]

Or you could just pick your spot and then backstab all the people who got you to where you are. You would get no further backing by any of the money so to speak, but maybe you could have a big enough impact on the people to not need the money anymore.

V

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So, what we really know for sure is that money corrupts. We might find a decent candidate if we could remove all lobby contributions. Right?

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Senator McCain might be the closest thing to a “straight-shooter” option that we’ll get in 2008. That is, if the fanatics on the right are willing to put forth a candidate who is actually close to the center.

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[quote]nephorm wrote:
Senator McCain might be the closest thing to a “straight-shooter” option that we’ll get in 2008. That is, if the fanatics on the right are willing to put forth a candidate who is actually close to the center.[/quote]

Perhaps, but he’s as much of an idiot as the rest when it comes to Steroids and Supplements.

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[quote]jackzepplin wrote:
nephorm wrote:
Senator McCain might be the closest thing to a “straight-shooter” option that we’ll get in 2008. That is, if the fanatics on the right are willing to put forth a candidate who is actually close to the center.

Perhaps, but he’s as much of an idiot as the rest when it comes to Steroids and Supplements.[/quote]

That won’t factor into my criteria for President of the U.S.

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I think that this is the result of two parties putting forth the candidate that they feel has the best chance of winning, but not necessarily the candidate who is the best man for the job.

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So Zeb’s running for president?

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Fortunately and unfortunately, respectively, a two-party system and a national election for President pretty well ensure two things. Firstly, you generally won’t get a President who is too far removed from the center of the electorate. Secondly, that means you end up with someone who ends will compromise with the other side a lot more than perhaps you would like – good if your party lost, bad if your party won.

Despite the rhetoric, all the presidents in my lifetime have been party to significant compromises with the legislative leaders of the opposing parties in order to get what they wanted accomplished. Even Reagan had tax increases in his second term.

It’s just the nature of the beast. Two steps forward and one step back, or vice-versa.

An outsider like Perot is an interesting idea – personally I was quite enthralled with him as a candidate when I was 18 (I like him much less in hindsight, especially after he based his second run on being anti-free-trade). But judging from the overall records of outsider governors, a President without a power base in the legislature would have a tough time getting things done. Even Arnold hasn’t been able to do much without the referendum process, which essentially allows him to sidestep the legislature on issues of great importance.

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[quote]NateN wrote:
So Zeb’s running for president?[/quote]

Yup

Zeb for pres 2008

Hope Hillary’s minions don’t squash you.

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[quote]nephorm wrote:
Senator McCain might be the closest thing to a “straight-shooter” option that we’ll get in 2008. That is, if the fanatics on the right are willing to put forth a candidate who is actually close to the center.[/quote]

McCain will get my vote if he is a presidential candidate.

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[quote]Snoop wrote:
nephorm wrote:
Senator McCain might be the closest thing to a “straight-shooter” option that we’ll get in 2008. That is, if the fanatics on the right are willing to put forth a candidate who is actually close to the center.

McCain will get my vote if he is a presidential candidate. [/quote]

McCain could possibly get my vote; I would have to see who he’s running against. I don’t know of many candidates off the top of my head that I think I would choose over McCain though.

Bill Frist will almost definitely NOT get my vote.

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I don’t like McCain. I think he takes positions just to get a reaction sometimes.

How about Steve Forbes. He comes from a lot of money but he had some great ideas. Particularly in the tax area.

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Zeb’s not totally happy with Bush! Maybe he prefers Dick?

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There are NO good guy politicians at the national level.

It takes a special kind of backstabbing lying asshole to be a politician in the first place. The guys (and gals) at the national level are just big league assholes.

Unfortunately it is always seems to be a lesser of two evils choice.

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McCain won’t run - he’s not electable. Why would a Democrat cross the fence to vote for McCain? He’s already a democrat in republican clothing.

Chuck Hagel (sp) looks to be warming up his doublespeak for a run in 2008. He won’t get far in the primaries if he continues to subvert the judicial nomination process.

Don’t be surprised if Newt decides to test the water, either.

This is a great thread, ZEB. Most folks think that the conservatives are just mind-numbed idiots that vote the way they are told. I think you’ve proved them wrong.

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McCain is probably too old too – seriously, he’s pretty old, and his time as a POW isn’t making him feel any younger. The man was born August 29, 1936 – I believe he would be older in 2008 than Reagan was when he was sworn in for his first term.

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[quote]hedo wrote:
I don’t like McCain. I think he takes positions just to get a reaction sometimes.

How about Steve Forbes. He comes from a lot of money but he had some great ideas. Particularly in the tax area.[/quote]

I loved McCain in 2000, voted for him in his N.H. primary win, but it seems like he sometimes does things just to get Bush’s goat.

Not sure a flat tax is that great an idea, although it’s worked well in some smaller countries (see Slovakia). But Steve Forbes is one of the goofiest men alive.