Craig Crawford's Trail Mix

The big Mo.

I am an Independent so which party is the "other" party?

I do not see issues in black and white, I know they are are far more complicated, so I look at candidates in respect as to who I think will do the best job.

If my candidate isn't there, I would have to to look at the whole picture once again, and see which ticket would do the best job.

That's the problem with Independents.

I do not know much about, nor have views on, any actual issues, so I evaluate candidates depending on the emotions I feel when I think about them.

This makes me feel superior to others and allows me to talk myself into voting for more or less anyone, based on any number of factors.

likely lads---you silly person you.

Burrito: that is exaclty why my mom registered me as an Independent.

likely lads,
are you serious????? you feel SUPERIOR because you have no view on the issues??? you really evaluate candidates based on how you feel when you think about them???? i take back everything i said earlier. if you mean what you say, you should truly consider not voting.

The best use of the Cleveland Plain Dealer is a birdcage liner.

Really who wants to relive the soap opera of the 90"s. So why do you think certain people continue to bring it up. The irony of it all!

Q:Can OBAMA fix Cleveland?
A: yes we can

dog's eye,
i sure hope so.

Chickadee: because it will never go away. Americans have a short attention span. All they need is a good story - they could care less if they read it before.

If you don't think the GOP, the media, and comedians will start bringing that stuff up - you got another thing coming.

Plus - McCain will be able to stay above it all.

yeah Warren...McCain doesn't have any baggage....geez

In a real life situation when a human being is constantly beat down by another on a regular basis it is considered abuse.

Abuse is never acceptable. Abuse is never justified.

Some who are abused fall apart others rise up and become stronger.

Then comes time to analyze those who abuse. Why do they do it? Is it power, control, envy, jelousy, or just mean spiritness?

Chickadee...in the USA all you have to do is follow the money.

You may choose not to vote, but then you have no right to bitch and complain about another 4 years of Rep Madmen in the Whitehouse..

chickadee. in the case of those who verbally abuse hillary clinton, i suspect it's all of the things you mentioned plus a form of mental illness. they seem obsessed with her. sad.

Not sure if you were talking about political abuse? media abuse? or what .... type of abuse? military abuse?

sorry if I didn't quite follow

Burrito--i don't understand what you mean.

Nevermind, I didn't follow your comment

Nannymm---you know the Clinton's could retire and possible find peace for themselves somewhere else. They don't have to put themselves through this endless hell and battering. Do people ever wonder why they stick with it. Why they are dedicated to making situations better for others.

"Rambo Clinton"
http://www.taylormarsh.com/

"You may choose not to vote, but then you have no right to bitch and complain about another 4 years of Rep Madmen in the Whitehouse.."

I get your point, but, bitching and complaining is highly over-rated.

From others I know this is the field: no republicans are happy, HRC supporter are not happy, Romney supporter are not happy , Ron Paul supporter are not happy, Huckabee supporter are delirious, I do not know any McCain supporters......But OBAMA people are rockin' happy!

Isn't that enough for the OBAMA people?

Really unless you are OBAMAfied people seem to be opting out until later....like November later.

Chickadee, I suppose they stick with it because they truly beleive they can make a difference. I admire that in both of them. And I think they do make a positive difference in this world. I have no doubt that they both will continue to contribute to the good of society whether or not Hillary wins the nomination.
And BTW,,,I beleive that is true of Obama and Edwards, also. These are all good and decent people.

What a bunch of sillyness.
And to think these silly ass people are whining about Clinton because of what the 90s were like. What a short memory.
Who started the soap opera?
The Republicans did!
Stupid!
Al Gore hadn't even sobered up from his election day celebration when Bob Dole went before the cameras and declared war. It just got worse as it went along.

What , besides worshipful belief, makes any one think the same thing won't happen again?
What proof can you give that anything will change one little bit with an Obama presidency?
What great bipartisan effort has Obama lead? I want facts, not some pie in the sky dream.

It will be a hard brutal 4 years because the Republicans have not changed and they are going to block every effort by Obama. They will brutally attack him everytime he makes the smallest mistake. In the end you dreamers and lovers will fall out of love and abandon him because of some petty little bullshit. Most likely because you weren't kissed enough or some other ego driven crap like that.

Then while you are back in your hole whining the rest of us will be picking up the pieces trying to make something out of the mess you have created.

I'm a Democrat and I will vote Democrat but I'm damned tired of listening to how easy it will be for Obama. "Just voting for him will make all those nasty Republicans be quiet and go away"
I don't think those Obama youngsters have the toughness to hang in for the real fight.
A real fight it will be , I've been in them before, with the scars to prove it and I'm not leaving.

Nannymm---I will vote for Barack if Hillary isn't nominated. I look at he and his precious family and I hope that will all the serious issues that he may take on as president ---that if things don't work out the way he planned that he as a black man doesn't end up getting pummeled by the media and mean spirited Americans.

wow! you go soap opera go!

Why does BO say this is the only time he will run? Has he ever explained that to the press or anyone?

Well, Chickadee, I have the same fears about both Hillary and Barack. If one of them wins the presidency, I suspect he or she will be held to a different standard than past presidents. It is never easy to be "the first."
There are going to be people anxiously looking to find fault and place blame. And you can be sure some segments of the media will relish that role. However, both Hillary and Barack are strong and capable of dealing with it.

Burrito---I didn't know he said that. Imagine the strain this puts on a young family.

Actually, Obama said that his wife told him they will only do this once. If he doesn't win, she said they won't run again. someting about it being too late, that four more years will change them. They won't be Washinton outsiders four years from now......
Maybe. Sounds vaguely like she's making a threat to me. "If you don't elect him NOW, forget about it! I'm taking my husband and going home. SO THERE!"

I have family in Tuscaloosa and the possibility that Barack could be assassinated has been brought up.

Burrito:

"yeah Warren...McCain doesn't have any baggage....geez"

Of course McCain has baggage - look at what he is dealing with - the Conservatives are going batty.

This is a big reason why a Senator with a long record and a ton of "experience" - is not always the best candidate.

Not only are there plenty of votes the challenge, bad quotes and unsavory affiliations to dredge up - but politics is a tough business and often you have to piss people of the get to the top. Therefore, the more "experience" you have - the more opponents you have with an axe to grind (including the media).

This is why being a fresh face helps Obama. He is like Bill Clinton was in '92. Smart, hip and possessing a unique political talent of connecting with Americans.

soap opera:

I don't buy the politics of fear you are selling. No thanks!

Warren, it may help Obama get elected but experience tends to help with the actual governing. Bill Clinton had many years experience as a Governor. You simply can't compare the two.

Why am I bringing it up. I didn't ask the people who brought it up to me why they brought it up.

It has occurred to me that America is quite violent.

Chickadee: that is a fear we all have but I don't think there is any reason to dwell on it - much less make it a regular topic of conversation. There are a lot of crazies out there.

This is a risk with any president or candidate. But I am sure there are capable people doing their best to make sure that doesn't happen.

There are all kinds of crazies out there. But none of us can let that stop us from persuing our goals. Obama has secret service protection and obviously has decided that the risk is worth taking.

Nannymm:

If you are worried about how Obama will handle himself - look, objectively, at the way he has handled himself in this campaign and the success he has had.

He has started a movement, out-organized and out-earned Hillary, and is racking up wins and endorsements. Obama has gained praise from leaders and pundits on both sides of the aisle - and even from us folks in the middle without a seat ; )

Warren---I mention it once and you determine I am dwelling on it and making it a regular topic of conversation. Well Warren you are wrong. Stop it.

Nannymm---it was good to carry on a pleasant conversation with you--it's time to leave now---don't want to endulge in the browbeating that has begun---you know what I mean.

Sorry chickadee - I was more trying to make a general statement and it was not meant to be harsh towards you.

Warren, I agree that he has done an excellent job campaigning. His successes are impressive, And he may well be an excellent president if elected. However, fundraising and organizing are not the only skills he will need. More experience would be quite helpful to him. That being said, his relative inexperience does not necessarily preclude him from being highly effective. If he is elected, I certainly hope he will be.
We need competent leadership after the ineptness of the Bush administration.

I am leaving too. Chickadee. It's way past time for this grandma to hit the hay. It was a pleasure to chat with you all. Sweet dreams! :-)

"I don't buy the politics of fear you are selling. No thanks!"

ROFLMAO

Nobody is selling any thing. Facts are facts.
No doubt you will be totally shocked when they launch a full scale attack the day after election day, just like they did to Clinton.
I don't give a damn what you believe.
What I want to know is what you will do on the day after the election, when the sh*t hits you in the face.
Are you going to fight , no matter what happens?
Or are you going to be one of those whineing morons that demand love and respect?
I suspect you will be a holier than thou crap artist.
When the fight gets down and dirty, you will punk out.

nannymm:

I am a big fan of the Sunday talk shows and Charlie Rose - where politicians are grilled and you get to hear them put together paragraphs instead of sound bytes.

I saw Obama on one of these shows back in the day (before all of the Obamania) and have been a fan ever since. I read his book and have followed his positions closely - and he has not dissappointed me.

He is sincere and has a great intellect. And we have seen he can be tough. Another person pointed out the fact that he has young kids will make him even more dedicated to making our country better off for them.

One of the reasons I have been so confident in Obama's chances is that one of the major attacks against him is that he lacks substance - something I knew would fall away when people got a chance to hear him for themselves.

soapopera:

I don't give a damn about your personal observations of my character. Especially when it is based on .... well, nothing I guess. Except of course your paranoid and cynical view of the world.

And by the way, your post did not contain any FACTS - it was pure speculation.

"When the fight gets down and dirty, you will punk out."

When the going gets tough , get the F out..LOL

Warren---one doesn't have to have young kids to to making a parent more dedicated-----parents are dedicated to even their precious old kids. Bye

Well I don't have kids myself - I figure those little monsters will torment me long enough once I do bring them into the world. Just kidding - I love kids - just don't have the time they deserve right now.

But I know having a young child is one of the reasons my brother is more interested in politics this year.

This is nothing like when I first arrived!

Ooops! that must be soapopera you were referring to Bri. Sorry, I missed SO's post.

Soapopera, no one here is a moron. We are not whiners, either. We are all good decent people who care about this country and this election. Could you, please. make your points without resorting to insults and name calling? it is so much nicer that way.
Thanks in advance for your cooperation.

Warren--I felt you didn't have children. It's neat that you wish to have them when the time is right. They change who you are and the world around you becomes much clearer.

I understand your brothers desire to be a part of making a better world for his precious little one.

On that nice note---goodnight.

An excerpt from Krugman at The NYTimes:

"I won’t try for fake evenhandedness here: most of the venom I see is coming from supporters of Mr. Obama, who want their hero or nobody. I’m not the first to point out that the Obama campaign seems dangerously close to becoming a cult of personality. We’ve already had that from the Bush administration — remember Operation Flight Suit? We really don’t want to go there again."

Okay, so are we ready for another Obama sweep? Virginia, Maryland and then DC? After that, Wisconsin and Hawaii?

Obama 08! You betta recognize!

So now a complete hysteric loop like Andrew Sullivan is our God and Paul Krugman is a dolt. Welcome to the Democratic party being reformed under threats of destruction by the ghost of Ronald Reagan.

I'm ever so thrilled that the world will change the minute this man is elected. Racism, partisanship, playing ugly -- poof!

All righty then....

I have been traveling so I am a little out of loop. I am in DC for some meetings.
I dont understand why some issues are not being addressed. Yes, BO has caought the attention of many and his speeches are saying what we hope for, but.............
His appeal is to the better educated Democrat and independents and African Americans.
HRC is appealing, mainly white but many African American womwn also, to older voters, hispanics, and middle and lower income people.........am I the only one who thinks this is a broader coalition of Dems?

It is my understanding hat Micelle Obama has been particulary harsh with HRC on campaign trail....it is alleged she said that she would have to see if she could vote for Hilary unless she changes attitude and tone.......that's certainly a good tone. Where is the love or is it for anyone butClinton and her loyal supporters???

This campaign has been powered by threats all along.

1. I won't run again. (Message to blacks -- you'll never have this chance again. Vote for me despite the fact that I've not really been in the race trenches for you.)

2. I'll bring new people into the party and jerk them away if I'm not elected. I not only will take my toys and go home, I'll destroy YOUR house as I leave.

3. You better not campaign too hard against me or I will have my surrogates brand you a racist.

4. You better start bending over for Republicans like my mentor Joe Lieberman, because for us to get anything done we have to let the right water down most concepts.

5. If you don't love me you hate hope.

Since there are people here that I didn't see over the weekend, I will again give this link to a recent interview with Cher... The end of the video discusses the presidential campaign and she's got some interesting things to say.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwHsHBoWu3E

No we are NOT ready for another Obama sweep.... Why don't you post that on a partisan OBAMA website? geez

I don't think I would consider Andrew Sullivan an asset to a campaign. He's such a right-wing pig.

I am getting too testy. I'm outta here...