Maybe we should just elect Trump president

Relaxer wrote:
Rubio seems like a logical in-the-middle man between the establishment guys who are shitting the bed (Bush, Paul, Christie, Cruz) and the maverick upstarts that have no idea what it means to be president (Trump, Fiorina, Carson).

He thinks fast on his feet, looks foreign enough that conservatives can feel good about inclusiveness, and portrays his right-wing tendencies in a soft compassionate context. His negatives are that he looks like he's 14, has a quivery wussy voice, has accomplished the least among the establishment names, and has his rich history/backstory somewhat compromised by the fact that he lied about it and got nailed.

His embellished backstory issue probably won't hurt him too much unless he does something similar. I think there's a narrative of "Rubio is ambitious enough to kill a guy" swirling around him and anything that slides neatly into that story arc will be heartily welcomed by the media and myself.

Pretty good analysis..

I think he could be a threat next year….but like I said..the guy is a warmonger…. the country is sick and tired of war.. a Rubio presidency is a return to the Bush years in the most important issue the Executive  affects: foreign policy…. he'd surround himself with the same neocon bozos and we'd soon enough be committing a new generation of hired soldiers into the next pointless conflict, run up our debt again..

contrary to what the Republicans think the US cannot solve all the world's problems through war.

I shudder at the thought..

Relaxer wrote:
He thinks fast on his feet, looks foreign enough that [people] can feel good about inclusiveness, and portrays his right-wing tendencies in a soft compassionate context. His negatives are that he looks like he's 14, has a quivery wussy voice, has accomplished the least among the establishment names…

2008 Obama is running again?

I agree with Relaxer's statements, I honestly have not delved deep into his foreign policy stuff

the fact that he's a major social conservative too, makes it pretty impossible for me to ever vote for him

But he is a very together speaker and can talk off the cuff intelligently
he's got charisma, I'll give you that

Julian, wrote:

Relaxer wrote:
He thinks fast on his feet, looks foreign enough that [people] can feel good about inclusiveness, and portrays his right-wing tendencies in a soft compassionate context. His negatives are that he looks like he's 14, has a quivery wussy voice, has accomplished the least among the establishment names…

2008 Obama is running again?

Obama was always a fairly pragmatic conservative democrat once he got to Washington DC… people just wanted to believe he was very liberal…I don't recall him ever really pandering to the left…. the left just gave him a pass because he could present himself as having been against the Iraq war debacle unlike warmonger Hillary…so they thought "ah ha he is one of us!"


Rubio is a right winger trying to pretend he is not..

I'd say its very different but I hear this comparison all the time but its really based on age, looks, ethnicity, good speakers etc… and not their political alignment or substance…

I agree that the prevailing trend among the GOP is to talk tough, but I see this as more pandering to idiots than saber-rattling. All these candidates repeatedly say that Obama fucked up by not taking a stronger position in Syria, Iran, Ukraine, etc. And then they're rightly asked, well Obama has been using sanctions and diplomatic condemnation in these areas, what exactly would you do differently?

And really, I can't remember hearing anyone say "We need 20,000 troops on the ground, with most of them being beloved grandsons from the states of Ohio, Florida and Pennsylvania" or even just saying, I'd go in there with troops. So they want something more than diplomacy but less than troops. Heeeyyyyy, maybe it's time to get those drones out of the attic.

Anyway, I think they're just playing it cute so they can criticize Obama, no matter what. Nothing makes a Republican hornier right now than hearing someone snarl "Do you know what Obama did?" It doesn't even matter what they're talking about.

Candidate: "Do you know what Obama did?"

Typical GOP Crowd: "MUSLIM" "Took away my healthcare?" "Wiped his ass with a dead soldier's coffin flag?" "Put out a new mixtape?" "Took off his pants and sat on a crucifix?"

Candidate: "He had BREAKFAST"

Typical GOP Crowd: "MUSLIMS DON'T EAT BREAKFAST THEY JIHAD" "I BET HE ATE IT WITH HIS MOUTH" "HE HAD SOCIALIST WAFFLES LIKE A SOCIALIST" "Cop-killers always eat breakfast!"

I think the one and only positive result of the W administration is that people now realize that presidents can be lying fucking assholes who go to war for the pure and simple reason that they would like to. And I question whether a President Rubio would have the gravitas and the dickbag to launch a pre-emptive strike on someone.

Hutch wrote:
the left just gave him a pass because he could present himself as having been against the Iraq war debacle unlike warmonger Hillary…

This is probably the truest thing ever. His whole campaign against Hillary was "I openly admit I would've voted the same way Hillary did but because I held no national office at the time it came up for vote, you should view me in a different light." It was stunning how many on here ate it with a spoon.

I could easily be mistaken but I thought in 08, Obama tried to make the case that while he wasn't in the Congress at the time (and therefore unable to vote on Iraq), he would've voted against it and as proof, pointed to statements he made as a state senator condemning the invasion.

I'm just impressed that Zack De La Rocha and Tom Morello predicted the Trump for President thing all the way back in 1999:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w211KOQ5BMI ; (see the 1:04 mark).

Relaxer wrote:
I could easily be mistaken but I thought in 08, Obama tried to make the case that while he wasn't in the Congress at the time (and therefore unable to vote on Iraq), he would've voted against it and as proof, pointed to statements he made as a state senator condemning the invasion.

This is true.. he was a State Representative representing a very very liberal small area in South Chicago…and he went on a local access TV show and of course everything was incredibly liberal……this is what I mean by he could present himself as having been against the war…but its also true that after that local access show he said different things.. and OF COURSE he was going to say he was against the invasion when he was a State Rep for a very liberal district…had he not said that he'd have lost his job…

Far harder was to say you were against the invasion when you were a national senator with presidential aspirations in a post 9-11 world and political environment from the state most affected by the attack…. obviously Hillary could not foresee the incredible debacle that would ensue.. .had Bush simply declared victory and left (he wisely declared victory but failed to leave..this was the huge problem) things could have been very different… after taking Baghdad we should have just left..of course we should have never invaded in the first place but that's all water under the bridge…

I do find it strange that one of the only wise things Bush did was to declare victory for which he was mercilessly criticized…

"sigh"

Hutch wrote:

I do find it strange that one of the only wise things Bush did was to declare victory for which he was mercilessly criticized…

…not sure I understand what you are saying here

ßèétſ wrote:
He can go back to making Minwax commercials

so is he the pizza delivery guy  ;D

Hutch wrote:

Sidehatch wrote:

Hutch wrote:
What exactly makes him a "good candidate" anyways? The fact he's a good debater and looks like a Latino Ken doll?

exactly!

The last thing the country needs is a Republican from the warmonger/neocon faction of the party…maybe I should ask what you like bout Rubio?

By the way Space Freely must be having a tough time between Trump and Carson who seem to be dueling for the anti-muslim vote

I'm not a one issue voter.

Sidehatch wrote:

Hutch wrote:

I do find it strange that one of the only wise things Bush did was to declare victory for which he was mercilessly criticized…

…not sure I understand what you are saying here

seems rather obvious to me.

you fight a war.. you say you won and you get out… we should have said we toppled saddam's government and achieved our objectives….  had we not interfered AFTER we toppled the government its very probable that the Sunnis would have retained power and we would not have strengthened our enemies as we ended up doing… Iran's position in the region was strengthened with the Shiites taking over and the sunnis eventually got tired of it and formed Isis…

Bush should have declared victory far sooner and we should have gotten everybody out… we could have come out looking like winners, saved a ton of money, and lives.. and its hard to imagine things could have gone much worse..

Of course, we should never have gone in in the first place but back then that was a very unpopular stance.. I can still remember CNN telling us that once we made the decision to go in to protest was unpatriotic…and I can remember for years afterwards turning up for the protests and it was a few dozen people!! Now EVERYBODY suddenly claims they were against it of course….

Space wrote:

Hutch wrote:

Sidehatch wrote:

Hutch wrote:
What exactly makes him a "good candidate" anyways? The fact he's a good debater and looks like a Latino Ken doll?

exactly!

The last thing the country needs is a Republican from the warmonger/neocon faction of the party…maybe I should ask what you like bout Rubio?

By the way Space Freely must be having a tough time between Trump and Carson who seem to be dueling for the anti-muslim vote

I'm not a one issue voter.

just a one issue poster?

Hutch wrote:

Space wrote:

Hutch wrote:

Sidehatch wrote:

Hutch wrote:
What exactly makes him a "good candidate" anyways? The fact he's a good debater and looks like a Latino Ken doll?

exactly!

The last thing the country needs is a Republican from the warmonger/neocon faction of the party…maybe I should ask what you like bout Rubio?

By the way Space Freely must be having a tough time between Trump and Carson who seem to be dueling for the anti-muslim vote

I'm not a one issue voter.

just a one issue poster?

I'm pro gay-rights/marriage, pro-choice, pro-science, believe in climate change, am a moderate on gun possession/control, am in favor of legal immigration, pro marijuana legalization, pro public education, am fiscally conservative, strong supporter of freedom of speech, as well as being in favor of separation of church and state.  I would not support Carson because of he would inject his fundamentalist views into his decision making, and I wouldn't support Trump because he's a nut. Anything else? What candidate do you think best matches me?

Space wrote:

Hutch wrote:

Space wrote:

Hutch wrote:

Sidehatch wrote:

Hutch wrote:
What exactly makes him a "good candidate" anyways? The fact he's a good debater and looks like a Latino Ken doll?

exactly!

The last thing the country needs is a Republican from the warmonger/neocon faction of the party…maybe I should ask what you like bout Rubio?

By the way Space Freely must be having a tough time between Trump and Carson who seem to be dueling for the anti-muslim vote

I'm not a one issue voter.

just a one issue poster?

I'm pro gay-rights/marriage, pro-choice, pro-science, believe in climate change, am a moderate on gun possession/control, am in favor of legal immigration, pro marijuana legalization, pro public education, am fiscally conservative, as well as being in favor of separation of church and state.  I would not support Carson because of he would inject his fundamentalist views into his decision making, and I wouldn't support Trump because he's a nut. Anything else? What candidate do you think best matches me?

funny…all you post about is muslims…

don't kid yourself, you'll be gritting your teeth and pulling the lever for the democrat…whoever it is.

Hutch wrote:

Space wrote:

Hutch wrote:

Space wrote:

Hutch wrote:

Sidehatch wrote:

Hutch wrote:
What exactly makes him a "good candidate" anyways? The fact he's a good debater and looks like a Latino Ken doll?

exactly!

The last thing the country needs is a Republican from the warmonger/neocon faction of the party…maybe I should ask what you like bout Rubio?

By the way Space Freely must be having a tough time between Trump and Carson who seem to be dueling for the anti-muslim vote

I'm not a one issue voter.

just a one issue poster?

I'm pro gay-rights/marriage, pro-choice, pro-science, believe in climate change, am a moderate on gun possession/control, am in favor of legal immigration, pro marijuana legalization, pro public education, am fiscally conservative, as well as being in favor of separation of church and state.  I would not support Carson because of he would inject his fundamentalist views into his decision making, and I wouldn't support Trump because he's a nut. Anything else? What candidate do you think best matches me?

funny…all you post about is muslims…

don't kid yourself, you'll be gritting your teeth and pulling the lever for the democrat…whoever it is.

Why is that funny? The non-questioning by liberals of the  misogynistic, homophobic, undemocratic Islamic political systems around the world needs to be called out. And what better place to call it out than on a board populated almost entirely by sanctimonious liberals???  ;)

I don't think i have major beefs with too any other liberal pet projects, at least not at the moment.

There are lots of liberals who call out Muslims. Bill Maher for one.