Who would you like to see as the next US President?

[C1ay]

I agree, but I don't think that antiquated traditions should be a measure of that.

 

I wouldn't exactly call the U.S. Flag Code an antiquated tradition. It is the law of the land. Even I leave out the words "under God" when reciting the pledge but at a minimum I stand at attention with my hand over my heart, as the law specifies, out of respect for the flag and the republic for which it stands. I do not see that respect for our flag in Obama :doh:

[REASON]

I agree, but I don't think that antiquated traditions should be a measure of that.

 

Particularly when the accusations of lack of allegience are based on unfounded smear. In politics, people will go out of their way to find something to use to discredit their opponents, and will twist the information to support their claim. It's called spin.

 

You could find fifty instances where Obama placed his hand over his heart during the Pledge of Allegience or the National Anthem, but the one instance where he didn't obviously reveals the truth of his utter hatred for the United States. :doh:

 

I believe that hanging on to these stupid little occurrances and making a big deal out of them actually reveals an underlying issue with someone which may be more shameful to admit openly.

[REASON]

I wouldn't exactly call the U.S. Flag Code an antiquated tradition. It is the law of the land. Even I leave out the words "under God" when reciting the pledge but at a minimum I stand at attention with my hand over my heart, as the law specifies, out of respect for the flag and the republic for which it stands. I do not see that respect for our flag in Obama :doh:

 

Also, the US Flag Code you linked to above makes no reference to the proper conduct of a person during the National Anthem, only the Pledge of Allegiance. The photo of Obama with his hands clasped in front of him was during the National Anthem, and in the video INow provided, he is seen to be singing along.

 

This is hardly unpatriotic behavior.

 

These accusations are simply part of a smear campaign.

[InfiniteNow]

These accusations are simply part of a smear campaign.

 

They were also refuted during the January 15 debate:

 

 

YouTube - Democratic Debate http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWX3ar6d02A

 

 

That was from C1ay's own link, where there are also two pictures from Inside Addition with hand over his heart.

 

 

Then again, here:

 

YouTube - Clip of Obama Saying Pledge of Allegiance with hand on heart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD6bKaVW-ls

[C1ay]

Also, the US Flag Code you linked to above makes no reference to the proper conduct of a person during the National Anthem, only the Pledge of Allegiance. The photo of Obama with his hands clasped in front of him was during the National Anthem, and in the video INow provided, he is seen to be singing along.

 

No but clause 9 states, "

 

§ 9. Conduct during hoisting, lowering or passing of flag

 

During the ceremony of hoisting or lowering the flag or when the flag is passing in a parade or in review, all persons present except those in uniform should face the flag and stand at attention with the right hand over the heart. Those present in uniform should render the military salute. When not in uniform, men should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, the hand being over the heart. Aliens should stand at attention. The salute to the flag in a moving column should be rendered at the moment the flag passes."

 

In the photo where he was caught he was not showing the respect for the flag as others present and I have not seen him explain the reason for that. It is a trivial thing though.

 

What bothers me more about Obama is his rise to stardom without laying out a firm position on anything. All he claims to represent is change without specifying what change he advocates.

 

On issues like healthcare he claims that everyone in America will be insured but he says nothing anywhere of how he will fund this.

 

He makes the same promises about Social Security at a time when the baby boomers population is beginning to retire and the relative size of the workforce is shrinking. Again, nothing anywhere about funding this.

 

IMO, he's rambling on about bigger government when my own preference is for smaller government.

 

BTW, it's not just Obama I'm opposed to, I'm opposed to Hillary and McCain for the same reasons. They need to lay their plans out for all to see with explicit explanations on what we can expect and how they're going to pay for it.

[Thunderbird]

why didn't a japenese man run for president after pearl harbor?

 

when america falls you will have two choices, become islamic or die.

that is our enemy, that is what we are facing.

 

 

 

 

I really do not believe a small unpopular bunch of religious fanatics are going to do anything to threaten are country. You are being distracted from the real problems being created by our current administration. The real enemy is within. :doh:

[REASON]

In the photo where he was caught he was not showing the respect for the flag as others present and I have not seen him explain the reason for that. It is a trivial thing though.

 

The explanation I've heard from him is that he was taught when he was little to put his hand on his heart during the pledge, and to sing along with the Anthem. That's good enough for me. Sometimes I think this patriotism thing can get a bit overcooked anyway. (my opinion)

 

 

What bothers me more about Obama is his rise to stardom without laying out a firm position on anything. All he claims to represent is change without specifying what change he advocates.

 

On issues like healthcare he claims that everyone in America will be insured but he says nothing anywhere of how he will fund this.

 

He makes the same promises about Social Security at a time when the baby boomers population is beginning to retire and the relative size of the workforce is shrinking. Again, nothing anywhere about funding this.

 

IMO, he's rambling on about bigger government when my own preference is for smaller government.

 

BTW, it's not just Obama I'm opposed to, I'm opposed to Hillary and McCain for the same reasons. They need to lay their plans out for all to see with explicit explanations on what we can expect and how they're going to pay for it.

 

To me, these are legitimate concerns to have when deciding on a presidential candidate. I often wish we were given more details on these types of issues as well. But we are expected to research further into their stances and plans on our own. At least we can go to their websites to get more information.

 

Welcome to Obama for America

 

hillaryclinton.com

 

John McCain 2008 - John McCain for President

[Boerseun]

I don't really understand US politics, but in my opinion, there are currently no potential candidates that stands out from the rest.

 

As far as I'm concerned, Hillary Clinton is a faded whinge-bag of note, yesterday's news. Her only claim to fame is that she's a "fighter" with "experience". Bla bla bla. The only experience she has over the other candidates is that she's actually seen the ceiling of the White House's Presidential Suite. Which will make Monica Lewinsky equally suited.

 

Barack Obama is popular for all the wrong reasons. He's got the whole "rags-to-riches" thing going, he's the media's blue-eyed boy (figuratively speaking, of course), and he's black. He's even got this cute granny in Kenya rooting for him. Sweet. I wonder how long ago she's seen him or heard from him (before the campaign, of course - it makes for good TV). But at the end of the day, what will he bring to the table? I'm not knocking him because he's black, don't get me wrong; I'm knocking him because he hasn't said anything inspiring or new at all.

 

McCain leaves me completely cold. Not that Republicans normally raise my temperature, mind you. But he's totally unoriginal.

 

And so it goes.

 

I see before US voters a matter of picking the best of the worst.

 

If only someone could kick Al Gore's *** and get him involved, sparks might fly. But I guess after the nominations are over and done with, he'll only be able to stand as in independent. Which will spoil the vote Nader-style.

 

I don't know. The best I can say of the whole mess is "Ho hum." I just wish that whoever gets elected has a whole bunch of clever advisors. Because when it comes to the crunch, I won't entrust the reigns of my country to anyone currently running.

[Turtle]

...Barack Obama is popular for all the wrong reasons. He's got the whole "rags-to-riches" thing going, he's the media's blue-eyed boy (figuratively speaking, of course), and he's black. He's even got this cute granny in Kenya rooting for him. Sweet. I wonder how long ago she's seen him or heard from him (before the campaign, of course - it makes for good TV). But at the end of the day, what will he bring to the table? I'm not knocking him because he's black, don't get me wrong; I'm knocking him because he hasn't said anything inspiring or new at all.

...

I don't know. The best I can say of the whole mess is "Ho hum." I just wish that whoever gets elected has a whole bunch of clever advisors. Because when it comes to the crunch, I won't entrust the reigns of my country to anyone currently running.

 

I think this may give you some insight into what Obama has said that may be inspiring and/or new, and I think it goes a long way to support the idea Obama can find and organize a bunch of clever advisors.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/17/books/17kaku.html

But while Mr. Obama occasionally slips into the flabby platitudes favored by politicians, enough of the narrative voice in this volume is recognizably similar to the one in “Dreams From My Father,” an elastic, personable voice that is capable of accommodating everything from dense discussions of foreign policy to streetwise reminiscences, incisive comments on constitutional law to New-Agey personal asides. The reader comes away with a feeling that Mr. Obama has not reinvented himself as he has moved from job to job (community organizer in Chicago, editor of The Harvard Law Review, professor of constitutional law, civil rights lawyer, state senator) but has instead internalized all those roles, embracing rather than shrugging off whatever contradictions they might have produced.

 

Reporters and politicians continually use the word authenticity to describe Mr. Obama, pointing to his ability to come across to voters as a regular person, not a prepackaged pol. And in these pages he often speaks to the reader as if he were an old friend from back in the day, salting policy recommendations with colorful asides about the absurdities of political life. ...

 

Obama last saw his Grandmother in 2006. >> Hero's welcome for Obama in Kenya - Africa - MSNBC.com

[Boerseun]

Nice one, Turtle - but in my humble opinion, what the World needs is Vision.

 

And with the US President having such a big say in World Matters, I would prefer the US president to not only have some vision right now in terms of things I would feel on my *** over here in Africa (like Global Warming), but also to have a proven track record, visionwise.

 

It's not exclusively, but in a big way, thanks to Gore that we are able to have this conversation at all.

[Turtle]

Nice one, Turtle - but in my humble opinion, what the World needs is Vision.

 

Roger that - I see it much the same way. :)

[goku]

I really do not believe a small unpopular bunch of religious fanatics are going to do anything to threaten are country. You are being distracted from the real problems being created by our current administration. The real enemy is within. :(

 

duth mine ears deceive me? those religious fanatics blew up the world trade centers and the pentagon.

 

you are right about one thing, the enemy is within. his name is barok husein obama, and hillbilly clinton.

[Thunderbird]

duth mine ears deceive me? those religious fanatics blew up the world trade centers and the pentagon.

 

you are right about one thing, the enemy is within. his name is barok husein obama, and hillbilly clinton.

 

More lives have been lost in Bush"s war, and much more money wasted, than a couple of buildings.

 

Your calling Clinton a hillbilly ? How do you difine a hillbilly?

[Southtown]

More lives have been lost in Bush"s war, and much more money wasted, than a couple of buildings.

Three thousand American civilians were in those buildings, ya know, not to mention the surrounding populace who narrowly escaped. And most of those serving abroad would proudly sacrifice themselves to prevent another attack as devastating as 9/11. I know I would.

 

Huckabee, by the way, little too late, I know. The dude just has a wise way of reason in his speeches and arguments, I think.

[InfiniteNow]

Huckabee, by the way, little too late, I know. The dude just has a wise way of reason in his speeches and arguments, I think.

 

I wonder why you liked him?

 

 

Huckabee's Long Goodbye | The Daily Show | Comedy Central

[REASON]

duth mine ears deceive me? those religious fanatics blew up the world trade centers and the pentagon.

 

you are right about one thing, the enemy is within. his name is barok husein obama, and hillbilly clinton.

 

Oh goku, who would you be without an enemy?

[CraigD]

More lives have been lost in Bush"s war, and much more money wasted, than a couple of buildings.

Three thousand American civilians were in those buildings, ya know, not to mention the surrounding populace who narrowly escaped.

Nearly no one disputes that about 3,000 US citizens were killed by a criminal actions of 19 hijackers - 15 citizens of Saudi Arabia, 2 of the UAE, and 1 of Egypt, and 1 of Lebanon. (source: September 11, 2001 attacks - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

 

However, it is nearly indisputable that many times more civilians, primarily Iraqi, have been killed as a result of the 3/20/2003 US-led invasion of Iraq. Although estimates vary from a low estimate of about 58,000 (source: CBC News In Depth: Iraq) to over 1,180,000 (source: Just Foreign Policy - Iraqi Death Estimate), with IMHO the best estimate about 655,000 through 7/2006 (source: "The Human Cost of the War in Iraq", Johns Hopkins, Al Mustansiriya and MIT, published in The Lancet), regardless of what estimate is used, the Iraq war has caused much more loss of life than the 9/11/2001 attacks.

 

The primary causes of post 3/20/2003 Iraqi civilian deaths are not direct coalition military actions, but appear to be Iraqi attacks on Iraqis due to the post-invasion collapse of the Iraqi government.

 

It’s important to consider mortality statistics not as absolute numbers, but as ratios of total populations. In Iraq, these are:

• March 2003-April 2004: 320 deaths/100,000 population/year
  
• May 2004-May 2005: 660 deaths/100,000 population/year
  
• June 2005-June 2006: 1,200 deaths/100,000 population/year
  

By comparison, the US 2003-2004 homicide rate is: 5.6/100,000 population/year. (source: Homicides and Suicides --- National Violent Death Reporting System, United States, 2003--2004)