Presidential Candidates - 2008

[POS Industries]

I rather agree with EA. Blood relation is more often irrelevant than not. For instance, I have a cousin who was US House Minority Leader for a number of years and am both descended from a pre-revolutionary French count and a chief in the Cherokee tribe on different family lines. And yet I currently work part time at a grocery store and dick around on the internets.

Pretty much everybody's related to some big wheels somewhere.

As for my own current Presidential picks, I suppose I'm liking Obama as far as people who have a ghost of a chance of getting elected go. I'm willing to support Hillary only so far as the fact that it physically puts Bill back in the White House and I really, really miss him.

I thought Biden's Iraq plan was pretty much the most sane way to go, and Richardson's got a good record but I haven't heard much from him on what he could actually do as President. Edwards I like less and less everytime he does anything, which is too bad since I used to think he was all right.

Also, Stephen Colbert is apparently entering the South Carolina primary, so that could be interesting.

[Mannix]

I wish I could vote in South Carolina right now. You have no idea. It'd be sweet if he won though. How can we get him on more ballots?

[Ryanderman]

Originally Posted by Mannix

I wish I could vote in South Carolina right now. You have no idea. It'd be sweet if he won though. How can we get him on more ballots?

Despite the fact that I disagree with almost all of his political views (his real ones, not his Bill-O'Reilly-esq ones - though some of them too) I would vote for him. The man is a satirical genius. That's what this country needs most now.

But really, I'm leaning towards Romney, with a bit of me hoping Fred Thompson can show somehow that he's actually qualified to run the county. Not holding my breath. Not so hot on Giuliani or McCain. I could possibly support Obama, but shiver at the thought of a Edwards or Clinton Presidency.

[bluestarultor]

Originally Posted by Fifthfiend

Setting aside the merits of Diane Sawyer's declarations on what minorities expect from candidates, I still don't see how that's a reason why you, yourself, would choose to support or not support Obama.

I mean you're apparently making your decision on who you want to be president based on what a broad and unspecified group of people's aggregate opinion may be in the future, depending on whether a majority of that population eventually decides that the views said majority currently holds of the candidate are actually misperceptions, all apparently based on nothing the actual candidate has done or said.

I just don't get it, is all.

When it comes to my own personal choice of candidate, Obama could be a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant for all I care. He could also, for all I care, be 1/4 Ugandan, 1/8 Cherokee, and 5/8 South Vietnamese. Race has never mattered to me. What does matter to me is his lack of political experience and support. Weighing the merits of what Bush did with the full support of Congress at the beginning of his term versus having a bunch of great ideas which don't get executed if Obama doesn't have support from Congress, I'd like to find a happy medium somewhere.

It comes down to the fact that, as I have said before, I see Obama as a kid with ideas. I don't see the political chops in him that I think are necessary in the current situation, and I don't see him being able to use his charm (which for all the world he has in spades) to accomplish enough to have history books remember him as anything close to The Guy Who Saved The Country After Bush.

[Elminster_Amaur]

It comes down to the fact that, as I have said before, I see Obama as a kid with ideas. I don't see the political chops in him that I think are necessary in the current situation, and I don't see him being able to use his charm (which for all the world he has in spades) to accomplish enough to have history books remember him as anything close to The Guy Who Saved The Country After Bush.

As long as he's not incompetent or power hungry, I think that makes him better than all the other candidates, save the one I had no idea was running.

Also, Stephen Colbert is apparently entering the South Carolina primary, so that could be interesting.

Interesting? That could be awesome and truthy all at the same time. As long as he could get Florida, California, New York and Texas, he's a shoe in. A man like that in the White House would make me proud to say I am America and I voted for Stephen Colbert. I doubt he's serious though.

[Roy_D_Mylote]

Originally Posted by B_real_shadows

Doesn't american citizenship automatically require you forfeit all other citizenships?

Well, I think (can't stress "think" enough) that if your parents are American citizens on vacation in a country (We'll use Germany for this example, even though I don't know how German law works here) like Germany which has a law that says, "If you're born here you're a citizen," then you are a German citizen and an American one because that's American law.

I think.

Originally Posted by bluestarultor

I don't see him being able to use his charm (which for all the world he has in spades) to accomplish enough to have history books remember him as anything close to The Guy Who Saved The Country After Bush.

I had a math teacher once who said something like, "If you have one bad teacher, it takes two good teachers to get you back to normal." The same, I think, applies to countries. It's not gonna be this next guy/girl who saves the country after Bush. It's gonna be the NEXT one.

[Elminster_Amaur]

Doesn't american citizenship automatically require you forfeit all other citizenships?

It's actually in the constitution that you cannot hold office here unless you forfeit any legal titles bestowed by another government. So, I would assume that you could be a citizen in multiple countries, since you'd have to be a citizen here to even run for an office, and you would have to be a citizen to hold a title like "Baron" or "Duke" or "Knight" in another country, say England.

To Roy: My sister was born in Germany and she's only American and considered American by birth because of being born on an American Air Force Base in Germany. So, I doubt Germany has such a rule, or even if it does, there're probably loopholes to prevent people from being both from birth, as opposed to by choice.

Also, I almost didn't even notice that you had the 1st as your avatar. Hehe, he was a good Doctor, but I wish I could watch the missing episodes.

[bluestarultor]

Originally Posted by Roy_D_Mylote

I had a math teacher once who said something like, "If you have one bad teacher, it takes two good teachers to get you back to normal." The same, I think, applies to countries. It's not gonna be this next guy/girl who saves the country after Bush. It's gonna be the NEXT one.

That I agree with. I won't hold my breath on any of the current candidates getting more than one term. I just hope that whoever gets it at least can get the first few steps accomplished.


Edit: @ Amaur: To be president, you have to be a natural-born citizen, which means no immigrants. For anything else, you just have to be a citizen.

[Roy_D_Mylote]

Originally Posted by Elminster_Amaur

To Roy: My sister was born in Germany and she's only American and considered American by birth because of being born on an American Air Force Base in Germany. So, I doubt Germany has such a rule, or even if it does, there're probably loopholes to prevent people from being both from birth, as opposed to by choice.

Well like I said, I don't really know.

[Elminster_Amaur]

Edit: @ Amaur: To be president, you have to be a natural-born citizen, which means no immigrants. For anything else, you just have to be a citizen.

I know, but to hold an elected office, you cannot have a title bestowed by another country's government, which leads me to believe that dual-citizenship is quite possible. I just wouldn't know how to go about getting it.

I'm kind of interested in seeing how this Colbert for President thing plays out.