ShockerBob Wrote:

S.A. Owl Wrote:

ShockerBob Wrote:One thing that will kill Obama is that his parents are Muslim. The American Public is never going to accept that.

The problem isn't that "his parents are Muslim." The problem is that people are going to keep spreading misinformation like this between now and November.

I'm not spreading any misinformation. I might even vote for Obama as a Republican.

I'm just saying, that fact could keep him from getting into the white house. Even though Obama is baptized.

His dad is Muslim, his mom..no one knows but it could spin she is as well. Being how religious they are doesn't really matter to the American media, as long as pops is Muslim and Obama was raised that way...will raise eyebrows.

I certainly don't even care if Obama was Muslim. I think he's a fine individual.

But with security as the number 1 agenda in the United States, I think the Conservative media will eat him alive. IMO.

No, the "Conservative media" wouldn't mention that at all, because there are lots of issues that are actually substantive that Obama can be attacked for.

As to the comparisons between attending religious schools such as Catholic or Muslim schools, it should be noted that these days many "Catholic schools" are scarcely distinguishable from secular schools. That's generally not true of Muslm schools.

ShockerBob Wrote:If you have some sort of hard proof he wasn't raised Muslim then I'd like to see it.

If you have some sort of hard proof that McCain wasn't raised Muslim then I'd like to see it.

And, if anyone has hard proof that Hillary doesn't torture baby kittens, I'd like to see that also.

RiceDoc Wrote:I think a lot of voters are in that same boat, which is why Romney's Mormon faith (which I do NOT consider to be Christian) was not a big hurdle for me but did give me pause to consider what the policy ramifications of that belief system would be.

Agreed. Romney being a Mormon was not a hurdle for me at all. But my attitude toward him swung with the 'religion speech' at A&M. It proved to me he would say anything to get support his way. He either was being disingenuous or has no understanding of his own theology or Christian theology, take your pick.

That said, I don't think being Mormon is incompatible with doing a great job as President, nor do I think it would create any issues politically.

It just irked me that he would state things I know to be untrue. I assumed he thought I was too stupid to understand the differences.

In my opinion, he played those cards all wrong.

bbaker Wrote:I am a Republican and would never crossover to vote for a Dem just to mess with someone. Why would anyone do that?

I went to the Republican political chair meeting last week. No one ever mentions stuff like that. I wonder where someone would mention that to someone else? So if you are going to do it, you keep it to yourself, I'd imagine.

Course we think that what Dems do all the time. Right? Yeah we do demonize each other.

Agree with this completely.

Henry Doorly Wrote:

ShockerBob Wrote:If you have some sort of hard proof he wasn't raised Muslim then I'd like to see it.

If you have some sort of hard proof that McCain wasn't raised Muslim then I'd like to see it.

And, if anyone has hard proof that Hillary doesn't torture baby kittens, I'd like to see that also.

I fully believe Obama is not a Muslim and take him at his word on his current faith. I have even disabused people I know who have the false notion he is Muslim.

However given all the circumstances it's ignorant to compare the three questions you raise.

I think Obama has handled the question well, certainly better than Romney did in my mind. And no, I don't mean they had to be Christian. One comes across as honest, the other seemed to be disingenuous pandering.

Rick Gerlach Wrote:

Henry Doorly Wrote:

ShockerBob Wrote:If you have some sort of hard proof he wasn't raised Muslim then I'd like to see it.

If you have some sort of hard proof that McCain wasn't raised Muslim then I'd like to see it.

And, if anyone has hard proof that Hillary doesn't torture baby kittens, I'd like to see that also.

However given all the circumstances it's ignorant to compare the three questions you raise.

"Ignorant"? It was an obvious exaggeration to make a point. Just because you don't approve of the level of exaggeration doesn't make it "ignorant."

S.A. Owl Wrote:

Rick Gerlach Wrote:

Henry Doorly Wrote:

ShockerBob Wrote:If you have some sort of hard proof he wasn't raised Muslim then I'd like to see it.

If you have some sort of hard proof that McCain wasn't raised Muslim then I'd like to see it.

And, if anyone has hard proof that Hillary doesn't torture baby kittens, I'd like to see that also.

However given all the circumstances it's ignorant to compare the three questions you raise.

"Ignorant"? It was an obvious exaggeration to make a point. Just because you don't approve of the level of exaggeration doesn't make it "ignorant."

Well, my use of ignorant is an exaggeration, so obviously you quickly can see these things and you had no reason to respond! Right?

The post I'm responding to was trying to equate three things that are not equal. I took his post to mean that it would be absolutely ridiculous to think someone with a Muslim father who was taught in a Muslim school was potentially raised Muslim.

Asking that question is not wrong. Spreading misinformation when you have the answer IS!

I do retract the word ignorant, please use disingenuous instead. I posted in haste.

Henry Doorly Wrote:And, if anyone has hard proof that Hillary doesn't torture baby kittens, I'd like to see that also.

I give you proof:

Isn't that the picture of her they use on CNN?

OptimisticOwl Wrote:Isn't that the picture of her they use on CNN?

I will say this, I actually feel somewhat sorry for her right now. And I'm not a Hillary fan at all.

I'm sick to death of the constant analysis from the press, the constant flow of information actually can impact how people vote.

So there's a point where the interpretation of everything that is happening, actually starts to drive what is happening.

I wish they'd just shut up and let the candidates speak and make their case without telling us who is 'on the ropes' and who has "already sewn up the nomination"

Rick Gerlach Wrote:

OptimisticOwl Wrote:Isn't that the picture of her they use on CNN?

I will say this, I actually feel somewhat sorry for her right now. And I'm not a Hillary fan at all.

I'm sick to death of the constant analysis from the press, the constant flow of information actually can impact how people vote.

So there's a point where the interpretation of everything that is happening, actually starts to drive what is happening.

I wish they'd just shut up and let the candidates speak and make their case without telling us who is 'on the ropes' and who has "already sewn up the nomination"

Last week i was watching some news, on CNN or CNN HN, and they had the Democratic candidates' pictures up side-by-side. I noticed that BO's happy smiling face seemed to be saying something like, "Sure you can use the car, son. Need any money?" and Hillary's frowning picture seemed to be saying something like "WHO tracked mud into my nice clean kitchen?" Maybe it was just me, why don't y'all take a look next time and see what you think.

I think the actual picture they used wasn't as bad as the one AC put up, but it was similar.

OptimisticOwl Wrote:

Rick Gerlach Wrote:

OptimisticOwl Wrote:Isn't that the picture of her they use on CNN?

I will say this, I actually feel somewhat sorry for her right now. And I'm not a Hillary fan at all.

I'm sick to death of the constant analysis from the press, the constant flow of information actually can impact how people vote.

So there's a point where the interpretation of everything that is happening, actually starts to drive what is happening.

I wish they'd just shut up and let the candidates speak and make their case without telling us who is 'on the ropes' and who has "already sewn up the nomination"

Last week i was watching some news, on CNN or CNN HN, and they had the Democratic candidates' pictures up side-by-side. I noticed that BO's happy smiling face seemed to be saying something like, "Sure you can use the car, son. Need any money?" and Hillary's frowning picture seemed to be saying something like "WHO tracked mud into my nice clean kitchen?" Maybe it was just me, why don't y'all take a look next time and see what you think.

I think the actual picture they used wasn't as bad as the one AC put up, but it was similar.

Even as someone who isn't a big fan of Hillary, I get the same vibe. That being said, I think when she smiles it often looks forced or fake (like when she laughs in public) so, I dunno...

Rick Gerlach Wrote:The post I'm responding to was trying to equate three things that are not equal. I took his post to mean that it would be absolutely ridiculous to think someone with a Muslim father who was taught in a Muslim school was potentially raised Muslim.

Asking that question is not wrong. Spreading misinformation when you have the answer IS!

I do retract the word ignorant, please use disingenuous instead. I posted in haste.

Yes, asking the question given the circumstances is not wrong. I agree. Arguably immaterial, certainly effecting electability, and not wrong.

Equating the three claims would be wrong, which I did not intend to do. I appologize that my satire was not more clear.

My serious point, if I had one, is that significant evidence exists, and has been reported, that Obama was not raised Muslim. This is a question easily settled with available information.

I notice that no one has been able to provide any such information refuting how Hillary spends her Saturday nights. I'm pretty sure I've heard about that somewhere on talk radio. (This is the place to put the <smiley>.)

John McCain is on campus at Rice on Feb. 28th at the Baker Institute. Maybe we can give the Pubs some equal time and get a report on that Town Hall deal if anyone here attends?

SNL poked some fun at Hillary hate vs. the Obama loveathon but it was pretty strained humor. I didn't see Huckabee but he was supposed to make a cameo last night.

bbaker Wrote:I am a Republican and would never crossover to vote for a Dem just to mess with someone. Why would anyone do that?

I went to the Republican political chair meeting last week. No one ever mentions stuff like that. I wonder where someone would mention that to someone else? So if you are going to do it, you keep it to yourself, I'd imagine.

You should see the difference in the turnout between Democratic and Republican primaries in solid "Red Counties" north of Atlanta that Obama won by 2:1.

A Democrat hasn't put these numbers up in these counties since Carter in 1976.

Decrease in Republican turnout with marked increase in Democratic turnout

Fort Bend Owl Wrote:John McCain is on campus at Rice on Feb. 28th at the Baker Institute. Maybe we can give the Pubs some equal time and get a report on that Town Hall deal if anyone here attends?

SNL poked some fun at Hillary hate vs. the Obama loveathon but it was pretty strained humor. I didn't see Huckabee but he was supposed to make a cameo last night.

Here is a youtube to the Huckabee Cameo.

CTRice10 Wrote:Even as someone who isn't a big fan of Hillary, I get the same vibe. That being said, I think when she smiles it often looks forced or fake (like when she laughs in public) so, I dunno...

That cackle-laugh Hillary uses drives me F-ing nuts... Its like nails on a chalk board...

Fort Bend Owl Wrote:John McCain is on campus at Rice on Feb. 28th at the Baker Institute. Maybe we can give the Pubs some equal time and get a report on that Town Hall deal if anyone here attends?

If I make it out there (exams and projects this week may lead to lack of sleep and inability to get up for an 8:30 speech+Q&A on a day when I don't have class until 10:50, if I can even get in), I'll try to report back on what it was like in as unbiased a manner as possible...
That being said, I wish I didn't have so much work and would be able to carry out my original idea of turning it into a drinking game where every time he said "my friends" it resulted in a shot/swig (to be fair, if security hadn't been so tight at the Obama rally and I didn't fear alcohol poisoning, I would have considered the same thing with "yes we can")...

National Taxpayers Union has estimated the impact on the federal budget of proposals by each of the candidates who were in the field at the time, with results as follows:

Ron Paul -- $150 billion reduction in federal spending
Rudy Giuliani -- $1 billiion reduction in federal spending
John McCain -- $10 billion increase in federal spending
Mitt Romney -- $19 billion incerase
Mike Huckabee -- $54 billion increase
Hillary Clinton -- $218 billion increase
Barack Obama -- $287 billion increase

That would make Ron Paul the candidate I like best, and Obama the candidate that I like least.

Owl 69/70/75 Wrote:National Taxpayers Union has estimated the impact on the federal budget of proposals by each of the candidates who were in the field at the time, with results as follows:

Ron Paul -- $150 billion reduction in federal spending
Rudy Giuliani -- $1 billiion reduction in federal spending
John McCain -- $10 billion increase in federal spending
Mitt Romney -- $19 billion incerase
Mike Huckabee -- $54 billion increase
Hillary Clinton -- $218 billion increase
Barack Obama -- $287 billion increase

That would make Ron Paul the candidate I like best, and Obama the candidate that I like lease.

Where would GWBush fall on that list?