My problem with Barak Obama is..

[jakee 1,594]

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Jakee, I was citing his ethnicity as an example of how I just can't seem to get a hold on what Obama & Err... actually stand for

Obama's ethnicity is something he 'stands for?' I thought it was just something he is. Sorry, but all I can see there is that you're confusing race with policies, and there's a word for that!

Do you want to have an ideagasm?

[kallend 2,147]

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I thought you were a Dem?

It's always dangerous to assume things.

...

The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[lawrocket 3]

Unregulated? Do me a favor. Go to your library and take a look at the Code of Federal Regulations. That's a starter. For each of those CFR volumes there are hundreds more rule sets.

Saying "unregulated" is an absolute objective falsity.. "Under-regulated?". Well, that's a reasonable belief.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[j_ung 0]

Speaking as someone who will most likely vote for Obama, I'm kinda tweaked by several things:

1. I was pissed when he decided to forgo public financing. Seemed like he broke his word on that one.
2. I think his head is more in the clouds when it comes to the federal budget than McCain's is.
3. I don't believe he'll lift a finger on earmarks or election financing reform.
4. He's also guilty when it comes to negative campaign ads. I think McCain is more guilty, but I'm sure it would be the opposite if their positions were reversed in the polls.
5. I really wish he'd just admit that the Iraq troop surge, along with several other factors, actually has benefited the situation there substantially.

That I still plan to vote for Obama, however, is testament how much I like certain other of his characteristics/beliefs, such as:

1. Far more so than McCain, Obama understands the actual problems facing America. I think McCain has an outdated way of looking at environmental issues, foreign policy and health care, which are, coincidentally, three of my biggest concerns going forward. Alternative energy is my single biggest issue this year, as it was in 2004 and 2000.
2. I like what I think a lot of others see in Obama, namely his intellectual curiosity. This is such a contrast to Bush and, to a lesser extent, McCain.
3. He's black. THERE! I SAID IT! Ancient white guys have had every chance and look where they got us. Let's put some freaking diversity out there and see if a different world view can get us someplace else. I'd prefer our diversity come from a third political party, but without such a viable option available, I'm willing to vote for the next best thing.

However, I'm not going into the voting booth with the same sense of urgency I had in 2000 and 2004. I genuinely like both of these guys and I don't think either one of them has the potential to fuck things up as much as W did. That he and his advisors will no longer be in direct power is enough to make me smile, no matter who wins.

Edited to fix several typos.

[normiss 893]

Very true.

So by saying that, it's quite difficult to make an assessment of someone's beliefs, behavior, and future behavior simply based on the history of their comments and past behavior isn't it?

[rickjump1 0]

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Your first problem with him is that you misspell his name.

Yeah, and you left out his middle name.

Do your part for global warming: ban beans and hold all popcorn farts.

[kallend 2,147]

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Your first problem with him is that you misspell his name.

Yeah, and you left out his middle name.

And he changed his last name from "Osama".

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[BikerBabe 0]

the results of this poll make me truly sad.

I suppose i should be happy that "he's a socialist" is winning...i mean, it's only beating "he's black" by two votes

So much for us being enlightened, not racist, or open minded.

Whoever you plan to vote for, you might take a look at this and lament a little for America. One would think in the 21st century we would have come a little further than that.

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[kallend 2,147]

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the results of this poll make me truly sad.

I suppose i should be happy that "he's a socialist" is winning...i mean, it's only beating "he's black" by two votes

So much for us being enlightened, not racist, or open minded.

Whoever you plan to vote for, you might take a look at this and lament a little for America. One would think in the 21st century we would have come a little further than that.

I suspect it's satire, but the trouble with satire is that it mirrors reality.

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The only sure way to survive a canopy collision is not to have one.

[BikerBabe 0]

I suppose i can try to convince myself that those 16 people are just joking...

It can't be TRUE, can it?!

Never meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup!

[miked10270 0]

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Obama's ethnicity is something he 'stands for?' I thought it was just something he is.

WHile he is being presented quite literally as all thing to all men, then surely it's both, with the emphasis by his party on it being something he stands for. He's being touted as the Black/White/Mixed/Muslim/Catholic/Protestant/African/Irish/American candidate. That's too many people and I wish he'd tell us how he sees himself, but I suspect his party won't allow him to in case it alienates some voting block.

I think it was in one of the National Treasure movies where the 'President' was making a speech about his family & himself and linking it to Electoral College Votes. That's what Obama seems to be doing, only for real and it leaves me feeling cynical and suspicious toward him.

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Sorry, but all I can see there is that you're confusing race with policies, and there's a word for that!

Yes. Ouch! The implication is actually more insulting than an outright accusation.

Mike.

Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable.

Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

[JackC 0]

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The problem I have with him is that on the one big issue of this campaign on which I am relatively expert (health insurance and health care financing), he is all wet.

I've spent my entire adult career both in the trenches of operations and providing consulting; and the crap ALL of the candidates put out there (or at least there backing organizations) are carefuly crafted messages to appeal to people's emotions. It is totally worthless drivel that proves that either:

1 - They don't know shit; or . . .

2 - They know their shit but have given up on trying to speak meaningfully to the issue because that will not help get them elected.

One thing I have noticed is that for any subject that I have studied in some depth; politicians, lawyers and journalists will claim authority and knowledge while simultaneously being complete imbeciles who know less than nothing. Unfortunately the people who are in charge of telling the uninformed public about anything of social importance, are the politicians, lawyers and journalists.

[nerdgirl 0]

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the results of this poll make me truly sad.

Concur ...

While acknowledging error bars in SC polls are high and there may be some satirical factor, I also wonder if there is some factor of the anonymity of the internet ?

One counter-example that suggests it may be satire (hopefully ?!?): Louisiana elected a young (36 at the time), inexperienced (3y in Congress), son of Indian immigrants Governor in 2007.

VR/Marg

Act as if everything you do matters, while laughing at yourself for thinking anything you do matters.
Tibetan Buddhist saying

[billvon 3,114]

> I wish he'd tell us how he sees himself . . .

My great-great grandfather was a glazier in Austria who made church windows. My great-great grandmother picked silkworms in Italy. My great-great-grandparents on the other side raised sheep and potatoes. One great-grandparent in that mix made wine in France.

And yet I see myself as your average american, not an Irish-Franco-Italo-Austrian wine maker/glazier/silkmaker/farmer.

[Shotgun 1]

I've seen him shake hands several times with a former drug addict and thief who used to steal drugs from her own charity. And to me, that brings up some serious questions about the people he chooses to pal around with.

[lawrocket 3]

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I suppose i can try to convince myself that those 16 people are just joking...

It can't be TRUE, can it?!

Why not? There are plenty of people who have some pretty deep seated beliefs. They may be highyl arbitrary and ridiculous to folks like you and me. But they are what they are.

I am heartened by how many fewer people have those thoughts. We've got a way to go, but we've come pretty far.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[miked10270 0]

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> I wish he'd tell us how he sees himself . . .

... I see myself as your average american, not an Irish-Franco-Italo-Austrian wine maker/glazier/silkmaker/farmer.

This echoes an earlier post by Skyrad. Most of us are mixed, exceptionally so in my case, yet I see myself as a Mak'em / Pink-Panther, living in Scotland.

It seems that we're not so much being told what Obama is (or sees himself as), but ALL the things he is, which is contradictory, confusing and leads to mistrust.

Mike.

Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable.

Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

[billvon 3,114]

>It seems that we're not so much being told what Obama is (or sees himself as),
>but ALL the things he is, which is contradictory, confusing and leads to mistrust.

Right. But that's the media doing endless stories on "Obama - too black?" "Obama - not black enough?" "Obama - not enough international experience?" "Obama - too much time out of the country?" Quite contradictory and confusing. But that's coming from the media, not Obama's campaign.

[headoverheels 334]

Hmmm, I don't think any of those are true.

What I don't like about Obama is his support for subsidy of corn-based ethanol (for fuel -- I'm all in favor of corn-based ethanol for drinking). It just makes no sense, from an energy-in, energy-out perspective. It is not greenhouse gas friendly, as it requires burning 5 gallons (optimistically), just to get 1 gallon for the fuel tank.

[TrophyHusband 0]

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I suppose i can try to convince myself that those 16 people are just joking...

It can't be TRUE, can it?!

Why not? There are plenty of people who have some pretty deep seated beliefs. They may be highyl arbitrary and ridiculous to folks like you and me. But they are what they are.

I am heartened by how many fewer people have those thoughts. We've got a way to go, but we've come pretty far.

now there are 19 votes in the "because he's black" column. if there are really that many people who actually factor that in here in sc, the numbers in the real world must be astounding. of course, with multiple answers allowed, we don't know if that's number one on peoples' lists, or number 3 or 4. people mau also have a problem with his color and still vote for him because they have a bigger problem with mccain. i suspect there is a little faceciousness going on here though. this poll may have been more telling if people were only allowed one vote.

"Your scrotum is quite nice" - Skymama
www.kjandmegan.com

[billvon 3,114]

>What I don't like about Obama is his support for subsidy of corn-based ethanol (for
>fuel -- I'm all in favor of corn-based ethanol for drinking).

I agree there. Corn-based ethanol got us a moderate supply of ethanol (which is good) but it's time to switch over to cellulosic ethanol, and concentrate our efforts there.

>It is not greenhouse gas friendly, as it requires burning 5 gallons (optimistically),
>just to get 1 gallon for the fuel tank.

That's not true.

[headoverheels 334]

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That's not true.

So what is the current efficiency?

[billvon 3,114]

Per the most recent University of Minnesota studies, it's 1.25 to 1. So for every gallon of "energy" you put in you get 1.25 gallons of "energy" out. If you want gasoline to ethanol, you're talking 1 gallon of gasoline for every 1.9 gallons of ethanol you get out. By comparison, gasoline requires .26 gallons for every gallon of gasoline produced - so for every gallon of "energy" you use there you get 3.8 gallons of gasoline out.

[bodypilot90 0]

maybe the poll is run by acorn

[headoverheels 334]

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Per the most recent University of Minnesota studies, it's 1.25 to 1. So for every gallon of "energy" you put in you get 1.25 gallons of "energy" out.

So, my numbers were the same as yours:

Put in 4 gallons of energy, get out 1.25*4=5 gallons of energy, for a net gain of 1 gallon. Burn that 1 gallon and the 4 required to make it. So, burn 5 gallons to get energy of one gallon.