Are you an idiot?

Parent Cafe
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<p>I disagree with this one too. I think it should be more along the lines of:</p>

<p>“If you refuse to vote for a candidate from the other party because of their party affiliation, you are an idiot.”</p>

<p>In that case, I’d agree wholeheartedly.</p>

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Culinary tastes can be deceiving. Caviar is one of my personal faves, though we can hardly work it into the everyday budget. It is a staple on NYE though. I love anchovies too. Wonder what THAT says about my social class and zip code? :wink: ~berurah</p>

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<p>…you mean on the Kansas Rivera?</p>

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A very revealing phrase, garland. The Soprano types in my zip code would be horrified. Gravy, not sauce, is their rallying cry. I like to drive them nuts by pronouncing mozzarella correctly, rather than saying “moootz-a-relle.” Another moral absolute, I suppose.</p>

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YEE HAW!</p>

<p>Actually, 'round these here parts that would be the Ar-KAN-sas Riviera. That’s the river that runs through here, though they do pronounce it awfully funny, at least to a native Texan whose inclination it would be to put the accent on the “AR.” 'Course Kansas does eveything in its own special way, particularly as regards the teaching of evolution, but I digress.</p>

<p>We actually don’t have an Ar-KAN-sas riverfront or even river view property, though if the little creek across the way would ever fill up with enough water to float a toy boat on, we COULD sit out on the front porch, sipping champagne and noshing on caviar, not the expensive kind mind you, but hey, it’ll do. </p>

<p>Now, what was this thread about?? ;)</p>

<p>~berurah</p>

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I think this might be a matter of focus. Very very few people will ever change their opinion or see any sliver of the other side about their ultimate position on abortion … that seems pretty cut and dried. But … can most people on both sides agree that it would be a good thing if there were many less abortions … probably … and both sides could possible work together to that end even with their drastically differing views on abortion. I believe the original comment was made looking for common areas such as this example.</p>

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<p>And I think the effort in looking for common themes in this political divide is <em>well</em> worth it.</p>

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<p>Don’t want to be an American idiot…
…can you hear the sound of hysteria?</p>

<p>When you hate your bound to get irate…
Take a toll of your mind and meditate…
Let your soul gravitate to the love…</p>

<p>To quote some modern philosophers…</p>

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<p>Well, FS, you caught me. I grew up down the shore, and we say “sauce” there. But I have learned how to pronounce mozzerella in my time up north, as well as cavatelli (gavadeal) and pasta e fagioli (pasta fazool).</p>

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<p>OK, I must be a country bumpkin, garland. I don’t even know what those last two things you mentioned ARE!</p>

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<p>Cavatelli is a pasta shape, kind of curled up rolls, hard to describe. Pasta e fagioli is pasta and bean soup.</p>

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<p>garland~</p>

<p>What’s the difference between cavatelli and cavatappi? I think they are the same thing? ~b.</p>

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<p>Wow, you got me there. I’m not really Italian; I just live in their neighborhood! :)</p>

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<p>Not Italian either, but I have some recipes that I make which call for cavatappi, and the pasta looks just like what you describe cavatelli to be.</p>

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<p>Thanks, garland. I feel better educated now. well, at least a little bit. :)</p>

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If you don’t realize that many people who will read this and who are active, voting citizens are young persons, then you are an idiot. I’ve been able to vote for exactly two presidential elections. A few Senate races. A governor’s race or two. Yeah, I think I may have voted for one or two parties in all of them; I have never voted Democrat. Many of the local elections have probably featured Democrats (doing things like running for the school board), but party affiliation is about as important as the colour of their hair when it comes to what they are willing to do about the town’s schools.</p>

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A few reasons for it:

  1. Simplicity. One need not tally every vote. In states like Massachusetts and Alaska, you can tally, say, 90% of the vote with total accuracy and assign the state accordingly.
  2. Small states and rural areas would be entirely neglected in campaigning. Candidates would focus their campaigns, and their issues, on the coastal cities. In theory, the electoral college requires that people in most states be on board with a candidate, which is considered more important than always having a majority of people on board with a candidate.<br>
  3. In only two of the past elections, the plurality winner has not won the White House. However, in ten elections, the winner has not won the majority of the votes (Ross Perot year being a prime example of this).<br>
  4. It’s all part of the republican (small r!) theory of government, where we do not directly make our laws. Not a necessary part, mind you, but a part.
  5. There are alternatives that would allow it to survive without undermining the purposes outlined above. States have considered dividing their electoral votes proportionately to the votes received in a state. This would diminish the importance of Florida and California and more accurately represent the state’s popular votes, while still ensuring that politicans would have to court all voters. </p>

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<p>I do agree that, while the list is very interesting, it was done from a definite leftist’s perspective.</p>

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<p>It’s scary to me that so many people don’t seem to understand the purpose and importance of the electoral college. (Does Hillary still want to do away with it?)</p>

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Or other foundations of our government … for example, we often hear “let the people vote on a topic” as they try to use the popular vote to take away the minorities’ constitutional rights.</p>

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<p>I understand perfectly well why the electoral college was created. I’m not at all convinced we still need it.</p>