<p>Except for the fact that this silliness started yesterday, I would attribute this rather bizarre exchange to the fact that today is leap year day (AKA in the salaried world as “work for free day”).</p>
<p>I think this is beyond ludicrous, but if my friends find “democrat” party offensive, then that’s good enough for me and I will gladly respect that point of view. Can we call a moratorium on “democrat” party and “repugs” for this election season?</p>
<p>Yes, this is all getting a little childish… I don’t take any particular offense to someone saying Democrat party - in the same way I don’t take offense to people saying anything else grammatically incorrect. I think, on the other hand, that it is a tad bit rich (OK, it’s very rich - and also very stupid) to accuse the Dems of purposefully trying to subvert a positive word, as if their name is a recent occurrence, or as if it is unique (about 70ish countries have some kind of party whose name is or could be translated to “Democratic”).</p>
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<p>I’m not a big fan of ad hominem attacks in political discourse. Of those you mentioned, I think the one that mini is such a fan of is particularly bad - and have repeatedly challenged him to provide a serious reason for its use, which he repeatedly ignores. That’s life. The would-be ayatollahs one is a bit borderline, but in some ways very accurate (while it’s derogatory, we would call Huckabee an ayatollah if he were running as a Muslim in a Muslim country).</p>
<p>“Can we all get a grip here? This has gotten a little out of hand now.”</p>
<p>Hah! I’ve just tuned in to this thread. Zoosermom–I can’t IMAGINE a political discussion on CC getting out of hand!</p>
<p>As for the “Democrat” party–the only two people I’ve ever heard say it are George Bush and Rush Limbaugh. I laugh and consider the source. They’re just a couple of old Republics, anyway!</p>
<p>“don’t see how it is either threatening or uncivil to expect people who choose to participate in a moderated discussion board to follow the moderators’ rules.”</p>
<p>Hanna, considering I dont see any moderators deleting or editing posts, it appears your angst is unwarranted. ;)</p>
<p>This is for mercymom and others who are not satisfied with how strongly Obama denounced Farakkhan’s endorsement. </p>
<p>You might be interested to read about McCain’s embrace of a stridently anti-Catholic pastor, who endorsed him yesterday.</p>
<p>[url=<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/28/AR2008022804231.html]washingtonpost.com[/url”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/28/AR2008022804231.html]washingtonpost.com[/url</a>]</p>
<p>“I’m not a big fan of ad hominem attacks in political discourse. Of those you mentioned, I think the one that mini is such a fan of is particularly bad - and have repeatedly challenged him to provide a serious reason for its use, which he repeatedly ignores.”</p>
<p>I have repeatedly posted the article, date, and places where General Betrayus betrayed his troops, and through a combination of deceit and malfeasance, including the arming of Al-Qaeda in Iraq with tens of millions of dollars in U.S. weapons, resulted in the deaths of hundreds of additional American soldiers. </p>
<p>But I didn’t call him an AKLCS - “butt”-kissing-little-chicken-turd" - I left that to his superior officer Admiral Fallon (link already posted).</p>
<p>VP - That’s going to come back and haunt McCain big time.</p>
<p>Support from Hagee will present an interesting choice for some: on the one hand, he’s vehemently anti-abortion, which will please many Catholics; but on the other hand, he’s anti-Catholic as well. So how does an anti-abortion Catholic respond to Hagee? (I am Protestant. But speaking for myself only, I find accusations that Catholics are members of a cult to be very offensive.)</p>
<p>I like both Hillary and Obama. When Iwas “undecided” between both and mentioned this to a senior colleague, he made one suggestion that helped me reach a decision.</p>
<p>“Who would you like to see run your family? Your brother who is about your age or your Mother who has weathered many more Winters in her life? Think of your country as the family, now decide who you would like to entrust it to?” The answer made my choice very simple.</p>
<p>Go Hillary!</p>
<p>Running my family…I think I’ll pick my brother with a gift for consensus and who is a graduate of Columbia University and Harvard Law School, a community organizer, university lecturer, and civil rights lawyer. No offense to Mom but she has done things in her life that I really can’t agree with and tends to hector when she should beguile. When it comes to executing my living will, I think I’ll trust my brother.</p>
<p>Pharmagal,
I love your reasoning. So many people in this country are caught up in Obama mania because he is “young” and “fresh” which completely overlooks the wisdom that living a few more years brings to many of us. Raising children into adulthood gives one insight that you just cannot have while they are still babies. </p>
<p>And the other attribute that Hillary has is knowing how to go on after failure…resiliance. She has picked herself up and pushed forward, while Obama has never faced rejection and humiliation. He has had a blessed career, from his acceptances into Columbia and Harvard, to his virtually noncontested Senate race.</p>
<p>She is the most capable and best qualified person running for President, but I am very afraid that our country will end up the hip, cool guy.</p>
<p>I like the logic, Pharmagal, and I like Hillary Clinton. But consider: Yes, I’d really like my experienced, loving mom to run my family/country. But if we put her up for this position, it is quite likely she’ll be defeated by trigger-happy grandpa, who will increase family conflict. And even if Mom succeeds, she will bring along dys-Dad. And further, two sisters have an unreasonable hatred for Mom that will never, ever diminish.</p>
<p>“Who would you like to see run your family? Your brother who is about your age or your Mother who has weathered many more Winters in her life? Think of your country as the family, now decide who you would like to entrust it to?” The answer made my choice very simple."</p>
<p>Mine too. I have a mother and a brother. Although I love my mother dearly and go to her for some things, I would absolutely choose my brother for any important decisions. He would be the guardian of my children, should something happen to me and the executor of my estate. He’s also the one I discuss finances with and trust when I have a problem. At this stage in our lives, my mother depends on me.</p>
<p>“And the other attribute that Hillary has is knowing how to go on after failure…resiliance. She has picked herself up and pushed forward, while Obama has never faced rejection and humiliation.”</p>
<p>In Obama’s early years, he faced rejection and humilitation. Obama’s dad left the family permanently when Obama was only 2. Obama was raised by a mom and grandparents who looked nothing like him. Then, after his mom married an Indonesian, Obama moved to that country, and from ages 6-10 attended schools where he was taught in Indonesian. </p>
<p>Hillary started life with a silver spoon. Obama did not. His rise to accomplish all that he has done (including his work as a community organizer, which requires a great deal of resilience) indicates how he can overcome odds that are against him.</p>
<p>My late mother was as crazy as a Betsy bug. My brother may be no great shakes, but at least he’d be less likely to get us all killed.</p>
<p>Seriously: What’s so great about having a lot of experience in being wrong and failing to learn from those mistakes? I’m thinking primarily about McCain when I mention that, but experience is of little value if a person doesn’t learn from it. I know a lot of people with “experience” who are rash and have bad judgment. At 47 Obama isn’t exactly a kid.</p>
<p>Interesting article here that describes Obama’s childhood. Lots of resilience here in very difficult situations. My thoughts are that the lessons he learned as a child are things that would help him as president particularly in terms of being able to work with people of all nationalities and backgrounds here and abroad. </p>
<p>[The</a> not-so-simple story of Barack Obama’s youth – chicagotribune.com](<a href=“http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-070325obama-youth-story,1,4006113.story?page=1]The”>http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/chi-070325obama-youth-story,1,4006113.story?page=1)</p>
<p>To me, there also are major differences between people who had humiliation and other problems due to their inept way of dealing with situations and people who through no fault of their own ran into challenges that they rose above. Yes, Hillary may have had the guts to bounce back from major humiliation, but part of that were things that she caused such as the problems with how she previously tried to get her health care package passed.</p>
<p>Pharmgal
I dont know how old you are but did you think the same way about Bill Clinton when he was first running for President (the inexperienced brother thing…even younger than Obama) or GW Bush for that matter?</p>
<p>Didn’t Obama propose banning Chinese toys ?</p>
<p>That kind of foreign policy experience is scary. Yes Bill Clinton was younger than Obama, but he ran a state for several terms.</p>
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<p>That’s a bit of an exaggeration and revisionist history. Clinton grew up solidly middle-class, but hardly “started life with a silver spoon.”</p>
<p>Obama lived in Hawaii with his parents, until his father went to Harvard to get his PhD. When Obama was five, they moved to Indonesia when his mother remarried. She married a man who was a (wealthy) Indonesian oil manager. At the age of 10, Obama was sent back to Hawaii to live with his grandparents, where he attended a private prep school. I’m sure he went to fine schools in Indonesia as well. His mother went on to get her PhD, too. He was not poor.</p>
<p>Hillary’s mother never worked outside the home and never went to college. Her father went to college on a football scholarship and started a small drapery fabric business. I’m sure they did well enough to send her to Wellesley, but a “silver spoon” childhood? I don’t think so.</p>