Who do you think should be elected in 2008?

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

You should always vote. The next election will be not only a presidential election, though. There will be people in your area running for County council, state representative, Governor...all these people will be affecting your life directly, in the form of homeschooling regulation, college funding, daytime curfews, smoking regulation, driving laws, anything that affects you everyday. There are websites that rate candidates and elected officials on issues, you can check both their quotes and their votes on those. This is a great time, because all the candidates are out talking, instead of doing their jobs. Go meet a few!

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

No you should definitely vote. Politics is super complicated...you can only juggle a few concerns at a time. You're doing more than most people, and thats good enough. We can't have nobody vote.

(And BJ is just cynical! Cynical!)

PS: I'm trying to find some candidate calculator...it was one of the better ones.
HERE IT IS: http://www.vajoe.com/candidate_calculator.html

I hate those candidate calculators. They're always wrong about me. Bad weighting, I think.

There are a couple of voting evaluation sites. Here's one. http://www.vote-smart.org/official_f...g_category.php
http://www.issues2000.org/default.htm

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by sisterandcousinandaunt

You should always vote. The next election will be not only a presidential election, though. There will be people in your area running for County council, state representative, Governor...all these people will be affecting your life directly, in the form of homeschooling regulation, college funding, daytime curfews, smoking regulation, driving laws, anything that affects you everyday. There are websites that rate candidates and elected officials on issues, you can check both their quotes and their votes on those. This is a great time, because all the candidates are out talking, instead of doing their jobs. Go meet a few!

Yes! Politics is just as important locally. If not more so.

Speaking of regulations, my state passed a bill that mandated that EVERYONE show photo ID when they buy alcohol. I guess it's not that huge a deal for Paps or Joe to whip out their Driver's License, but it is somewhat unnecessary.

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

Yes! Politics is just as important locally. If not more so.

Speaking of regulations, my state passed a bill that mandated that EVERYONE show photo ID when they buy alcohol. I guess it's not that huge a deal for Paps or Joe to whip out their Driver's License, but it is somewhat unnecessary.

Why wouldn't everyone have had to show ID, before?

[brownjenkins]

Originally Posted by tolkienfan

Hey, I'm trying. I've never even looked at politics before and it's a little overwhelming along with everything else. Am I too late to start doing the research? Usually when I try to figure out what the candidates really would do about the issues, not just what they say on TV, I get more confused. I don't even know what I think about some things. Should I just not vote?

Yes, I'm just being cynical.

Research is great if you have the time.

But, even more importantly, try not to get to stuck on one aspect of a given candidate. Instead of eliminating candidates by finding one or two issues you don't agree with them on, try to find the best fit by tallying up the things you do agree with them on.

Also realize that some of the biggest hot button social issues (i.e. abortion-type) are much bigger than the Presidency, and will never be resolved completely one way or the other. Candidates trumpet them because they incite the masses, but 100 years from now they will still be as hotly-debated and as unresolved as they are today.

In the end, a President should be someone who compromises and brings people together, something both Reagan and Clinton did, eventhough they represented the different sides of the coin. Not a person who polarizes like GWB.

[tolkienfan]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

No you should definitely vote. Politics is super complicated...you can only juggle a few concerns at a time. You're doing more than most people, and thats good enough. We can't have nobody vote.

(And BJ is just cynical! Cynical!)

PS: I'm trying to find some candidate calculator...it was one of the better ones.
HERE IT IS: http://www.vajoe.com/candidate_calculator.html

Thanks Hector! I tried your calculator, and it said I most closely matched Paul and Huckabee. And not much else. But I learned more about some of the issues I didn't know much about, like Guantanamo Camp and Internet Neutrality, so it wasn't a waste of time.

Originally Posted by brownjenkins

Yes, I'm just being cynical.

Research is great if you have the time.

But, even more importantly, try not to get to stuck on one aspect of a given candidate. Instead of eliminating candidates by finding one or two issues you don't agree with them on, try to find the best fit by tallying up the things you do agree with them on.

Also realize that some of the biggest hot button social issues (i.e. abortion-type) are much bigger than the Presidency, and will never be resolved completely one way or the other. Candidates trumpet them because they incite the masses, but 100 years from now they will still be as hotly-debated and as unresolved as they are today.

In the end, a President should be someone who compromises and brings people together, something both Reagan and Clinton did, eventhough they represented the different sides of the coin. Not a person who polarizes like GWB.

Okay, sounds like good advice, I'll keep it in mind. Thanks!

Originally Posted by sisterandcousinandaunt

You should always vote. The next election will be not only a presidential election, though. There will be people in your area running for County council, state representative, Governor...all these people will be affecting your life directly, in the form of homeschooling regulation, college funding, daytime curfews, smoking regulation, driving laws, anything that affects you everyday. There are websites that rate candidates and elected officials on issues, you can check both their quotes and their votes on those. This is a great time, because all the candidates are out talking, instead of doing their jobs. Go meet a few!

I don't think I really can right now, because I'm actually a resident of Washington State even though I haven't been there since I was two. (my dad is in the military) I think I'll become a resident of whichever State I end up going to college next year, and then I can vote in local politics. (that is how it works, right?) Thanks again for the encouragement you guys!

[hectorberlioz]

This by far the best political cartoon I've seen all year

[Lief Erikson]

Lol! That's great .

[BeardofPants]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

This by far the best political cartoon I've seen all year

If you haven't been to see the movie that's spoofing, then DON'T. Biggest piece of crap. Ever.

[Nautipus]

I actually liked it.

[BeardofPants]

Heh.

Here's a review I agree with:

Originally Posted by grumpy gamer

Cloverfield
Wednesday, 5:28 AM
Cloverfield is a great movie because a bunch of whiny self-absorbed twenty-something New York hipsters that live in apartments no one can afford all die. For those of you working on your term papers dealing with film deconstruction and plot subtext for your Understanding Film class, let me break it down for you. The whiny hipsters all represent whiny hipsters we hate. The monster is metaphor for a giant monster, and the shallow ******* good looking people all die because they should.

There. I saved you an evening in the library.

Grumpy Gamer

[Nautipus]

Funny
But i did like it. Not worth a second watch. But fun once around.

[hectorberlioz]

This is really fun to look at.

[The Gaffer]

So calm and collected during a landslide. Outstanding presidential material I think.

[hectorberlioz]

It's actually kinda strange to say this, but Hillary is quite good looking in that pic.

[Insidious Rex]

Not really...

Although its good to see her with long hair. Its a shame theres still this concept that females have to cut their hair short in order to project the "power image" necessary to compete in male dominated positions.

[BeardofPants]

Older women often find they have to lop their hair off anyways, cos it becomes harder to manage.

[hectorberlioz]

Originally Posted by Insidious Rex

Not really...

Although its good to see her with long hair. Its a shame theres still this concept that females have to cut their hair short in order to project the "power image" necessary to compete in male dominated positions.

You can't look past the rosy sunglasses

I'm with BoP on the reasons. Short hair looks better for her. It looks better for aging women in general.

[brownjenkins]

I made my wife promise me she wouldn't cut her hair as she gets older, and I won't gain 100 lbs plus.

Maybe it's harder, but looking good is worth it.

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Originally Posted by hectorberlioz

This is really fun to look at.

They're lovely. And ITA with BJ.

Looking good is worth it.