What Does A Voter Do? Start With the Candidates – Cut The Static: Find Some Answers
Message to campaign managers, surrogates, and high-priced consultants. Get your acts together. The voters are tired, angry, restless, fatigued from commercials and in a state of high anxiety over this election. Why?
If you haven’t figured this out, you should all resign and go back to your roots – elect some tax collectors and council members, because that’s what this election is all about – retail politics with answers.
This is my gut, and based on no polling. So, on this perspective, the margin of error is ???
The election, now extremely close, will be decided by the candidate who defines the issues in the next severel weeks. So far, this charade has been all about personality – - tough John McCain, super-personable Barack Obama, veteran warhorse Joe Biden, and of course, Sarah Palin and her Reaganesque style.
Personality will not win this election. The following will.
Each candidate must define . with specificity., how they will deal with Iran. No generalities. We want the beef.
Obama and McCain should announce some of the people who will be in their cabinets and who their prime choices are for Supreme Court. Isn’t it about time we got some previews here!
The deficit is a time bomb of disaster for this country. So, while boih candidates talk about tax cuts and all that political schmooz, how about the REAL story on cutting the deficit. That big credit card of the federal government is about to run its limit. Give us a break. Give us some answers.
What’s the real story on health care? There is no real story. Both candidates have generic answers.
Energy? Without a mandate to Detroit and elsewhere, we’ll have none in a few years, unless you want to start burning cardboard to keep yourself warm.
The war against science. Will it continue?
Russia? Will the real diplomat please stand up in this election!
And who has the real plan to get the terrorists who attacked us? In the unfinished business category, that would get my top ranking.
The voters are tired about hearing of Cindy’s jewels, Michelle’s dresses, John’s alleged temper, Barack’s Grecian columns. Sarah’s glasses. and all that good gossip that averts the real deal. Notice that I have avoided Joe Biden here. That’s a simple omission. He’s the only one getting down to business and trying to stick with the facts.
The time for cosmetics is over. The voters know it. It is time to talk issues. The issue talker will win this election.
Comments(55)
I agree that this the election should be about the issues. However, the GOP has already said this campain will NOT be about the issues, so don’t look to McCain or Palin to talk about them. That leaves only one other choice: Obama. At least, Obama is TRYING to talk about the issues.
Larry, you’ve put alot out there for us to duscuss, you’re right it is time for some beef in the debate. Ross Perot was a crank, but his defict spending charts were real and substantive and he really focued the debate back in 1992. The risks today are much higher given the cost of two wars, GW Bush’s runaway spending (especially the prescription drug entiltlement)and the state of the economy. Neither candidate has shown what the defict would look like if their spending and tax policies were invoked as proposed.
Wall Street and Treasury are playing Russian Roulette this weekend with Lehman, and if a resoltion is not found today we could see a further meltdown in fianncial markets this week, WAshington Mutual, a $300+ billion savings bank is also teetering and could require an FDIC bailout in coming weeks. Things are much worse than in 1992, but no specifics, just empty rhetoric and a high school style popularity contest between both parties. The election is roughly tied, the guy that shows us the beef will win. I actually think Hillary would be serving up more substance, her husband, with the help of 1994 Republican Congreess got the deficit under control and he left us with a surplus, he might have ignored Bin Ladden and got impeached, but I think Hillary learend a lot from his presidency and would have made for a more substantive nominee than Obama, and I’m not just trying to suck up to JR on that, it’s true.
George you are a great American my friend,you are spot on Hillary Clinton is by far the best candidate the democrats fumbled the ball again, even joe biden who sticks to the facts said it.
There’s no doubt Hillary would have found obama bin laden,improved the economy,and ended the war in iraq.
The only good thing about this race is Mccain will be a one term president.
The barry obama team is beefless.
sock puppets are imitating again
***********************************
mccain will be great president.barry is dead in the water
***********************************
hillary still looks great in pantsuits better than barry
obama scares the hell out of me,he talks about change but what does he plan to change beside the occupant of the white house?I’m an old lady and I live on a fixed income,I have only medicare as a health plan because I can’t afford a supplement,what are either nominees going to do to help us?Mc Cain I understand but obama is vague.Change for the sake of change makes no sense.Sometimes the devil you know is better than the devil you don’t know.
Biden getting down to business consists of telling everyone that Hillary would have been a better running mate than him, and then urging a paraplegic to stand up and take a bow. If either of these mishaps had been made by a Republican you can bet we would have heard it all weekend long. Biden is now hiding out at the Blue Parrot or some hole in the ground. Larry you are as bad as “John Kerry”.
Kieth would never say that
Larry who do you think will need alzheimer medicine first, Joe Biden or Robert Byrd? My bets on Biden. he is waaaay out of touch. (when I say touch I mean touched in the head. The man is an idiot).
No one is qualified or a better option.
No one is going to take a stand or define a plan.
More negative ads and public bashings.
Business as usual because no one wants to blink.
Larry, you were correct about Biden being selected but wrong about him being a good choice. Once thought to be a “safe” choice, even Angry Joe recognizes he is a liability. He’s wrong because he’s a bumbling politician that likes to hear himself talk. Plus his selection opened the door for McCain to pick Palin.
If Obama loses this election, Joe Biden coupled with his own unpreparedness will be the reasons.
Also, if McCain had chosen Ridge as you suggested, his own party would be killing him and he’d be 10-15 points behind.
Larry, you need to stay focused and pay attention to this campaign. You seem to be completely detached It’s more than a choice between Coke and Pepsi. Actually since no one is distinguishing themself, maybe it is Coke or Pepsi.
Why am I embarrassed to be associated with this blog? It’s not the other bloggers who are insightful and varied.
OOOJ, I wouldn’t be embarrassed, I’d be ashamed…. to be a part of all this if I was you. You’re a nice guy. Unlike a certain sock puppet Senator who shall remain nameless, I think you are a sensitive individual. Why you thought I was jealous of JK’s wit sill bothers me. I don’t get any accolades from this, no one is paying me, no one knows who I am, What is it that I would be jealous of, a sock puppet?
Wall streets chickens have come home to Roost. Turn on CNBC, the markets are crashing, Lehman just failed, Merrill was forcably merged into Banc America, WAMU is on the brink. Apparently, some of the people on this blog know what they’re talking about! Larry, its the hundred year financial storm, I hope you are in U.S Treasuries, and make sure you keep those CDs under $100k, Soverign and Wachovia are also in the danger zone.
Joe Biden will keep you safe, he’s a fianacial wizard with squinty eyes.
I’m not so sure that Iran is as much an issue in the end than Afghanistan and Pakistan are, given that a shared Taliban with nukes might be the real danger in this world.
JR is still a bum. When has he ever been right about this campaign? Larry, however, is correct for addressing some the problems of this campaign, but there is one factor not discussed. How sophisticated is the American voter to discern fact from fiction? In other words, how many JRs are out there participating in the democratic process and absolutely blowing it?
In many respects the democratic process, particularly campaigning and voting has been truncated to the “add hot water and wait 5 minutes” instant noodle thing. Some candidates so badly want instant and undeserved results that they lie and cheat a la McCain. At the same time, some supporters from that uneducated segment of society [insert JR], who deserve their part in a democratic society nonetheless, feign intelligence and serve as nothing more than a social virus on a hump of a sewer rat.
These politicians cannot fix all of our problems. We need to fix ourselves. Phase one – dismiss fools like JR.
KEM it looks like you are one of many obama people that are feeling the heat because the personal attacks are part of it,I know you have no respect for a real hero like John Mccain but have morning wood for barry osama well you are part of the big problem in America,we will see who’s right on nov 4 my friend,go back down town and sell your incense and watch out for the rats.yes you can.yes you can.
****
Larry #4 was a sock puppet a disgrunted obama fan I’m sure.
****
Pat-i like that line about the devil.
JR, I like the morning wood line!
The Obama supporters are a lot like Hillary in one respect. They thought that once they secured the nomination, the election was theirs. They thought it was their right to be elect. Campaign over. McCain irrelevant. Now they find themselves in a bit of a fight and they are claiming foul. They can’t understand how given the Obama – McCain choice, how anyone of sound mind could vote for McCain. They think we are either stupid, misinformed or racist. They think they hold the moral and intellectual high ground. Is that about it, Leo?
OOOJ-you know when Mccain wins the American people will be called racist.
osama obama is a media created candidate they think the American people are stupid like KEM he will be the first to cry racism with all that ‘education’ KEM has, he’s in center city selling incense and bootleg movies.
****
KEM my friend,if you hate America that much I will buy you a first class One Way ticket out.
****
You too Leo.
YFAP, where are you? You participate about as much as Larry these days. Are you a recluse too?
HELLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Ahoy there maties!
Permission to come aboard?
Presidential Race Update: Polls
Reported by: RNS
Monday, Sep 15, 2008 @09:40am CST
Republican presidential candidate John McCain’s lead over Democrat Barack Obama in two daily tracking polls is shrinking.
McCain was ahead in the Gallup Poll with 47-percent versus Obama’s 45-percent.
However, Gallup calls McCain’s lead “statistically insignificant” because of the survey’s two-point margin of error.
In the Rasmussen Reports survey, McCain leads 50-percent to 47-percent. Obama leads McCain 259 to 247 in Rasmussen’s Electoral College poll.
Did someone say something about polls? I’ve taken a few.
Hadassah and I think my good friend John McCain will poll well Senator Craig. What do your think?
Kem, are you neighbors with jr. You guys seem to know each other. BTW do you have a copy of “Burn After Reading ” yet?
Oh that sell off felt good today, it was like the market got a huge enema, but it’s still constipated, so tonight I’m going to feed it laxitives in Asia! Tomorrow, it will poop the rest out in NY. Then I’m going to take a wet wipe and clean up the mess on the trading floor, at which time Larry and other shrewd bloggers should start buying ETFs, but defensively, buy DIA and SPY indexes, you guys can thank mother merrill after Thanksgiving.
Ombama wants to teach sex education to kindergarten children. As Surgeon General under Bill Clinton I wanted to teach children as young as first grade to masterbate! It was my idea and Obama stole it from me. I was fired for this great idea, and now its the centraland singular piece of legislation that Obama worked on- I am outraged, he better give me a government job or I’m gonna slap him upside his boney head!
I like these posts. They tastes good.
I’m begging the pirates to return.
This Elders Merrril thing smells like a John Kerry ruse. This fella knows no bounds of decency. His conniving little mind dwells on the anal repository and the product there of. We can only hope he gets flushed out in the end.
Ahoy maties! Coming aboard! I’ve asked my buccaneer buddies to join us. You fellas definitely need a hand here. You are at sea with no wind or rudder.
Arggggh
Argh Hook. Coprophage! This site is not fit for a pirate. Who is in charge here? Methinks you may be on to something Ed.
this is really disgusting larry.you need to clean it up
****
if the liberals don’t stop trashing palin they are going to lose this election
****
jocelyn elders was a great surgeon general under the clintons
He fellas sorry about last night. It’s all my fault. I got a little loosey goosey on that hand off to Brian. Why Why didn’t I just hang onto the ball. But no I had to try and complete the play. One thing was fuuny. How about that rookie dropping the ball before getting into the endzone. I wouldn’t want to be him in practice this week.
Arrrgggh. Me grog runs low and me head aches as tho it would split asunder, riven to the spine. Me hearties and me are sailing to sack investment banks in Manhattan, ripe for plunder.
Hey Last Pirate you’d better hurry up before they are all gone.
Drinks all around at the Moshulu!
Argggh
No one will sit with me at the capitol cafeteria. Boo hoo hoo.
Barney Frank said today, and this is a real quote “everyone said let’s let a financial institution go belly up, and now that Lehman failed, looking at a dead belly apparently is not as much fun as talking about looking at a dead belly”
AIG is next Sailors and Pirates, hopefully you guys don’t insure stuff or hold long term care policies? Larry call your insurance broker its ugly!
I Thought Barney Frank said bottoms up and belly down. Maybe it was heads up with bottoms down. No no it was give me a heads up my belly’s round and my bottom’s about to drown….in the sea of BS that I pass off as astute governing.
Larry, this blog is a microcosym of America. When the average American goes to sleep for 4 years after an election, only the politicians and special interest groups are playing. Americans get interested in the election until they overload on commercials. The average American is too wrapped up in their own daily life after the election to pay attention unless gas prices creep up to $4 or their bank forcloses and they lose their 401K/savings.
That’s what happens here. The core bloggers debate a topic for about 6 hours and then lose interest. John Kerry and the sock puppets take over until you change blog topic again. It’s like underwear, it’s meant to be changed daily… and for the same reason.
Ahoy matie, are you calling me a politician or a special interest group? Methinks I’d prefer the latter.
Argggh
Larry now uses the shotgun theory of blogging. Show up every once in a while throw some crap against the wall and then hope something sticks. If it doesn’t than the sock puppets start to appear and then all hell breaks loose. Actually it is kind of fun for a bit, but sometimes it disintegrates into complete mayhem. The only thing Larry needs to do is show up daily, write about one or even two topics and then let us have at it. Just don’t let us wallow for days without changing the subject.
Looks like Mother Merrill called it right Larry, after the poop from Asia got wiped up today we had a nice rally in DIA and SPY. I know you were not buying today, but I think the worst is over with AIG bailout tonight, so start legging in tomorrow, there’s a good shot at a 5-7% rally in coming weeks.
First term of McCain will be great for market and there will be a huge relief rally once market knows there will not be OBama-nomics, god knows what that would be like! You’re a economic conservative and a social liberal, so its going to be tough for you in this election. Go with your wallet and Vote McCain, plus the unborn babys will live and the more the better to keep social security and medicare afloat, especially when we’re in need of a fresh Depends in 2035.
OOOJ, I couldn’t even be bothered this time around. Larry has lost his vision. The people cry out for FREE AIR and newly painted SEPTA transit. But they’ve lost their poet.
Methinks Larry is actually John Kerry. That scoundrel is having his way with us under the sock puppet’s moniker. Methinks that Larry has had a nervous breakdown as well.
Argggh
Ed, Leo, I hear you. Why should we care/participate if Larry doesn’t care enough to change the topic several times a week? He could easily change topic daily. It’s not like he puts a lot of thought into his topics.
Larry, we need that fresh paint on SEPTA trains now! They have to stop the madness! If this fellow had had access to FREE AIR, no doubt he wouldn’t have had to rely on SEPTA. He’d be well today. Keep your eyes on the prize!
http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080917_Brutal_beating_on_Phila__subway_concourse_leaves_man_critical.html
Wow, even the sock puppets and pirates are moribund about this stuff.
Larry, maybe its time to pull the plug on this blog and focus on other areas of your career. I dont think this blog can be helping it. You don’t want to end up like Sally Star or Captain Noah, great local WPVI celibrites that stayed at it a bit too long. They went from being beloved to pittied, please dont let that happen to you!
No,stay with it long enough for me to get over jet lag.I’ll chime in tomorrow with a fresh point of view.
John McCain doesn’t do it for me and neither does Obama. So where does that leave me when trying to comment on this blog. I’ve been more concerned about the hike in the bridge tolls, although Larry never thought that subject was worth mentioning. In the end one of these two misfits will be our next president and there is nothing we can do about it. Talk as we may and as we have been doing for months the outcome of this election may end up being a coin toss for many independent and undecided voters. Unlike Leo I am not so sure Obama is the right guy for the US (he’s not Colin Powell or Michael Steele for that matter). The same can be said of McCain or any Republican. This was an election that was a no brainer for the Democrats yet the outcome is totally in doubt. What does that say about the Democrats?
BTW Leo, did the Septa guy make it?
Ed, this is the fundamental problem that most voters face. An inexperienced Obama against business as usual McCain. Some are using the VP choice as a tiebreaker.
Personally, I’ll just vote straight party. I’m not crazy about McCain but I don’t want cockamamie liberal social programs spending, a cut and run policy in Iraq or negotiating with terrorists.
Obama is not the right guy. He’ll be the next Jimmy Carter; a nice guy with admirable ideals in way over his head in a tough job for tough guys.
OOOJ, with sanity and good judgement being a rare commodity in Washington, I would agree that taking the familiar path is probably the safest and most prudent way to go. I do not want to reward Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Barny Frank, Charlie Rangle, Durbin, Schummer the list could go on and on. The Democrats are so insecure that now Obama is trying to buy votes with his 1,000 dollar give away proposition. On the other hand McCain is a total mess. If it wasn’t for Palin he would be dead in the water. I mean how can he campaign all about “change” in Washington when he has been a part of the ineptitude and the corruption that has had a stranglehold on our government for years. Sometimes I wish we could just flush Washington down the toilet and star all over….
What is the difference between Larry and Boy George?
Lipstick.
Thank you very much!
LARRY, PLEASE CHANGE BLOG TOPIC AND PARTICIPATE!