Journal pudge's Journal: Caucus Time 10
I chaired today's Republican caucus for County Council District 1. Sixteen people showed up, for the purpose of electing delegates to the County Convention in April, and for getting together to talk about a few other things.
Our County Councilman was unable to attend, but his deputy showed up and told us what was going on, and fielded questions. He is not up for election, though; the only partisan race this year for our district is the County Executive, and our current sheriff is running for that office as a Republican. I love his domain name electrickbart.com (as in, Electrick Bart).
We held a straw poll for President in 2008. Out of the sixteen in attendance, 8 voted for Fred Thompson. That's excellent, considering he just announced he was thinking of running a week or so ago, and has only recently gotten significant press attention regarding his potential candidacy; he fills the conservative void that McCain, Giuliani, and Romney -- the only other three candidates widely seen as having a good chance to win the nomination -- have been unable to fill. Gingrich and McCain tied for second with three votes each, and Hunter and Giuliani each got a vote. I'll be interested to see what the countywide poll results are.
There's also talk about Washington moving its primary to February, as California did. My guess is that almost all states will move to February, if not this year, than the following election. Our future in this country is probably going to have Iowa, New Hampshire, and a few others in January, and everyone else on the same date in February. I like having all the primaries on the same date, but I wish it were later in the year, like May or June. This will make it very difficult for lesser-known candidates to establish any sort of momentum.
Dying system (Score:2)
That's OK, once the system falls flat on its face once or twice, maybe people will give up the two party system.
After all, independents don't have caucuses.
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This will make it very difficult for lesser-known candidates to establish any sort of momentum.
That's OK, once the system falls flat on its face once or twice, maybe people will give up the two party system.
After all, independents don't have caucuses.
I don't know what you mean. "The system" you are referring to barely has anything to do with caucuses, as I was talking about primaries. Yes, independents often do not have primaries either, but I don't see how that matters. "The system" shows no signs whatever of dying; even if one or both parties starts to die, others will replace them, and I've seen no reason to think that there will not continue to be two parties. We're going through nothing we haven't gone through before. Certainly, there is no i
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If the primary system cripples its participants, why would anyone participate? I guess if all the states crank up their primaries to ridiculously far ahead of time and they turn into nothing more than popularity contests, Fox can at least run a game show about it.
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I hope... (Score:1)
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...that John McCain, aka Mr. Campaign Finance Reform/Limit Individuals' Political Speech
Agreed.
aka Mr. Social Security for Illegals When There Won't Be Enough Left Even For Law-Abiding Citizens
I think this is overblown. As I recall, he is talking only about giving people back their own money that they put into Social Security. You're quite free to disagree with it, but I don't see how it amounts to a terrible policy.
aka Mr. I'm Really Pro-Life and I Really Care About the Issue Really I Do
Regarding abortion itself, he has one of the most pro-life voting records in the Congress. He really does.
aka Mr. Someone Bill Dog Will Never Ever Vote For No Matter What
Not even over Giuliani, who opposes gun rights AND is pro-choice AND agrees with McCain on most of the things you find objectionable about McCain?
I would support Mc
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Way to gravitate toward completely beside the point. They're (illegal immigrators) not even supposed to be here in the first place. If you break into my house and help yourself to my stuff, leave and then later call me and say you inadvertently left a tenspot on my coffee table and could you please have it back, sorry but f-u -- you've shouldn't have broken in in the first place.
If you still insist on refusing
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...he is talking only about giving people back their own money that they put into Social Security.
Way to gravitate toward completely beside the point. They're (illegal immigrators) not even supposed to be here in the first place. If you break into my house and help yourself to my stuff, leave and then later call me and say you inadvertently left a tenspot on my coffee table and could you please have it back, sorry but f-u -- you've shouldn't have broken in in the first place.
That's not what the law says. The law says that it is only a misdemeanor to enter this country illegally, and it is NOT illegal to BE in this country "illegally." For example, if you come here legally and don't leave, you are not committing a criminal offense. You can be deported, but not charged with anything. Comparing being here to breaking-and-entering is simply unreasonable under current law.
That said, working illegally is a crime, yes. But what YOU are missing is that our federal government glad
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Fine, then when I speak of "illegals", I mean the spirit of the law instead of the letter of it. See how good I am at not being deflected by beside-the-points?
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That's not what the law says.
Fine, then when I speak of "illegals", I mean the spirit of the law instead of the letter of it. See how good I am at not being deflected by beside-the-points? :)
But you were comparing illegal aliens to someone who was committing a felony. My point was that the analogy you gave does not fit even the spirit of the law.
...he opposes abortion, thinks Roe v. Wade was wrong, and hopes to see Roe v. Wade overturned someday.
Whoopdedoo, even Liberals are against abortion, in that they wish it weren't necessary. ... But, like Liberals, McCain has said that until that day comes, we need RvW so women don't have to go back to dangerous "back-alley abortions". Which is hardly of the current pro-life mindset.
You are taking one quote and asking me to believe that this one quote is more important than his decades of consistent votes AGAINST abortion. Sorry, that just doesn't fly.
Why should I care that Rudy...
I didn't say I'd vote for Rudy
But you did contrast him favorably to McCain, which to my mind is nonsensical.
Re: Romney: I've seen quotes, that, like McCain, indicate his strong support for RvW.
No, you have NOT seen any quote from McCain that indicates a strong support for RvW. Ever. Romney