Re: America Votes 2008
 

Obama's spedch was actually very encouraging for me. He remained centrist in his language and his word usage was even much more stern when referring to international threats than it was during the election.

This is going to be interesting and I wish the President Elect the best. Regardless of disagreements he my and our President-Elect and deserves that respect and support. This recent history od such disrespect for the office based on differences of opinion needs to stop.

The election is over and hopefully he is honest in his appeals for bipartisanship. Time will tell.

Re: America Votes 2008
 

The first 2 minutes of the video is bad enough. I like how they're trying to blame Palin, even though Palin was Mccain's decision. She wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for him picking her.

Re: America Votes 2008
 

Damned sexist conservative media. :p

Re: America Votes 2008
 

I agree with Jon Stewart on this.

They sat on this story until after the election? What would they not have told us if she was elected VP? I think it is important to have known when casting a ballot. Though like O'Reilly said, some of this stuff she could have been taught on the job but still.

Re: America Votes 2008
 

The problem here is that the GOP has drifted away from intellectual, fiscal conservatism (William F Buckley and Ronald Reagan), and has moved to small-minded, social conservatism (Sarah Palin and George Bush).

Re: America Votes 2008
 

Did someone say William F Buckley? Who is he? ;)

I 100% agree. The Palin pick never should have happened and hopefully this will teach Republican strategists that the social conservative is no longer the key to victory... its the pragmatic conservative.

Example: Palin was brought on board to do one thing... keep Virginia, North Carolina, Ohio and a few other red swing states in the Republican fold. She failed to do so because the demographics of these areas have shifted.

On the other side, Palin's choice killed McCain in "purple" states like PA and New Hampshire who are filled with social progressive but affluent and educated independents who like McCain before Palin threw a wrench ion the machinery.

Now I'm not saying Palin cost McCain the election, because she didn't, but the point is that the social conservative is hurting the party in elections and Republicans need to go back to the realm of ideas where they have succeeded in the past. The problem is social conservatives are uncomprimising and hold a powerful voting block that they are more than willing to withold if they are now cowtowed.

The Republican party is in trouble and can pretty much guarantee to keep losing elections until they begin to see the young guns of the party like Bobby Jindal and Charlie Crist as the future.

Re: America Votes 2008
 

What about Aaron Schock? Maybe hes not very well known yet...he probably will be eventually. Hes a local Republican Big wig 27 year old who thinks hes pretty cool. Just became the youngest person in the House at age 27.

Re: America Votes 2008
 

Oh man, what a night!!! I haven't posted in a bit while on tour, but election night was incredible! I partied a bit too hard in Los Angeles that night, but it was a great celebration there (though it sucks that prop 8 didn't pass.)

I thought McCain's concession speech was the best speech he's given his whole campaign. He's a great man and has a lot of class and that speech showed it.

Anyway, I'm pleased that Obama won and I am looking forward to what his presidency holds for our country.

Re: America Votes 2008
 

Re: America Votes 2008
 

I think Bond is right and there will be a huge transformation in the republican party over the next 4 years. It's going to be a shift away from social conservatism, and towards what the Republican party was originally founded upon.

I think at the front of this change we'll see people like John McCain, Joe Liberman, Mike Bloomberg, and Arnold Schwarzenegger. A republican party made up of that is one that even I could vote for.

Re: America Votes 2008
 

That's part of the reason I voted for Obama too. Because of Mccain would have won dispite all his and palin's issues, they wouldn't have changed to the party I know they can be. How they respond next election will be interesting..

Re: America Votes 2008
 

I'm not familiar with him, but I was thinking more along the lines of Bobby Jindal, and I mention him a second time because I think he's a great candidate. Mitt Romney is another I liked during the primaries, but I think he fell apart when he tried to do a McCain and get all bible belt when he was obviously uncomfortable doing so. Hopefully this election showed that pandering to the religious right only loses the suburbs, and its the suburbs that win elections. Just look at Pennsylvania.

Newt Gingrich is another name thats from the past but really has always been a forward thinking, idea man for the Republican party, and he was responsible for much of the success of the 90's in working with Clinton.

As for voting for Obama to change the Republican party, I would agree except for one thing: The Supreme Court. I imagine that at least 3 justices will retire under Obama's presidency, and he'll have to opportunity to place several judges that will be able to legislate from the bench and have to opportunity to reinterpret the consitution. This is not an abortion issue for me, its a property rights issue, and leftist judges have shown to be under the wrong side of that argument.

Re: America Votes 2008
 

I thought Obama's Grant Park speech was pretty weak. But the guy looks exhausted, and I'm sure most of it was improvised. But I didn't vote for the guy because of his speeches. Already Obama is saying he wants to free prisoners from Guantanamo Bay and start giving people there fair trials in American Courts. That's some good stuff. Guantanamo Bay = unconstitutional.

Re: America Votes 2008
 

It's funny how that, in many ways, the Democrats have become our constitutional friends.

Re: America Votes 2008
 

When we step off the ship at Plymouth Rock, let us have a feast with them upon the 26th of November!