...and I thought I was cynical.

Of course you are correct, their actions have no relationship to their public rhetoric. The "media" will do and say whatever will sell the most soap and the public seems to have unlimited gullibility. The system is completely broken, but it is fun to watch the train wreck. Eventually we (or our kids) will have to find someplace to live with a functioning government.

I love election time, they each spend a billion bucks to tell everyone how the other guy sucks. Than they promise the world. But in reality they are only paying lip service to stay in power. The real power brokers are the special interest groups that buy them.

Its amazing how the pulbic still buys it. The media of course is in their back pockets. Fox has a hard on for the republicans and the other networks are butt buddy's with the dems.


Its really sad because we do have some very good party's in this country. The Libertarian and Constitution partys are pretty good, far better than these morons.


What would go a long way to fixing the system is a cap on what the candidates can spend. If everyone is capped at say $50m than they really have to work and the better person probably will win.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

i'm not a democrat.

my point is that behind the democrats you DO find crazy leftist hippies and behind the republicans you DO find crazy conservative wing nuts. it just seems to be the trend for republicans to court that right wing base, rather than quietly tolerate them while they court those of us in the center. when one sides argument is solely "he's a marxist and a muslim" and those of us with half a brain know this to not be true, there isn't much of a debate or discussion left. it's depressing and annoying to me because i'd vote for an intelligent republican that actually had some good ideas and would actually keep me in mind when writing and/or signing legislation. instead they're falling all over each other to sling insults about birth certificates. i don't have time in my life to get into that bat ***** thought process.

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1985 300D - 1984 Euro 280E AMG Clone (SOLD) - 1978 280CE (SOLD) - 1983 300D (SOLD) - 1981 300D (SOLD)

The post-Reagan republican party seems to have lost it's way. Somehow they allowed themselves to be hijacked by crazies, now they can't get rid of them. They will recover when someone with actual leadership ability comes along and gives them a purpose again. It will take a while for them to weed out the nut jobs and get back to their core message, but it will probably happen within 10 years (or sooner if the democrats really screw up somehow).

I thought Tannenhaus brought up an interesting point when he talked about how William F Buckley and some other conservative philosophers supported Joseph McCarthy (which Buckley later regretted). The reason Buckley et al liked him was his appeal to the populist middle america type, which conservatives had trouble tapping.








I'm afraid Hattie's got it right (except the libertarians being a good party). Both parties are corrupt. If the Democrats were any better than Republicans regarding corporate support, we'd already have regulations to prevent a recurrence of recent economic problems. I'd think that fight will be harder than health care reform.

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1984 300TD

I don't have much love for any politcal party. I simply view it as which evil do you want in charge.

Personaly I rather have an evil that leaves me alone and does little.


The Statesmen of old that put the country's well being before theirs are dead. Now we have professional politicians, who enrich themselves.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

To affect real change the financing of elections must be changed. Reduce the cost of elections by limiting the time frame, providing free air time and advertising in the print media and take our political process back for the people.

Our financing system of elections is at its core, corrupt.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Seems so. What's the objection to putting time/money limits on poliical bs?

- Peter.

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2021 Chevrolet Spark
Formerly...
2000 GMC Sonoma
1981 240D 4spd stick. 347000 miles. Deceased Feb 14 2021
2002 Kia Rio. Worst crap on four wheels
1981 240D 4spd stick. 389000 miles.
1984 123 200
1979 116 280S
1972 Cadillac Sedan DeVille
1971 108 280S

As I understand it, several court decisions have equated money with speech regarding campaigns. that makes it difficult to limit spending under the 1st amendment.

That would be the present "conservative court".

The longer the campaign the more money needed to buy commercials. The more money needed the more corporate donations, etc.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

Individual rights. The donators should have the right to donate what they want, and the candidate should have the right to spend it.

Also, it's capitalism applied to politics. The individual better at seeking money gets the bigger market share. Purchased with advertising dollars.

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1984 300TD

I see you are a subscriber of the Golden rule....

He who has the gold gets to rule!

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

It's not so much a rule as it is a fact.



I'm just stating the objections, not owning them.

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1984 300TD

It certainly looks like you own them in this post.

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[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

the candidate with the most yard signs WINS. once upon a time, had a conversation with a gentlemen whose wife was running against a local opponent. he graciously explained the "he with the largest advertising budget wins" philosophy. it doesn't matter if Mickey Mouse is running, if Mickey has the most yard signs, you can bank on one thing: Mickey Mouse will WIN.

"People Get the Government they Deserve"

- Will Rogers