The Regular Guy Game Options

[Lancaster Online]

[Scout]

Part of the issue is that you need to have money to run for office that is on a level above mayor, maybe governor. You need to be able to advertise and travel, and unless you have a "rich old uncle" who leaves you millions, you need to have money. Someone like Reagan had money, but he also had his name. As soon as one news outlet had it, it became national news, which in turn brings in the campaign donations.

The huge scope of our campaigns, especially the presidential campaigns, need names, need money ... and you have to have money and/or a name to get more money. We've spent the past 200+ years putting ourselves in the position of only having celebrities/legacies/elitists to vote for. Like everything else, we have only ourselves (multigenerationally speaking, of course) to blame.

[segjt]

Post your thoughts and comments about this blog post.

No Gil, McCain has no "real world" experience. The five years he was held as a POW was just a figment of his elitest imagination...dweeb.

[Bigby_M]

No Gil, McCain has no "real world" experience. The five years he was held as a POW was just a figment of his elitest imagination...dweeb.

How does being held as a POW for 5 years qualify one for the Presidency?

How does getting caught translate into leadership skills?

[Pericles]

How does getting caught translate into leadership skills?

Let's play your silly, stupid little game and assume that it was possible for McCain to evade the enemy through several hundred miles of jungle, with broken limbs, while being sought by thousands of villagers and NVA soldiers. You're right, he got caught. You're such a patriot!

Now consider that he could have been released early, because his dad was an admiral, but he chose to stay behind until it was his turn. That shows both courage and leadership skills. But you can't acknowledge that. How sad, for you.

This post has been edited by Pericles: Jun 4 2008, 03:18 PM

[eaglerick]

Gil,

Maybe we are the ones who are not pretending, yet the candidates find themselves at the mercy of PR spin doctors who cater to the news media and a secret (not so secret) formula for winning.



Maybe the guy who butchered the english language and laughed at himself was regular enough for some poelpe to embrace Bush, inspite of his shortcomings and inexperience on the national/international level.

[Lysol54]

No Gil, McCain has no "real world" experience. The five years he was held as a POW was just a figment of his elitest imagination...dweeb.

Ah yes more posts from this guy. Hum, so now Mccains experiance means something but when you have a Democrat, who left 3 limbs in Vietnam, its ok to attack him as being unpatriotic. Take your BS somewhere else Segjt.

Let's play your silly, stupid little game and assume that it was possible for McCain to evade the enemy through several hundred miles of jungle, with broken limbs, while being sought by thousands of villagers and NVA soldiers. You're right, he got caught. You're such a patriot!

Now consider that he could have been released early, because his dad was an admiral, but he chose to stay behind until it was his turn. That shows both courage and leadership skills. But you can't acknowledge that. How sad, for you.

Hey Pericles, now your starting to sound like a little high school girl. I know how much you hate that, just wanted to point it out to ya.

[mam0412]

I kind of think that all David Brooks was saying is Obama doesn't seem like a guy he wants to have a beer with. You know, like Bush was. It just shows how desparate the Republicans are. Hill doing shooters and Obama bowling were just candidates having fun on the trail. No biggie.

[segjt]

Ah yes more posts from this guy. Hum, so now Mccains experiance means something but when you have a Democrat, who left 3 limbs in Vietnam, its ok to attack him as being unpatriotic. Take your BS somewhere else Segjt.







Hey Pericles, now your starting to sound like a little high school girl. I know how much you hate that, just wanted to point it out to ya.

Max Mcclellan is a liberal puke..deserves nothing....except contempt...which is what he gets...from the majority of americans..

[bigstew]

How does being held as a POW for 5 years qualify one for the Presidency?

How does getting caught translate into leadership skills?

Unbelievable

Max Mcclellan is a liberal puke..deserves nothing....except contempt...which is what he gets...from the majority of americans..

Unbelievable

[dragonrider]

Watched an interview of one of the US attorneys fired by Gonzales the one that the movie was based on(sorry having an alzheimer moment on his name) says he may vote for Obama. And thinks Gonzales may be brought up on charges. This on Democracy Now today. Another of those liberal Pukes right Segit. Gawd what a lammo juice bag you are.

[segjt]

Watched an interview of one of the US attorneys fired by Gonzales the one that the movie was based on(sorry having an alzheimer moment on his name) says he may vote for Obama. And thinks Gonzales may be brought up on charges. This on Democracy Now today. Another of those liberal Pukes right Segit. Gawd what a lammo juice bag you are.

gonzalez will be brought up on charges when you pukenuts win the WH...ahahahahaha..nuff said.

[Bigby_M]

Unbelievable

Unbelievable

Why? Let's be honest for a sec. Exactly what qualifications does being a POW for 5 years give McCain?

Let's play your silly, stupid little game and assume that it was possible for McCain to evade the enemy through several hundred miles of jungle, with broken limbs, while being sought by thousands of villagers and NVA soldiers. You're right, he got caught. You're such a patriot!

Now consider that he could have been released early, because his dad was an admiral, but he chose to stay behind until it was his turn. That shows both courage and leadership skills. But you can't acknowledge that. How sad, for you.

Are you that stupid or is this one of those feigned outrage moments?

I didn't say he wasn't a hero. I asked why being a POW for 5 years makes him presidential material.

And of course you have no answer so you play the old question my patriotism game.

Leadership skills? Again are you that stupid? He tried to get around McCain / Feingold.That isn't leadership that's slime.

Oh but he was a POW so I can't mention that right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[segjt]

Why? Let's be honest for a sec. Exactly what qualifications does being a POW for 5 years give McCain?





Are you that stupid or is this one of those feigned outrage moments?

I didn't say he wasn't a hero. I asked why being a POW for 5 years makes him presidential material.

And of course you have no answer so you play the old question my patriotism game.

Leadership skills? Again are you that stupid? He tried to get around McCain / Feingold.That isn't leadership that's slime.

Oh but he was a POW so I can't mention that right? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

kind of funny you are questioning McCains credentials with him being a 4 or 5 term senator and all while obama hasn't even cut his teeth in the senate...

...too easy

[Kate]

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24973282/CHICAGO - A prominent fundraiser for Sen. Barack Obama and Gov. Rod Blagojevich was convicted Wednesday of fraud and money laundering after a high-profile federal trial provided an unusually detailed glimpse of the pay-to-play politics that has made Illinois infamous.

Antoin "Tony" Rezko, 52, showed no emotion as the jury delivered a mixed verdict that found him guilty of scheming with the government's star witness to get kickbacks out of money management firms wanting state business, but acquitted him of charges that included attempted extortion.

The jury delivered its guilty verdict on 16 of 24 counts after a nine-week trial.

Rezko has known Obama since he entered politics and was involved in a 2005 real estate deal with the Democratic presidential candidate, although testimony barely touched on their relationship. Most of the focus was on shakedowns prosecutors said Rezko arranged when he was a top adviser to Blagojevich.

Neither Blagojevich nor Obama has been accused of wrongdoing.

Rezko's defense
Rezko's defense attorneys maintained that the government had little evidence tying him to corruption and that the star witness, admitted political fixer Stuart P. Levine, was not credible because years of drug use had damaged his memory.

Levine was a member of a state board that decided which hospitals got built and was on a panel that decided which investment firms got allocations from a $40 billion fund that pays the pensions of retired teachers.

Levine testified that Rezko, drawing on the political clout he developed as a Blagojevich fundraiser, stacked both boards with members who could be relied upon to follow orders when big-money decisions came up. Prosecutors said he used that clout to shake down companies and individuals hoping for state business for $7 million in kickbacks.

While Obama's name rarely surfaced during testimony, the case drew attention to Obama's relationship with Rezko, a man Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton derided in one televised debate as a "slum landlord."

Rezko, a real estate developer and fast-food entrepreneur, had been friendly with Obama for years, even offering him a job after Obama finished law school. Obama turned down the offer, but a political friendship developed.




[b]Thousands donated to Obama
[/b]Rezko donated more than $21,000 to Obama and raised far more for his campaigns in Illinois, though not his presidential bid. He also advised Obama on the purchase of a new Chicago home and, in his wife's name, purchased a vacant lot next to the new Obama home at the same time from a couple who insisted on selling both pieces of property simultaneously. The purchase raised questions about the extent of his help.

The charges against Rezko had nothing to do with Obama, who has donated $150,000 in Rezko-related contributions to charity.

Rezko, 52, was charged with scheming with Levine to split a $1.5 million kickback from a contractor who wanted to build a hospital in northern Illinois and to shake down money management firms wanting to invest in the teacher pension fund.

Rezko denied he had anything to do with such a scheme.

Rezko attorneys claimed that once FBI wiretaps picked up Levine talking about payoffs and other corruption he needed to provide federal prosecutors with a "big fish" like Rezko in order to get a deal and avoid a possible life sentence.

Levine did make a deal with prosecutors under which instead of life he will probably get a 5 1/2-year prison sentence and forfeit $5 million. He admitted on the stand that for 30 years he attended twice-a-month marathon drug parties, where he shared drugs including cocaine and crystal methamphetamine with male companions.

Rezko attorneys said Levine's brain had been so badly damaged that he couldn't recall what Rezko had said and done years ago.