GOP Presidential Nomination

[GodIsSalvation]

We may vote them in, but they actually vote on their own salary hikes.
As for what has been just sitting around and not done anything about there are a number of things, and economics is just the main issue that has been bad since Reagan was in office. Reagan and Bush sr made things harder on the middle to lower class, then Clinton made things a little easier but still not great, then Bush jr and Obama took it right back down hill again. Immigration, minimum wage, equal pay for women, and more or less authority in the judicial system are just few of the many issues that has been on the table for 5 months or more that are refusing to either act on or vote on.

They are focusing to much on debating and arguing over foreign affairs then working on getting things straight here at home. If they put as much emphasis on the U.S. as they do on over seas issues I believe our country would still be strong and thriving. Yet we are collapsing and headed for destruction, which I believe will be our final fate in the U.S. as the bible prophecies give very little to almost no recognition to the U.S. in the many end times prophecies.

Aye they vote for their own pay indeed. It did not escape my notice that last time they gave themselves a raise was amidst a government shutdown. Nevertheless, Americans gave them the power to do it, and then elect the same people that did such. So can't hold it against them.

I'd agree that immigration, min. wage, and the judicial system are indeed reoccuring issues. It is my understanding on the issue of equal pay for women though that this was dealt with by Obama in his Lily Ledbedder (spelling?) act. Though I suppose the more pertinent issue be equal job opportunity for women. Women have to be paid the same, but most high-paying jobs are male dominated. The immigration issue can never be solved, the fact that America is so big by land mass and population makes it an impossible issue to ever solve. Minimum wage, this is some good news that it is actually being dealt with, but moreso state-by-state.

As for foreign policy. This is a source of many problems. However, America cannot stop it due to almost every factor of American society from our consumerist economy fuelled by trade to simply our location on the map.

 

[kennethcadwell]

Aye they vote for their own pay indeed. It did not escape my notice that last time they gave themselves a raise was amidst a government shutdown. Nevertheless, Americans gave them the power to do it, and then elect the same people that did such. So can't hold it against them.

I'd agree that immigration, min. wage, and the judicial system are indeed reoccuring issues. It is my understanding on the issue of equal pay for women though that this was dealt with by Obama in his Lily Ledbedder (spelling?) act. Though I suppose the more pertinent issue be equal job opportunity for women. Women have to be paid the same, but most high-paying jobs are male dominated. The immigration issue can never be solved, the fact that America is so big by land mass and population makes it an impossible issue to ever solve. Minimum wage, this is some good news that it is actually being dealt with, but moreso state-by-state.

As for foreign policy. This is a source of many problems. However, America cannot stop it due to almost every factor of American society from our consumerist economy fuelled by trade to simply our location on the map.

Yes the states are stepping up on the minimum wage issue because the congress is not even though Obama has pushed it across them many times now to do so. They give themselves raises, but refuse to give the American public a raise unless they raise the cost of living up with it making that raise useless.
Obama did address equal pay for women, but this is one of the things the congress is mad at Obama about. For he went over their head to do it as they just wanted to not address it.
Immigration is a sad topic because our country was founded on the principles of people to come here to escape persecution, death, and poverty from their own countries. But now we got to many who want to put a no vacancy sign on the borders and send these people packing back to face that persecution just because of an issue of rather they took the steps to be legal or are still illegal immigrants. Some of these people don't have the months or years it takes to do the steps to become legal U.S. citizens. Yet we have fellow Christians abandoning the principles of the bible to help these people, and screaming and arguing to send them back instead.
I don't believe we should do away with foreign policy, just that they need to spend just as much time if not more on issues at home as well. One of the other things I find sad is seeing the same people who are worrying about the homeless and hungry in other countries, calling the homeless and hungry here in America as blights on society. Other countries they say sad situation we need to help, and our own country they say are a disgrace and hurt the economy.

 

[GodIsSalvation]

CPAC is underway for this year. Though it is no indication of whom will win the nomination, it is usually a fairly accurate way to tell whom is planning on running at the least. It is also a good way to tell whom the younger GOP crowd favors. From what I have seen on TV Scott Walker, Jeb Bush, and Rand Paul are making the most buzz. Have not seen if they have held their famous straw poll yet or not, but I will be watching.

 

[RickyZ]

And so the end begins...

 

[kennethcadwell]

CPAC is underway for this year. Though it is no indication of whom will win the nomination, it is usually a fairly accurate way to tell whom is planning on running at the least. It is also a good way to tell whom the younger GOP crowd favors. From what I have seen on TV Scott Walker, Jeb Bush, and Rand Paul are making the most buzz. Have not seen if they have held their famous straw poll yet or not, but I will be watching.

I did not see any of it except for a minute or so coverage of it on the news, and what I saw one of the biggest things a couple of them are using to drive their campaign was getting rid of the IRS.....

 

[GodIsSalvation]

I did not see any of it except for a minute or so coverage of it on the news, and what I saw one of the biggest things a couple of them are using to drive their campaign was getting rid of the IRS.....

Yea I only saw on the news them fawning a bit over Scott Walker, and unsurprisingly the younger folks are not too favorable towards Jeb. Though from what I saw Jeb was actually making good sense, but they only showed him talking about immigration. There's a bunch of op eds on CNN and FOX about CPAC, but I am looking for some substance, and am especially eager to see the straw poll for this year. Might have to wait a bit for that, or perhaps I will have to search harder.

Getting rid of the IRS, sounds fine by me, but I doubt that'll happen anytime too soon lol.

 

[kennethcadwell]

Yea I only saw on the news them fawning a bit over Scott Walker, and unsurprisingly the younger folks are not too favorable towards Jeb. Though from what I saw Jeb was actually making good sense, but they only showed him talking about immigration. There's a bunch of op eds on CNN and FOX about CPAC, but I am looking for some substance, and am especially eager to see the straw poll for this year. Might have to wait a bit for that, or perhaps I will have to search harder.

Getting rid of the IRS, sounds fine by me, but I doubt that'll happen anytime too soon lol.

Sorry took so long to reply was dealing with others in another thread, and then stopped for a little to eat and watch Perry Stone. He is a good teacher......

Yeah I would have to wait tell serious discussions get going and all their real agenda's get put out on the table. As for Jeb Bush even if he said everything that sounds good to fix the country and its issues, I don't know if I would vote for him if he is the one chosen to run. I know he is his own person, but his predecessor family members Bush and Bush jr. have bad and very sketchy track records.

 

[Desdichado]

Rand Paul wins the CPAC strawpoll for the third year in a row at 25.7% Scott Walker finishes a significant second at 21.4%.

The results are not all too surprising. Rand Paul has been running for President since he ran for the Senate and libertarians have become a decent portion of the activist base. Virginia is also a libertarian hotbed, so geography probably played a significant role.

This is confirmed by the fact 41% favored full marijuana legalization, a pretty strong libertarian policy position.

The Walker surge is not too much of a surprise either given the early buzz walker has been receiving. The buzz combined with a rousing speech and a pretty solid staff was what gave him the respectable surge. Rand Paul is the closest thing CPAC has to an "establishment" candidate of its own, so the Walker staff should feel good about their results not to mention their capability of galvanizing and reactivating a rather fractured activist superstructure.

Jeb Bush came in at fifth behind Ted Cruz and Ben Carson in that order. The remaining candidates received a paltry sum.

It would be interesting to find out if how much work these different camps put into manipulating the poll.

 

[David_1]

If Scott Walker is the candidate this year, they might as well just hand it to whoever is the Democratic candidate.

Be smart guys, if you want to win, you have to put your best person up. You have to at least pretend to be centrist and want to govern for all citizens. Right Wing hardliners aren't going to do it in a Democracy.

 

[Desdichado]

I'm so glad the sage came down from his mountain to join our discussion.

 

[jahsoul]

Being someone who doesn't vote based on a left-right paradigm, I just hope Hillary Clinton doesn't get elected....that is all.

 

[GodIsSalvation]

I feel a little bad for Rand. He was after all the straw poll winner. Since the mainstream do not like him however they are playing up Scott Walker a lot, and even Jeb Bush funny enough.

Give Rand a little day in the sun here. He might not win the nomination, and the GOP might not win the election, but you gonna need Rand Paul if you want to put the Humpty Dumpty Party back together again.

 

[jahsoul]

I feel a little bad for Rand. He was after all the straw poll winner. Since the mainstream do not like him however they are playing up Scott Walker a lot, and even Jeb Bush funny enough.

Give Rand a little day in the sun here. He might not win the nomination, and the GOP might not win the election, but you gonna need Rand Paul if you want to put the Humpty Dumpty Party back together again.

I'm iffy on Rand but I wrote Ron Paul in 3 years ago. I think most people are scared that Rand might have radical ideas like his dad and the founders of this country, but hey, all we care about in the US is panem et circenses, but back to the topic..

 

[GodIsSalvation]

I'm iffy on Rand but I wrote Ron Paul in 3 years ago. I think most people are scared that Rand might have radical ideas like his dad and the founders of this country, but hey, all we care about in the US is panem et circenses, but back to the topic..

I voted Ron in the 2012 GOP primary. Though in fairness by the time the primary rolled around to me only he and Mitt were left anyways. Rand ain't bad but he's a little too fresh to win I think. He will be fun to watch in the debates though and will keep the younger folk interested.

The interest in the GOP sideshow is whether or not they will be able to reunify or remain broken. They don't have to win the presidency, they just have to fix their own party.

 

[Desdichado]

I feel a little bad for Rand. He was after all the straw poll winner. Since the mainstream do not like him however they are playing up Scott Walker a lot, and even Jeb Bush funny enough.

Give Rand a little day in the sun here. He might not win the nomination, and the GOP might not win the election, but you gonna need Rand Paul if you want to put the Humpty Dumpty Party back together again.

If the Republican Party wants to survive, it will have to appeal more to the libertarians and be willing to entertain more libertarian policy proposals. Rand Paul has understood this better than most candidates to his credit. He wants to coalition build in rather unorthodox ways.

Unless he is thoroughly corrupt, I hope he does not get savaged in the primary process. He is one of the few good things going for the GOP.

 

[GodIsSalvation]

If the Republican Party wants to survive, it will have to appeal more to the libertarians and be willing to entertain more libertarian policy proposals. Rand Paul has understood this better than most candidates to his credit. He wants to coalition build in rather unorthodox ways.

Unless he is thoroughly corrupt, I hope he does not get savaged in the primary process. He is one of the few good things going for the GOP.

I'd agree partly to this. His libertarian stuff though only appeals to the youth though, and even though the youth is a crucial swing bloc, they are not the majority of voters in the GOP nor in the general population. You can't discount them old timers, they are the majority. Rand indeed is needed to be part of a coalition, but he cannot lead it.

As for whether the GOP will cannibalize their own again, that we will see. A big sideplot in the drama to watch for certes.

 

[Desdichado]

I'd agree partly to this. His libertarian stuff though only appeals to the youth though, and even though the youth is a crucial swing bloc, they are not the majority of voters in the GOP nor in the general population. You can't discount them old timers, they are the majority. Rand indeed is needed to be part of a coalition, but he cannot lead it.

As for whether the GOP will cannibalize their own again, that we will see. A big sideplot in the drama to watch for certes.

No argument here, though in my experience libertarianism is attracting a wider age range than you might give them credit for. Especially among the activist base.

 

[Desdichado]

What I happen to like about Rand Paul is that he does not see limits, but thinks in terms of evangelizing different voting demographics other people would normally count out. Sound strategy? Maybe not, but it is a kind of optimistic vision that a party needs.

 

[GodIsSalvation]

No argument here, though in my experience libertarianism is attracting a wider age range than you might give them credit for. Especially among the activist base.

Aye, but fads come and go.

If America was the only country that existed libertarianism might work. Alas though, it's not a workable model for our time and place.

This is why Hillary will prevaill; she is the only one America's allies and enemies alike take seriously whether they love her or hate her. Consider Putin for instance. There are only two Americans in this whole land that Putin cannot pushover and that he has called out by name as his worries. They are Hillary and McCain, and McCain ain't running.

 

[jahsoul]

If the Republican Party wants to survive, it will have to appeal more to the libertarians and be willing to entertain more libertarian policy proposals. Rand Paul has understood this better than most candidates to his credit. He wants to coalition build in rather unorthodox ways.

Unless he is thoroughly corrupt, I hope he does not get savaged in the primary process. He is one of the few good things going for the GOP.

One thing I don't like about Rand (but at the same time understand) is him playing the "game." That was something that was paramount in my respect for Ron Paul. He was uncompromising, and that made him "unelectable." (by mainstream standards that most people who don't really look at politics swallow up.)

As far as the GOP, it will be a while before it is united. Mainly because there are more libertarians who joined the GOP over the last 8 years due to Ron Paul (and now Rand) reaching the younger generation. There will be no unification of this party until the either the old guard is gone or they force out the libertarians. And then, it will be all for nothing if there isn't a major shift in the way these parties work. (at the end of the day, there is really not difference in the end goal of the GOP and Democrats)