Politics in General (national, international, local, statewide)

[Roark]

Originally Posted by FIDEL CASTRO

2 months ago you all were happy. "Nice post Roark", "that's true addicted","Nice photos", etc.....were some of the many statements you used to find here.

Yeah...that's the Roark outside the Bayside Lounge! In this place you get slandered all over the place for having a different point of view!
I'm still very happy, and, nice post Fidel!

[QuantumX]

Originally Posted by Roark

Yes, Quantum, it's exhausting! Fun when the conversation is respectful and intellectual. Exhausting when it denegrates to name calling, sophmoric banter, and neglect for reality.

Okay, now then would go and vote for me in something nonpolitical that I think will contribute to helping to boost the South Florida economy as well as the economy of the nation?

[Roark]

Originally Posted by spellbound

This is remarkable to me, btw. The suggestion seems to be that a candidate for president of the United States should be able to introduce someone from obscurity to millions of people ....literally campaign with this person...spend millions on advertising to keep his name in the news (or are the 'I'm Joe the Plumber' ads not running in Florida?)...and NOT expect that person to receive scrutiny. Completely ludicrous.

FACT is that Barrack Obama introduced Joe the Plumber from obscurity to millions of people. Obama drove the campaign bus into Joe's neighborhood and Joe asked Obama a question.
McCain referenced the question in the debate, and used the question to demostrate his opposite views.
So far, nothing remarkable or ludicrous to me.
According to The Columbus Dispatch the next day after the debate, a government employee, "was asked to run a child-support check on Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher on Oct. 16, she thought it routine."
This is where is starts to get remarkable for me.
"Director Helen Jones-Kelley said her agency checks people who are "thrust into the public spotlight," amid suggestions they may have come into money, to see if they owe support or are receiving undeserved public assistance.
Niekamp told The Dispatch she is unfamiliar with the practice of checking on the newly famous. "I've never done that before, I don't know of anybody in my office who does that and I don't remember anyone ever doing that," she said today."
Scrutinize the ideas fine. Scrutinize the man...I wouldn't do it, but it seems to be the politics of personal destruction that is typical of the way that some people carry out healthy debates.
Governement supervisors, directing government employees to use government computers to investigate citizens because they have a different point of view or excercise their free speech; THAT is completely ludicrous, and disgusting.

Spell, looks like we will have to agree to disagree on this one too.
I don't approve of the government conducting witch hunts into the lives of private citizens based on their political affiliation. It is surpising to me that all Americans don't find common ground on this issue.

Evidently, you seem to suggest that it is okay to do that if the private citizen gets famous somehow. We will just agree to disagree.

[AddictedToSpace]

Roark we don't agree and it will not change. You cherry pick what you comment on, redirect the conversation, bring up pointless or worthless arguments and it is you who disrespect people on this forum. You need not to use offensive language or overt insults to show disrespect. You do that on this forum time after time.

I will not respond, reply or comment on any of your future posts please do the same with my future posts. As for the election this conversation is going no where, we will have our day on Tuesday. Regardless of the outcome you will not hear a word from me, please do the same. Have a nice day and a nice life, sir.

[spellbound]

Originally Posted by Roark

Spell, looks like we will have to agree to disagree on this one too.
I don't approve of the government conducting witch hunts into the lives of private citizens based on their political affiliation. It is surpising to me that all Americans don't find common ground on this issue.

Evidently, you seem to suggest that it is okay to do that if the private citizen gets famous somehow. We will just agree to disagree.

We can respectfully disagree on this, but again I would ask what the press has done that rises to the level of a "witch hunt?" What has been reported about 'Joe' that isn't, in fact, the truth?

Remember, he was initially presented to the public as something different than he truly was. In the final debate, McCain taked about him being a "small business owner" who would be affected by Obama's tax rates and even congratulated him on "being rich." Perhaps it was just a matter of lax research on the McCain camp's part, but the reality is that Joe isn't even close to being the person described. He doesn't own a business...isn't remotely close to the income level described...and in fact doesn't even have a plumbing license. In the intense scrutiny of a presidential campaign, it's completely unrealistic to expect the press to simply acquiese to faulty information such as that---nor should they, in my opinion. I would expect no less if Obama introduced the same character and made the same false claims about him.

[QuantumX]

Originally Posted by QuantumX

Okay, now then would go and vote for me in something nonpolitical that I think will contribute to helping to boost the South Florida economy as well as the economy of the nation?

No matter! That contest is b.s. that I take the time for anyway. I've been very busy already updating several Miami threads with some of my best pics in the High-Rises section because I was asked to do that, and I'm helping to improve the economy without any government programs. Roark should be proud of me! When somebody from somewhere else sees my pics and says "Miami looks fantastic", I know I have achieved what I set out to do, to make Miami look fantastic to other parts of the country and to the rest of the world whereby we might see more skyline in the future and I certainly want more skyline. Definitely on a mission here!

[Endeavor305]

Originally Posted by Roark

Spell, looks like we will have to agree to disagree on this one too.
I don't approve of the government conducting witch hunts into the lives of private citizens based on their political affiliation. It is surpising to me that all Americans don't find common ground on this issue.

Evidently, you seem to suggest that it is okay to do that if the private citizen gets famous somehow. We will just agree to disagree.

Hello my fellow Miami friends!!! Roark u too even though we have had some distant disagreements. Right now I'm having a moment of clarity and realize that we are all in this together hoping the best for our great country!!! So I won't be confrontational. With that said, I would like to point out that the McCain camp has recently used the media and government computers to investigate Obama's aunt. Seems to me that the shoe is on the other foot now. Okay so you say she isn't a citizen. But the same intention underlies the actions taken by the McCain camp. Snooping into someone's life, if that's what you want to call it. I say it's only natural that someone is looked into when someone is brought to such a high attention (like mentioned in a debate). In many regards its worse on McCain's side (in my opinion) because she wasn't brought up in a debate like "Joe the plumber". This suggests that McCain's people have taken upon themselves to dig into personal lives connected to Obama. If you want to say looking into "joe the plumber's" personal life is a violation of the constitution, then you now have to acknowledge that both parties are guilty. See I won't be naive like someone on here whose name rhymes with dork. I know the stakes (and money) involved will lead both campaign's to do whatever it takes to win. Peace dudes!!!

[Hia-leah JDM]

And to begin with it was the Domocratic Party of Ohio that researched that joke of a plumber, NOT the Obama Campaign.

[FIDEL CASTRO]

Joe the plumber is famous. What a luck.

[Endeavor305]

Originally Posted by FIDEL CASTRO

Joe the plumber is famous. What a luck.

Yea, I heard he's going on a date with Tina Gabriel now too. Hehehe.

[FIDEL CASTRO]

I feel sorry for Tina. From being maltreated and abused to that? with joe?

[Endeavor305]

Originally Posted by FIDEL CASTRO

I feel sorry for Tina. From being maltreated and abused to that? with joe?

I think she likes that stuff. Joe is gonna smack her upside her head with his plunger.

[dave8721]

Voted this morning, took me about an hour and a half. I got there at 10:15 and got out at around 11:45. I figured 10 would be the time with the shortest lines (after the morning rush, before the lunchtime and after work rushes).

[PeterSmith]

I voted this morning too at Tamiami Park. I got there right at 7am. I waited about an hour, more or less. I would have waited longer, but for some reason there were substantially more people with last names beginning with the letters A through G, so I got to skip ahead of them.

There were very few supporters who came out, and not a single exit poll interviewer. There was, however, a truck selling snow cones

[QuantumX]

I was lucky. Working the night shift on my job, I was able to go at 3:00 pm, and there was no line.

[Roark]

Originally Posted by spellbound

We can respectfully disagree on this, but again I would ask what the press has done that rises to the level of a "witch hunt?" What has been reported about 'Joe' that isn't, in fact, the truth?

You didn't read the article I guess.
Again (and again), it is the GOVERNMENT invistigating a private citizen because of the private citizen's political affiliation that disgusts me.

Your facts are incorrect about the initial exchange, but that is background noise.

I don't think the GOVERNMENT should investigate private citizens because of their political affiliation. Whether they are famous or not famous.

We can agree to disagree. I'm astounded that Americans are now okay with that kind of investigation, but hey, things are changing. By any means necessary seems to be the new rule of the day.

[Roark]

Originally Posted by QuantumX

Roark should be proud of me! When somebody from somewhere else sees my pics and says "Miami looks fantastic", I know I have achieved what I set out to do, to make Miami look fantastic to other parts of the country and to the rest of the world whereby we might see more skyline in the future and I certainly want more skyline.

Yeah, absoulutely! Keep up the good work. You have a passion for it and it makes you happy. If you can serve others with your passion, you are sure to find happiness and some financial wealth.

[Roark]

Originally Posted by Hia-leah JDM

And to begin with it was the Domocratic Party of Ohio that researched that joke of a plumber, NOT the Obama Campaign.

No, it wasn't. Read the articles. It was government agencies in Ohio. The Government...
Yeah...it's exhausting.

[Roark]

Originally Posted by Endeavor305

With that said, I would like to point out that the McCain camp has recently used the media and government computers to investigate Obama's aunt.

Really? Absolutely disgusting if true.
Do you have a source for that?
Barrack wrote about his dear Aunt Zaitouny (sp?) in his book.
She lives in government subsidized housing in South Boston. 4 years ago, she was supposed to have left the USA because she did not win her deportation case.
Bless Obama. He was kind enough to return his Aunt's campaign contribution. You can't donate to Presidential Campaign if you aren't a citizen. A model of compassion....write that "you are your brother's keeper" in a book, earn $4.5 million and let your Aunt live in government housing.

But without a question, when the government investigates private citizen's it has all the markings Communism, and it is ridiculous.

[Roark]

Originally Posted by dave8721

Voted this morning, took me about an hour and a half. I got there at 10:15 and got out at around 11:45. I figured 10 would be the time with the shortest lines (after the morning rush, before the lunchtime and after work rushes).

No kidding? I voted at 10 am at Miami Beach City Hall...no line. Nada.
In fact, the government opened up the parking lot for free! I thought, oh boy, it's happening already!!! Everything is free!!!!
Okay, I'll try it...give me some freebees as long as you soak all those rich people in order to pay for it.
It reminds me of the sign the Thomas Sewell wrote about on the Used Car Sales Lot,
"We cheat the other guy, and pass the savings on to you".