Nov 6th election (tips and tricks)

[spellbound]

Originally Posted by theEmbarcadero

I agree with your "no difference" opnion. However, there is a distinction between the "no difference" crowd....and the crown who has disdain for BOTH parties, for different reasons.

As I have stated before, I gravitate to the right on fiscal issues, but then when they right learnes who liberal I am on social issues...they want to castrate me...

And the same goes for the left.

The tipping point for me was when Bush wanted to pass immigration reform, and shouted him down with so much hate, that I wanted to puke. For the life of me, I will never understand how the GOP figured they could be so openly hateful, that they could ever expect to with the White House ever again...

Clearly, the hate and venom they spewed towards immigrants (Latinos) sealed their fate as a party of hate for generations to come....

We're not far apart on any of this. When I answered that earlier post that I have 'no illusions' I meant just that. It isn't a revelation that both parties are influenced too greatly by outside interests and big money (although I would argue with ample evidence that the GOP has become far more wedded to that dynamic in recent years because of their resistance to finance reform). It often seems the "both of them suck" crowd believes they are pointing this out as if it's some great epiphany of understanding they've reached, when that's not even close to the truth. Very few people I know--including those firmly in one camp or the other---are not aware of it, and frustrated by it.

That said, there truly are HUGE and fundamental differences politically. Someone would have to be willfully ignorant not to recognize that. On everything from economic (tax) policy to marriage equality to women's choice, I am pretty much diametrically opposed to what the GOP has come to represent. The Dems may be FAR from perfect, but they at least offer me clear alternatives to those positions that are much closer to my own. I would also add that the bRepublicans have also managed to chase away most of the moderate voices in their own party with their stridently rightward march the past few decades. If they want someone like me to even consider any of their message (let alone take them seriously) they will have to drop the moronic bleatings from the 'birther' crowd along with the racially and ethnically motivated haters that debase any kind of thoughtful and reasoned opposition.

I'm also an urbanist. A city guy that wants to see our metro areas thrive and prosper. The GOP has shown nothing but hostility towards that, and anyone thinking they are the ones who will ever seek to improve things like transit, public schools, urban infrastructure, etc. (it all costs money) has to be named Van Winkle. Their 'plan' would accomplish quite the opposite, in fact.

Sure, I wish there was something like a 'Pragmatic Party' in this country that cherry-picked an economic model that was sensible and workable, while also not invloving themselves in being morals police. But there isn't.

I participate in the process as a Democrat because they offer me the better option---not an ideal one. I will take nudging things in one direction or another rather than the sclerosis of sitting it out entirely and being silent and even more powerless.

[pawnmaster]

Originally Posted by 1772

You hear democrats talk about this great melting-pot of a nation, but their own success is based on it's non-existence.

Legal latinos have nothing to fear from GOP immigration policy since it's aimed at preventing illegal immigration.
Yet, latinos vote for less restriction on illegals. Why?
Because blood is thicker than water, that's why.

No distinction is made between legal or illegal. It's La Raza that is important. Sad, but true.

La raza? Lol term used That is a lower class Mexicans (which I'm guessing u say is who the GOP has issue against). I'm married to a mex (who works for the consulate and who uve never heard use that word). But putting that aside. I vote democrat not because the GOP at times has sounded racist (some of them are and although u can't generalize being if hispanic decent i def dont want to be run by those ideas) but because I don't want rules that have nothing to do with what "I believe" gov should be involved with.

I'm progressive when it comes to time changes and we must navigate through them. I don't want to force us to stick to the old America ways. Let it be a controlled change but let it be. I vote for separation of church and state (u can imagine what havoc it would bring if we reversed that...just look at some of the stuff that was believed back then) I vote for freedoms to do with your personal life and bedroom anything u want. And I also want clean energy for my daughter. I think it would be cool if Romney and Obama could get together and swap ideas but I didn't want anything else he had to offer.


Put in a balance....im proud to be of a latin heritage and would never bote for slmone who shows me they may pick another person over me because of color preference but putting it all together with what reasons i said above and we'll u tell me where the "raza" went in my vote?

[pawnmaster]

Hate typing on my phone...please disregard the grammatical errors. Lol

[Hia-leah JDM]

Originally Posted by 1772

You hear democrats talk about this great melting-pot of a nation, but their own success is based on it's non-existence.

Legal latinos have nothing to fear from GOP immigration policy since it's aimed at preventing illegal immigration.
Yet, latinos vote for less restriction on illegals. Why?
Because blood is thicker than water, that's why.

No distinction is made between legal or illegal. It's La Raza that is important. Sad, but true.

Your own prejudices are not letting you see the real picture. There's no real point in explaining anything to you. Just rest assured you are without doubt on the wrong side of history. They're not the racists

[theEmbarcadero]

Originally Posted by spellbound

That relationship has always been fascinating (and funny) to me. It must work for them, though.

I've experienced some of that division as well. The Cuban part of my family is mostly pretty liberal (especially my stepmom) but when I made that 'Nightline' appearance back in 2000 arguing for Elian's return to his father and embarrassing Alex Penelas on national TV, I had one cousin who was absolutely furious at me over it. We're good now, but it was really frosty for some time after that.

Do you have a recording of your Nightline appearence? Wow...would love to see it.

I would have said.....yeah, Elian needs to go back to his dad, but the Marlins need a new stadium and the Dolphins need to draft a QB.....

[theEmbarcadero]

Originally Posted by spellbound

We're not far apart on any of this. When I answered that earlier post that I have 'no illusions' I meant just that. It isn't a revelation that both parties are influenced too greatly by outside interests and big money (although I would argue with ample evidence that the GOP has become far more wedded to that dynamic in recent years because of their resistance to finance reform). It often seems the "both of them suck" crowd believes they are pointing this out as if it's some great epiphany of understanding they've reached, when that's not even close to the truth. Very few people I know--including those firmly in one camp or the other---are not aware of it, and frustrated by it.

That said, there truly are HUGE and fundamental differences politically. Someone would have to be willfully ignorant not to recognize that. On everything from economic (tax) policy to marriage equality to women's choice, I am pretty much diametrically opposed to what the GOP has come to represent. The Dems may be FAR from perfect, but they at least offer me clear alternatives to those positions that are much closer to my own. I would also add that the bRepublicans have also managed to chase away most of the moderate voices in their own party with their stridently rightward march the past few decades. If they want someone like me to even consider any of their message (let alone take them seriously) they will have to drop the moronic bleatings from the 'birther' crowd along with the racially and ethnically motivated haters that debase any kind of thoughtful and reasoned opposition.

I'm also an urbanist. A city guy that wants to see our metro areas thrive and prosper. The GOP has shown nothing but hostility towards that, and anyone thinking they are the ones who will ever seek to improve things like transit, public schools, urban infrastructure, etc. (it all costs money) has to be named Van Winkle. Their 'plan' would accomplish quite the opposite, in fact.

Sure, I wish there was something like a 'Pragmatic Party' in this country that cherry-picked an economic model that was sensible and workable, while also not invloving themselves in being morals police. But there isn't.

I participate in the process as a Democrat because they offer me the better option---not an ideal one. I will take nudging things in one direction or another rather than the sclerosis of sitting it out entirely and being silent and even more powerless.

Yeah...this post is a grand slam....or better yet....4 dancing bananas!

You KNOW where I stand on urbanization and things like mass transit (think of my Metrorail rants and maps) and I noticed a long time ago that the right fought mass transit like crazy....we all know and have mention many times before, Reagan's remarks on Metrorail.....but the issue is...WHY?

Well, it is clear to me.....punish the big cities who always vote democrat.

I know it sounds simplistic....but it is what I believe..!!

But let me tell you what I know....I once lived in the largest USA city with no bus service....and I was a member of the downtown Rotary Club and it was spoken out loud in meetings that this unamed city in Texas (where Urban Cowboy was filmed) was NEVER gonna have bus service because all these Houston n*****s will flood into our white, redneck city...

The Pragmatic Party sounds good to me...

[Bobdreamz]

Now that the Election is over I thought I might share some info on how Obama won Florida. There are 67 counties of which Obama won only 13 counties.
In 2008 he won 15 counties but this year he lost Volusia & Flagler counties which is considered part of the "I-4 corridor.
For reference Gore only won 9 counties in 2000. I believe that if Gore would have won another county he would of possibly have been President but that is a discussion for another day.

Time for stats! :

Florida vote totals :

Obama : 4,235,270
Romney : 4,162,081
Difference : +73,189 Votes for Obama
Note * Obama won Florida by 236,000 votes in 2008.*

Counties that Obama won & winning percentages :

Gadsen : 70%
Broward : 67%
Miami Dade : 62%
Osceola : 62%
Leon : 61%
Orange : 59%
Alachua : 58%
Palm Beach : 58%
St. Lucie : 54%
Hillsborough : 53%
Pinellas : 52%
Jeffereson : 51%
Monroe : 50%

I find it amazing that President Obama was able to garner 4.2 million votes in only 13 counties while it took Romney 54 counties to get 4.1 million votes!

[Endeavor305]

Originally Posted by theEmbarcadero

Yeah...this post is a grand slam....or better yet....4 dancing bananas!

You KNOW where I stand on urbanization and things like mass transit (think of my Metrorail rants and maps) and I noticed a long time ago that the right fought mass transit like crazy....we all know and have mention many times before, Reagan's remarks on Metrorail.....but the issue is...WHY?

Well, it is clear to me.....punish the big cities who always vote democrat.

I know it sounds simplistic....but it is what I believe..!!

But let me tell you what I know....I once lived in the largest USA city with no bus service....and I was a member of the downtown Rotary Club and it was spoken out loud in meetings that this unamed city in Texas (where Urban Cowboy was filmed) was NEVER gonna have bus service because all these Houston n*****s will flood into our white, redneck city...

The Pragmatic Party sounds good to me...

Your post also deserves 4 dancing bananas

[spellbound]

Originally Posted by theEmbarcadero

Do you have a recording of your Nightline appearence? Wow...would love to see it.

I would have said.....yeah, Elian needs to go back to his dad, but the Marlins need a new stadium and the Dolphins need to draft a QB.....

Had they given me 5 more minutes I would have ! (although I imagine ABC might have cut to a commercial break when I started prattling on about the Savalas fixation and the Spirits of St. Louis)

Anyway, I have it on DVD but haven't seen a youtube (or other video) link to that episode. Here's a New Times recap of it---pretty easy to tell who I am in the story (end of page 1, start of page 2). I doubt Alex Penelas will ever be buying me a beer, or vice-versa.

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2000-08...me-time-mayor/

[Endeavor305]

Originally Posted by spellbound

Had they given me 5 more minutes I would have ! (although I imagine ABC might have cut to a commercial break when I started prattling on about the Savalas fixation and the Spirits of St. Louis)

Anyway, I have it on DVD but haven't seen a youtube (or other video) link to that episode. Here's a New Times recap of it---pretty easy to tell who I am in the story (end of page 1, start of page 2). I doubt Alex Penelas will ever be buying me a beer, or vice-versa.

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2000-08...me-time-mayor/

Wow man. Way to go Spell. Disenfranchised, nice man. That had to be pretty cool to come out like that on Nightline with Ted Koppel there and everything.

[spellbound]

Originally Posted by Endeavor305

Wow man. Way to go Spell. Disenfranchised, nice man. That had to be pretty cool to come out like that on Nightline with Ted Koppel there and everything.

Always thought I had mentioned this stuff here before, but I guess not.

Yeah, the whole experience was pretty cool. I was nervous as hell when I realized I'd be going on the air (and was jittery in my first comments prior to those quoted) but when I saw Penelas getting hammered by both Koppel and Janet Reno (via video hookup), I got oddly calm and knew what I wanted to say to him.

Michael Putney from Channel 10 told me a year or two later that I helped end Penelas' political career. I don't think I'd go that far, but it was a memorable experience either way.

[brickell]

Originally Posted by Hia-leah JDM

Dade also goes blue but not as much as up north. It hasn't gone red since 1988 and probably never will again unless Marco Rubio ends up on a ticket someday.

Except that Rubio only won a plurality of Dade in 2010
Marco Rubio 44.76% 220,305
Meek/Crist 54.50% 267,749

Who knows how it would have gone against Meek or Crist alone, but more people voted against Rubio than for him.

[fastboyRD]

It's because his name, he should change it to Mark Blonde.

[CalleOchoGringo]

Originally Posted by spellbound

Sure, I wish there was something like a 'Pragmatic Party' in this country that cherry-picked an economic model that was sensible and workable, while also not invloving themselves in being morals police. But there isn't.

I sometime feel that the libertarians can be this pragmatic party if they quiet down about some of their more extreme views (fed breakup, gold standard). Or at least wipe the foam off their mouths when they say it.


I think a larger majority of this country than we all know, shares their more rightward views on economics and leftward views on social issues.

[theEmbarcadero]

Originally Posted by CalleOchoGringo

I sometime feel that the libertarians can be this pragmatic party if they quiet down about some of their more extreme views (fed breakup, gold standard). Or at least wipe the foam off their mouths when they say it.


I think a larger majority of this country than we all know, shares their more rightward views on economics and leftward views on social issues.

That would be the Too Pragmatic Party