You know what? Say what you like about the 44th President of the United States, yeah I’m talkin’ bout Barack Obama, say what you like about him. But one thing you can’t deny is that he’s cool, he’s really cool, he sings Al Green at a conference and doesn’t care. He listens to Jay Z, who I think is a rapper, he is certainly the coolest president in history, I mean sure Taft had the moustache, but Obama just, just, tops him. What I’m getting at is that we cannot, just cannot have someone as un-cool as Rick Santorum, sweater vest and all, being the next president, as a matter of principle, it can’t happen.
Admittedly, this week has been a bit of a dry week, it has been dry, which is why this week’s piece is going to be slightly shorter than usual. There’s been very little material to work with this week, and by ‘work with’ I mean attempt to write a semi-witty article about American politics, the next primaries aren’t for another 5 days, there is very little for someone, who isn’t even in America by the way, to go on, but I like Obama so I’m gonna run with this!
So recently Rick Santorum has been doing pretty damn well, it seems as though he may be the conservative that the Republicans have been looking for. However, for me personally, I despise him, I really despise him as a person and just about everything he stands for. On the other hand, I am quite pleased that he’s knocked everyone’s least favourite living politician, Newt Gingrich, out of the way, if there is anyone I despise more than ‘Sweater vest’ its ol’ Newt. So after writing a paragraph using the word ‘despise’ more times than I think I’ve said the word, I’ll move on.. Rick Santorum quite astoundingly is doing pretty well in Michigan, ol’ Mitt’s favourite second favourite state, but honestly I can’t understand his support, in fact, I can’t understand the type of person who would vote for Santorum.
Now lets be clear, we live in a democratic societies, on both sides of the pond, in fact most of the world does, which is of course a great thing. But Rick Santorum, god bless him, stands for things that take away people’s liberty and free choice; banning of abortion, banning of gay marriage etc. So surely his advocation of Federal bans of these things is, thus effectively removing people’s free choice, is a bad thing? Well isn’t it? Just because HE and others believe that they are right, doesn’t make them right. I can’t understand his views at all, I thought all Republicans want a small non-intrusive government, yet here he is, intruding right into people’s bedrooms, telling them what they should or shouldn’t be doing. Of course all of this ultra conservative rhetoric is backed, by what he believes to be god’s will, but I can’t understand the mentality behind people who decide they know what’s best for others because they are ignorant to other people’s lifestyle.
Got a tad serious for a second there, although I can honestly say I don’t like Sweater vest Rick, I fully respect his voters and believe in a democratic society where people should vote for who they like, but there is something so clearly ignorant about Santorum’s attitude that I just find so frustrating, plus y’know sweater vests aren’t really very cool are they? They aren’t ‘Obama cool’.
Politicin' 
Katrina
/ February 25, 2012I totally agree with you about Santorum and Obama. First let me say, the only reason any of the current republican runners have a snow ball’s chance in hell is because 1. Conservative republicans and tea party members are so prejudiced they would put anyone in there who they think can win over Obama, which is ridiculous because most of the same sex couples, legal (and illegal) immigrants and Native Americans are democrats. And, 2. the republicans in question are so busy trying to oust Obama, they’re not paying attention to what whey potential candidates are really saying, therefore they have no idea what rights and privileges they could lose if they actually won.
Republic of Texas (Glenn's conservative/libertarian state)
/ March 15, 2012In reference to you harsh statement about Santorum or any other True Conservative is most of them believe in States Rights. If you are not familiar then do a study on it. It is a major part of our politics. That is what the Civil War/War between the States was about, the
North just used Slavery as a popular issue to get the citizen fired up and support the war. We do not believe the Federal Government Constitutional has the right to meddle in the affairs of the 50 sovereign states that makes up the United States. In the Bill of Rights
The tenth amendment: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.
With that being said, each state should regulate those issues of gay rights, marriage, abortion etc. If you do not like the state your living in, work to change the laws or move to a more liberal or progressive state. Yes we want small non intrusive government, leave those issues up to each state respectively. With an over all too powerful Federal gorilla, that the Fed has become, one day if not stopped we will wake up with no freedoms.
Obama is the worst thing that has happen to this nation, since Wilson, FDR and Carter. He is a puppet of men like George Sorros and others.
It is interesting to see what you guys think, I will add you to my list to get a different perspective. By the way who cares if they are cool or not, it is what they stand for that is important to me. Too many Americans vote their emotions, not their constitutional principals.
Take care and have a great day.
Politicin'
/ March 15, 2012Hey! Thanks for your comment!
Yes I agree that my comment about Rick Santorum was harsh, and yet I feel it was entirely justified. I completely understand ‘states rights’ and completely understand where you are coming from in relation to small government/less government intrusion. The point that I was trying to make was that while I completely respect the fact that each state has it’s own power to regulate issues such as gay rights, abortion etc. It’s that by regulating issues such as gay rights & abortion you are infringing upon the rights of people, who for example; are gay and want to get married. And the people who ban this are often ignorant of other people’s rights or feel that their views are somehow backed by some twisted ‘divinity’. And so while you say you don’t want some ‘Federal Gorilla’ infringing upon you’re rights, you allow these states to thus infringe upon on other people’s rights.
I can’t understand this argument against a federal government, barring of course that it’s written against it in the bill of rights, if the government had full control you won’t wake up in some dystopian ‘big brother society’, I live in the UK and we have nothing like states rights, we have full government control that is widely held accountable for it’s actions. I think these hardcore Republican states, and occasionally America as a whole, sometimes live in a sort of bubble and block out changes that are taking place across the world. Take Rick Santorum, while there is nothing wrong with conservatism, but his views of ‘anti abortion’, ‘anti gay’ are met with disgust everywhere but America, which would probably explain my personal views towards him. Views like his are so woefully outdated they cause offence to just about everyone in the civilised world! This addresses your point directly, ‘move to a different more liberal state’, that’s not the point, that doesn’t change anything in the original state and still leaves the old state in the dark ages, social change has taken over the western hemisphere and it seems the US is the only one pretending not to bloody listen.
Republicans are so hopelessly out of touch, as I mentioned previously, as are the electorate which is why the concept of ‘state’s rights’ is so outdated, because these politicians are so out of date they don’t realise that 15% of their state population is living below the poverty line but refuse to enact welfare because it’s ‘socialism’. Yet nation-wide action could actually people on a huge level, it might not be what you’re used to, but my god it’s not going to turn you into communist Russia. The main Republican voters are richer, white people who vote in their own interest, not with any interest for their own people living in their own country starving!
You criticise FDR? Well at least he tried to help people in poverty through social security. The same with Obama and the healthcare bill, not everyone can afford healthcare insurance.
Laissez Faire was good in the 1920’s, it’s now 2012, open your eyes.
– Apologies if that came across rude, I didn’t mean to!
Republic of Texas (Glenn's conservative/libertarian state)
/ March 16, 2012I respect you view and it has some merit, but over size Government can not meet the needs of the individual, therefore it results in an attempt to create some form of utopia, that is not possible and will never work. In addition it is about power and control for the politician, job security so to speak. The utopian form of Government results in a cookie cutter policy, that will evolve into a top down, heavy handed policy. You mentioned Obama care, it was suppose to lower insurance and health care cost, that is a joke. I grew up not having much, more on the poor side of town. But thanks to God and the American free market / capitalism, I had the opportunity to change my position and now I am partly self employee or a part owner of a mid size business. I do not consider my self rich, but comfortable. With that being said I am over the Administrations for our company, I just got our health care renewal rate, 58% increase. The company pays for each employee a base amount the employee pays the difference. The total premiums is over 22,000.00 a month. If we keep the same insurance plans we current have that means monthly the premiums will increase to 34,760.00 a month. Thank you Mr. Obama my health care has went down in cost? I am sorry you will never convince me that the Government can do anything much that is good. Mr. Federal Gorilla get your dirty hands off my life, get out and do what the constitution says you are to do and nothing more. We the people and the private sector can take care of our self’s. You mentioned welfare and those not insured, any one needing medical had it under the prior system. Each state had a indigent program that took care of those not insured, in addition no hospital would turn any one away from the emergency rooms. Obama care is not about health care it, is about power and fundamentally changing America. My own mother who passed away in 1991 who was very ill at that time, her last three days on earth was in a very large and good hospital in down town Ft Worth. When I got the bill for $18,000.00 I called the hospital, told them that she did not have the money. They told me not worry about it and wrote it off. Bottom line we had the best health care in the world, just the power hungry Socialist/Communist elite in our country are never happy. The hard core liberal, leftist, tyrants of this world must be the most miserable unhappy vindictive people alive. You mentioned welfare, we have it, and the results is those who become entitlement minded, who do not work, have their hand out constantly and run around screwing and having babies so they can get another check. Unless you are so physically or mentally incapable of working, no one should be on welfare period. If you do not work and are capable then you should not eat. Please do not take offense to my next statement, but America dose not want to be like Europe or the rest of the world. That is why our forefathers left Europe and other parts of the world, to get away from tyranny. They came to America were an individual was valued for each ones uniqueness and the opportunity to excel in life where one chooses. Not being born into a class system where you are stuck their the rest of your life. That is why we told King Georgia to go fly a kite, butt out of our life’s. Yes America is the black sheep of the Mighty British Empire, the wayward child who rebelled and went their own way. And we want to keep our sovereignty at all cost. I will agree that America has meddled in world affairs where should not have. Our first President George Washington in his farewell address warned the nation to not become involved in world affairs, but attempt to live at peace with all nations. I feel we was forced into WWII, not so sure about WWI . We could have avoided many other conflicts of the 20th century. Our fathers left the old world to get away from it, and its decaying governments, systems and ways of life. We want no part of it. I will never bow to a King, Queen, Royalty or Nobility. They are no better that I. That is the way we view the current American Government. They have come to think of themselves as our elected nobility that knows whats best for us peasants. I wrote an article or blogged some months ago about Americans elected royalty. Thanks but no thanks, we appreciate the offer but we are not interested period, so do not force it on us. Freedom is not free. When good men do nothing evil men prevail. We are not out of touch, we just know the way we want our nation to be, we will fight for freedom and individual rights till our dying breath. By they way, we know were not perfect by any means, but neither is the rest of the world. Take care and have a good day.