Fish, I should be baiting you-not the other way around.

It don’t matter to me none. I’m a yellow dog Democrat so who ever runs I’m voting for them.

John Edwards and Mike Hucklebee seemed to be the only candidates that cared about issues pertaining to poor and medium income people, the others seem to be for the rich and the corporations which send our jobs to other countries.

Baloney. Over regulation and ruinous corporate taxes that make it impossible to compete are the main reason businesses have moved manufacturing out this country. You can thank the Democrats for that.

None of the Democrats care a rats patoot about the poor or middle class. If they did, they wouldn’t saddle them with high withholding taxes or demonize successful business owners and entrepreneurs who create jobs.

Fish….”Over regulation and ruinous corporate taxes?” As opposed to zero environmental laws and slave labor in China?…..Hey, when corporations were taxed at 70% during the 1950’s, they produced record profits, paid good wages and benefits, and built the strongest country the world has ever seen…..What happened?
People like Sam Walton came to town and the new corporate mentality was formed. Greed.

I disagree with RCJ’s tirade (#22) about having to have a well fleshed out plan to deal with every problem. The President shares many traits with a CEO. When a CEO wants a new product, the extent of his job is to decide the strategic vision – what market will we be competing in, what class should it be, etc. Then he delegates it to the Marketing department, who does research until they can decide on the features that are most import to the targeted consumers. The Marketing Department then brings it to Engineering, who bring this vision to reality, and design a functioning product. And So On, until it finally reaches the Marketplace.

If the CEO’s vision was good - and he has picked good staff - then the product will be a success. The company will make a profit. At no point was it necessary for the CEO to know exactly how it works, how to make it, how to distribute it – nothing. Just have the instincts to know when there is a market opportunity, and the vision to know how to fill that need.

Back to Presidents, I don’t expect them to know how to solve poverty any more than I expect them to know how to General a war. I expect them to be a great judge of character and choose excellent people for key positions. I expect them to have priorities that match my own. Is their priority on domestic job creation, or fighting foreign wars? Is their priority on improving health care for all Americans,or is it on tax cuts for the ultra rich?

Ultimately, any plan that can be reduced to a sound bite fit for mass media consumption is too simple to be realistic. I don’t expect detailed action plans from a Presidential candidate, I expect Priorities. If their priorities are different than mine, then their plans are meaningless. I also expect a person who staffs based on skills, not nepotism, favoritism or partisanship. Presidents who fill their cabinets with buddies, “yes men” and other sycophants are doomed to fail.

Countless examples from the current administration come readily to mind.

Frankly, a right wing conservative complaining about a lack of a detailed plan to fix health care is a red herring. It’s NOT their Priority! They are fine the way it is, and want NO change. All they want is a few simplified sound bites they can use to attack the concept. Health care is complex – fixing it will not be easy. But one things for sure, if it’s not even a priority of yours, then Nothing will get done – and that’s just what the conservatives want.

Good riddance to a weird fella.

First, my sympathies to Timbo. And even tho I disliked Edwards and never would have voted for him, I truly believed that he was going to be the default candidate because I think their were many dems who would not vote for O or H. Sadly, since .01% of the people didn’t like him, all the rest of the country did not even get to voice their opinion. That is simply not a democracy.

We need to have two National Primary days, held on a Saturday. No media ads allowed. A max amount of money allowed to be spent. All candidates should have the same chance regardless of funds. The first Primary Day would weed the candidates down to the top four in each party. Same rules apply for the second. We would get to know the candidates by watching debates. This really is the only fair way to go.

#48 - I’m all for it.

But the States rights people will protest that this isn’t a Democracy, it’s a Republic. If we all had a say in selecting candidates, then states like NH (pop. 1.2 million) would have less significance than the St. Louis metro area (pop. 2.8 million).

Personally, I think the Senate more than ensures that small states have a say in National politics. However, there will always be partisans who believe that empowering the people would take power away from their party, and until we can convince them not to fear the people, nothing will change.

These Criminal Corporations which move American jobs to foreign countries will be the downfall of this nation, I can not understand why there are no laws putting a stop to this shameful practice. I hope that the Devil has a especially hot and tormenting place in Hell for the corporate leaders who carry on these criminal acts.