Jindal is better educated certainly. Some of the right wing sites that are also strong pro-evolution would have you believe that he's done a lot to advance a Creationist agenda in science ed, for whatever that's worth.

I didn't doubt the overall take that some states get back far more than they pay in, but I was interested in exactly what was accounted for. South Caroline as a welfare state was kind of a new idea.

Sometimes, I think that the relatively small size of a state's tax base skews the numbers quite a bit.(Or large size in the case of New York, in the opposite direction.) I'd kind of assume that there's a baseline amount of federal funds you'd expect every state to get. There'd be more funds coming in if that state had more military bases and this could heavily tip a state with a relatively low population overall. I'm interested in trying to see where money goes and if it's high or low per capita compared to other states.

I would imagine population size plays into it quite a bit, as well as the industries of those particular states (heavy industry/goods and services/etc.) but of course, that can be split up into counties as well.

Where is OTW with the pic of the "Waaaaambulance?" You can't be serious. I fail to see where any of the above things you're saying have actually happened in this thread.

So people disagree with you? Ok, so what? If you haven't noticed, people disagree ALL THE TIME in the News forum. But none of us are making dissertations about our subconscious inferiority complexes.




LOL.

I need to come over to News and Politics more often.

I think I read the first page of this thread a couple days ago and then have stayed away from it mainly because my time has been constrained but also because I could pretty much guess who'd be in here posting and run the conversation in my head.

So I finally click in and just glance at the last 3 pages and my main observation is that DaemonSeid and deepimpact2 can't have a rational conversation to save their lives. deepimpact, I haven't read much from you, I wager to guess we'd probably agree on most political issues in the general sense, but you have got to chill out. That you accused KSigkid of participating in any kind of mob mentality and intimidation is beyond hilarious. He's consistently one of the most rational, intelligent and thoughtful posters here. And DS, to see you sink to the "you know people don't like you, right?" level was a new low and I'm sad to see you go there. You must be confusing her with another poster or you're just associating with the wrong folks.

I would comment on the main topic if I could decipher what it was at the moment. Obama's rhetoric? Bobby Jindal? The stimulus plan? Ah, forget it, I'll just leave it with my random, unsolicited external commentary and continue the hijack. Much more fun.

KSU why DON'T you wander this way more often? It's a much more appropriate place to flex your growing snark muscles.

Eww that sounded gross. But I'm leaving it!

I wish I was, but I know I am not.


And maybe you are right...I'm too left minded for some of these right minded folks.

There are ways to be "left-minded" (hate that term, btw) without acting like you've lost your mind. You give the "right-minded" (hate that term even more) folks way too much power over you when you get all worked up and lose your rationality. Makes it tougher on anyone else who might agree with you in principle to keep arguing something on just its merits.

Rhetoric and the stimulus, I think. But anything rhetoric related independently or stimulus related independently or gummy product or purple four wheeler or race related is welcome, I think.

What you got on Alpha Gam sister-in-laws? We covered that too last night. Do you have one or are you one? Alphagamzetagam has one and, I guess, reciprocally is one. Interesting.

Oh the who, why, and what of username likes and dislikes don't matter. It was just ironic coming from him. :)

I like the fearmongering and stimulus plan topic the most. I don't like politics enough to participate in the other stuff.

Has anyone had a chance to browse through the actual bill?

LOL....

LOL, gotcha. Sounds like a good old fashioned GC-hijacked-thread. I feel the need to go back and find the purple four-wheeler reference for some reason... have nothing for you on the Alpha Gam SILs, unfortunately, though, sorry.

http://chancefavors.com/wp-content/u...ents_small.jpg

next.

Is the number of topics that can be successfully used to fear monger pretty limited or can an effective rhetorician basically take any sub-topic and make it work?

For instance, I'd say that external security and total economic melt down are pretty unsurpassed in their ability to scare people, and yet, the right charismatic xenophobe can raise immigration to the external security level.

Let the economy bottom out as soon as possible so we can pick up the pieces. Focus current funding on social services to get people through these difficult times. I understand that people don't want to lose what they have, but that's pretty inevitable at this point. The longer we keep extending the recession by using tax payer money, the worse the real bottom is going to be.

What are we really afraid of? Losing the so-called American Dream?