The 2008 presidential field at-a-glance

[PsychTau2]

Originally Posted by UGAalum94

I will vote for Fred in the Georgia primary, but I'm really hoping that Huckabee does something to make the evangelicals mad before Feb. 5th.

(or some skeleton in his closet is exposed. I'm not saying there is one, but I find him insincere and wouldn't be surprised to find some hypocrisy in his past. I mean, to some degree, we've all got them, but not everyone runs hyping Jesus. I want anything that might come out to come out while Fred can still pick up votes in the South.)

DISCLAIMER: I was born and raised in Arkansas, and moved out of state in 2004.
I'm sure something will come out. Do you ever wonder how/why, with American politics being quite corrupt, underhanded, and scheming...why does Huckabee say that he was "called by God" to get into politics? Seems like a juxtaposition in there somewhere...

I like this quote from his website:
Under Huckabee’s direction, Arkansas has been recognized as having created one of the nation’s best school accountability programs. Huckabee pushed through reforms in Arkansas that have significantly increased the number of charter schools and established new approaches to workforce education.

So, lets talk about this for a second. Yep, there are more charter schools in Arkansas, but it's not obvious about how they've changed AR education overall. They aren't that big from what I understand. I do know that in AR school districts, if a child fails the requirements to pass a grade, the parents can override that and allow the child to be promoted. My sister, who is an elementary school teacher, had a child who could not even SPELL OR WRITE his name, and he was promoted to the next grade because his parents didn't want him to be stigmatized by being held back. I have other personal examples of parents who don't want their child to be in special education, so they are placed in regular classes. Someone who reads on a 3rd grade reading level got an A in high school journalism. How in the hell does that happen? Well, it's easier just to pass students along...less hassle from parents, less paperwork. Huckabee worked on a state law (this may be a federal law though, I'm not positive) that states that teacher salaries are directly related to their students' performance on standardized tests. We all know how unmotivated students can be to perform on those tests. So, a teacher's salary is somewhat out of her control. Not to mention how a teacher can get a classroom full of students who didn't learn anything in the second grade, so is there any hope for them to perform well on the third grade standardized test (for example)? And students aren't randomly assigned to the teachers...if you have pissed off the school principal, you get all of the "known bad kids" in your class, which puts you at a disadvantage. Teachers will teach the students answers to test questions, encourage the low performers to not come to school on test days, or will change test answers.

I don't know how any of that increases school accountability.

As Huckabee was leaving the Governor's office, he used the last bit of money in the "Governors Emergency Fund" (whatever that is) to destroy all of the computer hard drives and electronic storage that he and his staff members used. No good reason from him, other than "It is within the rights of the Governor to do so." Makes you wonder what was really on those hard drives.
He says on his website: "My faith is my life - it defines me. My faith doesn't influence my decisions, it drives them. For example, when it comes to the environment, I believe in being a good steward of the earth. I don't separate my faith from my personal and professional lives. What part of his faith directed him to do that? (story about the drives here: http://www.computerworlduk.com/techn...fm?newsid=1356
An ethics committee determined that he did nothing wrong or against the law, but you have to wonder what was up with that little decision he made.

So yeah, based on a few little things, I'll bet someone will find something. The media seems so in love with Huckabee leading into the primaries, but honestly he's not that impressive to me. He's just not "all that" in my mind.

(and yes, anyone who paid attention in Little Rock when Clinton was governor knew that he had all sorts of little trysts. Monica Lewinsky wasn't surprising, but his stupidity about it was.)

PsychTau

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by PsychTau2

I like this quote from his website:
Under Huckabee’s direction, Arkansas has been recognized as having created one of the nation’s best school accountability programs. Huckabee pushed through reforms in Arkansas that have significantly increased the number of charter schools and established new approaches to workforce education.

Interesting about the charter schools. In Washington, we've voted down charter schools a couple of times now...Huckabee's bragging about that would actually bring him harm here, not kudos.

[LeslieAGD]

Does anyone else think Mitt Romney seems like a tool? IMO, he comes off looking like a jerk in every interview or debate.

[Tom Earp]

Well, the trees shook and look at the leafs that fell out here!

Amazing how some are invited to debates and who are not?

A female customer was unhappy as she stated, "how is going to look when and if we get a President whose name is Barak Heussain Obaman a early on Musilum?"

Hillary wept and swept by a slim margerine in N H!

Mitt, the money candidate is a tool, a screw driver and what do you do with that tool, screw! People maybe.

New ball game now folks!

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by Tom Earp

Hillary wept and swept by a slim margerine in N H!

Mitt, the money candidate is a tool, a screw driver and what do you do with that tool, screw! People maybe.

Quoting just because I found this one especially funny. The last bit reminds me of a Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy quote.

[PeppyGPhiB]

Originally Posted by LeslieAGD

Does anyone else think Mitt Romney seems like a tool? IMO, he comes off looking like a jerk in every interview or debate.

And yes, he is a tool. He's widely regarded as being a jerk. And he has a way of saying things in very un-presidential ways. Example from late last week, after Obama won in Iowa: "Did you listen to Barack Obama? He is a new face, but gosh when you listen to what comes out of his mouth. It's like, 'We're going to just get our troops out of Iraq." The "did you listen to what comes out of his mouth?" and the tone of it just came off as very patronizing to me.

And just a couple of months ago, he confused Obama with Osama Bin Laden, saying that Barack Obama had called on jihadists to fight in his latest video. An excerpt from http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2...a-osama-gaffe/:

"But he paused to talk about the threat of radical Islam, taking John Edwards, one of his Democratic opponents, to task for comments he made several months ago that criticized the “global war on terror” as a bumper sticker for President Bush.

“I think that is a position which is not consistent with the fact,” Mr. Romney said. “Actually, just look at what Osam — uh — Barack Obama, said just yesterday. Barack Obama calling on radicals, jihadists of all different types, to come together in Iraq. That is the battlefield. That is the central place, he said. Come join us under one banner.”

The comment set off some confusion among the press corps. Glen Johnson of the Associated Press was momentarily frantically searching for comments made by Mr. Obama, another Democratic presidential contender, about jihadism and Iraq.

It turns out, of course, Mr. Romney was talking about the new audiotape from bin Laden calling on insurgents in Iraq to unite.

Oops."

[LeslieAGD]

I really hope Hilary Clinton and John McCain get their respective party nominations. For me, it would finally be an election in which I could be content with either candidate...usually it's picking the lesser of two evils.

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by LeslieAGD

Does anyone else think Mitt Romney seems like a tool? IMO, he comes off looking like a jerk in every interview or debate.

He looks like Nathan Petrelli. Once I saw that, I can't unsee it.

/Flying man!

[jon1856]

Originally Posted by LeslieAGD

I really hope Hilary Clinton and John McCain get their respective party nominations. For me, it would finally be an election in which I could be content with either candidate...usually it's picking the lesser of two evils.

And what to do IF Mayor Mike joins in the fun
Or even better, Hilary, Rudy, and Mike

[UGAalum94]

I have mixed feelings about the computer drive thing. On one hand, it seems creepy and like he's hiding something; on the other, even though I don't feel like I have anything to hide really, I'd want to wipe anything off a computer that I had used before it went to another user. And if I served in a leadership capacity and everything my subordinates did could also reflect on me, I'd want to clear theirs even more since I'd have no idea what they had posted on GC, er, I mean used them for.

About the educational reform, there's a big difference between governors doing it and the federal government doing it. And as much as everyone is angry about NCLB, I think it's been good for a lot of students in terms of getting greater numbers to a basic level of proficiency, particular in the sub groups that used to get less attention. It just wasn't something that a conservative should have used the federal government to do.

[FSUZeta]

fox just announced that mccain has won the n.h. primary

[FSUZeta]

have any of you tried the candidate calculator? they were talking about it on tv so i googled "candidate calculator" and several sites came up. i could not open the first listing, so went to the 2nd one listed-it did not work properly-it got all my answers wrong when i compared my answers to the candidate it was telling me i most nearly matched in philosophy. if you use any of these, be sure to closely check the answers they are listing as your own.

[UGAalum94]

Does it seem to anyone else that TV channels calling the race with about 15% of the vote counted should have gone out with the 2000 presidential election?

Seriously, why not continue to post the updates and have the talking heads but not call it until it's all actually counted?

(If anything calling the race encourages people to watch something else.)

I'm happy about McCain and Romney results so far, but even though I knew he hadn't campaigned in the state, I was still dreaming that Thompson would statistically show up. Oh, well. If someone will get on that Huckabee scandal for me, I look forward to South Carolina.

I kind of think it's fun that in three states (Iowa, Wyoming, and NH) we're getting three different winners. Wouldn't it be great to take it to four with Fred winning SC? (yeah, I know it's pretty delusional, but it's a happy thought for me.)

[Drolefille]

Originally Posted by SWTXBelle

Drole, I just have a yard sign and a bumper sticker. Have yet to feel the need to chase anyone - but I reserve the right to change my mind!

And I think there is some frustration about him not being taken seriously by the mainstream media - not that that should be an excuse for stupid behavior.

I understand their frustration to some extent. But the idea that it's some vast conspiracy (something I've seen suggested repeatedly)... not so much. I don't see crazy as much as annoying, online particularly. Some of RP's ideas, now those are a bit out there.

You sure I didn't see you in that video?

[SWTXBelle]

HA! It'd be great to get out of the house, but alas no.