Epi Exit Poll

[scott58]

Can any of you guys honestly say that your life actually got any better because of any president being elected. I've been voting since 72' and the only one to come close to making things better for me was probably Reagan. But no cigar!

 

You are correct. I just hope Obama breaks several of his promises. going after coal emissions

will result in higher electric bills and higher taxes to corporations will result in loss of jobs and/or

higher costs of goods and services. We'll know by the summer.

[JefferySmith]

The problem is (and has been since the dawn of time) is that (IMO) all politicians are crooks.

And we just re-elected Bill Jefferson. He's currently indicted for bribery and was caught red-handed with $90,000 in TV dinner boxes in his freezer.

[RobinTheHood]

I read that as $90,000 worth of TV dinners in his freezer...which I thought was just plain weird. But Wikipedia cleared it up for me. He had $90k suffed into TV dinner boxes in his freezer...which is still weird. I wonder what he did with the actual dinners?

[51xt33]

I hope that Nobama surrounds himself with quality knowledgeable people, unlike he did with his buddy the Rev Wrong. I don't agree with a lot that Nobama promised. I'm not one to support the current version of welfare and public handouts. My wife and I do not make a lot of money, so Nobama's proposed tax policy would directly effect us in a positive way. But indirectly, how will his actions effect our employers and other businesses? I don't think that enough people saw his plans beyond their immediate paycheck. When our cost of living goes up because of Nobama's proposed policies (hopefully I am wrong again#-o ), they will realize that there is a bigger picture here. Nobama promised everyone free ice cream, but could not say how he would pay for it. Maybe we will all be filling our freezers with TV dinners.

 

I would like to go back to old days when people actually voted for candidates because of their policies and past leadership experiences. I think many voted for Nobama because they got caught up in his charisma and generic change speak.

I too am scared that with the Dems being the majority in all 3 "arenas", there will be no checks and balances.

I also wonder why nobody wants to fault the democrats? Were there no Democrats in congress the past 2 years?

 

After seeing Nobama with that Les Paul though, he might be alright after all.

[Just Strum]

I too am scared that with the Dems being the majority in all 3 "arenas"' date=' there will be no checks and balances.[/b']

I also wonder why nobody wants to fault the democrats? Were there no Democrats in congress the past 2 years?

 

After seeing Nobama with that Les Paul though, he might be alright after all.

 

that's my biggest concern, but he's in and I hope he does good for the country.

[Just Strum]

I would have voted for Hillary' date=' after all Bill is a decent sax player.

 

Actually, I would have voted for anybody but Satan himself to get the Republicans out of office. IMHO the country has been on the wrong track for the last 8 years and voting for the same party would have been like putting your hands in a fire, getting burned, and then putting your hands in the same fire again, expecting a different result.

 

Hopefully the US citizens have made the best choice.

 

Notes[/quote']

 

and if we/they haven't, in four years we vote again to make a choice.

[Ron G]

I don't have unreasonable expectations of Obama, especially in areas of my day-to-day life. I do fervently hope for an end of warmongering and the politics of fear. American imperialism has to stop. The recent wholesale erosion of our rights has to be reversed - REPEAL THE PATRIOT ACT.

[scott58]

I don't have unreasonable expectations of Obama' date=' especially in areas of my day-to-day life. I do fervently hope for an end of warmongering and the politics of fear. American imperialism has to stop. The recent wholesale erosion of our rights has to be reversed - REPEAL THE PATRIOT ACT.[/quote']

 

As an ex combat veteran I wouldn't call it warmongering. The first time you see families pulled from their homes

and the men lined up against stone walls and the women and children loaded into 1 1/2 ton trucks. You don't

walk away from that. Call it moral obligation or anything you want, but that can't be allowed to happen

anywhere in the world. I don't care who it is or where it's at. The problem is most people can't imagine that

happening. Unfortunately it happens all the time and those of us who enjoy democracy and freedom shouldn't

ignore those who are less fortunate. I don't care what it costs.

[Ron G]

I don't care what it costs.

 

In the Iraq "war" alone:

 

4,120 US Deaths

100,000 US Wounded

Over 88,000 Iraqi Deaths

 

A lot not to care about. I only ask that people think about it.

[Bad Juju]

There was no option for abstaining from the presidential vote. I would not vote for Obama under any circumstances but I am not a big fan of McCain's either. If I lived in a state where my vote for president would have mattered I would have voted for McCain. Neither one will protect our borders. Now I start to worry about the threshhold for determining wealth will drop and drop and drop. Our country just sinks deeper and deeper into socialism. I won't have the right to keep what I work so hard for so it can be given to guests on the Jerry Springer show.

 

At least I have a beautiful cherry Dot to play. They can't tax that or take it away can they?

[Ron G]

They can't tax that or take it away can they?

Let me tell you how it will be,

There’s one for you, nineteen for me,

‘Cos I’m the Taxman,

Yeah, I’m the Taxman.

Should five per cent appear too small,

Be thankful I don’t take it all.

‘Cos I’m the Taxman,

Yeah yeah, I’m the Taxman.

 

(If you drive a car car), I’ll tax the street,

(If you try to sit sit), I’ll tax your seat,

(If you get too cold cold), I’ll tax the heat,

(If you take a walk walk), I’ll tax your feet.

Taxman.

 

‘Cos I’m the Taxman,

Yeah, I’m the Taxman.

Don’t ask me what I want it for

(Ah Ah! Mister Wilson!)

If you don’t want to pay some more

(Ah Ah! Mister Heath!),

‘Cos I’m the Taxman,

Yeeeah, I’m the Taxman.

 

Now my advice for those who die, (Taxman!)

Declare the pennies on your eyes, (Taxman!)

‘Cos I’m the Taxman,

Yeah, I’m the Taxman.

And you’re working for no-one but me

[Bad Juju]

Yeah' date=' I’m the Taxman.

And you’re working for no-one but me[/quote']

 

That's the truth, Brothah!

[Stig]

He's a Gibson man!!! Stan.

 

Until he visits a Fender factory. Then he'll be a Fender man.

 

Not that there's anything wrong with a fender. I have three.

[charlie brown]

Well....."It's All Over Now, Baby Blue!"

 

 

CB

[Stig]

I tell you what - there are a lot of people in Australia that would love to vote in your election. Obama all the way - the world is waiting for America to get a decent President again. I am hoping that things are set right again. Please vote for Obama' date=' for the sake of the USA and the rest of the Western World. [/quote']

 

 

There are going to be a lot of naive, disappointed people in the world after he takes office, and the free stuff doesn't rain from the sky, it's not Christmas every day, everybody doesn't love everybody, the you-know-whos are still blowing themselves up on buses, and nobody's buying a Mercedes on a McDonald's paycheck.

[charlie brown]

 

 

There are going to be a lot of naive' date=' disappointed people in the world after he takes office, and the free stuff doesn't rain from the sky, it's not Christmas every day, everybody doesn't love everybody, the you-know-whos are still blowing themselves up on buses, [b']and nobody's buying a Mercedes on a McDonald's paycheck[/b].

 

Actually...too many are attempting that, or have in the past...which is one major reason we're in the

financial crisis we are...WE (too many American people) and...especially the Government, live way beyond

our means! Until that changes...???

 

CB

[TWANG]

 

 

There are going to be a lot of naive' date=' disappointed people in the world after he takes office, and the free stuff doesn't rain from the sky, it's not Christmas every day, everybody doesn't love everybody, the you-know-whos are still blowing themselves up on buses, and nobody's buying a Mercedes on a McDonald's paycheck.[/quote']

 

I simply don't know a single person who voted for Obama thinking that.

I think you've confused the fact that people are happy to see a black president, with what they think a president can do.

 

What this does not only for people of color in the usa, but in the perception of our nations promise worldwide, is a great thing. And cause for celebration on both sides, as Sen. McC. said himself.

But that's not what we, or even Obama, think his presidency will be like.

He said as much in his acceptance speech.

 

The irony of you saying this after 8 years of Bush's disappointment.. surely you must feel that people who voted for him, (mainly the base.. the right wing evangelicals, who have for years been wondering why Bush did almost NOTHING

for them, issue wise or otherwise), are naive and disappointed now.. well. really Stig.. ask around.

So many of the Republican leadership abandoned McC and Bush, and for good reason.

 

 

Also take a hard look at your ideation here.. it's so very very insulting to me, to think that you truly believe

anything as absurd as my being stupid enough to hope for a Mercedes on a mickyd paycheck.

So let me set you a little bit straighter on this, sir, please.

 

Dems and Independants like me, are not naive warm and fuzzy dreamers.. I would like to see the financial crisis resolved.. I'd like to see my guitars selling again... I'd like to see oil companys and corp. ceo's get no better break than

you or I.

 

We all have concerns about healthcare, and I for one, want to say that contrary to your postulations, I'm worried that

government, and by that I mean not just O and his admin, but the whole bunch of them, will make a mess of it.

I am even concerned that there will be somthing 'too' socialistic about it. But I believe that's the risk we always take and that healthcare needs to be revamped.

 

Just because I care enough to pay a little more myself, doesn't mean I think anyone should be robbed.

Heck man, I like ya!

 

 

We know that terrorists are still around. Bin Laden was not a priority for Bush, and I feel you'll agree with me that if he'd continued to chase that jerk we'd have had him by now.

 

Still, let's be sure about this.. and know that even if we had done that, it doesn't mean that the nastys would have just broken up and gone away. This is going to be a rather long term affair for the world. No quick fixes involved, and boy, I hate saying that, but I think we all know it's true.

 

I know the polarisation that's been escalating over the years is deep set.. it's at least as old as my being chased out of a diner at 17 by three 30 year old men who wanted to beat me up for daring to eat a burger with long hair.

My god, that was so long ago.. but I'll never forget running to that car and seeing the antenna snapped off by one

man while another advanced with his tire iron as we sped away.

Think of it.. 1966. I was at the Surf ballroom and the hatred for rockers, beatles, and long hairs who then weren't even anything like what later became hippys or radicals, was already enough to make grown men try to clobber

two teenagers driving home from the Surf Ballroom.

 

Now, tie that into the Treaty with Tripoli.. so very very far back in americas past, where our government felt compelled to tell the leadership of that country that we were in no way formed as a 'christian nation', because the Moslem population there felt that America would continue the age old religious wars of the past and posed a serious threat to

their stability and even existence.

 

And those two things together show you that we've had this problem for a long time, and that our solutions haven't been so hot so far. You also see a bit of the contemporary confusion about what a nation with freedom of religion

is. It's not a christian nation, but a nation in which all religions are free to choose from for all people. I'll take that

umbrella every time!

 

Here, we have been divided against ourselves, fighting desperately and cruelly against each other over the methods by which we might find resolution, and there we have been fighting for actual blood, also unable to find resolution when we all know that the eradication of us or them is totally out of the question.

 

 

We are not going to kill all the terrorists. We are, I hope, going to find a way to arrest those who've done us harm, and see them brought to justice. *in bin ladens case, hang him like saddam, only I think the other end down would be

a tad better*

And we are going to find a way to dramatically reduce terrorist acts.. if not stop them all together.

(I have some doubts here, because I feel there may very well be small cells and crazy individuals for quite some time to come.)

Eventually, I believe we can achieve enough understanding and agreement.. just as we try so very hard to do to

reduce crime on our own streets, to say this problem is solved.

 

No, Stig. I'm not at all the dreamer you seem to think I am. And I don't know any personally.

I'm sure there are a few, after all, there were a few in the republican camp-I know them personally, who were just that dreamy, and that's been true since day one.

 

It's me and you. We're not dreamers, not naive and not expecting a free lunch.

We can do this.

 

And when it's time, as it will be, for the dems to step back and the reps to step up.. I'll be ignoring those who ask for my vote with pie in the sky.. just as you should.. and looking for the man or woman, from either side, who has the most realistic, practical ideas for solutions.

 

The change we need starts in ourselves. And that's tough, I think we all know that. But a goverment by the people demands the people want that change.

Even more, it demands we demand it.. it insists on our involvement.

 

Let's give the dude a bit of time.. and speak clearly and positively about what we like and don't like, together.

I'll listen to you, and I wont disagree or agree with my head in the clouds.

If I do, you set me straight. I'm counting on you.

 

TWANG

 

congrats to the USA on those things we can agree were great about this election.. the number of voters who turned out.. the fact that after a long and sordid history concerning racial issues a real reparation.. fair opporutunity!.. has been achieved, and hey.. two major players in all this were women.. not to mention the power of women as a voting block. Boy, this has to make people feel good don't you think? Anyone's son or daughter has the chance.. ANYONE'S!

That's not a bad start, after all. Let's try to move forward together. And not let anyone, as Pete Seeger has lately

said, tell us we can't.

[cookieman15061]

 

Well' date=' it seems that we've gained back a little bit of that respect we've lost as a nation under Bush, so I would say yes, everyones life just got a little better today as a result IMO.

 

[img']http://conservativehome.blogs.com/torydiary/images/2008/07/26/barack_obama_guitar.jpg[/img]

Really ya thinks so? If the respect for us has changed because of the election of a senator with no experience and a pocketful of promises then this planet is a sorry place. whoever the President is doesn't change my beliefs or my values. I have had the most successful years of my life, financial wise these past 8 years. That being said I also lost my job through downsizing early in this decade. I didn't wine or cry foul or blame the President. I worked like crazy to provide for my wife and 3 kids and eventually hooked up with a company that pays me well with benefits and company car. Im blessed to live in the USA.

[RobinTheHood]

Really ya thinks so? If the respect for us has changed because of the election of a senator with no experience and a pocketful of promises then this planet is a sorry place. whoever the President is doesn't change my beliefs or my values. I have had the most successful years of my life' date=' financial wise these past 8 years. That being said I also lost my job through downsizing early in this decade. I didn't wine or cry foul or blame the President. I worked like crazy to provide for my wife and 3 kids and eventually hooked up with a company that pays me well with benefits and company car. Im blessed to live in the USA.[/quote']

 

The world rejoiced and congratulated America for electing a senator with no experience and a pocketful of promises, so I think that speaks for itself. Like it or not, we've lost a lot of respect in the internatioanal community because of Bush's "my way or the highway" attitude. And that is respect we need to make this planet a little less sorry than it is.

 

Congratulations on your financial success, but I'm not sure what that has to do with anything I wrote.

[weeladdie]

Sorry I can not vote as I am in the u.k. Do you folk know that are ex pm Tony Blair owns a Strat !

 

And he was born in Edinburgh!

[Steven Lister]

Your problem USA - my problem - the world's problem (that's right, we're all in this together) is that until we figure out a way to prevent that top 3% from controlling 92% of the world's resources we're just running circles.

 

The masses have to start thinking outside-the-box or this world is doomed to cyclical election masturbation and day-to-day living frustration (or far worse). The type of change the world needs cannot be made from within any existing system -- from capitalist to socialist to fascist -- their institutions of governance lock them into a self-serving mechanism = better for me/my group at someone else's expense (usually somewhere else).

 

You want cheap XXXX, then exploit people YYYY. Capitalism is dependant upon this principle of greed.

 

In a simple, developing world it works at first - for some. It doesn't work at all in a developed world of sophisticated people. As this world approaches the developed/sophisticated model, that is why we seem doomed (and are) to beat each other to death over dwindling resources -- unless we STOP -- re-think our collective destiny -- form unities of purpose that can advance all of us together. Our human motto should be: If one fails, we all fail, we must not fail each other or we doom this world to the chaos we all know so well.

 

BTW -- to all those who repeatedly berate EPI for overzealous censorship -- how about these "vote" threads..., let's hear some credit where due, eh?

 

Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-"

[Guitar Chico]

Your problem USA - my problem - the world's problem (that's right' date=' we're all in this together) is that until we figure out a way to prevent that top 3% from controlling 92% of the world's resources we're just running circles.

 

The masses have to start thinking outside-the-box or this world is doomed to cyclical election masturbation and day-to-day living frustration (or far worse). The type of change the world needs cannot be made from within any existing system -- from capitalist to socialist to fascist -- their institutions of governance lock them into a self-serving mechanism = better for me/my group at someone else's expense (usually somewhere else).

 

You want cheap XXXX, then exploit people YYYY. Capitalism is dependant upon this principle of greed.

 

In a simple, developing world it works [i']at first - for some[/i]. It doesn't work at all in a developed world of sophisticated people. As this world approaches the developed/sophisticated model, that is why we seem doomed (and are) to beat each other to death over dwindling resources -- unless we STOP -- re-think our collective destiny -- form unities of purpose that can advance all of us together. Our human motto should be: If one fails, we all fail, we must not fail each other or we doom this world to the chaos we all know so well.

 

BTW -- to all those who repeatedly berate EPI for overzealous censorship -- how about these "vote" threads..., let's hear some credit where due, eh?

 

Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-"

 

Don't really know what you said but even through a computer, that was one helluva speech. Amen brother, amen.

 

GC

[Ron G]

Nicely said, Steven.

[snookelputz]

Ah! 'Tis apathy, 'twill be the death of us!

and yet, care I not a whit!

 

You have no idea how I hate that attitude, Steven, yet it seems that 1/3 of everybody who attains a degree of comfort stops trying to improve and starts trying to keep others from getting there.

[Just Strum]

POSTED SOLELY FOR ITS HUMOR CONTENT (sort of)

 

For those that don't know about history ... Here is a condensed version:

 

Humans originally existed as members of small bands of nomadic hunters/gatherers. They lived on deer in the mountains during the summer and would go to the coast and live on fish and lobster in the winter.

 

The two most important events in all of history were the invention of beer and the invention of the wheel. The wheel was invented to get man to the beer. These were the foundation of modern civilization and together were the catalyst for the splitting of humanity into two distinct subgroups:

 

1. Liberals, and

2. Conservatives.

 

Once beer was discovered, it required grain and that was the beginning of agriculture. Neither the glass bottle nor aluminum can were invented yet, so while our early humans were sitting around waiting for them to be invented, they just stayed close to the brewery. That's how villages were formed.

 

Some men spent their days tracking and killing animals to B-B-Q at night while they were drinking beer. This was the beginning of what is known as the Conservative movement.

 

Other men who were weaker and less skilled at hunting learned to live off the conservatives by showing up for the nightly B-B-Q's and doing the sewing, fetching, and hair dressing. This was the beginning of the Liberal movement.

 

Some of these liberal men eventually evolved into women. The rest became known as girlie-men. Some noteworthy liberal achievements include the domestication of cats, the invention of group therapy, group hugs, and the concept of Democratic voting to decide how to divide the meat and beer that conservatives provided.

 

Over the years conservatives came to be symbolized by the largest, most powerful land animal on earth, the elephant. Liberals are symbolized by the jack***.

 

Modern liberals like imported beer (with lime added), but most prefer white wine or imported bottled water. They eat raw fish but like their beef well done. Sushi, tofu, and French food are standard liberal fare. Another interesting evolutionary side note: most of their women have higher testosterone levels than their men. Most social workers, personal injury attorneys, journalists, dreamers in Hollywood and group therapists are liberals. Liberals invented the designated hitter rule because it wasn't fair to make the pitcher also bat.

 

Conservatives drink domestic beer, mostly Bud. They eat red meat and still provide for their women. Conservatives are big-game hunters, rodeo cowboys, lumberjacks, construction workers, firemen, medical doctors, police officers, corporate executives, athletes, members of the military, airline pilots and generally anyone who works productively. Conservatives who own companies hire other conservatives who want to work for a living.

 

Liberals produce little or nothing. They like to govern the producers and decide what to do with the production. Liberals believe Europeans are more enlightened than Americans. That is why most of the liberals remained in Europe when conservatives were coming to America . They crept in after the Wild West was tamed and created a business of trying to get more for nothing.

 

Here ends today's lesson in world history:

 

WE LIVE IN THE LAND OF THE FREE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BRAVE