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Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: cbelt3
Date: June 01, 2012 07:01AM
What do you believe are the most important issues in the 2012 election ? What drives your selection criteria ?

Mine:
Economy.
Spending.
Too much long term Debt.
Ability of businesses (small to large) to function in the US in order to improve the above list.

Gay rights, Abortion, Immigration, Foreign affairs... these are all secondary distractions to the critical issues facing our country. I wonder if the organized fascination with these is some sort of red herring campaign to distract the voters ?
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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: Pam
Date: June 01, 2012 07:28AM
Economy.
Foreign affairs.

What scares me the most about the possibility of Romney being elected is that the Republican party in congress has become so overloaded with nut cases that they'd actually pass budgets with these spending cuts they are campaigning on. Sure, lower the deficit. Meanwhile send more people out on unemployment and remove more of the support system for those already on it or past the point of being qualified as well as support for the working poor. This country would go straight down the tubes. Tightening federal belts is one thing, getting so worked up over deficits when the economy is moving forward at a still slow crawl is another. It doesn't work, has never worked. Even Reagan recognized this.
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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: Bill in NC
Date: June 01, 2012 07:36AM
I'll steal from Opus

"good jobs @ good wages"

I agree other issues are much less important to voters.

One analysis I recently read concluded we'd already have had amenestry for the undocumented if the economy hadn't fallen off a cliff.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2012 07:38AM by Bill in NC.
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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: Pops
Date: June 01, 2012 07:40AM
• Economy

• Erosion of Constitutional rights by administrative and congressional actions.

• Senseless wars that kill thousands of poor American citizens and hundreds of thousands of those we don't want to notice.
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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: Black
Date: June 01, 2012 07:48AM
Economic policy (in favor of 99%)
Environment/transportation spending (spend it on the right things)
Social service/safety net spending (reform sensibly but don't pull the rug out)
Civil rights (e.g. repeal the damn Patriot act already)


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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: Filliam H. Muffman
Date: June 01, 2012 07:57AM
Quote
cbelt3
What do you believe are the most important issues in the 2012 election ? What drives your selection criteria ?

Mine:
Economy.

So you don't think the economy has gotten better?



Unemployment would be about 2% lower if it was not for states hacking spending and laying off people since 2008.

Quote
cbelt3
Spending.

Why didn't you complain about spending any of the seven times the debt ceiling was raised under Bush (with a Republican Congress for much of that)?

Quote
cbelt3
Too much long term Debt.

See above.


in tha 510.
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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: cbelt3
Date: June 01, 2012 08:17AM
Fill-

DJIA is not 'The Economy'. It's a bunch of gambler's opinion on the relative value of various stocks, which were selected by a board made up of senior gamblers. Is the Racing Form a good measure of the health of all livestock in the US ?

States hacked their budgets because.. oh wait.. they RAN OUT OF MONEY. And unlike the Federal Government, are unable to run a deficit. And their voters were unwilling and unable to grant them more money.

Did I complain about spending from previous administrations ? Sure, in some cases.
But that is totally irrelevant. Elections are about the future. Using the old "It's Bush's fault" does not help anyone four YEARS later. I don't accept that kind of whiny excuse-mongering from my children, and I don't accept it from politicians.

Long term debt ? See above. Whining not accepted. Will the next Democratic candidate in 2016 claim that it was Bush's fault after 8 years of Obama ?
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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: the_poochies
Date: June 01, 2012 08:43AM
1. The economy, but I'm more interested in building a more equitable economy that gives all potential workers access to decent wages and working conditions. The vitriol towards organized labor by the Right really scares me and I worry that Little Poochie will grow up in a very harsh and merciless society that only rewards those at the top of the income pyramid.

2. Social safety net. I don't know why the Right is suddenly in a tizzy over "entitlements" (like they just discovered their first polysyllabic word or something) because it is nothing new. Ronald Reagan may have fabricated the mythical "welfare queens" but I wish Congress and the talking heads attacked fraud in the social safety net rather than blaming all of the recipients of entitlements as lazy good-for-nothings who refuse to work.

3. Taxes. If the GOP is so enthusiastic to roll back society to the 1950s, then the tax rates of the Eisenhower years should follow along.

4. Infrastructure spending. I have watched our transportation, utilities and water/sewer systems that all were built through massive federal projects like the Eisenhower highway act and Richard Nixon's Clean Water Act begin to crumble because no politician has the courage to make these long-term investments. Heck, we wouldn't have the Interwebs if it weren't for the DoD's ARPANET.

5. Education. 40 years of federal and state disinvestment in education - especially HS and college - has left Americans dumb and dumber when it comes to competing against rising economic powers like China and India.
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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: Black
Date: June 01, 2012 08:44AM
Quote
cbelt3
Fill-

DJIA is not 'The Economy'. It's a bunch of gambler's opinion on the relative value of various stocks, which were selected by a board made up of senior gamblers. Is the Racing Form a good measure of the health of all livestock in the US ?

States hacked their budgets because.. oh wait.. they RAN OUT OF MONEY. And unlike the Federal Government, are unable to run a deficit. And their voters were unwilling and unable to grant them more money.

Did I complain about spending from previous administrations ? Sure, in some cases.
But that is totally irrelevant. Elections are about the future. Using the old "It's Bush's fault" does not help anyone four YEARS later. I don't accept that kind of whiny excuse-mongering from my children, and I don't accept it from politicians.

Long term debt ? See above. Whining not accepted. Will the next Democratic candidate in 2016 claim that it was Bush's fault after 8 years of Obama ?

The fact of the matter is that the Bush years left us with a big mess. 3 years ago we were convinced we were sliding into a full economic collapse. Remember?
So you want to get the economy going and create jobs while aggressively reducing spending?
Do you really think both can be done the same time? Think.


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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: Gutenberg
Date: June 01, 2012 08:46AM
As far as the economy goes, Republicans run up huge deficits and leave it to Democrats to clean up the mess: see Reagan, Bush I, then Clinton, who balanced the budget for the first time since the Johnson (D) administration. Then Bush II, who left a reeking mess for Mr. Obama to clean up. It took Clinton two terms to sweep up after Reagan and Bush I. The very least we can do is allow Obama two terms--but it might take another Democrat after Obama to put everything right.
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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: swampy
Date: June 01, 2012 08:57AM
Hey, Gutenberg... Did Clinton balance the budget in spite of or because of Newt Gingrich and the Republican controlled House?




If you don't stand for something, you'll probably fall for anything.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2012 08:58AM by swampy.
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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: Lux Interior
Date: June 01, 2012 08:58AM
Taxes: I want to see the tax cuts enacted during the Bush administration expire.

Spending: I want to see a decrease in defense spending and an increase in domestic programs.

Energy: Shift our production of electricity (less coal, more nuclear & renewable).

Foreign policy: Reduce our military presence overseas.


Quote
cbelt3
DJIA is not 'The Economy'. It's a bunch of gambler's opinion on the relative value of various stocks, which were selected by a board made up of senior gamblers. Is the Racing Form a good measure of the health of all livestock in the US ?

That is an incredibly cynical outlook. Sure, stocks can be over valued and the DJIA is a little narrow, but the S&P 500 is a leading economic indicator (and it generally tracks well with the DJIA). It is an indication of what investors feel is the future value of publicly traded companies and is an inportant part of the economy.

Given your statement, I suspect that all your retirement savings are buried in a mason jar in the backyard.
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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: mattkime
Date: June 01, 2012 09:05AM
1. Crazy - my ideal candidate will not have it.


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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: cbelt3
Date: June 01, 2012 09:10AM
Black.... I never said anything about not increasing taxes. I don't like it. I don't want it. But it's the solution we have to embrace, or embrace the horror of Greece's experience.

It's important to not attribute the characteristics of my party to ME. I am a voter. I am not a robot. I have, and will, vote for candidates from other parties if I believe they will best meet my goals and objectives. Doing otherwise breaks the entire paradigm of Democracy.
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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: davester
Date: June 01, 2012 09:32AM
Healthcare: I mean further improvements in the safety net, not elimination of Obamacare as promised by the crazy people.

Unemployment and tax increases on the privileged class: "The economy" is too broad a term. The rich are enjoying the best personal economy and lowest tax rates in a long time. The middle class and poor not so much.

Afghanistan and defense: We need to get out quickly, stay out, and cut the defense budget which is helping drain our economy.

Energy: We need to prioritize getting off the oil @#$%& of the middle east and the destructive coal monster by subsidizing sustainable energy and eliminating tax breaks for oil and coal.

Reduction of Influence: This is a pipe dream but we need to reduce the power that the rich and the corporations have over our government. Corporate and campaign finance law need to be changed so that big money does not provide.

"Spending" is a red herring. As Gutenberg points out, it's absurd that the republicans are making it a part of their campaign because they are by far the worst offenders. Unfortunately, there hasn't been enough stimulus spending to get us out of the financial black hole that Bush put us in with his unfunded tax cuts and war.



"So be proud to be a decent American instead of just a w'anker whipping up fear!" - Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/01/2012 09:37AM by davester.
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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: Pam
Date: June 01, 2012 11:08AM
Quote
swampy
Hey, Gutenberg... Did Clinton balance the budget in spite of or because of Newt Gingrich and the Republican controlled House?

His economic policy was passed in 1993. No Republicans voted for it. It was a Democratic majority.
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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: davester
Date: June 01, 2012 12:41PM
Quote
Pam
Quote
swampy
Hey, Gutenberg... Did Clinton balance the budget in spite of or because of Newt Gingrich and the Republican controlled House?

His economic policy was passed in 1993. No Republicans voted for it. It was a Democratic majority.

There you go again, bringing those annoying "fact" things into the conversation again. Why do you hate America?



"So be proud to be a decent American instead of just a w'anker whipping up fear!" - Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland
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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: Black
Date: June 01, 2012 01:00PM
Quote
cbelt3
Black.... I never said anything about not increasing taxes. I don't like it. I don't want it. But it's the solution we have to embrace, or embrace the horror of Greece's experience.

It's important to not attribute the characteristics of my party to ME. I am a voter. I am not a robot. I have, and will, vote for candidates from other parties if I believe they will best meet my goals and objectives. Doing otherwise breaks the entire paradigm of Democracy.

My bad-- so you want to increase taxation in order to reduce spending and the deficit while increasing ability for business to operate in the U.S. OK, let me know how that works out.


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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: Black
Date: June 01, 2012 01:00PM
Quote
Pam
Quote
swampy
Hey, Gutenberg... Did Clinton balance the budget in spite of or because of Newt Gingrich and the Republican controlled House?

His economic policy was passed in 1993. No Republicans voted for it. It was a Democratic majority.

Sound of crashing and burning . . .


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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: Filliam H. Muffman
Date: June 01, 2012 07:17PM
Quote
swampy
Hey, Gutenberg... Did Clinton balance the budget in spite of or because of Newt Gingrich and the Republican controlled House?

Are you willing to attribute the tax rates that were in effect at the time to Gingrich and the Republican controlled House also?


in tha 510.
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Re: Open Discussion.. What are the most important issues in the 2012 election ?
Posted by: RgrF
Date: June 02, 2012 01:17AM
Quote
the_poochies
1. The economy, but I'm more interested in building a more equitable economy that gives all potential workers access to decent wages and working conditions. The vitriol towards organized labor by the Right really scares me and I worry that Little Poochie will grow up in a very harsh and merciless society that only rewards those at the top of the income pyramid.

2. Social safety net. I don't know why the Right is suddenly in a tizzy over "entitlements" (like they just discovered their first polysyllabic word or something) because it is nothing new. Ronald Reagan may have fabricated the mythical "welfare queens" but I wish Congress and the talking heads attacked fraud in the social safety net rather than blaming all of the recipients of entitlements as lazy good-for-nothings who refuse to work.

3. Taxes. If the GOP is so enthusiastic to roll back society to the 1950s, then the tax rates of the Eisenhower years should follow along.

4. Infrastructure spending. I have watched our transportation, utilities and water/sewer systems that all were built through massive federal projects like the Eisenhower highway act and Richard Nixon's Clean Water Act begin to crumble because no politician has the courage to make these long-term investments. Heck, we wouldn't have the Interwebs if it weren't for the DoD's ARPANET.

5. Education. 40 years of federal and state disinvestment in education - especially HS and college - has left Americans dumb and dumber when it comes to competing against rising economic powers like China and India.

I'd agree with Poochies if he'd move #5 to # 2
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