I disagree. Reagan wasn't a RINO and he did all right. Republicans are having a hard time this year because there isn't a clear delineation between them and the Democrats they're running against. Both are big gov't liberals.

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843rd Bomb Wing - Strategic Air Command
"Peace is our Profession"

"Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.
" - James Wilson, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

JP you missed the point. You don't have to be a RINO Republican to get elected, but you can't get a Republican elected without thier vote. That is why even Reagan wasn't as partisan as the current crop of conservatives running the party. Actually if you look at his record the conservatives hero actually did negotiate with the moderates to get some stuff done.

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The universe grows smaller every day and the threat of aggression by any group anywhere can no longer be tolerated. There must be security for all or no one is secure... - Klaatu

The true Conservatives in the Republican Party have long since retired. What we have now are liberals in Republican dress. It's legislative Halloween.

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843rd Bomb Wing - Strategic Air Command
"Peace is our Profession"

"Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.
" - James Wilson, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

No what you have is social conservatives using the government to promote their agenda just like the liberal democrats did.

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The universe grows smaller every day and the threat of aggression by any group anywhere can no longer be tolerated. There must be security for all or no one is secure... - Klaatu

I'm still waiting to see what their agenda is.
All I see is Republicans trying to outspend liberal Democrats.

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843rd Bomb Wing - Strategic Air Command
"Peace is our Profession"

"Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.
" - James Wilson, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

How much money have they shifted to the faith based goups? What type of Supreme Court Justices have they nomnated? What have they done to the clean air act?

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The universe grows smaller every day and the threat of aggression by any group anywhere can no longer be tolerated. There must be security for all or no one is secure... - Klaatu

For people who consider themselves ideological fiscal conservatives, government sceptics and libertarians, I've always felt this was the most effective way to get what you want--vote Dem in the Congress when a Rep is the POTUS and vote Rep for the Congress when a Dem is the POTUS, and seek that split result in each election.

That way, the two parties wind up blocking each other and only the agreed stuff gets through which is usually properly compromised, trim at the belt in number of laws and budgets, and is undisputedly worthwhile.

Otherwise, when one party controls, you get all the cream of the crap instead of the cream of the crop with all the earmarks, pork, special interest legislation, the greater ability of the ill conceived ideas held by certain members of each party getting implemented, etc.

It's just difficult to look past the shiny penny BS of politicians and getting past the cow herd straight ticket punching the politicians and their lobbyists love to get people to do and be totally tactical about it.

I love this commercial from dontvote.com called "Song and Dance." The website doesn't advocate not voting but the exact opposite-don't vote without being fully informed of the issues and overall results sought. This one is so true so often:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...iticians&hl=en

http://www.dontvote.com/ARPCOR6033_s...ganddance.html

The original post is correct. Most of the polls we hear about are national polls. Many suggest that they are overweighted with democrats.

When one takes a look at the individual races, that are within the percentage of error. Meaning they are very close.

Democrat senator, John Kerry may have made the biggest blunder of his entire life, by his comments about the U.S. military. Let no one forget that there are many democrats that have served this nation in the military that are also outraged by his comments. This could be the tip on many individual races. Kerry just reminded Americans what the leadership in the democrat party actually think about our military. Not good.

We'll see on the 8th, but presently democrats are a little worried right out, over the amount of early voter turn-out & absentee ballots. Which are historically Republican voters.

While your scenario sounds good, it rarely ever happened. The best example is the Presidency of Ronald Reagan. The Democrats controlled Congress and Reagan controlled the Whitehouse. The result, Reagan compromised with Tip O'Neill, Speaker of the House, on budgets that gave Reagan his military spending AND the Democrats their social programs. The result was increasing national debt.

As for the "Don't Vote" ad, I've seen it. IIRC, it's sponsored by the AARP, that whitehair socialist organization that keeps sending me applications that never make it past the trashcan.

__________________
843rd Bomb Wing - Strategic Air Command
"Peace is our Profession"

"Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.
" - James Wilson, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

True, it is not a failsafe strategy, as the Pennsylvania General Assembly's bipartisan 2 a.m. illegal pay raise to themselves in my state showed even moreso. But, on the whole, it has worked alot more than just one party rule in my experience.

When I look at how the Republicans have acted on the federal level with one party rule, and I look at my neighbouring Philadelphia and the State of New Jersey where the Democrats have been ruling with one party rule, I see the people getting more personal control over their lives and more runaway spending and bloated government moreso (and corruption) that split power scenarios.

It's a common practice for me to split tickets where I get a chance to 'divide and conquer' for myself. For example, right now in PA, we have a Democrat governor. In 2004 voted for the Dem governor, but I voted Republican for the state Congress. This did have the effect of balancing the budget and forcing compromises. I've done the same on the federal level too since I've voted (voted for Bush 41 and Dems in Congress and Clinton and alot of Reps for Congress). There was a surplus and better budgeting and more compromised legislation during the 1990s.

It's also social issues for which I am concerned. Each party also has their types and platforms that like to tell others what to do like Big Brother and 'shape society.' Usually the other party opposes the other's particular power junkie problems but have their own power junkie issues. So, when they are set at conflict, that helps provide the friction and resistance to cancel out the more extreme Big Brotherites in each party. I've seen the split governance keep the control freaks in each party better checked too.

I have seen it on FOX the past few days and found it funny and quite true. I don't know who the AARP is so I will google it. The commercial obviously has a neutral pitch that really can't be argued and it makes a very true point in a funny manner--don't vote without being fully informed and vote the issues, not the personalities. There isn't any sales pitches to vote for anyone in particular in it.

One thing, though, I find refreshing, although self-serving to open minds so they can be considered, is how third parties have much more honesty in telling people how best to vote. More often than not, a third party candidate will tell the voters what they stand for, and will tell the voter to vote for whoever they feel is best, the Rep, Dem, or them--simply vote their conscience but for real. I've seen that with the Libertarians, the Greens, the Constitutionals, etc. despite their ideological differences. Third parties have occasionally gotten a vote from me too, and other times a 'write in' when the choices are so bad for me that I'd rather write in someone.

"President Bush warned Democrats not to celebrate too early. This is from the guy who put up the 'Mission Accomplished' sign three years ago."
---Jay Leno

I was born in Philly and raised across the river in Southern NJ. The corruption in the Democratic Party in both areas is mind-boggling. "The Tork" isn't the only NJ politician that should be in jail, IMO.
Balancing the budget only works if the Congress is Republican. No Democratic Congress has balanced the budget in many decades.
I am a firm supporter of mandated gridlock.
The AARP is the American Association of Retired People (or something like that). It's akin to a nest full of hungry fledglings. All they do is sit there with their mouths open, squawk for more, shit and start all over again.
I agree about the third party commercials. They seem to be above the fray. I'd love to see a real Libertarian with a chance to win some elections.

__________________
843rd Bomb Wing - Strategic Air Command
"Peace is our Profession"

"Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.
" - James Wilson, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution

SO???? actually,:

1.I think that not only is it Possible for Pelosi to be the new speaker, I think it is quite likely,

2. I agree that neither OBAMA nor Hilary will be president in 08---- But either could be ELECTED in 08.(Obama more so than Hilary).

3. I neither wear rosecolored glasses (that seems to be your SchticK) nor do I use Pot, or a Bong.

At least you are admitting the possibility of a Democratic win-----That's quite a breakthru.

Ever consider starting? It might improve your disposition. Either that or a diet higher in prune juice.

__________________
843rd Bomb Wing - Strategic Air Command
"Peace is our Profession"

"Human law must rest its authority ultimately upon the authority of that law which is Divine. . . . Far from being rivals or enemies, religion and law are twin sisters, friends, and mutual assistants.
" - James Wilson, U. S. Supreme Court Justice and Signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution