Steve

The storm is a tragedy but some 'good' can come out of it. Maybe...just maybe...its enough to finally do some things and opposition to it will seem crass and un-American. First of all, its a great opportunity to work on our infrastructure. Seawalls and other storm, hurricane and tornado defense projects provide thousands of blue collar jobs. The cost will pay for itself in taxes paid by the workers coming back to us. Well over a hundred years NYC had all its cables and such over ground on poles. A storm knocked down the entire city's network and they built vast tunnels and moved it underground. Its still in effect today and the jobs supported the masses of immigrants that were teeming into the city and provided them jobs and kept the city moving forward. The government MUST cut parts of it but we still have to spend. The spending should be on infrastructure so that the money is recycled. It just seems a no brainer. I guarantee you Romney will do some spending on it if he is electe. The Republican congress, or at least the Tea Party alligned ones, have made a conscious effort not to work with Obama on it. Obama has some blame to shoulder himself as he has let the acrimony get to him and stopped trying to work with them. As for the election this is interesting...http://news.yahoo.com/errant-gingrich-email-obama-going-win-174518235.html An email message mistakenly sent to Newt Gingrich's list serve this morning told subscribers that President Obama would no doubt win in 2012 and that they should be more worried about Obama's winning in 2016. That's right, despite the 22nd Amendment, which limits any one person to two presidential terms, the email that went out to Gingrich's supporters suggests President Obama would be running again in 2016, and possibly serve through 2020.

Hey Flash, the thing is changing industries isn't necessarily a bad thing. Over a 130 years ago, railroads were king. The biggest stock on the NYSE were rail stocks. I think about 1 in 10 jobs at least, if not more were directly or indirectly tied to rail in some way. That figure may be higher and probably is. I can't recall but I heard something iike 10 or 20 percent I think maybe even higher. Anyway, we transformed from a rail industry till after WW2 we went to a highway and air society. The national highway system were built and expanded nationally, air travel became affordable to the average person. TWA and Pan Am grew by leaps and bounds. Travel by rail decreased dramatically. Some cities and industries never went away. Pittsburgh continued to make steel no matter what. West Virginia continued to mine for coal. Economic Darwinism determined what industries maintained. Jobs weren't lost, only transfered. There were thousands of people who made and bought buggy whips 150 years ago. There were thousands of blacksmiths. There were thousands of rail workers. Were those jobs lost? No, they were transfered. Thousands of men delivered milk to your home, sold encyclopeias, sold Fuller Brushes. What happened to them? A move to other energy sources will create new jobs. Innovation will increase that exponentially. What will happen to Houston, oil city? Well, if they were smart they would look for other industries to exploit. Chicago was a stock yard city. Lived on it. They found new ways to make money.

NY Mayor Bloomberg has just endorsed Obama. Years ago he was a Democrat but ran as a Republican for mayor and is now an independent. Although it wasn't the best of endorsements, he cited issues he had with Obama, he did say the main reason was global warming. I know we discussed this before. I'm not sure what is what frankly. I don't know the science. I am trying to figure out if either party has a vested interest in anything other than the facts. I know some fringe left want us to practically live in mud huts and be vegetarians even if the science is not accurate (and I don't know for certain it is or isn't) but I think the vast majority truly believe it. The Republicans I hear are motivated strictly by the oil industry and related petrochemical industry. The run of the mill conservative I meet thinks its junk science but seems to be echoing speaking points. Lets say the science is not accurate, do we want to chance it? That's my fear. Why not try and reduce or eliminate our needs for fossil fuels? Economies have changed from wood to oil/coal and prospered so why can't we move to alternate forms of energy and still move forward economically?

Lets say i agree with his assessment of Obama, is Romney an improvement. Obama ghs being critiqued for not being progressive enough essentially. I dont see any thing Republicans can say to counter except they will keep their promise to be less progressive.

once again Ohio has become vital. Romney needs it to have any chance and even with it he needs a lot of other things to happen. Obama wins Ohio he wins b.asically. That and Virginia and its over

whats wrong with 1 man, 1 vote. The founders governed a largely illiterate and landless populace and the electoral college was invented for that. Witgg a 98% literate populace its outdated. We could standarize voting and move election day to both Saturday and Sunday.

I wouldn't disagree with that article. In some ways it has a lot in common with Bush's campaign in '04. He's taking a page out of the Republican page book and using it against them. I don't agree with it but I would suggest its hypocritcal of the Republican party to complian about it. Take away the rhetoric. Looking purely at the issues and each candidates views on them and I think there is a big difference.

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/26/sununu-suggests-powells-endorsement-of-obama-was-based-on-race/ Sununu Suggests Powell’s Endorsement of Obama Was Based on Race That actress, Dash, who supported Romney did a brave thing. It was seen as brave and it was. I applaud her for it. Powell endorsing Obama is equally as brave being a Republican but its seen differently and viewed as Powell being motivated by race when his whole career suggests otherwise. He has more than earned it.

She certainly did. It just doesn't sound right. At the risk of sounding over sensitive, its a very poor choice of words to use a Black phrase applied to Obama in that manner. It comes off very bad even if she didn't mean anything by it which is a litte hard to believe.

Sarah Palin says there is nothing remotely racist about describing Obama's handling of the Libyan situation as "shucking and jiving". Maybe she learned that when she allegedly banged NBA player Glen Rice years ago.

Why was Trump even a credible candidate to some? The man's company filed bankruptcy a couple times. If there ever was someone more unsuitable I'd like to know he or she is. Oh, forgot about Palin. Colin Powell endorses Obama again. http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/25/14693729-colin-powell-endorses-obama-for-second-term?lite#__utma=37263676.889542976.1351194126.1351194126.1351194126.1&__utmb=37263676.0.10.1351194126&__utmc=37263676&__utmx=-&__utmz=37263676.1351194126.1.1.utmcsr=msn.com|utmccn=(referral)|utmcmd=referral|utmcct=/&__utmv=-&__utmk=77006679 I saw that Ann Coulter has tweeted calling Obama a 'retard'. The level of disrespect by Republicans in the media and elected politicians to this President is unprecedented. I'm not talking the average person. We've always called our Presidents names in private conversation and on forums and such. That is nothing new and not unexpected. However, a line is drawn for elected officials, the media, basically people that have a voice, celebrity basically people 'matter'. But most pointedly to politicians the media. Entertainers usually get a pass. The level of disrespect is apalling. Bush, a far worse President didn't get it, even when it was deserved. The Dixie Chicks was the worse of it. That pales in comparison now.

why do i get the feeling if an atheist or scientologist ran against Obama the religious right would still not vote for him?

Natiobal polls mean nada. They include 40 of the states that arecalready decided. The polls in the swing statescare tge ONLY thing that matters.

Cutting through the rhetoric and bullshit i personally dont feel Romney has a problem with hiring and promoting women. I may even extend that to Blacks. May..lol. What i also believe is that he wants to restrict a womans reproductive rights as well as make it easier for companies to discriminate under the guise of a free market. I think his personal faith is much in line with fundamentals and he believes its right to be pro life as a law. I think Obama has been strongest in foreign policy and this nitpicking on Libya is bullshit. He has a great foreign policy record. There is always something you can criticize of any Presidents foreign policy. Name me a President you believe had a great foreign policy record in the modern era and I guarantee i could fibd something. Obama has issues but its not foreign policy. My biggest ussue with Obama is something the Republicans cant exploit because they are just as bad if not worse and that is the corrosion of our civil liberties. Obama could have done better with the economy but not too much better. We are forgetting that we were damn close to the precipice of collapse. Absolutely no one is gonna fix that in one term. Stopping the bleeding and getting it to bottom out is the best anyone could do. Doing that without debt is impossible. I firmly believe if the Republicans had been in charge they would have sold it as a 6-8 year turnaround plan to buy time. Had McCain won we would have been worse off i believe. Also what compounded Obama's problems was the Republicans who had a strategy of deny the President any “wins†even if we agree with it. When he worked with them and gave them anything They painted him as weak. They were gonna fck Obama over at the expense of the nation if need be because they would fix it once they got back the White House. I truly believe that. I have been utterly disappointed in the party. I havent supported them since I supported Bush in '00.

If Obana wins Ohio and I suspect he will (Early voting shows a clear majority) i think its over. Ohio, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin will do it for him. He leads in a few smaller swing states. I think no matter what Obama will get over 300 electoral votes. Depending on the next debate and excluding any extraneous events, Obama could clear 320 or 330 if he gets Virginia or Florida.

I listened to Larry Elder when I was in LA for a time. I am a huge fan of Sowell's books. I have a few of them. Every American should read 'Ethnic America'. However, lately and this has been for a few years now. Each time I've heard him on radio, he's been at best disappointing. His books are fact based and well documented with pages of footnotes siting references, etc. However, this diatribe I just witnessed on this video is at best irresponsible. He's uttering things I would only have expected out of some far right wing militia member from Montana. There is absolutely NO evidence, even circumstantial that any kind of race riot will happen if Obama is elected. Black candidates have lost heated mayoral and gubernatorial elections and no riots. Whenever Blacks have rioted its not out of 'sour grapes' but usually, rightly or wrongly, things that there seems to be a clear cut wrong. That 'wrong' is debatable. Rodney King riots. Blacks have been saying for years police abuse is rampant. There was a video this time. Irrefutable to Blacks in LA. Debatable to others. Riots in the '60s over clear social injustice in the eyes of Blacks. Losing an election? Nah. Doesn't happen for that. No riots over Bush 'stealing' the election according to the Sharptons of the world. Sowell was downright irresponsible and incendiary language. He has NO basis for saying that. No, he does have one. He says when people lose their cushy government jobs or government assistance they'll riot. We aren't Greece. I'm saddened and disappointed in him frankly. I greatly admired his work but as a person I now find him distasteful. I used to vote Republican, supported Bush in '00. Will be long, long time if I ever vote Republican again. One more thing about conservative Blacks. You have to 'prove' yourself it seems. Any other person can say they're a proud Irish Catholic, proud Christian, etc. if you're conservative. Ryan says it. Nothing wrong with that. What does EVERY conservative Black say' I'm a proud American'. Good but they know if you say if you're proud to be African-American it sounds militant. It seems every other ethnic group can be proud of their background or religion but Black conservatives can't. They have be above that and be American only. I know I sound a bit out there. But think about it. If you're a Black conservative and at one time I was, you feel pressured almost to disown your own race to some extent. I'll criticize the stupid ones and the mentality of some but I won't throw the whole culture and race down the stairs or any other ethnicity. there are very good and loyal and hardworking American moslems, jews, irish, gays, etc. My parents always taught me to take people one at a time, individually and its one of the best advice I've ever gotten from them. I've met some great people from all manner of life with that POV.

I remember the big flap about the Dixie Chicks saying to a British audience they were ashamed to be from the same state as Bush and the furor over it by Republicans. This may seem hypocritical writing on an international forum but I didn't like what they did. I don't like to bad mouth the sitting President when I travel internationally. Just my personal feelings. I like to show a united front. I like to show that Americans respect the President no matter our personal feelings. When I went to an Arsenal game several years ago I refused to discuss politics with the cabbies who were constantly asking me for my opinion. That said, they had a right but that was the worst of it. This time around we have things like this http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/14/jason-thompson-obama_n_1965692.html?ir=Politics The former Wisconsin governor's son saying lets send the President back to Kenya. At rallies there are a disturbing increase of race tinged paraphanelia. One Republican rally recently there was a guy with a 'Put the White back in the White House' shirt. Freedom of speech, yes. Frankly, people should have voiced their displeasure at him. A New Jersey store owner has this outside his store: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/president-obama-witch-doctor-display-personal-racist-nj/story?id=17463813 It saddens me. You realize that the issues get clouded in spin and rhetoric and you accept that as part of politics in America but the race baiting and racial overtones stuff is very sad in this day and age. Many Dems (since the Bush days) have also pretty much dismissed anyone if they are a Republican. There has been a Republican backlash where as people stereotype Republicans these days. I recall hearing that if you say you're a Republican or conservative on dating sites its a non starter. Women generally won't even talk to you. There was (maybe still around) a dating site specifically for conservatives I recall because of the difficulty in finding like minded dating partners. Republican leadership don't like it I think but it gets the fringe out.

Regarding Obama and blacks. He's the President of 100% of the people not 47% (or 12%...which is the percentage of Blacks in America). Obama had a jobs bill for infrastructure that would put hundreds of thousands and eventually millions of jobs in the inner city. Tons of subway tunnels, bridges, streets, water and gas pipes, roads, energy proofing buildings, etc. needs to be done and many of those jobs are unskilled jobs. Guess who has been blocking it? The jobs are a no brainer. America's infrasture is in very bad shape. Something has to be done and it puts Americans to work and it helps put the Americans with the highest unemployment rate to work. The myth is inner city people don't want to work. Its a myth. People would love to have a good job. Repeat 'good'. The vast majority of jobs in the inner city are retail and fast food. Minimum wage jobs that no one can raise a family on. Also, the schools are crap. Republicans want to kill the Education Department. States have shown they do not run the schools well. Many states with big urban centers have Republican governors who do not do much about the inner city schools and other poor schools. School boards have a lot to do with it as well. Its a mess. Its not the teachers fault. They can shoulder some of the blame but its a societal issue. Until the shcools are fixed you will continue to see high unemployment and crime rates in urban centers.

LOL...seems the party wants the government to leave them alone but wants the government to tell women what they can do with their bodies as well as tell gays they can't marry. Sign should read, "Leave us alone but we want the others to do what we want"

You know what? I'm not buying the undecided vote thingy. At this stage in the race with only a month to go, you know who you're voting for. The differences between both candidates is so stark I can't imagine anyone not sure. The only undecided I can see is the choice between a 3rd party or to vote for the one big 2. And that is mainly about thinking your vote is "wasted" or not. Are any of you on here really undecided? If so, I'd love to hear your reasons for being so.

Biden was the aggressor and that was expected. Its a matter of personal opinion if he was too much. I suspect it depends on your ideology. On substance, Biden got the better on him on a few things, especially foreign policy in Afghanistan as well as other areas of foreign policy. Biden also cornered Ryan and made him say what he really thought of abortion, which is they want the government to eventually outlaw it.

I heard that the Taliban were willing to give up bin Laden in exchange for a few things. The Afghans are infamous for changing sides. Some how Bush fcked that up. There was no need to invade. Also, there were at least one opportunity to capture him by special forces and due to some agreement that they needed permission to do it or had to let the Afghanis do it. The whole thing was executed badly from what I understand.

I suggest the election is not as close as the media says. Look back at 08. the media did not count mccain out at any point. They were pessimistic as they were with romney but at no time that i can remember did they say obama will likeky win. Maybe journalistic principles. i suggest its to keep people watching tv or reading newspapers and internet news sites. The margin of victory for obama was too big for it to be a surprise. Even on this forum there were still doubts. At the tine i kept sayibg its a matter of how big. I am far from a genius. Thats obvious...lol. The polls are fairly accurate. They have this stuff down to a science. The independent ones that is. Clearpolitics is a great indicator. Too nany things has to hapoen for romney to win. Its pretty much a done deal.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/larry-pressler/larry-pressler-obama_b_1948415.html