Then You Must Live In A Super-Duper Tuesday State
With the advent of the “Do Not Call” lists and associated laws, most of us have enjoyed some level of peace from the cacophony of telemarketers.
That is, until recently.
There were loopholes left in the “Do Not Call” bill. Particularly noticeable is the loophole for political candidates and political parties – as well as other so-called “non-profit” organizations.
Isn’t it funny how once again, those who “rule” over the dumb-masses are exempt from the laws they pass on the rest of us? How many of us, as Realtors, have wanted to call a FSBO – only to realize that they are on the Do Not Call list?
Is our livelihood less important than theirs?
And now, in this Presidential election year, we have before us a set of choices that do not inspire me at all. Oh sure, we have the first woman or African-American that has a chance of winning… but neither in my estimation is qualified for the job. I just don’t view a few years in the U.S. Senate – with no substantial legislative accomplishments – as a qualification.
On the other side of the aisle, I don’t see any great choices, either. We’ve got one guy who has helped pass laws that are outright unconstitutional – and positions that are at odds with what I feel are in the best interests of the country… and another who lifts his political finger in the air to decide what his core values are – and picks up his checkbook to bludgeon his opponents.
On top of everything else, our system is set up in such a way that most of the field has been eliminated before most of us get to cast our first ballot. Think about it – only three million ballots have been cast, yet we’re down to four or five candidates.
So for most of us – we won’t be casting a vote FOR anyone… because many of us have watched our first choice get eliminated in the first few rounds. Instead, we’ll be choosing between the lesser of two evils. Or at least the lesser of two weasels.
Rest assured, I’ll be holding my nose.
Jeff Brown says:
Amen Brother, amen.
February 2, 2008 — 11:17 am
Mike Farmer says:
Yes, it’s sad we wind up voting as a form of damage control.
February 2, 2008 — 11:23 am
Stan says:
You would have to be a crazy person to want to step into the muck that little “W” is leaving behind.
February 2, 2008 — 11:42 am
Denver Mortgage Lender says:
I’m with you about the lack of experience in the field, and I don’t want a young guy running the country. If a candidate who is 40 years of age is running against a guy who is 70, that’s a 30 year spread! 30 years is a lifetime of experience. One guy has 20 years as an adult; the other guy has 50 years as an adult. As far as the Constitution goes, I’m glad that someone still remembers that we have one. The best defender of that Constitution, in my opinion, is Ron Paul. The guy is also experienced and well-aged; he’s 72. He is also doing an excellent job of raising money. I’m placing my hopes with the long shot, Ron Paul.
February 2, 2008 — 1:09 pm
derek says:
I’m writing Jesse Helm’s name on the ballot.
February 2, 2008 — 5:05 pm
Doug Quance says:
>Jeff: Can I get a Hallelujah?
>Mike: Damage control – yeah, that’s the ticket!
>Stan: And I suppose you don’t think W had a mess to clean up with the dot com bust, corporate scandals and bankruptcies, a recession just taking hold, and 9/11?
Your political stripes are showing, Stan.
>DML: As a Libertarian at heart, I feel you on Ron Paul. But Dr. Paul has no use for the war against Islamic terrorists who are insistent upon the destruction of our way of life.
I have no vote for someone who doesn’t see that danger.
>Derek: 😆
February 2, 2008 — 5:29 pm
Robert Kerr says:
Stan, I’m with ya 100%.
The mess that W. is leaving behind is enormous and it’s only just begun to unravel. Remember the 1970s? It’s just incredulous, but Bernanke is making the same mistakes Burns did in ’71/’72.
He’s focused on Wall Street and next month and he’s ignoring Main Street and next year.
When this dust storm has cleared, the results will almost certainly be the same as the 1970s: a horribly debased currency, a protracted recessionary period lasting the better part of a decade, crippling unemployment, ruined lives and retirements, and painful, oppressive – but necessary to restore the health of the economy – double-digit interest rates that stifle growth and investment.
The party’s over. The credit bubble exploded in the punch bowl. And the cleanup is going to take a decade. Too many people forgot the lessons of the 1970s.
And Doug, I voted for W. twice, so please don’t characterize this as political bias; it’s purely economics.
February 2, 2008 — 6:30 pm
Doug Quance says:
>Robert: The economic blame – which is Federal Reserve-based in your opinion – would extend back to Greenspan… who was not a Bush appointee.
I agree that Bernanke didn’t see the bubble (like many of the rest of us laymen did) and the medicine is going to taste pretty nasty.
You have to be careful not to let the pendulum swing to far one way or another.
But laying that at the feet of the President is a political stretch, IMHO.
February 2, 2008 — 7:11 pm
Robert Kerr says:
Yes, Doug, I’m taking some liberties calling it W.’s mess, but I feel justified since it’s clear that Bush has no fiscal restraint, even in the face of $900B deficit, was completely oblivious just 30 days ago to our fundamental economic problems, and the Executive is probably leaning on the Fed for these unprecedented rate cuts, just as Nixon leaned on Burns.
I didn’t mean to imply it was all W.’s fault. Greenspan deserves the lion’s share of the blame but Bernanke is rapidly catching up.
February 2, 2008 — 7:27 pm
Doug Quance says:
>Robert: Agreed.
February 2, 2008 — 7:29 pm
Denver Mortgage Lender says:
Doug-
The Federal Reserve problem goes all the way back to Woodrow Wilson, I believe, so Greenspan has just been minding the store. The original evil of fiat currency was conceived well before Greenspan ever had his first economic thought. There is also a paper somewhere on the net that I read once where Greenspan and another economist firmly establish themselves as gold standard folks, which Greenspan has since abandoned. Unfortunately, we are all slaves to fiat currency.
February 2, 2008 — 9:12 pm
Ken Smith says:
With super Tuesday tomorrow I have gotten 8 calls in the last day with recorded messages from Presidential to Judicial candidates. Can’t wait for that to be over with.
February 4, 2008 — 10:25 am
Doug Quance says:
>Ken: I hear you.
I have received nearly a dozen calls so far today. And the day’s still young.
I will have to give Mitt Romney some credit, though. His message was personalized…
February 4, 2008 — 11:25 am
Jeff Brown says:
Doug — Last night Zogby announced his latest poll had Romney ahead in California. What a story that’ll be if he wins here. Back to the drawing board.
February 4, 2008 — 11:31 am
Doug Quance says:
>Jeff: What?!! No Superbowl analogy?
February 4, 2008 — 11:35 am
Jeff Brown says:
🙂 Here’s one for you.
What presidential candidate do you think will make our country into the Buffalo Bills of nations?
Don’t answer, ‘cuz it’s a trick question. All but one will, and even he’s more gray area than known entity.
February 4, 2008 — 11:42 am
Late Night Austin Real Estate Blog says:
I live down in Texas. We never get calls or commercials or anything. We have a late primary. And in general elections Texas is pretty red so no one really wastes their time down here. I have to mark down elections on a calendar because there is not that big of a hub bub compared to contested states.
February 5, 2008 — 11:53 pm