Presidential Politics :)

According to Ben Stein (actor, author, financial advisor), when he was working in the Nixon administration and following the 1974 Arab oil boycott, he was part of a group that developed and wrote a plan for achieving US energy independence. According to him the plan was over 200 pages and definitely would have achieved its goals. It was given to the Congress and no provision of it was ever enacted.

It's only a matter of time before economic concerns will override environmental concerns and Congress will be forced to legislate oil drilling solutions, refinery development solutions, synthetic petroleum solutions etc. no matter what the environmental lobby says.

The main culprit for our predicament is our Congress which has effectively blocked every legitimate solution ever offered. Just today a bill was introduced to freeze mandated increases in corn ethanol production at current levels so as not to allow that situation to make matters even worse. This while we continue to impose a tariff on imported sugar ethanol from Brazil who produces more than they need and for a lot less money than $133 a barrel for crude oil reached today.

The problem isn't the oil companies with record profits that actually amount to about 8% of gross. The problem isn't even OPEC. The problem is that we are committed to liquid portable fuels to run our cars, trucks, trains, boats, ships, aircraft and machinery already in service and we don't want to admit that this is the case for at least the next 20 years. So we import our oil rather than use our own resources. That choice is being made by us through our elected legislators.

The cost of construction of 100 coal to synthetic petroleum plants would be about $500 billion. The output of those 100 plants would meet 100% of our domestic energy requirements for liquid fuels at an estimated selling price of $42 a barrel. The benefits would be a massive creation of jobs, the elimination of our trade deficit, and major reductions in the cost of energy to our citizens.

Why aren't we doing it? Ask your Senator or Congressperson.

Listened to an interview of T. Boone Pickens recently who makes these points:

US oil production peaked a number of years ago at 10 million barrels a day. Current production is 5 million barrels a day. Current demand is 18 million barrels a day.

World oil production is currently 85 million barrels a day and peaked about two years ago. From this point forward it will be declining. Current world oil demand is just under 87 million barrels a day and growing.

While any number of things can be done to stretch this out, the reality is that demand exceeds supply and will continue to do so ... therefore, crude oil will remain high and go higher as that commodity's availability lessens.

I just watched a PBS documantary where it is now estimated that all the world's oil resources will be gone by 2018.....and if they don't come up with a viable new energy source to take its' place, you're going to see some serious oil-based conflicts start to arise.....

The Saudis don't give a damn.....they want all that they can get from what they have left.....and the expotential rise in demand from India and China is "feuling" it so the Saudis can just ignore us.....and the US oil companies are just "riding the wave" and giving alot of BS about why they can't do anything about it.....

I've watched some of the oil company hearings.....and it's unbelievable how they "pass the buck" to the oil market speculators on Wall Street.....

I say this big "oil company collusion" needs to be taken and broken up!!!

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Carl wrote: will Hillary be running mate

It's a double-edged sword.....Obama needs her constituency to back him in the general election.....and making her VP would help do that. Without putting her on the ticket, the Democratic party will remain divided.....where a large percentage of Hilary supporters will either stay home or vote for McCain.....which alot of those radical womens' groups are threatening to do.....

On the other hand, the Clintons come with alot of baggage.....like Bill's "questionable" donations to the library.....which he is refusing to disclose....but it will eventually catch up to him. I can't believe that Obama wants anything like that going on.....in addition to all the damage control that will be needed to keep Bill's mouth under control.....

Anywho, I don't think it matters much what Obama does if McCain takes Romney and solidifies the Republican base behind him.....McCain will easily win the presidency with a landslide victory!!!

PS..... Oil went up to $138.00 /barrel today.....and Wall Street tanked. Like I said, you are going to see some serious action regarding oil pretty soon.....

Yeah, because you and those other countries are solely dependent on importing oil.....in contrast to the US having its' own oil resources to temper it.....but our oil companies are getting seriously greedy and are trying to push oil prices up to match international prices. US oil company greed is going to be their undoing.....and their monopolies are going to get broken up.....wait and see!!!

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StevieJ wrote: .....McCain will easily win the presidency with a landslide victory!!!

Our news is basicly all Obama very little about Mc Cain - it seems to be the choice between change or status quo mentality

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StevieJ wrote: Hey, all of my predictions have been right

I'll hold you to that

Interesting.....

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StevieJ wrote: Carl, I'm still batting a 1000 on my predictions so far......damn, I'm good!!!

mmmmmmmmmmmm does that mean your batty

Vlad, Carl and Dilla are picking on me again..... .....

***attempts to divert Craig "grammar police" Kraellin onto Carl***

Hey, you missed Carl's bad Anglaise.....

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Carl wrote: does that mean your batty

Shouldn't that be "...you're batty..." LOL.....

I'm just kidding around.....I know your mother was an English teacher.....

......and I'm a troublemaker.....right, Capt'n "me-only-speakie-Aussi-cheeky" Carl

LOL.....

So true!!!

Sorry, I kinda forgot about this string in the excitement of seeing Hilary knocked out of it..... LOL.....

Even though I'm a devout Hilary hater (ABH - Anyone But Hilary), I think Obama has made a mistake in not taking her as his running mate on the ticket. Alot of women and women's groups are pissed off and 'jumping ship' over to McCain because of it.....and there is quite a distracting stir at the DNC because of it......

Obama woulda had to pick a convicted child molestor or KKK officer as veep to turn anyone with a brain who makes under $100K a year off (ie = the majority by faaaarr and away). Mc Cain can't even remember that he and his billionaire beer empire heiress 2nd (trophy) wife own 7 (most likely very large, and in expensive neighborhoods) homes. Yeah, the Obama's made what a million or so in 2007, but like 1/2 of that or something was from a one time book his wife wrote that did well on the tabloid rack, they usually don't even make 1/2 that. Personally, I'd just as soon vote for a homeless illegal immigrant at this point, he or she wold be closer to my income level and lifestyle sensibilities, but as it stands, Obama is light years closer to the normal income majority than Mc Cain has been since Mc Cain's supposed p.o.w. years. Stop voting the mega-rich higher into power at every opportunity, and maybe things can change a bit. *sigh*

jffe

Craig, I think there is an element of truth to what you are saying.....but I kinda think he would gain alot more than he would loose by taking her.....can't believe I'm even saying this..... .....

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jffe wrote: Obama is light years closer to the normal income majority than Mc Cain

very true!!!

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jffe wrote: Stop voting the mega-rich higher into power at every opportunity, and maybe things can change a bit.

I couldn't agree with you more!!!

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CFandM wrote: Just something fun I ran across....

LOL..... CFandM for president!!!

Hey, I would consider it at this point.....I kinda feel like I have to choose between the lesser of two evils.....

well, after watching joe biden speak at the convention and listening to mc cain a bit also, i'm pretty convinced that either side is going to be 'politics as usual', so i'm thinking of voting independent again. i wonder who the libertarians are running?

I have to agree with you, jffe.....McCain's VP pick is going to go down in history as a huge political blunder. I think it's an outright insult to women by McCain thinking that he's going to get women Hilary supporter's votes by taking an inexperienced woman without any foreign policy experience (Which is what the VP position needs to have).....and McCain has shown himself not to have sound judgement by putting someone that inexperienced just a heartbeat away from the presidency.....especially considering McCain's age. McCain is only thinking of politics and finding a way to win the presidency.....without thinking of what would happen if something happened to him.....

In my opinion (with the two rich white guys issue aside), McCain needed to take Romney as his VP in order to beat Obama while keeping this country's best interests in mind.....

McCain is done!!! Obama, without a doubt, will become our next president......wait and see!!!

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McCain has shown himself not to have sound judgement by putting someone that inexperienced just a heartbeat away from the presidency.....especially considering McCain's age.

I just want to talk about "inexperienced" for a while, and I know you are pretty objective StevieJ so this isn't directed at you. When Obama's resume stands at 140 working days in the Senate and "community organizer" the media says he is fresh, that he is new, that he isn't bogged down by politics instead of using the word "inexperienced"; despite not doing anything impressive during his time in the Senate: Didn't head any commitees and his voting record is against him as far as taxes, Iraq, and abortion go. If pressed what accomplishments Obama has no-one has seemed to come up with even a single accomplishment save, "he gives good speeches".

Now look at the other side of the coin, when Govenor Palin has been govenor of Alaska for quite substantially longer than 140 working days, has a resume that keeps going, and stands for values such as guns (reference the constitution), life, lower taxes, drilling for more oil, energy independence via more oil and nuclear power and not "We will create 1,000,000 jobs out of nowhere from an energy source that hasn't been discovered yet" the media says she is "inexperienced". There is a double standard here for sure.

Now was it a political choice for John McCain, of course it was, he knows there are a lot of Hilary Clinton supporters who feel disenchanted by Obama, and this was a choice to help get those votes but it was also a choice to get some of the Republican base to support him as well, which it did. So in my mind it was a brilliant choice, and according to how much the media dislikes the choice I think my intuition is right (when in doubt do the exact opposite of what the main stream media says).

Now if we want to talk about judement in who one surrounds themselves with, again McCain is far from perfect but when asked who the canidates would turn to for help in difficult situations McCain said army generals, economists, etc. Obama said his wife and his mom... Also look at who Obama surrounded himself by for 20 years of his life. Google Reverend Jeremiah Wright and William Ayers.

I am not for McCain, but I am warming up to the idea as of late. One thing the past few months has shown me though is I am definetly not for Obama. It will be interesting to see the next few weeks play out.

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Kraellin wrote: both sides, politics as usual.

so true......

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Redcap wrote: I know you are pretty objective StevieJ

Who.....me???

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Redcap wrote: Obama's resume stands at 140 working days in the Senate and "community organizer"

True.....he is "inexperienced".....which is one of the main reason why I have problems with him (in addition to his "questionable" associations).....and why I would feel a little more comfortable with McCain as far as national security, the war on terror, Iran with nuclear weapons, etc.....

The only reason why I'm a "Republican-Leaning" Independent is because I believe in having a strong military and dealing with these world issues from a position of strength.....like the best defense (national security) is having a strong offense.....

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Redcap wrote: the media says she is "inexperienced". There is a double standard here for sure.

True.....but choosing Palin has certainly negated McCain's "inexperienced" argument against Obama.....

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Redcap wrote: Now was it a political choice for John McCain, of course it was, he knows there are a lot of Hilary Clinton supporters who feel disenchanted by Obama, and this was a choice to help get those votes but it was also a choice to get some of the Republican base to support him as well, which it did.

I don't know about that one.....after the DNC, Obama jumped up 8% over McCain in the polls.....and now after McCain has chosen Palin as his running mate, some polls are now showing Obama to have as much as a 15% lead over McCain.....so it looks like choosing Palin is definitely hurting McCain.....

Alot of the pro-Hilary women's groups are coming out and calling McCain's Palin choice a total insult to women.....like McCain expects these women to fall in line behind him just because he chose a woman.....

Further, Palin has some baggage that is going to show that she has abused her office; her sister got divorced from a State trooper.....Palin tried to get him fired.....then ended up firing the Public Safty commissioner because he refused to fire the trooper. The Commissioner filed for an investigation into this matter.....and it doesn't look good for Palin at all.....

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Redcap wrote: Now if we want to talk about judement in who one surrounds themselves with, again McCain is far from perfect but when asked who the canidates would turn to for help in difficult situations McCain said army generals, economists, etc. Obama said his wife and his mom... Also look at who Obama surrounded himself by for 20 years of his life. Google Reverend Jeremiah Wright and William Ayers.

Very true.....Obama has some seriously questionable associations in his past.....and his wife, Michelle, is definitely a radical who is now obviously trying to soften her edges for the public. I don't like her at all.....and she is a clear negetive against Obama for me.....

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Sign Guy wrote: The whole experience-inexperience thing is a joke anyway as is surrounding yourself with world class advisors.

True to a certain extent.....which is why their VP choices matter to me; who they are going to surround themselves with and for what reasons. I think Obama made a good choice with Biden because of his substantial foreign policy experience.....but McCain has totally "dropped the ball" by picking Palin, IMO. Palin has absolutely no foreign policy experiece.....and she was clearly picked just to try and get the women Hilary supporters. I think Biden is qualified to be president if anything was ever to happen to Obama.....but Palin is no where near qualified to be president if anything was ever to happen to McCain.....which is why I now have serious concerns about McCain's judgement.....

Like I said a while back in this string.....it was all on McCain's VP choice no matter who Obama chose. McCain would win the presidency if he took Romney and he would loose if he took anyone else. Some polls are now showing Obama to have up to a 15% lead.....so it looks like I'm going to bat a 1000 on my political predictions here.....

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Redcap wrote: where is Nader

LOL....

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Redcap wrote: I am just frustrated with the choices right now

Yeah, me too.....it's like having to choose the lesser of two evils to me now.....

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Redcap wrote: Any hoot, I agree Romney would have been a better pick for V.P.

Yeah, It would have been an unbeatable ticket.....even with the "two rich white guys" thing.....

I wanted Romney for president.....but he dropped out after McCain pulled that underhanded fast-one by throwing his delegates to Huckabee. Romney saw the writing on the wall and got out while the getting was good.....

I liked Romney because of his positions on National security, economics, healthcare, and shipping all 12 million of those economy-dragging illegal immigrants back acrossed the border where they belong.....so they could get in line like everyone else. I know it sounds harsh, but they broke the law and there should not be any amnesty for them. A large percentage of them are criminal rejects from Mexico who are continuing their criminal ways here. They are taking jobs away from legal citizens....and I don't buy the "they do the jobs that Americans won't do" thing.....because they just help employers pocket more profits.....as opposed to having to pay decent wages for citizens to do the same jobs. They are a huge drain on our economy, not only by taking jobs, but by using up our tax money in social services. And Finally, they shouldn't be allowed to cut in front of all those who are trying to enter this country legally.....IMHO....

Other than that, I don't have an opinion on these matters..... .....