newsobserver.com projects - Elon University - Comments

Re: Quick Hits

cdtew — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 16:38:06 -0400

Has the NC 10th Amendment Bill been mentioned?

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/gascripts/BillLookUp/BillLookUp.pl?Session=2009&BillID=H849

Re: Pro-Am?

Prototype — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 10:55:03 -0400

You are so right. I hope that the first thing President Obama does is send some community organizers up there to Alaska. That's the only way they will ever get straightened out. And Biden has the real experience. He has been in the Senate for 36 years fighting for the real change. Look how much it's changed in 36 years?

Re: Pro-Am?

Real_Americans_Think — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:20:31 -0400

I hate to harp on the obvious, but is there any doubt that Gov. Sarah Palin (R-Alaska) is a blithering moron? I mean that in a nice way, given that she's a hockey mom (my main criteria for VP or President) and an avid hunter (using helicopters to track down helpless animals - very sporting!). I know that this seems like not a very nice thing to say, but it seems to be true. She can't construct a sentence on her own. She practices cronyism. She is secretive and abuses power. I'm trying to think who she reminds me of... mmmm, could it be... CHENEY? Could it be George Bush? He has had problems with "the English" too. I certainly do hope that those of us in North Carolina are pro-American. Of course, let's not confuse that with being for McCain/Palin. Obama/Biden and their supporters are just as patriotic as anyone else. I think Sarah is doing a tremendous job pretending to be a credible VP candidate. Maybe someday, 10 or 20 years from now, she'll be ready for the job.

Re: Greensboro reporter assaulted at rally

moderatevoter — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 18:02:04 -0400

I wasn't going to make any big deal about the following incident, but it seems as though a pattern is taking shape and so I feel that my story is worth sharing.

I was driving in my neighborhood last Sunday morning when a car got right up on my rear bumper, way too close. Now sometimes cars get close on the interstate, but this was different. We were going about 30mph with no other cars around. Then the fellow zoomed around me and back into my lane before brake-checking me pretty damn hard.

I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. After all, I was driving slow in the left lane. I was driving in the left lane when there were no cars in the right lane. These are the two biggest sins of driving, and in my book they are legitimate grounds for road rage. The only defense for such inconsiderate behavior is when you're about to make a left turn, just like I was (and did).

But something about the combination of the particularly aggressive break-check, the middle finger out of the window, and the McCain-Palin bumper sticker made me suspect that what really upset him was my Obama bumper-sticker.

Now I'm a moderate guy. I'm registered independent and generally agree with some traditionally "liberal" polic positions and some traditionally "conservative" policy positions. I don't vote straight ticket. I have close friends of all persuasions, including apathetic. I get along with all of them. I think Bush has been a poor president, but some of the drastic things I have heard people say about him are absurd.

For the first time in my life I have put a political bumper sticker on my car, and I did it because I believe that Obama is the right man for the job. He's no Messiah; his shortcomings will be apparent in due time. McCain, although he has often been a refreshingly independent voice, has sold out his own legacy by pandering to the extremist social conservatives. If he is elected, I believe that he will be unable to present an independent voice and we will have more of the past 8 years.

Now it is true that the fellow who cut me off didn't physically assault me the way that reporter was assaulted. I will also grant that he probably did not actually want to cause an accident. However, such recklessly violent behavior is disconcerting and scary, even to an able-bodied man like me.

The first question that I ask myself and that I think each of you should ask yourself is this: if I had not filled my anecdote with a thorough description of my moderate poltical tendencies, if I had just said 'some nut almost ran me off the road cause he didn't like my Obama sticker,' how many McCain-Palin supporters out there would have thought to themselves 'I wish he had run your liberal a** off the road.'

I'm not asking how many would *admit* to thinking that, but how rather many McCain supporters feel hate in their heart when they see someone publicly supporting the Obama campaign? Based on what I've seen and heard the past few months, I think the number is large. Emotions are high and opinions are strong, but if you can't bring yourself to act gracefully toward your fellow citizens who have different political preferences, you should ask yourself what sort of democracy you believe in.

The second question I ask is, if my cat-like reflexes hadn't saved the moment and this guy had caused an automobile accident, would he have pulled over, apologized, and admitted he got carried away? Or would he have sped off? Would he have gotten out of his car and provoked an altercation? It was Sunday morning; nobody was around?

A teacher told me one time that the media likes to portray the polarization of the electorate like a graph in the shape of a V, with lots of voters on the far left and far right and very few in the center. In reality the electorate is more like an A, with the largest percentage of voters near the middle and very few out on the edge.

Of course there are 'fringe' elements on both sides, but from where I stand it seems like the fringes are getting mighty wide and the middle ground is feeling narrow. Ever been on a sandbar when the tide is coming in?

Re: Palin: N.C. is pro-America

carbonLib — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 17:24:01 -0400

She won't make these mistakes in 2012....

Re: Palin: N.C. is pro-America

BigCityBorn — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:13:18 -0400

As someone who grew up in a fairly large city (Tulsa) with hardworking parents who taught me moral values, I am SICK of being put down by Sarah Palin.

Palin’s repeated glorification of ‘real’ Americans in small towns, and distinguishing between ‘pro-America’ parts of the country and others, is insulting and offensive. Here’s one big-city conservative who has had enough, and won’t be voting for McCain.

John McCain’s pick of Palin was a catastrophic error. Surely he wasn’t aware that Palin had such contempt for large numbers of Americans. His hasty choice has ended any chance for a McCain presidency.

Re: Palin: N.C. is pro-America

jwc123 — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 16:04:06 -0400

I wonder if she considers the Alaskan Separatist Party to which her husband belonged as "pro-American"?

When is terrorism ok?

RonB — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 15:17:04 -0400

When it is Republican Terrorism! Or as they like to call it, America First freedom fighters.

Be it John McCain's financial terrorist pals Keating and Grahamm, convicted terrorist G. Gordon Libby, or Mr. Big Beard, McCain embraces all kinds of terrorism.

Of course Palin and McCain think they are going to Washington to fight for "Joe" the "Plumber" -- an "undecided" voter who cast a ballot in the Republica primary, isn't named Joe, who doesn't have an apprentice's plumber's licence, and owes back taxes. He may think he shouldn't have to pay taxes since the government "owes" him a plumbing business despite having yet to prove any formal training.

Though he has as much plumbing experience that Palin has in fields other than beauty padgentry and tv sportscasting, so maybe he is on to something...

Re: Palin greets crowd of a few at Elon

riverrd — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:29:22 -0400

This just does to show that the repoblicans have many "Brown Shirts" that do the dirty work of their "leaders".

Re: Palin: N.C. is pro-America

aburtch — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 14:18:16 -0400

Their double-speak is very Orwellian....

Re: Greensboro reporter assaulted at rally

Isaac136 — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:59:05 -0400

I hope this story will prompt a reporter to ask McCain or Palin for a reaction. Wasn't McCain just recently very indignantly defending the zeal of his mob?

Re: Palin: N.C. is pro-America

google — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:41:28 -0400

Youbetcha becasue the MSM gotcha media just wont quite on this! Now Go Mccain and give us flat taxes!

Re: Palin: N.C. is pro-America

jjsmith2 — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 13:09:04 -0400

Is she basically saying if you don't support Republicans you hate America? When did the Republican Part become America?

Re: The assault on a reporter by the big bearded Palin supporter

domewatcher — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:52:09 -0400

Well Isaac, you just cannot hit a home run every time. The important point is to just keep swinging.

Your comments have sent me "sprawling to the ground."

Re: Greensboro reporter assaulted at rally

marknewman — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 10:48:15 -0400

We've seen on TV that these McCain supporters are out of control, now its happened in our own state of NC.

Now I don't fault someone for supporting a different candidate than myself, but when you physically abuse someone, that's cross a line. You might also have problems with the media, again fine, but committing the crime of assault is just plain pathetic. THIS MUST STOP. It is this vain that I'm encouraging everyone to fight back, by giving a few hours this weekend at your local Obama office to call voters, canvass, or get folks to the one stop early voting (to vote or register and vote).

Also, let your undecided friends and neighbors know what the McCain campaign is condoning.