Because like Mr. Funtax, everyone care about my political opinions thanks to my position in computer games and general bloggery!
I am biased here: I like Barack Obama a lot. I have often griped how politicians talk to us like seven year olds. He doesn’t. He actually treats the electorate as adults. What’s more, he’s the only one running who seems to recognize that the slash-and-burn politics of the past 25 years or so isn’t working out too well in practice any more. Whereas Hillary’s message (and the Republicans, for that matter, with the exception of Huckabee) can be boiled down to “I will accomplish my goals by DESTROYING ANYONE IN MY PATH”, Obama’s is more one of reconciliation and consensus. Which, a bit of research shows, is more than just talk. So, that being said, fired up and ready to go, the handicapping!
Democrats:
Barack Obama: 1st Huge momentum coming out of Iowa, and his debate performances were good. Polls show double-digit leads. He’s got this one, and South Carolina as well. Super Tuesday will be the crunch time, but for now it’s Obam-a-go-go.
Hillary Clinton: 2nd Most people have her coming in 3rd, but I suspect Obama is actually drawing most of his support from Edwards voters. It’ll be close either way, and she’s in it until at least Super Tuesday (and most likely the convention).
John Edwards: 3rd You know, John Edwards has to be pissed right now, because he’s been running his election straight from James Carville and Karl Rove’s playbook and he’s still in third everywhere. And his lashing out in debates, and most recently at Hillary for daring to show emotion in public this afternoon, shows that. I suspect after Tuesday he’ll bow out to make a play for being on an Obama/Edwards ticket (and everyone I talk to thinks Obama will pick James Webb instead) (admittedly these are mostly game developers and message boards) (oh like you have better contacts) (ok I’ll stop)
Bill Richardson: Who? Will drop out after New Hampshire and join the Clinton campaign.
Dennis Kucinich: Wha? At this point I think he’s in it solely for the snacks.
Republicans:
John McCain: 1st Ordinarily, I would be all over a McCain presidency (I supported him last time he ran) but since then Iraq happened and he’s wrong about pretty much every post-9/11 issue. Still, he’s the best the Republicans have.
Mike Huckabee: 2nd I confess to bumping up Huckabee solely because I hope that Romney gets a sharp poke in the eye. In any event he doesn’t have the national infrastructure, nor any hope in hell of winning the general election. Still, he’s honest, he knows what he believes, and people respect that. Given the choices, well, that’s why he’s doing as well as he is. Plus, if you don’t vote Huckabee Chuck Norris WILL kick your ass.
Mitt Romney: 3rd Romney is everything that is wrong with our electoral system made manifest. He’s a smug millionaire who is trying to buy the nomination through buying as much sludge as the stations will sell him air time to sling it, only to primly declare that personal attacks are crude when called on it. Not to mention the fact that he turned from a moderate Republican governor of Massa-frikin-chusetts to a Bush neocon clone solely because some focus group told him it would get him nominated, which implies that everything he believes is negotiable. I not only hope he comes in 3rd and promptly drops out of the race, I also hope Chuck Norris punches him square in the nose.
Rudy Guiliani: 4th At some point Guiliani should win a primary. The question remains whether the convention will take place before or after that point.
Fred Thompson: Zzz I bet Fred wishes it was 60 years ago and you could get the nomination through giving out the best cigars. I bet Fred has great cigars. I bet he has them flown in from Cuba. I don’t actually smoke cigars, but I bet Fred’s are the best. I bet Fred will continue not to actually run because it’s too much like work.
RON PAUL, BITCHES: YEAH YOU KNOW IT RAAAR He’s going to win a primary when no one’s looking and then we’ll ALL be sorry. No, actually he’s gonna drop out soon and focus on his Libertarian Party bid. Too bad, Ron Paul made the debates fun. Maybe the Republicans can adopt Mike Gravel.
#1 by Todd Ogrin on January 7th, 2008
Fred Thompson said the other day that he didn’t really want to be President but that he’s “offering [himself] up.” I like this approach.
“I hear y’all need a President. Well, shucks, I guess I could do it. I reckon if no one else wants to, I might as well. Nobody? All right, then. I gotta swear on a bible or something to make this official?”
#2 by Apache on January 7th, 2008
In a global war against radical Islam, is having a Mormon President really a super awesome idea?
#3 by M Grey on January 7th, 2008
Better than a woman president.
#4 by M Grey on January 7th, 2008
Which is to say, I bet the radical Muslims would really stop hating us then.
#5 by ProTip on January 7th, 2008
You can’t have reconciliation politics when only one side is ready to reconcile. The republicans will invariably work to frustrate and reverse any progressive policies and have shown no interest in anything but “winner-take-all” politics.
We need a democratic willing to roll back the insanity of the last four years; Obama and his kid gloves seem a poor choice for that role.
#6 by Scott Jennings on January 7th, 2008
Or, “we cannot compromise or work with anyone not us! Everyone not of our party is evil and stupid and not worthy of debate! Vote for the person best able to FIGHT!”
Yeah, that’s been working out pretty well.
#7 by Apache on January 7th, 2008
Huckabee by far has the best debating and communication skills. It’s too bad he doesn’t believe in evolution or I’d vote for him. McCain is a homer, so odds are I’ll be giving him my nod. As far as Democrats go, Obama has the strongest presence and speaking voice. Plus, being for things is a lot more attractive than being against. I enjoy his vertical leadership style.
#8 by J. on January 8th, 2008
Politics really is supposed to be about compromise. Most politicians understand that, but the past eight years have been more about my-way-or-the-highway. You could turn that around, but it’d just alienate the half of the country who really did want Bush elected, and don’t think it’s that much less even with the whole war thing, or there wouldn’t be anyone running for president as a Republican, now.
However, I don’t know how tough Obama really is. Resoluteness and toughness are not the same thing.
#9 by Abalieno on January 8th, 2008
I like Obama too from here.
But then my knowledge of American politics is rather poor.
#10 by Idlethought on January 8th, 2008
Obama is beating Clinton. They’re both going after ‘young’ voters. Clinton has a history of trying to jump on anti-gaming moral bandwagons. Chickens roosting?
#11 by D-0ne on January 8th, 2008
I agree with George Carlin.
http://tinyurl.com/2hemcx
#12 by Ryan Shwayder on January 8th, 2008
I like Obama, I really really don’t like Clinton. It’s not just because she exists as a political entity entirely because of her husband, or because she is generally against video games as a freedom, or any of that… she just rubs me the wrong way.
I don’t like democrats, and I don’t like republicans. The political views I have don’t have anything to do with either side, which means that I end up straddling the line quite a bit if you try to position me as either one. And, while I don’t agree with everything Obama stands for, he’s pretty close to the middle too and I like that.
Not to mention, I believe the main thing a president needs is the ability to speak in public effectively, and he has that more than any other candidate.
#13 by yunk on January 8th, 2008
You obviously aren’t from Illinois, because Obama HAS destroyed everyone in his path. He just talks the talk, that’s all. He pulls off a good image, better than the rest of them, but it’s an image.
Though yes I’d rather have him than the rest of the Democrats, despite me disagreeing with him on just about everything.
On the Republican side I like Guiliani. He’s like the somewhat libertarian candidate for non-crazies. Except for gun control and immigration he is pretty much in the middle. Plus he is a much better speaker and negotiator.
However, I am very much afraid the Republicans will end up with Huckabee, who is basically more socialist than any Democrat except Obama. But then again, both he and Obama have the benefit of seeming like decent people, which few of the other nominees seem to be.
#14 by Steve on January 8th, 2008
I nominate Kucinich’s wife for first FLILF.
#15 by Bo on January 8th, 2008
I am convinced that Ron Paul will dethrone Lyndon LaRouche as “Wacky Fringe Politician whose Cult-Like Supporters Accost You in Public Parks”. This will happen within the next five years.
The MMO twist is that his cult-like supporters will also accost you in the Orgrimmar AH, a feat LaRouche has yet to accomplish.
#16 by Axecleaver on January 8th, 2008
I think an Obama/Webb ticket would dominate the election. Webb has done a lot of good for Virginia in a very short time, and he’s authentic. Plus, he doesn’t take crap from anybody, but he does it in a very civil and polite fashion. He’s a real credit to our state.
If you’re Republican, you have to ask yourself which candidate could beat Obama and vote accordingly. I don’t think any of them can at this stage, but McCain may be your best shot. Evangelicals won’t vote for a black man, so you’ve already captured most of the Huckabee strongholds. McCain gets the experience/security vote, but he’d have to work hard to be as inclusive as his opponent, which is going to be hard.
Guiliani is not Libertarian in any sense of the word. Libertarians believe in minimal government interference. Every stance on an issue can be derived from this simple concept. Take a look at his record in New York – much closer to martial law than freedom. Is it cleaner and safer? Sure. But is it better? That is not what a Libertarian mayor would have done. He’s a fearmonger whose only plank is, “I did a good job after 9/11, and if you’re still scared, I’m the guy you need.”
#17 by yunk on January 8th, 2008
“Evangelicals won’t vote for a black man”
um, yeah
I can’t believe the amount of hate I see. How can you really believe that? All the time I read people write “oh conservatives/evangelicals/whatever won’t vote for a woman or black man” yet in Iowa Obama won hands down. What will it take for people to put aside their prejudices and admit people who believe different things than them are people just like them? They aren’t evil.
#18 by Tem on January 8th, 2008
“On the Republican side I like Guiliani. He’s like the somewhat libertarian candidate for non-crazies.”
You succeeded in seeding doubts in me about Obama until you said the above at which point any credibility you had went right out the window rather swiftly. Guiliani is a continuation of the Bush era fear mongering who’s ticket consists of “if you don’t vote for me, you’re going to die from Anthrax”. Please. Let’s talk about the real issues, oh wait, he can’t because he’s a one-trick pony whose first mandate would be to end every local television broadcast day with 9/11 news coverage.
Does anyone else have “the real deal” on Obama that isn’t endorsed by right-wing, fear mongering zealots? I WANT to vote for Obama, but something just doesn’t feel right. Like he is the slickest politician of the bunch but whose charisma overrides my desire to question.
#19 by kalain on January 8th, 2008
I’ve yet to see any evidence that Obama is just a very slick lie.
Which either means there isn’t any, or that he’s bright enough to bring his own WMDs when claiming we’ll find some
But seriously, Mr. 9/11 himself? The man has no platform, he’s just pitching Never Forget because it’s the only way he’s even mildly relevant.
#20 by yunk on January 8th, 2008
As for Obama, his support and close connection to Giannoulias in Illinois (the “banker for the mob” who got elected state Treasurer) has always concerned me. Though I don’t think corruption as far as getting money is a big issue with him as it is for the average Illinois politician. But .. there was a controversy about him getting people he didn’t like removed from a ballot so you couldn’t even vote for them, but I can’t find it now. But like I said, out of the Democrats I like him the most.
Giuliani has assembled a great legal team of constructionists. His records on some things like gun control are definitely not classic liberalism at all. Though he is still more liberal than any of the other republicans but Ron Paul. That is why i called him “somewhat” not “libertarian” since he’s plainly not. He is only “one trick” if you read the sound bytes. I’ve been reading up on his Justice Department work before NY and it’s pretty impressive. I don’t like Romney or McCain or Huckaby since McCain and Huckaby are far too “big government control” for my taste. Romney …I don’t know.
Here’s some interesting balanced work. heh he tried to find dirt on obama and finds none really:
http://celestiniosity.com/2007/02/13/digging-dirt-on-obama/
http://celestiniosity.com/2007/02/27/considering-a-vision-rudy-giuliani/
#21 by kalain on January 8th, 2008
Why do you keep using Liberalism and Libertarianism as interchangeable words.
#22 by yunk on January 8th, 2008
Oh sorry as far as “dirt” on Obama google Rezko. however, I am not sure that’s a huge deal, since it’s well known already and doesn’t seem to impact people’s opinions. For Illinoisans, if you only ONCE paid “above market value” for property to a fundraiser that was being investigated and everyone else was avoiding, then you are relatively clean
Rezko might bring down our governor though. It depends on what comes out of that trial.
#23 by Vandermint on January 8th, 2008
Lum,
No one has Hillary Clinton coming in third in NH, let alone “most people”. She’s going to finish second there with Edwards a distant third.
Isn’t this kind of silly? I’m not the biggest Bush supporter around but the notion that Democrats have consistently been reaching across the aisle or have always been civil in their discourse doesn’t pass the giggle test. Maybe you guys are seeing different news stories/blogs/bumper stickers/Bush=Hitler t-shirts/etc. than the rest of us. Demonization (if that’s a word) is alive and well on both sides. (And it’s Republicans who are consistently being called “evil and stupid”, not the other way around. They call Dems, I dunno, “cowardly and weak” maybe?)
Fred Thompson gets kind of a raw deal. He has serious answers to the issues and has run the kind of thoughtful, clean campaign people say they want and is thus perceived as bored and disinterested. Still, I think if Romney falls out then conservatives will see Guiliani as wrong on God/guns/gays and Huckabee as a religious big government governor from a Southern state (and look where that has gotten us). That gives conservatives an option to give two guys a second look: McCain and Thompson. McCain’s stances on taxes, immigration, and campaign finance (plus a general sense among many Republicans that in the past he’s frequently played to the Meet the Press crowd at the expense of his party) may cost him.
#24 by Vandermint on January 8th, 2008
Grr–seems to have eaten part of my reply. My 2nd paragraph above was in reply to #5 and #6.
#25 by kalain on January 8th, 2008
His entire summation of Dirt is buying land to build a fence (and no accusations of buying it at any abnormal price, even), and writing a letter in asupport of low income senior housing, and that project happened to have a dirty developer involved.
Those both seem like REALLY tenuous links. Like, “you bought stock in a company that gained value, thus insider trading!” kind of reaching.
#26 by JuJutsu on January 8th, 2008
“Evangelicals won’t vote for a black man, so you’ve already captured most of the Huckabee strongholds.”
As the current holder of ‘the most ignorant post’ to ever show up on Nerfbat I’m crushed to see that I’ll never reach the same position on Broken Toys.
#27 by krones on January 8th, 2008
The Obama-Rama effect is causing ballot shortages.
“Secretary of State is making runs to Seacoast – Hampton, Portsmouth – and Southern Hillsborough – Pelham, Nashua – to bring extra democratic ballots. Many towns are reporting shortages.”
#28 by IanB on January 8th, 2008
“I nominate Kucinich’s wife for first FLILF.”
Pfft, Jackie Kennedy already had that title decades ago!
#29 by Malkyne on January 8th, 2008
Yeah, what the heck happened to McCain, anyway? It’s like when Iraq happened, the CIA rendited the real McCain off to some Eastern European gulag, and replaced him with a cunningly adept McCain impersonator that would play nice-nice with Bush. He’s such a disappointment.
Edwards will only drop out after New Hampshire if he thinks he can’t win South Carolina. The South Carolina primary is only a couple of weeks away, and while he is in a bad money situation, relative to the other leading candidates, South Carolina is his home state, and he has won there, before. Expect him to bail immediately, if he doesn’t come in first in South Carolina. If he can’t win there, his campaign will be completely out of steam.
#30 by a foreigner on January 8th, 2008
responding to yunk: as for socialist conservatives: we have had our experiences with that sort here in austria (hint: _more_ than 60 years ago and still worth “remembering”). thats not to say anything about mr. huckabee (probably ok, *shrugging*), but about the idea of a “socialist conservative” in that word-order.
#31 by Tem on January 8th, 2008
Edwards’ home state is North Carolina. He was a senator there for, oh, 6 years I think.
#32 by Helpful Anon on January 8th, 2008
Edwards was born in South Carolina.
#33 by Mortarion on January 8th, 2008
Being a somewhat recent immigrant, and therefore something of an outsider and newcomer to US politics (and your form of democracy), I’m constantly amazed at the sweeping generalizations and endless ‘Us vs. Them’ attitude in regards to Democrats vs. Republicans (on both sides). It’s so galvanized that, to me, it’s a dead ringer for another situation: Hibs, Mids, and Albs trash-talking each other on the VN.
On reflection, I guess the analogy of “US partisan politics = VNboards” isn’t surprising anyone. Still, I find it fascinating.
#34 by Hades on January 8th, 2008
I support Obama 100%. The rest are just windbags who keep spin doctoring stuff and lead us down a path to nowhere.
#35 by Apache on January 8th, 2008
I hate people who grandstand too. Especially about illegal immigration issues. What are they going to do, round up all the illegals and put them in concentration camps while they are processed to be deported to countries that don’t want them? Give me a break.
#36 by tannenburg on January 8th, 2008
Mortarion:
“Dude! The Democrats TOTALLY zerg all the time, WTF! They have no skillz – they can’t compete in 8 vs 8!”
“No wai! Republicans are overpowered! Nerf the Fundamentalist Conservative class! I mean, WTF, they start with 2x gold and xp?”
Ah, what a good analogy…
#37 by Merkwurdigliebe on January 8th, 2008
Paul didn’t make double digits. Oh well, not like he would ever have been elected, or that the other parties would take note of the concerns of his followers.
This election makes me more depressed than any other. I do not know if it is because I’m in my mid thirties now, or if so much can go wrong in this country now.
I personally do not like where ANY of the candidates stand and most issues. I wish I could take bits and pieces of the two front-runners in each party, then add to that SOME GODDAMN RESPECT for human beings!
#38 by krones on January 9th, 2008
I guess all those democratic ballots weren’t for Obama after all. Edwards needs to drop out. My grand daddy worked in the mills, blah–blah. I read up on Edward, his upbringing isn’t as bad as he paints it. That money better dry up quicker because I think his voting base would go for Obama more than Clinton, and Obama needs those votes. Yea, I’m rooting for Obama. The stranglehold this country has bared by two family dynasties longer than I’ve been alive makes me ill.
Ron Paul’s performance in NH was very disappointing. I guess the NH Independents that voted for McCain want to be in Iraq for another 100 years and magically borrow more fake money from China. It’s a sad day when Giuliani, a crooked scumbag, defeats someone like Ron Paul, a true Champion of our Constitution. This is a huge loss for the Ron Paul supporters who were expecting double digits or better. Oh well, at least I can say Ron Paul cured my apathy.
#39 by yunk on January 9th, 2008
kalain that’s why I put “dirt” in quotes, to say “it’s not really dirt” but someone asked for it so I responded. I thought all the other sentences about me liking Obama kinda made that clear.
#40 by D-0ne on January 9th, 2008
[quote]
“Evangelicals won’t vote for a black man, so you’ve already captured most of the Huckabee strongholds.”
As the current holder of ‘the most ignorant post’ to ever show up on Nerfbat I’m crushed to see that I’ll never reach the same position on Broken Toys.
[/quote]
As the current hold of “the most ignorant post” to ever show up on lumthemad.net I’m crushed to see that I’ll never reach the same position on Broken Toys.
#41 by John Maisenhelder on January 9th, 2008
Basically what we need is someone who can find a resolution to the war instead of dragging it on to make himself feel or look important…So far that seems to make Obama our best bet.
#42 by heartless_ on January 9th, 2008
Mortarion I would like to know where you hail from, because every corner of this planet that I have investigated has the exact same type of people. It’s just cool to rag on Americans. It’s Us vs Them in every single part of the world.
#43 by Merkwurdigliebe on January 9th, 2008
I imagine Obama’s resolution to the war in Iraq is the same as Hillary’s: Reduce troops to the level just barely enough to protect themselves in the green zone, then pull them all out a few months or years later when a large number of them get killed by a dramatic suicide attack that creates a public outcry in the US. Leaving the Iraqis fending for themselves. The alternatives are: The same except pull all troops out immediately, or let the next administration do it.
#44 by IanB on January 9th, 2008
@#43: He may come from one of the (many) countries with more than 2 parties. Thus it would be more like us vs. them vs. them with the help of these other guys sometimes, but not when we’re talking about this other subject, when its us. vs. them vs. them vs. some other people etc.
When you distill everything down to just two parties, it is really pretty different.
#45 by krones on January 9th, 2008
Richardson drops out. He would’ve won it all, but Lum had to ruin his future by reading the stars with Mrs. Cleo.
#46 by Mortarion on January 9th, 2008
@43: I’m from Canada, actually, so parliamentary democracy.
Don’t mistake my comment as ragging on Americans as a people, by any means. I think this is a great place to live and have a lot of respect for what the US has accomplished. Perhaps I should have removed the ‘US’ from my ‘US partisan politics = VNboards’ comment, but I was specifically referring to the two-party system here.
I guess I was mostly commenting on how silly it is that people seem to always stereotype the parties, when the people within those parties can vary wildly on issues (See VNboards – “Hibs always zerg, Mids always gank, anyone who plays a Bainshee is an ass, etc.”). But I’m also a very laid-back, nonreligious, common sense kind of person, and being new here, I’m trying to figure out where I politically fit. I didn’t mean to imply that my country’s political system was better than the US’; it was more an observation about human nature.
#47 by 3 Stacked Midgets on January 10th, 2008
I don’t understand how so many former libertarians can have positive feelings towards Obama. He’s pro-war, pro-(some form of UHC borg) and voted to re-authorize PATRIOT. He clearly favors a Clintonian interventionist foreign policy, particularly in the case of Darfur. I can’t listen to the man speak for more than five seconds – his rhetoric just sounds empty. Not to mention his utter silence on the drug war issue despite his admitted past use. I can’t support anyone who holds those positions, no matter how often they blather about “change.”
#48 by TPRJones on January 10th, 2008
I like Huckabee. Well, not exactly. He’s an ignorant facist who speeks well, but he’s my current favorite. He’s offered the VP slot to Stephen Colbert several times, and if he does well there’s a slight chance that Colbert will take him up on it. Then we’re just one bullet away from an excellent Presidency.