Could not agree more. ww

Nicely put. But wouldn't it be "Absolute" and not Obsolete Devotion to Socialism.

Actually, there are 11 new states, you missed the State of Confusion.

I certainly understand that the public will become more divided as the election nears. Politics is unfortunately too much like support for sports teams.

I will address the "57 state" dispute though. The District Of Columbia, Americans Abroad, American Samoa, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and Nothern Marianas, all have delegates at either the Democratic, Republican or both conventions.

So Paul, are they states or territories? And if territories, does Obama know the difference? ww

WildWillie, if the election is going to be decided by a series of semantical or terminology based disagreements, rather than a discussion of both sides bringing solutions to table for consideration on the ailing economy, high energy prices where American truckers are paying about $5 a gallon for diesel, compared to just $2 in Mexico, etc., the American public is in some real trouble.

My real world worry for today is how to get mortgage funding to qualified buyers to sell one of my problem homes. The mortgage market funds have dried up so bad that reliable investors can't even get the funds so I can unload a problem property I own, and that's after I'm willing to sell it for a full 1/3 less than the appraised value. Others are concerned how to afford heating oil this winter or fuel to drive to work. Semantics based discussions just don't have much value to voters with real world concerns.

Paul, please tell me when Obama visited all these other territories. We know he's been in DC, but when did he visit American Samoa? Northern Marianas? etc

I'm just sayin'.

Paul, your statement misses the reason just why Obama's campaign may fairly be attacked on rhetorical and semantical arguments; the man - quite literally - has no accomplishments or qualifications for the job he seeks, and what's worse, the few specific proposals he has made about what he would do as President are so far removed from practical or realistic options, that the 'empty suit' pin fits him perfectly. Obama reacts bitterly to criticism, to observation of his very short resume, and to any comment regarding his limitations as an executive.

Barack Obama has built his whole candidacy on vapid platitudes and meaningless slogans. So it is completely valid to challenge him on his chosen terrain.

What can Obama do, or any politician do about the price of oil. The reason we are so foreign dependent lands squarley in the democrats lap for there blocking all refinery build outs, nuke plants and drilling. You guys own that problem. Of course, if a republican made as many gaffes as Obama has, we would never hear about it at all? Right. Hope you sell your property, but you can't sell me on Obama. ww

Paul Hooson:

I will address the "57 state" dispute though. The District Of Columbia, Americans Abroad, American Samoa, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam and Nothern Marianas, all have delegates at either the Democratic, Republican or both conventions.

It's telling and laughable that you'd actually attempt to defend the remark as anything other than a misstatement. Seriously, 'if the Obamessiah says it it's true' ? How exactly do you delude yourself into reconciling the exact statement of '57 states with 1 more to go' ?

Let's assume he meant what you said, does the Obamessiah not know the difference between states and territories ? Do you you ? It would seem not.

Holy cow DJ. I'd have sworn you were talking about the goofball currently taking up space in the White House, other than the socialism part of course. For that you could just substitute Devotion to Raeganism.

JFO, 'Raeganism'?

Your spelling is as poor as your cognitive dissonance is advanced.

You know I admit to never having figured out how to spell his name. It must have been and still is the pure aversion to the man.. But as to cognitive dissonance, I'll have you know my cognification has never been dissonated.

JFO, your posts are rank with bitterness, they lack cogency and are often far from rational in their claims or substance. With all due respect, you should think twice or thrice before your posts, as your comments do not commend you as a person whose opinion is worth attention, less of merit.

Au contraire DJ....my thoughts are way deeper than the usual winger...you're close but you'll have to do a little more work.

It seems that when I tossed your labels back at you, they are quite fitting for Mr Bush, that it was you who reacted with anger and bitterness by making fun of my spelling.

If you're going to try and be cute with labels DJ you ought to to at least be aware that those same labels can be used to describe lots of folks, including those of your particular persuasion.

So then I must reasonably conclude that your opinion is also not worth attention, much less merit.

JFO's posts are vapid and unsubstantiated, so I must commend him on a fine impersonation of his idol, the Flatulence from Illinois, the Obamemptima.

Weeee. DJ knows how to use a Thesaurus!!!!!

DJ, I always like your writings, however I disagree this time around that Mr. Obama is an "empty suit" with no qualifications. He is a top flight intellectual who taught constitutional law at the University Of Chicago Law School until he was elected to the Senate by a landslide vote. He was the first African American to head the Harvard Law Review, and attended Harvard Law School. He holds a B.A. from Columbia, and has business work experience at Business International Corporation as well as community work at the New York Public Interest Research Group. In fact he has far deeper academic credentials than John McCain who is not a lawyer, but a naval academy graduate.

If you disagree with the policies of Mr. Obama, that is more than fair. But no one can take away that he is a very intellectual and accomphlished young man. Mr. Obama may well be the greatest political phenomenon to come from Illinois since Lincoln. Not since Lincoln has a figure from that state rised so fast as a major public figure. That in itself is quite a story. And his speeches are magnetic, with the rally in Portland drawing 75,000 persons. A few have tried to claim that a free concert by a band no one ever heard of to entertain the crowd before Obama spoke was the main reason the crowd was so large, but that's silly. Obama was the draw for sure and nothing short of a political phenomenon and thousands wanted to a part of history, and Obama carried Oregon by a 59%-41% landslide the followin Tuesday. Whether he makes it all the way to the White House remains to be seen. But it's been quite a ride for this young man who was raised by a single mom on food stamps so far.

There are many things to admire about both John McCain and Barack Obama and their backgrounds. It should ultimately be policy differences that decide the eventual winner, not some other standard of personally demeaning attacks such a terrible antiObama spam Email I saw the other day.

I am not impressed that academics prepares one for high office. Nor does law school. And I believe most folks that don't think BO is qualified feel the same way.

And about those problem properties, Paul, I didn't realize you were a slumlord too... (just kidding - the RE market has REALLY died here and I am feeling the pain too trying to unload a house in a marriage dissolution).

Excellent posts DJ Drummond. I share your view!

LOL JFO, I freaking write Thesaurii.

Paul: Obama is a "top flight intellectual"

His many historical and logical gaffes indicate otherwise, sir.

"elected to the Senate by a landslide vote"

... not quite as you suggest. His people found some dirt on Mr. Ryan, who pulled out of the race late which essentially - with apologies to Dr. Keyes - left Obama unopposed.

"John McCain who is not a lawyer, but a naval academy graduate."

And for most Americans, that fact, that John McCain is an Annapolis grad who served his country and suffered for it during a bitter war, rather than becoming a self-serving shark, will work very much to Mr. McCain's advantage rather than the Obamishyster.

DJ

I really think some of you on the right are overestimating the effect of McCain's service. This is not about respecting the military or anything like that. I served. Obviously I had nothing even remotely similar to his experience and his acts of bravery. But, I think there are millions of younger voters who have no experience of the Vietnam war and certainly no personal experience of service in the military. This folks under 40 are the ones I'm talking about.

Again, I'm not arguing the merits of military experience as a measure of qualification for the presidency. I'm just not sure how relevant it is to younger voters.

This is an aside but I read an interesting op-ed piece by George Will some time ago where he compared experience to the quality of 2 presidencies. The least qualified by experience was Lincoln. The most by experience was Van Buren. Go figure.

JFO, you are blowing smoke again. The problem you have is not merely McCain's relatively long resume against Obama's, but a series of strange assumptions, not least your apparent belief that young voters will be more important to the election than older voters. History shows that Seniors vote in large numbers, but voters under 30 are unusual. And Omama's poll numbers since March indicate the charm is wearing thin, even among Obama girls and boys.

And you attempting to link Obama with Lincoln is just laughable. Lincoln served in the State militia of Illinois, he handled debates so well that his debates are still studied, and his positions were well-grounded in Constitutional principles. Barack Obama, frankly, is not even in the same county for his qualifications. He tosses off platitudes but cannot defend them, he gets angry very fast whenever he is challenged, and Obama is completely off the page in terms of understanding the office for which he thinks he is best suited.

Your party has chosen an empty suit again, and again it will cost you the election.