Politicians as Symbols

[Griff]

I heard someone call into an NPR program supporting Hillary preface her comments with, "I'm from the sixties so,.." There is a block of voters out there for whom that connection creates a warm fuzzy and another group that grinds their teeth over the same connection. Do we ever really vote for the person or are we just voting for someone who symbolizes something we believe our country needs?

To me, Obama symbolizes the eventual irrelevance of race. Am I just projecting my desire on the man? Is that how we pick Presidents? Enlighten me, I don't understand democracy.

[TheMercenary]

Hitlery Cliton makes me want to grind my teeth.

I am of the opinon that for a number of election cycles now we (I) have had to make choices based on who would be the least worst of some really bad choices. The 2 party system sucks ass. I think many of our problems could be solved by having a unicameral government.

[Aliantha]

I think some politicians/heads of state, become iconic over a period of time, particularly the ones who're most controversial or charismatic, and they represent eras for the country they lead. Not all of them though. Usually only the really good ones or the really bad ones. No one remembers the in between ones.

A politician has to make you feel emotional about your decision in order to get you to cast your vote in his/her direction. It's all about striking chords in people's hearts; making people think they're the only one that could possibly make a difference etc...blah blah blah.

[piercehawkeye45]

The 2 party system sucks ass. I think many of our problems could be solved by having a unicameral government.

That, and having people swear in on Business 101 instead of a Bible.

No joke.


Yes, and I think many people vote because of symbolic reasons. Don't blame them since most candidates are the same anyways.

[classicman]

Ugghh, she makes me want to vomit. As an independent I am not at all sure who I am voting for. But I am sure of one thing, I am not voting for her.

[ZenGum]

I just want to say, to Merc and a few others, that I disapprove of using names like "Hitlery Cliton" and such for Hillary Clinton.

No, I don't think she's a great candidate. She looks much the same as the rest, evasive, posturing, deal-making, ambition-driven, hypocritical, only as honest as she thinks she needs to be, and as corrupt as she can get away with.

But really, she is nothing like Hitler. He could make a speech that would get people fired up, for one thing. Oh and all the crazy lebensraum/ubermench crap. There's a Goodwin's Law thing here.

Cliton? So she's got a clitoris rather than a penis. So what? Do the contents of the president's underpants matter to you? Do you think being a national leader is beyond any woman, ever?

So criticize, sure, but there are plenty of accurate, reasonable criticisms to make without resorting to the Hitler nonsense. That line just makes you look silly.

[classicman]

I refer to her as Billary or Hillbillary - They are a pckage deal anyway.

We just don't need, nor do I want, another Clinton or Bush as our leader.

[ZenGum]

Billary I can live with.
Although I think that's what you got the first time around. This time I think Hilliam is on the menu.
Kind of like the difference between sunny-side-up and eggs-ever-easy. Except that eggs are better for you.

[classicman]

Ya know - this is the first election I have been totally up in the air with. I mean, I am not really leanin toward anyone right now.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Personally, I'm leaning away from all the Dems who are trying for the job. The entire party is entirely too invested in getting the War lost, which tells me the entire party is an agglomeration of idiots, a confederacy of dunces. That leaves me a couple of other pools to dip into.

Not that I'd mind a Dem proving me wrong on this point, but figure the odds!

[piercehawkeye45]

ZenGum, Hilary is the same as the other candidates, but just more extreme. She is obviously more desperate to get as many votes as possible while avoiding to take any responsibility for her actions. That, and people don't like her because of Bill.

[TheMercenary]

Fuck Hitlery... I will vote for anyone who can beat her or who runs against her as a front runner, as many did for Bush2 or Gore/Kerry.. Sucks ass but I will not stand for being part of electing that bitch to the big house, never.

[glatt]

I don't know Merc. I think you must love her, to have such strong feelings about her.

[Shawnee123]

Methinks Merc doth protest too much.

He wants to kiss her and take her on a date and marry her and have her babies.

[lookout123]

has it occurred to anyone else that Merc might in fact really be Bill Clinton. He uses his internet persona to say nasty crap about his Shrillery (did that just for you Zen) just so he can stay married to her without killing her? Merc = Bill?