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maldon_road

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Posts posted by maldon_road

  1. One of the best things about America is the fact that we are now demonstrating that a person of any race or creed can become President based upon their qualifications. If Obama's elected, which looks at this juncture somewhat more probable than not, that he is in fact as good as his presentation. Carter wasn't. Reagan was, and Clinton, with some exceptions, was.

    And other countries have shown the perspicacity to have women leaders - UK, Germany, Israel (twice), India. :)

    History will be made in some fashion - a black Prez or a female VP.

  2. Culture-Not truly understanding Quebec. No other province has a culture industry stonger and less in need of Government largess than Quebec. Yet by poo pooing culture and not stressing the funding to grass roots cultural events in the province they handed the Bloc the election issue they were grasping for. This cost them the majority.

    Bill C-10 pandered to the religious right and the artists' subsidy cuts saved a minimal amount of money. But those weren't the biggest problems. Harper got sanctimonious over C-10 (and finally withdrew it in his platform) and sounded like an old style philistine when talking about culture and art.

    Without these errors of judgment he was on the cusp of a majority.

  3. I was going to tune in to the Palin-Biden debate, but now I'm really eager to see our own debate.

    Anyone knows if there's a replay telecast of the US debate?

    You can tape it. But you can be sure you will be able to see it via videostream later on CNN or Fox News.

    The Canadian debate will be five people yelling at one another.

    I intend to watch the Joe & Sarah show and just the highlights of the Canadain debate afterwards.

  4. It appeared to me to be a slight edge for McCain. I don't think its enough to move him ahead though I think he would have done better if the debate stuck to what it was supposed to be about- foreign policy.

    Economics seem to hurt him. There is no way he can untie himself to the record of Bush, no matter what he does.

    They were both duds on the financial crisis. Boilerplate answers - I was hoping for at least some decent discussion on how to protect the taxpayers' interest. Neither answered the question on how the bailout would affect their budgetary priorities.

    Obama was more professorial, more aloof. McCain was better in reaching out to the audience and by spicing his answers with anecdotes. He was the more interesting speaker. Was able to put Obama on the defensive. Certainly played the experience card a lot.

  5. The Bush administration asked Congress on Saturday for the power to buy $700-billion (U.S.) in toxic assets clogging the financial system and threatening the economy as negotiations began on the largest bailout since the Great Depression.

    The rescue plan would give Washington broad authority to purchase bad mortgage-related assets from U.S. financial institutions for the next two years. It does not specify which institutions qualify or what, if anything, the government would get in return for the unprecedented infusion.

    There's the rub. Will there be some cost to organizations having such assets taken off their hands?

    No wonder McCain is nervous about it. If it's just the GOP rewarding their friends for incompetent management he could feel the effect on November 4th.

  6. Oh, LiberalJim, as much as I can't stand Harper, that was pretty lame.

    There so much better to go on, how about his deplorable environmental record? Or his continual antagonisation of the world's next economical powerhouse - China?

    That was schoolyard nonsense.

    It's a two day wonder - until the next thing that comes along to raise the politicians' ire.

    But it's a self-inflicted wound by Torydom. Last election Harper did a much better job of keeping his mutts in place.

  7. Don't get down about the people complaining - at least they care.

    Get down about the people who can't see past the end of their noses.

    People criticizing the country does not mean that they love it any less than you do - necessarily.

    I agree.

    I want to see improved health care. It's in my own interests.

    And productivity improvements are the things that drive our prosperity.

    And I want to see an 85ยข CDN dollar. That will help our manufacturers.

  8. I'm also shocked and appalled by the smug Canadian reaction. "This could never happen here because we are more careful and don't engage in greedy, selfish tactics like those uncivilized, selfish, immoral Americans." Gimme a break.

    We cannot live in a world without risk. Anyone or any politician who claims that they can offer a risk-free world is just adding extra risk to the world. Government security is an illusion. The only way to reduce risk is to diversify and government is the concentration of power: the exact opposite of diversification.

    I listened to Deutsche Welle this morning. Same smug reaction - it could never happen here. This from the country that gave the world Naziism.

    Since the early 1990s the US has been the engine that has lead economic growth in the West. It's still moving at a 3% rate. Canada's GDP's growth is flat with declining productivity (no surprise there)

    Canada just dawdled along. By most economic and social measures Canada is slipping in comparison to other Western countries. For a decade France and Germany had stagnant economies and double-digit unemployment.

    With limited and no regulation comes risk. But you also get innovation and growth.

  9. This was combined with no real regulatory oversight by the American banking authorities to ensure banks and investment houses didn't go crazy with risk and debt.

    Do the banking regulators have that authority? Should they? There is deposit insurance, the integrity of which might need to be protected by oversight.

    On the other hand, should the regulator second guess as to what are acceptable investments and loans?

    And since the last American banking crisis which cost the taxpayers a fortune in bail-outs

    I doubt Congress has the balls but legislation forbidding government bailouts would be appropriate.

  10. Any relative savings that the consumer got with reducing the GST 5% went out the window when the dollar shot up. Also, if a person doesn't make big ticket purchases, the saving is neglidgeable, so big deal. Why not keep it at 7% and use the money towards cleaning up the environment and social/arts programs?

    At one time the Libs promised to restore it to 7%. But I haven't heard that lately.

  11. Would you trust either of these guys to take on big business?

    I heard McCain today. John the Populist. Praised the American working man, condemned "corrupt" Wall Street, talked of former Congressmen now in prison and said that he would "do something" about multi-million dollar bonuses.

    Like what?

    The CEO of Lehman got $22 million in bonuses last year. Today 25,000 employees of the company heard that soon they will be without jobs.

    McCain, Obama blast regulators, managers for Wall Street woes

    Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama on Monday both blasted regulators and managers for failing to head off the financial woes rocking Wall Street and called for an overhaul of the rules governing financial institutions.

    Sen. Barack Obama says Monday in Grand Junction, Colorado, that regulators weren't "minding the store."

    The presidential nominees' calls for reform came as Lehman Brothers, a 158-year-old investment bank that has been a pillar of Wall Street, announced Monday it was filing for bankruptcy, while Bank of America said it was buying another Wall Street institution, Merrill Lynch...

    Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, blamed the turmoil on Wall Street, saying it's "more evidence ... that too many folks in Washington and on Wall Street weren't minding the store."

    "For eight years, we've had policies that have shredded consumer protections, that have loosened oversight and regulation, and encouraged outsized bonuses to CEOs while ignoring middle-class Americans," the Illinois Democrat said during a rally in Grand Junction, Colorado. "The result is the most serious financial crisis since the Great Depression."

    Obama has called for modernizing regulations "to suit a 21st-century market" to protect investors and consumers.

    Don't Miss

    McCain, the Republican presidential nominee, told supporters in Jacksonville, Florida, that the problems facing Wall Street would not occur again if he became president.

    "You know that there's been tremendous turmoil in our financial markets and Wall Street. People are frightened by these events," McCain said. "Our economy -- I think still, the fundamentals of our economy are strong -- but these are very, very difficult times. And I promise you we will never put America in this position again."...

    The news of more troubles on Wall Street comes as voters place the economy as their No. 1 concern. More than half, 56 percent, of voters surveyed September 5-7 in a CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll placed the economy as the most important issue....

    Economy

  12. Biden comes across great. I have no doubt he'll do just fine. But like I said, the fact that people could end up being "sympathetic" towards her shows how ill-equipped for the job she is. When has anyone ever worried about how hard an opposing candidate was going to come down on their opponent during the debates?

    As a side note, I'm not sure the other leaders of the world-- China, Russia, for example-- would take the 'soft touch' out of sympathy for her when dealing the serious issues that are confronting the world today. Notice that no one raised any of these concerns in regards to Hillary. This all makes Palin a joke, really; just like the Palin doll out on the market that says the same ten phrases over ... and over ... and over .....

    I don't know to what extent Americans - when looking at Palin - see themselves; working mother with a child with an illness who needs to be cared for. Maybe they don't; maybe they see a power figure out of their league. But to the extent that they do relate to her the more damage the Democrats will do to their cause if they continue to attack her. The more they attack Palin as lacking experience they are also in effect recognizing the lack of experience of Obama who has a record of public service in line with Palin's.

    It's McCain who is running for President, not Palin.

    I think some perspective on her is needed. I was in New York City for a week, beginning with the first day of the Republican convention. During that time I read the NY Post and in a few days was led to believe that she was the personification of Margaret Thatcher, Joan of Arc and the Bionic Woman. In another paper she was shown to be a cave dwelling Neanderthal.

    She was not chosen for her political depth but in order for McCain to get more money in his coffers from the religious right. Unless I'm wrong I think by election day she will be a bit player and people will be voting on how they perceive Obama and McCain.

  13. Here it is again. The 'we have to go easy on her' attitude. I have no doubt Biden will not hesitate to say what needs to be said out of any 'fear' that the Right is trying to instill in him/Obama/their supporters. I think the attempt to keep people at bay where she's concerned has failed miserably for the McCain/Palin camp.

    I have seen very little of Biden as a public speaker. But I have read that he can be mordant. The objective then would be to show Palin as inept but not to the point of demeaning her so that people might be sympathetic.

  14. "Stinkingly Liberal?" :huh:

    I know your polls are showing a conservative win right now, but I'm not so sure that's going to happen as polls have been wrong in the past. I'm sure Harper will be re-elected, but he may not get the majority government he's hoping for-- and that was the reason for calling the election, wasn't it?

    As for my opinion on your election, I have no hesitation giving my views because it's "none of my business." ;) I hope Harper doesn't get his majority government. So far it seems as if he's been pretty centrist in his actions, and I wouldn't want to see that change because he had a majority government behind him.

    I'm not sure there would be much change of philosophy if Harper gets a majority. However, with a majority he wouldn't have the impediments that he has now about enacting his program. Which is bad news for the artsy-fartsy set.

    As for a majority I saw a recent poll that said 55% of the population don't want Harper to get a majority. If the polls continue to lean that way I can foresee some backing away from the CPC in voting intentions.

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