RunInRed 16,492 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Do we have any on this board who are considering crossing over in the fall? ------------- New York Times best selling author Frank Schaeffer recently wrote an article at the Huffington Post explaining why, as a lifelong Republican, he will be voting for Barack in the General Election: This is a great day for those of us who have been fighting for Senator Obama! I'm a good example of why he'll win in November. I'm the least typical Obama supporter. And there are many more like me. I cut my political teeth in the seventies through the early eighties as an organizer in the antiabortion religious right. I'm a fifty-five year old white man who has been a conservative most of my life. I've been a Republican activist who campaigned for McCain in 2000. I'm a big fan of the military. My son served in the Marines. If Obama can reach me he can reach anyone. ...As I see it our choice is between a heroic old man whose time has long past and who will perpetuate failed policy, and a brilliant, openhearted new founding father of the new post-racial, post-divided America the likes of which we have not seen. ...Obama touches me. He has a prophetic authenticity that reminds me of W.E.B. Du Bois' prayers that Du Bois sometimes wrote for his students. Obama also brings a touch of Billy Graham with him to the podium. His is a deeply spiritual call. And his critics that have dismissed Obama's ability to inspire as "mere words" are dead wrong. We have never needed inspiration more. And we have never needed a president to inspire the rest of the world more. Every international opinion poll shows that Obama is not only the most popular American leader, perhaps ever, but more popular than any other world leader today. http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/p...ndascott/gG5VkZ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiger88 934 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 *Snicker*. The much more common trend seems to be dems crossing over to mccain. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasTiger 13,029 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Do we have any on this board who are considering crossing over in the fall? ------------- New York Times best selling author Frank Schaeffer recently wrote an article at the Huffington Post explaining why, as a lifelong Republican, he will be voting for Barack in the General Election: This is a great day for those of us who have been fighting for Senator Obama! I'm a good example of why he'll win in November. I'm the least typical Obama supporter. And there are many more like me. I cut my political teeth in the seventies through the early eighties as an organizer in the antiabortion religious right. I'm a fifty-five year old white man who has been a conservative most of my life. I've been a Republican activist who campaigned for McCain in 2000. I'm a big fan of the military. My son served in the Marines. If Obama can reach me he can reach anyone. ...As I see it our choice is between a heroic old man whose time has long past and who will perpetuate failed policy, and a brilliant, openhearted new founding father of the new post-racial, post-divided America the likes of which we have not seen. ...Obama touches me. He has a prophetic authenticity that reminds me of W.E.B. Du Bois' prayers that Du Bois sometimes wrote for his students. Obama also brings a touch of Billy Graham with him to the podium. His is a deeply spiritual call. And his critics that have dismissed Obama's ability to inspire as "mere words" are dead wrong. We have never needed inspiration more. And we have never needed a president to inspire the rest of the world more. Every international opinion poll shows that Obama is not only the most popular American leader, perhaps ever, but more popular than any other world leader today. http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/p...ndascott/gG5VkZ Those aren't the kind of Republicans we have here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUHonors 0 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 *Snicker*. The much more common trend seems to be dems crossing over to mccain. Name some. Then snicker. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TitanTiger 20,511 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Honestly, Franky Schaeffer isn't exactly the poster boy I'd be throwing out there as the typical "crossover" voter. His is a complicated relationship with the "religious right" at best and always has been. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsixfive 328 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Even if I didn't already disagree with nearly every stance the man takes, he has specifically mentioned cutting the project that currently funds me, as well as making across the board cuts in the defense industry, of which I will be employed in one day. If I were to vote for Obama, I might as well walk across the street to McD's and grab an application. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasTiger 13,029 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Even if I didn't already disagree with nearly every stance the man takes, he has specifically mentioned cutting the project that currently funds me, as well as making across the board cuts in the defense industry, of which I will be employed in one day. If I were to vote for Obama, I might as well walk across the street to McD's and grab an application. You see yourself as having very limited options, don't you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsixfive 328 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 The primary source of funding for my area is the military. The civilian sector tends to not pour money into many technologies until it has been tested and proven by the military, and unfortunately my area deals with those technologies. Obviously I'm biased, but cutting military spending, especially in the amounts Obama is talking about, is a horrible idea. People view it as a black hole for money, but they don't realize and appreciate the trickle down effect that financing the military provides. Its pretty safe to say many of the comforts and conveniences of life wouldn't exist without letting NASA and the military brainstorm. I don't think the civilian sector would have been as productive (if one were to make the argument that the Joe Schmo's of the world would have contributed had the US government not) simply because of the level of financing and manpower required for the development of some technologies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasTiger 13,029 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 The primary source of funding for my area is the military. The civilian sector tends to not pour money into many technologies until it has been tested and proven by the military, and unfortunately my area deals with those technologies. Obviously I'm biased, but cutting military spending, especially in the amounts Obama is talking about, is a horrible idea. People view it as a black hole for money, but they don't realize and appreciate the trickle down effect that financing the military provides. Its pretty safe to say many of the comforts and conveniences of life wouldn't exist without letting NASA and the military brainstorm. I don't think the civilian sector would have been as productive (if one were to make the argument that the Joe Schmo's of the world would have contributed had the US government not) simply because of the level of financing and manpower required for the development of some technologies. Gotta direct, original source link to Obama's wanting to make significant defense cuts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarDamn 0 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUTiger1 0 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 Obama Pledges Cuts in Missile Defense, Space, and Nuclear Weapons ProgramsFebruary 29, 2008 :: News A video has surfaced of Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama talking on his plans for strategic issues such as nuclear weapons and missile defense. The full text from the video, as released, reads as follows: Thanks so much for the Caucus4Priorities, for the great work you've been doing. As president, I will end misguided defense policies and stand with Caucus4Priorities in fighting special interests in Washington. First, I'll stop spending $9 billion a month in Iraq. I'm the only major candidate who opposed this war from the beginning. And as president I will end it. Second, I will cut tens of billions of dollars in wasteful spending. I will cut investments in unproven missile defense systems. I will not weaponize space. I will slow our development of future combat systems. And I will institute an independent "Defense Priorities Board" to ensure that the Quadrennial Defense Review is not used to justify unnecessary spending. Third, I will set a goal of a world without nuclear weapons. To seek that goal, I will not develop new nuclear weapons; I will seek a global ban on the production of fissile material; and I will negotiate with Russia to take our ICBMs off hair-trigger alert, and to achieve deep cuts in our nuclear arsenals. You know where I stand. I've fought for open, ethical and accountable government my entire public life. I don't switch positions or make promises that can't be kept. I don't posture on defense policy and I don't take money from federal lobbyists for powerful defense contractors. As president, my sole priority for defense spending will be protecting the American people. Thanks so much. Link If bigsixfive is planning on working in Huntsville then most of the work he is going to find is in these areas. Huntsville is also home to a lot of NASA work which Obama has pledged to cut in order to spend on early-education for children under five years old. That is also work that if cut, will hurt this area. Link to NASA Cut Link to NASA Cut II Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TexasTiger 13,029 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 He has said he will cut spending in certain areas, and increase it in others, including a larger army. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7042702027.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AUTiger1 0 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 He has said he will cut spending in certain areas, and increase it in others, including a larger army. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7042702027.html Those certain areas are the ones that I happen to work in and that bigsixfive is talking about. Those cuts will kill a lot of jobs, not just in my area but several others as well. Kudos to him for wanting that, but spending money is not going to increase the size of the military by very much, especially when so many of our young adults do not want to sign up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunInRed 16,492 Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 Honestly, Franky Schaeffer isn't exactly the poster boy I'd be throwing out there as the typical "crossover" voter. His is a complicated relationship with the "religious right" at best and always has been. Was more curious about the idea of a cross-over vote in general - could care less about propping up this Schaeffer guy. i.e., Any Obamacans out there? Or we can flip it as well, any Dems leaning toward McCain? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AURaptor 1,126 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 I'd guess the list of those " switching over " rivals the number of Jewish sports legends. I'm sure there are a few, but c'mon.... why waste time even talking about them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigsixfive 328 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 He has said he will cut spending in certain areas, and increase it in others, including a larger army. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7042702027.html Those certain areas are the ones that I happen to work in and that bigsixfive is talking about. Those cuts will kill a lot of jobs, not just in my area but several others as well. Kudos to him for wanting that, but spending money is not going to increase the size of the military by very much, especially when so many of our young adults do not want to sign up. These "unproven" missile defense systems are proven. That's a bald-face lie. If he's not lying, he's completely ignorant about the subject and shouldn't say anything at all. He also wants to demolish FCS. FCS is a modernization of the military, and one of their goals is to meet a Congressional mandate that 1/3 of all vehicles be automated (i.e. machines do the work, not people). More soldiers sounds great, but he's trying to stroke people's emotion. We want LESS soldiers and more people capable of operating these new technologies - out of harms way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunInRed 16,492 Posted June 9, 2008 Author Share Posted June 9, 2008 I'd guess the list of those " switching over " rivals the number of Jewish sports legends. I'm sure there are a few, but c'mon.... why waste time even talking about them? WHAT? Unbeleivable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TitanTiger 20,511 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 These "unproven" missile defense systems are proven. That's a bald-face lie. If he's not lying, he's completely ignorant about the subject and shouldn't say anything at all. I don't know about proven, but they've shown enough progress to me that it looks like a very worthwhile investment. If he thinks the Chinese and Russians won't pursue such capabilities if given the chance, he's very naive. He also wants to demolish FCS. FCS is a modernization of the military, and one of their goals is to meet a Congressional mandate that 1/3 of all vehicles be automated (i.e. machines do the work, not people). More soldiers sounds great, but he's trying to stroke people's emotion. We want LESS soldiers and more people capable of operating these new technologies - out of harms way. I also prefer advances that keep people out of harm's way, but as Iraq has shown, sometimes there's no substitute for feet on the ground keeping things under control. I may think the decision to go in was monumentally stupid, but if you're there you'd better make sure you can deal with the hornet's nest you're kicking over. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tiger88 934 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 *Snicker*. The much more common trend seems to be dems crossing over to mccain. Name some. Then snicker. Depending on which poll you believe, anywhere between 15 and 30% of female Hilldog supporters. *snicker, snicker* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autigeremt 6,717 Posted June 9, 2008 Share Posted June 9, 2008 If you think Obama and a democratic Congress will allow the military to grow or sustain it's levels we are at now, then you haven't been listening to this guy or members of the Congress lately. That's their #2 area of funding social agendas. The #1 area is a tax increase. They will cut military spending (not only the Iraq War) and use that money towards social programs like healthcare. Where else will they get the money from, other than you and I. It's simple to figure out. Here are a few examples: CNS The Hill Clip Marks IBD Mess Board there are more if you like to see them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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