Why? Because they think Canadians are stupid, and I fundamentally agree with that assessment!

They do it because it works. And, I'm going to allow myself the briefest of rants here.

A large majority of Canadians are morons. At best, a large majority of Canadians are politically disengaged, yet decide to exercise their vote anyways, usually on the flimsiest of pretexts (Harper has scary eyes, etc.).

So, to answer the originally posed question, the fault lies with the moronic Canadian voter who, this late in the election campaign, can be swayed to change their vote without any rational basis for doing so.

God forbid some kind of terrorist attack over the weekend on Canadian soil ... the lemmings will all pile over the Liberal cliff like they did in Spain a few years back.

Good article Mr Asper. Now how about backing up your position and firing every last journalist that you employ that is a Liberal partisan hack, starting with Don Martin.

Asper's stock, which was worth $17 three years ago and $8 a year ago, is now worth about $1.75.
Not what I call success.

The only way to sell socialism is to make it look like a refuge.

Fister:

The stock market is the stock market.

The economy is the economy.

Canada's financial sector is the strongest in the world. It has the best banking system in the world, unlike the United States and the United Kingdom, whose systems are ranked in the 40s.

We live in the best country in the world.

Employment is going up.

There's a $2.9 billion surplus for the first four months.

Canadian taxpayers, thanks to Stephen Harper, has saved half a billion dollars in interest by repaying $10 billion in debt last year.

Canadians, thanks to the warning signs this government recognized 14 months ago, took steps to stimulate the economy by income tax cuts and a 2% GST cut.

Dion's plan would be to call a meeting 30 days after the election, to consult with the same economists that warned Harper of the impending financial (not economic, there's a difference) in the US. What would they tell his different.

Lloyd, you're either economically illiterate or a complete buffoon. I choose the latter.

Fantastic article, I'm wondering why more aren't saying the same thing. How can Mr. Harper be blamed for a credit meltdown that is almost exclusively outside our borders? How can Mr. Harper be blamed for manufacturing job losses in Ontario that have been occuring for 8 years now(due to a slowing of demand internationally, and those jobs moving to Manitoba and other provinces, I'd say the latter is an Ontario problem, not a Canada problem).

More importantly, how can Mr. Harper be at fault when we're going to lead the G8 in growth? And our banks are the most solid in the world?

Anyone who thinks Dion is subdued by his brain fart exposed by CTV yesterday would be sickened to listen to him slagging Mr Harper today in Burlington. He has to be taking advice from Paul Martin who did the same thing last election.
Dion also said something extremely galling, he said we want a Prime Minister who writes his own speeches! Guess he's feeling pretty smug the media didn't give coverage to his long plagiarized speech.

We can only hope the country wakes up to these dangerous and desperate Liberals. Why are they so desperate for power?

We also have wake up to what would happen if Dion get's a minority and the Dippers marry up with them. Also Dion will want to reward his Green Goddess Lizzy May with the Environment portfolio, she's delivering him votes, and Bob Rae as Finance Minister to keep him off his back.
Oh Canada! OMG.

Welcome to the world of Monty Python
I am sorry but I am going to rule against all the above positions because they use common sense, logic and analytical thinking to make their point.

*
c'mon kate... you of all people. i mean,
why does a dog lick his balls?

*

Oh, yes. Good old Fear Mongering - an old trick. Has been used throughout the ages in an attempt to control the people (and collect taxes, collection plate coin).

Monks, Dictators, Radical Environmentalists, Socialists, Communists, Cult Leaders, The Latte Left.

It's in their nature alright !

V.I. Lenin say, The worse, the better.

NDP, aka socialist Armstrong, say, "In the last 18 years it's all gone to ratshit."

The solution?
...-

"Armstrong believes NDP can save the middle class

When most candidates make a promise, they do so with their eyes fixed firmly on the future.

That's not entirely true when it comes to Leeds-Grenville New Democrat hopeful Steve Armstrong.

Obviously, he believes the party policies he's touting will build a better tomorrow for families here and across Canada.

But his vision of that future is based as much by looking back as it is some vague prediction about what's ahead.

"In 1990, when I started my adult life everything was perfect," said Armstrong, 43, sitting behind the desk in his downtown Brockville campaign office.

"All my friends, we all walked into jobs - good-paying jobs and all my friends had a good life. We didn't have a shortage of doctors, we didn't have a shortage of nurses, we didn't have a crisis in health care. Everything was perfect.

"In the last 18 years it's all gone to ratshit."
http://recorder.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1243041

It is obvious the opposition leaders are in the climax of their single natural ability, to distort reality to manipulate society as a whole (still cannot believe they have succeeded).
Is it not right for those incapable of seeing through it, to, how do I word it.. "get what they deserve"? A minority or socialist/liberal government will be forced to walk with a crutch for their term: one because of the battles they are fighting and the other because they keep picking the scab off their knee.

Neo- Spot on!!!

On December 31, 2007, Stephen Harper and Jim Flaherty issued warnings that the sub-prime crisis and anticipated lower demand for goods south of the border could have an impact on our economy, and that they were not going to make any big-ticket additions to the budget so as to shelter our economy as much as possible.

John McCallum, then Liberal finance critic, mocked their warning, stating that many experts expected the economy to grow by 2.5% in 2008 and that “would leave room for spending and tax initiatives”.

Great call, John.

And I have a question…if Dion cannot even pay off his debt from the leadership campaign, why would we believe that he can handle the country’s economy?

Whoops...sorry Kate. I didn't notice the "Oracle" posting...

"they think Canadians are stupid, and I fundamentally agree with that assessment!"

"A large majority of Canadians are morons."

"the fault lies with the moronic Canadian voter who, this late in the election campaign, can be swayed to change their vote without any rational basis for doing so"

Yes, of course. Canadians are stupid because they dare disagree with RW and CJ by voting for the Liberals. Could it be that they have rational reasons? Of course not. We should just leave the choosing of governments to individuals such as RW and CJ and other people who are 'smart'. Sounds an awful lot like socialism to me.

Canadians voters aren't stupid. Or morons. Unless you define being a moron or stupid as being someone who doesn't vote the way you do for the same reasons as you do. And I bet you think this doesn't run counter to your belief in 'freedom' and democracy and all those other things you support (in theory, anyway).

Fear-mongering is part and parcel of elections. It happens everywhere. Everywhere. Not because everyone is stupid or moronic, but because it works.

And since CJ and RW are unaware of how fear-mongering works in elections, allow me to explain. Canadian voters aren't stupid. They're bored stiff.

Canada is dead boring. And that is a good thing. There is nothing to worry about. Occassionally, it gets spiced up a la sponsorship scandal or NAFTA, but by and large, theres really nothing thats crying out for change. Everythings fine. Everythings working. Sure it could be better, but its OK as it is. Why try to fix something that works. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Theres no incentive to go out there and vote.

Fear mongering works as a motivator. It motivates people into believing there is a need to go out and vote (either to bring change about, or to ensure no change - depending on whether or not you support the incumbent). This is hardly rocket science.

And no, fear-mongering isn't a leftist tactic. Remember Kim Campbell's potshots at Chretiens face paralysis ( I only bring this up because of RW's Harper evil eyes comment). That hero next door, Sarah Palin, is starting up her own little fear campaign using the Obama-Ayers connection. The Republican base is buying the idea that Obama is a terrorist -"Barack HUSSEIN Obama" and all. Its the way these things go. The negative tactics have only come out when you are losing a grip on the race. IN the US case, the general consensus that the economic crisis is helping Obama. And its been a success insofar as the Secret Service is reevaluating its plans after death threats were heard against Obama at Republican rallies. She is capitalizing on a fear of change and to advocate a relative ideological status quo. The Liberals in Canada are using fear to advocate change because they know the momentum is with Harper.

Are Canadian voters stupid, or morons? I don't think so. Frankly they have nothing to really complain about. No reason to go and shake things up. The fearmongering is an attempt to motivate them into voting. Most are happy enough with things to not 'want' change.

Sorry Dim, but I hold people in pretty low regard people who are swayed this late in an election campaign based on fear. If you're one of those swinging voters, well, so be it. I'm not here to impress you.

Thanks for setting up a straw man -- I have no compunction with people disagreeing with me politically. One of my best friends resides on the political left of the spectrum, and I wholly enjoy my debates with her. Our discussions are based on facts and issues. Not fear, and emotion.

On a lighter note, there is something to be said for consistency

Sadly, because it works. Socialists always coerce voters into supporting them this way.

Right on Bruce! I got on CPAC the other day with the same comment asking if Dion can't handle his leadershio debt how can he manage an entire economy. The liberal fluffed it off, the NDP talked about the big banks or something, the Greens didn't matter and coincidentally the Conservative spokesperson agreed with me. Go figure.

The real straw man is the swing voters who swing this late in the election. They don't exist. Anybody who gets motivated by Liberal tactics this late would probably have voted Liberal anyway. The vast majority of people have some party affiliation or the other. Fear tactics like this motivate the more disinterested amongst them to go out and vote. It has no impact on their choice. It just forces them out of their armchair.

Canadian voters aren't stupid or morons. Besides, even if they are, democracy means you're going to be very unhappy for the rest of your life. Ever considered moving to Joe Six Pack land, where the candidates gain support on the basis of how similar they are to the average (stupid?)voter?

Say it ain't so, Joe.

Canadian voters aren't Stupid?
I know for a fact some are stupid.

Glad you picked up on David Asper's column in the National Post today,Kate. It was entertaining and so right on the mark. "Effie Stephie" really suits the effin little weasel. He's proving to be a nasty piece of business in spite of his claiming to be Mr. Nice Guy. He's got Paul Martin's playbook from the last election and the same timing. let's hope he gets the same results plus.

John McCallum must be running in a brain free Liberal voting area, no thinking person could vote for that nincompoop.

Well get ready SDA readers - the latest is that the Cadman tape has been ruled legitimate.

I am sure the anti Harper crowd is going wild with glee and we can be sure that - unlike Dion's gaffe today, which has almost totally disappeared from the MSM, this will occupy the rest of the four days.

After all what is an economic crisis when you can go back five years and dig up dirt on Stephen Harper.

Once upon a time The Phantom left the country of Canada and went to live in the United States. For a long time.

After a little while, I began to notice that most of the things I believed to be true about New York City and about the USA in general were wrong. Not just kinda wrong, not just a little bit wrong, but really, massively, totally wrong.

After a couple of years, it became apparent that the source of my previous beliefs about the USA was the media. Papers, TV, movies were where I learned what I thought I knew about the USA.

We are the subject of the biggest, longest running propaganda campaign in history. Our society is the fracked up mess that we see today because we are all systematically lied to, day in and day out, from all directions. If you've never lived elsewhere for a year or more you can't see it, because it is so pervasive.

Don't get me wrong, the Americans get lied to just as hard. But the lies are -different-. When you live there a little while the differences slap you, and you notice the lies from back home for the first time.

The greatest lie of our lifetime, the central lie that holds the rest together, is that we NEED government help to get by. We need to be paying half or more of our income to these people, or we're all going to die. This is what Layton and Dion are selling, and there's not better time to sell it than right now during an actual financial crisis.

The fact that they and their fellow central planning statists across the world caused this meltdown is not something they are going to admit. They are going to win back the power if they have to burn the whole TSX from 15,000 down to 2,000.

They really will say or do literally anything to win power, from breaking the economy to rigging the entire election. That's what socialists are: win at any cost scumbags.

F- 'em. I already voted for the CPC guy in my riding. I see the lies, Mr. Layton, Mr. Dion. Go kiss a baby or something.

"I am sure the anti Harper crowd is going wild with glee and we can be sure that - unlike Dion's gaffe today, which has almost totally disappeared from the MSM, this will occupy the rest of the four days"

That,Alberta Girl, is EXACTLY why I am not watching/reading ANY Canucklehead production until at least Hallo'ween!

"Sadly, because it works. Socialists always coerce voters into supporting them this way."

Sad ... but true. The socialists clung to power in Sask. for years by claiming that the opposition would privatize medicare, sell the crown corporations, slash welfare rates, hand out millions to large corporations and abolish unions. Of course, no thinking person would believe such rubbish but the tactic was always successful ..... that is, until the last provincial election. Those who were so easily duped in the past either started using their heads, moved away or died off. The result .... the NDP were administered a good spanking at the ballot box.

Dim, old son, I hate to break it to you, but not only are Canadians as a species as dumb as dog shite, but they're bone idle as well, as befits a populace whose political predilection is to vote for thieves who steal from the productive to buy votes from the unproductive. It's no bloody thanks to the entitlement-minded retards populating our cities that Canada is still afloat among the debris of international finance - it's because for a miracle, our government exercised less intervention in the financial markets than the cretinous democrat majority congress down south. Socialism is a mental illness - the current financial meltdown, which is the result of socialist idiocy by US democrats is proof positive.

They do it in French, they do it in english. They do it in St. Johns and in Quadra. They even do it in Hollywood. They do it because they hope someone in the media runs with it. The opposition members doing it is bad enough. When Danny Williams and Buz Hargrove get into it (sometimes against the wishes of their members), I am sickened. There should be a partial media blackout during election campaigns, federal and provincial. Except for reporting local developements, issues and advertisements.

If these moronic CTV and CBC bastards have any survival instincts at all they will back off with their constant attack of PMSH. The constant attack on Harper has brought the dollar down 15 cents in a short time... could it be the rest of the world is looking at this country and saying... if they are stupid enough to vote in this paisley dweeb Dion, that can't answer a simple grade 3 question without 4 takes, lets not invest there. Do these CBC and CTV idiots, Oliver, Clark,Boag, Mcdonald, Mansbridge Robertson not have retirement investment accounts. These idiots are busy cutting their own throats for their pathological hatred of Steeeeven Harrrper as the call him. Pray to God the country sees through these idiots all.

If you want the truth, stop reading the newspapers, watching newscasts and listening to radio news.

plagiarist, plagiarist, plagiarist.

bart:

Chill, buddy.

The dollar is dropping ever since the price of oil dropped from $147 a barrel to $77 a barrel.

The Canadian dollar is a petro dollar. Dion and Layton are trying to kill the golden goose and the MSM is right in goose-step behind them.

Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering.

Yoda

The nature of Harper is to lie: "There is nothing is wrong with the economy, so we're not doing anything about it. Oh, wait, banks need to shore up their positions...oh, lets buy $25 billion of residential mortgages...(I'm not making this up as I go...)"

"The nature of Harper is to lie: "There is nothing is wrong with the economy, so we're not doing anything about it. Oh, wait, banks need to shore up their positions...oh, lets buy $25 billion of residential mortgages...(I'm not making this up as I go...)"

Iberia, even as the completely and without reservation vacuous total idiot that you are, you occasionally get something right.

I agree - what the hell is this mortgage bailout to banks that have recorded recent obscene record profits in the billions? Why am I subsidizing a massive Canadian greed industry that taxes me annually with heavy fees for no effective service and low ROI, all the while apparently willing to disburse my assets on risk ventures your teenybopper can see through? Let the banks fund liquidity needs out of their profits and good business fundamentals.

As a fed civil servant I represented the Crown in a Bay St. meeting this week involving amongst others a Big Bank and a bankrupt and I noticed that I was the poorest person in the room, including the bankrupt. Something wrong with this picture?

And the Liberals never lie.

Sheila Copps "I will resign if the GST is not scrapped"

Jean Cretien "I will scrap the GST"

Pierre Trudeau "I will never tax gasoline or impose wage and price controls"

Shall I continue?

The reason the Liberals and Dippers are getting away with the garbage they are is that we are in final stage of the current democracy we live in.

Alexander Tyler stated in the 18th Century the following:

“A democracy is always temporary in nature: it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority will always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, (which is) always followed by a dictatorship.”

The complete article may be found at this site:
http://www.apatheticvoter.com/Article_DownfallDemocracies.htm

"A large majority of Canadians are morons"

" Canadians are stupid, and I fundamentally agree with that assessment!"

"Canadian voters aren't Stupid? I know for a fact some are stupid."

"Canadians as a species as dumb as dog shite"

Socialists want nanny states because people don't know whats best for them. Canadian conservatives such as RW, CJ, and Tanker agree with socialists on the apparent lack of judgement of Canadian voters. Bridging the ideological divide. How heartwarming. Especially after that little "beer and popcorn" Liberal outburst a couple of years ago. Conservative authoritarian tendencies coming to the fore?

Long live democracy!

"They're Socialists. It's Their Nature."

Rationality. And fear.

Leftists engage in fear-mongering. Its in their nature. A shame really, since right wingers are faaaaaaaaar better at fear mongering than left wingers. Ask John McCain. He just learned the hard way.

Obama HUSSEIN Barack. The right wing pundits, news channels, and hacks have been putting an emphasis on that middle name. Hussein. Sounds Arab, no?

The unsurprising outcome:

" "I don't trust Obama," a woman said. "I have read about him. He's an Arab."

McCain shook his head in disagreement, and said:

"No, ma'am. He's a decent, family man, a citizen that I just happen to have disagreements with (him) on fundamental issues and that's what this campaign is all about."

He had drawn boos with his comment: "I have to tell you, he is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States." "

If Canadian voters are stupid, they're not much worse off than their American Republican counterparts. John McCain was booed for being decent to his opponent.

In which case this entire discussion is moot. If the worlds greatest, most powerful, and most advanced democracy sees fear mongering employed, can smaller democracies be blamed for using tactics that they see working?

And a socialist tactic? Only if John McCain and Sarah Palin are socialists.

"When a visibly angry McCain supporter in Waukesha, Wis., on Thursday told the candidate "I'm really mad" because of "socialists taking over the country," McCain stoked the sentiment. "I think I got the message," he said. "The gentleman is right.""

Oh the irony. Fear of socialism being used to stifle the advance of fear-mongering socialists.

This site really does have some brain-dead ideologues.

I seem to remember a comment from a Liberal strategist by the name of Scott Reid. When asked what he thought Alberta would think of some Liberal hosing of Alberta. Sorry cant remember what it was but... Reid's comment was that "Alberta can Blow me" So I think we Albertans know what a "Green shift would do out here. If Canada does not give the CPC a majority, which thanks to commyvision sound bites seems the route we're going then Alberta will need to seriously think about it's place in Confederation.

"He had drawn boos with his comment: "I have to tell you, he is a decent person and a person that you do not have to be scared of as president of the United States."

And this is why John McCain will likely lose the election. He just gave his audience permission to vote for the other guy; in fact, endorsed him. Stuck on stupid.

If McCain and Schmidt had truly understood Sarah Palin at the outset, they would have made sure she was up-to-date on the election policy wonkings, told John to stand behind her and just wave and smile, and let 'er rip. Palin didn't get an 80% approval rating in Alaska just because she's a girl - she knows how to work an audience, better than Obama.

The one trait conservatives seem to be particularly good at, is snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Unlike the left, they may have no interest in actually selling snake oil, but they do need to know how to sell it.

Dim

Um, NO.

It's actually the fear of presidential hopefuls cuddling up to terrorists like Bill Ayers, and America hating racists like his preacher buddy that has conservatives all messed up.

On another note, I saw a show last night that was talking about the market meltdown, and a key statement, not said before, but resonated, was that some of this down action was being attributed to the likelihood of The One being elected, and many large investors were cashing out, in fear of The One decimating their investments due to onerous tax and spend policies.

No doubt, exacerbating the downward spiral, but, if Taliban Jack was leading the polls, I know that I would either be cashing everything out, or at least moving all my investments into cash vehicles, out of stocks. He scares the hell out of me with his whimsical 'knowledge' of finance.

Wasen't there a song by John Mellencamp called"Jack and Dion" you know"sucking on a chili dog" and all that. Conservatives are up woo hoo still "
One thing this whole thing has left me with is a serious disgust for the "get Harper" at any cost I'm talking about you Jack, and Dion. you are a posers and would sink this country, my mortgage, investments built up over 40 years one dollar at a time. working in the mills and mines, shipyards etc. You both are past disgusting. Stephen Harpers Conservatives have done the best possible job with the circumstances that exist in the real world. If you don't have a plan or can't respond to a simple question in plain English get yourself a "real job " As for the "Craig Olivers' and others of his ilk you should have been asking real questions of the candidates Dion should not have had 5 minutes of our time let alone be vetted for the most important job in the country SHAME on you all. Thank you from me and my family to Mike Duffy for showing Dion as he really is, too bad everyone else gave him a pass.
cheers Bubba

"And this is why John McCain will likely lose the election. He just gave his audience permission to vote for the other guy; in fact, endorsed him. Stuck on stupid."

McCain behaved decently. I would vote for McCain for this action alone. He's old school enough to not act like an angry child. All he said was that Obama was a decent family man you needn't be afraid of. Is that an endorsement? Grow up.

Dignity is a lost value these days. McCain should know. Does anybody remember how badly he was mauled by Karl Rove before Dubya became the Republican candidate? Anybody remember how he told George W to be ashamed of himself for his slander tactics on a live interview on national television? Easily forgotten eh. The enemy now are the democrats. They are evil terrorists. Not equal Americans. No, Democrats are evil Arab terrorists. At least thats what some of his 'grassroots' supporters believe.

Dignity needs to return to politics. The Liberals should not be attacking Harpers evil eyes, and McCain should be applauded for treating a fellow American as a Fellow American (as opposed to an Arab, for those of you who don't know what I mean)

Its people like you, Skip, who make these fear-mongering tactics not only acceptable, but successful. You buy it. McCain made it clear that there were ideological differences, but that Obama is decent human being and deserves to be treated as such. In fact, thats what theUS constitution says too. That is, somehow, unacceptable. How can the opponent be decent?

"It's actually the fear of presidential hopefuls cuddling up to terrorists like Bill Ayers, and America hating racists like his preacher buddy that has conservatives all messed up."

There are Americans who think Obama is a Muslim. He isn't (might come as a shock to many here). I think the estimate was close to 15%. Where did they get this incorrect information from? Coulter, Limbaugh, and all those other Republican hacks who engage in constant fear-mongering. All of them felt the need to highlight Obamas unfortunate middle name, albeit one that has no bearing on his religion.

America has reached the zenith of democracy- bad populist politics. Sarah Palin's attractiveness is based on her being very similar to the national average. There was a time when leaders were appointed because they were outstanding. Now all they have to do is Doggonit charm a mob into a vitriolic frenzy that is anything but rational.

Yeah, the people who are going to vote in the most important election in the world want Joe Six Pack running the show. Thank God for entrenched bureaucracies.

I don't know. Tough time to be selling the line that the Libs and NDP are the only ones peddling fear. This past week the IMF (hardly a hotbed of socialism) warned of the serious possibility of a massive financial market meltdown. Too late it has already happened and yesterday our beloved free market conservative party just nationalized 25 billion of the Canadian mortgage market which makes it one of the biggest nationalizations (in dollars) in recent memory. That would make conservatives the most "socialist" government in recent Canadian history. Maybe it was necessary, maybe it was not but it was done and it was done by a conservative government.

[/quote]Its people like you, Skip, who make these fear-mongering tactics not only acceptable, but successful. You buy it. McCain made it clear that there were ideological differences, but that Obama is decent human being and deserves to be treated as such. In fact, thats what theUS constitution says too. That is, somehow, unacceptable. How can the opponent be decent? [/quote]

Dim,
McCain said that Obama is decent human being, but he did not say a decent "American". You need to practice American slang

In the South they have a saying "you all come back again", and that means bugger off!
If they say "you all come back again... you hear” they are actually friendly.. So listen for the "YOU HEAR" or your ass may be grass..

Obama has some obvious problems
A) Jessie Jackson wants to castrate him.
B) Hillary will run the Dem's in Congress.
c) Bill C is sniffing around Obama's wife.
d) Joe B, who is an American, is right behind him in the shadows.

Is Obama a loyal American? He will need to answer that question.

"McCain behaved decently. I would vote for McCain for this action alone. He's old school enough to not act like an angry child. All he said was that Obama was a decent family man you needn't be afraid of. Is that an endorsement? Grow up."

Dim

Um, NO.

You may vote for McCain based on this action, but the independents and the swing vote won't. You have zero understanding of human psychology, of the nature of mass behavior. The effect of McCain's statement will have little to do with its respectful content, and everything to do with his just given permission to those with doubts to vote for the other guy. Ol' Dad just patted junior on the head and told them its ok to vote with their head and not with their heart. The audience will respect the dignified candidate, but they will vote for the one they believe, niceties aside, will get the job done. They're not electing a grandfather, they're picking a soldier.

What you may desire bears little resemblance to what what will happen.

Its people like you, Skip, who make these fear-mongering tactics not only acceptable, but successful. You buy it. McCain made it clear that there were ideological differences, but that Obama is decent human being and deserves to be treated as such. In fact, thats what theUS constitution says too. That is, somehow, unacceptable. How can the opponent be decent?

Lose the pejorative, assh*le. Its not ...people like you, Skip, who make these fear-mongering tactics not only acceptable, but successful.... Its how people behave when faced with certain choices.

Lose the so typically leftist condescension about what the readers and participants in SDA know and understand. You are so clearly in "above your pay grade", it hurts to read your tripe.

Dignity left North American society decades ago. Turned out, it simply wasn't profitable. No politician today can run a campaign on 1950s morality (and I'm old enough to know what that was). No company runs a business on it, no school teaches it.

America has reached the zenith of democracy- bad populist politics. Sarah Palin's attractiveness is based on her being very similar to the national average. There was a time when leaders were appointed because they were outstanding. Now all they have to do is Doggonit charm a mob into a vitriolic frenzy that is anything but rational.

Yeah, the people who are going to vote in the most important election in the world want Joe Six Pack running the show. Thank God for entrenched bureaucracies.

Talk about vitriol! Please, don't preach about dignity, and then besmirch the concept with inane doggerel such as this. You're an quasi-intellectual slob. Get over yourself.

dim=haye=new=mos?

Maybe. dim=troll for sure.

Nah, new and mos write really badly. Never read anything by Haye.

"You have zero understanding of human psychology, of the nature of mass behavior."

So which one are you - psychologist or social worker?

"Its how people behave when faced with certain choices."

And you accused me of being too angry on another thread. The irony. As to the rest of what you said, is the issue here the choices people are faced with, or the use of fear to skew peoples perceptions of the choices they face. I am not sure what you are saying or where it fits in. But I'm tired, so it might just be me.

"Lose the so typically leftist condescension about what the readers and participants in SDA know and understand."

Huh? I am hardly a leftist. I am just not as rightwing as some of you blind ideologues. Anything left of extreme extreme right seems to be 'lefty' here. I am not a leftist. Most people here are far-right nutcases. Relative to them, I am left, I suppose.

"No politician today can run a campaign on 1950s morality "

Guess not. Because rudeness sells. Its macho and manly, eh. Average Joe Six Pack loves it. And Average Joe Six Pack votes. Average Joe Six Pack does not like politeness. Or so you imply.

"No company runs a business on it, no school teaches it."

Really? Where do fairtrade goods fit in? Or the endless supply of religon classes and (in university) philosophy classes on the matter?

I said it once and I will say it again. I would rather have a university educated leader (if only because of the exposure it brings to people from other walks of life/professions/races) than I would an Average Joe Six Pack. Calculating or Impulsive? I prefer the former. You prefer the latter. Oh, and calm down.