NationStates Jolt Archive

I predicted it as the prices went up. They would fall until the incumbents win the election then they would go up again. Well here it comes. The prices have dropped almost a dollar a gallon and GW's numbers have gone up 3 points and Congress approval has gone up 11 points. They are now both at 40% approval. How low do you think they'll go to get another 10%? It would be a shame to have to buy a whole nother group when these are already bought and payed for.

I seriously hope that the American electorate isn't so stupid that they determine who will lead them on the basis of petrol prices.

Someone tell me it isn't so. Please.

So you're saying that George Bush is responsible for the drop in gas prices so as to give his party political benefit? What?

So you're saying that George Bush is responsible for the drop in gas prices so as to give his party political benefit? What?

That's outrageous. What is this country coming to?

Neither George Bush, nor the Republicans nor even the American oil companies are responsible for the price of oil dropping over the last month or so.

Neither George Bush, nor the Republicans nor even the American oil companies are responsible for the price of oil dropping over the last month or so.Yep. Gas prices drop every year around this time (except when there are massive hurricanes beating the shit out of the Gulf of Mexico). Besides, if $2.00 per gallon gas only got Bush up to 40, then the Republicans are really fucked worse than in my happiest dreams.

Yep. Gas prices drop every year around this time (except when there are massive hurricanes beating the shit out of the Gulf of Mexico). Besides, if $2.00 per gallon gas only got Bush up to 40, then the Republicans are really fucked worse than in my happiest dreams.

Even when there are hurricanes. Last year right after Katrina it was at $71/barrel. By October it was down to the low $60's. I remember very vividly because my parents lost their shirts when they didn't sell their stocks that I told them to. Of course, the stocks went back up by this summer, but they coud have made more money by dumping them in Sept. and buying again in January.

I can't be surprised...I just know the damn Repubs will pull it out in November and keep both majorities. I'm a Democratic pessimist like that. Granted, they don't have a chance in hell at the governorship in our state; our Democratic candidate is up 20+ points in the poll. I refer to the Senate and the House.

On the other hand, I did like an attack ad I saw recently. Incumbent Ohio Senator Mike DeWine was shown talking about "working together." Then, in the background, they started playing the song, "The more we work together..." You know the one. It was being sung by children. It showed DeWine and Dubya together giving goofy smiles for a photo-op while the song played, and it showed in text some of the things DeWine had voted for that were on Dubya's agenda. Apparently, he voted 92% of the time for Dubya's stuff.

Best. Attack. Ad. Ever.

I seriously hope that the American electorate isn't so stupid that they determine who will lead them on the basis of petrol prices.

Someone tell me it isn't so. Please.

"Given the chance, half of all American citizens won't even vote, and the half that do vote are too stupid to know what they're doing."

"Given the chance, half of all American citizens won't even vote, and the half that do vote are too stupid to know what they're doing."

Kept seeing something last night on the news about how, in a generic Congressional race, people are split 48 to 48 percent on Democrat/Republican, and similar numbers for support/against a candidate based on their Iraq War stance.

The RNC is about to spend five times as much money as the Democrats possess, and if the price of gas (and home heating oil) continues to slide, people vote for their pocketbook (and they don't have any forward vision).

To borrow someone's campaign phrase from some years ago, "it's the economy, stupid".

"Given the chance, half of all American citizens won't even vote, and the half that do vote are too stupid to know what they're doing."

;)

I know how people used tests in the south to keep African Americans from voting, but I just don't see another answer. We need to keep stupid people from voting.

Kept seeing something last night on the news about how, in a generic Congressional race, people are split 48 to 48 percent on Democrat/Republican, and similar numbers for support/against a candidate based on their Iraq War stance.

The RNC is about to spend five times as much money as the Democrats possess, and if the price of gas (and home heating oil) continues to slide, people vote for their pocketbook (and they don't have any forward vision).

To borrow someone's campaign phrase from some years ago, "it's the economy, stupid".

That poll seems to be a bit of an outlier (http://forums.jolt.co.uk/newreply.php?do=newreply&p=11707362). A week ago, every poll had the Dems up by ten points or more. A ten point shift in a week isn't unheard of, but it's damn unusual without some major outside factor playing a role in it.

As far as the RNC is concerned, they'll be spending money making up for the deficits the Republicans have in their Congressional and Senatorial funds, so that's pretty much a wash. Not to say that the Dems are going to sweep--no one closes like the Republicans do--but the situation still favors the Dems.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/


Here's my source. They show several polls.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/polls/


Here's my source. They show several polls.

So does my link--it's to pollingreport.com

I seriously hope that the American electorate isn't so stupid that they determine who will lead them on the basis of petrol prices.

Someone tell me it isn't so. Please.

Bush's Disapproval rating overlaid with gasoline prices. (http://www.tnr.com/graphics2004.1/021406inside_judis-1%20copy.jpg)

Sadly, the American electorate just isn't very bright.

"Given the chance, half of all American citizens won't even vote, and the half that do vote are too stupid to know what they're doing."

I like this one.

Half of the American public has never read a newspaper, and half of it has never voted for president. One hopes it is the same half.

;)

I know how people used tests in the south to keep African Americans from voting, but I just don't see another answer. We need to keep stupid people from voting.

nah. the problem is at least partially caused by the nature of voting and representative democracy more generally. it actually encourages political stupidity by removing politics from its proper, public sphere. actual participation is mainly limited to individuals acting quietly and alone checking a box once in a while, rather than having actual discussions and clashes over various issues. which means that people don't have any incentive to actually know their stuff, as they won't have to argue for it or defend their positions or anything. they can just check the box and then go back to the illusionarily seperate sphere they call 'life'. and so people who do vote largely vote based on downright stupid ideas - something that would-be representatives typically know all too well and invest much effort towards catering to.


of course, it doesn't help things that the state has specifically built up social institutions that actively work to limit the development of critical thinking skills for most people.

And those 3 points bring Bush's approval rating to what? Did he manage to outstrip Carter, or does he still hold the worst poll numbers of any U.S. President ever?

of course, it doesn't help things that the state has specifically built up social institutions that actively work to limit the development of critical thinking skills for most people.
Frankly, I think the state has actively worked to dismantle the education system as a whole over the last thirty years. I think the powers saw what happened when they had a solid educational system--we got the late sixties and early seventies counterculture movement. Can't have that happen again.

nah. the problem is at least partially caused by the nature of voting and representative democracy more generally. it actually encourages political stupidity by removing politics from its proper, public sphere. actual participation is mainly limited to individuals acting quietly and alone checking a box once in a while, rather than having actual discussions and clashes over various issues. which means that people don't have any incentive to actually know their stuff, as they won't have to argue for it or defend their positions or anything. they can just check the box and then go back to the illusionarily seperate sphere they call 'life'. and so people who do vote largely vote based on downright stupid ideas - something that would-be representatives typically know all too well and invest much effort towards catering to.


of course, it doesn't help things that the state has specifically built up social institutions that actively work to limit the development of critical thinking skills for most people.

Okay, but, dude! People I know voted for president in the last election that didn't know who Colin Powell or Condoleeza Rice were!

Okay, but, dude! People I know voted for president in the last election that didn't know who Colin Powell or Condoleeza Rice were!

There were people who couldn't even name the Vice President.

There were people who couldn't even name the Vice President.

The name of the Vice President is classified. *takes names*

The name of the Vice President is classified. *takes names*

There were even multiple correct answers! Cheney, that creepy bald guy, Satan, the Lich-God Vecna...

There were even multiple correct answers! Cheney, that creepy bald guy, Satan, the Lich-God Vecna...

Dah dah dah dah dah dah dah dah

Dah dah dah dah dah dah dah

http://mellody.co.za/michaela/palpatine/gallery/emperor11.jpg

Frankly, I think the state has actively worked to dismantle the education system as a whole over the last thirty years. I think the powers saw what happened when they had a solid educational system--we got the late sixties and early seventies counterculture movement. Can't have that happen again.

oh, indeed. i'm slightly surprised they let as many people have ideas as they do currently.

Frankly, I think the state has actively worked to dismantle the education system as a whole over the last thirty years. I think the powers saw what happened when they had a solid educational system--we got the late sixties and early seventies counterculture movement. Can't have that happen again.

Hence the demise of the "civics" class, where you learned that individual citizens are allowed to question authority.

Now, you're just told what to think - it will be on a standardized test that will affect your life.

Now you learn that certain people are "good" in history, and certain people are "bad". In my kids' school, Christopher Columbus is about one notch worse than Hitler, and aside from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln (let's not mention that he was a Republican), there are few dead white men who did anything of value - most of them were rat bastards.

Hence the demise of the "civics" class, where you learned that individual citizens are allowed to question authority.

Now, you're just told what to think - it will be on a standardized test that will affect your life.

Now you learn that certain people are "good" in history, and certain people are "bad". In my kids' school, Christopher Columbus is about one notch worse than Hitler, and aside from George Washington and Abraham Lincoln (let's not mention that he was a Republican), there are few dead white men who did anything of value - most of them were rat bastards.

Frankly, my Civics class wasn't much better. We spent half of it using McCarthy era materials dealing with the "red menace," and the other half of it hearing how Reagan was the second coming of Jesus.

I predicted it as the prices went up. They would fall until the incumbents win the election then they would go up again. Well here it comes. The prices have dropped almost a dollar a gallon and GW's numbers have gone up 3 points and Congress approval has gone up 11 points. They are now both at 40% approval. How low do you think they'll go to get another 10%? It would be a shame to have to buy a whole nother group when these are already bought and payed for.


Hmm... Doesn't suprise me with the whole Haliburton/Cheney Axis of evil. People are so wraped up in their own little worlds that the don't reconize what is going on in the real world. Psychotic Dan.-Cheney is defintly a Sith Lord.

Frankly, I think the state has actively worked to dismantle the education system as a whole over the last thirty years. I think the powers saw what happened when they had a solid educational system--we got the late sixties and early seventies counterculture movement. Can't have that happen again

Absoulutly!!! Imagine if everyone had the equivelent knowledge of a traditional liberal arts education. K-12 & College education today isn't about learning it's about testing people until their blue in the face.
Hence the demise of the "civics" class, where you learned that individual citizens are allowed to question authority.
Civic should teach how and why the government works not about idealogy. Most of what you are tallking about should be taught in History classes.