NationStates Jolt Archive

What are some of the goings-on in your local races? Any gaffes? Scandals? Outrageous attack ads?

I've got two for ya. First, our governor (Bob Riley) had a Daily Show-style hypocrisy moment exposed in his opponent's ads. When he ran for office a few years ago, he blasted his opponent during a debate for giving out over a billion dollars in no-bid contracts. He said that any government that does that is "either the most corrupt government or the most mismanaged government of the last 25 years." Now, there are ads all over the TV which play a video of that statement, then claim that in the years since the election, Riley himself has done the same thing -- giving out a billion in no-bid contracts. Of course, Riley's guys are suppressing the ad and saying it's false, but it's entertaining nonetheless.

Also, the race for State Supreme Court Chief Justice is looking interesting. The Democrat claims that the Republican has never presided over any case in any county, and was merely a political appointment. That is generally true, but the Republican is deluging his opponent with ads saying that she is a "liberal" and "the only candidate who takes money from trial lawyers and who supported John Kerry". So... yeah. It's looking like he's going to win.

What about ya'll?

We don't have any races going on. We might have a referendum in a while though, so I'll gravedig this then.

We don't have any races going on. We might have a referendum in a while though, so I'll gravedig this then.

Likewise.

Likewise.

When is America going to have a referendum?

When is America going to have a referendum?

Tomorrow?

I now know that the only Democrat I will vote for is Ted Strickland for governor. The rest of them have ideas that are either so laughably ignorant of economic policy or are so clearly populist attempts to buy votes that I couldn't conceive of voting for them.

I now know that the only Democrat I will vote for is Ted Strickland for governor. The rest of them have ideas that are either so laughably ignorant of economic policy or are so clearly populist attempts to buy votes that I couldn't conceive of voting for them.

Do you intend to vote for state repression and dictatorial executive power instead?

Do you intend to vote for state repression and dictatorial executive power instead?

No, I'm voting for the people that will revitalize my state and prevent the brain drain from further weakening our economy. Of course, at the same time I'm also voting to hike and index the minimum wage, so all I'm really trying to do is keep my state economy healthy and growing for everyone who lives here. It's hardly a party-line issue; everyone deserves to share in our state's potential.

No, I'm voting for the people that will revitalize my state and prevent the brain drain from further weakening our economy. Of course, at the same time I'm also voting to hike and index the minimum wage, so all I'm really trying to do is keep my state economy healthy and growing for everyone who lives here. It's hardly a party-line issue; everyone deserves to share in our state's potential.

Great.

But the real question in this election is not economic. It is - do we want an incompetent and corrupt autocrat responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths to be given free reign, or to be restrained by an opposition Congress?

The Democrats can whine about outsourcing as they will, but I doubt they'll do anything about it.

What are some of the goings-on in your local races? Any gaffes? Scandals? Outrageous attack ads?

I've got two for ya. First, our governor (Bob Riley) had a Daily Show-style hypocrisy moment exposed in his opponent's ads. When he ran for office a few years ago, he blasted his opponent during a debate for giving out over a billion dollars in no-bid contracts. He said that any government that does that is "either the most corrupt government or the most mismanaged government of the last 25 years." Now, there are ads all over the TV which play a video of that statement, then claim that in the years since the election, Riley himself has done the same thing -- giving out a billion in no-bid contracts. Of course, Riley's guys are suppressing the ad and saying it's false, but it's entertaining nonetheless.

Also, the race for State Supreme Court Chief Justice is looking interesting. The Democrat claims that the Republican has never presided over any case in any county, and was merely a political appointment. That is generally true, but the Republican is deluging his opponent with ads saying that she is a "liberal" and "the only candidate who takes money from trial lawyers and who supported John Kerry". So... yeah. It's looking like he's going to win.

What about ya'll?
That's what you focus on? The Alabama race is full of pompous buffoons making asses of themselves, especially the Republicans. They have no soapbox other than their opponent is a liberal and supports John Kerry. Fuck, they can't even use their own political ads, they have to steal them from Illinois.

And in the SC race, Nabers is looking like a dick while Cobb is the only person in Alabama running on her own credentials.

I am going to make a point of voting against anyone who accuses their opponent of being a liberal. Not that I would've voted for them, but I probably wouldn't have voted.

It's all the republicans that attack the opponents here.

Hmm...well, we've had a few funny ones. The ads attacking McCaskill for the horrible offense of marrying a rich guy are rather entertainingly stupid, but most of the really nonsensical nonsense has come by mail rather than television. I recently received a flier picturing elderly people in tears alongside the brilliant assertion that some people died in nursing homes during McCaskill's stint as state auditor. Apparently Talent's new platform is "l Can Keep Grandma Alive Forever!"

And then, of course, there's the insane assertions coming from of the anti-stem-cell-research crowd, which have ranged from "stem cell research supporters want to enslave women and force them to donate eggs against their will" to "stem cell research supporters just want to steal your tax money and buy themselves yachts" to "stem cell research supporters wish Jesus had been aborted" to "stem cell research supporters are planning on cloning themselves and taking over the world." I have seriously received fliers suggesting all of the above. It's rather scary.