SciMathGuy
There has been a lot of national controversy about voter IDs. Some jurisdictions have passed laws requiring voters to identify themselves with picture IDs. Conservatives say this reduces election fraud. Liberals say it prevents the poor from voting. One proposal should satisfy both sides.
There's been a lot of talk about faith-based initiatives lately. Some of us favour giving tax money to churches, and some of us favour not giving tax money to churches. I've always been one to favour giving one's personal money to religious organizations if one desires, but keeping taxpayer money out of the equation. The issue generates strong feelings on all sides. I wonder - how many of us actually give to the poor?
I doubt if the results of this poll will be useful to Senator Obama. Maybe Markos (or his advertisers) can get some use out of it. I will certainly learn something from it, and perhaps anyone who reads it will also learn something from it.
Poll 49 votes Show Results In June 2008, I gave: money, to religious organizations, for the care of the needy. money, to secular organizations, for the care of the needy. money, to religious and to secular organizations, for the care of the needy. tangibles and/or time, but not money, to religious organizations for the care of the needy. tangibles and/or time, but not money, to secular organizations for the care of the needy. tangibles, and/or time, but not money, to religious and to secular organizations for the care of the needy. tangibles, and/or time, AND money to religious organizations for the care of the needy. tangibles, and/or time, AND money to secular organizations for the care of the needy. tangibles, and/or time, AND money to religious and to secular organizations for the care of the needy. I meant to or usually donate, but I didn't get a chance to do so in June. America has poor people who need things? Other. 49 votes Vote Now! In June 2008, I gave: money, to religious organizations, for the care of the needy. 8% 4 votes money, to secular organizations, for the care of the needy. 7 votes money, to religious and to secular organizations, for the care of the needy. 7 votes tangibles and/or time, but not money, to religious organizations for the care of the needy. 4% 2 votes tangibles and/or time, but not money, to secular organizations for the care of the needy. 7 votes tangibles, and/or time, but not money, to religious and to secular organizations for the care of the needy. 0% 0 votes tangibles, and/or time, AND money to religious organizations for the care of the needy. 4% 2 votes tangibles, and/or time, AND money to secular organizations for the care of the needy. 6 votes tangibles, and/or time, AND money to religious and to secular organizations for the care of the needy. 6% 3 votes I meant to or usually donate, but I didn't get a chance to do so in June. 6% 3 votes America has poor people who need things? 4% 2 votes Other. 6 votes
I like The Huffington Post. I really do. They've got a lot of excellent writers and the comments are usually interesting. They do seem to have a wee bit of a problem with inconsistent rules, particularly in regard to personal attacks, but they moderate comments and it usually works well.
Generally, HuffPo is a liberal blog. They've got pro-Obama folks and pro-Clinton folks, not to mention occasional comments from the pro-Kucinich, pro-Paul, pro-Barr, and pro-Nader contingents. There are atheists and religious people there, too. Their writers include former evangelical Frank Schaeffer as well as current evangelist Jim Wallis. However, the bias of HuffPo towards religion is pronounced.
Poll 89 votes Show Results Churches should take tax money for: their specific religion and the saving of souls. teaching adults how to do math, science, and reading. feeding, clothing, and sheltering the needy. absolutely nothing - they should pass the collection plate and put their money where their mouths are! other. 89 votes Vote Now! Churches should take tax money for: their specific religion and the saving of souls. 3% 3 votes teaching adults how to do math, science, and reading. 2% 2 votes feeding, clothing, and sheltering the needy. 32 votes absolutely nothing - they should pass the collection plate and put their money where their mouths are! 49 votes other. 3% 3 votes
Political opinions, election decisions, and other decisions, are often made by groupthink. Obama and McCain both rely on groupthink to haul in large portions of their bases. However, for Republicans, groupthink works. For Democrats, it doesn't. What is groupthink, what are its problems and symptoms, what can be done about it, and why does it help Republicans but hurt Democrats?
There has been quite a bit of work in the area of groupthink, but I do not know if anyone has examined it with regard to political parties and political opinions. I'm not a communications researcher, so my opinions are derived mostly from reading political blogs and newspapers, and watching televised news (mainly CNN) and this diary is rather simplistic. The purpose of this diary is to see what we, as Democrats, can do about our unsuccessful tendency towards groupthink, in order to help elect a more liberal President of the United States.
Poll 44 votes Show Results What should we do about groupthink in the Democratic Party? Nothing. Baa, baa, baa. Encourage groupthink by clamping down on our dissenters. Reduce our complexities to sound bites and hope the majority buys it. Encourage civilized discussion, stand by consensus, and allow internal dissent. Other (explained in Comments). Other (not explained in Comments). Shut up and vote for Obama. Think? People think? 44 votes Vote Now! What should we do about groupthink in the Democratic Party? Nothing. Baa, baa, baa. 9% 4 votes Encourage groupthink by clamping down on our dissenters. 7% 3 votes Reduce our complexities to sound bites and hope the majority buys it. 2% 1 vote Encourage civilized discussion, stand by consensus, and allow internal dissent. 22 votes Other (explained in Comments). 0% 0 votes Other (not explained in Comments). 2% 1 vote Shut up and vote for Obama. 9 votes Think? People think? 9% 4 votes
One more lurch towards the right from you, Mr. Obama, and I'll vote for Nader. And I do not like Ralph Nader.
Barack Obama's shift to the right (from left towards center is to the right!) has been thought about, talked about, written about, and griped about. One diarist wrote about deal-breakers. Another wrote about NARAL and Roe v Wade and did a good piece on "mental distress." Many diaries have written about FISA, and many more have been written about Obama's reaching out to / pandering to the evangelicals. Lots of people have voiced concerns about Obama's assorted flip-flops, and many folks have apologised for them in the spirit of nuanced discussions and compromise and getting elected.
Enough already!
Nobody that I know of has yet pointed out that in the rush to get to some christian political center, Obama is busily trampling the rights of women and minorities. Oh, yeah - and men's rights, too.
Poll 154 votes Show Results How long will you stick with Obama? Forever. Until he opposes my favorite issue. Until he panders more than I can handle. Until he Liebermans himself into the Republican Party. One more bad position change and I'm gone. I'm already not an Obama supporter (prefer McCain). I'm already not an Obama supporter (prefer Nader). I'm already not an Obama supporter (prefer Barr). I'm already not an Obama supporter (prefer not to vote). Who's Obama? 154 votes Vote Now! How long will you stick with Obama? Forever. 74 votes Until he opposes my favorite issue. 3% 4 votes Until he panders more than I can handle. 17 votes Until he Liebermans himself into the Republican Party. 16 votes One more bad position change and I'm gone. 7% 11 votes I'm already not an Obama supporter (prefer McCain). 3% 5 votes I'm already not an Obama supporter (prefer Nader). 4% 6 votes I'm already not an Obama supporter (prefer Barr). 2% 3 votes I'm already not an Obama supporter (prefer not to vote). 6% 9 votes Who's Obama? 6% 9 votes
Our oil. It's our oil. It's all our oil. All over the planet, if it's oil, it belongs to the United States. Right?
We Americans seem to have fixated on drilling for oil under the North American Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Never mind the expense. Never mind the as-yet-unbuilt infrastructure necessary to suck oil from under vast wads of water and getting it to the main continent. Never mind the minor time delay (decades) before we would get gasoline from that oil. And of course, never mind the simple fact that we seem to be trying to make the oil problem go away by finding more of a finite resource than by building transportation modes that don't use oil at all.
Poll 37 votes Show Results It's OUR oil because: We said so. Our lawyers said so. God said so. Exxon said so. We're bigger than you are. Nyah, nyah, nyah. Your gratitude isn't showing enough. We're too cheap to develop electric cars. I want my MTV. 37 votes Vote Now! It's OUR oil because: We said so. 8% 3 votes Our lawyers said so. 3% 1 vote God said so. 6 votes Exxon said so. 8% 3 votes We're bigger than you are. Nyah, nyah, nyah. 14 votes Your gratitude isn't showing enough. 0% 0 votes We're too cheap to develop electric cars. 8 votes I want my MTV. 5% 2 votes
I know too many people who are voting Republican because they think that the Republicans will uphold their family values, protect the holiness of their marriages, protect their dubious freedoms, keep them employed at healthy corporations, make the price of gas come down, keep their stock dividends high, cause the sun to shine and the birdies to tweet, and bring back "Morning in America."
How do I tell them that it ain't so, Joe? How do I tell them that the Republicans in office and running for office hold only their own values - getting money and power for themselves - in esteem? This video might help.
Poll 42 votes Show Results Why are YOU voting Republican? I like money. I LOVE money. I worship money. The Repubs will give me more money. The Democrats will take away my money. I'm voitng Democratic, thank you very much! Money? What's money? 42 votes Vote Now! Why are YOU voting Republican? I like money. 0% 0 votes I LOVE money. 0% 0 votes I worship money. 2% 1 vote The Repubs will give me more money. 5% 2 votes The Democrats will take away my money. 6 votes I'm voitng Democratic, thank you very much! 29 votes Money? What's money? 4 votes
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