Kurt, when have we NOT been faced with all sorts of challenges from abroad??? - - - This is nothing new. As it is, every single one of your defense contracting CEO's will tell you that IRAQ is a freaking distraction . . . that is taking our eyes off the ball ( China ) and preventing us from developing a "long" war against them with strategic military platforms. Kurt, I don't automatically see Mc Cain as being a "smart" military leader just because he was a much heralded POW. There is a very important distinction to be made there and I am afraid that many people fail to understand this. Being "strong" gets us involved in a bee-hive like Iraq where our military resources have been depleted to no end. Being "smart" would have been listening to George Herbert Walker Bush's NSA, Lieutenant General Brent Scowcroft.
Landis, to be fair - McCain has met Palin two times - before he decided she was the one. He can still pull a fast one...
Some good points and I'm NOT advocating an aggressive interventionist policy but IMO (and thats all it is) McCain is pretty mellow guy without something to prove. Reminds me of Reagan and as you know until McCain's divorce they were tight with each other. Instead of reducing our carbon footprint we need to lighten our military footprint. It's burying us.
Yes, and I noted that as such in this post: http://www.elitetrader.com/vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=135055&perpage=6&pagenumber=25 Once in person, and then again at his secret Sedona Ranch.
As a percentage of GDP, our current military spending is still not historically high by any means. Again, Iraq/Afghanistan is a "commodity" war that does nothing to prepare us for a "long-range" military conflict with China. The neo-cons are leading us tragically astray. Everyone thinks that Bush has been tough and strong with our military resources. I say the exact opposite. He is alleged "strength" in regards to our military has been in my opinion, anything but SMART. In my mind, the "commodity" war in Iraq/Afghanistan is a HUGE distraction. It has left our Pentagon in an extremely precarious position going forward . . . In fact, we are already many years behind the strategic "curve" as it is. I still can't even believe that we haven't even gotten around to replacing our old KC-135 air tanker fleet. Interestingly enough, the key reason being that Mc Cain through a "monkey-wrench" into the Boeing project and forced a total "re-bid" of the contract which has now gone to Northrop and the French-EADS effort this past year. Go figure.
I like the choice. Female, way more attractive than and younger than Hillary, mother of 5, well-spoken, businesswoman, son in the military. In short, a homely Mrs. America who also hunts. She will poach the disgruntled Hillary fembots and appeal to the soccer/hockey moms on both sides of the aisle. As canyonman said earlier, she will also appeal to the Oprah crowd. She wasn't chosen for her foreign policy experience, or lack of, anyway. And the prospect of her taking that 3 AM phone call that Russia has just invaded Western Europe worries me less than if BO took the call: Obama: Yo Rev Wright, what should I do? Wright: Don't get involved. They all white. Let 'em kill each other. Obama: I'm down with that, Rev. If you free for cards on Saturday, give me a holla. The rumors of McCain's demise are greatly exaggerated, and I am very much looking forward to the debates. BTW, listening to BO the other night, I couldn't help but feel inspired at first. He really makes you want to believe. But for those of us with some common sense, somewhere after the first few "I'll-give-all-Americans-this-and-that," you start to wonder how the fuck he's going to pay for it all. And yeah, the "I'm my brother's keeper" sure rings hollow when you hear about his Kenyan half-brother who could sure use some of BOs weekly dry cleaning money.
He should have gone with someone safer, with-real pedigree, white house experience, and cross party support. A uniter , not a divider. Chelsea Clinton!!!
You are understimating the real racism in this country...however if they believe this choice will lure Hillary supporters I think it is an absolute insult to their intelligence and they(McSame advisors) have badly miscalculated. I was lukewarm to Obama until I actually heard him in person at mile hi. I do believe he can inspire hope, confidence and courage in the American people in a way we haven't seen since JFK. That is the primary responsibility of a president, he/she is ineffectial unless they can actually LEAD!!! Lets see...GWB has LED us into recession(economic) depression (mental) and war (un-necessary) :eek: