Thanks for posting the link to the debate, it was very entertaining. Is any one of these fringe losers you choice for President?

This debate has the historic gravitas of Dennis Kucinich, Mike Gravel and Al Sharpton in a debate hosted by the Democratic Underground.

. . . that you were amused (stupefied, staring stupidly, i.e., ceasing to THINK]. It doesn't surprise me.

I always welcome an opportunity to hear Alan Keyes speak -- an excellent orator and so passionate, not dull and boring.

He's definitely NOT a "loser" (nor are any of the other candidates or the ones posing the questions -- such as Arlene, a 75-year-old grandmother who lives in Philadelphia, PA -- see the video clip here).

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“All that's necessary for the forces of evil to win in the world is for enough good men to do nothing.”

“Those who don't know history are destined to repeat it.” ~ Edmund Burke (British Statesman and Philosopher, 1729-1797)

Sometimes the candidate way behind in the polls at this point win.

Who's your guy, if I may ask?

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27 (KJV)

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My “guy”? Definitely NOT a woman.

But your dilemma -- Whether to vote for

• a BLACK man who’s "acting like he's white"

"Jesse Jackson" & "Al Sharpton" comment on Obama's "blackness" on SNL [transcript only -- video no longer available].

A man whom the LA Times calls “Obama, the ‘Magic Negro’”

[AUDIO and VIDEO of Paul Shanklin, impersonating Al Sharpton, singing the parody “Barack, the Magic Negro” (based on the Peter, Paul, and Mary song "Puff, the Magic Dragon")]

"'JEALOUS' REV. AL BLASTS BARACK"

• a WOMAN who’s married to the first black president and is "in this interracial marriage" and thinks that she can speak Ebonics (or is it Black Southern? [AUDIO])

• a TRIAL LAWYER who’s pretty enough to be a woman but can’t figure how to be black

"Elizabeth Edwards: John Needs Affirmative Action"

“We can't make John black, we can't make him a woman. Those things get you a lot of press, worth a certain amount of fundraising dollars.”

• a man who dresses like a woman

Whoops! Wrong party.

Dick Morris says that Fred Thompson is "in over his head."

Romney, McCain, Guilliani, nor Thompson would show up for the Values Voters debate. But, Jeff, you've given me hope.

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Hope springs eternal in the human breast;
Man never Is, but always To be blest:
The soul, uneasy and confin'd from home,
Rests and expatiates in a life to come.

-Alexander Pope

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To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society. ~ President Teddy Roosevelt

A wise man's heart directs him toward the right, but the foolish man's heart directs him toward the left. Ecclesiastes 10:2

The great Ronald Reagan was not expected to win the republican nomination in 1980. Once he had that accomplished, however, his victory over the worst president in modern history(perhaps all of history) was assured. Despite the polls predicting his loss before the election it was an amazing 10 to 1 victory in the electoral vote – an absolute trouncing.

Maximus

Again, thanks for your research. I'll do some research to see what the CS Monitor; the New York Times; and some other media have to say about Obama's qualifications and chances in this election. Edwards and Obama would not be a bad ticket. Obama and Edwards might be better I have no dilemma for the primary vote. It will be interesting to see the results of Iowa, etc. These are truly historical times!

Thank you for your kind comments.

If I could just pick a ticket, it would be Edwards/Obama. I believe that would be a winning ticket and I like Edward’s Iraq strategy. Hillary, as you well know, is very polarizing and has great potential to resuscitate the dispirited Republicans. Hillary has the virtue (you won’t see those words often!) of affecting the Republicans as described in Matthew 8: 12, “…there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth”, which would be fun to watch but probably not worth the downside. I could also go with Richardson on the ticket but I don’t think that’s going to happen.

Jesse and Al have very little influence on me. I’m more of a Bill Cosby guy.

Besides, Edwards has a better haircut than Al Sharpton.

So from my point of view, there is no dilemma. I have a wide range of front-runners who are acceptable. The dilemma seems to be with so-called “values voter” Republicans and the specific dilemma is whether to abandon all of the principles they have been proclaiming for so long or whether to sit out the election in disgust. This is a hard one for me to call because it seems that the Republican “values voter” is very easily duped. 11 of he last 13 Justices have been appointed by Republicans and the R’s have held the White House and the Congress (until recently) for a long time and yet, somehow, after numerous campaigns and endless promises, their agenda never gets implemented. No matter how many times they get rebuffed and misled by the party operatives they remain faithful with hope springing eternal. Can they swallow the foibles of the Republican front-runners this time which, from a “values voter” perspective, must seem deeply flawed or do they sit it out in droves hoping to teach a lesson. If Hillary is the nominee, they will be energized to oppose her; otherwise I suspect they will seriously consider withholding support.

A more Machiavellian analysis would suggest a secret hope by the “values voter” that Hillary wins so that they can re-energize the base, collect lots of money by opposing her for four (eight… yipes!) years, and railing to bring the Republican party back to its “core constituency.” From a James Dobson point of view this looks like a strategy to increase money, power and influence.

So the dilemma seems to be on your side. So strongly, in fact, it seems to be rising to the level of a true conundrum.

As an aside, and COMPLETELY unrelated, a good friend of mine recently accused me of becoming more cynical. Can you believe such outrageous slander?

Ecclesiastes 9: [17-18] The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. Wisdom is better than weapons of war: but one sinner destroyeth much good.

Hoping to push Jimmy up a peg? I do believe that would do it.

I have to agree with you on several things, however.
- Jesse and Al are scum, and Bill Cosby has always been a good guy (and funny).
- There would be much “gnashing of teeth” if Hillary got the nomination, but the result of her as president would not be worth whatever joy you got from the show.
- Richardson will not be the nominee.
- Several of the supreme justices nominated by republicans over the past several decades have been disappointing, to say the least (Blackmun, Powell, Stevens, Souter, O’Connor, and Kennedy).
- Hope does spring eternal among true America-loving conservatives. That hope has proven to be justifiable at times – 1980 comes to mind.

Maximus

You cannot imagine how much pleasure I derive from the knowledge that he irritates you so much.

...to know that it goes beyond irritation. I often wonder why someone, perhaps someone very close to him, doesn’t tell him that it’s time to stop embarrassing himself. He’s made a nice, long career of that and it’s time to retire.

Maximus

I doubt that anything he’s done in the last twenty years has really affected you. Perhaps you should just learn to ignore him or accept that you like grumbling about him and derive some enjoyment from it. Life is too short. If somebody gives you a bunch of lemons, get some salt and make margaritas!

Have a good weekend.

I've never tried that. I have a simple recipe for tasty 'ritas:
- 1 12oz can of frozen lime juice concentrate
- 1/2 to 3/4 of the can (6 to 9 oz) of Jose Cuervo gold (unless you're baby sitting Jimmy, then you might want the full 12oz)
- fill the rest of the osterizer with ice and fire it up.

Simple and tasty!

Have a nice weekend,

Maximus

Even though I'm a fairly conservative voter, I always voted for Sam Nunn, I voted for Zell {when he was a real Dem}, I even voted for your daddy, I'm just hoping that this election there is someone I can vote for and not just someone to vote against.

I yam what I yam...Popeye

This debate has the historic gravitas of...

If by gravitas you mean dignity or formality in bearing and appearance, then I'm glad the "formality" was dropped and we got a chance to hear what these candidates passionately believe.

Did you hear the questions about the EU and tariffs? Or the ones about specific steps to take on the amnesty issue?

Too bad these are not getting asked at the other debates.