So, I finally figured out what is really wrong with our political system.

[Guest coach]

WHY IS IOWA THE FIRST STATE FOR THE PRESIDENTIAL CAUCUSES????????????

I'm sorry, that just really annoys me. I had never really paid much attention to those before, but this year there is such a big bruhaha that I looked into it a little bit.

This is such bullshit. Why do a few buckteethed hicks get to have such a large affect on who is President? How about we have it in a state with some actual fucking *population*??? Shit, or a state with a few actual urban cores in it? Something that might better represent a majority of the population.

Then the 2nd state is New Hampshire? Or traditionally has been. Hell, I've popped zits bigger than that place. At least this year some of the real states are fighting for their fair share in the process.

Personally, I think it should be totaly random. Each time, maybe 6 months before the election, you draw states totally randomly and that is the order they have the primaries in. I think that would actually be fairest. Barring that, let's do it biggest to smallest.

Anybody know how long the primary system has been in place?

[V. Barbarino]

coach, if you think iowa determines who wins our elections then I have a bridge to sell you.

[Guest coach]

Come on, it is relatively common knowledge that the first 4-5 primaries really make a huge difference. If someone does poorly in a few of them, they are pretty likely to drop out. If someone takes a few unexpectedly, it can give a huge boost to their fundraising ability. By the time it gets to state number 8 or 10, it's pretty much all over. There are a few exceptions, but seriously, the early states have a much larger influence than the later ones do.

[Guest cire]

I understand what your saying, why not have the first state be one that has more diversity in the state. Iowa is 96% white. I feel you, I saw some special last week I believe, maybe just the nightly news, where they were telling which states were going first and how they were going to have to switch thier dates because another state wanted to have theirs earlier (and blah, blah).

I understand though. I guess they want the ratings?

Oh yeah, I need a bridge, how much ya want for it?

[Guest slamminshaun]

This is such bullshit. Why do a few buckteethed hicks get to have such a large affect on who is President?

I love when liberals talk like this. You guys hate rural Americans so much it hurts....for a political group that is supposedly so tolerant, you guys sure love name-calling and making fun of rural people.

[Guest coach]

This is such bullshit. Why do a few buckteethed hicks get to have such a large affect on who is President?

I love when liberals talk like this. You guys hate rural Americans so much it hurts....for a political group that is supposedly so tolerant' date=' you guys sure love name-calling and making fun of rural people.

[/quote']I love it when you contradict yourself. Weren't you just yesterday telling me to not be worried about being politically correct because I am the least discriminatory guy on the forums?

Yeah, here's the quote:

Coach, next time....just ask away. You're probably the most anti-discriminatory guy on here and certainly don't need to explain to any of us where you stand before asking about things like this.

In any case, since you are offended, I will couch the language in a more polite way.

So little of the American populace lives a rural lifestyle and such a small percentage of the American populace lives in Iowa that it seems odd to give them so much power over the political process.

Also, my opinion has nothing to do with being liberal or conservative. I honestly could not tell you which way any state swings except the 2 I have lived in recently, Texas and Florida. It has to do with me being an urbanite, along with an exceedingly large portion of the rest of America.

[Guest Buck White]

This is such bullshit. Why do a few buckteethed hicks get to have such a large affect on who is President?

You guys hate rural Americans so much it hurts....for a political group that is supposedly so tolerant' date=' you guys sure love name-calling and making fun of rural people.

[/quote']

Wow, you're naive enough to think that these "rural people" don't have names for you ? And besides that....you talk about fat people....a lot. You don't seem to like them.

[Guest slamminshaun]

This is such bullshit. Why do a few buckteethed hicks get to have such a large affect on who is President?

You guys hate rural Americans so much it hurts....for a political group that is supposedly so tolerant, you guys sure love name-calling and making fun of rural people.

Wow, you're naive enough to think that these "rural people" don't have names for you ? And besides that....you talk about fat people....a lot. You don't seem to like them.

Coach, that was actually pretty funny.....right on...LOL! But facts are facts, liberals DESPISE rural Americans.

Buck, I don't like fat people? I'm like the ONLY person sticking up for them on these boards! I'm constantly speaking out against the discrimination that exists at the workplace toward fat people and sticking up for their right to be as fat as they want to be...you have me confused with someone else dude.

[Guest coach]

This is such bullshit. Why do a few buckteethed hicks get to have such a large affect on who is President?

You guys hate rural Americans so much it hurts....for a political group that is supposedly so tolerant' date=' you guys sure love name-calling and making fun of rural people.

[/quote']

Wow, you're naive enough to think that these "rural people" don't have names for you ? And besides that....you talk about fat people....a lot. You don't seem to like them.

Coach, that was actually pretty funny.....right on...LOL! But facts are facts, liberals DESPISE rural Americans.

Buck, I don't like fat people? I'm like the ONLY person sticking up for them on these boards! I'm constantly speaking out against the discrimination that exists at the workplace toward fat people and sticking up for their right to be as fat as they want to be...you have me confused with someone else dude.

He is, that is true. Shaun loves his fatties.

Look, I'll even allow that we start it somewhere conservatively urban. Something more representative than BFE.

[Guest coach]

And I've yet to figure out why there is tension between "liberals" and ruralites. Used to be all of rural America was Democratic because the Dems support big gov't and big gov't supports big farm subsidies, until the Republicans found out they could usurp all those votes with the abortion and gun issues. I guess the remaining liberals are pissed at the ruralites for being traitors to the cause.

[Guest Buck White]

This is such bullshit. Why do a few buckteethed hicks get to have such a large affect on who is President?

You guys hate rural Americans so much it hurts....for a political group that is supposedly so tolerant' date=' you guys sure love name-calling and making fun of rural people.

[/quote']

Wow, you're naive enough to think that these "rural people" don't have names for you ? And besides that....you talk about fat people....a lot. You don't seem to like them.

you have me confused with someone else.

Perhaps you're right. Sorry dude.

[ryan2772]

This is such bullshit. Why do a few buckteethed hicks get to have such a large affect on who is President?

You guys hate rural Americans so much it hurts....for a political group that is supposedly so tolerant' date=' you guys sure love name-calling and making fun of rural people.

[/quote']

Wow, you're naive enough to think that these "rural people" don't have names for you ? And besides that....you talk about fat people....a lot. You don't seem to like them.

Coach, that was actually pretty funny.....right on...LOL! But facts are facts, liberals DESPISE rural Americans.

Buck, I don't like fat people? I'm like the ONLY person sticking up for them on these boards! I'm constantly speaking out against the discrimination that exists at the workplace toward fat people and sticking up for their right to be as fat as they want to be...you have me confused with someone else dude.

bullshit. you think fat people raise health care costs.

[Guest saintjohn]

I guess the remaining liberals are pissed at the ruralites for being traitors to the cause.

I assure you that those "ruralites" feel equally betrayed by what Liberalism has become.

[Guest coach]

I guess the remaining liberals are pissed at the ruralites for being traitors to the cause.

I assure you that those "ruralites" feel equally betrayed by what Liberalism has become.

Oh hush, Mr. Hollywood. You're more citified than I am!

BTW, the pics came out awesome. The cover looks stunning. If I do say so myself.

[Guest saintjohn]

You're more citified than I am!

I never claimed otherwise

However, as someone who's spent WAY too much time in rural Mississippi and as a former subscriber to Progressive magazine, it's my belief that the Liberal movement has stopped caring about people who live outside of major metropolitan areas (unless of course those people live in the rural areas of other countries).

Traditional Liberalism, as I understand it, is based on the concept of natural rights, and the belief that it's the government's job to protect those rights.

Modern Liberalism, on the other hand, has become a one-size-fits-all movement. Policy and politics are applied without regard to context. Take gun control, for example. Urban liberals decided that banning guns (or at least restricting the hell out of them) would reduce crime, so gun control has become an integral part of the liberal agenda.

For the urban libs who first embraced the idea, it seemed like a great idea. Everyone wants to reduce crime, right? Well, except for criminals, and they just need a hug. Besides, the only people that they knew who actually owned guns were Black Panthers, and while it was always nice to have them at the political rallies, the gun thing made everyone else uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, the urban liberals forgot about all of the law-abiding gun owners who didn't live in their cities. Out in the country, guns were simply tools, not weapons, but the same laws that were meant to take away those so-called Saturday night specials in the city also outlawed duck guns and deer rifles - firearms which are rarely used by metropolitan muggers.

Urban liberals need to celebrate real diversity, and stop stereotyping Americans who don't happen to live in cities (you know, those people who supply much of the food that the rest of eat).

Btw, urban conservatives don't really care about country folk, either, but they are better at concealing their disdain - especially before elections.

BTW, the pics came out awesome. The cover looks stunning. If I do say so myself.

Cool. Send me a picture!

[Guest slamminshaun]

bullshit. you think fat people raise health care costs.

Of course I do, anyone stating otherwise is a moron. Black people cause health care costs to rise too because they are more prone to get sickle cell anemia. But this doesn't mean they deserve to have their rights taken away from them.

[Guest coach]

You're more citified than I am!

I never claimed otherwise

However, as someone who's spent WAY too much time in rural Mississippi and as a former subscriber to Progressive magazine, it's my belief that the Liberal movement has stopped caring about people who live outside of major metropolitan areas (unless of course those people live in the rural areas of other countries).

Actually, as I understand it, it happened the other way around. The hearts of the ruralites were usurped by the Republicans, when the Repubs realized they could manufacture an issue out of abortion and guns rights and other "moral" non-issues (pornography, alcohol, etc).

After the ruralites left the Democratic party, of course it started to change track, as it was driven by its remaining adherants. The people who show up are the ones who get their voices heard. So, when fewer ruralites were showing up to Demo meetings to make the case for sensible gun rights, those ideals started to change to reflect the beliefs of those who did show up.

In any case, that's all irrelevant because my point isn't just about the Democratic party. My point is that *both* parties start off their campaigns in Iowa. Or rather, I guess it is New Hampshire, but I don't think it is particularly representative, either.

So, this is how we end up with 2 horrible choices, like Bush and Kerry. So the rest of us are left to choose between dumb and dumber because we have a small minority with a much larger voice than their numbers would otherwise indicate.

[Guest saintjohn]

So, this is how we end up with 2 horrible choices, like Bush and Kerry.

I totally agree. The current primary system leaves a lot to be desired. I'm just not sure how to fix it. Changing the order of the states' primary elections? Maybe. Or maybe not:

Florida destroyed the last vestiges of sanity in the 2008 presidential calendar by moving its primary.

[Guest slamminshaun]

What's wrong is that, in the end, most of you talk shit about the 2-party system, but you end up selling out and voting either Republican or Democrat at the ballot box. Before you say, "but Shaun, you voted for Bush you hypocrite"...get your facts straight, NO I DIDN'T.

Wise up people, at least take a look at the Libertarian party and what it represents.

[Guest saintjohn]

Libertarian

+1

[Guest bassdropper]

marilyn mansion for pres

[Guest saintjohn]

More primary drama:

DNC strips Fla. of delegates -- primary wouldn't count

The Democratic Party has taken a swipe at the nation's fourth biggest state, stripping Florida of all of its '08 delegates as punishment for jumping the gun with its Jan. 29 primary. Florida's early date could force other states to move up and up to stay at the front of the pack.

Under a nearly unanimous vote taken moments ago by a powerful committee of the Democratic National Committee, if things don’t change, Florida’s primary will be a "beauty contest" — the delegates won’t count toward the party’s presidential nomination.

Florida officials complained that the DNC was going to "disenfranchise voters," as it says on the state party's home page. The DNC pushed back strongly against that contention, since it has rules that Florida decided not to follow.

source