Todd M Long's Profile

I heard that that was a fun little moment among many; someone needs to post a "Best of" video mix from the entire session (with a rockin' sountrack) for all us folks to enjoy....

I thinks it's a pack a day kinda thing, and yeah I actually heard about it as some sourpuss winger threw it into a discussion about Barack, and yeah it was all they had – and definitely was it amusing to hear said individual flailing for some kind of "substantial" muck. Ahhh the emerging '08 scene, and still waaaay off in the distance......

This is a bit of a sticky topic. The voters are responsible, I agree to a point, excepting that for a wide swath of folks voter responsibility often never transcends election day by more than a few glances at the boob tube to see who "won." This is where the problem starts to creep up – obliviousness – there's fun in the moment...partisan politics and all... "my family's traditional conservative" or "liberal to the death" and stripes in between, fill in the combinations. So from personal observation I note that several local politicians have held seats of high office for interminable terms. Now some of these folks enact popular policy, unpopular policy, but mostly banal policy that walks the line - keeping from generating alot of talk or whatever. And this is good for them. It translates into a legacy of familiarity where one, like myself, can stroll to the local pub and ask particularities about Rep. X – what is so outstanding about his policy? What ensures cyclical domination of every election? Invariably there is little quip about ANYTHING that the politico has actually achieved. They are LEGACY. If the politico has been on for twenty years they're like FAMILY. They've kept their noses clean and skated the thin ice like pros. Nobody can see why they should vote against ol' so-and-so, but in the same breath they can never really say why they SHOULD, besides the fact that they seem to be "moral" or whatnot. The conclusion: A suprising paucity of folks I've seen feel comfortable enough in local political issues to consider themself "well versed." Of course Local and National differ by degree more than kind... on a simplified level, the structure resonates. So in this sense term limits "force" at least in theory a hope that voters can't become too complacent and vote "old pal" in over and over. Now if "old pal" is truly great and authentic and doing wonderous policy then perhaps when his/her term is up they may take interest in advising the next candidate, in the best interests and all, of continuing successful policy, but it will be new blood, and perhaps invoke a bit more scrutiny from the populous to test the viability of the newbie and consequently re-examine the topics they have so often left to faith.... So at a minimal interval term limits would hopefully induce authentic involvement; ideas of "permenance" would face constant tests of applicability and continuous refining legislation.

Thanks for the comment Beeb. I certainly agree that this is merely late-October-last-second-slanderizing from the Bushites. Kerry blundered innocently enough for sure – proving his residual value is to remain deeply embedded behind the scenes. We've seen enough of him already. Kerry needs to avoid the "jokes" pretty much the same way Bush needs to avoid formal discourse, or perhaps neural activity, but tis just my opinion on this early cold morning in TN.......

Obama's in cruise mode right now. He's got to develop a framework, a distinct voice, and begin picking interparty battles wisely. And I agree Beeb, the experience demerits won't tally up until he proves that it really matters.

And these 30% mostly represent the uberallegiance of the inveterate Republican faithful. It's no surprise that hardcore partyliners go along with anything wrought from Bush's pulpit – just yesterday he had enough time to regale some of the more infamous "conservative" talk show hosts visiting the White House. Those obedient parrots who obsequiously squawk the talking points transcripts of Rove – a nice "Attah Boy" photo op for the office wall to remind them that they are nicely filling the niche of culling the submissible into unanalytic acceptance. Just don't tell them that or you're a bomb-throwing-flaming-hater wanting nothing less than utter destruction of American Culture BY Gawd!

George W. an idiot? You must jest, he's our president and all. Who in their properly informed thinking capacity would elect an idjit fer gaddsakes......