The Reality of the situation with the Presidential Election

[Elrathin]

This is my first post here as an author so please be kind.

What I have come to the realization of is no matter who the president will be, and whether or not the president was someone that has since bowed out of these elections, our country will still be screwed. Why? Because of congress.

IMO, the main fight we need to be waging is on congress. Congress IMO holds the most power in the country. Why do I say this? Because even if a president disagrees with something congress can reverse a veto that the president give.

A president can call to arms to cancel the irresponsible and wasteful spending, the corporate ties to congress, or whatever, but the fact remains congress doesn't have to follow the president and even has the power to continue things status quo. I mean let's face it, we have a system where those in congress VOTE themselves pay raises even though our economy is hurting. Where is the cost of living increases for everyone else?

People can complain about liberalism and conservatism, but in the long run, it is the corporate ties that are bringing our country down. Capitalism is fine, but when capitalism starts pulling the strings in the government capitalism is going too far.

I urge all of you to examine the voting records of those in congress on irresponsible spending and if they are abusing things, vote them out. Vote them out even if it means someone of another party will get in. If we don't hold our congress accountable for what they have done, then everyone is at fault for not doing this.

The next person on my radar is Reid and while I agree with him politically on some things, the abusive spending has to stop and I will vote him out. I urge everyone to do the same. Congress has the idea that people will let the status quo go because they think political ideology is more important, let people prove them wrong.

Congress elections are rarely, if ever, paid attention to. It is up to everyone to make sure the person that is representing them is truly doing that or just abusing the system so they can get richer.

I'm not saying the presidential election is not important, it is as well. But I think congressional elections need to be paid an equal attention to because these are the people behind the scenes spending our tax dollars.

[preservanation]

Great post, El.
Our three branch system of gov is there for a reason.
Letting the Legislative branch run wild while focusing on only the the Executive is ignoring the basics of our system.

I love gridlock.
I don't want any of them to do much of anything except protect our country, uphold the constitution and leave me the hell alone.

[PatrickHenry]

The US is presently ruled under a state of emergency.

The President is the de facto dictator of America.

That is the truth.

Whoever takes the inaugural oath January 20 of 2009 will have the power to suspend all laws and manage the nation single-handed.

And Congress can't do a thing about it for six months.

President is more important than Congress.

And that's the truth.

[Elrathin]

President is more important than Congress.

And that's the truth.

I can understand your opinion and you bring up good points, but I still disagree with it. With that being said regardless of whether you think congress elections are or are not more important than the presidential election, I think the congressional elections are not being paid the attention they need.

I mean just about everyone that I have talked to knows who the candidates for president are, but only 1 out of about 20 or so people that I have talked to here in Nevada know their elected congress officials or who is up for election.

This has got to change IMO and I don't think the situation where I live is much more different than many others in regards to people's knowledge of their congress.

[lily]

El.....what you say is true, but I'll bet my last dollar that if you ask anyone, they will say their elected officials are doing fine......it's the other ones that need to go. Also, without a strong, honest leader, one that is willing to work across the partisan aisle, nothing will get done.........yes vetos can be overridden, but only with a majority.

[Elrathin]

El.....what you say is true, but I'll bet my last dollar that if you ask anyone, they will say their elected officials are doing fine......it's the other ones that need to go.

Yep, hence what I said is the problem. Irresponsible spending is on both sides.


Also, without a strong, honest leader, one that is willing to work across the partisan aisle, nothing will get done.........yes vetos can be overridden, but only with a majority.

Well like I said, I differ in opinion on that one because if you do have a majority in congress, bad things can happen regardless of the presidency. However, I don't think anyone can deny that the congressional elections are not paid enough attention to by far.

[PostmodernProphet]

This is my first post here as an author so please be kind.?????....out of 6370 posts?.....you shouldn't have waited so long, your post was dead on about Congress....

[PostmodernProphet]

El.....what you say is true, but I'll bet my last dollar that if you ask anyone, they will say their elected officials are doing fine......it's the other ones that need to go. Also, without a strong, honest leader, one that is willing to work across the partisan aisle, nothing will get done.........yes vetos can be overridden, but only with a majority.

I will PM you my address to send the dollar, because I think Strabinaw and Levin are idiots.....

[Elrathin]

?????....out of 6370 posts?.....you shouldn't have waited so long, your post was dead on about Congress....

In the Political Editorials and Op-eds forum it is.

[lily]

I will PM you my address to send the dollar, because I think Strabinaw and Levin are idiots.....

Well....I didn't vote for Debbie..........but both Carl and Sandy... :thumbsup:

[PostmodernProphet]

who is Sandy, your rep?....I have Hoegstra....his daughter is in my daughter's class in high school......when she was a freshman, my daughter had a friend over and we were going through the introductions..Dad, this is Sherry Hoegstra....oh, what's your father's name....Peter Hoegstra....oh, the Congressman?....no, he's a plumber....that Peter Hoegstra is Amy's dad......I have seen him at a lot of sporting events and concerts......the plumber, that is....

[lily]

who is Sandy, your rep?

Yep!

[Phyxius]

El.....what you say is true, but I'll bet my last dollar that if you ask anyone, they will say their elected officials are doing fine......it's the other ones that need to go. Also, without a strong, honest leader, one that is willing to work across the partisan aisle, nothing will get done.........yes vetos can be overridden, but only with a majority.


THAT is the root of the problem. He's a bastard, but he's OUR bastard.

Until we start voting out the incumbents (and I really don't give a damn what party they are), there will be no change at all.

[David]

Yes congress suckes. You think a socialist would have become a senator otherwise? Let alone by the landslide he won by.

[preservanation]

THAT is the root of the problem. He's a bastard, but he's OUR bastard.

Until we start voting out the incumbents (and I really don't give a damn what party they are), there will be no change at all.Good observation, Phyxius.
This is a well documented phenomenon.
When voters are asked to rate 'Congress' they usually give them low marks, but when asked about their own state's House and Senate members they think they're just hunky-dory.
Go figure...

[Osborn F. Enready]

If people want a hard dose of reality..... pick this book up:

http://www.ronpaulrevolutionbook.com/

[Wndrtch]

This is my first post here as an author so please be kind.

What I have come to the realization of is no matter who the president will be, and whether or not the president was someone that has since bowed out of these elections, our country will still be screwed. Why? Because of congress.

IMO, the main fight we need to be waging is on congress. Congress IMO holds the most power in the country. Why do I say this? Because even if a president disagrees with something congress can reverse a veto that the president give.

A president can call to arms to cancel the irresponsible and wasteful spending, the corporate ties to congress, or whatever, but the fact remains congress doesn't have to follow the president and even has the power to continue things status quo. I mean let's face it, we have a system where those in congress VOTE themselves pay raises even though our economy is hurting. Where is the cost of living increases for everyone else?

People can complain about liberalism and conservatism, but in the long run, it is the corporate ties that are bringing our country down. Capitalism is fine, but when capitalism starts pulling the strings in the government capitalism is going too far.

I urge all of you to examine the voting records of those in congress on irresponsible spending and if they are abusing things, vote them out. Vote them out even if it means someone of another party will get in. If we don't hold our congress accountable for what they have done, then everyone is at fault for not doing this.

The next person on my radar is Reid and while I agree with him politically on some things, the abusive spending has to stop and I will vote him out. I urge everyone to do the same. Congress has the idea that people will let the status quo go because they think political ideology is more important, let people prove them wrong.

Congress elections are rarely, if ever, paid attention to. It is up to everyone to make sure the person that is representing them is truly doing that or just abusing the system so they can get richer.

I'm not saying the presidential election is not important, it is as well. But I think congressional elections need to be paid an equal attention to because these are the people behind the scenes spending our tax dollars.

Great post, El! Bravo! :clapper:

[Wndrtch]

If people want a hard dose of reality..... pick this book up:

http://www.ronpaulrevolutionbook.com/

Does it come with a tin-hat? I like shiny things.

[Osborn F. Enready]

Wndrtch, if you read the book, I might respect that comment, but as of now its just hollow insult from a hollow, uninformed point of view.

[Truth_and_Power]

Well I would love to vote for someone that would defund the iraq war, I know that would be a big saver right off the bat. Unfortunately, I don't think that's an option I am given. In fact I would love to vote for someone that would vote to bring all of our troops home.. from europe, from asia, from the middle east.

[Truth_and_Power]

IMO the issue with a changeout of congress is that you need 8-12 years before you have enough respect to even get your own legislation passed, and by then you've been integrated into the matrix. The only way you can effect a serious change in congress is to reduce its inertia by imposing term limits. So maybe:

Term Limits --> Campaign Finance Reform --> Actual change

[Osborn F. Enready]

I agree T&P, and have often argued along those lines regarding:
-Term Limits on all elected and appointed seats
-Campaign Finance Reform, starting fresh
-A Constitutional Amendment proposal for fair and verifiable voting rights to all BORN, LEGAL citizens.
-Judicial Review of all standing laws and Constitutional amendments as they are encountered in the Supreme Courts docket, in addition to the standard caseload, overseen by a non-partisan, publicly elected judical oversight panel with full public disclosure.

as well as some other things.....

[potter]

El.....what you say is true, but I'll bet my last dollar that if you ask anyone, they will say their elected officials are doing fine......it's the other ones that need to go. Also, without a strong, honest leader, one that is willing to work across the partisan aisle, nothing will get done.........yes vetos can be overridden, but only with a majority.

Hand over yer last dollar baby,

We got rid of Jim Ryun last election and we're gonna can Pat Roberts this election, they both sucked and they both ARE part of the problem.