Wild West Politics?

[xoxoxoBruce]

So did Billy.

[Sundae]

Originally Posted by Shawnee123

Carter was just too damn nice and got chewed up and spit out by the less-than-nice. I think he's shown since what a wonderful diplomat he is: he just isn't evil enough to make it in Hollywood....er, um, I mean Washington.

I've read and heard that he was considered a naif in Washington.
He was supposed to be a new broom but not enough people owed him favours to allow him to govern effectively.
To be powerful in politics you need to have greased the wheels for a while, so you can broker cross-party support.
Politics is compromise, not individual ethics or true representation.

Originally Posted by tw

Reagan was not hated. He and Democats routinely worked deals together.

He was hated in the UK. But then so was our elected leader, Thatcher.
When deals are done, you'll usually find both participants are considered to be in bed with the devil.

[Lamplighter]

He certainly has been a better "Former President Carter" than he was a "President Carter"

It's my conviction that we would be having fewer issues with North Korea, specifically,
had one or more of his successors used Carter's good offices instead of trying to isolate him.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

I've read and heard that he was considered a naif in Washington.

Carter did many things useful. But does not get credit for it. Including deregulation of trucking and airlines. Forced completion of many highway projects stalled by nonsense and left wing extremists. Moved towards a more balanced budget when the economy made that virtually impossible. Addressed the reality of an energy shortage.

But his greatest triumph was never understood at the time. Interest rates went to 20+%. He knew that could adversely affect his reelection when he did it. Carter was not playing the political game. Instead, he was 100% about working for America. That means harming every American to finally fix the economy. So that the resulting upturn could start years later - at the start of Reagan's third year.

Never for one minute deny what makes more jobs. Less money to the rich. More money to the common man. Balanced budgets. Avoiding wars. And making the spread sheets honest. Any president that does these things will be hated while president. And gets credit for these accomplishments when apparent - after that president has retired.

George Sr said no new taxes. Then realized that to create jobs, he had to raise taxes - to balance the budget. He (and Clinton) were hated for doing what was necessary to create jobs. And so the question - do you understand what George Sr did to make America great? Do you realize that Carter sacrificed his popularity and relection to make America great? Most don't.

[Lamplighter]

Originally Posted by tw

<snip>

George Sr said no new taxes. Then realized that to create jobs, he had to raise taxes - to balance the budget. He (and Clinton) were hated for doing what was necessary to create jobs. And so the question - do you understand what George Sr did to make America great? Do you realize that Carter sacrificed his popularity and relection to make America great? Most don't.

It did amaze me how Republicans turned on George Sr after his
"Read my lips" campaign followed by his ultimate decision to raise taxes.
From what I knew (or thought I knew) at the time, I thought he was doing the right thing.
And then the GOP became Devil-Mom eating her offspring.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by BigV

I have heard it said that Jimmy Carter is the only person to have used the office of President of the United States as a stepping stone to greatness.

Hey, from his presidency he could only go up.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Lamplighter

From what I knew (or thought I knew) at the time, I thought he was doing the right thing.

At the time, I thought he was doing the wrong thing. I thought he should have been cutting spending - including getting rid of many of those 600 Navy ships faster.

Well either you raise taxes or cut spending. George Sr proved that either can work. But the most irresponsible act any government can do is to maintain or increase spending while enriching the rich with tax cuts. That guarantees less jobs - and so many other economic destructions.

[Undertoad]

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationwo...,7041106.story

The paranoid schizophrenic makes a video 3 months ago. Enjoy his descent into a complete retreat from reality. It's actually fascinating, in a weird way.

For bonus points, assign his ramblings to the American left or right. To make it easier for you, here are his talking points:

- The Afghanistan war is illegal under the Constitution... due to US currency.
- A student says hi and he rambles that he "lost his freedom of speech to that guy." (ETA: possibly his teacher who gave him a B)
- Pima Community College gave him a B for Freedom of Speech.
- Pima Community College will make him homeless.
- Pima Community College students are illiterate.
- Pima Community College is selling books that are illegal under the Constitution.
- We are censored by our freedom of speech because government controls the grammar.
- Police action at Pima is full of illegal activity.
- Pima Community College teachers are paid illegally, by illegal authority under the first amendment, which constitutes genocide.

[sexobon]

So retreating behind a notion that he was just having a bad hair day was never an option.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

The paranoid schizophrenic makes a video 3 months ago. Enjoy his descent into a complete retreat from reality. It's actually fascinating, in a weird way.

Which takes use back to posts early in this thread. How did nobody notice? Why did (or could) nobody do anything? The Pima County Sherriff noted how we dump the mentally ill onto the streets. Is this an example? Or was he able to keep his condition unknown to others?

[TheMercenary]

Oooooh look everybody!

Ted Kaczynsk speaks!

Where you sending your next bomb? I heard you wanted to take out Pelosi?

I think I should call the SS.

[tw]

Originally Posted by tw

Is this an example? Or was he able to keep his condition unknown to others?

From disjointed facts, apparently the Pima CC had seen this tape three years ago. They required Loughner to obtain psychiatric help before he would be permitted back. He was known to police five times for disturbing classes including math and biology.

The powers that be did know. So the question is what could they have done? A question we also should have been asking after Ford, Lennon, and Reagan were shot. And we (as a nation) did not.

[Undertoad]

Three months ago... he made the tape Sept. 23.

[tw]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Three months ago... he made the tape Sept. 23.

Now if I can only remember which news source provided that erroneous fact so as to avoid them. Three months makes more sense.

[TheMercenary]

Nice.... Who are they going to blame for this one?

TUCSON, Ariz. — A Tucson mass shooting victim was taken into custody Saturday after yelling "you're dead" at a Tea Party spokesman during the taping of an ABC-TV town hall event hosted by Christianne Amanpour.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41094534...me_and_courts/