CapitolFax.com - Latest Comments in Question of the day

Re: Question of the day

Ignatius J. Reily — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 19:42:31 -0000

Benedictum

Re: Question of the day

Anon... — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 17:05:42 -0000

Lovie...I'm a registered Republican, and it has nothing to do with the idiot box, or teachers. Many members of the Watergate grand jury (emphasis on "grand jury"..not media pundits or party partisians) were Republicans, some even Nixon supporters, but when they heard of all the crap he was pulling, they wanted to indict him in a heartbeat. The media frenzy is going to be there, no matter what. What killed Nixon was the fact that 1) He let his "men" commit all of these dirty, and even criminal acts, when there really was no reason for it to ensure his reelection. and 2) When the criminal acts became public he decided to lie and cover up, instead of just coming clean. (Clinton lied...about a tryst with a 21 year old. Dissapointing or even digusting for many, but the event that he lied about was not a federal crime). To say that just because Nixon was never convicted means that he wasn't a criminal displays a total lack of understanding what the man and his people where doing.
If you can't accept that, then take this...Nixon was stupid enough to tape everything that was being said (in the Oval Office) then didn't destroy the tapes when the scandel started to erupt. If there had been no tapes, he almost surely would have least survived his term. The man had only himself to blame.
Yes, Nixon certainly wasn't the first, nor last politician to lie about and try to cover up a crime. Gov Ryan is about to get what's coming to him, and hopefully Daley and Blagojevich will get what's coming to them. Until we learn to elect politicians that can level with the public instead of fool, trick, or connive, we will continue to have these scandels and media frenzy's...

Re: Question of the day

Ignatius J. Reily — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 00:19:50 -0000

Wow. Nixon had knowledge of a crime and lied about it. Our current homegrown crop-- Daley and Blagojevich should now be wondering if history is in fact prologue. Forget the conviction. How 'bout the election?

Re: Question of the day

Lovie's Leather — Wed, 12 Jul 2006 00:00:20 -0000

Nixon was a man convicted by the media just like the Duke La Crosse team. It was such an aweful media frenzy. That was the beginning of ego-journalism in America. It became anything for a cheap story and has been that way ever since. Remember what the media did to Reagan, Clinton, and now W? They savaged them. Reagan survived because he had personality. Clinton did too. But Nixon, always hated by the media, was never cut any slack. He was hounded to no end. And now because public perception is that he committed a crime, he is automatically guilty. I think it is a shame that he never did get his day in court... a chance to clear his name of wrongdoing. Unfortunately, Nixon had to resign for the good of the country. And Ford had to pardon him for the good of the country. It cost Ford the '76 election. Now we just sit around and bash a man who has been dead for 11 years so dogmatically. He was a great president. He did a lot for this country when it comes to foreign and fiscal policy. Now all that he is remembered for is, "I am not a crook." Well, prove to me that he was a crook. Never tried, never convicted. Same thing with Clinton when it came to Whitewater and the rape allegation, never tried, never convicted. So let's not speak of Tricky Dick and Slick Willy as if they are aweful people. It turns my stomach how much people believe what they hear on the idiot box or what they hear from their "teacher." But I don't expect you to understand. Just keep watching O'Reilly, I am sure you'll be fine....

Re: Question of the day

Ignatius J. Reily — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 23:40:41 -0000

Pat Quinn? Is he Irish?

Re: Question of the day

Anonymous — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 23:38:38 -0000

to all the Pat Quinn lovers (I have no idea why you would like the slimeball) why don't you look past the "great job" he has done as lt. guv (a basically figurehead only position) and remember back to how he almost ruined the Treasurer's office and left JBT to clean up the scraps

Re: Question of the day

Ignatius J. Reily — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 23:30:21 -0000

Get it?

Re: Question of the day

Anon... — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 23:28:12 -0000

Oh come on Lovie'sLeather...Nixon resigned before facing certain impeachment and removal from office, and was pardoned before facing certain indictment by the special prosecuter...do you not remember that the Watergate grand jury named him an "unidicted co-conspirator" in Feb 1974??? (the thinking was a sitting President could not be indicted until removed from offic) I guess it's no suprise that history repeats itself, with such poor memory of the past.

Re: Question of the day

Ignatius J. Reily — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 23:21:06 -0000

By consensus: Lying

Soon to include Da Mare

Re: Question of the day

Lovie's Leather — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 23:17:14 -0000

Ignatius, what was Nixon convicted of?

Re: Question of the day

Ignatius J. Reily — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 22:19:16 -0000

Daley: It wasn't all a sham.
Nixon: I am not a crook.

Maybe just a little sham?

Re: Question of the day

eddie james — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 22:15:44 -0000

I'm a republican. I'd like to vote for Judy. But she seems dumber than Blago

Re: Question of the day

Lovie's Leather — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 22:00:17 -0000

Meh, everyone thinks I am wrong. I am a Republican. I just personally stuff the ballot boxes in everywhere in America. But I leave entertaining people like Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, and Rod Blagojevich around just for a good laugh...

Re: Question of the day

B Hicks — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 21:53:04 -0000

No problem, Love. You can call me Bobby.

I still think you're wrong.

Re: Question of the day

Carl Nyberg — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 19:10:14 -0000

I think many conservatives actually believe in their issues. The GOP however, is more and more brazen in its cynicism. I'm not sure Team W can count on the loyalty of the true believers with W's approval so low.

But as bored now points out, the GOP can't win with just GOP voters. JBT's winning strategy is to get a respectable number of reform Dems to defect from Blagojevich to the Greens while limiting her own defections. She's got a difficult needle to thread.

Re: Question of the day

Whizzo the clown — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 19:08:29 -0000

FWIW I predict indictments immediately after the State Fair. But that's just a wild guess.

VanillaMan: I don't always agree with you 100 percent but you summed it up nicely today. Blagojevich is a cunning guy, but not a smart one; rather than basing his financial and budget policy on books by Friedman or Smith, he chose one by JK Rowling.

Re: Question of the day

Lovie's Leather — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 18:57:01 -0000

The conservatives will come out for Topinka as long as she looks to stay to the right of Blago. She can appeal to moderates and conservatives. If there is no other option rather than the main two, the conservatives will end up voting for the lesser of 2 evils. It is early now kids, let's wait and see what happens. Just let the next 4 months of Blago pool in people's minds, they will hold their noses and vote Topinka. That is, unless Topinka skrews it up. Chances of that are about 50/50. It appears to be her race to lose.... but it is still too early to really tell....

Re: Question of the day

todd — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 18:25:49 -0000

The right wing of the Republican party must come out for JBT. "Virgin-verility" is on the ropes.

Re: Question of the day

bored now — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 18:13:38 -0000

lovie: i tried to make clear which post i was responding to. did i read your first post? sure. did i respond to it? no. if i was expected to link the two, then you assumed incorrectly.

i'm not sure i agree with you about the effects of rod's early advertising. seems to me (without looking it up) that the guv's numbers have improved since his early gen e ad blitz began. i've long said that we'll have to wait until judy files her d2 to see what is the real impact of this strategy.

an objective reader would note that i didn't say (or even infer) that judy was president bush -- i merely noted that voters throughout illinois are looking for a way to send bush a message. and those who support bush are the same ones who seem to be the most alienated from judy. will conservatives vote for topinka? not the ones i've talked to in the last six weeks. (i know, i know, voters don't matter, yada yada yada.) will illinois voters who want to mark their displeasure with the president vote for the guv (especially in areas where there's no competitive congressional race)? it's certainly possible. i think judy's prospects rest as much on bush's ratings as they do on her's.

obviously, i noted in the very first post that blagojevich is unpopular. which is no doubt why he intends to drive judy into the ground. it will be interesting to see how effective they are at this, but at least the guv's campaign has a solid, proven strategy. that's more than you can say about topinka. she's been less than impressive as a candidate (remember that i haven't lived in illinois long enough to have a legacy impression of her; her ineptitude is what i witness now.)

as for judy pulling blue voters to crossover, i can only assume that you are unaware how small the swing electorate has become. judy can't win without energizing the conservative base, and she can't appeal to independents and soft dems if she does. that's not exactly a dilemma i'd want to face.

to reiterate, you asked: People keep writing that they think it will still be Blago winningÃ¢â‚¬Â¦ Is there any credible evidence out there other than a gut feeling???

there's lots of reasons to think that rod will win, whether or not he actually deserves to. you seem oblivious to these facts, prefering your own assessment. that's fine. but don't assume other people overlook the rather substantial evidence out there that you chose to ignore...

Re: Question of the day

Carl Nyberg — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:55:56 -0000

Without any new Blago related indictments being announced before the election here's what I'm seeing.

Blagojevich 43-54 (lowest number is 43 and highest is 54)
Topinka 38-48
Rich Whitney 4-16

Re: Question of the day

Carl Nyberg — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:50:58 -0000

For the Greens, breaking 5% is the critical threshhold. If the Greens break 5% the party achieves major party status. This makes it much easier for Greens to qualify for the ballot in 2008.

It also means the Greens will qualify for a presidential primary in Illinois.

Larry Redmond got about 2.8% as the Reform Party nominee in 1998 (Ryan beat Poshard), IIRC.

IMO, the Greens would really have to screw-up not to break 5% against Blagojevich and Topinka.

I don't think Topinka can break 48%, so her winning formula is to get the Greens into the race enough that it cuts Blagojevich down to 47% or less, but not to get the Greens too much exposure. If the Greens get too much exposure and become a somewhat viable reform option it will cut into JBT's numbers too.

JBT bringing Bush to Illinois was a mistake. Hastert should have raised the money for her instead. Even Cheney would have been better. Blagojevich can link her to Ryan and Bush which pretty much undercuts any of her claims to wanting to reform "the system".

Re: Question of the day

Lovie's Leather — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:43:48 -0000

uhg, not B hicks, sorry. Bored now. That is what I get for not proofreading... sorry B.

Re: Question of the day

Lovie's Leather — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 17:42:52 -0000

B Hicks, his massive fundraising hasn't proved to do anything for him so far if he can't get anywhere in the polls airing commercials this early... and he is a horribly unpopular incumbent... and just for your info, Judy is not George W. Don't pretend that the voters are absolutely ignorant. And who knows, Judy is liberal enough to pull straight-dem voters to just vote for one republican.... If you uh actually read my first post, you would know that I think it is impossible to tell this early. If you want my gut feeling, fine, Judy 53 Rod 47. There, you have my gut feeling. But it doesn't mean squat because it is way too early to tell! Geez, did you bother to read my first post? Second, are you trying to skew my opinion or are you not smart enough to realize what meant?!

Re: Question of the day

B Hicks — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 16:57:59 -0000

I think that the strong Democrat names on the ticket will bring the voters out in Chicago. Blagojevich, Quinn, Madigan, Hynes, White, possibly another Stroger, and Dart will ensure massive Democrat turn out. The DÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s have some pretty popular people running.

Also, I think that the Mayor could possibly play a part in this. He might want to prove to the people of Chicago that heÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s not as damaged as some think. He could turn the switch on and flood the precincts with workers. HeÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s been known to turn a few voters out.

In addition to the Republicans not being overly thrilled about their statewide ticket, the right wing of the party isnÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t going to turn out for Judy.

Just my opinion.

Re: Question of the day

bored now — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 16:52:17 -0000

lovie asks why other's gut feeling is different than his gut feeling. of course, i don't understand why he's so eager to overlook a rather massive fundraising advantage. or the fact that rod's the incumbent. or how illinois feels about george bush. or the fact that the odds-makers don't seem to rank the illinois guv's race in the competitive category: the fix, where illinois doesn't even make the list; charlie cook, rates illinois as likely dem.

but i have no doubt that lovie trusts his gut feeling more than he trusts mine and your's. i'm sure there's some reason why his gut is so skewed...