Are all boaters republican?

[Ralph 123]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

just that the boaters with the strongest convictions towards their party are conservatives and are very vocal about it

This is the first time I ever heard of Conservatives being more vocal about their beliefs than liberals. Maybe it's a trend ROFLMAO!

 

[WillyBWright]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

Need I remind you Republicans about the Treasonous Arms for Hostages deal Ronnie Reagan brokered to get the hostages freed? Shall I mention the 3 Trillion Dollar Deficit he used to Artifically prop-up our economy which our grandchildren will still be paying off when they're old and gray? How about that guy named Nixon? I never hear you Proud Republicans mentioning him. Shall I mention how Junior Lied to the World to justify this debacle of a war and shamed a Most Honorable Colin Powell to do the same and make him so disgusted with this administration that he wants out ASAP? Shall I mention all of the Social Security Fund thievery that continues to go on to this day by Republicans to give their rich buddies tax breaks??? Gimme a bucket! I gotta Puke! I'm voting to Fire Bush's Lying Beehind! And voting for Kerry to bring some Integrity back to the office. Not because I necessarily like him, but at least he fought for his country when he was called, and didn't hide behind his daddy's coattails like Junior did. In my lifetime, the Republicans have had a Terribly Shameful record. What was the worst anybody could pin on Clinton...lying about a few blowjobs. BIG DEAL!

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

Let me pin 911 on Clinton's soldiers. He had 3 documented opportunities to kill UBL but passed because there may be "collateral damage" Yet, he had no problem killing innocent woman and children on Rudy Ridge or Waco Texas. I guess to Clinton, A religious nut in Waco with a weapons charge was more of a danger to the National Security that UBL Was. Or maybe his judgment was clouded becuase he was too busy chasing skirts in the Oval Office to think clearly.

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

And anyone who thinks Clinton had anything to do with the great economy in the 90s just doesn't get it. The great economy was due to a couple of trends that came together like a perfect storm:<br /><br />1) Y2k required every decent sized company to completely changed their entire technical infrastructures. Most invested heavily in new software and hardware and transitioned from 70s mainframes and 80s minis to client/server based ERP systems. Trillions were spent in a short time. That is why companies like SAP, peopleSoft, Oracle, SUN, etc., became such high flyers so quickly and also explains why shortly after Y2K, the economy began to crash and the NASDAQ was more than cut in half in just a few months.<br /><br />2) The rise of the Internet caused trillions to be invested in new software and systems to take advantage of the new technology. All the telecom companies went nuts building capacity for all the new data. Equipment manufacturers like CISCO and Lucent couldn't keep up with the demand for all the new equipment to carry all that data. Full of Bull? Just ask DNC Chairman Terry McAullife how much he made off Global Crossing! <br /><br />Hosting companies like Exodus sprung up from nowhere to become very large companies. Companies like eBay and iBoats and Amazon sprung up to create whole new markets where non existed before.<br /><br />3) The rise of the PC - Companies and homes alike spent trillions to buy PCs and software to take advantage of the new technology. Just look at when companies like Microsoft and Dell came into their own.<br /><br />4) Republican control of the House (remember Newt) kept the brakes on spending and authored balanced budgets while the country reaped huge win-falls from the peace dividend resulting from the fall of the USSR (That you Ronald Reagan)<br /><br />5) As the market began to rise trillions more flowed into the stock market from a whole new class of Americans known as the Investor class - this helped companies like Fidelity and Vanguard and alike to become enormous financial powerhouses.<br /><br />I can go on and on and on.... never confuse the cow with the milkmaid.

 

[Fly Rod]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

Not a Repulican!!! <br /><br />Not a Democrate either!!! <br /><br /><br />Just a plain "OLE INDEPENDANT!!!"

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

Ralph, wow. <br />It is like you read my mind. IMHO anything that happens today was in the works long ago. If a new president has immediate up swing in the economy you can usually credit it to the past administration. It takes awhile for stuff to move through the system and affect the common person. If the democrats did such a good job then why did it tank so soon after GW took office. G.W’s new policies would not take affect for months to come. After everything he has done (economy issue alone) to get things going I would hate for it take off and for Kerry to get the credit. What is he (Kerry) going to do different besides raise taxes anyway? Know one knows or at least know is able to tell me. <br /> It doesn't matter anyway when it comes to the economy. Allen Greenspan is the economy and when he farts everyone listens and breaths deeply.

 

[JB]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

Hey, JJ.<br /><br />The next time you see a candidate who doesn't appear flawed (especially to the opposition) you will have become a victim of deceit.<br /><br />Don't look at candidates, look at platforms, and realize that they are only "if we control Congress" plans. 41 got roped into raising taxes by a liberal controlled Congress. 43 needed a conservative Congress to cut them.<br /><br />Any President is a eunuch unless he can get Congress to cooperate.

 

[12Footer]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

Good point, JB.<br />I would also add, that individual greed has much to do with having allies come-forward in the debate process, when it regards spending and project funding.<br />F'rinstance, if I werked for the defence dept, and the president planned to cut the budjet that cut my paycheck, or purchased my werk vehicle, I might remain silent...Or on my worst behaviour, argue against it myself. It's human nature.

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

Don't look at candidates, look at platforms, and realize that they are only "if we control Congress" plans. 41 got roped into raising taxes by a liberal controlled Congress. 43 needed a conservative Congress to cut them.

Got that right JB and they shoved it right up his pledge when he ran for re-election.<br /><br />I heard Gephardt on Meet the Press yesterday and he talked about how he tried to get 43 to go back on his tax cuts after 911 (so they could do to him what they did to his father) and he was "shocked" that 43 told him to shove it. They must really think he's as stupid and their propaganda says he is.

 

[henlopen]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

From my experience, I thought all--or most--boaters were Democrats. How on earth can you want clean water and good fishing and support some corporate sleeze like Bush who has done everything he can to destroy clean water provisions and countless other envronmental policies that benefit us all. Here in New York State you wouldn't dare to eat the fish in the Hudson River or many other bodies of water because of PCB and mercury pollution. Democrats are forcing GE to clean up the river. Our local Republican congressman, John Sweeny, defends GE even when he--and all of us--know about the horrific cancer rate among those on the river.

 

[lakelivin]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

Registered independent. And disgusted with the current state of politics and most politicians in general. <br /><br />Our early politicians/ founding fathers were clearly the best and brightest this country had to offer. Look at the systems they set up that have stood the test of centuries. Does anybody honestly think our current political leaders are even close to being in the same league as our founding fathers? Obviously there still outstanding Americans amongst us, but I contend that very few are in politics. <br /><br />How did we get to the point where ambition, connections, likeability, money, and political skills (both personal and party) seem to matter more than qualifications when it comes to electibility?<br /> <br />Thre are only a handful of politicians I'm aware of for whom I believe integrity is more important that party politics and personal ambition. I could live with some different policy wiews than mine as long as the policy makers are intelligent, honest and objective. For me a couple of examples are John McCain, Joe Lieberman, and Colin Powell.<br /><br />You Kerry haters have plenty of examples as to why you don't trust the man.<br /><br />And I feel like I got a pretty good take on Bush's definition of integrity back in the 2000 primaries when his campaign did the push polling thing on McCain in SC. And when asked about Enrons TX governmental campaign contributions, Bush's reply was something like "they suported Ann Richards and then when I became Governor they supported me". Technically true, but intentionally misleading. The whole story was that Enron contributed to both candidates campaigns pre election but that their contribution to the Bush campaign was significantly more than what they gave to the Richards campaign. <br /><br />Enough venting.

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

Originally posted by f_inscreenname:<br /> If the democrats did such a good job then why did it tank so soon after GW took office.

The economy actually started to tank,(by all accepted measurements) at least two quarters before Clinton left office, not after he left.

 

[f_inscreenname]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

I am sorry I meant to say it was realized after he took office. It started the day after my wife's birthday March 9th (the market reached it peak that day) and it was down hill from there for a long time.

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

Let's chat a little about Enron:<br /><br />

But according to several reports, it was the Clinton administration that did favors for Enron, and received large donations in return. Time magazine reported in 1997 that Clinton chief of staff Mac McLarty reached out to Enron Chairman Ken Lay, at President Clinton’s urging, and for nine months closely monitored a $3 billion dollar power-plant project in India. Four days before it was announced that Enron won the contract, it gave over $100,000 to the Democratic Party. Robert Rubin had worked closely with Enron when he was with Goldman Sachs. He recused himself from dealing with Enron matters during his first year in the White House as Clinton’s economic adviser, but not when he became Treasury secretary in 1994. According to the Houston Chronicle, Enron got permission to build a pipeline from Mozambique to South Africa after National Security Adviser Anthony Lake threatened to withhold aid to Mozambique if it didn’t approve the project.

http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/8662/88538 <br /><br /><br />

<br />Time Magaizine<br />Saturday, Aug. 17, 2002<br />Enron's Democrat Pals<br />Documents obtained by TIME show the energy giant enjoyed much closer ties with Clinton Administration regulators than was generally known<br />By MICHAEL WEISSKOPF<br />Before its messy decline and fall, Enron had plenty of clout in George W. Bush's Washington, from the personal ties between chairman Ken Lay and the President to the company's alleged influence on Vice President **** Cheney's energy task force. But Enron's cozy relationship with Washington didn't start there. Documents obtained by TIME show the energy giant enjoyed much closer ties with Clinton Administration regulators than was generally known. Long before Cheney's task force met with Enron officials and included their ideas in Bush's energy plan, Clinton's energy team was doing much the same thing. Drafting a 1995 plan to help facilitate cash flow and credit for energy producers, it asked for Enron's input—and listened. The staff was directed to "rework the proposal to take into account the specific comments and suggestions you made," Clinton Deputy Energy Secretary Bill White wrote an Enron official.<br /><br />Clinton officials also made efforts to help Enron get business overseas. Clinton Energy Secretary Hazel O'Leary included Enron officials on trade missions to India, China, Pakistan and South Africa. White, returning from a 1994 trip to Mexico, wrote chairman Lay that "much opportunity" existed there for natural gas, and he sent a copy of Mexico's energy plans. To persuade an Enron senior vice president to join a mission to Pakistan, White wrote, "I have strong personal relationships with the existing government." <br /><br />Enron showed its gratitude. At Christmas 1995, documents show, it donated an unknown sum of cash in O'Leary's name to a charity called "I Have a Dream." And when Clinton ran for re-election a year later, the company made its largest single contribution ever—$100,000—to the President's party. <br />

http://www.time.com/time/business/printout/0,8816,338580,00.html <br /><br />What we REALLY NEED in this country is a free, ubiased press, or at the very least, a balnced press IMHO

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

By 12'er; <br />

F'rinstance, if I werked for the defence dept, and the president planned to cut the budjet that cut my paycheck, or purchased my werk vehicle, I might remain silent...Or on my worst behaviour, argue against it myself.

That would be the worst political party of them all. A bureaucrat in a bureaucracy. <br /><br />By Lakelivin;<br />

How did we get to the point where ambition, connections, likeability, money, and political skills (both personal and party) seem to matter more than qualifications when it comes to electibility?<br />

When greed became more honorable then statemanship.<br />Lakelivin, I'm liking your style. <br /><br />By WillieBWright;<br />

And voting for Kerry to bring some Integrity back to the office.

Maybe his litigation lawyer running mate can contribute some of that "integrity" as well.<br />Serving 4 months to trash your fellow solgiers, isn't integrity.<br />A Catholic running on a pro-abortion ticket, isn't either.<br /><br />Integrity to JF Kerry is as cheap as Purple hearts and war metals.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

JB, just because a president gets congress to go along with a half-arsed plan doesn't mean he is a great president, it just means he is great at getting half-arsed plans going. I am still waiting for someone to tell me just one great thing Bush has done for the country. Iraq better not be mentioned, or I'll vomit on my keyboard. Tax cuts? I am paying more, so don't go there.<br /><br />Everybody is so in love with Bush, yet how different is he from Clinton? Everybody seems to have forgotten that Bush was a coked out booze binging partier, but hey, he is great because he stopped. A great man never did that crap to the extent Bush did in the first place. Kerry went to war, Bush got out of it like the coward he is, so you just go on supporting him. All the crap talkers about Kerry needs to go spend some time behind a weapon during war before they talk smack. Its easy to sit back and judge when you were not there. And Reagan, don't even get me started. He did not defeat communism, he bankrupted it. The Soviet Union fell because we spent more money on our military than they could, they never stood a chance. It is easy to write a blank check and stand back and take the credit. I remember the Reagan days as being a bleak, moneyless, recession filled mess, but those with money had a good ol' time. Hey, isn't that what it is all about? As long as the rich have money, the country is doing great? <br /><br />Do I hate republicans? Absolutely not. The concept is sound, and I stand behind the majority of it. Do I love Democrats? Nope. Other than environmental and energy issues, as well as the abortion issue, I don't care much for the way they want to do business. Do I think Bush should do another 4 years? Nope. He is a bad president, period. Will Kerry do any better? Who knows, but he can't screw it up any worse than Bush did. Maybe the world will tolerate us living among them again with someone different that Bush.<br /><br />All you Bush lovers, don't cry, it'll be alright. November will fix it all. Either you will have your inept love child back, and you can keep pouring money out of your pockets due to his inept policy and half-arse attempts to fix it, or you'll have Kerry to blame for not fixing Bushes screw ups. Either way, you win!

 

[lakelivin]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

Ralph, if it was my post that stimulated your Enron response, please note that it was not a criticism of Bush for receiving Enron contributions. <br /> <br />Rather it's a clear example of a political statement that grossly spins an issue to deliberatly mislead the public without directly lying about it. <br /><br />And I'm so sick of that s**t from politicians from both parties I could puke. <br /><br />You want an example from the other side? If one accepts the definition of "sexual relations" as meaning intercourse only (and yes, I know that definition is very arguable), the accuracy of Clinton's statement about Monica Lewinsky that he "did not have sexual relations with that woman" is not too disimilar from the Bush/Enron statement I listed above. Technically true but deliberately misleading.<br /><br />I think I'll call statements that are technically true but blatantly and deliberatly misleading 'virtual lies'. And I don't trust or respect politicians who tell virtual lies regardlesss of their political affiliation.<br /><br />Lastly, plese note that I don't mean to open discussion about Bush/ Enron or Clinton/ Lewinsky, or by any means to compare the two incidents. I picked these solely because the specific statements I paraphrased from each are well documented and clearly exemplify my point, which is about spin and 'virtual lies'.<br /><br />Flame away if you'd like, so many politicians are p***ing on my leg and telling me its raining I can't catch fire anyways!

 

[12Footer]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

Originally posted by henlopen:<br /> From my experience, I thought all--or most--boaters were Democrats. How on earth can you want clean water and good fishing and support some corporate sleeze like Bush who has done everything he can to destroy clean water provisions and countless other envronmental policies that benefit us all. Here in New York State you wouldn't dare to eat the fish in the Hudson River or many other bodies of water because of PCB and mercury pollution. Democrats are forcing GE to clean up the river. Our local Republican congressman, John Sweeny, defends GE even when he--and all of us--know about the horrific cancer rate among those on the river.

And yet, they are predominantly Republican....Hmmm....<br />I think if conservatives were half the greedy, money-grubbing, enemies to the environment that liberals make them out to be, the Everglades project would not exist. It makes me wonder just how many people are still sucked-into the stereotypical images that have been debunked for years ---on both sides.

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

And I'm so sick of that s**t from politicians from both parties I could puke.

On that we can agree. <br /><br />Like most engineers I am a pragmatist. I care about solving problems and getting things done. Engineers leave perfect theoretical solutions to the "pure science" academics. To simply throw up your hands and say "a pox on both houses" may be satisfying and true but it does not advance a solution. You've got to pick a side that, although far from perfect, is closer to your way of thinking. Then, you work within that framework to solve problems and influence the thinking of the entire group.<br /><br />The sad truth is, most people are heavily influenced by sound bites broadcast by the media and through advertising. Any group that fails to play the game by the current rules won't make a darn bit of difference in this country because they will never be elected.

 

[12Footer]

Re: Are all boaters republican?

Dittos.As an engineer, you can appreciate the first lesson they taught us, (the K.I.S.S. doctrine).<br />If these guys would just stick to the issues, stick to the truth, we would have no quandry of who to vote for. but nooooooooo.