It sure beats the tedium of the sad Republican wind-up, and the quote of the day I've heard so far came as I walked in, just in time to hear (but not catch who the speaker was) some former governor stating:

"And I vetoed the motorcycle helmet law... Now I wear a helmet when I ride, but if people choose not to - well, we have an organ donor shortage in this country"

Simply awesome ;). Eric Vendt (Olympic swimmer) just finished speaking, and was reasonably well-spoken, and no more starry-eyed with idealistic fire than some of the Obamazealots I've met...

Regards,
Nydia

Update:

Ron Paul will be addressing his rally at 8pm Eastern (7 Central, or in about 30 minutes), for those who wish to hear what he has to say.

Regards,
Nydia

Thanks Nydia!

:)

I'm watching Paul right now, it is such an insult that this is being ignored by major news outlets.

Comparing this to the republican sham errrr convention this actually looks like the crowd is just as large.

He's speaking now, and giving a decent and substantive speech (and with far more interest and genuine enthusiasm being shown from the crowd than the Republican convention across the river), and re the crowd, word is, they packed the Target Center (10,000) there in Minneapolis... (and with no public funds and no debt, as he reminded the attendees :) ). Granted, he just advocated abolishing the Federal Reserve... ;)

Kudos to C-Span for showing this in its entirety, and it was interesting to note that among all the 'Rally for the Republic' signs, there were a bunch of red script "Return the GOP to its Roots"...

Regards,
Nydia

I was at work, is it youtubed yet?

And I seem to remember C-Span covering Nader 8 years ago, as well.

Hopefully i can catch it on youtube as well. wishing i had seen your post earlier because after watching GW's speech (Thompsons on now) i really feel the need to puke.

My favorite signs and buttons were "Legalize the Constitution" ones.

Front page on CNN

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/02/paul.convention/index.html

I had a rather heated argument recently when someone told me that if I voted/wrote in his name I was throwing my vote away. This mentality that there are only two choices is such bullshit and one of the greatest scams politicians have ever sold to us. You can vote for who ever the hell you want, there are not just two choices.

No, he may not win. But some day when people are sick of the bullshit the other two parties are spewing they might start looking at what he has to say or others like him. He has my vote damnit.

I called my mother last night and mentioned he was being covered on C-Span2. When I got home from work today she called and said if she can't vote for Paul she might not vote, and she was an adamant Obama supporter up until last night.

I thought he was great, myself.

Luckily, we can all vote for Ron Paul, so she's in the clear!

sigh, the reality whether you like it or not is that a vote for ron Paul Is a vote for nobody. We can sit here and get depressed as much as we want over our messed up situation of system but it doesn't change the facts.

Vote for ron Paul instead of Obama and you get stuck with McCain. Vote for ron Paul instead of McCain and you get stuck with Obama.

As much as Jesse Ventura makes me want to puke whenever I see him on camera, he made an excellent point when addressing the crowd that your vote is something important, and you should never let anyone tell you you have wasted your vote, if you voted your heart and your conscience.

sigh, the reality whether you like it or not is that a vote for ron Paul Is a vote for nobody. We can sit here and get depressed as much as we want over our messed up situation of system but it doesn't change the facts.

Vote for ron Paul instead of Obama and you get stuck with McCain. Vote for ron Paul instead of McCain and you get stuck with Obama.

That is only the case if enough people believe it. Every vote for someone the TV didn't instruct you to vote for is one less vote it takes to topple that paradigm.

No one thinks Ron Paul is going to win this election. It's about more than a single candidate. As long as we continue voting like sheep, there is zero incentive for our politicians to represent the many in place of the few who buy them off.

The "wasted vote" meme is truly one of the most disempowering concepts in our society today.

it is sad but it is true. You can't even get people to vote based on the truth, you will never get enough of them to waste their vote to the point where it a no longer a wasted vote.

Let me make it clear, I hate that I even post this cause I hate being negative about this, however sometimes you just have to think realistically

We'll never have meaningful change in our government as long as people harbor such a defeatist attitude. You give the status quo absolutely no reason to improve your conditions if you're content to play along with the charade.

Exactly Sanchek and WTF is it so hard for people to realize that?!?! The moment you start believeing the BS you're fed then I must say that is the moment you become a sheep. Voting is a powerful right to exercise, don't give it up b/c someone has made you think it's worthless if you don't use it "their" way.

Every person who thinks that their vote is wasted if they don't cast it for one or the other of the 2 promiment parties is another mindless drone who just whines about gas prices but does nothing to help. Voting is powerful, it is what we can use to eliminate corruption if folks can pull the wool off their eyes and the media's tit from their lips long enough to realize it.

It is so ridiculous how much the media and others hold sway in politics. So much so that Obama hearing for months how inexperienced he was that he picked up Biden. And McCain being the old dog he is decided to not be outdone by Obama's race or milestones and picked some inexperienced chick. It is laughable that our election process has come to this but it is this way b/c most of us sit around and do what our TVs tell us to do. The politicians think we are dumb, the media thinks we are dumb. The power of the people is so far from scope that it has instead become a plot in a movie or book but not reality. Exercise your power and vote for the hell you want to. And if that's Obama or McCain good for you! But don't perpetuate the bullshit that someone else's vote doesn't mean anything if we don't vote for one of those two.

Good luck in your revolution... I will be right there with ya voting for who I like next time if McCain wins this time. I still think you guys should realize the people who really run this country have already had enough time unchecked for any of us to reverse the damage.

Good luck in your revolution... I will be right there with ya voting for who I like next time if McCain wins this time. I still think you guys should realize the people who really run this country have already had enough time unchecked for any of us to reverse the damage.


wow.

Soylent Green is PEOPLllllllllllleeeeeeeeeee

I still think you guys should realize the people who really run this country have already had enough time unchecked for any of us to reverse the damage.

Tinfoil hat, much?

Tinfoil hat, much?

The one line wonder strikes again.

Well here is a retort I know you will appreciate:

Head buried in sand, much?

Now, to try and add some meaningful content to this thread I offer the following:

"And I vetoed the motorcycle helmet law... Now I wear a helmet when I ride, but if people choose not to - well, we have an organ donor shortage in this country"

To the hardened American that is tired of the candy coated visceral that the two party system expels into the countries consciousness daily, this statement, at first glance, looks like a "common sense", "back to basics" view.

In reality it’s a very reckless statement that shows Paul’s true nature.

Try passing this comment by the loved ones of someone who has gotten in a motorcycle accident and was saved by the mere fact that they were "forced" to were safety equipment. They would say, thanks for forcing my loved one to wear a helmet, we appreciate your conviction.

Politicians at the level of Paul are the lowest common denominator in the population. They will say anything, do anything and cut any slime ball deal to grasp the prize.

If he is making reckless statements like this on his bid for the president’s office I can only imagine how he would wield that heavy sword of power once he clasped his hands around it. My guess is that he would stumble around the room knocking things over, smashing objects and finally impaling himself on the end of his own weapon, much like what the current administration has done.

Wielding power at that level takes small nudges in the "right" direction. Common sense rarely comes into play and most of the time the "right" decisions are accompanied with directives to your electorate to wake up and wear their helmets weather they like it or not.


Cheers,

Ron Paul didn't say that... Rant misplaced.

/oops... /rant off

Still applies for any schmuck who would make a statement like that.



Cheers,

Yes, Common Sense has no place in politics. That's worked wonders in Washington the past few decades....

So, when it comes to motorcycle helmets, and seat belts, you think making it illegal not to wear such equipment, really makes people who don't want to use it, do so?

Read "internet rumours", much? :rolleyes:

John Stossel's book, Give Me A Break (http://www.amazon.com/Give-Me-Break-Hucksters-Media/dp/0060529148&tag=encosia-20), has a great chapter on how the nanny state tends to practically make us less safe with all of its regulation.

So, when it comes to motorcycle helmets, and seat belts, you think making it illegal not to wear such equipment, really makes people who don't want to use it, do so?

In time, yes.

Cheers,

After I got a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt, I have never forgotten to put one on.

After I got a ticket for not wearing a seatbelt, I have never forgotten to put one on.

But you still rode without one. The law didn't make you wear it, the financial reprecussion, after you got caught, was the real reason. The fact there was a law, had no effect on your choice not to wear one before you got fined.

If you had gotten into an accident, and killed you would have been just as dead with or without that law. It would not have saved your life.

I tend to think any legislation that goes against Darwin's Law is superfluous. If you aren't smart enough to figure out that helmets and seat belts will save your life in an accident, then you deserve not to continue to contribute to the gene pool.

I also lump laws against fatty foods in the same group. If you can't figure out that your diet shouldn't consist exclusively of french fries, fried burgers, and pizza, then you deserve to have a heart attack.

But you still rode without one. The law didn't make you wear it, the financial reprecussion, after you got caught, was the real reason. The fact there was a law, had no effect on your choice not to wear one before you got fined.

If you had gotten into an accident, and killed you would have been just as dead with or without that law. It would not have saved your life.

I tend to think any legislation that goes against Darwin's Law is superfluous. If you aren't smart enough to figure out that helmets and seat belts will save your life in an accident, then you deserve not to continue to contribute to the gene pool.

I also lump laws against fatty foods in the same group. If you can't figure out that your diet shouldn't consist exclusively of french fries, fried burgers, and pizza, then you deserve to have a heart attack.

If there was no law against it, I would never have gotten a ticket for it, and would probably still forget to put it on from time to time leading to a higher chance of being killed in an accident.

One could also argue that someone who votes republican deserves not to continue to contribute to the gene pool. :)

One could also argue that someone who votes republican deserves not to continue to contribute to the gene pool. :)

The person that pursues that argument, would reveal themselves to be an enemy to the Democratic Republic, wanting only one party, rather than a compromise, which truly benefits the people of this country.

The person that pursues that argument, would reveal themselves to be an enemy to the Democratic Republic, wanting only one party, rather than a compromise, which truly benefits the people of this country.

nope, just not that party.

Because a country with 1 party in charge, is what's best for everyone, eh tovarich?

who said anything about one party? Just get rid of the unamerican republican party and we can have democrats, libertarians and independents.

Let's get rid of the socialist Democratic party too, and I'd be down with that. Both parties have made it clear that they have failed, for some time now.

the party of jedd corpse!!!!!

why even have a party? How about independents only

Works for me. Most of our current system has been completely obsoleted for decades.

No argument there. The only problem is, that most people of both parties, can't quantify why they are associated with said political party, beyond that it’s the one their parents were affiliated with.

The Democrats have some good ideas, and the Republicians have some good ideas. The real problem is seperating the good ideas (tolerance/fiscal responsibility) from the bad (Socialism/Fundamental Christians).

All the more reason to stop giving them these false left-right choices to make, and let them vote based on the issues that matter to them.

Wow, I don't think I can even imagine what it would be like without this BS two party system. What a glorious concept, where do I sign?

The write-in section of the ballot.