I've been converted

[Flash]

I bet the Russians are all rooting for Obama.

Huh? Are being funny or are you just delusional?

Geeze.

Am I gonna have a job in three years if Obama gets elected?

My timing sucks.

Without a doubt. But you won't be allowed to do it...

Because you guys know exactly what he is going to do as President, right? Because I know for a fact, a buddy told me and I know he is never wrong, that campaign promises never get broken when someone takes power and they are confronted by reality.

And just if you are worried, Afghanistan is here to stay, there is little doubt in that.

0:16 says it all.

He forgot to add how he will also go right ahead and hand over the our country over to all those nations who have no plans to stop the development of future weapons and in doing so, he will seal our fate and tell us to kiss our asses goodbye.

Weaponization of space. What exactly does that mean? Ask 5 different people and get 5 different answers. Does it mean weapons in space? Weapons that can reach space? There are ways around that kind of declaration.

As for MDA, I agree with him.

I'm sorry but if there has ever been a wrong candidate for the presidency, it is Obama.

You are treading pretty close there........

 

[jt71582]

Whew - my last post got through Flash's scrutiny. I feel accomplished!

 

[jollygreen07]

Words.......

No, sir. I most certainly cannot possibly know what he will do if he is elected to the presidency. However, I did just watch a video where the man himself-not a member of his campaign team, not a political pundit, or far left "whack-job" but Senator Barack Obama- said that he will "cut tens of billions of dollars of wasteful spending" 10) "slow our development of future combat systems" 18)

What does "wasteful spending" mean? Does that include getting rid of a ton of young, newly minted naval aviators who don't really have a place in a military that isn't even bothering to develop "future combat systems?"

I may be just a dumb ensign, but as a democrat president with a democrat-controlled congress, won't he have a more than reasonable chance at pulling off whever he wants to do?

 

[squorch2]

Who knows? Maybe he'll cut tax subsidies to oil companies. Maybe he'll try and rework the farm subsidy system to resemble something a little less catch-22-ish. Maybe he'll do away with TSA. (Hey, I can dream.) The point being, there are lots of places to trim - "tens of billions of dollars" is chump change in a 3.1 trillion dollar budget. Hell, we spent about 400 billion on interest on the federal debt alone last year.

 

[LazersGoPEWPEW]

I may be just a dumb ensign, but as a democrat president with a democrat-controlled congress, won't he have a more than reasonable chance at pulling off whever he wants to do?

Remember that in the Senate that margin is razor thin, which means that there isn't a whole lot of anything going on other than a few bills getting passed here and there. In order for things to get out of a gridlock you need a pretty beefy majority in the House and Senate. Democrats don't really have that. Even if Barack is elected, it's difficult to accurately predict who will control the congress....especially since their approval ratings are lower than Bush. Why? Because they aren't getting things done that they said they would. Gridlock.

But in the end predicting outcomes in an election is like flipping a coin.
You never know who will show up in the voting booth and have a change of heart or who will stay at home or who will get mad at the candidate and not vote for them etc etc etc.

That's my .02

 

[wink]

The point being, there are lots of places to trim - "tens of billions of dollars" is chump change in a 3.1 trillion dollar budget. Hell, we spent about 400 billion on interest on the federal debt alone last year.

You have to be kidding. This is the US Congress we are talking about here. Every single C note will be fought for tooth and nail by every congressman and senator with a post office, military base, federal retiree or government contractor in his district/state. Tens of billions of dollars may be chump change to you, but unspecified cuts without supporting legislators is a throw away number, just like all the other vague promises Obama has made for "change"

Nope, can't know what a presidential candidate is going to do once elected. Depends on circumstance not known including congress. That is why I look at the character and detailed history of the candidate. For me, Obama fails that scrutiny. Doesn't matter much what he or McCain say today. I just think I won't like the way Sen Obama will handle some unknown issue in the future. I am sorry but I am not buying into the faith part of "change you can believe in".

 

[m0tbaillie]

**WARNING** Naughty language inside - very much NSFW!

I debated even posting this, but I've tossed up that disclaimer. It is actually quite funny if you watch it all the way through, just for the comedic value (if you want to discount it's political value). Mods let me know if it's too over the top and it's gone.

 

[Flash]

No, sir. I most certainly cannot possibly know what he will do if he is elected to the presidency......Senator Barack Obama- said that he will "cut tens of billions of dollars of wasteful spending" 10)

As does every Presidential candidate. Shocking, I know......

"slow our development of future combat systems" 18)

I believe he was talking about this the Army's Future Combat Systems proposal:

https://www.fcs.army.mil/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Future_Combat_Systems

....and I agree with him. The 'system of systems' stuff went over so well with the USCG's Deepwater program........:icon_roll

What does "wasteful spending" mean? Does that include getting rid of a ton of young, newly minted naval aviators who don't really have a place in a military that isn't even bothering to develop "future combat systems?"

Well, as long as there are IA's when FCS comes around, I am sure that Naval Aviators will have their place in it . We already went through cuts of Ensigns back in '04, it will happen again....and again....and again.....But that has more to do with the Navy's poor personnel practice's than anything else.

I may be just a dumb ensign, but as a democrat president with a democrat-controlled congress, won't he have a more than reasonable chance at pulling off whever he wants to do?

No. Congressmen have a funny way of being independent when they want to be, especially if they want to get reelected and money in their home district/state is on the line. Supporting defense is one easy way to get yourself reelected in most of this country.

 

[Rg9]

...

So you think Obama will do good things for the military? I really don't understand your point...

Sure, many politicians break campaign promises. The problem is that the perspective he is proposing HAS BEEN TRIED BEFORE. There is no reason to believe he won't do what he says, at least a good part of it. And even if he doesn't, his philosophy towards foreign policy and the military is the same one that has tied the hands of the military in the past and caused more international chaos.

 

[Flash]

So you think Obama will do good things for the military? I really don't understand your point...

Sure, many politicians break campaign promises. The problem is that the perspective he is proposing HAS BEEN TRIED BEFORE. There is no reason to believe he won't do what he says, at least a good part of it. And even if he doesn't, his philosophy towards foreign policy and the military is the same one that has tied the hands of the military in the past and caused more international chaos.

I am saying that I believe that he will not be anywhere near as 'bad' towards the military and defense as many on this board are suggesting.

No, there isn't. But what he is saying is not all that bad in many cases.......

As for 'international chaos', you might want to brush up on you recent history.......

 

[Rg9]

As for 'international chaos', you might want to brush up on you recent history.......

Can we consider the 70's recent? If so...

 

[Bevo16]

.......

How are the beaches on your island?

 

[picklesuit]

(All numbers in percentage)
(ECI is the raise the civilians got that year)
Chart lifted from Military Officers Association of America

This is the reason my wife (a democrat) will be voting republican...
It quantifies the difference between Dems and Repub's for me...
But the reason I want to vote for John McCain is that I really enjoy being a part of the "vast right wing conspiracy"

 

[Picaroon]

chart

Wow, that's very interesting to a guy who is (hopefully) about to be on the military payroll...

But I thought Congress was mostly responsible for military pay. And it has fluctuated, but was mostly Republican during the Clinton presidential years...

Just wondering.

 

[eddie]

View attachment 6770
(All numbers in percentage)
(ECI is the raise the civilians got that year)
Chart lifted from Military Officers Association of America

This is the reason my wife (a democrat) will be voting republican...
It quantifies the difference between Dems and Repub's for me...
But the reason I want to vote for John McCain is that I really enjoy being a part of the "vast right wing conspiracy"

I'm stoopid. I don't understand the percentages on the chart.