Opinion on the recent news post
 

I just wanted to say that, while I don't agree with you on the first part, I must tip my hat to you on your intelligence. I took my time in deciding, weighed the candidates, and researched their positions and recent decisions, and picked who to vote for based on my information. I certainly hope I was not wrong, but only time will tell. Indeed, we live in a great nation, where we are not only allowed but ENCOURAGED to voice our opinions and vote for a representative we believe in.

I'm a christian, I don't vote down party lines, I was actually considering Kerry for a while until something snapped in my head. I'm not closed minded, I look at all the issues. I can't really say any more. All I can say is that I'm ready to accept any "bad news" coming up in the approaching years. And I thought terrorists brought us into an age of fear. You know, the terrorists who want to kill us?

I thought Brian would stay neutral, but now I officially have the entire NPF forum against me.

That was way over the edge, way the fuck over the edge. And I don't really care how people respond to this, because I know deep down that I can't defend Bush properly because I lack enough background information to combat a couple thousand members.

Anyway, after this year, I'm going Constitution Party.

Not me. You have your choice. I don't agree with it but I won't demonize you for it. :)

I will demonize people with the middle finger "haha you suck" mentality though, "My candidate got chosen and also yours didn't, like a few of the people in the thread I closed. That shit is what divides this country. And I do agree with Brian's post though in a very real sense it is the opposite, i.e. "Your candidate got chosen and not mine, you suck".

He at least has a solid basis from which to argue.

That being said, from this point forward political flaming will be met with bans, for all who are interested. Not just on Bush supporters, Kerry supporters too. I don't want to see any damn fighting.

Guys, I really, REALLY would like to drop this now, or at least put it in the discussion section. I just came back form class and this board is going up in flames. Even the mods are affected by the mood (sorry but it feels like that).

This is dividing the board, dividing people whom I usually look up to for being able to exert self control in discussion. Personally I wish Brian hadn't worded that the way he did. It's his site, and he has a right to say his opinion, but I think putting it on the front page has set the mood. I don't want this forum to be ripped up by this, as I've seen other places be.

Hoping that we can put partisanship behind us, as even KERRY demonstrated,
Rhana


Edit: Thank you Shiney. I'm glad to see you trying.

Bob, not everyone is against you. We all have our opinions and this election is not going to change that. All of the personal attacks and politial banter may seem bad at first glance, but it they give you an insight into what some people are like. Because we have a 2 party political system, most people feel that their votes would be wasted by voting for a third party, and maybe they are right, but I believe Brian's message was right when he said to look at the issues not the political parties. I also believe that people silly enough to stop reading a quality webcomic because the creator would like to let his opinions be heard are very foolish. One election should not affect how we live our personal lives or what friends we have.

After the next 3 weeks, or months, the forums will be back to just people talking to one another. We're all just people and our views and opinions should not get in the way of us having a good time.

But who knows, thats just me. It may seem like I'm militant, or liberal, or any number of things, but I'm just a person. A person who would hate to see these forums torn apart because of politics.

Edit: sorry, didnt see the two posts after Bob's

I agreed with some of his post also. About the U.S. degrading into a polarized country. I know quite a few people myself who vote strictly down party lines, and it pisses me off, no matter who they're voting for. I won't say "j00 suXX0rz cuz j00 105t!" because I'm not like that. Whereas you (shiney) can make hilarious posts out of that kind of stuff, I can't. Plus, I know it'll come back and bite me in the ass. I know because it always does.

But, that thing about the "magic man in the sky?"

Funny story... A few days ago, a girl I have a class with decided to talk about the election with me. "Are you going to vote?" she asked. "Why, yes, I am going to exercise that right this year," I replied. She then asked, "Who are you going to vote for?" Here was the question I was dreading. I sighed and took a deep breath, "Well, you see, Jessica, I don't agree with Bush or Kerry on any of the issues. I don't think either of them can competently represent and lead our country. The good news for me is that there are third party candidates. I'm going to vote for Nader, simply because I see him as more competent than Bush or Kerry. I know you're going to tell me that there's no chance that Nader can win and that a vote for Nader is like a vote for Bush because it splits the Democratic vote, but I'm voting for him anyway because it's what I want to do." She then responded, "I'm voting for Bush because he's a man of God."

I had to walk away from that. I don't like how there's all this hype of "Get out and Vote" when people aren't voting for the right reasons. Around here (southern Alabama), it doesn't even seem like people are looking at the issues. Everyone around here is voting for the same people their parents and grandparents are voting because they can. I agree with Brian about the mentality of "I'm voting for him because he's my guy." That is not the way to think about these elections. I'm saying ignore the party system. Look into the issues. Vote for who you think is going to be a better leader, not just "your guy" because that's what everyone is telling you to do.

I hope nobody was offended by this, but I felt like I had to get it out. And I'll say that you won't have to worry about us Nader supporters getting into flame wars. We didn't expect to win from the start!

I was just flipping through the forums and I just had to pull out my personal opinion, so excuse the first posting :P

Thing is though, I'm personally a moderate, and I really dislike extremists of any kind. Soo... please, be good sports.

I mean, I voted for Kerry, fair enough. I thought he'd do better. I voted against Proposal 2 and thought that enough people would be open-minded enough to see it my way, but hey, people are people.

A lot of people over where I am are disappointed, because they're students, and it's their first election, and everything went against them. In fact, you could argue that, from the leftist point of view, things are worse. We have Republican majorities in everything. That's a bad sign. Just having majorities anywhere, otherwise we have no balance. I wouldn't want a Democratic President and a Democratic house either. THat's what I'm miffed about personally.

However, please, everyone, look past the knee-jerk reaction, give it some thought. Part of what being human's about is using that brain more than a monkey.

i am not a religoius man myself, but to quote voltier " I may not belive in what you are saying, but i will fight for your right to say it." i dislike bush, and not because he's religious, i dislike him because he aplies his religion to international policy. to me, being a christian politician (or any religion for that matter) is like being both a christian and a scientist, the good ones leave their personal belifes at the door.

i dispise kerry, but i thought he would do a better job, because he doesnt involve abitrarial views in his policies. i think ill go into politics. maby ill keep a live journal of all the shady things i do to get ahead to keep my humility.

have you heard of the libertarian party? they seem right up your aley.

I'm a religious person in my way and that quote didn't bother me, for three reasons: because I've heard much worse from hardline atheists to begin with, because my faith is strong enough that a little jab at religion in general isn't going to faze me, and because I know that it came from a profound belief that church and state must always be kept completely separate -- a belief Brian and I happen to share, while the current administration and a good handful of its supporters very vocally do not.