How Important is Iowa?

[san clemente]

Well, this is it. We get to find out who the people of Iowa are leaning toward. How important is this vote? Is too much stock being put into today?

[PonsAsinorum]

Idiots
Out
Walking
Around

It's not that important.







(I keed! I keed! I have relatives there. :icon_razz)

[Madcowhunter]

Well, this is it. We get to find out who the people of Iowa are leaning toward. How important is this vote? Is too much stock being put into today? Iowa sucks.

[rainman]

It's important for some candidates. According to Politico (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0108/7682.html), if Fred Thompson doesn't place a solid third, then he'll drop out and endorse McCain, hoping to bump him heading into New Hampshire.

[Topiary Lady]

"Media hype" is right, Wadi. FNC came on live an hour early this morning and then proceeded to talk about pretty much nothing.

I'll be glad when the Iowa and their peculiar ways of doing things are no longer the headline. Actually, I'll just be glad when the primaries have come and gone.

[Topiary Lady]

It's important for some candidates. According to Politico (http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0108/7682.html), if Fred Thompson doesn't place a solid third, then he'll drop out and endorse McCain, hoping to bump him heading into New Hampshire.

I've heard that the story may be false, rainman. If it's true, then it is most disturbing that Thompson would endorse McCain.

[BushRocks]

^ They're all on the same team.

[Topiary Lady]

All on the same team. "All" except...let me guess. No, I can see where this is heading. I don't need to guess

Have it your way, BR. ALL of the candidates are on the same team and they are out to get us - except for one.

There. Happy now?

Well everybody, I never did care much for broken records or spinning the vinyl backwards in search for hidden demonic messages. It was just never my thing. Anyway, I suppose I'll just say that it was interesting for a while.

I've always said that I enjoy being here, mainly because it's just been fun. But the thing is, life is short, and lately it seems like coming in here only brings me to yet another thread where members want to bang their heads together with the same argument. It just is'nt fun anymore. Sure, people have the right to their views and can support whatever candidate they choose. However, it is entirely sad when people feel a need to try and shove someone down everyone elses throats, even after they've already said, no thanks. That's the broken record - and it's in almost every thread. I wish that some people could see the lack of benefit in doing this, but I certainly can't make them, because I am only what I've always claimed to be on this site - an average person.

I really and truly respect and love many people on this site. They surely already know who they are. I've never been any good at hiding my feelings about people - whether those feelings are good or bad, most people know where I stand. The thing is, it sort of breaks my heart to see the division here at TAR. All I see are people antagonizing one another and I'm just not interested in playing that game - especially with people wh are supposed to be on the same side.

So, for now, I won't exactly say goodbye, but I'll just wish all of you well and hope that in the long run we'll be able to come together again to do what is right. Sorry, but I just don't like feeling sad. It's just one of the drawbacks of being a TL who cares too deeply about things.

Hugs,
TL

[Bumblebee]

TL, I feel the same way, I love this place, but lately I've been feeling sad coming in here for exactly the same reasons you just pointed out.

[alwaysRight]

It just is'nt fun anymore. Sure, people have the right to their views and can support whatever candidate they choose. However, it is entirely sad when people feel a need to try and shove someone down everyone elses throats, even after they've already said, no thanks.

The thing is, it sort of breaks my heart to see the division here at TAR. All I see are people antagonizing one another and I'm just not interested in playing that game - especially with people who are supposed to be on the same side.


I agree. It isn't fun here at all. Perhaps it's because I left over a year ago and came back. Who knows. But all I know is that when I go to other sites, it's peaceful discussion, when I come here, it's nothing more than personal attacks on me because of the person whom I choose to support for President.

Topiary Lady, no one on this board is trying to shove Ron Paul down your throat, so I'm sorry if you feel that way, but most Ron Paul supporters know that the type of people here on this board are not going to budge and aren't really worth the trouble of trying to get to switch over.

There is division because people make it that way. I have went back and looked through the threads as anyone else can and the majority of threads or bringing up Ron Paul in other threads is NOT done by Ron Paul supporters but by the people who say they don't like him.

It's not fair for you to say, "I'm tired of people bringing him up," and try to blame it on us when anyone can see that a couple people who are anti-Ron Paul are the people who bring him up all the time.

[alwaysRight]

Oh and to answer the question of the OP, they showed a thing on the news this morning where it's about half and half that the person who wins Iowa goes on to be the nomination.

I would say no, Iowa does not matter. The serious candidates are going to keep going, the ones who's hearts were never in it will drop out after Iowa. IMHO.

[rightwingxtremist]

I hope it means nothing. Huckabee is a RINO.

- N

[conservativecanadian]

What i think we should do to get more people invigorated in politics is rotate the two first in the nation caucus and primary states every election. The rnc and dnc chair would each have a random state generator with them and two years before the election theyd fire it up and whatever states are selected would be the first states for that election year. it would make things more interesting and have people more interested in politics again.

[KSigMason]

I never saw Iowa as that important.

[Dr. Madd]

That's why until even I got frustrated with the Ron Paul hijacking of each thread. TL, if you can read this, don't leave just yet. It won't be the same without you. You're part of what made it fun.

[san clemente]

It got tired having what seemed like every other thread turning into a Paul debate, but went both ways. I remember a few months ago when Always Right was being picked on pretty hard by some here for her support of Paul. Some of it came across to me as kind of mean spirited. A.R. got beat on pretty hard until Wadi and a couple of others started speaking up for Paul. So I would have to say that the Paul stuff was not just coming from the Paul supporters. hopefully a lot of it can be dropped. However, we are entering the meat of the presidential race and more Paul talk is coming our way. Paul got 10% in Iowa. McCain beat Paul by just 3%! So for now, more Paul talk is coming.

[BushRocks]

All on the same team. "All" except...let me guess. No, I can see where this is heading. I don't need to guess

Have it your way, BR. ALL of the candidates are on the same team and they are out to get us - except for one.

There. Happy now?

TL, when I said they're all on the same team I meant they're all Republicans. I'm sorry that my words were not specific enough. It is easy to misinterpret things on the internet, I do it all the time. But this is no reason to leave.

It shouldn't surprise you that another Republican is endorsing another Republican for POTUS. When it comes down to candidates endorsing one another it comes down to friendships and personalities, not the issues.

TL, I wasn't playing the Beatles' White album backwards, just pointing out in the midst of the primary season that they're all Republicans.

No worries, TL! :icon_bigg

*Hugs*

[BushRocks]

In addition:

When Dags' site closed, he recommended that people visit this site, TAR in search of political discussion. We saw a breath of fresh air breeze through here. Let's not end this renewal of energetic members and vibrant and long lasting posts.

This place would not be what it is today without people like Madcow, TL, clemente, Madd or Wadi, or Bumblebee or Pons, etc etc. Especially without TAR's creator, IHL.

But it's the long, 150 post threads and debates between people who disagree on things that make this site great and make me come back for more.

If everyone agrees with everyone on these threads, it would get boring really quickly. This does not mean that I am condoning trolling or antagonizing others. But healthy political discussion is vital for TAR's survival.

I've made lasting friendships here, something that I never thought would happen.

[KSigMason]

If everyone agrees with everyone on these threads, it would get boring really quickly."If everyone is thinking alike then somebody isn't thinking."
- Gen George S Patton

[BushRocks]

LOL, like that.

[submarinepainter]

am I crazy ?? I am starting to lean towards Ron Paul? i want Fred to excite the party but he is not doing this, Huckabee? give me a break , Rudy didn't do to well? I am so undecided but haven't ruled out Ron Paul

[KSigMason]

am I crazy ?? I am starting to lean towards Ron Paul? i want Fred to excite the party but he is not doing this, Huckabee? give me a break , Rudy didn't do to well? I am so undecided but haven't ruled out Ron PaulRon Paul still rubs me the wrong way.

[rightwingxtremist]

What i think we should do to get more people invigorated in politics is rotate the two first in the nation caucus and primary states every election. The rnc and dnc chair would each have a random state generator with them and two years before the election theyd fire it up and whatever states are selected would be the first states for that election year. it would make things more interesting and have people more interested in politics again.

A fascinating idea, kudos. If there's one thing that's worse than living in a state full of crats, it's living in a state that doesn't matter at all. Perhaps the latter is good in light of the former though. (C:

- N

[rightwingxtremist]

People, can we please just discuss issues?

Because in politics personalities can be part of the issue. Presidents need to interface with Americans, slimebags in congress, and people throughout the world as people - that's part of the job.

Life is much more full and dynamic than the nuts and bolts of governmental syntax. At this point in time America is not a country of government worshippers - so the libertarianesque government worship message needs to have some personality, and it needs to interface with where America is right now.

This is not to say that the issues aren't really the big deal. Still, even if an individual has all the issues perfect, if he can't spoonfeed the American people that with a smile and a wink he's toast. It's just an unfortunate political reality of our lazy, uninspired, postmodern, hedonistic, eyeball eating, Britney Spears torturing popular culture. Everything is cultural.

- Nate