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Democratic National Convention

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I have had the DNC on in the background for a couple of hours.

I am British, my knowledge of American politics is limited, though I can say with due certainity now; regardless of tactical voting - I could not vote for the Democrats.

The Convention started with a sermon by a Priest (who uncannily resembled Ned Flanders, any Matt Groening fans). This was followed by a typically over the top rendition of the US national anthem by a mexican immigrant. A series of democratic mayors then "spoke from the heart" on issues such as job losses, medicare and prescription drugs. Al Gore has just made an overly emotional plea to vote, at all, cos every vote counts - and then kissed his wife Tipper.

But I have to say worse than the party playing up on all the petty prejudices, and emotions of the crowd with constant musical backing, video streaming and screams of Kerry/Edwards is the crowd themselves. Who ever it was who said its suprising how for the nation with the most freedom how little they use it, is absolutely correct.

Just thought I'd bring it up; for anyone wanting a taste of American Politics switch to BBC Parliament . It lasts four days...*groans*.

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I cannot even listen to Democrats speak anymore, it is so forthrightly evil. It makes me sick just to see their faces. Thats how bad it is. If they come on a channel I'm watching, I either change the channel or mute the volume, immediately.

I'm not missing anything. I know what they stand for, and it makes me sick. They can smile and talk about "values" and play all the shiny-happy music they like, it doesn't change what they stand for: the total repudiation of property rights (or: to each according to his need, from each according to his ability), surrender of national sovereignty to the United Nations, and appeasement of all enemies.

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I really enjoyed Clinton's talk concerning the tax cuts. He complained about how since he's now in the top 1% of the income bracket he's getting a tax cut paid for by regular Americans. He really wishes the government could take his money and use it towards something good. I wonder if during his 8 years in office he realized any citizen can make a donation to the United States treasury...

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It makes me sick just to see their faces.

amen to that. i was listening to neal boortz this morning at the DNC convo, and some democrat was talking and bringing up all these non-issues, and it was just so atrocious and spun and simply not-real, that i had to change the channel.

political relativism.............

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:lol: My hat is off to you if you can watch more than 3 minutes of the Democratic Convention. My stomach is not that strong.

Instead I relistened to the last hour of The Fountainhead that I have (unabridged) on CD.

One point, only PBS was carrying it on broadcast. Either it is political alignment or just lack of anything interesting to show, I am not sure.

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I cannot even listen to Democrats speak anymore, it is so forthrightly evil.  It makes me sick just to see their faces. 

I tend to be amused rather than sickened. I get a kick out of Ann Coulter's view of the DNC speakers:

Looking at the line-up of speakers at the Convention, I have developed the 7-11 challenge:  I will quit making fun of, for example, Dennis Kucinich, if he can prove he can run a 7-11 properly for 8 hours.  We'll even let him have an hour or so of preparation before we open up.  Within 8 hours, the money will be gone, the store will be empty, and he'll be explaining how three 11-year olds came in and asked for the money and he gave it to them.
... and her very accurate description of the female Democrats.

... the corn-fed, no make-up, natural fiber, no-bra needing, sandal-wearing, hirsute, somewhat fragrant hippie chick pie wagons they call "women" at the Democratic National Convention.

To read the entire article -- originally written for USA and spiked by horrified editors who had no idea how brutally honest and funny Ms. Coulter could be -- go to http://www.anncoulter.org/.

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I tend to be amused rather than sickened.  I get a kick out of Ann Coulter's view of the DNC speakers:

... and her very accurate description of the female Democrats.

To read the entire article -- originally written for USA and spiked by horrified editors who had no idea how brutally honest and funny Ms. Coulter could be -- go to http://www.anncoulter.org/.

I am one of those Objectivists that loves Ann Coulter. I know she's too damn Christian, but that lady has guts. She was spot on with the dems. I also love when she bashes Hollywood's "useful idiots."

If the country is going to go to hell, I'd rather Ann Coulter be my tour guide than Michael Moore. At least I'll laugh more.

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Ann surely pulls no punches. Her courage and her passion for her ideals can serve as a model for every man who truly wants to live qua man.

Whenever you do something that's important for your life, remember to be as enthusiastic and uncompromising about it as Ann Coulter is about her politics.

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I really enjoyed Clinton's talk concerning the tax cuts.  He complained about how since he's now in the top 1% of the income bracket he's getting a tax cut paid for by regular Americans.  He really wishes the government could take his money and use it towards something good.  I wonder if during his 8 years in office he realized any citizen can make a donation to the United States treasury...

Think of how many rich Democrats make the same point: "I don't need no stinkin' tax cut." Then remember - these are the same people who say we could not finance a proper government without coerced taxation.

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Ann surely pulls no punches. Her courage and her passion for her ideals can serve as a model for every man who truly wants to live qua man.

Whenever you do something that's important for your life, remember to be as enthusiastic and uncompromising about it as Ann Coulter is about her politics.

I agree totally. I've been criticized for saying this by a number of Objectivists, but I wish Objectivism had an equivalent of Ann Coulter; ie a loud, angry firebrand, someone who could make the philosophical points, relate them to current events in unambiguous language and irritate the hell out of as many collectivists as possible in the process.

I know that this is an intellectual movement, but I think it could use some 'color' and IMO an Ann Coulter would do the trick.

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I know that this is an intellectual movement, but I think it could use some 'color' and IMO an Ann Coulter would do the trick.

Not a bad idea, although the problem that you run into is this: as Rand pointed out, humor depends on shared premises, which means that an Objectivist Coulter would appeal only to Objectivists and to those willing to be pissed off at least fifty percent of the time. So even if we do get out Ann Coulter, don't expect her or him to do much more than give us a few years of smiles before having to get a real job.

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I love watching Coulter go head to head with her political adversaries. She is one of the few people I see who consistently and effectively challenges the premises of their arguments and NEVER lets them get away with even the most minor factual inaccuracies. As they try to wriggle away, she reels them back to their error until they acknowledge it before she will allow the discussion to proceed to other points. She often refuses to continue arguing any further if her opponents persist in their dishonesty sometimes saying "what's the point of going on here?". My only problem with her is her inability to restrain herself from ad hominems.

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Not a bad idea, although the problem that you run into is this: as Rand pointed out, humor depends on shared premises, which means that an Objectivist Coulter would appeal only to Objectivists and to those willing to be pissed off at least fifty percent of the time.  So even if we do get out Ann Coulter, don't expect her or him to do much more than give us a few years of smiles before having to get a real job.

Another fair point. An O'ist Coulter would largely appeal to O'ists. But I have a suspicion that if she (or he) were witty enough, that many people might be attracted based just on that; a strong wit and a fiery tounge. Contrary to what Branden has said, I think Ayn Rand herself attracted so much attention because she was intelligent, articulate and angry. She wouldn't have had such a large influence IMO if she made the same points but prefaced them by saying "I respect or tolerate those who disagee."

I guess what I am saying is that I think intelligent, articulate anger and passion can sell.

IMO

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On a related topic... Am I the only one who notices that political discourse in this country is entirely concrete-bound? I saw a poll where most people (and it was not a slim majority) thought that we had too much government, yet all you hear is people crying for the government to do this or get more involved in that or be more stringent on the other. I suppose it's because everybody has their own little pet issues, but what does it take to make people see the light? (When we answer that question, our problems will be over, I know.) I'd like to see one politician, just one, talking rationally about principles instead of constantly droning on about what he's going to do about this or that issue, with no grounding whatsoever.

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But I have a suspicion that if she (or he) were witty enough, that many people might be attracted based just on that; a strong wit and a fiery tounge.

That's right. I recall listening to an interview with Mark Steyn where he said he was getting a lot of e-mails from people who first just began reading his articles to see what a "crazy warmonger" had to say. After a while, they began laughing at his jokes, and eventually they found themselves nodding in agreement while laughing!

Making fun of incorrect ideas can be a very effective way of conveying correct ideas.

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Am I the only one who notices that political discourse in this country is entirely concrete-bound? I saw a poll where most people (and it was not a slim majority) thought that we had too much government, yet all you hear is people crying for the government to do this or get more involved in that or be more stringent on the other. I suppose it's because everybody has their own little pet issues

I notice it and I agree with this statement. I think Tammy Bruce put it correctly that polls, statistics on movie tickets, channels, merchandise, etc, never provide you the information on how many people DIDN'T see the movie, or watched the show, or bought whatever item that is related to the barometer of a nations belief and moral. I think a lot of people in the U.S. do have common sense and have the right ideals but never seek the effort in expressing them.

And your last sentence is right on target. I know a woman who wants the government to withdraw their arms from it's control over political freedom but she also wants to revert to Socialized Healthcare. I didn't understand how she could believe in this until she told me about he being a hemophiliac and how she was afraid she couldn't afford the medical care in the future.

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The Democrates still blame America for 9-11. They want to show how they will protect us, but in the end the arguments come down to "how will we change so they won't attack us." "Kerry will bring back the respect the world had for us."

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I am one of those Objectivists that loves Ann Coulter. I know she's too damn Christian, but that lady has guts.

To plagerize from Matt Groening.

"mmmm.....Ann Coulter"

Talk about brains and beauty. Too bad her philisophical foundations are flawed.

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Ann Coulter is nothing but a crazy raving lying bitch! I put her up there with Mr. Moore.

Any remotely intelligent/educated person will agree.

She is such a nutcase and a moron and evil peson I am sickened by an "Objectivist" that can stand her!

Psuedo-Objectivism is not the majority of this forum's focus, but many members are extreme psuedo-Objectivists? Or is it?

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To throw in my $0.02 I am in Boston right now for a visit unrelated to the DNC. Everyone should come to Boston! The roads are clear, there are extra buses and trains and since everyone from the over 50 liberal colleges in the region have dissapeared to camp out of the convention grounds, I have been able to shop in Harvard Square and jay-walk without dying.

The only setback was when Bill Clinton decided to shop in the store I was leaving, I don't know why people get so worked up.

Anyways, have you guys heard about the "Free Speach Area" at the DNC which is basically a cage for the protesters?

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Ann Coulter is nothing but a crazy raving lying bitch!  I put her up there with Mr. Moore.

Any remotely intelligent/educated person will agree.

She is such a nutcase and a moron and evil peson I am sickened by an "Objectivist" that can stand her!

Psuedo-Objectivism is not the majority of this forum's focus, but many members are extreme psuedo-Objectivists?  Or is it?

You sound like a raving idiot. I am sure if you keep it up, you will eventually be banned.

So please continue.

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I agree totally. I've been criticized for saying this by a number of Objectivists, but I wish Objectivism had an equivalent of Ann Coulter; ie a loud, angry firebrand, someone who could make the philosophical points, relate them to current events in unambiguous language and irritate the hell out of as many collectivists as possible in the process.

We did, did you not just describe (at least partially) Ayn Rand? And she isn't even done yet! :)

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