if republicans are supposedly the party of rich elites...

[Bob the Coder]

I mean the OP is correct except for Carter, Mondale, Gore, Kerry, and Obama, I guess.

This stuff is really easy to look up?

I couldn't give two shits about Carter, Mondale, etc. Bober's point was that you had no clue to what you were responding. He was correct. The OP spoke to whether they held real jobs prior to law and politics. Then you started babbling about how they came from modest means. Clueless, irrelevant response.

 

[fskimospy]

His point was that you constructed a straw man and flailed away at that rather than address the OP's actual point. You were pwned by Jhhnn, who actually did address the OP's point. How embarrassing is that?

You also use Carter as an example, when the OP specifically pointed out Carter as the exception. The others held comparatively brief non-political careers, returning to the private sector only when forced to do so by the voters. That was the OP's point, not whether they started life with money.

I'm not at all sure this is noticeably better for the Pubbies. We have Corker here in Tennessee, who is an honest-to-G-d businessman. But in general, seems to me that politicians at the federal level are career politicians. Unless one is wealthy, it's probably difficult to move to the federal level without putting in years at the state level. And certainly virtually none of them voluntarily return to the private sector afterward, except as lobbyists or maybe university professors or administrators.

Probably less embarrassing than trying to find a way to be right by arbitrarily declaring a bunch of jobs to be not jobs in order to not be wrong, haha.

Also probably less embarrassing than saying progressives want Israel to not exist and to say the president's likely goal is to empower radical Islam. How nuts would someone have to be to think that?

 

[rudeguy]

I didn't know that serving in the military didn't count as a job. When did this start?

In addition to your bullshit claim that the military doesn't count, Mondale practiced law for a number of years, Obama was a lawyer and a law professor for a number of years before entering politics, etc.

Again, this stuff is really easy to look up.

If you meant to ask "why do people who run for president often have long careers in politics first?" I would think the answer would be self evident.

You really can't read, can you?

Or does your shill obstruct your view?

 

[werepossum]

I was just dicking around with rudeguy TBH.

Saying that...

A lot of the complaints people make about politics today is that it's too beholden to vested interests. I'm not sure that that would be helped any by getting more people involved from the private sector.
And I'm not sure that the people who would have the funds to enter politics from industry would be particularly more in touch with the guy on the street anyway. It would more likely be someone from the Boardroom.

Personally I'd like to see a bit more direct democracy. The days of needing a representative to go and listen to the debates and vote on your behalf are long gone. Everyone nowadays can listen to, and vote on a debate online. I'd be great if a lot more issues were put out to the electorate to decide and politicians were just there to make those decisions happen.

I agree with your first point. Your second . . . If the electorate were more educated, I'd agree. But seems to me that the majority of people are woefully uninformed about nearly everything, even the things that are heavily reported. I don't know how many people have confidently told me that George Zimmerman shot a twelve year old boy in the back while the kid was walking home from school or that the North Dakota oil can't get to market because Obama blocked the Keystone pipeline which is why gas prices are high. It's easy and attractive to disdain the elites running our government, but more direct democracy might well result in a society ruled by the elite media.

 

[werepossum]

Probably less embarrassing than trying to find a way to be right by arbitrarily declaring a bunch of jobs to be not jobs in order to not be wrong, haha.

Also probably less embarrassing than saying progressives want Israel to not exist and to say the president's likely goal is to empower radical Islam. How nuts would someone have to be to think that?

Did I ever say that was Obama's likely goal? Hmm, straw seems to be your color today. No change there.

 

[rudeguy]

Did I ever say that was Obama's likely goal? Hmm, straw seems to be your color today. No change there.

he's just a shill. He is the very definition of the word.

 

[fskimospy]

Did I ever say that was Obama's likely goal? Hmm, straw seems to be your color today. No change there.

You said it was debateable as to whether he had any other goal. That certainly seems to imply you believe that he does not to be reasonably likely.

It's not my fault you apparently believe a number of insane things. That's for you and your therapist to discuss.

 

[fskimospy]

You really can't read, can you?

Or does your shill obstruct your view?

At the moment you appear to have disqualified careers as a lawyer, military careers of up to four years where you win a freaking silver star, and teaching in order to make your point.

Are there any other careers you would like to disqualify? I'm just trying to figure out what counts as a job to you.

 

[tracerbullet]

So if I understand correctly, we all agree that the Democrats listed had some other jobs, that there are Republicans that are also pretty much career politicians, and that Eskimospy initially answered a different question.

So at this point it's just a chance for people to jump on Eskimospy for doing that and ignore how wrong the initial claim was?

Dumb.

 

[rudeguy]

At the moment you appear to have disqualified careers as a lawyer, military careers of up to four years where you win a freaking silver star, and teaching in order to make your point.

Are there any other careers you would like to disqualify? I'm just trying to figure out what counts as a job to you.

Exactly what I stated in the OP. BUT you claim that others can't read while you can't read the OP. Then you claim others have mental issues because you won't answer their question.

You are a worthless shill. You make the democrats look bad just by associating with them. You make these forums look bad by posting your insane ramblings here.

 

[fskimospy]

Exactly what I stated in the OP. BUT you claim that others can't read while you can't read the OP. Then you claim others have mental issues because you won't answer their question.

You are a worthless shill. You make the democrats look bad just by associating with them. You make these forums look bad by posting your insane ramblings here.

Ahh ok. So you're admitting your OP is wrong. Gotcha.

I did initially mistake what you meant as 'the elite' for being those who are wealthy as opposed to those who hold a specific job. The thing is what you wrote is wrong anyway, which is kind of funny.

I'm very sad that you have such a low opinion of me. To lose the respect of such an obviously intelligent and well informed individual is a tragedy for anyone.

 

[SlowSpyder]

Because both parties want to simply be elected royalty. The rest is just talking points that typically don't amount to anything other than to get votes.

 

[dank69]

So if I understand correctly, we all agree that the Democrats listed had some other jobs, that there are Republicans that are also pretty much career politicians, and that Eskimospy initially answered a different question.

So at this point it's just a chance for people to jump on Eskimospy for doing that and ignore how wrong the initial claim was?

Dumb.

And to be fair, the words "rich elites" are right in the title.

 

[rudeguy]

Because both parties want to simply be elected royalty. The rest is just talking points that typically don't amount to anything other than to get votes.

This reply I can respect.

I'd love to have a contractor or a bus driver elected. What was the movie where the guy was giving a speech and said something like, "I have bad credit. I understand what you're going through!"?

 

[WelshBloke]

I agree with your first point. Your second . . . If the electorate were more educated, I'd agree. But seems to me that the majority of people are woefully uninformed about nearly everything, even the things that are heavily reported. I don't know how many people have confidently told me that George Zimmerman shot a twelve year old boy in the back while the kid was walking home from school or that the North Dakota oil can't get to market because Obama blocked the Keystone pipeline which is why gas prices are high. It's easy and attractive to disdain the elites running our government, but more direct democracy might well result in a society ruled by the elite media.

Well you either have a democracy of the people or you have a group that you set to rule over you.

I think that direct democracy would start out pretty bad but as soon as people started realising that the decisions were their fault and they couldn't pass off the blame onto politicians they'd start putting a great deal more effort in looking into things.

I'm not saying that I would agree with the majority of decisions, I'd likely be on the losing side in most of them, but democracy isn't about just getting what you want and people need to learn that.
People are so divorced from the decision making process that they don't understand compromise or that rules affect everyone not just those 'others' that you don't agree with.

 

[werepossum]

You said it was debateable as to whether he had any other goal. That certainly seems to imply you believe that he does not to be reasonably likely.

It's not my fault you apparently believe a number of insane things. That's for you and your therapist to discuss.

Normal people don't have therapists, dude. That's for your crowd.

Because both parties want to simply be elected royalty. The rest is just talking points that typically don't amount to anything other than to get votes.

Quite true.

Well you either have a democracy of the people or you have a group that you set to rule over you.

I think that direct democracy would start out pretty bad but as soon as people started realising that the decisions were their fault and they couldn't pass off the blame onto politicians they'd start putting a great deal more effort in looking into things.

I'm not saying that I would agree with the majority of decisions, I'd likely be on the losing side in most of them, but democracy isn't about just getting what you want and people need to learn that.
People are so divorced from the decision making process that they don't understand compromise or that rules affect everyone not just those 'others' that you don't agree with.

Well said.

 

[IronWing]

I'm having trouble distinguishing the pots from the kettles in this thread.

Anyway, the Reps are the party of the super rich and the Dems are the party of the merely rich. "Obstacle, or Electro-magnetic?"

 

[soundforbjt]

This reply I can respect.

I'd love to have a contractor or a bus driver elected. What was the movie where the guy was giving a speech and said something like, "I have bad credit. I understand what you're going through!"?

Ah, a "Joe the Plumber" fan...

 

[CitizenKain]

It must be since you didn't bother to look it up.

Please post where Mondale, Gore, Kerry or Obama had jobs outside of politics or law.

Please note that a brief stint in the military does not qualify as a job.

Glad you put wheels on those goalposts so you can move them around at will.

 

[thraashman]

It seems like rudeguy is getting dumber lately. Certain crazy morons on the right seem to have decreased their idiotic posts and troll threads lately and rudeguy has decided to step in to fill that void.

 

[rudeguy]

It seems like rudeguy is getting dumber lately. Certain crazy morons on the right seem to have decreased their idiotic posts and troll threads lately and rudeguy has decided to step in to fill that void.

Would you care to respond to my question? Would you care to post anything that disproves what I said? Or would you prefer to just sling personal attacks and deflect?

 

[Mxylplyx]

It's quite evident that Republican voters value inexperienced politicians by the behavior of out nations congress. We have a bunch of people who came straight from corporate board rooms who have a my way or the highway mentality because they have never had to compromise on anything. This is NOT a good thing.

 

[tracerbullet]

Would you care to respond to my question?

It's impossible to, the way you've set it up. Originally it was outside of politics. Now it's also outside of that and law and military too. So far anyways.

 

[Mxylplyx]

This reply I can respect.

I'd love to have a contractor or a bus driver elected. What was the movie where the guy was giving a speech and said something like, "I have bad credit. I understand what you're going through!"?

Are you fucking serious? Why dont you ask Venezuala how they are doing with their bus driver president? Some conservatives, such as yourself, seriously need to sit down, shut up, and let the smart people make the decisions. You want simpletons elected just to make you feel like you are as smart as these people you perceive as elite. I can promise you that you are not. You are a mental midget next to the likes of the Clintons or Obama, and I'll throw Paul Ryan in there just for balance.

 

[soulcougher73]

Thread backfire.