Michelle Bachman speaks to the BBC

[Jim Craik]

Please, please, please

Let Sarah Palin be the Republican candidate.

 

[Ron R.]

No, Michelle Bachman is a divisive, right wing religious nut. You may disagree with the President, but calling him (or George Bush, or Bill Clinton or Ronald Reagan) "anti-American" is wrong.

The myth that President Obama is anything but a center left Democrat like Truman, Johnson, Kennedy and Clinton is just that -- a myth. All of them believe in free enterprise and market economies with some regulation. All of them believe in a larger federal government and more social programs than you (and Ms. Bachman) would prefer.

That does not make them anti-American. It makes them Americans who have different beliefs than you.

People who believe in this kind of tripe, and feed on it, are the real "sheeple" in my view.

Jeff,

Obama is a socialist, and far far left of the average american. He will be "one-and-done", and the country will be better for it...assuming it survives the last 2 years of his term.

 

[domtoni]

Let's hope that he does survive and no nut case tries anything.

 

[Ron R.]

Let's hope that he does survive and no nut case tries anything.

I'm not sure, but you may have mis-read me. The "it" surviving, is the country...not Obama. I'm not advocating his physical demise here. Expecting his political demise, yes, but I was referring to the country as we know it.

 

[Jeff Young]

Like I said, you and I have a big problem then.

You are entitled to your opinion, and I don't care. I hoped your man would have been the saviour that so many of his followers believed in. He has not demonstrated to me that he is representative of his office.

And no, I won't return the complement.

 

[Chris P.]

1) this "political divide" in America is due solely to the radical, so called pundits, who can't stop running their opinionated mouths on national TV and radio. There can be no rational discourse when people don't listen and call each other names. A good example is "unAmerican." It's assinine, immature, and extremely unconstructive.

2) Sarah Palin is not a "rogue", a "maverick" or anything else she feels like calling herself. McCain chose her at the last minute as a prop for his own compaign. Just like all the "pundits", she can't have a rational and intelligent sounding political discussion. It ALWAYS degrades quickly to a schoolground name calling contest. "How's that workin' out for ya?" I am so sick of hearing that, and it is not something that a would be president should be saying. Her "death panel" view of my right to end my own suffering, if I were to be in that position, is a prime example of why someone like her needs to stay away from the White House. She is one of those people who purposefully force a wedge between those who are religious and those who are not. When religion becomes the basis for law and order, all discussion is out the window.

3) I am not saying Obama has not set racial relations back, in fact I'm not saying anything about it. But I AM curious why people think this.

 

[Jeff Young]

Chris, amen. We DEBATE political issues. We DO NOT call each other unAmerican, or claim that the other side is not proud of being American.

I wish we could take Olberman and Maddox and Hannity and Beck and dump them in a deep dark pit together. They've really changed the nature and tone of political discourse in this country -- for the far, far worse.

 

[Jim Craik]

I wish we could take Olberman and Maddox and Hannity and Beck and dump them in a deep dark pit together. They've really changed the nature and tone of political discourse in this country -- for the far, far worse.<!-- google_ad_section_end -->

Posted by Jeff

Yes Jeff, a very deep and very dark pit.

This sort of thing is not new, I recently read David McCullough's fine book on the building of the Brooklyn Bridge (The Great Bridge).

This was way back in the mid 1800's General Custer was still alive. There were two major "news papers" in the area, one liberal, one concervative. Both saw the other side as the "end of the United States as we know it".

This was before fact checkers or even a minor attempt to be "fair and balanced". The partisen rheteric from both sides was truly disturbing. Apparently in those days people were even more willing to believe outlandish things about the other side.

 

[tom pritchett]

On the topic of being UnAmerican or American, first, I think the term needs to be defined. What I believe the term to be American or American values can, and I believe does, mean something else to someone else.

I believe that adhering to the Constitution is being American.

Part of that obviously allows differing viewpoints and being able to express them.

I certainly am conservative and have certain beliefs, though I may not be able to debate or express what I think well. I appreciate others beliefs/thoughts on issues.

Name calling ends productive debate, however, when expressing one's thoughts and beliefs, it is personal and can become emotional.