[spence]

Originally Posted by Jim in CT

Spence - you are precious, you really are...

Funny, when Obama was campaigning on the need for "change", libs like you were not saying that things weren't so bad. All they talked about was how bad things were, thus the need for "change". And things are worse now than they ever were in 2008. Go figure.

Obama didn't campaign that America was bad, he was talking about the leadership in Washington.

Furthermore, all that borrowing you say isn't a big deal? It soon will be. Medicare has a $30 trillion shortfall projected for the next 50 years. If you don't think that's a big deal, you are as clueless as they come.

You're misquoting me, I never said that debt wasn't a big deal, rather, that even considering it the past 100 years have been pretty damn good for Americans. Additionally, that debt is a product of both Democratic and Republican leadership...

Spence, listen to me, please. Wealth re-distribution is the cornerstone of your ideology, not mine. Now you are complaining that rich states are suffering because they are forced to give too much money to poor states. SPENCE IS COMPLAINING ABOUT WEALTH RE-DISTRIBUTION!!! You sound like a tea-partier. AND YOU'LL STILL VOTE DEMOCRAT. Unfreakinbelievable.

Not complaining that they are suffering, rather pointing out that your Red states are benefiting disproportionately from this "liberal" ideology on one measure. If you are to present a rounded argument I'd think you'd want to factor this in.

The real world isn't black and white, or red and blue for that matter.

And which party has dominated in the states that are nearly bankrupt? CT, IL, RI, MA, CA? Notice any patterns there? Those are blue states. TX is adding jobs like crazy.

About 40 states have serious budget shortfalls.

And as has already been mentioned, the job growth in Texas has largely been driven by high energy prices and perhaps investment in education along with a generally pro-business climate. Look at what Perry has done to fight environmental regulation to benefit local corporations...but at what expense to the health of Texans?

There's also the other side of Texas, it has one of the worst poverty rates in the Country. In fact looking nationwide the bottom of the list seems to be filled with Red states.

Your party does. If you mention that unions need to be reasonable, libs say you hate the middle class.

My party? It may surprise you how I vote...

I can show you that red states are the ones adding jobs. I can show you that, but it won't mean anything to you, because somewhere along the way, you surrendered any ability to think.

My thinker is actually working quite well.

The problem Jim is that your arguments are really shallow. Get below the surface just a bit and the real world is a heck of a lot more complicated. I agree some Red states are doing well, but did you ever ask yourself why? Is it simply because they're Red or are there other reasons like Federal investment or industry trends that are part of the equation? If some Red states are doing well does that mean they're all doing well? Does that mean all Blue states are failing?

Are EU nations struggling simply because of large social programs, or could an inability to integrate millions of immigrants also be a factor?

The funny thing is that the success of the USA hasn't been because of liberal or conservative ideas...it's been because of both.

It was interesting to see the Republican debate the other night when every candidate said they wouldn't take a 10:1 spending cut to tax increase ratio to reduce the deficit. This doesn't sound like leadership, it sounds like absolutism of those trapped by dogma.

Reagan would have taken 10:1 and proudly proclaimed it as a great Conservative success.

Remember the wise words of Obi Wan Kenobi - "Only a Sith deals in absolutes."

-spence