Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts

JScott

Making the rounds. Made me laugh a little.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjrthOPLAKM

JScott

Here's another one. Apparently the GOP is 6/6 in elections held on Nov 6 historically. (Possibly the single least reliable statistical indicator I've heard in this two year election cycle, but in this last week it all gets thrown against the wall!)

JScott

As if this race wasn't tight and dramatic enough, we have the hurricane to add another twist and eliminate the last major window of polling data. Hollywood theatrics. (Hope that isn't too insensitive to all the folks up East who are struggling with the mess. Don't mean to minimize your plight; just ...

JScott

Saw a story today about another angle. Both parties are trying to take advantage of early voting to get as many people to vote as possible. The author claims that the Dems have been flogging their likely voters and main supporters to get out whereas the GOP supposedly has been after those that are t...

JScott

Agree completely, Jim. But looking at the ratings he gets with the network don't hold your breath.....

JScott

Jim, polling consistently shows that up to 90% of journalists self-identify as liberal. Various entities have attempted to evaluate bias across reporting and rank networks across a spectrum from left to right, with most of the "mainstream" falling left of center and Fox of course on the ri...

JScott

David, I hope you're right. I would actually be relieved to find out this was just someone's screw up, that transmissions didn't go through or up the chain, etc. FWIW, I'm not relying solely on Fox for this; a good bit of this is direct testimony from State Dept and CIA personnel. I have no delusion...

JScott

Sounds like the guy. Fair or no, there's some people who instantly make a small impression. Remember Bobby Jindal's reply to the State of the Union a couple of years ago? Before he said a word, from the minute he walked out, he looked like a kid in short pants or something....

JScott

Regarding the 13 year old, he's still the underdog but Brown is no sure thing. If you haven't seen this guy yet, do yourself a favor and google it. He doesn't look old enough to vote, let alone hold office. To be fair, I don't know enough about him to be dissing him, but I can't believe this is who ...

JScott

Jim, awful story about the girl. I don't want to beat this to death, but I don't think you're getting it. Maybe the facts as revealed thus far are inaccurate, but the more that comes out, the worse this looks. This is not simply a story about four more unfortunate people killed in a war zone, and fr...

JScott

Jim, all of what you say is true. Everyone in the military knows that part of the job is placing yourself in a position where you can be killed. The issue isn't that four people got killed on duty; sadly, that happens to many, many more with unacceptable regularity. Many more have been killed in Afg...

JScott

Jim, I don't think the Jeep ad is causing that much of a stir here. The coal issue is MUCH bigger, especially upstate. If Brown loses, it will be because of that. His challenger looks like he's 15. Personally, I am not completely thrilled with anyone this year. There are issues with both that concer...

JScott

Of course, David, you are absolutely correct. Didn't mean to imply anything else. The bombers and shooters are the fringe of the fringe. I'm just flabbergasted at the thought process. When you're so devoted to the sanctity of life that you feel the need to take action and you find yourself strapping...

JScott

" I simply don't agree with coercing people to fund something they object to morally where it is possible to avoid it." I object morally to state murder, aka capital punishment. Should I be able to withhold from my taxes to avoid paying for it? It's a flawed analogy, of course, in about f...

JScott

stefan wrote:" I simply don't agree with coercing people to fund something they object to morally where it is possible to avoid it."

I object morally to state murder, aka capital punishment. Should I be able to withhold from my taxes to avoid paying for it?

Yes.

JScott

Let me say before I forget, all of you BWE'ers on the coast, heads down and be safe!!

JScott

Great and thoughtful discussion, fellas. Regarding partial birth abortion, the fact that it is a rarely used procedure actually makes it easier to argue that it could easily be eliminated. As someone with a background in medicine, I am unaware of any conceivable circumstance where it would be necess...

JScott

Hear you, David. Regarding the abortion issue, the debate is when life begins. For those who believe it starts at conception, individual rights is not a compelling argument, any more than it would be for someone to say that their infant requires too much of their time, that such restriction on their...

JScott

....and on cue, just to make the handicapping that much more difficult, Hurricane Sandy moves up the eastern seaboard. Potential power outages and disruptions may or may not linger into election day, but will certainly interrupt the final week of prep and early voting. In most areas it seems unlikel...

JScott

David, to be accurate, the clip I saw was not on air and also had the "approved this message" business cropped, but did have the Obama campaign logo at the end right before the edit. It is also being reported that it came from the campaign and they don't seem to be denying it. Regardless, ...

JScott

Actually, Jim, that ad did come from the Obama campaign. It features Lisa Dunham from HBO Girls fame.

JScott

I agree that Romney suddenly has the look of a front runner. Thought that with the last debate, frankly. Playing with the lead. Obama clearly looks to be the challenger at this point. Both camps must have the same internals, and despite any outward bluster, both are projecting the same thing: Romney...

JScott

Boy, I don't know, Jim. I'm still skeptical. Close as it was, and as good as some are with the bolt action, I still struggle watching the Zapruder film explaining that last shot, which absolutely seems to be coming from a different direction, front instead of side or back. Second the reco for a visi...

JScott

Obama has a huge lead in early voting, but off from '08. Ohio is going to be very, very, very close. We are getting carpet bombed with ads and calls. The phone is ringing non-stop. Everyone here is talking about caller ID and no room in the recycling bin from all the mailings. I know people that hav...

JScott

Jim, I think the JHEPI needs an adjustment. This one's in the bag......

http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/21/cbs-n ... z29zidtm00

JScott

Tom, last and not least, it is hyperbole to say that anyone thinks the world is going to end if their guy doesn't get elected; just civilization!

JScott

One more note that ties much of this together and dovetails -- as Alex mentions we spend more per capita on healthcare, education and a lot of other things with no clear benefit. Back to David's point, it seems clear that more money doesn't solve these issues, and really only creates more trouble. I...

JScott

Alex, I also believe the quality of the U.S. medical system is second to none; it is the cost structure that is the problem. It's not as if the uninsured do not get care; they get care in an inefficient and expensive way. I have always had a peeve about the WHO rankings, which in my view are not ins...

JScott

Jim, regarding Social Security, I think that's exactly what will happen - higher taxes at the top and means testing. The reason there is currently a cap on the tax is because there is a cap on the benefit. When you means test, and tell those at the top to pay considerably more while at the same time...

JScott

Wow, lot's of questions on a lot of topics! Good discussion, though! My take.... The auto bailout was unnecessary. It was simply what would have happened in bankruptcy only the rules were re-written in favor of the union at the expense of the preferred bond holders. Had nothing been done, the prefer...

JScott

Alex, here's the first one I came across:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/20 ... -benghazi/

I can look this all up for you or you can just google it if you like. It's really everywhere and has been for weeks.

JScott

Jim, mostly agreed. Honestly, I have concerns regardless of who wins. My concern about Obama next term are more fiscal than social. Whether they like it or not, something will have to be done about Social Security and Medicare and it can't be solved with taxes alone or not even mostly. It will requi...

JScott

Also, David, I think it is debatable whether we are in a lot better shape economically than we were four years ago. We have massively more debt and a higher unemployment rate with fewer people in the workforce and twice as many on food stamps. The number below the poverty level has risen significant...

JScott

I think we all agree the election isn't going to turn on the Libya issue, as I said previously. From the beginning, this has been about the economy and remains so. Regarding the Benghazi attack, no one would suggest that either Obama or Clinton were directly responsible for the day to day operations...

JScott

Agree Jim. Don't know who will win the debate but I don't think it will matter. The GOP will push the Libya issue but it won't matter either. Too much else at stake. Still think O has the advantage in the electoral which is the only one that matters and still think its going to be very close. Also a...

JScott

I also still think WI is a bit of a wild card. I certainly would not have predicted some of the outcomes from the recall and state elections there recently.....

JScott

Jim, you are the electoral guru. I still adhere to the JHEPI! I think the main difference is that while Ohio was always important, now it is critical. Always seems to be somehow. Looking at your list, though, did you say earlier there is a chance Maine could be split? Is that in your scenario? Maybe...

JScott

You're right, Jon. But the budget nearly doubled from '08 to '09 ($1.5B to $2.6B) so the '12 budget was still sharply higher than a few years ago. Also the cut to "Embassy Security Protection and Construction" was more than offset by an increase in "Worldwide Security Protection"...

JScott

The Ryan budget calls for cuts in a lot of things. They don't itemize embassy security exactly, but there are budget cuts to the State Department generally, some of which would then be presumed to come from security. Their position, in light of recent developments, is that they are on record request...

JScott

You can bet the farm it wil come up in the debate and likely dominate it! Alex, you are absolutely correct in that no one expects Obama to personally guard each embassy. What is in question here is really two things: 1) there was a policy decision - and this could only come from the top - to deviate...

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