Good Sir, President Obama, you and your party have been rebuked tonight, not because of your parties name, but because of its impotent results. If the economy does not turn around, you Sir, will be a one term President, deservedly so.
If we are to take the newly elected republicans at face value, this country is about to return to “German-style” fiscal conservatism, which should effectively cancel out all plans of government stimulus and bailouts, no? Yes, from here on forth, all law abiding Americans are bounded by their honour to wear checkered pants, bow ties and smoke egregiously long cigars, while overlooking a fiercely lit fire. Based on campaign promises. business is back. Taxes will go lower and regulations will cease to exist. However, before we get to enjoy the chocolate cake, we must work through the mud first. We must impose harsh austerity measures, which will strengthen the dollar, weaken gold, stocks and commodity prices, in order to return America to fiscal conservatism.
If we are to believe what the newly elected republicans campaigned on, the Federal Reserve will be reined in and QE2 will be canceled. After all, how can they allow the Fed to waste another trillion dollars under their newly formed fiscally conservative government? Moreover, the markets should be on notice, effective immediately, for deflationary policies to be enacted by our newly formed government. Out with the old and in with the new, yes?
Naively, I am forced to believe everything changed today, because the votes are in. The people have spoken, no?
Oddly enough, the cynic in me says “nothing has changed.” The government has zero power over the great corporate lobby. The cynic in me says oil will remain ludicrously overvalued and gold will sustain its value, while the dollar continues to make new lows. These people who are elected know what needs to be done but lack the balls to do it. I say this with confidence because I have seen this puppet show before and I know how it ends: trillions in deficits, staggering liabilities and the end of America’s hegemony over its foreign subjects.
For the sake of my children, I hope to be proven wrong.
NOTE: Many thanks to Jakegint and Woodshedder for making tonight a memorable and enjoyable election. We should do this again.
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WIG. Agreud and Indeud!
some problems require extrapolitical solutions believe it or not. until people realize that the govt cant do everything, nothing will change.
Fed gov’t should be for enabling defence, science research (including the space program), FBI, disasters, and should not borrowing a cent. All other endeavors can and should be delegated to more localized governments (State/county gov).
I’ll add inter-state infrastructure to that too. (Thinking inter-regional high-speed rail).
Eggsactly.
Not as big on the high speed rail as you, however. Have yet to see a cost-benefit analysis that gets within this solar system of making any sense.
(ie, no one would use it, too inflexible, expensive, etc.)
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It’s no more inflexible than airlines, and it could be a lot more comfortable. Lots of problems with the corridor from Boston to DC though. Lots of twisty track that does not lend itself to high speed.
Get into the funnel …
“Moreover, the markets should be on notice, effective immediately, for deflationary policies to be enacted by our newly formed government. Out with the old and in with the new, yes?”
Or so it seems. Apparently the Gee-Oh-Pee supporters didn’t get their fill of deflation … Good news for those lined up for cheap housing … Let the games begin!
Housing is already cheap. It’s just priced incorrectly due to certain anti-market maneuvers.
That’s why its not moving, and won’t until the markets are freed to price accordingly.
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congratulations Fly – you just proven yourself to be as neanderthal redneck as your two significant contributors! That you are clueless as far as the markets i knew, that you are as clueless and cynical overall i found out but what is the purpose of the above? You think of yourself highly and yet you seem to depend so much on whoever will pay you the only $$$xx.95 per month. Sad and pathetic albeit much better educated and refined than Gint or Wood.
What exactly is your criticism?
Please try to answer at a 3rd grade level. Thanks in advance.
lol…
Well he’s right about Gint of course, he’s severely uneducated.Could agree more, although woodie is okay for a southerner.
You should listen to Jt, Fly as he’s speaking words of wisdom there.
lol.
You must be drunk. Jake has a brain the size of a football helmet.
I was hoping people would see I was kidding, Fly. Gint is a pal and just ribbing.
My contribution to this discourse:
It’s “whomever” ya dimbot.
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Did you say anything of substance in that paragraph? A lot of shots at the bloggers here but you took no stand on anything.
I take a stand on everything you filthy dog.
Oh, you were defending me. 10,000 apologies and you are a clean dog.
Many regrets,
Fly
The irony.
Shall the VXXgiving turkey be served with a frothy mug of black smoke?
do the tea party supporters realize one of the first tea baggers was John Wilkes Booth?
“Tell mother, tell mother, I died for my country… useless… useles”
Drivel.
Tea party is non-violent.
I think our Zephler might be a random-text ‘bot sent by Arianna Huffington’s IT squad to partake in our political discourse.
Like most Democrat-Socialist projects, he is a day late and more than a dollar short.
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Doctor, El Jefe, Maestro, Senor, Le Fly – I believe it is “reined”, rather than “reigned” in – that is to say, I believe it may have something to do with horses rather than kings, but, of course, I could be wrong. Either way, this was the most impressive, engaging, and completely over-the-top, AND MORE – coverage I have ever seen. I applaud you and you inestimable staff, including the great Senator JakeGint, and Mr. Holly WoodShedder. Even now am I searching for the best sources for appropriately decorous checkered pants and bow ties (though I am not sure I will ever wear them – after all, even I have standards).
After the story broke, the President continued to deny everything. When he was finally forced to discuss the growing scandal in November 1986, Reagan declared:
“In spite of the wildly speculative and false stories of arms for hostages and alleged ransom payments, we did not — repeat did not — trade weapons or anything else for hostages; nor will we.”
The following month, the White House was impatient about receiving a report on the arms-for-hostages deal by the Senate Intelligence Committee. Senator Leahy commented on the administration’s insistent requests for the report:
“The President ordered this whole operation on Iran. He ordered his Administration not to tell the intelligence committees what he was doing. Now he wants the Intelligence Committee to tell him what his Administration was doing during the time they were under his orders not to tell the Intelligence Committee. Even Alice in Wonderland doesn’t get this twisted around.”
In his January 1987 testimony before the Tower Commission, President Reagan specifically acknowledged having approved the Iranian arms sales back in August 1985. Two weeks later he reversed himself, claiming that his prior statement was erroneous. Reading from his notes, Reagan fucked up when he read some of his stage directions aloud:
“If the question comes up at the Tower Board meeting, you might want to say that you were surprised.”
D’oh.
A couple of weeks later, Reagan sent a memo to the commission to clarify his testimony yet again. It stated that he had been mistaken during his January deposition, wherein he claimed to have approved the Iranian arms shipments:
The only honest answer is to state that try as I might, I cannot recall anything whatsoever about whether I approved an Israeli sale in advance or whether I approved replenishment of Israeli stocks around August of 1985. My answer therefore and the simple truth is, “I don’t remember, period.”
But all doubt seemed to have disappeared from his mind in March. Following the revelations of the Tower Commission investigation, Reagan told the American people that he had never approved any such thing.
“A few months ago I told the American people I did not trade arms for hostages. My heart and my best intentions still tell me that’s true, but the facts and the evidence tell me it is not.”
Reagan also addressed the subject of his much-ballyhooed delegating technique (MBA students, take note):
“Much has been said about my management style, a style that’s worked successfully for me during 8 years as Governor of California and for most of my Presidency. The way I work is to identify the problem, find the right individuals to do the job, and then let them go to it. I’ve found this invariably brings out the best in people. They seem to rise to their full capability, and in the long run you get more done. […] When it came to managing the NSC staff, let’s face it, my style didn’t match its previous track record.”
Cut the guy a break. He genuinely had alzheimer’s disease. My grandfather had it, and lived with it for 20 years after diagnosis and before he died. Ten years or so prior to diagnosis, there is a fuzzy line between forgetfulness and and genuine onset of the disease. If he says he couldn’t remember. It is very likely true.
You’re talking about something which happened 24 years ago, a single event which really doesn’t affect us much today, as if it were a breaking news story.
Here’s a fun idea, keep your ramblings within the past 5 years. Enough has happened since then to fret about; we don’t need your crazy stories to boot.
This IBank Coin political coverage was really good…..OK, about 2 weeks ago, Jake reminded me that the Fed is not Political in any way ..but I agree w/ Fly above…if everyone wants to cut the spending in Washington, isn’t it political suicide to have Mega QE tomorrow with all the Dollar Hawks, also right in front of a G20 meeting, one that USA wants to call China a currency manipulator…..Ben B kept the Market up so his Acting Boss looked good going into elections, but I just don’t see him falling on the knife tomorrow with mega QE….I still think Ben Plays the Political Game…but that is just me.
Why do you do so many … …. ……
Is english your second language? I generally like and appreciate your thoughts, but a lot of them come through with their meaning garbled. Maybe I haven’t evolved enough yet to the point where periods and commas can be replaced by …….
….. doesn’t bother me, why should it bother you? Seems a natural division between thoughts.
Ellipsitis?
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Go2Mars….Over at Rev’s Blog about 2 years ago, many of the readers complained that I was too hard to read because I didn’t break it up at all. They WANTED…lol…actually, they DEMANDED that I break it up with “……..”s …………so I got into the habit of using them making it easier to read…now I kinda use them for timing, I blog very fast and am normally looking at three screens and TV at the sametime…bottomline, some love …..and others hate ….can’t find a solution?
REPORTER: Mr. President, why don’t we openly support those 7,000 guerrillas that are in rebellion rather than giving aid through covert activity?
PRESIDENT REAGAN: Well, because we want to keep on obeying the laws of our country, which we are now obeying.
REPORTER: Doesn’t the United States want that government replaced?
PRESIDENT REAGAN: No, because that would be a violation of the law.
Yeah, that “law” that was later found to be unconstitutional. Congress cannot usurp the powers of the Commander in Chief, dipscheiss.
So sorry, Zephler, you’ll have to find some better context from Democrat Underground with which to smear a Top Three POTUS next time.
Maybe there’s some stuff about George Washington schtupping his scullery maid? About as relevant.
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After the shooting, First Lady Nancy heard from her part-time astrologer, Joan Quigley, that they could have and would have predicted that March 30 was destined to be a bad day for her husband… if only Quigley had been on the payroll. Rather than risk a similar incident happening, Nancy decided that it would be prudent to keep the astrologer in the loop. She ordered dedicated phone lines be installed at the White House and Camp David, just so she would never be without the wisdom of the Zodiac.
For the next eight years, Quigley determined the most opportune timing for all of the President’s crucial activities. The First Lady would furnish Ronnie’s tentative itinerary, which the astrologer would optimize and return. Then the White House staff would make the necessary adjustments. This tinkering affected the scheduling of press conferences, Air Force One departures, even the timing of international summits.
As former White House Chief of Staff Don Regan later wrote in his memoirs:
Although I had never met this seer — Mrs. Reagan passed along her prognostications to me after conferring with her on the telephone — she had become such a factor in my work, and in the highest affairs of the nation, that at one point I kept a color-coded calendar on my desk (numerals highlighted in green ink for “good” days, red for “bad” days, yellow for “iffy” days) as an aid to remembering when it was propitious to move the president of the United States from one place to another, or schedule him to speak in public, or commence negotiations with a foreign power.
Following the astrologer’s instructions, the selection of Anthony Kennedy for the Supreme Court was announced to the press at precisely 11:32:25 A.M. According to Quigley’s memoir, the President was cued by “a man with a stopwatch” to make sure he hit the exact moment. (She does not mention whether she gave similar assistance to the President’s two previous selections to fill that seat, archconservative Robert Bork and former pot smoker Douglas Ginsburg, who both failed to gain Senate confirmation.)
Ronnie was himself a superstitious man. He always carried a lucky charm in his pocket. He knocked on wood, avoided walking under ladders, and made a habit of tossing salt over his left shoulder before each meal. So it shouldn’t be surprising that the astrology stuff would appeal to him. Throughout the 1950s, Ron and Nancy sought out the services of Carroll Righter, astrologer to the stars. When Reagan won California’s governor seat, he scheduled his inauguration for 12:10 A.M., on Righter’s insistence. And in the 1960s, Ron had been consulting with psychic Jeane Dixon over whether to run for President someday.
Somehow, none of this ever seemed to bother the Christian right. Bear in mind that, to a fundamentalist Christian, astrology is practically witchcraft. It’s divination, which is specifically prohibited by the Bible. So it’s a little surprising that people like Jerry Falwell would be so happy to show his support. But despite Reagan’s persistent and ongoing reliance upon the dark arts, they knew that he was their guy.
What is the point of copy/paste this 25 year old shit?
Great election day perspective; very enjoyable. But, I’m in the cinic’s camp: nothing has changed- and i am glad I don’t have kids, cause henceforth comes the QE2 train, as scheduled…
Everyone has made far too much of this election. The Teabaggers may strut and take outlandish positions but they have no juice – those who do manage to get voted in by their mouth-breathing constituents will quickly find themselves on the outs, and struggling to build power relationships on the Hill, where the players change but the game always remains the same. And John Boehner, Mitch McConnell, Eric Cantor and the rest of the No Gang aren’t about to try the kind of brinksmanship that Naughty Newt did when he shut down the government over a principled stance on spending. This is a different era entirely. Those guys stood with TARP, and they’ll stand with QE2 too.
Instead, we will follow the path of least resistance all the way up and over our multiple peaks and declines. There will be no principled leadership of any kind on either side of the aisle–and even if there is, it will be gridlocked. There will only be a crowded herd of muddlers doing crisis management. The Republicans will blame the budget woes on the Democrats, run their trusty spending cut plays again to the maximum extent the Democrats will yield, refuse to roll back the Bush era tax cuts, and then when the well runs dry, they will reluctantly raise the cap on the deficit because “they had no choice.” Thus they will get a little closer to Grover Norquist’s heart’s desire. But it will not solve anything, and so will be a painful path to Austerity By Default . I see little heart within or outside of Washington for the kind of strong leadership that would allow a hyperinflationary event in the near term. The path of least resistance will be the Great Contraction, where debt and currency and assets are slowly wrung out, amid a flurry of band-aids and fingers in dikes, while the dollar slowly loses its purchasing power. (If the US Military is ultimately the only reason why the greenback enjoys the status of the world’s reserve currency and petro-currency, are we sure that status could not be undermined in less confrontational ways that simply render it less relevant, such as more bilateral oil trade agreements in renminbi, or a continuing migration to gold as a medium of exchange as well as a store of value?)
If there is to be a true rout of the established power structure, a “throw the bums out” moment, then it will have to wait until the Class of 2012 (or 2016?) at which point the presidential candidate will be a hard-core right-wing Nazi…
Cloris, stop being so negative, Ms Debbie Downer. The last thing we need now is a reality check. Bring on some good ole fashioned (false) hope.
ie, this election is just what this country (and the world) needed. With hard work and faith in God, via religious and sectarian God-given holy scriptures and interpretations thereof, by God’s current representatives here on planet earth, the Teabaggers will deliver on all their promises, and then some.
We are saved and delivered from the antichrist, destroyer of freedoms, purveyor of tyranny himself, Comrade O’bama.
“Cloris” …
…that may just be the most intelligent and lucid post on these threads of the last 24 hours !!!
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Teabaggins is a homosexual practice. It’s not even funny anymore to use that in reference to the tea party. Not helpful in bringing the country together either. Fiscal sanity, what a concept. The tea party must be nuts!
How is Cloris’s “assessment” any different than Aesop’s Fox claiming those grapes must be sour anyway?
Sorry, Nurse Diesel, your statist Dems failed miserably over the last four years in trying to install — once again — a top down centrally planned economic state. The example of Western Europe were not enough for you dummies, you had to go and blunder yourself into a sixty seat loss.
And don’t tell me about how the Tea Party is going to have any trouble in the next two years. Hard Left Obama in the Presidency, and the Dim Senate Retention — and especially Dingy Harry keeping the corrupt reigns — will serve as perfect cover for the next two year meme, which will be “obstructionist lefty” Senate and non-Main Stream Barack.
Keep the bitter predictions coming, Cloris/Bruce/Alfie, because you’re in for another sweaty two years.
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“The government has zero power over the great corporate lobby. The cynic in me says oil will remain ludicrously overvalued and gold will sustain its value, while the dollar continues to make new lows. ” – Agreed because the biggest corporate powers are all international firms that want the dollar lower in order to improve profits.
Although we are set up for a big disappointment today for QE2 that then could turn into a panic as peope realize the money spigot is going to be turned off by the new “fiscal” Republicans.
Just in time for a big positive surprise in the Jobs number.
The GOP has no power to stop QE2 as long as the Dems control the senate …. all they gained is the ability to slow down or stop the Dems from egregious unchecked spending … that said, the private sector better start spending or we’re doomed to get into the funnel once again.
I think that if they clear up this Tax Cut Overhang — for at least another two years — then things will get moving again, with the implicit understanding that Obamacare is going to be deconstructed (and not in the Jacques Derrida kind of way, either).
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Carly Fiorina hasn’t conceded defeat – now you know why she almost ran HP into the ground…she can’t count!
It’s probably more like she can’t believe Californians can be that “Circular Firing Squad”-level dumb.
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We aint done yet, boys!
In two years we need to complete the revolution, in two years we rout out the rest of the cockroach democrats from office.
Its like turning on the lights and watching them run for the corners, dont worry fuckers, we got black flag and your party is over.
Rand, by 2012 the GOP may hang themselves with the same rope again and the dems could conceivably regain the seats just lost … don’t count your chickens before they’ve hatched.
Nah, we still have Harry Reid! That guy will still be all over TV. Best thing that could have happened.
Treu.
At least Chuck the Schmuck is slick and has Wall Street behind him. He’d be a tougher Senate Leader to deal with.
All Dingy has is the Mob, and outside of Scorcese movies, they haven’t as much juice anymore.
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Hope is a shining star, which is new as a shiny penny. I lift a mug to the GOP, boys get er done!
Many thanks to Jakegint and Woodshedder for making tonight a memorable and enjoyable election. We should do this again.
You’re welcome, and — as you know — I had a lot of fun and would do it again in a second.
The 2012 Presidential Primaries would be a great place to start… maybe put up our Election Screen on certain “Big Tuesdays” when a number of primary states are voting as one?
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Yes.
Great job by the bloggers last night.
Now are we going to have a party for the iBC Anniversary and Grandpa Fly or not?
Although I like the idea of throwing all the former officials out and send a message to “the elites” , I think another good solution would be just to get everyone to stop voting all together.
I think if people just stop voting the following would happen
1) It would send a clear message that campaign contributions don’t work
2) It would send a clear message to real people not associated with dogmatic policies that they have a chance at running and winning without the use of campaign money, and thus
3) Charismatic heroes wearing large S emblems on their shirts that actually care about doing what’s best for America and not special interest groups would emerge that actually stand against the order to throw big oligarchs and businesses and ruling elites into the ocean… (you know, like our forefathers did with the REAL tea party)
3) Businesses would not be able to hide behind the bribes of campaign contributions as it would prove that they don’t work
4) As a result, there would be no bribes that allow the conglomerate America that is becoming fascist to control the democrats and republicans, as anyone could win.
5)Any and every small business would have a chance and the businesses would rule because they have a competitive advantage, not because they have a political one.
We are aways away from this, but I think someday it will happen, because it needs to.
Maybe I too am a cynic, but I fail to see how special interest groups are going to be less in control by constantly voting for either side and empowering their campaign contributions to make a difference. At this point I see not voting as a better way to take a stand unless there actually is a legitimate 3rd party candidate which I have yet to see.
However, maybe you’re right and constantly voting for the “other asshole” will send a message to the officials that we don’t care about your campaign contribution, if you mess up, you are out regardless of how many hundreds of millions of dollars you are given by the banks to plaster your face all over toilet paper distributed in every rest-stop around the world..
probably the most rational political commentary on the interwebz. thanks to all of you guys!
Make maximum campaign contribution per person or corporation capped at $10k per person or $50k per corporation. It becomes a lot less crooked instantly.
I like checkered pants but don’t currently own any. I would buy a pair of black and white but I’m afraid I’d scare the kids. The floor tile in my entry is the same color and the contrast would make me four dimensional.
You nailed this one fly!
Especially about not being re-elected.
It always makes me laugh at Wall St dudes trying to be smart about politics. Just still to your penny stocks… and GL.