Rev. Erudite Redneck, B.S., B.S., M.A., M.Div.

I think Bill may go for govenor again and then to the Senate before a POTUS run. I think the next Democrat up will be Hillery, Kerry, or Edwards and they will lose to McCain. Govenor II and then terms in the Senate would put Bill up front in 2012 or 2016. I could see him as a running mate to Hillery however first.
 

Hey E.R., I like this guy too. Who do you think is the likely V.P. choice for '08. Share your thoughts on Alito. Your postings show you really do put some serious thought into what's happening around you.
 

I like Bill Richardson too, but I'm not sure he's ready for prime time. Except to political junkies and a couple hundred thousand people in New Mexico, no one knows who he is. Hillary in 2008 . . . NO WAY, she should just shut up and go back to New York (or Arkansas or Illinois, I don't care which) because she has abdicated her leadership role in the Senate with her support for this ill-conceived and ill-mananged war. Kerry in 2008 . . . get real you dipsh*t, you screwed up big time and there are no do-overs. Besides, you are as inspirational as fungus. Edwards in 2008 . . . you're a charming fellow with a lot of good ideas about social justice, which I adore, but you do nothave enough experience in foreign affairs and will get stomped by the neocons.

Here's what I'm kinda hoping for in the near term: Gore/Obama. Or Gore/Edwards. I admit I am partial to the first.

drlobo, I guess I really don't see McCain ever getting the GOP nomination. The Fundies will ensure a hard right nominee. I used to like McCain a lot (in fact, I crossed over in the primary to vote for him in 2000) because I viewed him as a reasonable Republican (and yes, I do still think there are a few left), but lately I cannot tell you how disappointed I have been with him. He has sold his sole to the Fundies in a desperate bid to get the Republican nomination (fer Pete's sake, he endorsed intelligent design!), but it just seems inauthentic coming out of his mouth. I wonder when the mainstream Republicans are going to be sick of being marginalized in their own party.

Any thoughts on that, ER?
 

Wow, Red. So if you support the war in Iraq, you are not qualified to be President of the US? That's ludicrous. I guess Hillary could do like Kerry, and 'change her mind'. I suppose that would be acceptable. Get real. That's like those who are opposed to a Supreme Court nominee because of their views on one particular subject (i.e. abortion). There are many factors to consider.

I personally know very little about Richardson. I believe he is for immigration reform, or at the very least, he is for enforcing the immigration laws that we already have. That's a good thing. I need to know more about him, though, before I comment fully.

As I've stated elsewhere, I believe that given the opportunity, Hillary Clinton would make a good President. However, she would not be able to function in that role - she is just too devisive of a figure. Off the top of my head I can think of nobody on the Democrat side that matches her traits, but if that person exists, I would give them a fair shake. I do not believe that Clinton, Kerry, Edwards, Dean, or Gore can carry the Dem nomination and/or win the presidential election. It would need to be somebody like Richardson (much like Bill Clinton) - somebody who is not already in the spotlight. Obama, whom I would not support, is still several years away from being a serious consideration.

While we are on the subject, I wouldn't rule out the possibility of Colin Powell switching sides and running as a conservative Democrat. My biggest knock on him is his stance on the Second Amendment. That's not to say I wouldn't consider him, because he is very dynamic, but that is a mark against. As I type this, I find myself more and more intrigued by the possibility.

On the GOP side, things are possibly less clear. McCain (a Dem in Repub clothing) is not capable of getting the nomination, although I could see him as a running mate for somebody. Nobody on the President's staff could win, nor would I support their nomination. As a Florida resident, I am not all that thrilled with G W's brother - I would be even less thrilled if Jeb decided to run for President. All of the top Rebulican Senators are either too devisive, or too . . . something (I don't know what, but I don't care for them). So who's left? Like the Dems, the Repubs probably need to find somebody not currently in the spotlight.

We're a couple of years away. There's still alot of ballgame left. How will Iraq turn out? Will illegal immigration become even more out of control? Will another major terror strike happen on our soil? Will the Libby thing go up any higher? Will China force our hand militarily in Taiwan? Will the bottom fall out of the ecomomy again? Another Katrina? Lots of things could change my perceptions between now and then.
 

Another comment on Powell. I really don't think that he could carry the Republicans, but to my mind he would make a great Democratic leader. He's quite moderate. I doubt this ticket could win, but what about Powell and Richardson? Would the country elect a ticket with a black man and a Hispanic? Probably not. I do not believe that he could win without a white man as his running mate. Edwards maybe? I'm not an Edwards fan, but that might be an acceptable ticket.

Am I just talking crazy, or does anybody else see this as not only a possibility, but as a desirable one? Who would you see as his running mate?
 

Whoa. Poweell and Richardson, either way, would rock.

I think Richardson is as ready for prime time as Clinton was. And his resume is more impressive.

Gore and Kerry are both spent.

I love Hillary, but I think she is forever unelectable.

I voted for Edwards in the primary. I don't think he';s electable either, though.

Obama's not ripe. I like him, though.

Haven't time to read up on Alito. I tend to defer to the president. Let him name his person, let the Dems do what they will. There's a lot at stake -- but them's the breaks. He's on the court unless they find him in bed with a live boy or a dead girl, as they say.

BTW, yesterday I used the I-word -- impeachment -- in connection with this administration. I meant Cheney. Bush is not culpable.

--ER
 

I liked you writeup on Cheney. Would like to see more !!! Do you view him as a shadow President or just a very influential V.P. To change subjects a little, I know at some point in our history, the Senate pretty-much rubber stamped whomever the President nominated to the SCOTUS. At what point did it become such a dogfight? was Bork the first to really go thru the meat grinder or did it happen to someone before him? I know Lyndon Johnson was able to get (the extremely unqualifed) Able Fortus on the SCOTUS, so it had to have been after that time.
 

One more thing. How on earth are you able to stay on top of everything you write about? As I posted earlier, you really seem to have thought out your topics and have a very firm grasp of whats going on in the world. Do you just read 24 hours a day? Or is there more than one person posting as ER? (could be a group of ER's, you never know). When you get a chance, I'd like you best guess on how the House will go next year. Demo or Repub.
 

I feel my leg bein' pulled.

I don't think Fortas was unqualified, was he? Just had never been a judge. He was teaching law at Yale -- and that ain't chicken feed. But I don't know that much about it.

I don't think anyone would say that Bork wasn't qualified -- just too extreme.

Point of personal pride:

I was the editorial page editor for my college paper when Bork was nominated. I personally penned the headline on our anti-Bork editorial:

"Bork the Dork."

Drove the Repubs in town NUTS. It was one of a few times that some right-wing state lawmakers called for my head. I miss college. :-)

Haven't crunched any numbers on the U.S. House. Too much depends on what we don't know we don't know, as Rummy says.

Oh, and I read and write for a living -- and I read serious works of history and politics and economics, not drivel (except for certain blogs), and I stay the absolute hell away from talk radio and its TV versions.

And I still don't know jack. Just got an opinion, like everybody else.

--ER
 

NO, no, no, not pulling your leg. I like your site. If you "read" for a living, and given your background, I can see how you're able to do this. I visit many blogs and really find your views some of the most well thought out that I've come across.
 

Well, thanks. :-) Beware: It gets a little rowdy here sometimes.

Come back any ol' time.

--ER
 

Yep, three years out is a little to far to be accurate about the next POTUS. ER, the reason I keep McCain in the mix is that I think the Current VP will step down for health reasons, and McCain will be the next VP. Thus he will run from that position. Who do the radical Repulican 25% have to put up against him?
In truth, looking backwards, was Clinton, Carter, or even Reagan on the radar three years before they were nominated? If I could have my fantasy candidates it would be Edwards as POTUS and Carol Moseley Braun as VP, Powell as Sec. of Defense, McCain as Secretary of State, and Ms. Hillery as Secretary of Health. Oh yes, and Bill Clinton, Ministry of Bull Shit.
 

I think the Dems should run Cindy Sheehan and Howard Dean. That should seal up the presidency for the Republicans. Republicans could run a bag of potato chips and beat them.
 

ER, for a journalist, you're piss poor at proof reading your own stuff. Just on this link alone, you've had Poweell and he';s, and this is a clean one.

:-)

Oh, journalist, edit thyself.
 

"Bork the Dork", isn't that another was of saying "Bork the Penis" ? You got away with that? Is he still alive?
 

I never heard "dork" usef for penis until well after that. ... Robert Bork is very much alive. ... Drlobo, yoiu sure are hard on Bubba (so to speak). ... Mark, ha ha.

--ER
 

A 'dork' is a horse's penis, is it not? Out where I come from, that's what it means, just as a 'dude' means lots of things, but literally it is a 'pimple on a horse's ass'.
I've been touting Richardson in my own circle for quite some time. He's a fighter. I imagine that Evan Bayh will be slated for VP, as he is amenable to those Democratic Leadership Committee centrist types.
Abe Fortas helped LBJ around the legal morass that was the almost certainly stolen election that propelled him to the Senate. (Study up on that one: Robert CAro's "The Path To Power" is a nice place to start) I'm imagining that Fortas being sent to the Supremes was an extended 'Thank You'.
Cronyism, y'know. For Texans, there's just no other way, it seems.
 

Too hard on Bubba, not hard enough I think.
Bubba made the claim at Rosa Parks funeral yesterday, that after he heard about Mrs. Parks he and two friends at nine years old decided they would just sit in the back of the bus in a sympathetic protest. The line got a good reception, but they all knew that it was pure bullshit.
See bullshit is a Southern thing.
They don't have bullshit in Boston for example, they just have lies. Now I am a fan of Slick Willey, but he does tell some big ones, but some are greener than others. Some were so big that an uptight little anal retentive a..h.le from Malabu couldn't understand the cultural differences involved and led Bill's bullshit right into perjury.
Bubba should ought to have known better, but he was tasting his hubris about then.
 

USEF.

YOIU.
 

Just now, while I was reading these comments, my son, 16, told me that there can never be a woman president. There would be a war every 28 days....LOL pretty funny.
 

Speaking of "Bill's Bullshit" does anyone remeber when a black church burned somewhere in the south while he was President. And he ran to the nearest T.V. camera and said he remebered with horror the black churches that burned in Arkansas when he was young. He may even said he remebered "seeing" them burn, or the burned out remains, something like that. Someone actually went to the bother of checking up on it and could find NO record of ANY black churches burning in Arkansas during Bill's younger days. I wonder what color the sky is in his world.
 

Teditor, do what?

Uh oh. AOL must be stopped up. I didn't get alerts that the last few comments were posted here. Damn free Blogger!

--ER
 

Still fighting the cultural battles of the '90's, eh, Anony? Stand fast, brave soldier.
Just wanted to point out that Ice-T (the cat) has been the wallpaper on the screen here at Bachelor Pad One since shortly before Halloween. Damn cute pic. Damn cute.
 

Ehh! Eh! Ehhh! I am purrfectly honored, Rich. Ehh!
 

No black churches were burned, but stangley enough, several bright yellow churches were burnt.
 

In reply to P-18
QRD QRT
11 31 73 30
 

ER, just pointin' out more errors a "t"editor would've caught if'n you weren't in such a hurry to post. Bein' a "t"editor, that's all. :-)
 

That's what the critter sounds like! He doesn't go "meow" or anything close. Just that "ehh" sound!

--ER
 

Who's Richard Lewis?

And I don't know what this means:

In reply to P-18
QRD QRT
11 31 73 30

?

--ER
 

Richard Lewis, ah. I've seen that dude.

Don't know him enough to know whether my Ice-T has been complimented or bashed, though. ??

--ER
 

Er, well teditor in post number 18 left the crytic codes: yoiu and usef, now he has explained what usef means but not yoiu. I figured if he wanted to code speak I would just drag up some old code systems I'm familiar with and say some things to him. You know, sort of old fart text messaging.
So from the aircraft Q-Codes I said:

QRD: Where are you going and where do you come from?
QRT: Please stop sending.

From the Telegraphic numerical codes I continued with:

11: Did you get my last message?
31: How did you understand my last message?
73:Best regards.
30:Finished

Just an exercise in communications.
 

Cool, drlobo. You've forgotten more s--- than I've ever known, I'll bet. :-)

--ER
 

I'll bet you knew 30.
re: -30-
re: finished
That is unless they have changed to ### at your work.
 

By the way if you see teditor at the arena tonight tell him 88 from drlobojo.