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I don't care that Obama hasn't served in the military. The question was very simple though. Would Obama be willing to give up his life or that of his children for this country? John McCain almost did and has sons in the military right now. No, that doesn't mean he's the best guy to be POTUS but it does make a distinction when compared to Obama.
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<p>Funny how that principle magically disappeared when it was Kerry vs. Bush.</p>
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<p>This is very wrong. The amount of reading in a political science class can become very absurd, very fast, let alone with 5 or 6 of 'em. The subject matter in, say, history is always less difficult too.</p>
<p>Im a communications major and I get drunk 5 nights a week and 3 days a week. All I do is write BS papers in my underwear and I never ever have to read really.</p>
<p>i say reading is easy, compared to what I do. Compared to what many do.<br>
Political Science is a BS major. You can fully understand politics in a afternoon if you wanted. A week to master the subject with a lot of reading.</p>
<p>Actually it's a BA subject. lol</p>
<p>I think a lot of things are bulldink, but that doesn't mean you can't make a class about the topic hard. In all truth, teaching a BS class gives the instructor more freedom to make the class about whatever the hell he wants, and grade your **** violently and aggressively. I guess you could just avoid those classes and have a real easy time though.</p>
<p>And what is this "work" that's required with a communications major? I'm clearly not doing any of it.</p>
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<p>But not compared to what I do. Which is also reading. Except I don't do the reading.</p>
<p>It doesn't even matter if a communications degree is harder than a political science degree (which is completely debatable), the fact is, Obama received his from a very prestigious institution in which only the best among the best can make it to the next level (which he obviously did at Harvard). On the other hand, Palin's degree from Idaho makes me not only question her intelligence/motivation, but also wonder how she's even made it as far as she has. </p>
<p>If we just switched Obama and Palin's names to Candidates A and B to remove biases, who in their right mind would pick the underqualified candidate??</p>
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the fact is, Obama received his from a very prestigious institution in which only the best among the best can make it to the next level (which he obviously did at Harvard).
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<p>Like George W. Bush... a brilliant product of both Yale and Harvard. </p>
<p>God, when is this absurd Harvard mystique going to go away? Idiots go to Harvard. Geniuses go to Harvard. Anybody who's worked with Harvard grads knows this first hand.</p>
<p>Let's hope Obama falls in the latter category, though his lack of original policy (basically parroting firmly entrenched Democratic views) leads me to believe he falls somewhere in the middle of idiot and genius, though far closer to genius than the horrific Bush. I wish he were more centrist.</p>
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Funny how that principle magically disappeared when it was Kerry vs. Bush.
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<p>So true. When are people going to realize the Republicans will stand for whatever gets them power? If being a war hero is important, then they'll parade it around like they own the military. If being a flunky who went AWOL from the Texas National Guard is important, then they'll level false attacks against a war hero just like they're leveling false attacks against someone who gave himself to helping others. </p>
<p>In the grand scheme of things, who helped his country more? Obama by helping the least amongst us in his mid-twenties or McCain by killing others in a frivolous war in Vietnam?</p>
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<p>McCain by a long shot. Helping the poor is pretty futile unless they're starving.</p>
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McCain by a long shot. Helping the poor is pretty futile unless they're starving.
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<p>Need I say more?</p>
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McCain by killing others in a frivolous war in Vietnam?
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<p>That is actually one of the more dispicable things I have ever seen posted on here. I'm sure he would have rather been back here as would the many, many who perished in that war. You should be ashamed for that comment...it has nothing to do with supporting McCain or not...it's a truly distasteful comment.</p>
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Like George W. Bush... a brilliant product of both Yale and Harvard.</p>
<p>God, when is this absurd Harvard mystique going to go away? Idiots go to Harvard. Geniuses go to Harvard. Anybody who's worked with Harvard grads knows this first hand.
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Your comparison is made somewhat irrelevant due to the fact that Obama was the President of the Harvard Law Review, which means that not only was he an excellent student, but that his peers respected his intelligence enough to put him in that position. GWB skirting through Harvard with daddy's money is not really the same story. True, not everyone who goes to Harvard is a genius, but Obama certainly is brilliant.</p>
<p>Edit: And I agree with pmrlcomm that your comment about McCain's actions in the Vietnam War is utterly abhorrent and that your should be ashamed. Having a military family back for several generations, I know that the military may not be the most morally unambiguous profession, but it is most assuredly not one of which one should be remorseful.</p>
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That is actually one of the more dispicable things I have ever seen posted on here. I'm sure he would have rather been back here as would the many, many who perished in that war. You should be ashamed for that comment...it has nothing to do with supporting McCain or not...it's a truly distasteful comment.
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<p>Applejack's point was that we worship war heroes too much to the point where a man like John McCain thinks the POW card is a reasonable excuse for everything from being ignorant to being a pathological liar on the campaign trail. </p>
<p>Stop being so self-righteous about the military. If you really approached this from a non-partisan view, then you'd take McCain to task for being shoddy on veteran issues.</p>
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And I agree with pmrlcomm that your comment about McCain's actions in the Vietnam War is utterly abhorrent and that your should be ashamed. Having a military family back for several generations, I know that the military may not be the most morally unambiguous profession, but it is most assuredly not one of which one should be remorseful.
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<p>I too come from a military family back many generations. Christ - there's an aircraft carrier and street in Arlington named after my famly.</p>
<p>Perhaps I could have worded it better, but NBAChris is right. I was not judging military service. The original charge made by another was that McCain had served his country more than Obama had served his. </p>
<p>I was simply pointing out that, objectively speaking, one should look at whether the net gain of "help" provided to our country turned out to actually be more from McCain, given the realities beyond his voluntary service of how unnecessary Vietnam turned out to be. Perhaps, Obama, who at 23 chose to help those devastated by closing factories, did something of equal or greater value.</p>
<p>Again - I am NOT begrudging McCain's military service or personal sacrifice. But if we want "straight talk" about leading our nation, it is important to remain objective and consider the experiences of both sides beyond the politically correct rhetoric of military boosterism.</p>
<p>To all of you who laughed at me saying
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But knowing the winners who have come out of Harvard, I honestly don't hold it in a high regard.
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<p>Stats:</a> Harvard MBAs the most toxic investment on Wall Street</p>
<p>Dr. Horse,</p>
<p>What I laugh at is not at your notion that a Harvard degree is not necessarily a signifier of all that's good and green on Earth, but the idea that a LACK of a Harvard degree (or any respectable degree, period) is a signifier of all that's good and green on Earth.</p>
<p>Republicans not only denigrate Obama's academic credentials, but they also uphold Palin's (and McCain's) class dunce status as something of a virtue. That's just wrong.</p>
<p>Maybe the "brilliant insight" should be telling the original poster who in fact is running for President. Obama isn't running against Palin, he is running against John McCain.</p>
<p>Education is incredibly overrated for most people. Educated workers are said to be more productive, but this is likely because you can correlate any two random positives statistically, and also because junkies and the mentally handicapped can't graduate from college. I'm certain that if you were to do a study on exclusive dog owners vs. exclusive ferret owners, that dog owners would be much more prosperous and likely better looking. But it's likely just because a weirder, more failure-prone individual is likely to have a ferret.</p>
<p>I read a study that better looking people are more intelligent than their uglier counterparts. Most people's first instinct is 'no way', but it's likely true--they just overlook all the mentally handicapped and other various ugly/stupid people of the world. Being intelligent does not make you sexy, nor is the opposite true. </p>
<p>I'm sure it's also true that people who eat rice in excess of 3 times a week who live in industrialized nations live longer than those who don't. But rice doesn't make you live longer. It's just pasta, only worse. These people would live longer because most people who eat rice that much are of Asian descent, a people known for their longevity. I'm sure a board of critical thinkers/nerds can understand this.</p>
<p>What would actually benefit our economy drastically, although no one wants to admit it, is to have more workers willing to work for a low wage. Even if you believe educated workers are always more productive in aggregate, a factory with low running costs is no doubt more PRODUCTIVE than an insurance company or a Wall St. bank in that it produces things.</p>
<p>Anyway, point being, your education doesn't make you any better than anyone else unless you actually do something with it. McCain went to military college which probably means he did more running than studying, but he's done more with his life than anyone here, so show the man some respect, and if you can't respect your betters, RESPECT YOUR ELDERS. lol</p>
<p>Conservatives demand respect for the rich and/or old, but they're petrified of the intelligent and educated. Why? Because any bumpkin can win the lottery or grow old, but it takes gift and work to be smart and informed.</p>
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Conservatives demand respect for the rich and/or old, but they're petrified of the intelligent and educated. Why? Because any bumpkin can win the lottery or grow old, but it takes gift and work to be smart and informed.
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<p>Yes, because all Republicans are powerball winners. </p>
<p>And you have the nerve to call us stupid?</p>
<p>Digg's "brilliant" insight:</p>
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<p>President Bush attended the ridiculously prestigious Phillips Academy in Massachusetts. He then attended the also ridiculously prestigious Yale College as an undergraduate, where he became a member of the ridiculously selective Skull & Bones Society. </p>
<p>The young Bush then got accepted into the Texas Air National Guard. He continued his career at Harvard University, where he earned his MBA. </p>
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<p>Before you idolize someone for their beautiful, glowing, shining educational credentials, check out the past.</p>
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Yes, because all Republicans are powerball winners.
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<p>My point was that money and age are less reliable measures of merit than intelligence and knowledge. Yet some Republicans would rather pay deference to the rich and the elderly than the educated and the intelligent.</p>
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President Bush attended the ridiculously prestigious Phillips Academy in Massachusetts. He then attended the also ridiculously prestigious Yale College as an undergraduate
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<p>Did he distinguish himself there? Nope. Legacy bias.</p>
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he became a member of the ridiculously selective Skull & Bones Society.
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<p>Er... What does being a S&B have to do with merit?</p>
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The young Bush then got accepted into the Texas Air National Guard. He continued his career at Harvard University, where he earned his MBA.
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<p>"Got accepted" into Texas Air National Guard? This is something to be proud of? I guess service in Vietnam was just for those that weren't good enough for the Texas Air National Guard, huh?</p>
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He continued his career at Harvard University, where he earned his MBA.
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<p>Again, legacy case and he did nothing to distinguish himself in business school.</p>