# Gov. Bobby Jindal



## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

I dislike many of the things about President Obama and his speech, but what disappointed me the most was Gov. Bobby Jindal. 

Being kind, he was unimpressive. I'm wondering if other Republicans and Conservatives felt the same way. I can't figure out who is gaga over this guy and why. I won't characterize him as it would be too cruel, but he was pretty pitiful IMHO.

I do admit I still think we missed the boat on Romney.


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## nolan50410 (Dec 5, 2006)

The things I heard about Jindal, prior to last night, made me think he was a pretty good candidate for 2012. When his response started, I found myself wanting to like him. It just didn't turn out that way. He's not as handsome or charming as Obama and he just came off a little creepy, sorta like an indian Mister Rogers with a southern accent. Some of the content of the speech was pretty good, but his delivery was just awful, especially in comparison to the very polished Obama. I'm just glad the GOP didn't pick Palin for the response, or I would have taken the shotgun out and ruined my brand new LCD.


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## Laxplayer (Apr 26, 2006)

I had a hockey game last night, so I didn't get to see it. My wife thought he sounded like Kenneth the page from 30 Rock.


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## norton (Dec 18, 2008)

I liked what he said. I don't know enough about him to decide, but I do like what I've heard. 

I don't judge political leaders by how well they deliver a speech or how good looking they are. I try to judge them by their character, their experience and results and their political and economic philosophies. Unfortunately, there's a been quite a shortage of political candidates with character and experience that are willing or able to tell us what they actually believe, not on this or that bill but on how government should be run. Reagan was the only politician in my lifetime that met these requirements.

I'm sure that the people that got us into the mess we're in are good looking, nice dressing well spoken graduates of the "right" schools, that have no core beliefs, other than the belief that they should be running things and making lots of money doing it.

It really is time for change, but we need to examine our definition of change.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

nolan50410 said:


> he just came off a little creepy, sorta like an indian Mister Rogers with a southern accent.


I had the same impression.


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## epicuresquire (Feb 18, 2009)

As one from the Bayou state, I have always found Jindal to come off as sort of an Indian Howdy Doody. He is a bright guy to be sure, but not in the same league as Obama with respect to political savvy, delivery, etc. His negatives are rising down here having spent most of his first year in office running for president. I think he really hurt his chances last night.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

Jindal is a flavor of the month...albiet a slightly creepy flavor of the month. I pity the GOP if he's the best they can do to run for POTUS in the next election.

In four years people will be asking, "Bobby who?"


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## mrkleen (Sep 21, 2007)

Jindal is a very bright guy, but he did himself no national favors last night. His speech was poorly delivered and sounded to me like he was speaking to a room full of children, like he had to dumb it down for all the stupid people watching to understand.

I was equally stunned to hear him bring up Hurricane Katrina as an example of how our government is broken. I would have guessed that Republicans would want to run as far away as possible from the words "Hurrican Katrina". I had to rewind by DVR to make sure I heard him correctly. 

Clearly the Republicans knew the only way they could possibly criticize Washington, was to go to an outsider for the rebuttal, but Jindal totally dropped the ball. His speech sounded like it was written before Obama's speech, and he made no detours based on what we heard from the President just a few minutes before. Like he was dressing for rain, even though it was to be a sunny day.

If Bobby Jindal and Sarah Palin are the best of the young crop of Repubilcans, the right has a lot of worrying to do in 2012.


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## agnash (Jul 24, 2006)

*It was Mardi Gras*

I didn't watch Obama or Jindal. Why would I waste my time with the worst humanity has to offer (politicians)?


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## Relayer (Nov 9, 2005)

I like what I've heard of Jindal. Last night was not good at all and I hope he just had an off night. I've heard him sound very good in other settings.

As we have seen, the American public is largely swayed by a slick talker, and Jindal was anything but with his rebuttal.


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## epicuresquire (Feb 18, 2009)

If people thought that Obama was an "ambitious" politician, wait until they get a hard look at Jindal's career.


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## Kosh Naranek (Apr 24, 2008)

While neither Republican nor conservative I came away with two impressions:
First, he has a hierarchy of natural disasters. Spending on hurricane relief is sound and wise, spending to understand volcanoes is wasteful;
Second, whatever aspirations he had for 2012 winked out.


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

Who's the idiot, tired old white guys who decided Jindal 
is some republican version of Obama because of skin tone?
Were they riding on SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE'S winning streak?
Jindal should talk to Sarah Palin. There are 130 ACTIVE volcanos or active volcanic fields in Alaska alone.
You can see them from Russia.
Anybody who has been following the volcanic history of Yellostone alone with it's massive caldera should understand the validity of that funding.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

Kav said:


> Who's the idiot, tired old white guys who decided Jindal
> is some republican version of Obama because of skin tone?
> Were they riding on SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE'S winning streak?
> Jindal should talk to Sarah Palin. There are 130 ACTIVE volcanos or active volcanic fields in Alaska alone.
> ...


I think you mean Michael Steele?


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## agnash (Jul 24, 2006)

I didn't see him last night, but I have seen what he has done in Louisiana since being elected. The difference between the government under his watch and the bumbling incompetence we had under our last governor has been striking. In some ways there are parallels to Obama. Jindal was elected on a wave of goodwill for anyone who would replace the detested previous administration. We used to look at Louisiana under Blanco, then look over at Mississippi under Barbour, and we had Mississippi Envy.


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## norton (Dec 18, 2008)

I think it is interesting that both Palin and Jindal are popular reformist governors in their home states but as soon as they are introduced to a nationwide audience it is assumed that it is because they are a woman or minority and both are derided for their appearance or presentation.

It seems to me that the republicans are simply trying to find someone who is young and has a successful track record and that can appeal to a mass audience.


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## epicuresquire (Feb 18, 2009)

Kav said:


> Anybody who has been following the volcanic history of Yellostone alone with it's massive caldera should understand the validity of that funding.


Totally agreed. The question is can it really be sold as a jobs creation stimuli -


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## epicuresquire (Feb 18, 2009)

agnash said:


> The difference between the government under his watch and the bumbling incompetence we had under our last governor has been striking.


I disagree - and I believe that history will not judge Blanco as the uniform bumbling incompetent you suggest. Prior to Katrina she had a reputation as an efficient administrator, despite not possessing a great deal of gravitas (that certainly hurt her on so great a stage). But your argument is a bit like shooting fish in a barrel. Please tell me who didn't look like an incompetent during the Katrina fiasco? I personally voted for Jindal on both occassions, but anyone that pretends that they know how Jindal would have handled same is being completely naive, imho.

Further, with all due respect, comparing the situation in Mississippi to that of New Orleans is similarly out of bounds. I have(had) a house/camp in Bay St. Louis. Devastating to go through but nothing like the challege of dealing with 80 prcent of a very large city under water.

There is absolutely blame to spread around to all levels of government, but no one will convince me that the scope of the situation didn't instantly merit a response of the highest order by a Federal govement - and in that should lie our greatest national shame.


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## Mike Petrik (Jul 5, 2005)

This was Jindal's first big opportunity on the national stage, and he flubbed it. Something similar happened in 1988 at the Democratic National Convention. That political figure recovered nicely. Too early to make predictions re Jindal.


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## epicuresquire (Feb 18, 2009)

Mike Petrik said:


> This was Jindal's first big opportunity on the national stage, and he flubbed it. Something similar happened in 1988 at the Democratic National Convention. That political figure recovered nicely. Too early to make predictions re Jindal.


excellent point.


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## Helvetia (Apr 8, 2008)

I wasn't impressed by the substance or the delivery of his speech.


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## agnash (Jul 24, 2006)

epicuresquire said:


> I disagree - and I believe that history will not judge Blanco as the uniform bumbling incompetent you suggest.
> 
> Please tell me who didn't look like an incompetent during the Katrina fiasco?


As far as Louisiana politicians are concerned, Jindal did not look like a bumbling idiot during Katrina. Every day when I spent my two hours (each way) commuting to work, I listened to local talk radio. Jindal was everywhere, getting things done, and showing everyone in the state just how bad a decsion Louisiana made when Blanco was elected. Jindal was more effective a governor than Blanco when he was still a junior Congressman.

I listened to the pre-storm planning conference calls. Not the stuff you heard on television, and yes I can substantiate that, but would prefer to do so off line. Blanco had alreay lost control of the situation before the storm ever made landfall. Do you remember when Bush called Blanco and asked her to order the evacuation? Her response was to wait another 24 hours. I have friends in the National Guard who kept waiting for their orders to deploy in advance of the storm, as they always did. Yes, the magnitude of the storm was unprecedented, but so was the lack of preparation by Blanco.


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## Acct2000 (Sep 24, 2005)

Bill Clinton was able to recover from an awful speech he gave at the 1988? convention. I would not count him out yet, although I don't know enough about Jindal to really have an opinion. I did not see the speech.


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## Asterix (Jun 7, 2005)

I didn't see the speech so can't give an opinion on that but if we are basing the effectiveness of a leader on how glib a talker the person is, then we are doomed as a nation.


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## pt4u67 (Apr 27, 2006)

Some of the comments I've read border on distasteful. I don't understand the allusions to ethnicity and skin color.

Gov. Jindal seemed a bit stiff at first but then seemed to loosen up and sound more relaxed. It was his first prime time gig and I'm sure he was a bit nervous. He did fine and if he has national ambitions he'll continue to polish his message. Not everyone is born to talk pretty like our current POTUS.


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## epicuresquire (Feb 18, 2009)

agnash said:


> As far as Louisiana politicians are concerned, Jindal did not look like a bumbling idiot during Katrina.


I'm not saying he did. I question what he actually did. It looks like already, after last night, Jindal's version of the story of his dealings with Harry Lee are already being challenged by his own words and appearances during the weeks following Katrina. Google that.

Again, I voted for Jindal. I'm not an apologist for Blanco. I just think its unfair to Judge Jindal's competency during that time, positively or negatively, by virtue of his unfettered access and appearances on WWL. The man is the idealized Platonic form of a politician. His glib approach last night though, only reinforces that. But that's ok. Unlike most, I sort of like politicians.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

I wonder how much of Gov. Jindal's popularity is because Rush keeps hyping him?


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

Laxplayer said:


> I had a hockey game last night, so I didn't get to see it. My wife thought he sounded like Kenneth the page from 30 Rock.


Is it bad if I don't know who that is?


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## ChicagoMediaMan-27 (Feb 23, 2008)

Take his apperance and delivery out of this. In the times that we are in right now, to give the message that government is bad and don't trust the federal government wasn't a smart thing to do, IMO. There needed to be more substance than that. However, he surely has plenty of time to recover. 2012 is a long ways away.


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## Peak and Pine (Sep 12, 2007)

pt4u67 said:


> Not everyone is born to talk pretty like our current POTUS.


The problem with that view and similar ones here is that charisma does not come from the womb. You have to work at it. It was job One with Kennedy and Reagan and Clinton and now Obama.

There are easily 100,000 American men and women, Democrat and Republican, each of whom would make the best President we've ever seen. But they'll never be that because, like some of the posters here, they don't understand job One.

Gov. Jindal: button your coat when you enter the national stage. You looked like a tv weatherman from Coeur d'Alene.
​


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## thesartorialist (Feb 17, 2009)

Laxplayer said:


> I had a hockey game last night, so I didn't get to see it. My wife thought he sounded like Kenneth the page from 30 Rock.


That is exactly what I said. Uncanny.

I have a feeling that it will take a Jindal nomination and subsequent Obama landslide in 2012 for the GOP to realize that it's not about packaging the same policy in a young, ethnic wrapper, it's about changing the policy. Hopefully by the next cycle they'll have abandoned the neocons and the religious right and returned to fiscally conservative, socially moderate intellectuals for their national representation.


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## PedanticTurkey (Jan 26, 2008)

I couldn't agree more. The GOP's trying to be the "Democrats lite" as under Bush has been a disaster.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

thesartorialist said:


> That is exactly what I said. Uncanny.
> 
> I have a feeling that it will take a Jindal nomination and subsequent Obama landslide in 2012 for the GOP to realize that it's not about packaging the same policy in a young, ethnic wrapper, it's about changing the policy. Hopefully by the next cycle they'll have abandoned the neocons and the religious right and returned to fiscally conservative, socially moderate intellectuals for their national representation.





PedanticTurkey said:


> I couldn't agree more. The GOP's trying to be the "Democrats lite" as under Bush has been a disaster.


I think this "fight" is yet to come. It was interesting how quickly it was skipped over to unify against the spending package, but with Michael Steele going after Snowe, Collins, and "Spectre" it seems to be on again. Palin, Jindal, and Huckabee are all fighting over the same segment aren't they?

ADD: Huckster sure has the inside track with the FoxNews audience, doesn't he?


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## Beresford (Mar 30, 2006)

It cleared the way for Sarah Palin as the front runner in 2012!

:devil:


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## epicuresquire (Feb 18, 2009)

thesartorialist said:


> That is exactly what I said. Uncanny.
> 
> I have a feeling that it will take a Jindal nomination and subsequent Obama landslide in 2012 for the GOP to realize that it's not about packaging the same policy in a young, ethnic wrapper, it's about changing the policy. Hopefully by the next cycle they'll have abandoned the neocons and the religious right and returned to fiscally conservative, socially moderate intellectuals for their national representation.


Amen!


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

Beresford said:


> It cleared the way for Sarah Palin as the front runner in 2012!
> 
> :devil:


LMAO

Huckabee, Palin, Jindal, Sanford, Romney or ... JEB! How exciting!

Can't Papa-Bush run again?


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## brokencycle (Jan 11, 2008)

I've liked the content of what he has said, but his speech last night was poor. I also think if all his speeches in the future turn out like that he won't be a presidential contender for long. The average person won't listen to what he has to say over Obama's eloquent straw men.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

mrkleen said:


> Jindal is a very bright guy, but he did himself no national favors last night. His speech was poorly delivered and sounded to me like he was speaking to a room full of children, like he had to dumb it down for all the stupid people watching to understand....
> 
> ...


Indeed, the perfect characterization of Gov Jindal's speech!


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

brokencycle said:


> I've liked the content of what he has said, but his speech last night was poor. I also think if all his speeches in the future turn out like that he won't be a presidential contender for long. The average person won't listen to what he has to say over Obama's eloquent straw men.


Could we say he was "The Republican Version of Al Gore?"

Interesting that for all his faults in that area Algore did pretty well in the voting booth.


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## gman-17 (Jan 29, 2009)

pt4u67 said:


> Some of the comments I've read border on distasteful. I don't understand the allusions to ethnicity and skin color.
> 
> Gov. Jindal seemed a bit stiff at first but then seemed to loosen up and sound more relaxed. It was his first prime time gig and I'm sure he was a bit nervous. He did fine and if he has national ambitions he'll continue to polish his message. Not everyone is born to talk pretty like our current POTUS.


I agree with your comments, but I would also add that Jindal appeared unready for the job and unedited. There is a substantial number of things not to like about the "stimulus bill." I am sure people of any political stripe could have located them in $800B of spending, but Jindal did not. Poor perforance all the way round. I don't know why they didn't have Eric Cantor give the response. He is a softspoken and thoughtful person who would have been difficult to dislike.


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## gman-17 (Jan 29, 2009)

ksinc said:


> Could we say he was "The Republican Version of Al Gore?"
> 
> Interesting that for all his faults in that area Algore did pretty well in the voting booth.


I would disagree with you there.

When Gore ran for president in the primaries in 1988 he did not do well at all.

In 2000, following a popular Democratic president, he did not get 50% of the total vote cast. There are those that would point out the he beat Bush in the popular vote but one should then remember he didn't win his home state of TN in that election.

I believe Gore's biggest problem was the voting booth--he always did very well with the media.


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## Helvetia (Apr 8, 2008)

ChicagoMediaMan-27 said:


> Take his apperance and delivery out of this. In the times that we are in right now, to give the message that government is bad and don't trust the federal government wasn't a smart thing to do, IMO. There needed to be more substance than that. However, he surely has plenty of time to recover. 2012 is a long ways away.


Agree. There wasn't any new ideas on how the GOP would deal with the issues.


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## Pentheos (Jun 30, 2008)

gman-17 said:


> I believe Gore's biggest problem was the voting booth--he always did very well with the media.


Show me a democrat who doesn't. Even Teddy Kennedy comes off looking like a charming and tipsy uncle.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

Helvetia said:


> Agree. There wasn't any new ideas on how the GOP would deal with the issues.


No new ideas is an argument that will be tough for Conservatives to debate.

Conservatives don't think we need something "new", but that we need to return to what previously worked and was abandoned by both parties; i.e. fiscal conservativism and free markets work.

As long as the statement "the failed ideas of the past" is repeated/unchallenged by the media and others, I don't see how Conservatives can do anything except swim against the current. As a nation, we are not seriously debating issues like subsidized mortgages through Fannie/Freddie and the longterm effects they brought. Economics is pretty clear on the consequences of subsidies. We should not be surprised how it turned out. Increasing subsidies not only by creating non-market rates but by transfer payments is a return to the failed ideas of the past, but the message is not getting through. Subsidies->Shortages->Bubbles.

I think that's a legitimate knock on presentation, Jindal, et al. We need someone who can break through wall of rhetoric ... maybe Ron Paul-like.

What do you think of the approach Michael Steele is taking by admitting that the Republicans abandoned Conservative values?

https://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/vp/29385924#29385924


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

Jidal was unprepared for a speech, somebody forgot to drop the banner saying MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

Kav said:


> Jidal was unprepared for a speech, somebody forgot to drop the banner saying MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.


I heard Pelosi borrowed it for her Stimulus Bill presser and never returned it.


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## charlie500 (Aug 22, 2008)

He's no Lindsey Graham:


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

charlie500 said:


> He's no Lindsey Graham:


That could be both good and bad! LOL


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## pt4u67 (Apr 27, 2006)

gman-17 said:


> . I don't know why they didn't have Eric Cantor give the response. He is a softspoken and thoughtful person who would have been difficult to dislike.


At the risk of sounding like a dork, I was watching c-span yesterday and both Paul Ryan of WI and Judd Gregg held a presser about the budget. Both did a fantastic job of pointing out the gimmicks in the budget. Both were calm and rational without resorting to demagoguery. Cantor and Jeff Flake of AZ also fit the bill.

I think the GOP has alot of young talent on the bench. If they play their cards right and let these guys naturally rise then I think 2010 will be a good year.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

pt4u67 said:


> At the risk of sounding like a dork, I was watching c-span yesterday and both Paul Ryan of WI and Judd Gregg held a presser about the budget. Both did a fantastic job of pointing out the gimmicks in the budget. Both were calm and rational without resorting to demagoguery. Cantor and Jeff Flake of AZ also fit the bill.
> 
> I think the GOP has alot of young talent on the bench. If they play their cards right and let these guys naturally rise then I think 2010 will be a good year.


I agree Cantor and Ryan have been great when I have seen/heard them on television.


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## Nicesuit (Apr 5, 2007)

If Jindal is the best the GOP can dredge up they are in a LOT of trouble. This guy is a moron if he practiced that delivery at all and thought it was a good idea to use it. I couldn't think of anything but Kenneth the Page.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

He was on 60 Minutes this week and I thought he presented himself much better. They really rubbed his Response in his face though. Shame that.

I thought he had a nice interaction with his wife too. I consider that important. I figure if the wife seems smart and still seems to respect the guy, he just might be ok.


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

Did anyone else watch the Republican clambake on CSPAN the other day?
It was something between a Luftwaffe veterans reunion ( ya, if only we had the ME 262 6 months earlier and in greater numbers )and Rudyard Kiplings Rule of the Bandar log.
Nit Romney still wraps himself in the flag declaring America frees people from Dictators ( like Somoza, Shah Pahlevi,Batista,Diem,Pinochet ) and Rush, dressed like a defrocked priest sans his drug addled EBAY pocketsquares was sceaming like the teacher in Pink Floyd's THE WALL.
These guys are about as exciting as a rental fleet's retired buicks at auction.
The democrats don't have to deliver, half so much as not fail as miserably as the republicans seem determined to.


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## ksinc (May 30, 2005)

Kav said:


> Did anyone else watch the Republican clambake on CSPAN the other day?
> It was something between a Luftwaffe veterans reunion ( ya, if only we had the ME 262 6 months earlier and in greater numbers )and Rudyard Kiplings Rule of the Bandar log.
> Nit Romney still wraps himself in the flag declaring America frees people from Dictators ( like Somoza, Shah Pahlevi,Batista,Diem,Pinochet ) and Rush, dressed like a defrocked priest sans his drug addled EBAY pocketsquares was sceaming like the teacher in Pink Floyd's THE WALL.
> These guys are about as exciting as a rental fleet's retired buicks at auction.
> The democrats don't have to deliver, half so much as not fail as miserably as the republicans seem determined to.


That's seriously all that you took from Mitt's speech? Are you sure you didn't just watch the HuffPo Highlight reel?

https://www.freestrongamerica.com/p...remarks_to_cpac__the_pursuit_of_the_difficult

https://www.freestrongamerica.com/press/item/usnwr_romney_speaks_my_chat_with_mitt


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## norton (Dec 18, 2008)

Kav said:


> Did anyone else watch the Republican clambake on CSPAN the other day?
> It was something between a Luftwaffe veterans reunion ( ya, if only we had the ME 262 6 months earlier and in greater numbers )and Rudyard Kiplings Rule of the Bandar log.
> Nit Romney still wraps himself in the flag declaring America frees people from Dictators ( like Somoza, Shah Pahlevi,Batista,Diem,Pinochet ) and Rush, dressed like a defrocked priest sans his drug addled EBAY pocketsquares was sceaming like the teacher in Pink Floyd's THE WALL.
> These guys are about as exciting as a rental fleet's retired buicks at auction.
> The democrats don't have to deliver, half so much as not fail as miserably as the republicans seem determined to.


I ignore opinions that are completely derogatory. There's always some idiot with an ax to grind that can't find anything good in something. If a poster has nothing constructive to say they're just not worth paying attention to.

As people grow up they usually learn that there are no good/bad guys, just other people who sometimes make mistakes and sometimes don't.


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## KenR (Jun 22, 2005)

Yes, ordinarily I would agree. But we are talking Kav here! His posts have approached legendary status.


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