Republican Debate?

[AquaEyes]

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Actually, liberal seems to have become a dirty word because I keep hearing it pronounced 'liiiibbbbberrraaawlllllll", in the obligatory deep voice. I must try that on my dog when she is misbehaving. "Dooooooooaaaaaawgggg". I especially like hearing how the political group I am most closely aligned with is pronounced. You have to have a spittle guard up for that one. XD

It is interesting to me how black and white many people's views are. Nothing new, I come from a family who had an even more limited ability to view a full spectrum than most people. UV is totally off the charts, but so was a simple orange.

A "fence sitter" sits on the line between two alternatives, which would be the case only if an issue was black and white. Most issues aren't. Here's an example of an issue not being black or white -- should we raise taxes -- yes or no?

Um...how much?

For everyone? If not everyone, for whom?

What kind of taxes are you talking about -- property, sales, income, estate, capital gains, etc?

Will they be raised at a linear, logarithmic, or stratified rate?

Someone could say "no, no form of raising of taxes of any kind", but the "yes" answer has lots of qualifications. If I say "yes, we should raise the capital gains tax", am I accurately portrayed as someone who will raise taxes for the poor in a campaign video by my opponent? Yes, I agreed to raising taxes, but only a specific tax, and how many poor people pay capital gains taxes?

This is an example of "shades of gray."

 

[chickened]

That may be your definition of a fence sitter but it does not happen to be mine. The simple answer is someone who is wishy-washy... you may not find that in websters. Even after all the factors are presented and weighed in for the average person to make a reasonable choice and then they are still unable to make a choice that is a fence sitter as the fence is the dividing line. I think what you are describing is how far from the fence shall I sit.

Poor people pay capital gains as it is collected through sales and other services by the "rich". When a tax is levied against the provider of goods it is passed on to the consumer I know this as a business owner that provides services and does sales.
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A "fence sitter" sits on the line between two alternatives, which would be the case only if an issue was black and white. Most issues aren't. Here's an example of an issue not being black or white -- should we raise taxes -- yes or no?

Um...how much?

For everyone? If not everyone, for whom?

What kind of taxes are you talking about -- property, sales, income, estate, capital gains, etc?

Will they be raised at a linear, logarithmic, or stratified rate?

Someone could say "no, no form of raising of taxes of any kind", but the "yes" answer has lots of qualifications. If I say "yes, we should raise the capital gains tax", am I accurately portrayed as someone who will raise taxes for the poor in a campaign video by my opponent? Yes, I agreed to raising taxes, but only a specific tax, and how many poor people pay capital gains taxes?

This is an example of "shades of gray."

 

[AquaEyes]

So to cover your taxes on profits made from investments, you charge your customers more through your business? That's like a shoe-store owner raising the prices of shoes because he just paid a big chunk on what his stock portfolio brought in.

And the point about "black or white" is that rarely does a decision involve choosing A or B. Usually, there's C, D, E, F, etc. Whenever there is more than two choices, the issue is automatically no longer "black or white."


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A "fence sitter" sits on the line between two alternatives, which would be the case only if an issue was black and white. Most issues aren't. Here's an example of an issue not being black or white -- should we raise taxes -- yes or no?

Um...how much?

For everyone? If not everyone, for whom?

What kind of taxes are you talking about -- property, sales, income, estate, capital gains, etc?

Will they be raised at a linear, logarithmic, or stratified rate?

Someone could say "no, no form of raising of taxes of any kind", but the "yes" answer has lots of qualifications. If I say "yes, we should raise the capital gains tax", am I accurately portrayed as someone who will raise taxes for the poor in a campaign video by my opponent? Yes, I agreed to raising taxes, but only a specific tax, and how many poor people pay capital gains taxes?

This is an example of "shades of gray."

 

[Ridgerunner]

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Haven't you ever taken advantage of a half off sale? You'd be amazed at how much money my wife has saved in the past month!!!


My point exactly, though my wife obviously went to the same math school as Royd's politicians.

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Depends on which state you are in. In some, you have to vote for the party you are registered with. In some, you have your choice. When I was in Louisiana, I registered as a Republican, not because I was a Republican but because there were a lot more Democrats than Republicans in Louisiana. I figured my vote in the Republican primary counted more than it would have in the Democratic primary because of the difference in the numbers. In Arkansas, it does not matter. I can vote in whichever primary I wish no matter how I am registered.

It was fun getting those Republican Party polls. Most of the questions are extremely leading so the poll has no real validity, but it was fun voting against the party line. I guess since I did not send any money back with it, they stopped sending me the polls.

I have not decided which Republican I will vote for in next May's primary. I'm assuming Obama will be unopposed. I do not believe in voting for someone just because they can win. That's putting your party before your country, which I think is sad.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Actually black and white would better be transliterated "Let your nays be nay and your yas be ya. I prefer a decided person over a fence sitter.

It's unfortunate when people allow the fence to block out the entire view of the other side.

But no, you can be firm on an issue while still being firm on it in a way that allows for more than one person or groups of people to benefit. You can also be firm on an issue while still understanding different viewpoints, rather than dismissing those who do not agree as being lacking in morals, whiners, cry-babies...whatever I hear slung around the family reunion table. XD​

 

[the Pollo Loco]

it'll really not matter who wins the popular vote, becuase ultimately these guys will decide img/smilies/hit.gif" alt="hit" />">http://www.howstuffworks.com/electoral-college.htm

 

[chickened]

Well I certainly don't work the hours that I do to work for cost. Taxes are an expense to a business owner, you get to deduct them the next year just like any other business expense and so yes you are right it is like what your analogy says. I make a very good living in the way I run my business and it has done well for almost 25 years. You cannot run a business at a loss or know what works and what doesn't until you have done it. Books are not always right. You have to charge enough for a profit or you are better off working for someone else. Capital gain is all profit from any sales including timber which I buy and sell at a profit and the taxes are figured into the deal and paid by the seller via my reduced offer. Quite simple really. I know of no business owner that is successful that does not prepare his price for goods or services that doesn't do this in some similar fashion. Your employer does the same thing from your paycheck with SS. same principle different tax.
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[Boyd]

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Actually, the progressive movement was started by Theodore Roosevelt. And it wasn't anything to do with the womens right to vote.

even before teddy actually...

I believe it was about 1890 or so...

 

[AquaEyes]

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[Boyd]

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In american politics that'd be an oxymoron