InstantForum.NET v4.1.4Our.GOP.com Forumhttp://our.gop.com/forums/community@gop.comThu, 18 Mar 2010 20:26:01 GMT20http://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4329736-3760-1.aspxIt seems to me that a majority of elections are won by the younger-looking candidate. So, what does this tell us? We need a new look. Our demographics seems to distance ourselves from the youth of our nation. Let's face it; the youth vote is very important. The youth although they were scammed by Obama...they did vote him into office. We need their energy and we need them to man the front lines on college campuses across this nation. There needs to be a strong push to include the youth and do it early!Tue, 02 Mar 2010 15:44:11 GMThttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4253511-3760-1.aspxModerate - After you sign up for this site it displays your real name and not your handle-username in the board statistics section. So it says "Joe Schmoe Just joined this site" Instead of "SmokinJoe just joined this site." FOLLOWUP - You can edit your personal settings at this link...[url=http://our.gop.com/editor/app/admin/settings.aspx]http://our.gop.com/editor/app/admin/settings.aspx[/url]Mon, 02 Nov 2009 09:54:41 GMTHawaiianDudehttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4305028-3760-1.aspxPlease, oh please can we have a right of center candidate this election? It's a simple premise, we already have a party that claims to be for the middle and has proven that it actually leans far, far to the ideological left.We don't need the GOP to pick Moderates In Name Only candidates to seem fair and balanced. The Country is screaming clearly that it is Right of Center. We need more Right of Center candidates.This strategy is RoC solid and if we have any hope of ever turning the tide of Progressive(Socialist/Communist/Fascist) big Government, it is the only way to succeed.We are asking the GOP to speak for us and stand behind the principals that I know founded this party.Stick to the solid and the majority will know where we stand. It's solid as a RoC there and as they stand on the sand of flexible intentions let it devour them.Sat, 30 Jan 2010 13:35:11 GMTNyle Landashttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4289860-3760-1.aspxyou know i have not been a happy republican for a long time but when michael steele was made president of the RNC i became even more unhappy. steele has done nothing to improve my opinion of him. now i just saw a news brief showing our dear president steele joining in on the blame president bush game!! steele has the NERVE to blame president bush for the republican party being down and out?! please! not every republican is stupid enough to believe all the lies and spin put out about president bush and not all of us think he was a terrible president! no he was not one of the best but far from a reason for the downfall of the gop! steele now joins the acts of a keyna west with this this criticism and i have the same level of respect for them both....NONE!Tue, 05 Jan 2010 11:18:47 GMTbetty mayehttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4246237-3760-1.aspxPlease do not waste my time with your surveys. From the way they are worded and based on the fact each survey is accompanied by a donation section, it is obviuos that it is really the donation that is important. As a matter of fact, if you try to do the online survey, it cannot even be submitted without a donation. You have proven to me that you are more interested in financially maintaining your organization than actually trying to lead the republican conservative movement.Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:22:44 GMTJohn Lambhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4301969-3760-1.aspxTime to stop this insane lack of an illegal immigration policy.Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:04:03 GMThttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4301104-3760-1.aspxDid the National Republican Committee really have a meeting in Hawaii? If they did are they insane?Sun, 24 Jan 2010 10:00:42 GMTSTEVE SPECTORhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4249242-3760-1.aspxThe site is supposed to allow Republicans to sound off so our "leaders" can figure out what to do. There are sections for energy, economy, transportation, etc. We need a section for Republicans to voice their opinion about how to rebuild our party. I'm sure I'll get crucified for saying this, but I voted for Obama because I don't think my party represented me OR the values it has traditionally stood for. AND it was WAY too negative. (Proven by the fact that Obama won on "hope" and "change".) Maybe the site admins should consider a MySpace type system where users can have pages and a blog of their own. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only Republican that is offended by the idea that Glen and Rush are MY voice, that thinks our party has gone too far to the right (McCain seems to agree with me), and that can admit mistakes the party has made and has ideas on how to fix them. If we are to be a party "of the people, by the people, and for the people" (as a Republican once said) then maybe we need to hear what the people say.Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:58:55 GMTBrent Harrelsonhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4292995-3760-1.aspxAs I see it, due to the pitiful state of the Republican party today, prepare for the full 8 years of Obama!The apathy and complacency within this party that allowed Obama to be elected still exists in the party today. I don't see a major effort to change that situation. Where is the spirit and fight to get the job done?The party remains a "captainless" ship adrift in a big ocean. Obama lives in the twilight zone, but he is not stupid. He has no fear of breaking every rule in the book to mount a campaign several times stronger than the one that got him elected. Make no mistake, the stimulus money spent and still sitting in wait, will be used to fund his next campaign!You need to ask yourselves, how were the Republicans out flanked in the last election and what skill sets did they have that we don't?Where is the Obama team superior to our team?Ability to raise moneyNo fear of breaking rulesInternet skillsSocial Networking SkillsAd campaign skillsArt work skillsAbility to get people to the pollsLarger army of election works (think ACORN, SEIU)Better organizational skills and TEAM WorkControl of the minds of the countries YouthCommon "Street" senseAbility to properly appeal to voters senses and needsThe ability to "Sell" a dream (Hope and Change)Last, but not least, Ability to reach out and train these skills to large numbers!So who would be the best candidate for the Republicans?No one I see at this point.Sarah Palin would be the best shot, but the party was considered her "Window Dressing" in the last election.I don't believe she would run under the Republican ticket as things stand today. A major shift in party structure would be needed to make that happen.If you look at all the threads on this site you will find that the most active threads with high response rates are the ones that speak of Palin...get the point?I see the party posture as one that depends on a swing of Independent voters supporting the Republican candidate(s) in 2010 and 2012. This is a fools bet! Obama has the ability to rally an insurmountable electronic onslaught that will role over this party once again.What is needed to win?Replace Steele and get a more effective leaderAddress and counter every Obama strengthGet rid of Political CorrectnessBuild an army of supporters like no otherTrain the army in the skills needed to winFind a way to restore the spirit and fire of the party!And finally, my favorite: Loose all fear of offending! This means say what you mean without fear of offending one segment of supporters or another. If you are right and stick to principles, you will succeed.I can sum up this advise in one sentence: Study your opponent in every detail and adopt a clear strategy to out flank them while applyiing your own pricipals to the solution!Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:42:33 GMTJim Rectorhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4281675-3760-1.aspxThe Republican Party needs to understand that the Tea Party is not about the Republican (or Democratic) policies and platform. It is about their practices. They have destroyed a sacred trust with their constituencies, with few exceptions. They follow the same "pack mentality" as the rest of the politicians instead of representing the people they are supposed to represent. They have proven that they can spend our money as well as any Democrat and have the same entitled mentality. The best thing the current Republican legislators can do is retire at the end of their terms and allow candidates that can be trusted to say what they mean and mean what they say to lead the way back to sanity.Thu, 17 Dec 2009 20:57:10 GMTVerna Jameshttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4298321-3760-1.aspxhttp://www.democrats.org/I am a lifelong Republican and came to this website for election coverage and articles for Scott Brown in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, the Dems have got us beat. Compared to ours, their website seems full of life, is current, shows Democratic candidate Coakley on the front page, describes the importance of this election night, and tells of ways to call voters in Massachusetts and other ways to make a difference.It seems we could learn much from their website, especially on election night. We have to do better!Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:53:33 GMTmark hancockhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4295912-3760-1.aspxMichael Steele,Get of your duff and rally the troops to contribute to Scott Brown's campaign for the open Massachusetts Senate seat. This is our change to stop the Dems NOW, not in Nov! The RNC should be throwing every once of its collective wieght into this fight. Obama and Clinton are both going to Mass this weekend to support the Democratic candidate.Do something now! The election is Tuesday!Anyone can make personal contributions to Scott Brown’s campaign. This can be done directly at https://www.icontribute.us/scottbrown or call (781)444-0200. His website http://www.brownforussenate.com/ where you can see what he is all about.KK Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:17:42 GMTkevin kennedyhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4295693-3760-1.aspxIs the GOP going to snap out of it and throw some serious weight behind Scott Brown. The GOP has to act as of yesterday to get Scott Brown elected, he can win this seat and make a difference in congress. Us conservatives in Mass. will come out in droves to vote instead of sitting home knowing are vote means nothing in this liberal state, where we try to make a difference but know another liberal is getting elected. There is less than one week to get this done, so send Mr. Brown some serious money for an ad blitz and He will get elected putting a Republican in office for Taxachusetts for the first time since the early seventies.Fri, 15 Jan 2010 09:54:21 GMTJohn Murphyhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4294578-3760-1.aspxThe race for Ted Kennedy's seat is tight and it is time for the GOP to throw Republican candidate Scott Brown some serious backing and he very well may win this seat in the heart of liberalville.Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:49:53 GMTJohn Murphyhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4291338-3760-1.aspxI think it is time we officially make Blue the color of the Republican Party. When are the admins going to change the website from Communist Red to Capitalist Blue?Thu, 07 Jan 2010 22:31:55 GMTJuan Gonzalezhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4294272-3760-1.aspx***I sent this a few minutes ago to Star Parker in response to her weekly composition to Conservatives.. all of the REAL leaders of America need to take it to heart.So, Star, my dear lady,...You keep hitting the nail on the head. More and more conservatives and, unfortunately, fewer Republicans and even fewer Democrates, are also seeing glimpses of the light.But I must ask, is the light yet showing you and these other leaders of real America that "nice" no longer cuts it? That "nice" is not going to swing the congress? That "nice" will never again win in the courts? That the opposition is rotfltao? That "nice" is not going to get our freedoms back? That "nice" nowadays is only for losers who don't have the spine to take to the streets and take this country back from the unresponsive, unconscionable thugs who have stolen it?Wake up 'leaders'....Tue, 12 Jan 2010 21:45:31 GMTDonna Benehttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4292507-3760-1.aspxI am dissipointed in mike steele saying we can't win our seats back come on mike what has being a moderate blueblood got you all losses McCain anyone? Well the conservatives are on the way with or without the GOP and i will donate my money from now on to conservatives that will stand up and fight these jerks not go along with them. We want none of this health bill we do not want to be their freinds we want to defeat them not hold an olive branch out. You guys have been in washington to long and forgot your real base what a joke and the people are suffering for it shame shame.Sat, 09 Jan 2010 22:23:04 GMTsteve jenkinshttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4267584-3760-1.aspxI want to caution the GOP about being too adamant in opposing the health care bills at this point. The 2 big rallying cries for conservatives against health care have been abortion and the cost involved (a third, death panels, has been effectively debunked and probably is not part of the Senate bill now, if it ever was). Now that the Stupak amendment and Harry Reid's new Senate version exclude abortions (Reid is pro-life), and Reid's new bill would actually cut the deficit, the GOP should be especially willing to begin listening to the Democrats.Be aware that making too harsh a stance against health care now that those 2 major reforms are being judiciously confronted in the new bill versions will result in criticism against you for years to come, in the same way that the Iraq War was. Democrats will be able to point to this afterwards, and say:1. You were obstinately partisan in opposing the bills even after those demands were met.2. You really just wanted to stop the bills at all costs.3. You were controlled by corporate interests and refusing to compromise after such concessions was proof.4. You were more interested in partisanship than genuine economic reforms.The American people will not hear out arguments afterwards about Republicans being locked out of negotiations. At the time, it will seem a weak defense against the charges, and in the heat of elections, will be a sticking point for the American people in deciding not to re-elect Republicans.If I were the GOP, I would herald the progress made in getting the Democrats to make reforms on abortion and cost to the bills. Point out that Republican resistance stopped abortion and more massive spending, and that the American people effectively owe Republicans one now. Perhaps even be willing to graciously thank the pro-life and moderate Democrats who helped make that resistance possible, and to open up more talks about health care with Democrats, those in particular, as a symbol of Republican goodwill and open-mindedness to economic reform, even if it means a new approach for the Republican Party..Again, I am concerned that at this point, any further resistance to the bills, Reid's in particular, will only be held against you in the future as a criticism of the Republican party. This could either be a great opportunity for you, or a massive pitfall that will haunt you in years to come.-JzSun, 22 Nov 2009 01:24:34 GMTJzyehoshuahttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4280897-3760-1.aspxJust got the survey and the four page letter that came with it. Started innocent enough but eventually turned into a rant. The questions were designed by and for morons and were seeking the pre-determined conditioned response. Not only did I not return the survey, I blacked out my name and threw it in my neighbors trash for fear someone would identify me as a RNC supporter! Needless to say there is no contibution coming your way either (Bush's fiscal policies took care of any disposable cash I had).Hate to admit it but the Republicans are running scared. John McCain should be ashamed of you. Get realistic and support our conservative principles; don't start ranting and raving like maniacs. Still not a fan of Obama - but at least he's doing SOMETHING; right, wrong or indifferent.Wed, 16 Dec 2009 19:24:37 GMTBush Whackedhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4275900-3760-1.aspxWhere are the pictures of all the Republicans (and I mean all of them)standing on the steps of capital hill during their daily press conference explaining to the world what damaging stuff the Democrats did that day?I have been a republican for 50 years, but now I am a Tea Bagger. If you want me back, stop sitting on your hands. Call a press conference every day and explain what dumb stuff the Dems did and what your going to do about it! This is the only way to wake up the silent media. Shame them into action!!I believe our problem is simple. The public at large has no idea what is happening to our country. If they knew the truth, they would act and act strongly. I constantly talk to people about the current situation and I am constantly amazed at the lack of knowledge people have. They continue to swallow whatever the state run media says!I have been disappointed for months that all the republicans on the have failed to unite as one.Tue, 08 Dec 2009 18:02:00 GMTJim Rectorhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4271043-3760-1.aspxI can't believe you are considering a purity pledge! You are going to shoot yourselves in the foot with this. Don't you realize that this will hurt the Republican Party, not help it. We can't afford to help Obama with such outrageousness! The democrats are out of control which can only help Republicans but most people are more apt to vote republican if you adopt a more moderate agenda. PLEASE, PLEASE don't ruin the opportunity to stop Obama and his destructive agenda!Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:57:22 GMTGwen Clearyhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4267365-3760-1.aspxDoes anyone else find it interesting that there is on 'Foreign Policy' section on the Forums? There is a national defense, but no foreign policy. Kinda speaks to how wrong this party's foreign policy is. It's so bad we don't even want to talk about it.Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:55:44 GMTHuskerSkierhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4252364-3760-1.aspxIt sucks and blows at the same time...SlowConfusingHard to navigateDropdowns are too large...the list goes off the page and then when you go to scroll down to see the end of the list the dropdown rolls upKeeps telling me I don't have authorization to view the forumI have asses in my post...in the preview it changes ki##### to ki#####. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot??Why does it change k.i.c.k.i.n.g to ki#####? Shouldn't it change asses to a##e#?I know I personally can't do better, but I certainly could find someone who could. Email me if you would like me to refer you to someone.If we can't even get a website right there is no hope of winning an election.Have you even looked at the Organizing for America site? (http://www.barackobama.com/)The Dems are ki##### our asses when it comes to using technology to activate their support base. Keeping with the philosophy of knowing your enemy, I am registered at... http://www.barackobama.com/I just got an email from them... reminding me to vote on Tuesday...here is the polling location for the address we have on record for you...and click here to call five of your neighbors and remind them to vote on Tuesday...for Creigh Deeds.As much as I hate to say it...They are good. Much better than than we are. What's the plan Mr. Steele?Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:39:05 GMTNeal Frazierhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4246395-3760-1.aspxThe site could use a little less pop, and more functionality. I am a little partial to linux and demand user control over the way that it looks.The average user is probably comfortable with a little more "facebook" or "myspace" like style, which most social sites have.I have dual 24in monitors and the site is a little difficult to navigate. It should be designed so a regular person with a 19in can have the google news open and this site so that we can make accurate statements and have fruitful discussionsSun, 18 Oct 2009 00:33:03 GMTfcphttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4260911-3760-1.aspxThe Republican Party has frustratingly used a variety of attacks on Obama that are not true or difficult to prove (such as the Birther stuff). This frustrates those of us in Illinois who've followed Obama, know the very real criticisms of Obama, but can't get people to listen to them because:a) The false ones get most of the press, andb) When people do hear the true ones, they assume them false like the many others that were discredited.It's like the boy who cries wolf. Please stick to the very real criticisms of Barack Obama, such as:[size=3][b]1. INFANTICIDE. [/b][/size][url=http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/obama_and_infanticide.html]FactCheck.org[/url] is admitting now that Obama has distorted his record on live birth abortion. As Obama summed up on the [url=http://www.ilga.gov/senate/transcripts/strans92/ST033001.pdf]senate floor[/url] (pgs. 84-90) the bill he would end up standing against, the Born Alive Infants Protection Act, "Senator O’Malley, the testimony during the committee indicated that one of the key concerns was – is that there was a method of abortion, an induced abortion, where the -- the fetus or child, as – as some might describe it, is still [b]temporarily alive outside the womb[/b]. And one of the concerns that came out in the testimony was the fact that they were [b]not being properly cared for during that brief period of time that they were still living[/b]. Is that correct?"Obama went on to make his case against the bill, saying:"Well, it turned out – that during the testimony a number of members who are typically in favor of a woman’s right to choose an abortion were actually sympathetic to some of the concerns that your – you raised and that were raised by witnesses in the testimony. And there was some suggestion that we might be able to craft something that might meet constitutional muster with respect to caring for fetuses or children who were delivered in this fashion. Unfortunately, this bill goes a little bit further, and so I just want to suggest, not that I think it’ll make too much difference with respect to how we vote, that this is probably not going to survive constitutional scrutiny. Number one, [b]whenever we define a previable fetus as a person that is protected by the equal protection clause or the other elements in the Constitution, what we’re really saying is, in fact, that they are persons that are entitled to the kinds of protections that would be provided to a – a child, a nine-month-old -- child that was delivered to term. That determination then, essentially, if it was accepted by a court, would forbid abortions to take place.[/b] I mean, it – it would essentially bar abortions, because the equal protection clause does not allow somebody to kill a child, then this would be an antiabortion statute. For that purpose, I think it would probably be found unconstitutional. The second reason that it would probably be found unconstitutional is that this essentially says that a doctor is required to provide treatment to a previable child, or fetus, however way you want to describe it. Viability is the line that has been drawn by the Supreme Court to determine whether or not an abortion can or cannot take place. And if we’re placing a burden on the doctor that says you have to keep alive even a previable child as long as possible and give them as much medical attention as – as if necessary to try to keep that child alive, then we’re probably crossing the line in terms of unconstitutionality. Now, as I said before, this probably won’t make any difference. I recall the last time we had a debate about abortion, we passed a bill out of here. I suggested to Members of the Judiciary Committee that it was unconstitutional and it would be struck down by the Seventh Circuit. It was. I recognize this is a passionate issue, and so I – I won’t, as I said, belabor the point. I think it’s important to recognize though that this is an area where potentially we might have compromised and – and arrived at a bill that dealt with the narrow concerns about how a – a previable fetus or child was treated by a hospital. We decided not to do that. We’re going much further than that in this bill. As a consequence, I think that we will probably end up in court once again, as we often do, on this issue. And as a consequence, I’ll be voting Present."However, this was not an isolated case. Some of Obama's other controversial abortion votes include:-Voted no on the '[url=http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/legisnet90/status/900SB0230.html][b][u]Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act[/u][/b][/url]' of 2000.-Voted no on the '[url=http://www.votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=15683&can_id=9490][b][u]Prohibiting U.S. Assistance For Groups That Support Coercive Abortion[/u][/b][/url]' bill.-Voted no on the '[url=http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/legisnet92/status/920SB1661.html][b][u]Induced Birth Infant Liability Act[/u][/b][/url]'.-Voted no on the '[url=http://www.ilga.gov/legislation/legisnet91/status/910HB0709.html][b][u]DPA Abortion Limitations[/u][/b][/url]' bill.-Voted present on the '[url=http://www.votesmart.org/issue_keyvote_detail.php?cs_id=16080&can_id=9490][b][u]Prohibiting Funds For Groups That Perform Abortions[/u][/b][/url]' bill.-Voted no on the '[url=http://www.ontheissues.org/SenateVote/Party_2006-216.htm][b][u]Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act[/u][/b][/url]'.[size=3][b]2. CHICAGO POLITICS. [/b][/size]Glenn Beck doesn't know the half of it. As Todd Spivak, who had been reporting on Obama since 2001, reported in '[b][u][url=http://www.houstonpress.com/2008-02-28/news/barack-obama-screamed-at-me/]Barack Obama and Me[/url][/u][/b]':"The white, race-baiting, hard-right Republican Illinois Senate Majority Leader James "Pate" Philip was replaced by Emil Jones Jr., a gravel-voiced, dark-skinned African-American known for chain-smoking cigarettes on the Senate floor.Jones had served in the Illinois Legislature for three decades. He represented a district on the Chicago South Side not far from Obama's. He became Obama's ­kingmaker.Several months before Obama announced his U.S. Senate bid, Jones called his old friend Cliff Kelley, a former Chicago alderman who now hosts the city's most popular black call-in radio ­program.I called Kelley last week and he recollected the private conversation as follows:'He said, 'Cliff, I'm gonna make me a U.S. Senator.'''Oh, you are? Who might that be?''Barack Obama.'Jones appointed Obama sponsor of virtually every high-profile piece of legislation, angering many rank-and-file state legislators who had more seniority than Obama and had spent years championing the bills.'I took all the beatings and insults and endured all the racist comments over the years from nasty Republican committee chairmen,' State Senator Rickey Hendon, the original sponsor of landmark racial profiling and videotaped confession legislation yanked away by Jones and given to Obama, complained to me at the time. 'Barack didn't have to endure any of it, yet, in the end, he got all the credit.'I don't consider it bill jacking,' Hendon told me. 'But no one wants to carry the ball 99 yards all the way to the one-yard line, and then give it to the halfback who gets all the credit and the stats in the record book.'During his seventh and final year in the state Senate, Obama's stats soared. He sponsored a whopping 26 bills passed into law — including many he now cites in his presidential campaign when attacked as inexperienced.It was a stunning achievement that started him on the path of national politics — and he couldn't have done it without Jones.Before Obama ran for U.S. Senate in 2004, he was virtually unknown even in his own state. Polls showed fewer than 20 percent of Illinois voters had ever heard of Barack Obama.Jones further helped raise Obama's profile by having him craft legislation addressing the day-to-day tragedies that dominated local news ­headlines.For instance. Obama sponsored a bill banning the use of the diet supplement ephedra, which killed a Northwestern University football player, and another one preventing the use of pepper spray or pyrotechnics in nightclubs in the wake of the deaths of 21 people during a stampede at a Chicago nightclub. Both stories had received national attention and extensive local coverage.I spoke to Jones earlier this week and he confirmed his conversation with Kelley, adding that he gave Obama the legislation because he believed in Obama's ability to negotiate with Democrats and Republicans on divisive issues.So how has Obama repaid Jones?Last June, to prove his commitment to government transparency, Obama released a comprehensive list of his earmark requests for fiscal year 2008. It comprised more than $300 million in pet projects for Illinois, including tens of millions for Jones's Senate district.Shortly after Jones became Senate president, I remember asking his view on pork-barrel spending.I'll never forget what he said:'Some call it pork; I call it steak.''....'Obama has spent his entire political career trying to win the next step up. Every three years, he has aspired to a more powerful political position.He was just 35 when in 1996 he won his first bid for political office. Even many of his staunchest supporters, such as Black, still resent the strong-arm tactics Obama employed to win his seat in the Illinois Legislature.Obama hired fellow Harvard Law alum and election law expert Thomas Johnson to challenge the nominating petitions of four other candidates, including the popular incumbent, Alice Palmer, a liberal activist who had held the seat for several years, according to an April 2007 Chicago Tribune report.Obama found enough flaws in the petition sheets — to appear on the ballot, candidates needed 757 signatures from registered voters living within the district — to knock off all the other Democratic contenders. He won the seat unopposed.'A close examination of Obama's first campaign clouds the image he has cultivated throughout his political career," wrote Tribune political reporters David Jackson and Ray Long. "The man now running for president on a message of giving a voice to the voiceless first entered public office not by leveling the playing field, but by clearing it.''If you really want to see the very real criticisms of Barack Obama, just read that article by Spivak. He hit on almost everything.[size=3][b]3. BUSH SIMILARITIES.[/b][/size]Despite campaigning on a new order, Americans are now realizing how similar he is to his predecessor. [b][u][url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/13/wall.bush-obama/index.html]CNN reported on 20 different similarities[/url][/u][/b] between the two.Bush even used in his [b][u][url=http://www.c-span.org/executive/transcript.asp?cat=current_event&code=bush_admin&year=2001]2000 State of the Union address[/url][/u][/b] before Hispanics the phrase 'Juntos Podemos', "Together We Can". Obama seemingly used his own version for personal use.Obama is now backtracking in many ways similar to Bush, refusing to [b][u][url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123448807524880329.html]close Guantanamo[/url][/u][/b], supporting more troops in Afghanistan, and supporting Bush's [b][u][url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124269481249232895.html]free trade pacts[/url][/u][/b].Obama voted for Bush's tax cuts, [b][u][url=http://www.france24.com/en/20080711-bush-signs-wiretapping-law-usa-security&navi=AMERIQUES]wiretapping bill[/url][/u][/b], and for the Patriot Act. As the Wall Street Journal suggested in 2008, Obama may be '[b][u][url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121495450490321133.html]Bush's Third Term[/url][/u][/b]'.Even the enthusiastically and unashamedly liberal Huffington Post recognized Obama's disturbing Bush similarities, stating in '[b][u][url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/07/04/analysis-obamas-shifts-to_n_110895.html]Analysis: Obama's Centrist Emphasis Gives GOP Ammo[/url][/u][/b]':"Hence Obama has been highlighting positions anathema to the left on several issues, though some have long been part of his policy.On Iraq, Obama said Thursday that his upcoming trip there might lead him to refine his promise to quickly remove U.S. troops from the war.He now supports broader authority for the government's eavesdropping program and legal immunity for telecommunications companies that participated in it, supporting the bill after some protections were added.The handgun control proponent reacted to the Supreme Court overturning the District of Columbia's gun ban by saying he favors both an individual's right to own a gun as well as government's right to regulate ownership.Obama became the first major-party candidate to reject public financing for the general election after earlier promises to accept it.He not only embraced but promised to expand Bush's program to give more anti-poverty grants to religious groups, a split with Democratic orthodoxy.He objected to the Supreme Court's decision outlawing the death penalty for child rapists, drawing attention to his support for the death penalty if used only for the 'most egregious' crimes.Obama also said 'mental distress' should not count as a health exception that would permit a late-term abortion, saying "it has to be a serious physical issue,' addressing a matter considered crucial to abortion rights activists.The GOP increasingly has sought to take advantage of any opportunity to permanently pin the flip-flopper label on Obama, with all its unappealing associations, and strip him of the shiny-new-penny one he's cultivated up to now.'There appears to be no issue that Barack Obama is not willing to reverse himself on for the sake of political expedience,' said Alex Conant, a spokesman for the national Republican Party.'"Wed, 11 Nov 2009 05:34:07 GMTJzyehoshuahttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4254449-3760-1.aspxUnder the "Act" section of the website, you seriously need to change the wording of "Donate for Democracy." After all, this is the website of the Republican Party; it seems like it ought to reflect the fact that the founding fathers intended to create a [b]constitutional republic[/b], not a democracy. [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7M-7LkvcVw]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7M-7LkvcVw[/url]This is an issue which is pervasive in the Republican Party. How many times do we see Republican officials erroneously calling the United States a 'democracy?' The Republican Party as a whole needs to start getting this right: the founders gave us a constitutional republic, not a democracy.Tue, 03 Nov 2009 04:07:50 GMTN.G.http://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4246206-3760-1.aspxI would suggest going to one of the commercial forums that are free of bugs. It cost less in the long run then paying some one to design from bottom up.Anyways more specifically who ever is designing the site can you please include multi quote feature. The way it works on other forums is that you click on a button that marks the post you want to quote in your reply. Then when you marked all the posts you want to quote you click on reply and they all come up.Also when replying in a thread you should have the latest posts automatically bellow so one can reference back to the thread without opening a new window or going back.Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:35:13 GMTNikita Perminovhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4249992-3760-1.aspxHere's a suggestion: How about stopping the censorship on the blog side. You are allowing no negative comments from conservatives about the direction of the RNC in response to posts by Mr. Steele. Do you simply not care what we think or are you afraid of showing dissension "among the ranks"? Either way, it's not what conservatives stand for. I would think the RNC would want to hear from conservatives so you might figure out what you have been doing wrong these past few years.Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:27:22 GMTMike Lattierhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4246698-3760-1.aspxFor this forum to take off, it'd be nice to some sign(an occasional post, etc) from Republican politicians. A big disconnect nowadays(and a big reason people like me have yet to join the Republicans) is that there doesn't seem like there's a decent way to discuss anything with the leadership. Or to know that what we're saying is actually getting listened to.Any hope on that?Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:18:52 GMTMichael Chttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4246193-3760-1.aspxI think site design needs to be changed a bit. In my own opinion I think there is too much red. Introducing some blue colors is not going to make us democrats :D. The faces shouldn't be shaded red either.Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:02:12 GMTNikita Perminovhttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4248589-3760-1.aspxImagine you are in this scenario: Ok, just imagine that you are a non affiliated voter. You are researching the two main parties and you have stumbled upon www.gop.com. You don't know much about political parties.Now go to www.gop.com and just go to the home page. From your first look can you tell this is the republican party website? Nothing in the heading says "The Republican Party" if you don't know what GOP means, it would be hard to understand what party this is. We need to have the republican party at the top of the page. Also we need less red. Maybe a little more blue, and white. Also, I think we need more action links on the homepage. It looks incomplete now.Although this site is a huge step from the last, I actually prefer the splashpage preview that was a placeholder inbetween the new site and the old. I hope someone reads this and considers some of my suggestions. Thanks :)Thu, 22 Oct 2009 14:34:01 GMTAnthony Closehttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4250002-3760-1.aspxSo there was a little controversy out in Webland today: [url]http://bit.ly/time_for_a_quick_edit[/url]And I see the photo section here has been suitably policed, with a heavy hand I might add. But we still have that offensive Cat God photo with a broken link on the main photo page. Could it be that it is intentionally left there to rile us? A 'false flag' of our own to get our blood boiling?I have enough 'heat' on my own to not need any stoking by such cynical ploys.Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:07:47 GMTMalcom Reynoldshttp://our.gop.com/forums/Topic4247541-3760-1.aspxDear Sirs: I would like to email the chairman or co-chairman. I can't find a place to email them. We need it.John EllisTue, 20 Oct 2009 16:29:36 GMTJohn D. Ellis