upvote for anything that might change someone's political mind, somewhere. whatever it takes, i say... let's get some "kittens against the two party system" sifts going!

his delivery is crude, but just because he loses speaker points doesn't mean he loses the debate. maher's points make sense and they do not float on a 'believe it because i said it' rhetoric. their foundation in fact, while still debatable, at least gives credibility, and with credibility one can build confidence.

besides, i'd guess the majority of maher's viewers share his standpoints which is voiced in his typical snide asshole-ism... which can be funny.

shrug

>> ^imstellar28
It is our contemporary philosophy which has led us into warfare, moral decay, social inequality, increased governmental power, restrictions on personal freedom, economic disaster, and the bankruptcy of a once wealthy nation.
We don't have to replace our politicians, force policy, or start a violent revolution--all we need is start a grassroots movement to replace the defective philosophy thats been pulled over our eyes for the past 80-100 years. One which has become so ingrained in our lives, it's as if we forgot what America really stands for.


in my opinion, "population" is a more appropriate word than "philosophy" for that first quoted paragraph. it's not a perfect fit, but i believe it starts one thinking about the inadequacy of a two-party system. you speak of framers' intent, and while i would also advocate a return to that, it has clearly become impossible... previously, 200 years ago, voters were envisioned as property owners with a vested interest in informed policy-making. that personal interest dictated the democracy, and worked so well for a while because the participants in the system cared about issues that affected their livelihoods, not their sensibilities.

at any rate, i'd argue that the current massiveness of america -- and i include its global reach through corporate (over)extension -- prevents any sort of meaningful difference between the two parties. these days, everyone pretty much wants the same things: they want their money to buy needed things like shelter, food, luxuries; they want their government to provide things like mail, roads, and security; and they want to be left alone in things that do not directly influence their daily lives.

shrug, i don't really know for certain what an alternative is, and that's bad form for debate... it should be obvious that something is completely broken when solutions to problems or stances on issues are not discussed, and instead things like "he seems like a good guy" or "she has nice bangs" or "his name is funny" matter the most.

in conclusion,

she actually starts speaking at 3:20. you can fast forward the first three minutes of applause... at first i thought this was going to be a joke post because of the title! 9 minutes of applause as "the first part of sarah palin's RNC speech." heh

clan wolf! now you've got to sift the intro to the expansion pack... i seem to remember being blown away by that when i first saw it so many years ago

perhaps 'lovable' isn't the adjective i'd have used to describe the joker...

"hey son, why is this picture of a cow 3.5 gigabytes?"

"gee dad, that's odd."

ach. spare me. i have never understood why the personal sex lives of politicians are relevant to the voters. no doubt people CARE; that's not my point. clinton was impeached -- impeached!! -- for extramarital affairs, but not violating the war powers acts (kosovo, somalia). personally, i don't take a strong stance on those conflicts, but they seem like a truly legitimate charge if our country even cared about politics rather than "white house the movie drama."

gah. psh. sour taste in my mouth now! heh. such misplaced priorities in our nation at times...

that's amazing... the little "sparks" make their way toward the ground, and the first one that touches gets the lightning strike. the lattice is almost like a snowflake; it's so erratic. great image

for whatever reason i can't post this video, but i was reminded of it after thinker247's comment. it's from the RNC 2004, and very appropriately tongue in cheek.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=116054&title=bushs-words

if anyone wants to explain why the embed code won't validate, i'd be all ears. i couldn't find this clip on the sift either

i'm wondering what britney will release in the wake to try to get some attention...

isn't that how this sort of celebrity thing works?

*dead

and i so loved this entire soundtrack too. this and lost highway were both very influential for me growing up in highschool. okay fine, date me! i'm a youngster !!

hah, the irony is that my father stood up in the middle of a family reunion discussion about something or another and shouted, MEIN FUHRER, I CAN WALK. i wanted to send him the clip, and i always go to videosift first... couldn't find it, so i had to post it! love your avatar

In reply to this comment by poolcleaner:
It makes me happy that a Strangelove clip went to the top 15.

what ant said! it's gotten my roommate (who, ironically, is frantically clicking next to me playing d2 instead of working!) and my friend to start playing again.

our bnet characters have expired, but it's been fun to have that basic instant gratification type of game. "kill boss, get loots."

hooray! thanks guys. i've been a lurker for so long that i figured i might try to contribute for once