MB.com Political Poll for July, 2 - July 9

[TimeWrecker]

We have many interesting voices here on the board, so I figure that we could have a poll includeing all currently popular topics once a week or so.

 

I'll ask the questions as I figure polling companies do. I'll keep it at about 8 questions. Feel free to talk it up below the actual poll.

 

ADDED A N/A OPTION FOR PRIMARY QUESTIONS. Sorry bout making you pick for the opposing party.

[Passion]

Dick Cheney's job performance?

 

:stare

[Dodge]

Dick Cheney's job performance?

 

:stare

 

He's done a great job... umm, presiding over the Senate.

[FutureGM]

Answers in order:

 

-Unfavorable for Bush, Cheney, and Congress

-I did not support the failed immigration bill

-Neither Iraq, nor this country is headed in the right direction

-Obviously I did not agree with the Libby decision

-I would not vote for any of the GOP candidates right now

-Barack Obama

-Democrat

[FutureGM]

Dick Cheney's job performance?

 

:stare

 

He's done a great job... umm, presiding over the Senate.

And getting friends he shot in the face to publicly apologize for all the trouble they caused :lol

[Dodge]

-Unfavorable for Bush, Cheney, and Congress

-I voted no on the immigration bill, but truthfully I wish there was a n/a response because I do not know enough about it to support it or not.

-Yes on Iraq, it's heading in the right direction, but at a snail's pace; I do not believe it will be made right.

-No on Libby

-Giuliani

-Obama

-Independent

 

edit: No on America "heading in the right direction" - it's a broad question but I don't think the country is, and it has very little to do with my view on foreign affairs.

[Passion]

No, I just don't get a 'VP Cheney approval' or whatever. Pointless.

 

lolz year+ old jokes about Cheney. Seriously people.

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Anyways, I'm unfavorable towards Bush and Congress.

 

I was against that Immigration Bill.

 

The direction of Iraq is far too complex to answer in those terms.

 

lol @ is America headed in the right direction.

 

I am indifferent on Bush's decision with Libby.

 

I am for Fred Thompson, have donated to Friends of Fred Thompson, and will vote for Fred Thompson.

 

I'd vote for Obama cuz ma daddi is black.

 

I'm a member of the Peace and Freedom Party.

[FutureGM]

Well, you have to admit that it was odd that after a man gets shot in the face, he then APOLOGIZES to the one who pulled the trigger. Just plain weird.

[Guest Night Phantom]

Bush: Unfavorable

Cheney: Unfavorable (only because he looks like Darth Vader.....he has no power who cares)

Congress: Unfavorable (both 109 and 110)

Immigration: Against

Iraq: No

America: No

Republican: Other (Paul)

Democrat: Other (no vote)

Political: Libertarian Republican

[Beinfest4Prez]

-Unfavorable for Bush, Cheney, and Congress. Congress has a chance to bring bipartisanship back to this country...and it is failing miserably.

-Yes, Iraq is headed in the right direction slowly.

-Shameful thing to commute Libby but Bush has every right to do so.

-Thompson

-Obama

-Democrat

 

 

I voted yes on the immigration bill but for the same reason as Dodge. Its a N/A answer.

[strandedx02]

Bush: Unfavorable

Cheney: (I'm with Fox, huh?) Unfavorable

Congress: Unfavorable

Immigration bill: Against, but I could be swayed for it with some adjustments

Iraq: Wrong direction...but yeah it's pretty complicated

US: Wrong direction

Libby: N/A don't really care--my main beef is that there are like a bunch of people who would be more deserving of pardons

Republicans: Other (Ron Paul)

Democrats: N/A wouldn't vote

Registration: Republican, but basically I'm a libertarian

[Rune]

Unfavorable for Bush, Cheney, and Congress.

 

Thought the immigration bill was flawed but the best thing that could have been passed and it's a shame we have a piss poor congress.

 

No on both countries. I disagree with the Pardon so I voted No but at the same time respect the office and powers of the president so I can't complain.

 

Not a republican so I wouldn't vote.

 

I support Bill Richardson for President, and I'm a registred Democrat.

[MarlinFan10]

Bush: Unfavorable

Cheney: Favorable (only because he looks like Darth Vader.....he has no power who cares)

Congress: they've all sucked since Congress became completely ineffective around 2002

Immigration: That bill was a joke

Iraq: Not really, that whole region is going to hell

America: No, and that's only partially half Bush's fault

Libby: Don't care

Republican: Fred Thompson

Democrat: Bill Richardson, even though that means nothing

I'm a registered Republican, but I dispise many of the people who are currently leading the party.

[legacyofCangelosi]

Phantom, whether you rather do it here or via private message, why were u against the immigration reform bill?

 

 

 

My answers,

 

Bush, unfav.

Congress- unfav.

Immigraiton bill- For

Iraq- right direction, only b/c of the vagueness of available responses

America- right direction (the doom and gloom nonsense about our country is absurd, just b/c of the war or the president, the country is still doing fine, and will continue on regardless who wins 2008)

Libby- N/a i dont care

repubs- Guiliani (i like Paul better, but of major candidates I'd support guiliani over the others)

Dems- Hillary (better than the alternatives, Obama is the young ppl's candidate of choice but i'm too iffy on where he stands on most relevant issues)

Affiliation- Libertarian Republican

[prinmemito]

Phantom, whether you rather do it here or via private message, why were u against the immigration reform bill?

 

Same here. I'd like to hear your thoughts. legacyofCangelosi and I are on the same side when it comes to the immigration reform bill.

[legacyofCangelosi]

Phantom, whether you rather do it here or via private message, why were u against the immigration reform bill?

 

Same here. I'd like to hear your thoughts. legacyofCangelosi and I are on the same side when it comes to the immigration reform bill.

 

I mean if anyone else wants to chime in on the bill by all means, I'm just curious about Phantom, b/c I agree with him ideologically on a lot of points.

[prinmemito]

Phantom, whether you rather do it here or via private message, why were u against the immigration reform bill?

 

Same here. I'd like to hear your thoughts. legacyofCangelosi and I are on the same side when it comes to the immigration reform bill.

 

I mean if anyone else wants to chime in on the bill by all means, I'm just curious about Phantom, b/c I agree with him ideologically on a lot of points.

 

There's a fundamental difference between mainstream conservatives/Republicans and libertarian Republicans. Libertarians are more concerned with freedom and open markets. Conservatives are concerned with those, too, but their focus is on "value" and "culture."

 

Personally, I am kind of libertarian. I am in favor of free trade and free labor markets.

[Flying_Mollusk]

I may sustain some attacks for this, but I can't stand Bill Richardson. The guy has accomplished a lot and is really capable. But for every question, he recites his resume like he is in a job interview. It's like the presidency is a career move for him. He can barely hide his insincerity.

 

Now I shall wait for the impending Obama attack.

[DaGreatOne]

I may sustain some attacks for this, but I can't stand Bill Richardson. The guy has accomplished a lot and is really capable. But for every question, he recites his resume like he is in a job interview. It's like the presidency is a career move for him. He can barely hide his insincerity.

 

Now I shall wait for the impending Obama attack.

 

I agree that gets really annoying but if anyone watched the debate on PBS last week, I never saw him do it once and he performed much better in that debate.

[Hotcorner]

Richardson has seemed less than stellar in front of the cameras. I'm starting to like Chris Dodd personally and I wish he were getting more support. The guy has a ton of experience, a good grasp of the issues, and can actually articulate his positions.

 

But being a Senator from New England (gasp!) I guess that's how it goes.

 

As Jon Stewart put it in a Daily Show interview:

"Sir, you're offering competence... I have to tell you, sir, I don't think people will go for that."

 

 

*edit - I want the names of the 6 people who approve of Bush's job performance... :mischief2

[TimeWrecker]

I like richardson and edwards....

 

Richardson's problem in front of the cameras is pretty basic. He knows that he doesn't have the exposure as the big 3. So he uses a portion of the time in every interview to restate what he has done. But for us that follow, it becomes repititous and defeats the purpose. The sooner he leaves it to others to get that information out, and starts to spread his ideas, he can take off.

 

Oh, and that Olympics idea was way off.

[Guest Night Phantom]

Phantom, whether you rather do it here or via private message, why were u against the immigration reform bill?

I always like to look at what options give people the most incentive. I felt the bill, while a great idea (we're not going to catch 12 million illegals and it'd be economic suicide to send them home anyways) left too many reasons for people already in this country not to register. The provisions that sent those already here "home" with the promise they could return, leaving the rest of their family in the States, was what turned me off totally. No way that would fly in a culture that is very hierarchical as far as the nuclear family is concerned. How would those left in this country even live? I also feel that getting back taxes, while a great theoretical idea, will prevent families who don't have much money to begin with from coming forward.

 

I hope now that it's going to be coming up in pieces that those rules are taken out so people have no incentive to avoid coming forward.

[prinmemito]

apparently, you were misinformed. the z visa did not require the petitioner to return to his or her home country to apply for the visa. rather, that person could apply and receive that visa while staying in the united states. the z visa holder could apply for permanent residency in 8 years, at which time the head of the family had to file their application in their home country. they didn't have to stay there. just file it, come back, and wait for their application to be approved. (leg.cang. please correct me if I am wrong).

 

would you have supported the bill if you had known this piece of information?

[strandedx02]

Phantom, whether you rather do it here or via private message, why were u against the immigration reform bill?

I always like to look at what options give people the most incentive. I felt the bill, while a great idea (we're not going to catch 12 million illegals and it'd be economic suicide to send them home anyways) left too many reasons for people already in this country not to register. The provisions that sent those already here "home" with the promise they could return, leaving the rest of their family in the States, was what turned me off totally. No way that would fly in a culture that is very hierarchical as far as the nuclear family is concerned. How would those left in this country even live? I also feel that getting back taxes, while a great theoretical idea, will prevent families who don't have much money to begin with from coming forward.

 

I hope now that it's going to be coming up in pieces that those rules are taken out so people have no incentive to avoid coming forward.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I was also against the bill because the rules for some of the guest worker visas were strange (something like, 2 years at a time for only 6 years?) and that their number was not high enough to deter illegal immigration (IOW, they provided significantly fewer visas than the established demand for workers) and unfortunately I think that revisions on this point have been going in the wrong direction, which basically undermines the stated purpose of the bill.

 

As a matter of principle, and I have a feeling you would be in the same position, Phantom, given the choice between legislation that is flawed in obvious ways and not passing anything, I would favor not passing anything. This isn't just something with immigration, but virtually anything else--we've got a major issue with over-legislation in this country. (See my post in the Libby thread about the people doing jail time for importing lobster tails in plastic bags rather than boxes.)

[FutureGM]

I disagreed with the bill because I thought it was far too lenient towards people that broke federal law.

 

It also did not have any clear plans towards punishing companies and businesses that are hiring illegals. If you crack down hard on those companies, and they stop hiring illegals, there will not be the same market for labor as there currently is. The problem, of course, is that companies love this cheap labor that they don't have to give any benefits to beyond basic pay. I mean, you can even lock hundreds of them in a Wal-Mart overnight and get away with it, more than once.

 

I also want to see a vast increase in the security along the US/Mexico border BEFORE there are any new bills passed dealing with immigration. Despite promises, Bush has done very little to increase security along the border since he first spoke from there more than a year ago. I like the idea of a double fence across the border, supplemented with cameras, UAVs, and a large increase in the number of Border Patrol agents.