The Paddock

I am pro-life, pro-family, pro-gun, pro-military and pro-personal responsibility. I am anti-government and anti-class warfare. I consider myself a social ultra-conservative. I believe the republicans have 2 wings: the big business wing and the social conservative wing. We hate each other but we need each other. We need the big business wing money, and they need our passion and ability to get out the vote.

I think that once we have someone in office who is not going to declare war on big business and small business for that matter, the economy will start chugging again. If someone were to come out and say, "ok, we're setting business tax rates at 30% for the next 15 yrs," even if the business thinks that's too much, at least they now can plan for the future. This crap where they fight every year to make the tax rate either 5% or 75% (I know neither is a number that is bandied about), is terrible for business. my opinion anyway. I have never taken an econ class or tried to run a business. I don't really even care that much about money, as long as I've got enough to pay my bills. But I do think business is sitting on a lot of money right now because they have no idea what to expect. Someone needs to put forth a long-term plan. and by long-term, I mean longer than 2 yrs.

How bout you give your beliefs kind sir and leave his alone for now.

Lol. +1. Like I said, I don't follow that stuff too closely, nor do I care too much. I thought I heard there was a lot of uncertainty as to what business owners were going to be responsible for, and I thought it went further than just Obamacare.

There is uncertainty. One of the fundamental issues of the election is what is causing it.

The Republicans try to blame uncertainty in the taxation and regulatory realm.

The Democrats try to assert that the uncertainty is cause by consumer's not having jobs or being scared of losing them and thereby not spending.

So back to people needing to know what they're talking about--right now cash levels at corporations is at all-time highs, borrowing rates are at all-time lows, tax rates are as low as they've ever been--why isn't that an impetus to expand? The only logical reason is that there's not any demand to make expansion profitable--so it's better to buy a bond yielding 10 basis points than to build a new store or create a new product line that's going to lose money.

My most fundamental belief is that this country wouldn't be worth a nickel without the middle class. Those are the people who do all the hard jobs, fight our wars, and strive to make their kids turn out better and have the kinds of opportunities where they can lead their business or their church or their community or their country forward. To do that, we need things like roads, cops, good public schools, college financing, safe banks, consumer protection, small business assistance, and affordable access to healthcare.

I consider myself a conservative Libertarian. However, given the 2 major party options of today... Conservatives and Liberals (Republican or Democrat means nothing these days)... I believe the liberal agenda is killing America and I believe the conservative agenda is the only way to save America. Period.

I'm guided as much by what I don't believe in as I am in what I strongly believe in. I believe wars should not be waged for anything less than survival. I do not believe in waging wars just because we don't like somebody or because they annoy us. I do not believe that Americans dying for no other reason than being poor and not being able to afford health care is morally acceptable. I do not believe that trickle down economics works. I believe a strong middle class is vital to our survival as a good and fruitful nation. I do not believe in class warfare, which was started on the middle class by Reagan and the republicans 30 years ago. I do believe in common sense regulation in the markets. I do not believe letting the wolves tend the sheep is smart and that's exactly what caused all this economic mess in the first place. I do not believe abortion is murder but I'm also not a huge fan of it. I think it's the woman carrying the childs cross to bear, not the Governments. I believe in investing in education. I do not believe Government is evil at every level and can offer nothing to society. I do believe that Government can help and be useful where needed. I believe those that gain the most from this country should pay more taxes to it than those barely scraping by. I believe the electoral college should be done away with. I believe the house of representatives should be done away with. I believe in common sense gun regulations. I have historically not believed in the death penalty but with the marvels of dna science now I have changed a bit. I'm ok with the death penalty as long as there is indisputable DNA evidence as well as other evidence proving guilt. I believe the savage rhetoric engaged in by radio dj's and cable "news" networks are killing this country. They spout out complete lies, spread hate and fear, and suffer no consequences.

My view of the world.... most people are good at heart but don't show it often. Some are pure evil. God exists but he isn't present. Most people are gullible sheep. People are getting dumber. We're going backward as a species instead of forward. The internet causes more harm than most people admit. The world will not end in December. The Kardashians and people's obsession with celebrity news is a direct sign of the end of the world though. And on a final note... doomsday preppers are the lowest form of human, next to Kardashians.

Damn it, why'd you have to quote that? I've been enjoying not seeing Carl's socialist rants.

Carl, I get what you're saying and can respect most of it, but I am curious why you want the House done away with. I imagine you think it gets in the way of progress when the wrong party controls it. Just curious

Do you even know what socialism is?

You voted for Obama right? You voted for an Obama running on universal health care, and wall street regulations right? If you want to call my "rant" socialist just make sure you point at yourself in the mirror as well.

The way to fix the House is to have a bipartisan panel create an objectively-based system for drawing the districts. What we do now rewards extremism and non-compromise.

Kentucky is the worst. Andy Barr got screwed this year. And Geoff Davis' former district is a freaking snake--LaGrange to Ashland--I don't even know if you could drive between them in a day without going outside the district.

The Senate is by far less democratic--a Senator from Wyoming represents 200,000 people, the Senator from California represents 20 million--and they each get the same vote. If I were from California or New York or Texas, I'd be beating that drum--but any change to the Senate would be a huge detriment to all of us who live in the little states.

You do know that "tea baggers" believe in the constitution, don't you? They are against gov't bigger than the perameters set forth by the constitution. Not gov't period. I think the way the legislative branch is set up is a pretty good compromise, where the states are equal and the bigger ones have more say at the same time. Now, as far as their rules go at governing themselves is up for debate.

One other thing. I am a little curious how you can rail against the rich and then completely support their most exclusive club (Senate) at the expense of the common man (HOR).

Well for one I don't agree with your parameters. Secondly in my idea the Senate would change and be more like the HOR. Only a smaller more effecient HOR. I don't completely support the Senate. I don't know where you got that. I said I think it's completely unfair that each state gets 2 senators and I'd change it.