Fred Thompson for Poker?

[TheEngineer]

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And uhm, one-handed typing.......T M I

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LOL. My other arm is in a sling.

[frommagio]

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Wow, what did I do?

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Well, you posted the following nutzo diatribe about Christian Nazis, Bush's pact with the devil, and Viagra:

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This wouldnt be a [censored] issue if the primary system wasnt so gd broken. EVERY state has ChristaNazis, SC and Iowa especially. Republicans need to remember they can win national elections without totally pandering. Giuliani is their best run-off guy as is. Is it worth all that time for Visa and Viagra commercials? Would be great to have a moderate wing REFUSE to rally behind any panderer. Bush isn't a Christian in the least, but he has "honoured' the deal he made with the devil to get elected, and governs for them. Bush knew he owed them, and paid. You can't jsut move away in politics and expect nothing to happen

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Does this have anything to do with anything?

[TheEngineer]

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Well, you posted the following nutzo diatribe about Christian Nazis, Bush's pact with the devil, and Viagra:

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I don't believe he was calling all Christians Nazis. Rather, I think he was referring to the Christians who want to dictate how others live their lives.

Check out www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,293250,00.html for an example.

[TheEngineer]

From www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,293250,00.html:

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Gooch isn't worried about the city losing businesses or tax revenues if alcohol sales are banned. Normal economic growth and God will make up any difference if residents dump the bottle, he said.

"We believe that God will honor and bless our city," Gooch said.


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The Republican presidential nominee most likely has to win that guy's vote.

Also, note that he didn't say God will bless them for not drinking....rather, he feels God will bless them for not alowing others to do so. They seem deluded given that Jesus himself made wine.

So, that's the vote Thompson is seeking in the primaries. After the primaries, maybe we'll get support, as he'll have to look good to other voters without completely flip-flopping.

[Legislurker]

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Wow, what did I do?

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Well, you posted the following nutzo diatribe about Christian Nazis, Bush's pact with the devil, and Viagra:

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This wouldnt be a [censored] issue if the primary system wasnt so gd broken. EVERY state has ChristaNazis, SC and Iowa especially. Republicans need to remember they can win national elections without totally pandering. Giuliani is their best run-off guy as is. Is it worth all that time for Visa and Viagra commercials? Would be great to have a moderate wing REFUSE to rally behind any panderer. Bush isn't a Christian in the least, but he has "honoured' the deal he made with the devil to get elected, and governs for them. Bush knew he owed them, and paid. You can't jsut move away in politics and expect nothing to happen

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Does this have anything to do with anything?

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Visa and viagra is a reference to Bob Dole and his endorsement deals after finishing second. You pander so much to the douchebags that control primaries, you will lose. Thomspn is the Republican flavor of the month and is flirting with pandering to the enemy. The enemies of poker are among those on the Republican fringe. If you don't think so, you are out of step with almost everyone here, and I guess its a free country and thats cool. You've totally succeeded in hijacking this threadm so please, if you want, Engineer can link you to the FoF homepage. They don't swear there, unless you write a book about them and call it, "The Jesus Machine".

[frommagio]

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Wow, what did I do?

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Well, you posted the following nutzo diatribe about Christian Nazis, Bush's pact with the devil, and Viagra:

[ QUOTE ]

This wouldnt be a [censored] issue if the primary system wasnt so gd broken. EVERY state has ChristaNazis, SC and Iowa especially. Republicans need to remember they can win national elections without totally pandering. Giuliani is their best run-off guy as is. Is it worth all that time for Visa and Viagra commercials? Would be great to have a moderate wing REFUSE to rally behind any panderer. Bush isn't a Christian in the least, but he has "honoured' the deal he made with the devil to get elected, and governs for them. Bush knew he owed them, and paid. You can't jsut move away in politics and expect nothing to happen

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Does this have anything to do with anything?

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Visa and viagra is a reference to Bob Dole and his endorsement deals after finishing second. You pander so much to the douchebags that control primaries, you will lose. Thomspn is the Republican flavor of the month and is flirting with pandering to the enemy. The enemies of poker are among those on the Republican fringe. If you don't think so, you are out of step with almost everyone here, and I guess its a free country and thats cool. You've totally succeeded in hijacking this threadm so please, if you want, Engineer can link you to the FoF homepage. They don't swear there, unless you write a book about them and call it, "The Jesus Machine".

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Yes, that guy Dole used Viagra and he only has one good arm, too, and he uses Visa. And Thompson never seems to use that other arm, and he could be buying Viagra with a Visa too for all anybody here knows. It's just sickening when you put all the facts together and see the big picture. You'll never get this kind of analysis from the ChristianNazi douchebags at the FoF for sure!

[TheEngineer]

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Yes, that guy Dole used Viagra and he only has one good arm, too, and he uses Visa. And Thompson never seems to use that other arm, and he could be buying Viagra with a Visa too for all anybody here knows. It's just sickening when you put all the facts together and see the big picture. You'll never get this kind of analysis from the ChristianNazi douchebags at the FoF for sure!

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I still don't understand why you're so upset. Are you suggesting that we cannot even mention FoF, as if speaking negatively about one particular Christian group = speaking negatively about all of Christianity? They are our primary opposition, you know. Perhaps you could clarify, as none of us yet understand.

As for me, my only problem with FoF is that they wish to force their opinions on me.

[tangled]

Most of us seem to support the notion that a moderate Republican candidate is not good for us because they have to pander to the social conservative wing of the party to get nominated. And social conservatives delight in the idea of shutting us down. I certainly agree with this notion and have posted such more than once.

However---

there is another side to this political dynamic that might play out.

Once a candidate becomes the standard bearer everything reverses. Candidates start to pander to the voting moderates, people that could vote either way -swing voters- , in large part because their votes are worth more than party loyalists. Every vote a candidate gets from a swing voter is not just one vote for themselves, but one that the opponent could have gotten but didn't. If a candidate turns off a party loyalist, that voter may stay home on election day depriving their party's candidate of one vote, but he will not vote for the opposing party's candidate. I know things are a little more complex than this, but in general, the general election is a great deal about wooing moderate voters.

If the republican nominee has made it through the primary process without being pinned down on their position on internet poker, then they will be much more likely to come up with a reasonable position on the issue.

I think it would be a mistake to try to nail Thompson down on our issue until after the nomination has been decided.

[Gregatron]

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This type of thinking is very near sighted and shows a lack of understanding on what principles/morals this country was founded upon by our founding fathers. If you believe that strong conservative morals and policies haven't ruled this country from day 1, then a history lesson is needed. The morals, laws and attitudes of this country become more liberal and less conservative every year and it started 200 years ago. Most, if not all of our founding fathers held most of the same beliefs as FOF. To call FOF anti-American is comical, since their beliefs are exactly what this (Christian) country was founded upon.

I'm sorry but I just think it's ridiculous to act like strong conservative morals and Christian influence in government just came about with George W.

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I have a Ph.D. in political science, and teach American Government on the college level. I would just like to say that everything you just said is completely, 100%, unequivocally WRONG.

[Warren Harding]

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This post may mean this thread should go to the politics forum, but I couldnt help but mention how Karl Rove fits into all of this. The "permanent republican majority" he envisioned was primarily based on "motivating the base" and thus winning close elections but governing as if the elections were landslides for his side. The base he used was the FOF types, and it is now clear that they have so much clout within the republican party that getting the nomination without their support is nigh impossible. Unfortunately for us all, the FOF agenda is basically an anti-american agenda and alienates the majority, turning centrists to the democrats. For the next few election cycles it is pretty clear that the republican party may as well change its name to the "American Christian Taliban" party, a more honest name and one that really wont cost them any more votes than they have already lost.

For online poker players this means our choices will be limited to being criminals and outlaws (the republican way), or playing legally, but under heavy regulation and taxation (the democratic way).

Makes me really sad that an American "personal freedom and personal responsibility" way is nowhere near the mainstream.

Skallagrim

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This type of thinking is very near sighted and shows a lack of understanding on what principles/morals this country was founded upon by our founding fathers. If you believe that strong conservative morals and policies haven't ruled this country from day 1, then a history lesson is needed. The morals, laws and attitudes of this country become more liberal and less conservative every year and it started 200 years ago. Most, if not all of our founding fathers held most of the same beliefs as FOF. To call FOF anti-American is comical, since their beliefs are exactly what this (Christian) country was founded upon.

I'm sorry but I just think it's ridiculous to act like strong conservative morals and Christian influence in government just came about with George W.

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This is simply wishful theocratic thinking. The FF largely hated organized religion and meddling from one to another. Our nation was founded in rebellion against those who viewed the Bible as a weapon, and not a guide. They were pious, but said things about religion that would make them unelectable today. FOF =\= piety.

And, more people need to hear this, from the FF themselves: " the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion"

Now back to poker...

I cannot be brought around to vote for the party* of Goodlatte and Abramoff (about the latter: B&M casinos drive the anti-online gambling in part). I also cannot vote for the party of Sali and Goode, but that'll start a tome of a digression.

Thomson does not strike me as one to trust: he'll say what he has to say, but in the end, his coalition will be with the far right. The comment about the federal gov't and regulation of the internet is damn true. Democratss and Republicans cannot wait for the supreme court to expand interstate commerce clause even further. It's inevitable.

The two candidates I see best for poker are Bill Richardson and Ron Paul. Ron Paul needs no introduction here. Richardson is the most libertarian of the democrats, and beats out all other republicans in that respect. He's not looking to tax new sources, and Westerners do not like to be told what to do.

In fact, I'm going to dig around about Bill Richardson and post about him.

*Ron Paul excepted