Obama/Biden vs. McCain/Palin

[Popeye_Card]

If our military has ever been gutted in recent history, it's right now.

I'm not sure if "gutted" is the right word. Perhaps the right question to ask is, despite drastic increases in spending, is the current military better equiped to respond to a new conflict in the world now, or 8 years ago?

[cards2468]

If our military has ever been gutted in recent history, it's right now.

I'm not sure if "gutted" is the right word. Perhaps the right question to ask is, despite drastic increases in spending, is the current military better equiped to respond to a new conflict in the world now, or 8 years ago?

This is the point I'm trying to make. You can argue all day long about how Bush or Clinton managed the military, but my point is that investing in technology and resources to help run the military efficiently and keep America safe. Points are made about how ridiculous our military spending is, but I'm talking about investing in improving the military while times keep on changing.

[PujolJunkie]

Well known names on the Online100 panel include Arianna Huffington, Karl Rove, Joe Klein, Joe Trippi, Gerard Baker, Mike Allen, Mark Halperin, Mark Blumenthal, Charles Johnson, Dana Milbank, Jonah Goldberg, John Fund, Jake Tapper, Chuck Todd, Marc Ambinder and Andrew Sullivan. The survey is anonymous and PoliticsHome does not release individual results.

The Online100 panel consists of 100 leading online voices, weighted evenly between right-leaning,left-leaning and non-aligned, and contains a spectrum of voices from the online mainstream media, big national blogs, and statewide blogs. PoliticsHome launched in the United States in August in association with Pollster.com.

The panel sees Obama winning the popular vote by a five percent margin, and it sees him coverting that margin into 338 electoral votes, 68 more than the needed 270, and 52 more than the 286 won by Bush in 2004.

[Popeye_Card]

If our military has ever been gutted in recent history, it's right now.

I'm not sure if "gutted" is the right word. Perhaps the right question to ask is, despite drastic increases in spending, is the current military better equiped to respond to a new conflict in the world now, or 8 years ago?

This is the point I'm trying to make. You can argue all day long about how Bush or Clinton managed the military, but my point is that investing in technology and resources to help run the military efficiently and keep America safe. Points are made about how ridiculous our military spending is, but I'm talking about investing in improving the military while times keep on changing.

OK, but if that's the point you're trying to make, we are not in a very good position right now to react to any new conflict around the world. We're stretched pretty darn thin right now, mostly because of an ill-advised (and very costly) invasion over 5 years ago.

[cards2468]

If our military has ever been gutted in recent history, it's right now.

I'm not sure if "gutted" is the right word. Perhaps the right question to ask is, despite drastic increases in spending, is the current military better equiped to respond to a new conflict in the world now, or 8 years ago?

This is the point I'm trying to make. You can argue all day long about how Bush or Clinton managed the military, but my point is that investing in technology and resources to help run the military efficiently and keep America safe. Points are made about how ridiculous our military spending is, but I'm talking about investing in improving the military while times keep on changing.

OK, but if that's the point you're trying to make, we are not in a very good position right now to react to any new conflict around the world. We're stretched pretty darn thin right now, mostly because of an ill-advised (and very costly) invasion over 5 years ago.

As we start closing the chapter on Iraq War, it's important that we invest in improving the military. We're facing very different warfare today than we did in the past and it's important we adjust accordingly. I trust McCain to focus on this while I foresee Obama acting along the lines of Clinton and slowing down the advancement in military technology with limited military spending.

[KyCardinalFan]

If our military has ever been gutted in recent history, it's right now.

I'm not sure if "gutted" is the right word. Perhaps the right question to ask is, despite drastic increases in spending, is the current military better equiped to respond to a new conflict in the world now, or 8 years ago?

This is the point I'm trying to make. You can argue all day long about how Bush or Clinton managed the military, but my point is that investing in technology and resources to help run the military efficiently and keep America safe. Points are made about how ridiculous our military spending is, but I'm talking about investing in improving the military while times keep on changing.

OK, but if that's the point you're trying to make, we are not in a very good position right now to react to any new conflict around the world. We're stretched pretty darn thin right now, mostly because of an ill-advised (and very costly) invasion over 5 years ago.

As we start closing the chapter on Iraq War, it's important that we invest in improving the military. We're facing very different warfare today than we did in the past and it's important we adjust accordingly. I trust McCain to focus on this while I foresee Obama acting along the lines of Clinton and slowing down the advancement in military technology with limited military spending.

As this discussion continues, I realize I've never heard the issue of the military and military spending mentioned by Obama. He says he'll pull out of Iraq, but I really don't know if he plans on reducing spending or not.

Is there a link to an article that is being referred? Or is this just the assumption that Democrats, in general, are "weak" on defense.

[indyredbird]

So who [expletive] up the Iraq and Afganistan Wars? Clinton too?

I guess Clinton doesn't get credit for what he accomplished in Bosnia and Kosovo though, right?

Clinton inherited another misleading intervention in Somalia. Look at Somalia now, it's still a mess. I guess he should have stayed the course though.

My dad blames Clinton for the current economy woes. I swear to God, I'm not kidding.

That may come from this. This comes from Wikipedia about Fannie Mae:

In 1999, Fannie Mae came under pressure from the Clinton administration to expand mortgage loans to low and moderate income borrowers.

[KyCardinalFan]

Here is what is on Obama/Biden's site:

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/defense/

At a Glance

Invest in a 21st Century Military
Build Defense Capabilities for the 21st Century
Restore the Readiness of the National Guard and Reserves
Develop Whole of Government Initiatives to Promote Security
Restore Our Alliances
Reform Contracting

[BW23]

If our military has ever been gutted in recent history, it's right now.

I'm not sure if "gutted" is the right word. Perhaps the right question to ask is, despite drastic increases in spending, is the current military better equiped to respond to a new conflict in the world now, or 8 years ago?

This is the point I'm trying to make. You can argue all day long about how Bush or Clinton managed the military, but my point is that investing in technology and resources to help run the military efficiently and keep America safe. Points are made about how ridiculous our military spending is, but I'm talking about investing in improving the military while times keep on changing.

OK, but if that's the point you're trying to make, we are not in a very good position right now to react to any new conflict around the world. We're stretched pretty darn thin right now, mostly because of an ill-advised (and very costly) invasion over 5 years ago.

As we start closing the chapter on Iraq War, it's important that we invest in improving the military. We're facing very different warfare today than we did in the past and it's important we adjust accordingly. I trust McCain to focus on this while I foresee Obama acting along the lines of Clinton and slowing down the advancement in military technology with limited military spending.

As this discussion continues, I realize I've never heard the issue of the military and military spending mentioned by Obama. He says he'll pull out of Iraq, but I really don't know if he plans on reducing spending or not.

Is there a link to an article that is being referred? Or is this just the assumption that Democrats, in general, are "weak" on defense.

I believe he plans to use some of the money being used on Iraq to fund so much of the new spending he's proposing, although some of that will also go to getting a stronger presence in Afghanistan.

[cards2468]

Here is what is on Obama/Biden's site:

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/defense/

At a Glance

Invest in a 21st Century Military
Build Defense Capabilities for the 21st Century
Restore the Readiness of the National Guard and Reserves
Develop Whole of Government Initiatives to Promote Security
Restore Our Alliances
Reform Contracting

No mention of technology or investing in defense rather than making useless treaties. Based on Obama's tax plan, it's expected he'd increase the national deficit by nearly $4 trillion by 2018. It's expected he'd somewhat cut down that number by reducing military spending. Both candidates are advocating lower taxes because they know 8 years from now the problem won't be their problem anymore.