Does the past of a politician matter?

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I

I Wear Pants

Senior Member

16,223 posts
Oct 28, 2010 6:30 PM
BGFalcons82;536259 wrote:2004? Are you referring to the swiftboat veterans refuting John Kerry? Is that a personal attack on his religion? Is that a personal attack on his wife or children? Is that a personal attack on his arrest record? Nope...John Kerry ran on his service (he'll tell you anytime you ask him) and it became fair game for scrutiny. He was his own worst enemy and got trapped in lies he created.

Obama produced a "certificate of live birth", not a birth certificate. BIG difference. I can go to the 5 & dime and get a certificate that says I'm from Ohio. I can even scan it and put it on the internet. Per the thread title, the media never dug into it any further once this "document" was distributed. If Nixon had said he had nothing to do with Watergate on the first day, would Woodward and Bernstein said, "OK...whatever you say."??? Personally, I'm not a birther, as he won the election fair and square. I'm more interested in his beliefs and what he learned from his marxist father than I am where he was born. Trivia question....who was the first birther? Hint...she's married to an ex-POTUS.
Are you kidding me?

Produced that, there's the newspaper articles and then there's every person who's had access to his Department of Health records and such verifying that he was born in Honolulu.
Oct 28, 2010 6:30pm
Thread Bomber's avatar

Thread Bomber

Message Board Terrorist

1,851 posts
Oct 28, 2010 6:34 PM
Yeah... But he's still a Muslim....
Oct 28, 2010 6:34pm
G

gut

Senior Member

15,058 posts
Oct 28, 2010 7:29 PM
FatHobbit;536260 wrote:If I have a choice between electing/doing business with someone who has acted unethically in the past or someone who has acted ethically I'll always pick the ethical person. (If everything else is even.) If someone is willing to cheat at one thing, what makes you think they won't cheat at another?
I prefer to rely on checks & balances and process to reduce that risk.

If recent years have taught us anything it's that the biggest frauds are often perpetrated by some of the most "respected" and "trusted" people.

Ethics is a tough one. Lots of gray areas that can be spun and described in misleading ways. All else equal, sure, I prefer not to do business with someone with a history of acting unethically. Reality is I don't assume or expect people to be ethical and take steps to ensure fair treatment as best as possible. A better way to put it is there is unethical and not. "Ethical" is almost always and everywhere an assumption, and too often we give people the benefit of doubt.

The main point is good people get destroyed by the media (or deterred from running because of the media attention) due to a black mark or two and reality is they are probably better and more ethical than the squeaky-clean (supposedly) people we're electing.
Oct 28, 2010 7:29pm
Writerbuckeye's avatar

Writerbuckeye

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4,745 posts
Oct 28, 2010 9:41 PM
Morals and ethics mostly seem to be an issue with Republicans -- not Dems.

Democrats have re-elected convicted felons to offices as high as Congress and mayor, without blinking twice. Say what you will about Republican hypocrisy that rears its head every now and then -- but at least Republicans tend to shit can candidates who get caught with their hands in cookie jars, using cocaine, whores or tapping their feet in mens room stalls. They don't get the party nomination, and they don't typically get re-elected.
Oct 28, 2010 9:41pm
I

I Wear Pants

Senior Member

16,223 posts
Oct 28, 2010 9:45 PM
Yeah, the Republicans are the only ones with morals and ethics.

Good lord.
Oct 28, 2010 9:45pm
Writerbuckeye's avatar

Writerbuckeye

Senior Member

4,745 posts
Oct 28, 2010 11:20 PM
Didn't say that so stop lying.

What I said was that Republicans who screw up tend to face CONSEQUENCES that don't typically affect Dems -- particularly in very solid Dem strongholds like cities (Marion Berry ring a bell?) Hell, Ted Kennedy all but murdered a young woman and he got re-elected for almost another 40 years.

Name me two Republicans in similar situations who waltzed back into office.
Oct 28, 2010 11:20pm
I

I Wear Pants

Senior Member

16,223 posts
Oct 28, 2010 11:23 PM
I disagree entirely.
Oct 28, 2010 11:23pm
CenterBHSFan's avatar

CenterBHSFan

333 - I'm only half evil

6,115 posts
Oct 29, 2010 7:45 AM
Writer's got a point there.
Oct 29, 2010 7:45am
believer's avatar

believer

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8,153 posts
Oct 29, 2010 11:06 AM
Writerbuckeye;536838 wrote:Name me two Republicans in similar situations who waltzed back into office.
I doubt he can come up with one.
Oct 29, 2010 11:06am
B

Bigdogg

Senior Member

1,429 posts
Oct 29, 2010 12:24 PM
Writerbuckeye;536838 wrote:Didn't say that so stop lying.

What I said was that Republicans who screw up tend to face CONSEQUENCES that don't typically affect Dems -- particularly in very solid Dem strongholds like cities (Marion Berry ring a bell?) Hell, Ted Kennedy all but murdered a young woman and he got re-elected for almost another 40 years.

Name me two Republicans in similar situations who waltzed back into office.
You serious?

http://www.citizensforethics.org/crookedcandidates2010
Oct 29, 2010 12:24pm
believer's avatar

believer

Senior Member

8,153 posts
Oct 29, 2010 1:00 PM
CREW as a legit source of credible information? LMAO...the pot calling the kettle black.
Oct 29, 2010 1:00pm
Q

queencitybuckeye

Senior Member

7,117 posts
Oct 29, 2010 1:02 PM

Any such list that fails to list Rep. Frank is by definition fatally flawed. The day Barney walks into federal prison to begin his term is when the left can start speaking of ethics again.
Oct 29, 2010 1:02pm
M

mella

Senior Member

647 posts
Oct 30, 2010 11:07 AM
Obviously to a point it matters. No felons apply (or if you plea bargined a felony to a misdemeanor). If you drank a beer before 21 or smoked pot in high school or college no biggy. Coke addicts, heroine users need not apply. Recovering alcoholics probably can run for mayor but nothing else. A teenage witch, some former emo kid, someone with "loose morals" who fornicated outside of wedlock:) I think I can forgive those things and considering voting for the candidate now they are an adult and have adult ideas.
Oct 30, 2010 11:07am