New and Improved 3-ply election thread...

[John Smith]

 

Whhooooooaa. This is incredible. These are the kinds of questions people are going to ask, obviously, and that is the best those two could come up with in response? God help us all if these dudes win the election.

 

As a side note, I think Katie Couric might have saved her news program by getting the first stab at interviewing this moron.

 

I found it funny in the latest interview when McCain Interrupted Palin to explain what she was trying to explain and what she meant when she said what she said then made a comment about how she can answer her own questions. If that does not make it to SNL I

[kwall]

the selection of palin will cost mccain the election.

[quarter23cd]

I found it funny in the latest interview when McCain Interrupted Palin to explain what she was trying to explain and what she meant when she said what she said then made a comment about how she can answer her own questions. If that does not make it to SNL I’ll be sadly disappointed.

Yeah, I read that, too. As much fun as it is to laugh and poke fun, the fact remains that she can still redeem herself in the public eye with a quality debate performance. It appears to be a longshot, but hey, never underestimate your opponent before the big game, you know? She's either going to come out swinging, more prepared than people anticipate......or she's going to crash and burn on an epic scale. Either way should make for some interesting teevee, I guess. Really, the bar for her has been set preposterously low...if she can't surpass expectations here, I'll be at a loss for words.

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

Eh, hard to say. He was losing by a little before her selection. Now he's losing by a little more.

[kwall]

let me rephrase - her selection will cost him any chance of winning the election.

 

She's either going to come out swinging, more prepared than people anticipate......or she's going to crash and burn on an epic scale.

if she's impressive in this debate then she's one of the greatest actors i've ever seen.

[John Smith]

Yeah, I read that, too. As much fun as it is to laugh and poke fun, the fact remains that she can still redeem herself in the public eye with a quality debate performance. It appears to be a longshot, but hey, never underestimate your opponent before the big game, you know? She's either going to come out swinging, more prepared than people anticipate......or she's going to crash and burn on an epic scale. Either way should make for some interesting teevee, I guess. Really, the bar for her has been set preposterously low...if she can't surpass expectations here, I'll be at a loss for words.

 

They have her in training all this week. IF she can match the correct buzz words and sound bites with the right questions it will be a huge leap forward. If she can do it and make it sound natural and unforced then regardless of the actual outcome it woudl probably be a victory for her since expectations on all sides are very very low for her. In otherwords anything better than her usual disasterous performances will be a victory..

[JUDE]

Jude, the difference in your scenarios is that the 20% downpayment person probably got or could have gotten a favorable fixed rate, probably makes more and is probably not in foreclosure today. It's the marginal clients who got the sub-prime mtges and who are facing foreclosure.

 

I must respectfully disagree with this assumption, yes the 20% person could have gotten the nice 30 year fixed, but I know for a fact there are 30 year loan products available with zero to 5% down (I've used three of them in the last 12 months personally). The whole problem is that Countrywide, Wachovia, Chase, Ditech, et al promoted interest only arms, negative amortizations and the like because these products are front loaded with better fee's and theoretically have a much better return over the life of the loan. They (the lenders) provided great incentives to mortgage brokers to push these products on consumers (better origination fee's), so it's a case of reap what you sow to a certain extent.

 

Do you see the difference between GM posting huges losses with thousands or tens of thousands of jobs on the line and the Wal-Street firms losing similar amounts? Realistically I know there are no comparisons other than the losses,but each is vital to the ecomony (heck toss in the airlines too) and each are losing money, yet only one group is going to get saved.

 

I'd much rather see a bail out of domestic industry (such as GM or Ford) or the airlines to a certain extent because they produce real, tangible items and jobs. The housing market has been going full bore for nearly a decade (check out new construction starts) and has far exceeded demand. It needs to cool off for a few years. Real estate wealth and equity is a strange item to quantify being so cyclical.

[kwall]

her only hope is that biden says a bunch of equally stupid stuff, thereby granting her a draw.

[quarter23cd]

if she's impressive in this debate then she's one of the greatest actors i've ever seen.

Totally agreed. I've seen nothing to suggest she won't be a disaster, but hey, at this point in time nothing would surprise me anymore.

 

In other news, this has been cracking me up all week:

[EL the Famous]

[kwall]

if she's still defending the "geographic proximity" credential by thursday, i'm going to change the channel.

[EL the Famous]

GIANT PUTIN HEAD!

[Party @ the Moontower]

Yeah, I read that, too. As much fun as it is to laugh and poke fun, the fact remains that she can still redeem herself in the public eye with a quality debate performance. It appears to be a longshot, but hey, never underestimate your opponent before the big game, you know? She's either going to come out swinging, more prepared than people anticipate......or she's going to crash and burn on an epic scale. Either way should make for some interesting teevee, I guess. Really, the bar for her has been set preposterously low...if she can't surpass expectations here, I'll be at a loss for words.

 

A short Palin debate bootcamp in Arizona vs Biden's 36 years in the Senate.....I'm thinking SNL will rock this sat!

 

[austrya]

I must respectfully disagree with this assumption, yes the 20% person could have gotten the nice 30 year fixed, but I know for a fact there are 30 year loan products available with zero to 5% down (I've used three of them in the last 12 months personally). The whole problem is that Countrywide, Wachovia, Chase, Ditech, et al promoted interest only arms, negative amortizations and the like because these products are front loaded with better fee's and theoretically have a much better return over the life of the loan. They (the lenders) provided great incentives to mortgage brokers to push these products on consumers (better origination fee's), so it's a case of reap what you sow to a certain extent.

 

 

 

I'd much rather see a bail out of domestic industry (such as GM or Ford) or the airlines to a certain extent because they produce real, tangible items and jobs. The housing market has been going full bore for nearly a decade (check out new construction starts) and has far exceeded demand. It needs to cool off for a few years. Real estate wealth and equity is a strange item to quantify being so cyclical.

 

We were advised by someone in the mortgage industry to go for an interest only loan with little down instead of a 30 year fixed with 20% down. They tried to rope us in with "you'll be able to buy all new furniture and go on a trip with that money instead." Good thing we're smarter than that.

 

Also, Ford and GM could bail themselves out if they would build cars that people want to drive. I just don't understand why a non-hybrid Honda Pilot gets better gas mileage than a hybrid Tahoe. My grandfather, dad, uncles, mom, ex-husband, all worked in the auto industry. My mom didn't even graduate high school and was making almost $30 an hour to stock parts in a warehouse. My ex works as a union rep making sure everyone is offered the same amount of overtime and makes that much. He doesn't have a degree. If his plant were to close, he would have no skills for anything other than a factory job and he wouldn't be able to find one that pays over $15 an hour. I think the auto industry let the unions get a little too powerful, and that is a lot of their problem.

[JUDE]

Also, Ford and GM could bail themselves out if they would build cars that people want to drive. I just don't understand why a non-hybrid Honda Pilot gets better gas mileage than a hybrid Tahoe. My grandfather, dad, uncles, mom, ex-husband, all worked in the auto industry. My mom didn't even graduate high school and was making almost $30 an hour to stock parts in a warehouse. My ex works as a union rep making sure everyone is offered the same amount of overtime and makes that much. He doesn't have a degree. If his plant were to close, he would have no skills for anything other than a factory job and he wouldn't be able to find one that pays over $15 an hour. I think the auto industry let the unions get a little too powerful, and that is a lot of their problem.

 

I should have put the stipulation in that these industries need a makeover and a change of direction in my prior statement. Of course I'll stand by my assertion that housing is going to be stalled for along time, unless we create a bunch of new jobs through out the country. IMO this bank bail out could be a case of throwing good money after bad.

[Duck-Billed Catechist]

I just don't understand why a non-hybrid Honda Pilot gets better gas mileage than a hybrid Tahoe.

Well, the latter weighs 1000+ more pounds.

 

Also re: union pay. It's my impression that American factories for foreign automakers pay roughly the same in terms of hourly rate as unionized American automakers--they're too worried about workers unionizing to do otherwise.

[Party @ the Moontower]

her only hope is that biden says a bunch of equally stupid stuff, thereby granting her a draw.

 

I don't see B saying anything even close to the ridiculous stuff that falls out of her brain. I can't even count how many interviews and speeches he has done on this campaign trail. Palin-I think it's 5 now? They speak of a couple silly remarks by B out of millions. Have you ever wondered why very little is even said about him? I understand why McCain doesen't bring him up, but not even the media has much to say about Biden screwing anything up.

 

I just don't see how a draw is even possible. But it will be interesting to watch.

[kwall]

Have you ever wondered why very little is even said about him?

he's just so familiar and his gaffes are so well-known, there's not all that much left to say.

[viatroy]

the selection of palin will cost mccain the election.

 

 

one would hope. but don't underestimate the power of rigging the election. again.

[kwall]

[John Smith]

Also, Ford and GM could bail themselves out if they would build cars that people want to drive. I just don't understand why a non-hybrid Honda Pilot gets better gas mileage than a hybrid Tahoe. My grandfather, dad, uncles, mom, ex-husband, all worked in the auto industry. My mom didn't even graduate high school and was making almost $30 an hour to stock parts in a warehouse. My ex works as a union rep making sure everyone is offered the same amount of overtime and makes that much. He doesn't have a degree. If his plant were to close, he would have no skills for anything other than a factory job and he wouldn't be able to find one that pays over $15 an hour. I think the auto industry let the unions get a little too powerful, and that is a lot of their problem.

 

Hmm, which is it, is it that they build cars that nobody wants to drive or is it the Union? The easy target is always the Union, the employees. While they are not entirely blameless, the company has willingly taken on these contracts year after year after year. Toyota and Honda have UAW plants why are they not suffering as much? It goes back to the first statement you made in your post. The US automakers throughout the 1990

[John Smith]

he's just so familiar and his gaffes are so well-known, there's not all that much left to say.

 

Take a few minutes annd list out these well-known Gaffes. Annd you can skip the taxes are patriotic one since we all know that one. Are any as horrendous as I can see Russia? Has he ever said anything stupid like Delaware is ont he ocean and pirates come out of the sea. If captain Jack invades the US the first place he will visit will be the shore annd Delaware is on the shore.

[NightOfJoy]

Hmm, which is it, is it that they build cars that nobody wants to drive or is it the Union? The easy target is always the Union,

 

I talk to a lot of people looking to leave Ford or have already taken a package from them..........the benefits these folks received (thanks to the union) are unbelieveable. Then there's the overly high wages these people were paid (and now expect elswhere). I'm a fan of the concept of the workers union but in Fords case, the union appears to be bleeding the company dry.

[Basil II]

Real estate wealth and equity is a strange item to quantify being so cyclical.

 

 

 

"derivative products"

 

there were such items where investors could "bet" against bundled sub prime packages....in effect,make money on them going in default.

 

 

-Robert.

[kwall]

Take a few minutes annd list out these well-known Gaffes.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&pws...art=10&sa=N