Amicus, do you really believe Sarah Palin will be president? I have yet to see any credible commentator suggest that this is possible, regardless of the recent mid-term results. It seems that what is happening in the US is the usual polarization of the opposition (to the right in this case) combined with the usual disappointment with the new government. Same could be said for the Libs (Abbott) and Labs (Rudd).

Amicus...you're even more entertaining than rpg.

I agree that we'll have a laugh if Sarah Palin wins the U.S. presidency.
Just to think that the crowning glory of American capitalist hegemony (as it sinks slowly in the west) could be personified by a vacuous, moose-hunting, loudmouthed redneck from Alaska is really side-splitting stuff...but then again, as you point out, she's what America wants.

*Where's that surplus yabby? *

Amicus, you are confusing annual budgets, with federal debt.

In 2000, Clinton's last year, the US ran a surplus budget.
8 years later, Bush had increased debt by around 5 trillion.

* next we'll see them vote in someone with clear vision, like Sarah Palin *

Hehe Amicus, you can't be serious. A folksy fishwife, great to
run the local PTA, not so great in charge of all those weapons.

Even Karl Rove, the brains behind Bush's wins, admits that she
simply doesen't have what it takes to do the job.

In fact given her lack of judgement, she'd be downright dangerous.

Americans have paid an enormous price for electing Bush, the price
for electing Palin would be even greater.

As Bush shed office, hundreds of thousands of jobs a month were
being shed. That is the price Americans have paid.

I don't think mant people here understand that the real power to effect the economy in the US lies with the Congress and not the President.

Blaming Obama is just as wrong as blaming Bush.

The real responsibility for the state of the US economy lies with two organisations: The congress ie The Senate and the House of Reps and the Federal Reserve.

No President has much influence over either. eg Obama was hamstrung in his dealings with the DEMOCRAT controlled Congress. Even with the Super Majority in the Senate he couldn't get his health care enshrined and as a result a simple majority can alter it.

No president has much control over the Fed Res. It is owned by the big US banks and especially the big money families of the New York Banks and their New York Federal Reserve.

Most US commentators recognise the harm done to the US economy was and is mostly confined to Wall Street and the production of consumer goods and by excessive spending of Congress.

Congress dominated by the Democrats it is held, almost universally in the US, responsible for the initial impetus of the GFC. Check out Democrat leaders Barney Frank and Chris Dodd. They were, along with Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, the architects of the affordable housing schemes for Freedy Mac and Fanny May which led to the parcelling of the unrepayable loans. During Bush's presidency congress was mostly dominated by the Democrats. Check out how the Dem's spending got out of control, during this period.

The real US economy continues to dominate and rolls on in two main fronts: The manufacture of the means of production( Aeroplanes, heavy machinery, manufactuing machinery and tools) and the military.

Of course the worst of the unemployment is in areas that haven't adopted 21st century technologies.

The US voters at the mid terms did not dump Obama ... they overwhelmingly dumped those whose policy they see as being responsible for the US ills and it's current malaise. I reckon once again they got it right.

The truth, The whole truth and nothing but the truth, never let the truth get in the road of a good story. There are good storytellers aplenty on OLO, and most wouldn't know the truth if it stared them in the face. Anyone waiting for the child to be born who is the Christ has missed the boat. All are fallible, Left & Right for the one born King arrived 2000 years ago. When he comes back the party is over. Lala land may be the prefered position but not the safest. God set the boundary and we shift it at our own peril. If you get caught outside the fence remember God is good and the fence was for your benefit & protection not your imprisonment as all rebellious like to think. Grace and Truth came with Jesus " The Word of God ". The Law came with Moses the man of God.
None of us are capable of keeping the whole Law. It is impossible to earn grace, it is free so are you going to still try to earn your salvation or are you going to bury your head in the sand. That covers the Left and the Right for narrow is the way and few find it.

Amicus: The GFC actually started under Bush. He was the one who started the bank bailouts. To blame Obama for the GFC is beyond disingenuous.
Where were the Tea Party when Bush was presiding over tax cuts, spending increases and wars of unlimited spending? If "small government" is so vital, why support such a massive taxpayer funded military for pure economic/political reasons? Why support a global kidnapping organisation like the CIA with black budgets in the $Billions? Do you care that Bush's wars were based on known lies, with an ex-ally of the US that was back-stabbed when the alliance became a problem. (Can we trust such people?) Bush allowed Wall St bankers to consume more and more of a nations wealth whilst contributing nothing in wealth creation.
How can these same folk claim to be "Christian" when they are effectively supporting a bunch of kidnapping, drug dealing, arms dealing thugs? Do you guys *care* about the lies peddled by the Fox media?
Oh, and because Obama couldn't fix 10 years of reckless un-governance in 2 years he is the *cause* of the problems?!
The hypocrisy and |ignore|ance are stunning.
Without a fair media the "Two tribes" will just get further apart as the hype cycle continues. Hopefully this insanity will warn Australians not to follow along as we are currently doing...then again, Murdoch just got a board slot on channel 10. Sigh.