Re: Important Message About Sarah Palin
 

Yup, it should certainly be an interesting one.
Q: Will Michele Bachmann tone down her anti-gay rhetoric in the debates? (I suppose it depends what counts as populism in America right now.)

Re: Important Message About Sarah Palin
 

I missed a lot of the debate. Was she delivering some hardcore anti-gay rhetoric? Or are you just speaking in general?

I did quite enjoy watching them all find their way of expressing how they'd treat Muslims differently than anyone else they'd consider for their cabinets though. Except for Romney. Gotta give him credit for just flat out stating that all religions should be respected here in the U.S.

Re: Important Message About Sarah Palin
 

No I just mean in general, given what she's come out with in the past. I didn't actually see any of the recent debates.

Re: Important Message About Sarah Palin
 

Aww, damn. I was reading your sentence and expected the word 'abolished' instead of 'respected'. I'm all for equality under the law.

Re: Important Message About Sarah Palin
 

Out of interest, what do you think will be the key topics during this upcoming campaign?

I'm guessing Libya (and foreign intervention generally) could be one, what with Iraq now apparently behind us.

Employment and the deficit, obviously.

Immigrants? (that's how you tell when it's election time in Britain)

Anything else stirring the American electorate particularly?

And will we have the pleasure of hearing from Joe the Plumber?

Re: Important Message About Sarah Palin
 

It's less a quantifiable topic that I'm anticipating, and more a pure spectacle based on the outlandish level that anti-Obama rhetoric from his opponents has reached. With people like Palin and Beck and Limbaugh and Hannity filling the heads of Tea Party types with a gut-busting helping of dogmatic rhetoric, I expect to see some high level crazy coming from the Republican candidates this election season. And it's already beginning judging from what little of the Republican debate I saw. As I mentioned, Cain came out saying it's not that he wouldn't have a Muslim in his cabinet - he would just make them pass a loyalty test that no one else would be required to pass. That was an applause getter for him. And then Newt jumped on board with an even more stark declaration that added a comparison between Muslims, Communists and Nazis - no distinction whatsoever between radicals or moderates. He too received wild applause. When Romney pointed out that the Constitution already prohibits Shariah law in the U.S., and that we're a country that respects ALL religions, he was met with silence. This, to me, was a preview of what's to come.

Basically, all the crazy they've been sowing since 2009 is ready for harvest, and it's probably going to make for quite a show.

Re: Important Message About Sarah Palin
 

Oh boy that's depressing. I really didn't realise the mainstream Republican party was now so tainted by tea party twerps. Would Romney even make it to become their presidential candidate? I guess McCain made it last time so there's hope. (Though look what happened to him!)

Re: Important Message About Sarah Palin
 

Sounds like Romney's actually the front-runner overall, but this idealogical purity wing of the conservative side of things looks to be changing the whole Republican approach. Particularly during their primaries, we'll probably be seeing who can out-conservative each other on a whole new level, and I'd be willing to bet right now that the result of it will be a Republican nominee that's unelectable in the general election. They'll have painted thmselves into such a far-right corner that they'll be irrelevant to all the moderates who ultimately decide these things.

Re: Important Message About Sarah Palin
 

Another possible key topic for the election: "negotiating with our enemies"

(Afghanistan's Karzai: US 'in peace talks with Taliban')

Re: Important Message About Sarah Palin
 

With the quality of candidates throwing their hat in the game I've just been waiting for this guy to announce his candidacy for Republican Nomination 2012

http://ricketyclick.com/blog/wp-cont...of-sauron2.jpg

Eye of Sauron: CHANGE YOU DAMN WELL BETTER BELIEVE IN.

The key topics will not be real topics. They will involve the suspicion around Romney's mormonism, Santorum sucking up air time blaming unemployment on homosexuality, Sarah Palin's paper thin populism "why can't we just be great americans by going back to what makes america great, wouldn't that be great, america? great." Obama's religion/nationality/communist leanings, and the decidedly insane posts some Ron Paul supporter makes on one of his community web sites. All of this will comprise about 85% of the national dialog during the election.

The real topics, when we get around to looking at them, will probably be exactly the ones you listed.