Is this the Most Important Election since 1980?

[Rhodie]

Very little would have changed if Kerry were elected in 2004.

Very little changes no matter who's elected. That's kind of besides the point.

Uh, they want to basically end medicare and social security. And Ginsburg is not going to survive until 2017. A Romney victory would dramatically transform this country.

Meanwhile, back on Earth.........

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Very little would have changed if Kerry were elected in 2004.

Very little changes no matter who's elected. That's kind of besides the point.

Of the last 5 elections, I'd agree on that for all of them except 2008 and possibly 2000. The biggest ideological contrast of the past 30 years was easily Reagan/Mondale.

[Marokai Backbeat]

ITT we compete for who is the most jaded with our political system and who thinks "all politicians are just the same, man" the most.

[© tweed]

Very little would have changed if Kerry were elected in 2004.

Very little changes no matter who's elected. That's kind of besides the point.

Of the last 5 elections, I'd agree on that for all of them except 2008 and possibly 2000. The biggest ideological contrast of the past 30 years was easily Reagan/Mondale.

did Reagan know how to spell 'ideology' in 1984?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Very little would have changed if Kerry were elected in 2004.

Very little changes no matter who's elected. That's kind of besides the point.

Uh, they want to basically end medicare and social security. And Ginsburg is not going to survive until 2017. A Romney victory would dramatically transform this country.

Meanwhile, back on Earth.........

.....Romney/Ryan plan to end Medicare as we know it.

[Comrade Funk]

Very little would have changed if Kerry were elected in 2004.

Very little changes no matter who's elected. That's kind of besides the point.

Uh, they want to basically end medicare and social security. And Ginsburg is not going to survive until 2017. A Romney victory would dramatically transform this country.

Meanwhile, back on Earth.........

Uhhh...no. Ryan's budget plan would mean the end of Medicare.

Since 1980? Tough to rank them all.

1980
2008
2012 (was lower until Mittens brought in Mr. Mediscare)
1992
2004
1988
2000 (it wasn't that important back then)
1984
1996

[© tweed]

2000 was mad important in retro.  no Iraq or regressive tax rigging.

[Comrade Funk]

2000 was mad important in retro.  no Iraq or regressive tax rigging.

True.

[Rhodie]

Very little would have changed if Kerry were elected in 2004.

Very little changes no matter who's elected. That's kind of besides the point.

Of the last 5 elections, I'd agree on that for all of them except 2008 and possibly 2000. The biggest ideological contrast of the past 30 years was easily Reagan/Mondale.

did Reagan know how to spell 'ideology' in 1984?

Wonderful to see the left learning to laugh at Alzheimers. Reagan was infinitely more intelligent than people gave him credit for.

[opebo]

did Reagan know how to spell 'ideology' in 1984?

Wonderful to see the left learning to laugh at Alzheimers. Reagan was infinitely more intelligent than people gave him credit for.

You misinterpret - our reference to his mental incopetence is to excuse his crimes.  If he were perfectly cognizant throughout he's as culpable a criminal as the Bushs, perhaps worse.

[Ebowed]

Wonderful to see the left learning to laugh at Alzheimers.

As someone with a family history of the condition, I think it is an entirely fair question.

[Oldiesfreak1854]

I would say since at least 1980.

[NHI]

Easily the most important since 1980.

[Rhodie]

did Reagan know how to spell 'ideology' in 1984?

Wonderful to see the left learning to laugh at Alzheimers. Reagan was infinitely more intelligent than people gave him credit for.

You misinterpret - our reference to his mental incopetence is to excuse his crimes.  If he were perfectly cognizant throughout he's as culpable a criminal as the Bushs, perhaps worse.

Ah yes and what 'crimes' were those?

[Donerail]

did Reagan know how to spell 'ideology' in 1984?

Wonderful to see the left learning to laugh at Alzheimers. Reagan was infinitely more intelligent than people gave him credit for.

You misinterpret - our reference to his mental incopetence is to excuse his crimes.  If he were perfectly cognizant throughout he's as culpable a criminal as the Bushs, perhaps worse.

Ah yes and what 'crimes' were those?

Lebanon intervention, Iran-Iraq intervention, Iran-Contra, Libya bombing, Grenada invasion, funding groups in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Mozambique, Angola, and Cambodia, war on drugs, expansion of government and regulation, foreign aid increase, restrictions on 'sin'.

[Rhodie]

did Reagan know how to spell 'ideology' in 1984?

Wonderful to see the left learning to laugh at Alzheimers. Reagan was infinitely more intelligent than people gave him credit for.

You misinterpret - our reference to his mental incopetence is to excuse his crimes.  If he were perfectly cognizant throughout he's as culpable a criminal as the Bushs, perhaps worse.

Ah yes and what 'crimes' were those?

Lebanon intervention, Iran-Iraq intervention, Iran-Contra, Libya bombing, Grenada invasion, funding groups in Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Honduras, Nicaragua, Afghanistan, Mozambique, Angola, and Cambodia, war on drugs, expansion of government and regulation, foreign aid increase, restrictions on 'sin'.

Seriously now, what is it some people on this forum are smoking. I've highlighted in bold the things that from no point of view could be considered a crime.

Seriously, you think the United States should just have watched the Soviet Union and Cuba running around invading other countries and installing puppet Marxist dictatorships. The foreign aid 'crime' made me sh**t myself. Bombing Gaddaffi, what was wrong with that per say.

[Ebowed]

To suggest that the Reagan administration was free of criminal activity would be an indication of dementia at best.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

This is probably one of the least important.

It's interesting, isn't it, that almost every election is 'the most important since x' or close to it. Forget your grumblings and your discontent; the enemy are at the gates!

Can't believe that people here are listing 2004 as unimportant though. Certainly didn't feel like that at the time (unlike this election right now, no matter how it turns later).

[Brittain33]

This is probably one of the least important.

It's interesting, isn't it, that almost every election is 'the most important since x' or close to it. Forget your grumblings and your discontent; the enemy are at the gates!

Can't believe that people here are listing 2004 as unimportant though. Certainly didn't feel like that at the time (unlike this election right now, no matter how it turns later).

No one knew that Bush would blow it so badly, so quickly and become a lame duck. Kerry would have faced an obstructive Congress right away.

If Romney is elected, he's is certain to have a conservative House and likely to have a Republican senate that will neuter the filibuster and send him some transformative legislation. Obama will face obstruction but that means preserving the status quo he shaped, which is no small accomplishment.

[The Mikado]

Very little would have changed if Kerry were elected in 2004.

Very little changes no matter who's elected. That's kind of besides the point.

Of the last 5 elections, I'd agree on that for all of them except 2008 and possibly 2000. The biggest ideological contrast of the past 30 years was easily Reagan/Mondale.

did Reagan know how to spell 'ideology' in 1984?

In 1984?  Probably.  In 1987 or 1988?  Probably not.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

You know, 1996 had the second president to be impeached. It's not that unimportant.

[Rhodie]

Yes, but in terms of the fact that the electoral map was virtually the same, and Clinton basically carried on policy wise as he had done in his first term, I would rank it as unimportant.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

No one knew that Bush would blow it so badly, so quickly and become a lame duck. Kerry would have faced an obstructive Congress right away.

Bush was in power when the global economy collapsed. Even with the hindsight game (and even if we assume that a hypothetical Kerry administration would have reacted in exactly the same way) it's hard to argue that the election was unimportant.

[Lief 🗽]

No one knew that Bush would blow it so badly, so quickly and become a lame duck. Kerry would have faced an obstructive Congress right away.

Bush was in power when the global economy collapsed. Even with the hindsight game (and even if we assume that a hypothetical Kerry administration would have reacted in exactly the same way) it's hard to argue that the election was unimportant.

Yeah, but it's not like Bush reacted to that radically differently than Kerry or any other Democrat would have.

Ah yes and what 'crimes' were those?

Uh, the United States under Reagan was literally convicted of breaching international law by the ICJ: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaragua_v._United_States

[Rhodie]

No one knew that Bush would blow it so badly, so quickly and become a lame duck. Kerry would have faced an obstructive Congress right away.

Bush was in power when the global economy collapsed. Even with the hindsight game (and even if we assume that a hypothetical Kerry administration would have reacted in exactly the same way) it's hard to argue that the election was unimportant.

Where half the judges came from such paragons of law and justice like the PRC, Argentina and communist ruled Poland.
Yeah, but it's not like Bush reacted to that radically differently than Kerry or any other Democrat would have.

Ah yes and what 'crimes' were those?

Uh, the United States under Reagan was literally convicted of breaching international law by the ICJ: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicaragua_v._United_States