southsider2k5

The funny thing is they could have done this before the election and made it look like Bush was taking control to get something done and move past their mistakes. It would have totally taken back the fixing Iraq card for a lot of the upset conservatives. For being the most incrediblely sinister and evil geniuses to ever exsist on the world's political stage, the repubs sure can be pretty dense at times.

QUOTE(retro1983hat @ Nov 8, 2006 -> 11:51 AM) Obama should annonce soon. He will never be as untainted as he is right now. He never had to cast a vote on the Iraq war and he has a small voting record to criticize. But if he thinks that the primaries will be a cake walk like the one he had against Alan Keyes, he will be sorely mistaken. The Clintons will pound him on every issue and lack of experience. Barak Obama will be one of the last, if not the last, to announce his canditacy if he indeed does go. He wants to make sure that there is a near groundswell BEGGING him to run, vs him begging other people to pay attention to him.

ED is a HUGE deal right now in MC, and the complete lack of a business strategy other than whoring themselves out to retail is the thing that has bothered me for years. Right now along Trail Creek there are a bunch of old factories and business, many that have been shuttered for years. The City wants to buy/annex them to build a new coridor, which by the way they have no idea exactly what they want to do with. The big fight is that one of the businesses still down there is profitable, and they are talking about using ED to get rid of them. Property rights constiutionally are supposed to be one of the most protected rights, and they aren't even close anymore.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Nov 8, 2006 -> 10:23 AM) There are many more opportunities to make a huge difference in a community as a volunteer than as an elected official. I have always been a volunteer. I have always been a big believer in doing, instead of talking. I have worked as a ref at our Y for years, and as a youth group leader in a religious group. It also sounds like I am going to be a mentor for a kid without a father. How scary is that?

QUOTE(NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 8, 2006 -> 10:17 AM) At the mayoral level, the whole blue/red thing is different. Social issues are less of a concern - its more about business, zoing, education, crime, etc. Figure out which party you align with on THOSE issues, and you may find you are pretty moderate anyway. Your particular mix might sell really, really well in MC. Business issues is what makes me a conservative. Small budget, low taxes, government is the problem-not the solution, smart business growth etc. I think I actually fall more dem on the social stuff, than true conservative. I think it is product of my MYOB approach to most things going for both business and private life. Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems to me the key for the next year or two if I want to do this again is to stay relevent in the meantime. I have a couple of ideas, but I am not to sure on the details.

QUOTE(mreye @ Nov 8, 2006 -> 09:17 AM) Great job, Mike. Hopefully you've at the very least opened some eyes in Michigan City. That's what I am really hoping for. I know in the meantime I am going to keep an eye out for the future, and keep an ear on what is being done in the community to change things. If things don't improve, there is no doubt I will run again in a couple of years. Like I said I am also thinking about maybe shooting even bigger next time, the one hang up is that Michigan City has been blue since the 70's, and yet things have gotten progressively worse. The 99 election almost got a red mayor, but they came up just short. I think I could build a solid platform there, I just don't know if I want to give up that much family time to do it.

Joke of the Day Q: What's the difference between Saddam Hussein and John Kerry? A: Kerry hangs himself.

Bush to Nancy, let's do lunch at my place

4 of the last 9 governors of IL have been indicted... We are pretty much counting the minutes until number 5 happens.

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Nov 7, 2006 -> 05:20 PM) Anyone think Duhon's name might be one that comes up in trade talks come Feb.? (especially depending on how the Knickerbockers do?) Maybe, but I am not sure he would have much trade value to be honest. Unless the guy has really sharpened up his deep game, there isn't anything about Chris that is that special in the grand scheme of things. He is a good ball player, but 6 foot PGs who can handle and play defense are a dime a dozen.

QUOTE(Steff @ Nov 8, 2006 -> 07:51 AM) They have their moments. The one in Cancun sucked, but I do like the one here in Chicago. The one in Toronto was incredible.

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Nov 7, 2006 -> 10:16 PM) Great run at it, SS. I'm proud of you taking the initiative and throwing in. It was good to live vicariously through you during the race. It was even better to be there in person. These clowns were nothing compared to the debates you guys put up on here QUOTE(sox4lifeinPA @ Nov 7, 2006 -> 10:22 PM) Great Job Mike. We're all behind you at soxtalk! But just think....now you can concentrate on making more babies and posting on soxtalk. More posting you say?... QUOTE(Texsox @ Nov 7, 2006 -> 10:50 PM) Damn, I rushed home hoping to be sharing a victory celebration. How much time we got before the next election? The little things make democracy work, and voters having quality choices is one of them. Next school board election is in two years... a little more interesting is that they next mayoral election is right around the corner... I gotta say it is intreaguing to say the least.

After the beatings at the polls, I am really doubting McCain will be the first to announce. I don't think you will get a big named repub to be first in line, because they don't want to spend the whole time explaining and taking ownership of what has happened under Bush. I truely believe the R canditate in 08 will be someone we are not thinking about at all right now.

Final totals Not me, not my other choice 3108 Not me, my other choice 2693 Me, 2585 Last place, 1172 I gotta say, I am proud of how I did. 27.0 percent of the vote in a 4 way race, with basically no financing is nothing to sneeze at. The race was energizing and the experience of a lifetime, dispite the outcome. I learned more about my hometown in a few months than I had in over 30 years of being from here. Once again, Bob, Rog, Matt, Slav, and Palehosefan I owe you guys a ton of thanks for the efforts you guys put in for me with absolutely no connection to Michigan City, and that means a lot to me. Thanks all, and who knows, maybe in another couple of years we will do it all again?

QUOTE(kapkomet @ Nov 7, 2006 -> 09:15 PM) Didn't I tell you that I registered 1800 times? Well that would explain the 2002 votes for Lee...

Latest update 2002-1835-1729 with about 20 precincts left to go, and supposedly the majority of them are in MC, so there might still be a push left to go. Regardless, I have to say, at least 1727 people outside of my household voted for ME. Wow. QUOTE(LowerCaseRepublican @ Nov 7, 2006 -> 09:02 PM) Did you make sure to vote for yourself? 19 times, why?

Bah. I am really not happy about the woman who is winning. Not only was she the weakest of the at-large canditates, but she was one of the weakest of the 12 overall. I don't know what she did, but the tallys are now 1311-1169-1154 with me still in 3rd and 39 of 74 precincts in. I think statistically it is about over, but I am going to keep updating for all who are interested.

Early results are starting to come in... 19 of 74 precints in Laporte county have been counted, with no distinction as to how many are in MC... Right now I am in 3rd of 4, but the totals are 334-323-307, so its really, really close, and early.

QUOTE(FlaSoxxJim @ Nov 7, 2006 -> 11:43 AM) That's not true. The key issue with the robocalls is that the callers don't say they are conducting an independent survey. They falsely claim they are calling on behalf of a candidate and then they make a point of being a jerk, and then to call back over and over to try to pizz the call receivver off so much as to not vote for the candidate they are pretending to represent. So this group called from a number that showed up as disconnected, and when they somehow got the name of the company involved in this, they refused to allow the information to be released. This article also sites getting upto 20 calls a day of the same variety, including calls at 2 am.

QUOTE(longshot7 @ Nov 7, 2006 -> 11:36 AM) The great thing about Matthews is that each side believes he's for the other. That's a good commentator. Oh, and nice apostrophe. And yet neither side wants to claim him as their own

more rumor mongering and ideas have Barry ending up with Frank in Oakland. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15595545/

I am thinking about getting one of the wooden trainsets for a Christmas present, and I have no idea which one I should be getting. Is there any difference between say brio and Thomas? Are there any sets that are much better/worse than the others?

QUOTE(RockRaines @ Nov 7, 2006 -> 10:18 AM) With a huge wingspan and better penetration and passing ability. Duhon has to be expendable by now IMO. Six foot point guards are literally a dime a dozen in the NBA. Duhon is a solid defender and ballhandler, but he doesn't have the shooting touch to make his value higher than most.

QUOTE(RME JICO @ Nov 7, 2006 -> 10:18 AM) http://www.globesports.com/servlet/story/R...tsBaseball/home Barry Bonds to the White Sox? Wow, Canada must have some great contacts. Well everyone has been looking for a LF with a high OPB and OPS...

QUOTE(Balta1701 @ Nov 7, 2006 -> 10:20 AM) Wow. So there's in your eyes no difference between push-polling, which is being actively done by both sides, and a legitimate effort at voter harassment? I can't say I'm a fan of the push-polling, but i'm amazed you're actually trying to draw that parallel...especially given that you're voting for people who are doing exactly the same sort of push-polling. The best pro-Repub one I've heard about is the one they're run in something like 5 states asking "do you believe in medical experimentation on unborn babies?" The thing I'm complaining about here though is a fundamentally different beast from push-polling, and I think it's remarkable you'd try to defend it with that excuse. Did you read the whole thing? Almost all of the same issues you brought up, showed up in that same article.