So Barack Obama and Mike Huckabee have won the respective parties in the Iowa Caucus.

My first thoughts were, we have a black guy and a guy that believes every American citizen should own, and carry, a gun.

Iowa citizens watch too much BET.

In all honesty, I'm really happy that Obama got the Democratic victory. I think he's a quality democrat. I think Huckabee is insane, but that's just me.

Discuss your thoughts on the first official stage of the 08 election.

Although I'm not a huge Obama fan, I'm glad to see him AND Edwards defeat Clinton.

Huckabee is crazy.

Obama is too similar to Osama...

On another forum, someone posted "Why are people voting for Osama"...

Took like 20 posts before someone realized he said Osama, and not Obama.

Yet in essence, is it really any different?

*twilight music*

I really really dislike Huckabee.

Indeed, Obama is not my favorite candidate but I think he'd make a fine president nonetheless. I'm quite happy to see Hillary lose.

Bender 2008!

I like Huckabee.

There's just something about Mitt Romney that I don't trust. Like he's not telling me something, and every time I see his face he's trying to hide it.

Axis, Huckabee is crazy. He's so twisted in his image of what government is supposed to be. He thinks it's his way of enacting God's will. He thinks he's a moral propheteer. It's frightening.

What? Is there something I should know? Do you have links? (I'm very open minded about this whole president thing.)

I'm down with Obama. Although nationalized health care is just absolutely bat**** insane, but it would never get passed in Congress, so doesn't matter to me too much. Otherwise, I think he would bring a breath of fresh air. His stance on net neutrality is frankly what's most important to me :/

If I recall correctly, Huckabee wnats to make gay marriage illegal via a constitutional amendment. He wants to make his own religious beliefs into law. How is that not absolutely frightening?

Nationalized healthcare is humanitarian and practiced in almost every other first world country. But sure, insane.

Poor Ron Paul.

Well, it can degrade the quality of health care or speed in which it is delivered. Perhaps a privatized system, like ours, with government subsidies for those who cannot afford insurance, would be a good compromise.

Burgerboys are it at again, job well donut, american boys yaddadydadada...

And on a more serious note, if jackasses like Romney or Huckabee manage to win... dear God, I might actually get serious with these "burgerboy rants".

Maybe, but I really hate systems where it's like "You can afford it so you have to pay for it" for one group, and another is told "You can't afford it so you get it for free."

Why exactly should access to health care (or life) be based on your income?

Also a universal system: everyone pays (proportionally of course)

I can't stop laughing. But yeah, everyone that wasn't rooting for Ron Paul knew that he had no chance.

Thinks pornography, abortions, and gays are why people shoot up schools
Wants the 10 Commandments in the Whitehouse
Wanted aids victims to be isolated.
Wants to take this nation back for Christ
Mysteriously pardoned a rapist and still hasn't explained why
Thinks women should submit to their husbands
Got a phone call from God
Suggests his opponents commit suicide for spending too much money
Makes creepy morbid jokes about dying because you don't vote for him

I could go on.

This election won't matter, I don't think any of these candidates have a shot at 8 years. This election sucks. I like Mitt, he could be my pres. any day.

Of course you like Romney, you're a close minded bigot just like he is.

...

Why the ellipsis? He's against gay marriage and civil unions, and if I recall he also supports legislation against them.

Big deal, gay marriage is old news and it takes the congress to make an amendment not the president.

...you're kidding, right? The guy wants to impose religious beliefs as law. How is anyone who would do that worthy of being president?

Obama '08!

I highly recommend his book, "Audacity of Hope".

Ok... I raised my eyebrows when you posted this one, but it's clear that you're fishing now, and this devalues the rest. I watched the clip of the incident in question and it's clear that he was pulling a stunt, and he's proven himself something of a joker anyway. It's clear that he wasn't taking the situation seriously at all.

How so? Those are all separate examples of his looniness. I don't think the scary thing is him talking to god on a mobile phone as part of a stunt, it's that he thinks that's something worthwhile to bring up and that he so clearly panders to the religious element with "God's on our side" type claptrap.
While you may not think it's that big a deal it in no way detracts from the other bits of Huckabee gibberish that Kirby linked.

I'm just happy that Ron Paul got more than twice the votes that Giuliani did.

I wouldn't call it gibberish. I'd call it PIECES OF LUNACY.

What a nutbar.

I work for the Obama campaign, we're pretty ecstatic right now. We knew we would win, it was just a matter of convincing everyone else.

This is the Reagan/Monale election for democrats. Anyone who voted for Huckabee is out of their mind, he doesn't stand a chance in the general election. If the republicans had any sense they'd put up McCain.

Man I can't wait for the general, this is going to be a fun year for democrats.

Holy ****. Mom told me Huckabee was an idiot. This guy is frightening! If this guy is elected, we'd have to rename the US to the "Holy American Empire." I wish the Christian Religious Right would just...go away.

I haven't been paying enough attention to all candidates but to me Thompson is looking the best of the lot (i.e. not fundie like Huckabee or Romney) c/d?

Edit:

In nations with managable populations and the fact that they have been doing it for a very long time. Right now, I 100% do not trust Congress to handle any sort of thing on that magnitude. It would be quite difficult to insure that 300M Americans get their healthcare in a efficient and rapid manner. And you are shifting the burden from several entities (HMOs et al) to one entity (U.S. gov't). Most government agents have ****-poor records of policing themselves.

Emon has it the best. Keep the private sector in its place, and then we can start getting the STATE government involved for health care for those less off.

I like the British healthcare system (gasp! someone actually likes the NHS).

Everyone gets free healthcare, even the homeless and those who aren't paying any taxes. If you are earning money then your taxes go towards the NHS. If you do happen to be earning lots of money you can pay for private health insurance which generally means much shorter waiting lists and you go to a private hospital rather than an NHS one.

Baptist Ministers are fine, but there does not need to be one living in the White House. Why on earth do people think he is a good candidate for President of the United States?

Why should I have to pay for your health care? Give me a good, non "because you are a fellow man and you are helping the human race" (aka humanitarian) answer.

Because in return he pays for yours.

Universal Healthcare works, and once you have it you'll be severely pissed off with anybody who tries to take it away. It gives you one less thing to worry about keeping up to date with (private health payments) and all you pay is sod all in the way of taxes.