Posted on 04/05/2007 7:32:20 PM PDT by wouldntbprudent
TAKE MY QUIZ: Hold Your Nose or Cut it Off?
At least for now, the two-party system is entrenched in American politics. So, come Election Day in 2008, the fact is that there will be two viable candidates for the office of President of the United States.
In other words, in 2008, it is a major statistical likelihood that the newly elected president will be a member of the Democrat or Republican party.
What's at stake in a presidential election?
How many people are you actually voting "for" (or "against") when you cast your vote on Election Day?
Does it matter that the *party* of the person elected President comes to power along with the President?
TAKE MY QUIZ AND DECIDE FOR YOURSELF!
Let's get started.
Answer the following questions:
About how many political appointments are made just in Washington, D.C. when a new administration is installed?
*** Answer here at #93.
About how many political appointments are made in the federal government as a whole when a new administration is installed?
*** Answer here at #94.
About how many people are employed by the new president directly in the Executive Office?
*** Answer at #95.
About how many people are hired by the new president to serve on the White House staff?
*** Answer at #96.
About how many political appointees are there in national, state and local governments combined?
*** Answer here at #33.
Who nominates military officers for promotion to general / flag officer?
*** Answer here at #210.
True or False: When you cast your vote for President of the United States, you are voting for (or against) a candidate, a political party and its long-standing "machine," and the administration assembled by the candidate and the party working together.
True or False: When you cast your vote for President of the United States, you are voting for (or against) the influence in our government and, thus, on our country wielded by the joint political actions of the president and his party.
NOW IT'S TIME TO NAME SOME NAMES!
First, pick ANY Democrat as that party's presidential candidate and pick ANY Republican as that party's presidential candidate.
Secondly, review the "15 departments and numerous agencies which together make up the 'government' that we see every day."
These departments and agencies "are responsible for administering the law, enforcing it, and delivering various governmental services. Their functions are far-reaching and affect the lives of every American."
Now, take the quiz!
Look at each department/agency and consider the candidates you have chosen as well as their respective party's political machine. Match the names of individuals to the organizations that you conclude would be likely to be appointed by---or which are representative of the appointments you think would be made by----the candidate to that organization.
For example:
[Fill in the blank] Democrat v. [Fill in the blank] Republican.
Department of Defense, Secretary of Defense:
----- Wes Clark (D) v. Tommy Franks (I, leaning R)
Department of Justice, Attorney General of the United States:
----- Jamie Gorelick (D) v. Eugene Scalia
Ambassador to the United Nations:
----- Bill Clinton (D) v. John Bolton (R)
When you're done, compare your list and decide if you think it impacts the country one way or the other whether the Democrats, headed by [fill in the blank], or the Republicans, headed by [fill in the blank] take power in 2008. Ready?
(The following information is taken from this overview of the federal government.)
The Executive Branch departments, each with a Secretary appointed by the President:
Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Department of Commerce (DOC)
Department of Defense (DOD)
Department of Education (ED)
Department of Energy (DOE)
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Department of the Interior (DOI)
Department of Justice (DOJ)
Department of Labor (DOL)
Department of State (DOS)
Department of Transportation (DOT)
Department of the Treasury
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Other top Executive Branch officials that may have cabinet-level status:
The President's Chief of Staff (and his staff)
Director, Office of Management and Budget
U.S. Trade Representative
Director, Environmental Protection Agency
Director, Central Intelligence Agency
The President's National Security Advisor
Some examples of Executive Branch independent agencies and commissions:
U.S. Postal Service
Environmental Protection Agency
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Major regulatory agencies, which are " an especially powerful type of agency . . . [that] make rules that affect nearly every business and consumer:
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC)
Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC)
Food and Drug Administration (in HHS) (FDA)
Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (in DOL) (OSHA).
Federal Reserve System
One more, just to give a hat-tip to the many appointments the President makes to ambassadorships, and similar positions, around the world:
Ambassador to the United Nations
Well, that's it for now. Of course, my quiz can't cover every position that will be filled by the next President of the United States in conjunction with his or her party machine. Nor can it cover all the ways in which those individuals will affect our nation. But I hope this helps you decide whether or not your vote matters.
Thanks.
Now if I could just get one of the cut and run crowd to take my quiz!
They keep telling me there’s no difference at all between a Rat administration and a Republican administration.
I’m wondering why, when challenged to demonstrate their conclusion by naming some names, all I hear is . . .
((crickets chirping))
I’m not sure what you mean by “and will then vote accordingly.”
But I agree that I may have misunderstood narses’ post. Re-reading it, I don’t know whether narses meant that he wanted the RINO to lose in the primaries or in the general election.
If it is the latter, I stand by my conclusion that that is appalling. And it wouldn’t be the first time someone on FR said they’d rather the Republican nominee to lose than to vote against their “principles.”
That is the point of the quiz here. It is not principled to intentionally act in such a way (refuse to vote for the Republican nominee in the general election) that a greater evil triumphs.
Secretary of Defense -- John McCain
Attorney General -- Harriet Myers
Ambassador to the UN -- BJ himself, Bill Clinton
You are too kind. You forgot KERIK as Homeland Security Car.
Okay, thanks!
Now, who do you think would be in a, say, Hillary or Obama presidency?
What do you say to this quiz?
Who do you think Hillary or Obama would appoint as Homeland Security Czar?
And if you think Kerik is coming back in any form or fashion, I seriously question your self-described credentials as a political science expert. I think Kerik may even be under indictment now.
And who do I support in the primaries? Don’t know yet.Really? What do you think of Rudy?
A51—
What’s your view on the likelihood Rudy would appoint these individuals to these positions?
Thanks.
“Who do you think Hillary or Obama would appoint as Homeland Security Czar?”
Whoever that is, the GOP will oppose them. With Kerik or his simulacrum, we are stuck. No sale. Sorry.
” I think Kerik may even be under indictment now. “
LOL, ya think?
I am open to his candidacy.
WHat I am not open to is a bunch of my fellow team-mates declaring before the game even starts that, if things don’t go their way, they’re quitting in the fourth quarter.
That is something I have to evaluate in deciding my game plan because, you see, I DO want to play all four quarters of football, up to the last second, I want to keep fighting. If it’s between a 3 point loss and a 6 point loss, I want to try for the 3 point loss.
I don’t take kindly to quitters.
And I do think there are many very sincere, well-meaning, godly people who nevertheless are approaching the general election, and what it actually means to our country, in a short-sighted way.
Some here have talked about how awful they felt when they realized their votes for Perot in 1992 and 1996 did nothing by deliver the country to the Clintons AND THEIR PARTY for eight years. Yet others talk loudly about blithely taking the same route in 2008, as if nothing was learned from this.
I am not open to RINO supporters. Count me out as your “team-mate”. If you embrace gun grabbing baby-killers, you do so without me.
That is the point of the quiz here. It is not principled to intentionally act in such a way (refuse to vote for the Republican nominee in the general election) that a greater evil triumphs.
I've not decided whether or not I would vote for Rudy in the general. If not, it would be an entirely principled position, in that he would be indistinguishable from the DemonRat nominee on key issues that I fervently support: 2A, pro-life.
Part of my point in raising such a stink about Rudy is that we should not take for granted that he would garner widespread general election support from the Republican base, given his proclivity for far left social policy.
I've not decided whether or not I would vote for Rudy in the general. If not, it would be an entirely principled position, in that he would be indistinguishable from the DemonRat nominee on key issues that I fervently support: 2A, pro-life.Bingo!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1777111/posts?page=290#290
The words of Jim Robinson on pushing a liberal like Rino Rudy.“How many times must I say FR is a conservative site? We do not support abortionism, homosexualism, feminisim, environmentalism, gun control, liberalism, socialism, etc, etc, etc. When I say I suspect we will become even more conservative than we already are, possibly via attrition if nothing else, what do you think I’m referring to? When FR starts pushing hard and I mean hard against abortion, gay marriage, homosexual education forced on our school children, pandering to illegal aliens, gun control, McCaine-Feingold type usurpation, global warming, etc, etc, even if supported or advanced by the GOP, then I fully suspect certain types of moderate/liberal Republican supporters are probably going to be a little uncomfortable here. We will be fighting for traditional American conservatism no matter who we have to fight against and I’m afraid that’s going to piss off some folks.”
Jim Robinson, 3/2/07
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1794037/replies?c=1072
So you believe that even though Rudy doesn't believe in the Second Amendment, he would e.g. appoint an attorney general who does?
If we don't like a candidate, why should we expect to like his staffers and appointees?
Even when someone's nomination seems inevitable, it may still be better to subject him to rigorous challenge. If there's something bad about the candidate, it's better that it be revealed by his own side early on than that it be sprung by his opponents a week before the general election.
Liberalism begets socialism. Socialism begets totalitarianism. Liberalism/socialism/totalitarianism is the enemy of freedom. We cannot fight the enemy by becoming the enemy. I choose to stand and fight for freedom rather than surrender to the enemy.
Bingo. Thanks.
Do you mean like we were stuck with Harriet Miers when Bush nominated her?
Your logic astounds. You seem to think WE, the grassroots, would have less influence in a Republican administration than a Rat administration.
Regardless, the point of the quiz is to come up with names on representing appointees from BOTH parties. Would you please supply a name for the Rat administration?
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