I'm going to start a new thread because honestly, it bothers me that we are on page 31 and I like clean stuff. LOL.

So, post all your presidential political here. Good stuff, bad stuff, how much mexican food you want to eat ;) I don't care.

Just have fun and remember to be respectful.

Kelly

How Do You Live Your Dash?

Check out the Kids' blogs:
The CaleBlog and the Zoe Blog

I had some amazing tamales a few weeks ago, at a tiny restaurant that makes real Mexican food.  We'd brought our own good quality tequila, and they made us drinks with it, mixed with grapefruit juice in one case, and lime soda in the other, and wow.

It looks like so little food when they bring it, and by the time you're 3/4s finished you're thinking "am I going to be able to get through this meal and still have Bread of Death for dessert?"

(I'll take any opportunity I can for a digression. )

Oh, man, Jamie, YOU actually found a good tamale in a RESTAURANT!???

There is a rule of thumb in these parts - the only place to get a good tamale is from someone in your housekeeper's family.  I'm only serious.  It has been written in no less than the LA Times food section.  Okay, maybe someone in your gardener's family too.

Ahhhhhhhhhh, a good tamale.  I live in constant search for that elusive quantity.  I am always disappointed.  Do I have to go to CANADA to find it?  Or is it just that you were too saturated with tequila to know the difference between amazing and typically mediocre?

Tamales!  I will not be able to make it through the day without tamales on my mind.  My husband just adds that finding an amazing tamale in Canada would be like finding an amazing pizza in L.A.  Get serious will ya.  (and I mean that will all the respect your Canadian self is due...)

 Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

Jordan .

 Okay, Jordan, then I think we can agree -- housekeepers, gardeners and church-going Hispandex make good tamales.  Not Canadians.  With all due respect, natch.

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

That is awesome. :D

My favorite restaurant in Vacaville makes excellent tamales. So does my fave Mexican restaurant in nearby Dixon. Living in an agricultural region with a massive Mexican population has many perks...this would be one of them. :)

Growing up, we lived next door to this large Mexican family (they still live there, actually) and they were always inviting us over for parties and dinner. I loved it. Best cooking ever. And every Christmas they make fresh tamales and give heaping plates of them to all their neighbors. It's what we look forward to every Christmas eve, because we know we get to have FANTASTIC tamales and Negro Modelo for dinner that night instead of the usual cookie plates that everyone else gives us (which we love, don't get me wrong, but HELLO TAMALES).

Dammit. Now I want tamales. ARGH.

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

So, what does everyone think of Rahm Emmanuel as Obama's Chief of Staff?

So, I was at Walmart today doing some last minue food shopping for tomorrow night's party, and came across US magazine's headline of the Obama family.

I may not agree with his politics, but I sure am proud, in an odd sort of way, of his winning the WH. He's the first african american and he's made history. And he did have an awesome campaign. He fought hard, he worked hard, and in all, I think he deserved to win in this case. Of course, the media had a good hand in it as well.

Hopefully now, his politics will make me proud. We shall see what his administration brings and does over the next year or so.

Kelly

How Do You Live Your Dash?

Check out the Kids' blogs:
The CaleBlog and the Zoe Blog

Jordan .

So true about restaurant tamales.  Even when they are good, they are rarely the best thing on the menu, so I rarely get them.  My girlfriend and I have started making tamales at Christmas too (so far mostly the central american style nacatamales that have olives, etc, and wrapped in banana leaves instead of corn).  I think this year we are going to break down and buy a KitchenAid mixer, 'cause that masa is a serious pain to mix by hand.

Not sure what to think about the chief of staff pick- don't know much about him. Experience is good.  Abbrasive not so much- is he Bolton-esque or just kind of  a pain in the ass?  Partisan isn't necessarily a positive thing, but by all accounts Obama will have a fairly diverse cabinet idealogically, so I'm glad to see here that people aren't crucifying him for this one pick just yet (at least no here).

Well, mine were delicious, and were made by an actual family from Mexico, in a kitchen that was anything but professional, and they definitely beat any I'd had before.  Now my frame of reference is small, and does not include Mexico itself, so I won't claim authority -- I'll just say they weren't Fauxican.  (And I'm sure the tequila didn't hurt!)  For what it's worth, my friend who travels with his wife to Costa Rica yearly was reasonably impressed, and he's a foodie.

There are many excellent reasons to travel to Montreal, but a search for authentic and abundant Mexican food would be fairly far down on the list...

Anyway, back on topic, there's a president-elect and he's doing some stuff.

"We cannot allow a mine shaft gap"

"Harry, I'm going to let you in on a little secret. Every day, once a day, give yourself a present. Don't plan it, don't wait for it, just let it happen. Could be a new shirt at the men's store, a catnap in your office chair, or two cups of good, hot, black coffee. Like this."  -Dale Cooper

With one breath you mock the sheep singing and dancing in the streets over Obama's victory, then in the next ask what he's going to do to bring the nation together.

Of course, it's fair to say Mr Bush brought the masses out into the streets as well.  In record numbers, as I recall.  Two major differences: 1) they weren't happy; 2) he completely ignored them.

Frankly, where the Republicans have had an advantage over the Democrats over the past four terms was in partisanship.  (And I'm speaking of the party structure itself now, not the supporters on the ground.)  Democrats love to peck their own to death, while Republicans circle the wagons and protect each other.  My feeling about this administration is that it will play hardball the way Bush's did -- get on board or get the hell out of the way type of thing.  I for one will enjoy seeing it, and I think it's what's needed as well.

The pendulum swung too far over the past 8 years, after it's corrected it'll be time to talk seriously about non-partisan cooperation.  For now, Obama's got the mandate, and I hope he runs with it.

I can't be the only person who just wants to make out with Jamie every time he posts, can I?

We've built an entire thread on tamales and the Presidency so far. Does this board know how to party or what?

~ Amanda

"Just fear me, love me, do as I say and I will be your slave..."

Jamie - I don't agree. I think Obama will remember the mistakes taht clinton made in 1992 and not just run with it. He campaigned on "change" and changing the attitude in Washington and working together.

If he takes on the Bush doctorine of come along or get out of the way, I predict that we will see the GOP take seats in 2 years. If Obama does what I think he will (take advantage of his presidential honeymoon, be a smart politician and govern from slightly left of center), then Dems will be able to stay in power and he'll be able to do a full 8 years.

Of course, all of this could change based on military issues, terrorism, and the economy. :-)

Jordan .

Agreeing with Jamie here.  Go talk to the Dixie Chicks and then come back.

 I love how, a mere 3 days after the election, if Obama doesn't basically pledge to keep the entire Bush cabinet and legally change his middle name he might be a bad partisan president.  Apparently it is entirely his responsibility.  

 Open letter to the "underground opposition" or whatever the new club is:

Maybe you guys can do some work too- dude is not a muslim, nor is he the antichrist, and he didn't murder his grandmother or keep her on ice just to win the election.  He is not a a terrorist or a marxist.  Democrats were bitter over 2000 and 2004, but we ended up blaming ourselves after some political soul-searching- Gore was alright but not super-strong, and Kerry, while a smart guy, couldn't really come up with more than "I'm not Bush".  The party turned it around in the past couple of years, came out of the primaries with not 1 but 2 very strong candidates.  Until you can admit McCain did not run a very good campaign, and Palin was monumentally unqualified for national politics, vilifying Obama or his supporters, or the "liberal mainstream media" is not going to help at all.    Before you complain about what Obama has or hasn't done to build a bridge to the 46% of people who didn't vote for him, ask yourself what you are bringing to the table.  I applaud McCain's extremely classy speech, and many of the republicans I've seen/heard from who are tempering their disappointment with intropsection.  I think democrats are almost as excited as republicans for the rebirth of a real GOP party that has been missing for the past few decades.

  The coolest thing about Rahm Emmanuel is that his brother is Ari Gold on Entourage!

Who doesn't love tamales?

Susan

     
“Half a truth is often a great lie.”

Ben Franklin

Wait, you're citing the Dixie Chicks as a political authority?  The one thing I really got sick of during the Bush administration was how trendy it became to hate Bush.  Bush sucks, impeach Bush, try Bush for war crimes but when you'd ask why, no one could think of anything batter than "...because what he did in Iraq was wrong."  This trend is the ONLY reason Obama brought the masses out.   I'm not saying Bush was infallible, but you have to stand behind your leader---- AS LONG AS HE"S NOT TAKING YOUR RIGHTS AWAY.

And since you seem to be referring to my sig line, biohazard, I can only assume this rant is directed at me?  First of all, I never said anyone of those things about the new President.  Has anyone here? People sling mud in elections. let it go.  Second, we have no other choice but to mull it over.  Third, call me a Republican and I'll find out where you live and put a flaming bag of dog doo on your doorstep.  

If the pendulum is swinging far left, to quote the phrase of the day, then it is swinging toward socialism.  Don't get offended. The Democratic project has distinctly socialist goals.  Socialism, as in the opposite of Capitalism. But I'm not counting any eggs. Power corrupts. I highly doubt Obama will be able to resist the temptation of mutual palm greasing from oil execs. Clinton sure couldn't.

I'm an Anarchist/Libertarian, and have every reason to cling to - and voice- my dissent.  Obama does not have my interests in mind.  But I'm done talking about politics unless a) I'm personally attacked or b) if something happens to Obama and that psycho Biden gets any power.

Trash Palin all you want. Exit polls said over half the people who voted for McCain did so because of his running mate.  The people have spoken, and they have spoken clearly. *cough*

Laterz!!!

^^^^

apologies, 12rainbow, if my post offended.   I'm fairly new here and certainly don't want to step on anyones toes in what has been a political forum I've enjoyed for its mix of friendly banter and frank opinions. 

 I did see your signature, but certainly didn't intend to target you personally.   The underground opposition has been a topic of conversation on another board I frequent, and for an "underground" movement seems to be neither covert nor shy of their opinions. 

I would suggest that the country really hasn't swung to the left, but that the GOP has lost the center.  Gay marriage lost on all three ballots, even in California.  Our country has, at least since the 1930's, always had  safety nets for its citizens and businesses.  To claim we will go from Capitalism (now) to Socialism (Jan 2009) doesn't make any sense.  As to Biden taking rights away, I'm guessing you are refering to some 2nd ammendment issue?  This has nothing to do with economic socialism vs capitalism, and I'd really be surprised to see any change on firearms.

My reference to the Dixie Chicks is just to point out that there was a vocal opposition under the previous administration as well, so others have faced the same "struggle", comrade!  I've somehow achieved a perception, probably not entirely justified, that some segment of the loyal opposition feels the right to be angry at some kind of unjust turn of the political landscape, and gets even angrier if a democrat points out that they were just in this situation 4-6 years ago (since this is SOCIALISM now). 

 btw- if the world were more perfect I'd be a libertarian too- I really dig the ethic of personal responsibility.