Who will win the Iowa Straw Poll this Saturday?

[shanbaum]

Shanebaulm:

Should we be required to destroy, Russia, China, Good Part of the Pacific Rim to save one U.S. citizen (actually the US Constitution requires this), could I push the button? Yep.

Chip

Of course, I am the only one at my church that believes he's going to Hell anyway, so what's two eternities?

I wasn't asking about World War II, but you answered my question. There is apparently no limit to your willingness to kill the blameless and the culpable alike to "save" even a single American. And that appears to be based on two things: your "knowledge" of the U.S. Constitution (I'd love to hear just where you think it requires mass murder to protect American citizens) and some strange notion of - is it sacrifice? The idea that because you're going to hell anyway, you're free to commit acts that would otherwise condemn you? Or would your pushing the button be an attempt at redemption? Or would it be revenge for having been committed there in the first place (which has occurred only, so far as any man can tell, in your imagination)?

What a strange, and profoundly repugnant, set of beliefs. Well - I hope it's strange.

It would be bad enough if you were to base such extreme beliefs on vengeance - but you base them on nothing more than fear (I gather that no one has to actually suffer harm to trigger your response; you write of "saving"). And worse, you know - or you should know - that your killing spree wouldn't really protect you from your enemies; after all, their killing sprees wouldn't protect them from you. But maybe logic doesn't intrude upon such a mind.

What a world you live in, Chip. It seems to me that you don't have to wait for eternity - you're already in Hell.

[chip anderson]

That's why we have an anti-missle system. Thanks to Ronald Reagan.
And I do believe that the Constitution (will re-read in total tonight) requires Congress to do whatever is nescessary to protect it's citizens at home and abroad. One ship, boat, plane or whatever infringed upon while flying a US flag is an act of War. One citizen who is attacked or imprisoned while obeying the laws of the country he is in while abroad, is an act of war.
No not every infringment calles for nuclear holocast, but if the untimate defense of the US or it's Citizens requires this, you bettcha I could do it. And I hope we never have another president who could not.

Chip

[1968]

And I do believe that the Constitution (will re-read in total tonight) requires Congress to do whatever is nescessary to protect it's citizens at home and abroad. One ship, boat, plane or whatever infringed upon while flying a US flag is an act of War. One citizen who is attacked or imprisoned while obeying the laws of the country he is in while abroad, is an act of war.

I've read the Constitution... I do not think it states what you think it states.

[Grubendol]

yeah, i don't believe the constitution addresses that at all.

[1968]

Maryland Straw Poll Results

Ron Paul - 263 votes
Rudy Giuliani - 220 votes
Fred Thompson - 188 votes
Mitt Romney - 89 votes
John McCain - 54 votes
Mike Huckabee - 35 votes
Newt Gingrich - 17 votes
Tom Tancredo - 16 votes
Sam Brownback - 12 votes
Duncan Hunter - 3 votes
Bob Ehrlich - 3 votes
Other - 11 votes

From: http://www.mdgop.org/News/Read.aspx?ID=5992

[1968]

The debates for the Repubs have been a sad exhibit of competing on who loves God more and who wants to kill terrorists more.

I remembered this comment when I stumbled across the God-o-Meter (http://blog.beliefnet.com/godometer/) this evening. It indicates that the Democrats are invoking HIS name quite often, too.