UwishUwereMe wrote:

98% of the Church is conservative. And, by conservative, I mean REPUBLICAN...

That may be the case, but I would prefer that Church remain a spiritual vehicle rather than a partisan political action committee.

In reading the messages here I would just like to point out some errors.  First, a majority of Democrats voted against "authorizing use of force."  Has anyone read the statement made by Hillary Clinton accompanying her vote?  Her vote was not for unilateral or pre-emption.  Her vote was for Bush to use force only as a last resort if Saddam refused to comply or be disarmed.  The vote took place in Oct. 2002.  Saddam let UN Weapons Inspectors back into Iraq Nov. 2002.  By March 2003, they had inspected roughly 100 of 600 sites, reported Saddam was cooperating with the inspectors, allowing them to inspect where they requested at a moment's notice.  Weapons Inspectors had found nothing and wanted more time, but had to leave because Bush was going ahead with the invasion. 
Secondly, Barney Frank is not to blame for the mortgage crisis.  In 2005, Frank, as the ranking Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee (Republican majority) worked with Republican Chairman Oxley on the Federal Housing Finance Reform Act of 2005, which would have established the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) to replace the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO) as overseer of the activities of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. After voting for the bill in committee, Frank voted against final passage of the bill on the House floor, stating that he was doing so because an amendment to the bill on the House floor imposed restrictions on the kinds of nonprofit organizations that could receive funding under the bill.  It was only in 2007 when Democrats became the majority that legislation finally passed and was signed by Pres. Bush in 2008 increasing oversight of Fannie Mae/Mac.  Lawrence Lindsey, a former economic advisor to Pres. Bush said Barney Frank was the only polititian he knew who argued for tighter rules which would intentionally create more renters than homeowners. 
Lastly, Pres. Clinton did sign the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (all Republicans), opposing Democrats, which further deregulated the banking-financial industry, repealing the Glass-Steagall Act.

The economic crisis was created by actions/inaction of Democrats and Republicans.  To blame it entirely on one party or the other is inaccurate/dishonest. 
Hannity and Limbaugh are blatant liars.  It is very disheartening to me to hear Congessional leaders such as Bonehert and Cantor parrot their lies.    What has happened to the Republican Party?

Nope.  I think we're all just a bunch of babies.  To hear all these chicken littles wailing into the night, you'd think we'd never been down this road before.

Ah, but we have.  They just didn't think the same choices would produce the same results.

This is how Republicans keep getting elected, on a platform of reducing the deficit.  Reagan left us in the red.  Clinton left us with a surplus.  What happened to that surplus.  Oh yeah, W spent it.  Big surprise!

The Republicans are just doing what they always do.  They cry, "Tax breaks!"  And why?  Because they represent the richest people in the country.  Tax breaks help their constituency.  Not every Republican is a Richie Rich.  Many are just wannabes.  And then the party has expanded its base by appealing to the redneck vote.  Cry abortions, guns, family values and war.  That normally gets a few votes.

Until we've spent ourself into a quagmire.  Nice going, guys.  I'm up to my ears in Elephant Dung.  I don't want to hear any more Republican lectures on fiscal responsibility.

I was just thinking that with the new format, it would be great if all people here had an avatar.

The answer is that too many members of the DNC elite regard any state not on the coast as "Fly-Over Country." They largely don't pay attention to what happens in those states unless they need to please a constituency group or elections are coming up. As a result, even average Americans are getting sick of the DNC and so go GOP because the GOP can actually be motivated to care about what's going on outside of elections.

What, exactly, is an "average American?" 

Unless I'm mistaken, Obama won 28 out of 50 states.  Is 56% of the states a less "average" figure than 44%?  When you add D.C.'s 3 electoral votes, Obama won 364 electoral votes to McCain's 174.  And since Obama beat McCain by almost 10 million votes, the 58% of the population who voted for him, rather than McCain might beg to differ about which of us qualifies as an "average American."

According to the last U.S. Census, the population of the U.S. is about 306 million. Of the Top 10 states, in terms of population, Obama won 8.  Only Texas and Georgia voted for McCain.  Those 8, by themselves, represent 42% of the population.  Of the next 10 states, Obama won 7, representing an additional 19% of America.  Where did John McCain win the most states?  At the bottom: Wyoming, North Dakota, Alaska, South Dakota, Idaho, Nebraska, West Virginia.  Winning the emptiest states doesn't get you elected president, nor is it accurate to suggest that living in these states makes you an "average" American.

Perhaps this is the resurrection of McCain's claim that "real Americans" vote for him.