Is Robert Gates just a political hack? Is he a safe bet to be accepted. Can we do better than this?
929926
I live in Texas.  Anyone in Texas with half of a brain thinks Texas A&M, of which Gates is President, is the biggest joke and cult of a college.  I hope that he does a better job with his new position than he did at A&M or this country is even more screwed.
183310
It's difficult for me to render any kind of expert opinion, since I have no common frame of reference with them.  I have never experienced any of the experiences they claim to convey, so my OPINION is they're not legitimate.  However, I'm open to being convinced otherwise.\n\nI prefer John Edwards as a political candidate <removes tongue from cheek>
1117318
I agree wholeheartedly...I think Mr. Gates should be taking HALF of his money and put it into educating this country.  Half wouldn't begin to hurt him.  Our schools are our future....if we don't get this country educated, China will become the "Super Power" very soon.
51031
No he should not- OK I think he made an error going on Big Brother but his motivation was to introduce people to beliefs and challenge the media's unwillingness to carry proper political messages and discourse and not the spin turned out by the main parties. He is open and doesn't hide behind jargon, he is committed and has an ideology, which is more than you an say about the career politicans. Plus he is the only famous person not to fall for that rag the News of the World's fake sheikh scam- in fact he has done a lot of people a lot of favours by exposing him today!
261470
Where is all that "political capital" he claimed to of had? Support from the left? Please, he's burned, actually torched any bridge from that side of the aisle. He better worry about his base. There is nothing conservative about this administration. This guy loves to spend, borrow and spend more (mostly on industries and cronies that have helped his political career along). Just look at the national deficit! Is there no end to this groups madness and incompetence? Does anyone honestly think he has one bit of concern (other than their vote) for the common American citizen? He did say "Some call you the have & have mores... but, I call you may base". He sure wasn't referring to the person that punches a time clock!
360304
I know nothing about him, so I would need to do some research on him.  His skin color is not relevant to me.  If I agreed with his views and he was qualified for the office that he might run for, I would consider voting for him.
1149904
I THINK IT IS A BUNCH OF CROCK TOO.....  I think that it is just one rich man finding a way to get out of paying something, taxes, a lawsuit, something, by way of giving his money to another rich man.  I am sure that we are going to hear "the rest of the story"  in the months to come.  Also, exactly what does these "charities"fund???? I am struggling and could use some of these dollars that are so easily being passed around.  You have inspired me, i am going to investigate exactly what the gates foundation does!!!!!
758797
I voted on a diebold machine and felt it was safe and accurate.\n\nHowever, if someone really tried and knew what they were doing, fraud could be an issue with those machines. Better safeguards are needed in the future.
762915
Neddie...have you checked the ratings you're getting for these Q's lately?  Your followers have deserted you and been replaced by a pretty rowdy bunch here!\n\nIf your positions represent the majority of Americans, why isn't that reflected in this forum?  By the way, do you agree with the platforms of the (mostly conservative) Democratic saviors who just got elected?  \n\nA simple yes or no doesn't work, does it.  Why?...it's because life, politics and even Yahoo Answers is complicated.  Don't be afraid of nuance.  It sure beats trying to to fit every odd-shaped peg into one size hole.\n\nI'm getting worried about you.  Maybe you need a little vacation, or perhaps some Yoga and deep breathing execises.  Relax...it's just politics!
100082
Yes, or almost.  Colin Powell seems pretty smart, so does Rice.  People are already talking about Hillary (whom I don't want to see elected because spouses tend to be able hold considerable leverage over their significant others, she's too liberal for my tastes, I don't remember her before her husband became president, and she seems to be making political moves, not true idealogical shifts, simply to attract voters.  I don't like that.)
863270
No, poltical canvassing is a legitimate way of promoting your candidate.  Sorry you find democracy inconvenient.
876860
Robert Gates is just as much of a scum bag as Bush.  These people are tyrannts that must be stopped immediatly. They are giving us "good Americans"  a  "bad name."   It doesn't matter what your political party is...here....take a look at just a few of the crimes our wonderful President Bush has committed....\n\n1) Seizing power to wage wars of aggression in defiance of the U.S. Constitution, the U.N. Charter and the rule of law; carrying out a massive assault on and occupation of Iraq, a country that was not threatening the United States, resulting in the death and maiming of hundereds of thousands of Iraqis, and thousands of U.S. G.I.s.\n\n2) Lying to the people of the U.S., to Congress, and to the U.N., providing false and deceptive rationales for war.\n\n3) Authorizing, ordering and condoning direct attacks on civilians, civilian facilities and locations where civilian casualties were unavoidable. \n\n4) Instituting a secret and illegal wiretapping and spying operation against the people of the United States through the National Security Agency.\n\n5) Threatening the independence and sovereignty of Iraq by belligerently changing its government by force and assaulting Iraq in a war of aggression.\n\n6) Authorizing, ordering and condoning assassinations, summary executions, kidnaping, secret and other illegal detentions of individuals, torture and physical and psychological coercion of prisoners to obtain false statements concerning acts and intentions of governments and individuals and violating within the United States, and by authorizing U.S. forces and agents elsewhere, the rights of individuals under the First, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendments to the Constitution of the United States, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.\n\n7) Making, ordering and condoning false statements and propaganda about the conduct of foreign governments and individuals and acts by U.S. government personnel; manipulating the media and foreign governments with false information; concealing information vital to public discussion and informed judgment concerning acts, intentions and possession, or efforts to obtain weapons of mass destruction in order to falsely create a climate of fear and destroy opposition to U.S. wars of aggression and first strike attacks.8) Violations and subversions of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, both a part of the "Supreme Law of the land" under Article VI, paragraph 2, of the Constitution, in an attempt to commit with impunity crimes against peace and humanity and war crimes in wars and threats of aggression against Afghanistan, Iraq and others and usurping powers of the United Nations and the peoples of its nations by bribery, coercion and other corrupt acts and by rejecting treaties, committing treaty violations, and frustrating compliance with treaties in order to destroy any means by which international law and institutions can prevent, affect, or adjudicate the exercise of U.S. military and economic power against the international community.\n\n9) Acting to strip United States citizens of their constitutional and human rights, ordering indefinite detention of citizens, without access to counsel, without charge, and without opportunity to appear before a civil judicial officer to challenge the detention, based solely on the discretionary designation by the Executive of a citizen as an "enemy combatant."\n\n10) Ordering indefinite detention of non-citizens in the United States and elsewhere, and without charge, at the discretionary designation of the Attorney General or the Secretary of Defense.\n\n11) Ordering and authorizing the Attorney General to override judicial orders of release of detainees under INS jurisdiction, even where the judicial officer after full hearing determines a detainee is wrongfully held by the government.\n\n12) Authorizing secret military tribuna
594684
Yes it is.  That is why we need viable third parties, to suck the air out of those windbags in politics.  The game of one-upmanship has taken the place of doing what's best for the people of this country.
804498
I wish there was such a thing as a sum less that zero, because that's the amount  of faith I have in Mr. Gates.Hell, if he had to pick a guy named Gates he'd have been better off with Bill.  I agree with you about General Powell, but he's way too smart to involve himself in that corrupt quagmire the "good old boys" have created.  Besides, Alma wouldn't let him.
398093
I think history will judge Paul martin fairly accurately.\nBeing that is quite possibly could be a victim of unfortunate circumstance.  One of the pillars in a party riddled with corruption.   however being that he was the finance minster during ad-scam, I find that to be unlikely.
609034
I think he's viable for that reason alone... people are not responding well to the partisan views of the current Republican leadership... I think if you go with someone like a Frist, it's a sinking boat, as things stand now...
855854
Everyone is talking about that! Even on the View! I think it was just luck of the draw. If it happens not to be, then just another reason I don't trust our current administration!