I could be wrong but isn't the swimmer guy on the stickies a republican?

[RB TexLa]

:shrug:

[originalpckelly]

1. He's cute AND he consumes 12,000 calories per day...

does his political affiliation really matter? :P

[Sanctified]

2. Could be wrong but I thought he was an American who is becoming a hero at the Olympics.

If he starts stumping for Republicans while at the Olympics or giving GOP speeches on the podium while accepting the Gold then I will care about his politics. But right now he kind of represents the youthful determination of our country and that is why I cheer for him.

[noamnety]

5. Usually I agree with your posts

but I don't think swimming really really fast counts as being a "hero."

Not unless he's been breaking those records while pulling drowning kids out of the pool - I don't know, I haven't been watching.

[sandnsea]

11. *sigh*

You're a teacher, right?

[depakid]

12. " an American who is becoming a hero?"

Last I saw, Mr. Phelps was an excellent swimmer. Props for that.

Not sure how that makes one a hero....

[Bluebear]

13. 'a man of distinguished courage or ability' - hero could fit in this instance

Especially in the context of "Phelps becomes a hero to thousands of young swimmers who envision the possibilities..." no?

[depakid]

16. I reckon that's true in context.

A lot of hard work went into all of the meets that almost no one ever sees.

[SoCalDem]

20. sports-idol maybe..but not "hero"

a hero (In my mind) is a person who does something out of the ordinary(for them)...

A fireman rescuing someone is doing his job..

A paperboy, waking people and telling them their house is on fire, or a Mom rescuing someone else's child....they are "heroes"

[Sanctified]

31. Don't you think becoming a fireman in the first place is doing something out of the ordinary?

Sorry but when I see an individual who goes out of their way to accomplish something most of us could only dream of I see a hero. This is not just for fireman, policeman and athletes but also counselors, ministers, teachers, poets, musicians and artists. These are individuals who stepped out of the box and did something that a lot of us wish we could do but don't have the balls to.

I cannot even begin to count the number of times I have said I want to go into teaching, what holds me back is I don't have the balls to take a thankless job which pays crap, so yes to me Teachers are heroes.

[Naturyl]

26. So hard work makes someone a hero?

That seems to be the going view... so are they handing out gold medals and sponsorship deals in coal mines and steel mills yet?

[ColbertWatcher]

23. There was that one gymnast who gave a shout out to "the lord", but...

...he only got a bronze, so I guess the Chinese blocked Jesus-prayers along with the internets, eh?

[tuckessee]

3. I haven't a clue.

Besides, what difference would it make?

I've seen & heard several interviews and I've yet to hear him say anything political.

He's had a chance to spout off, he hasn't, so more power to him.

If it comes out that he's a republican I could care less.

*edit for typo*

[Bluebear]

4. "It is the swimmer guy on the stickies a republican"

Eh?

[RB TexLa]

6. .

[Bluebear]

7. Would you? Please?

Kidding, kidding.

[RB TexLa]

8. .

[onenote]

9. based on what?

Isn't he actually a member of the Pansexual Peace Party? I have no basis for suggesting that, but then again, there's nothing in the OP to back up the suggestion that Phelps is a repub, so if those are the rules of this game, I figured I could play too.

[RB TexLa]

10. I thought they said it while talking about him last night.

[madeline_con]

14. OMG! So's that old lady with the "No Amnesty" poster!

Someone needs to do something!

[Bluebear]

15. that's AMNETY to you!

[madeline_con]

18. This is another old lady, holding the sign up high.

This one you posted is a treasure. I've always thought of the little girl's sign as meaning you can get the correct spelling from her if you just ask. :rofl:

[Bluebear]

19. LOL!!!

"Honk for English"

Honk! Honk! "Uh, duhhh how do you spell 'liberal'??"

:toast:

[1]

17. i think the swimmer guy is a swimmer guy...

dude is pretty focused about his task at hand.

doing something no one in the sport has ever accomplished before. winning 8 gold medals in a single olympics.

now maybe when this is all over and when he has accomplished his goal (or not)... maybe then might be the proper time to ask his opinion about politics.

but now is not the time...

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

21. I just plugged his name and state into search at opensecrets.org..donor look-up. No match.

[nosmokes]

22. I dunno about aquaman, but the chicken is deffo a RW hack. The cow

looks a bit suspicious to me as well.That's a Bush expression on her mug if ever I saw one.

[xchrom]

24. who cares? -- he's young gorgeous hot amazing -- and i'd do him in a heart beat. nt

[JI7]

25. you think so ?

[Toasterlad]

28. Um..."Gorgeous"?

To each his own, XC. Pesonally, I think Phelps would need radical reconstructive surgery to reach "average-looking". The boy is hideous.

However, I would ALSO do him in a heartbeat. Not just because I'm a shallow star-fucker (which I am), but because, from the neck down, homeboy is ROCKIN'. A double-bagger to be sure, but boy, what's I'd love to do to that bod...

[Berry Cool]

29. You're calling Michael Phelps a "buttahface"?

Or, should I say, a "buttisface"? :rofl:

I have no idea what his politics are and don't care unless he uses his incredible talent to stump for Republicans. I see no evidence that he has, though.

As for whether he's a hero, I say no, just because I believe heroes are people who do things they don't have to do, at the risk of their own personal life and limb, to help someone or something else. By that definition, athletes are not heroes--role models, but not heroes.

Firefighters are heroes, however. The fact that it's their job to run into danger when everyone else is running away doesn't make them any less heroes. After all, they could have chosen safer work. No one forces anyone into firefighting. Same goes for police--at least the ones who take seriously their pledge to serve and protect the public, rather than getting off on their power by bullying and intimidating people they don't like.

People fighting deadly diseases aren't heroes. They're just doing what they have to do if they want a chance to stay alive. They have no choice unless they want to roll over and die. They are finding within themselves the resources they need to cope with what nobody wants to have to cope with, but nobody is immune to. Tough? Yes. Admirable? Yes. Heroes? Brave? No. And I think most of them would agree.

Of course, one of the amazing things about heroes is that they have a way of not seeing themselves as such. The person who runs into a burning building or ventures out onto the subway tracks before the train comes in to rescue someone else oftentimes says something like: "I didn't have any choice. I couldn't just stand by and let someone die."

Well, of course they could have. It would have been a lot safer for them if they did.

But they didn't FEEL they could. So they didn't.

And THAT is what makes them heroes.

[Toasterlad]

30. YES, Thank You! The Term Was Escaping Me. He's a CLASSIC Butterface.

As far as heroes go, I prefer ones of the super variety. Colossal Boy was always my fave.

[B Calm]

27. could be, he's not in the military. . .