News & Politics - 2008 Presidential Election:(Part 10) Where We Debate the Debates!

Uh Blah · 10-07-2008, 06:14 AM

The latest poll of polls from CNN

In case you missed it...

Vice Presidential Debate in St. Louis > complete video

1st Presidential Debate in Mississippi > complete video

2nd Presidential Debate in Tennessee > complete video

3rd Presidential Debate in New York > complete video

**Cristofle** · 10-07-2008, 06:34 AM

Re: John McCain calling Chelsea Clinton ugly a number of years ago...yeah. I feel like when you group his commentary towards females together, a troubling pattern starts to emerge.

-As I said in the previous thread, he made the "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno" crack at a Republican fundraiser back when Chelsea was still a kid.
-He's admittedly made rape jokes.
-He called his wife a **** in front of three Arizona reporters several years ago.
-When he was young, he was actually brought into court for using offensive language towards girls who turned him down:

Quote:

The summer after his sophomore year, cruising with a friend near Arlington, McCain tried to pick up a pair of young women. When they laughed at him, he cursed them so vilely that he was hauled into court on a profanity charge.

Make-Believe Maverick : Rolling Stone

When you group all this together, and then look at it with his frankly abysmal voting record on women's issues, I don't think it's paranoid to say women should be very concerned with this man becoming President.

~Unfaithful~ · 10-07-2008, 06:55 AM

^ I know I am. Plus the whole terrorist thing

UnsilentMajorty · 10-07-2008, 07:19 AM

McCain is most likely a closet misogynist. It's either his latent personality... Or it is because of his PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). I can't speak for anybody else, but this is the main reason *I* don't think he should be president: He appears mentally unstable and is probably very close to being legally classified as "crazy" and put in a mental institution. There have also been reports he might be in the early stages of Alzheimer, not being able to remember simple things during the course of the day. Add these two things together and he appears completely unqualified for the highest office in the land from strictly a mental health stand point, let alone a personal, or professional stand point.

In regards to McCain rallying the extremists and other nut cases ("Kill Him") in the final days of the election...

This is to be expected. He's desperate with a capital "D". The election is pretty much over and is now Obama's to lose.

McCain is now turning to those he knows will ALWAYS support him vs. Obama, be it because of race, or because of twisted ideology. These people have always been here and we're just now seeing more of them because of how bad things are getting in the economy. And make no mistake. A lot of these type of people ARE insane, or mentally unstable and are also dangerous. Think Timothy McVeigh, and Oklahoma City in the 1990s. These are the extremists/domestic terrorists the FBI keeps a close watch on and are on their most wanted list after Osama Bin Laden. They've always hated the government for one reason or another. Now, they have yet another reason to hate the government: The possibility of a Black Man becoming president.

Also... Regarding the hypocrisy of the Conservative/Republican party...

I discussed this on the other thread. It's not so much the fact people like to say one thing, but do another it is the DEGREE to which this hypocrisy is applied (forced on) those who are not in power. The Bush administration took this to a new extreme with their frighteningly fascist "You are with us, or against us" mentality after 9/11. They instituted this hypocrisy with The Patriot Act, Rendition (torture), racial profiling of Arab Americans, the invasion of Iraq, etc. all under the guise of "National Security". They continue to do it with their extreme religious doctrines (Born-Again Christians who hate Gays and anybody who does not believe in the same God)...

However, like I said in the last thread, this Cultural Conservative base has abandoned the GOP this election because they can't stand McCain, OR Palin. They are basically a small minority with no one to represent them anymore... And to be blunt, this is what a democracy is about: Majority vs. minority rule.

ceilirose · 10-07-2008, 07:34 AM

The Chelsea Clinton comment was awful but I'm talking about having shout outs of "kill him" and basically saying that Obama is " palling around with terrorists" coming in stump speeches. That's really crossing the line and sinking everything to a new low.

This article even tells about crowds at a Palin rally insulting the press:

washingtonpost.com

Quote:

Worse, Palin's routine attacks on the media have begun to spill into ugliness. In Clearwater, arriving reporters were greeted with shouts and taunts by the crowd of about 3,000. Palin then went on to blame Katie Couric's questions for her "less-than-successful interview with kinda mainstream media." At that, Palin supporters turned on reporters in the press area, waving thunder sticks and shouting abuse. Others hurled obscenities at a camera crew. One Palin supporter shouted a racial epithet at an African American sound man for a network and told him, "Sit down, boy."

calliebear32 · 10-07-2008, 08:13 AM

I'm looking forward to the 2nd debate tonight.

It disgusts me how both McCain and Pallin have resorted back to personal attacks on Obama's character. It's not only ridiculous, but desperate as well.

Here we're still reeling from terrible economic news and all McCain/Pallin care about is Obama's association with a "domestic terrorist" Gimme a break!

collide · 10-07-2008, 09:25 AM

It is ridiculous when neither of them have any room to talk. How do they feel......knowing that a lot of their supporters are racist/homophobic?

Uh Blah · 10-07-2008, 09:44 AM

UnsilentMajorty · 10-07-2008, 09:57 AM

The thing we have to keep in mind about the ones shouting "Kill Him!" and "Traitor!" is these very well might be PLANTS put in the audience by the campaign. This is not of unheard of, and what it does is generate media buzz, and plants subconscious thoughts in the minds of those watching to try and influence their decision making.

Moving on...

Tonight's debate is a town hall-style meeting that supposedly favors McCain.

However, what I don't think the McCain people realize is McCain MUST answer questions asked him by the audience members (as does Obama) because this is a format where if politicians try and dance around the issues... It will reflect negatively on them (even more) because of the direct feedback the intimate nature of this format provides. I also think this means we will see a temporary suspension of any negative attacks (by either candidate) because it is entirely one thing to attack your opponent on TV and in the newspaper versus when that person is sitting/standing ten feet away from you. Again, this comes back to the audience not tolerating petty attacks (long) because they can easily let the candidates know via body language and disapproving looks.

The Campaign (both sides) at a glance...

One thing to always remember (in the face of character attacks) is Barack Obama has done the one thing no presidential candidate has done in a very long time and that is change the voting landscape in terms of registering a record number of NEW voters across age, race and gender. The irony is these numbers mostly come form his run during the Primary. Now, they very well might BE the voters whom elect him President.

UnsilentMajorty · 10-07-2008, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by collide (View Post)

How do they feel......knowing that a lot of their supporters are racist/homophobic?

They probably don't care to be blunt. A vote is a vote. No matter how you get it.

This is why Politics is cut-throat and often turns a lot of people off. It is a very competitive and ugly aspect of our system of government, but it is also the very core of how it functions as well if we are going to be truthfully honest? If a candidate doesn't want to win, then they shouldn't be running.

Your comment also indirectly addresses something that is at the very core of a democratic society as well: Freedom of Choice, and the Right to Disagree.

It might be unfathomable (to those who feel the opposite) that some consider discrimination, sexism, racism and other negatives the "correct", or "proper" way to live... But that is human nature. We all have different values and beliefs.

However, history has shown that while people may initially favor negative standards such as racism and sexism eventually they are forced to change their beliefs simply because these kinds of approaches to governing just do not work in the long run. Whenever there is a large portion of a disenfranchised segment of the population, eventually their voice will be heard, through both civil and non-civil means, and this voice is what brings about change. Womans Suffrage, Civil Rights, and the latest, Gay Rights are prime examples of this in action. It is a never-ending element of our free political system and we are lucky to have it (even if we shy away from the negative aspects) considering in other countries there is no debate, or disagreement because the government or dictator decides everything for the people without their input, and that is the way it is.

Bella Grint · 10-07-2008, 12:08 PM

Ugh McCain sickens me. Leave kids out of it, I'm glad Obama wouldn't insult McCain/Palins kids although I wouldn't put it past them to do it. However if some Democrat did insult their kids it'd be like murder I am guessing.

**Cristofle** · 10-07-2008, 01:31 PM

Wow. VA is BLUE today. Not just blue outlined, but blue.

Electoral-vote.com: President, Senate, House Updated Daily

As a former resident of the state, I love it. LOL. VA will eventually go blue, as the Northern Virginia residents continue to spread out. I'm hoping it's during this election.

Uh Blah · 10-07-2008, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cristofle (View Post)

Wow. VA is BLUE today. Not just blue outlined, but blue.

Electoral-vote.com: President, Senate, House Updated Daily

As a former resident of the state, I love it. LOL. VA will eventually go blue, as the Northern Virginia residents continue to spread out. I'm hoping it's during this election.

that also shows Obama leading even in Missouri now!

collide · 10-07-2008, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bella Grint (View Post)

Ugh McCain sickens me. Leave kids out of it, I'm glad Obama wouldn't insult McCain/Palins kids although I wouldn't put it past them to do it. However if some Democrat did insult their kids it'd be like murder I am guessing.

Did McCain say something about his kids?

The Palins' un-American activities | Salon

Bella Grint · 10-07-2008, 04:41 PM

No I was referring McCain to calling Chelsea Clinton an ugly ducking back during the Clinton era. Nothing has been said on any of the canidate's kids and I've only heard buzz on Bristol's pregnancy otherwise it's been pretty tame.

Whoo hoo for those states. McCain is gonna be desperate tonight and resort to that healthy mentality that hopefully will screw him up more =)