The Worst Electorate Ever?
Assessments of the Most Recent Presidential Debate are Grim;under a picture of Barack Obama and John McCain squared off in Tennessee, the Drudge Report presented a single-word critique: "Boring." Politico is calling it the "worst debate ever."
Thursday, October 9, 2008 by AtlanticCanadianScot | Discussion: Internet
The negative general consensus about the debate is summed up tidily in the Times of London's "Gnawingly dull debate won't halt the Obama Tide":
Senator Obama – you may be shocked to hear - promised tax cuts for working people; universal health care, an end to financial deregulation, the winding down of the war in Iraq, a renewed commitment to the war in Afghanistan and an America that is liked by the world. Senator McCain – in case you hadn’t heard – is a Republican who will continue the failed policies of George Bush.
For his part Senator McCain insisted he was – wait for it – a reformer who would reform Washington, end corruption on Wall Street, drill for oil, win the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and robustly defend America’s interests. Senator Obama, he gravely reminded the audience, could not be trusted because he didn’t have the experience or the judgment.
Most media outlets, it seems, are peeved at the fact that the candidates strictly stuck to their talking points, despite the fact that doing so mitigates the strength of a debate, making it sanitary and common. It's a reasonable contention; but we've got one question: what campaign has everyone else been following up until now?
Sarah Palin dodged every single question in the VP debate, choosing instead to rattle off prepackaged quotes like she was performing a 10th grade book report. Where was the bored media's ire then? Instead, David Brooks of the New York Times said Palin "held up her end of an energetic debate that gave voters a direct look at two competing philosophies." WTF? What philosophy was that, Brooksy? She gave a shout-out to third graders! Sorry to break it to you, everyone, but our politicians now feel that they are above speaking to us honestly. And you know why they think they can do that? Because we don't really make a big deal out of it when they do, because we sit on our asses and allow columnists in the "paper of record" to call them "direct" when we know damn well that they're anything but.
And is everyone authentically shocked that the presidential candidates rarely veer away from their main points (ie Obama: "I was once poor," McCain: "I'm not a sissy lawyer") anymore? This is the final month before the most important election in decades, one in which the slightest verbal or physical mistake has been uploaded to YouTube instantly. Nobody's going to risk shooting from the hip and ending up with a macaca-gate on their hands—or worse, another Palin-style meltdown about Alaskan airspace. For the next thirty days, Obama and McCain are like spiders: more scared of you than you are of them.
And another thing…
The CNN coverage of the debates, with the charts and the graphs and the viewer response lines? That crap needs to end. Have we really reached a point in our zeitgeist where people can't sit and watch two of the most powerful men in the whole world talk about decisions that will effect billions of dollars and people without video games cluttering the screen? Are we that gone on sugar and Ritalin and cocaine?
By framing the debates in useless nonsense, CNN and their ilk are not only distracting voters from what's being said, they're also distracting them from stuff that's actually important to watch when attempting to discern what kind of person a candidate is, their verbal patterns and subtle physical tics.
It's called paying attention, and it's how millions of Americans at bars every night choose who they're going to do the bonedance with. Why can't everyone apply the same level of interest to two men they really don't want to be cornholed by.
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Reply #3 Friday, October 10, 2008 8:52 AM
Reply #4 Friday, October 10, 2008 9:19 AM
These threads would be better off in the Politics category, than Internet.
Reply #5 Friday, October 10, 2008 9:27 AM
O' Reilly for Pres. 2012 
Reply #6 Friday, October 10, 2008 9:58 AM
One thing is for certain, when it is all said and done, George W Bush will go down as one of the worst presidents in US history Fact
Reply #7 Friday, October 10, 2008 10:09 AM
As a president whether or not good or bad must take credit for everything that happens in his term.
He is in the #1 spot and must take Blame. Republican or Democrat must take the blame. goes with being President.
Reply #8 Friday, October 10, 2008 10:10 AM
Wow, I didn't know how you could top the indescribable horror of the McPalin ticket.
O'Reilly would do it well. Maybe O'Reilly/Hannity.
The country would be over.
Reply #9 Friday, October 10, 2008 10:23 AM
And Pelosi/Reid will be right behind them? Because they have more power than he does.
It's called the Obama/Biden ticket.
Reply #10 Friday, October 10, 2008 1:13 PM
or
<Insert names for 12> ticket.
Reply #11 Friday, October 10, 2008 9:43 PM
The CNN coverage of the debates, with the charts and the graphs and the viewer response lines? That crap needs to end. Have we really reached a point in our zeitgeist where people can't sit and watch two of the most powerful men in the whole world talk about decisions that will effect billions of dollars and people without video games cluttering the screen? Are we that gone on sugar and Ritalin and cocaine?
By framing the debates in useless nonsense, CNN and their ilk are not only distracting voters from what's being said, they're also distracting them from stuff that's actually important to watch when attempting to discern what kind of person a candidate is, their verbal patterns and subtle physical tics.
The Media has felt it is their 'job' to 'tell us what it means' for quite some time now. I call it making sure we interpret it the way they prefer.
Several years ago I believe it was ABC that had a slogan that went something like 'All the News You Need To Know'. As if they only reported what they wanted me to hear. I laughed every time I heard it. 
Reply #12 Saturday, October 11, 2008 3:39 AM
Yes so true reporters are self proclaimed experts - so many times they ask a question, don't get the reply they want so they re-ask the same question with derision as if they themselves are the only ones with the intellignce to advance civilization.
They need to be told to do their job in reporting the news and leave the analysis to the target audience with input from real experts in that field they are covering.
Reply #13 Saturday, October 11, 2008 6:54 AM
The Worst, in fact!... McCain will be a no-show, presidentially.
Reply #14 Saturday, October 11, 2008 6:18 PM
How about this guy? He has successfully brainwashed and demoralized the majority of the [U.S.] population....
Reply #15 Sunday, October 12, 2008 3:44 AM
One thing is for certain, when it is all said and done, George W Bush will go down as one of the worst presidents in US history Fact/
And Pelosi/Reid will be right behind them? Because they have more power than he does.
Wow, I didn't know how you could top the indescribable horror of the McPalin ticket.
It's called the Obama/Biden ticket.
You know what I find most hilarious about Republicans? Because despite the fact that 'their party' has controlled the country for 8 years, they still manage to blame everything on the "Liberal ____". Despite the fact that most news sources have a heavy conservative slant, just one being outside the norm is enough to blame every problem on the "liberal media". The senate and congress are controlled by Republicans for 6 years, as soon as the Democrats regain control, you blame everything on the "liberal congress / senate". Despite the fact that the Supreme Court is under control of Republicans, a school gets nailed for the 10 commandments, and you guys blame EVERYTHING on the "liberal courts". Creationism isn't taught in science, so you blame everything on "liberal education".
Why is it that Republicans without fail refuse to be held accountable for anything they do? I've heard that "Liberal [X] is to blame for [Y]" so often I'm ready to punch the next asshole who says it to me (and is within punching distance). That is ALL I've learned about the conservative viewpoint. That they can 'do no wrong' and that it's okay to point fingers at EVERYONE else. That they're morally superior and desite utter ineptitude in every single concievable facet, that somehow admist the incompetence, there's a semblance of a plan in there, that some day within my lifetime, a conservative might actually do something worthwhile for our country. That's all Bush did, that's all Bush supporters did, that's all Republicans EVER do. Fox news is so biased it's become a national joke, and yet you all STILL manage to blame the "liberal media" for everything. Every political pundit on every major network: Bill O'Rielly, Glen Beck, Nancy Grace, Ann Coulter, Rush Limbaugh, are all mouth-breathing conservatives, regurgitating the exact same 'blame the liberals' crap that everyone else is. Who do liberals have? Colmes... Maher... that's all I can name.
God, it's like arguing about the Bible.
"GOD EXISTS BECAUSE THE BIBLE SAYS SO, SEE?"
"That's circular logic."
"WHO CARES YOU'RE GOING TO HELL. LALALALA I'M NOT LISTENING."
Frankly, I'd like to see honest rationalization for voting the McBush ticket, because I've only ever come to the conclusion that anyone who does so is off their fucking rocker. 8 years of complete neglect for this country, not one single tangible thing you can actually say was beneficial, and you're all going "Maybe this time it'll be different! BESIDES OBAMA IS A LIBERAL MUSLIM WHO DOESN'T WEAR HIS FLAG PIN!"
Reply #16 Sunday, October 12, 2008 6:52 AM
Yeah, he's evil orright... a real nasty piece of work if ever there was one. 
Reply #17 Wednesday, October 15, 2008 1:37 PM
Because the problem is the lowering of the bar, forcing banks to lend to sub prime lenders who could not hope to pay them back, in the name of "equality", fermented by the clinton administration MORE than 8 years ago... And bush, mccain, and other republicans all tried to fight it and failed, DURING those 8 years of so called "rule"
Reply #18 Wednesday, October 15, 2008 2:16 PM
kinda real old...blaming everything on Bush...but I imagine the only way the dems can win is to connect McCain to Bush and blame Bush for Clintion's legacy........like the current Fannie Mae thing.....http://www.snopes.com/politics/business/easescredit.asp
Reply #19 Wednesday, October 15, 2008 2:42 PM
Sorry, I.D. Bush was and will always be the black hole where normality, peace, the economy and America's standing in the world disappeared. The most dysfunctional and nonfunctional government we've ever known was his.
In place of alcohol, G-d started talking to him. He found a new direction: Government. Too bad it wasn't oil painting (thank G-d not skinning!). He took Mr. Evil on (Cheyney): The most dangerous man to America who was ever elected as Vice President to power and at whose bidding (Bush and Cheney) our Constitution has been neutered or circumvented:
What Bin Laden could NEVER succeed in doing, they did eagerly followed by the stupid herd of sheep called The Congress.
Now we have McCain (Bush puppet) and Palin (The optic Aleutian): Erratic and Dumbest.
I hope we don't end up with them, because of the worst case scenario: McCain sickens or passes (I DO NOT WISH THE MAN ILL!!!) and
the VP who doesn't even know what magazines she reads and who can't separate Office and family (and who took 5 colleges and six yrs. to graduate) becomes the leader of the "Free World".
As Edward R. Murrow put it, "Good night and good luck."
That's just my opinion. I think ALL politicians suck, but Obama at least there's a brain. Not so with the Republicans.
Reply #20 Wednesday, October 15, 2008 3:22 PM
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Reply #1 Friday, October 10, 2008 8:29 AM
Oh please. Bush policies did not cause this financial crisis, Obama was up to his ears in it.