Presidential Debate Delay Rant

[birdless]

Okay, so, first off, my apologies to the non-Americans here, because this topic is a 'domestic' one, and i don't mean to be exclusive.

One of the reasons i haven't been able to frequent this site as much lately is because i've been busy getting ready for the debate... meaning, i work at The University of Mississippi. So, all this talk about postponing the debate.... more than a little dispiriting. These projects i've been working on with people who, for some reason, were called out of retirement to help and who are soooo not pleasant to work with... now i may be faced with having to work with them even longer..... <sigh>

I guess this is karma.

[Heradel]

That has to be frustrating.

Still, it doesn't look like Obama's going to play game, so it might not get delayed.

Edit: Nice how this came days into the crisis, when the only thing changing was the southward direction of his poll numbers.

[DKT]

*skips over topic*

BIRDLESS!!!  Where have you been, man?  Nice to see you still kicking around

ETA: Ah, apparently, I should've read the topic.  Yeah, I can definitely see that sucking.  I hope it doesn't happen.  I'd imagine talking about with the other presidential nominee for a few hours would be a good way of hammering out what can be done to fix it (though it shouldn't all be about that, but still).

[Alasdair5000]

Sorry to hear that.  It makes you feel any better it was reported here as 'Presidential Pullout!' on the ITV 10'o'Clock news which built it into something apocalyptically crazy for all of ten seconds.  Nothing like balanced calm journalism:)

[Heradel]

If it's any consolation, this stunt doesn't appear to be helping McCain in the polls, and might reinforce the rash/impulsive meme that's been floating around since the Palin nomination.

I went to a seminar over the summer with the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Mississippian, and he mentioned how big a deal it was for the campus. Hopefully this thing goes off ok (or maybe with Barr or Nader instead of McCain if he's still pulling out).

[Heradel]

And it's on.

[stePH]

Will there be popcorn?  You can't have a circus without popcorn.

Send in the clowns ....

[birdless]

If anyone's been watching CNBC, I waved to everyone... not really, but i was there.

[Heradel]

Birdless — So how was it being there?

Everybody else — I believe we can have a good, respectful,  discussion on the debate/election, but I will ask as a moderator that we don't use lolcat/fark type images. They (are/can be/are not) funny, but they're not useful for the discussion.

So what did you guys think of the debate? Did you watch it, and if you didn't why not?

I'll start — I think that it was pretty much a tie, which is bad for McCain as foreign policy is his signature issue. Obama held his own, which is better for him going forward since A. I can't imagine Palin-of-the-Russia-from-my-porch will do that well against Biden B. Obama's better on the economy, and C. he looked presidential in this debate, and while showing some anger, kept it in check. McCain was trying to hit him on naivete (which I think he pronounced differently each time), but Obama wasn't giving a naive performance — and most Americans aren't going to know the ins and outs of the issues McCain was calling Obama naive about, so it came off a bit condescending.

[Talia]

well the VP debate has been a bit hampered because, somehow, the McCain camp got whomever is in charge to make some concessions and alter the format because of Palin's lack of debating experience.

Because, of course, since she's a novice, people should "go easy" On her.

[Zathras]

well the VP debate has been a bit hampered because, somehow, the McCain camp got whomever is in charge to make some concessions and alter the format because of Palin's lack of debating experience.

Because, of course, since she's a novice, people should "go easy" On her.

Can you expound a bit on this?

I know she has experience debating when running for governor.  Are you referring to her lack of foreign affairs experience, then?

[Talia]

wait, never mind. Apparently me and everyone else misread the article that gave me this impression.  Woops.

Anyway here it is, for the curious

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/us/politics/21debate.html

[Heradel]

wait, never mind. Apparently me and everyone else misread the article that gave me this impression.  Woops.

Anyway here it is, for the curious

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/21/us/politics/21debate.html

The VP debate is in the more usual presidential debate form where the two candidates can't actually interact much, as opposed to the actual presidential debates this cycle where they can, and did a bit this time. Palin may have debated in her gubernatorial race, but her performance on several recent news programs show a... Well, you can watch the video yourself. It's not pretty. There's a reason why not ever being on Meet the Press or one of the other Washington Sunday shows is a legitimate failing in a candidate.

There's also this item:

Capitol Hill sources are telling me that senior McCain people
are more than concerned about Palin.

The campaign has held a mock debate and a mock press conference; both are being described as "disastrous." One senior McCain aide was quoted as saying, "What are we going to do?" The McCain people want to move this first debate to some later, undetermined date, possibly never. People on the inside are saying the Alaska Governor is "clueless."

[stePH]

There's also this item:

Capitol Hill sources are telling me that senior McCain people
are more than concerned about Palin.

The campaign has held a mock debate and a mock press conference; both are being described as "disastrous." One senior McCain aide was quoted as saying, "What are we going to do?" The McCain people want to move this first debate to some later, undetermined date, possibly never. People on the inside are saying the Alaska Governor is "clueless."

I am Joe's total lack of surprise.

[Bdoomed]

There's also this item:

Capitol Hill sources are telling me that senior McCain people
are more than concerned about Palin.

The campaign has held a mock debate and a mock press conference; both are being described as "disastrous." One senior McCain aide was quoted as saying, "What are we going to do?" The McCain people want to move this first debate to some later, undetermined date, possibly never. People on the inside are saying the Alaska Governor is "clueless."

I am Joe's total lack of surprise.

you stole the words right out of my mouth.

[Russell Nash]

There's also this item:

Capitol Hill sources are telling me that senior McCain people
are more than concerned about Palin.

The campaign has held a mock debate and a mock press conference; both are being described as "disastrous." One senior McCain aide was quoted as saying, "What are we going to do?" The McCain people want to move this first debate to some later, undetermined date, possibly never. People on the inside are saying the Alaska Governor is "clueless."

I am Joe's total lack of surprise.

you stole the words right out of my mouth.

She was put on the ticket, because she's a woman.  Is this the best woman the Republicans have??  Or were they too busy looking for a pretty face and forgot to look at what was behind it?

[wintermute]

Well, they needed a woman to woo the disaffected Clinton voters, and they needed someone who was anti-woman to suck up to the religious right that McCain used to refer to as "agents of intolerance" and "a blight on the political landscape".

Between those two, you get a pretty short list.

[Russell Nash]

Well, they needed a woman to woo the disaffected Clinton voters, and they needed someone who was anti-woman to suck up to the religious right that McCain used to refer to as "agents of intolerance" and "a blight on the political landscape".

Between those two, you get a pretty short list.

Still, there had to be someone, who at least knew…something…about…something.

[eytanz]

Still, there had to be someone, who at least knew…something…about…something.

I'm sure there is a large demographic who prefer candidates who don't know any more about anything than they do.

[Russell Nash]

Still, there had to be someone, who at least knew…something…about…something.

I'm sure there is a large demographic who prefer candidates who don't know any more about anything than they do.

Scary but true.

[stePH]

Still, there had to be someone, who at least knew…something…about…something.

I'm sure there is a large demographic who prefer candidates who don't know any more about anything than they do.

Scary but true.

I am Joe's jaded cynicism.

[Heradel]

Still, there had to be someone, who at least knew…something…about…something.

I'm sure there is a large demographic who prefer candidates who don't know any more about anything than they do.

Scary but true.

I am Joe's jaded cynicism.

C: I am a dire wolf, prey-stalking, lethal prowler.
M: I am a hunter, horse-mounted, wolf-stabbing.
C: I am a horsefly, horse-stinging, hunter-throwing.
M: I am a spider, fly-consuming, eight legged.
C: I am a snake, spider-devouring, posion-toothed.
M: I am an ox, snake-crushing, heavy footed.
C: I am an anthrax, butcher, bacterium, warm-life destroying.
M: I am a world, space-floating, life nurturing.
C: I am a nova, all-exploding... planet-cremating.
M: I am the Universe -- all things encompassing, all life embracing.
C: I am Anti-Life, the Beast of Judgement. I am the dark at the end of everything. The end of universes, gods, worlds... of everything. Sss. And what will you be then, Dreamlord?
M: I am hope.

[/Sandman vol.2 #4]

[DKT]

Well, they needed a woman to woo the disaffected Clinton voters, and they needed someone who was anti-woman to suck up to the religious right that McCain used to refer to as "agents of intolerance" and "a blight on the political landscape".

Between those two, you get a pretty short list.

Still, there had to be someone, who at least knew…something…about…something.

Honestly, I'm surprised they didn't go with Condoleezza Rice.  I'm not a fan of hers, but she certainly seems more intelligent (and experienced) than Palin.  I suppose this was McCain's way of distancing himself from the Bush administration, though. 

On the bright side, Tina Fey's back on SNL...

[wintermute]

Well, they needed a woman to woo the disaffected Clinton voters, and they needed someone who was anti-woman to suck up to the religious right that McCain used to refer to as "agents of intolerance" and "a blight on the political landscape".

Between those two, you get a pretty short list.

Still, there had to be someone, who at least knew…something…about…something.

Honestly, I'm surprised they didn't go with Condoleezza Rice.  I'm not a fan of hers, but she certainly seems more intelligent (and experienced) than Palin.  I suppose this was McCain's way of distancing himself from the Bush administration, though. 

She's pro-choice. And the religious right, which is a large chunk of the Republican "base", was very vocal about not being able to vote for McCain if he picked a pro-choice running mate.

Still, had McCain been half the maverick he presented himself as, he'd have called their bluff, picked someone the centrists could relate to and dared the far-right to hand the election to Obama...

[eytanz]

Still, had McCain been half the maverick he presented himself as, he'd have called their bluff, picked someone the centrists could relate to and dared the far-right to hand the election to Obama...

Awww... That's cute. You make it sound like McCain gets to make decisions...