2004-10-01 05:47:25.100417+00 by Dan Lyke 17 comments
For those of you who couldn't stand to sit through the tedium, here's a transcript of tonight's presidential "debate". I'm a little shy of half-way through it, don't know if I'm going to make it all the way, but as of right now I understand Bush supporters a little bit better, and think I'm going to have to vote for Michael Badnarik.
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comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-01 07:27:46.56288+00 by: meuon
I tried to watch it. I wish they candidates had tried to answer the questions, but no... it was more of the same old mucking poli-speak babble.
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-01 07:36:42.406091+00 by: Diane Reese [edit history]
Aw, c'mon, don't you think this quote (which I wish I'd heard before; note to self: damn, girlfriend, get busy reading Richard Clarke's "Against All Enemies"!) was one of the evening's gems?
The terrorism czar, who has worked for every president since Ronald Reagan, said invading Iraq in response to 9/11 would be like Franklin Roosevelt invading Mexico in response to Pearl Harbor.
And I really liked, "The future belongs to freedom, and not fear." While it may just be a convenient soundbyte, I like it well enough to add it annoyingly to my email signature for the next few weeks at least.
At least you're in California and fairly safe with that vote announcement, Dan. If you were in Ohio and told me that, I'd be workin' on ya...
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-01 10:54:56.948674+00 by: Larry Burton
I fell asleep about thirty minutes into it. I didn't like the format. All I saw was two men giving there own mini political speeches sort of, kind of based on questions asked by the moderator or sort of, kind of rebuttals to their opponent.
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-01 13:44:44.179454+00 by: ziffle
Awful - Bush is so stupid. I was so afraid he would mess up and we would have Kerry picking up votes -- I could not watch it -- like a disaster in slow motion.
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-01 14:37:34.397084+00 by: Diane Reese
It's true, Bush *is* so stupid, like a disaster in slow motion. Except we and the entire world have to live with the consequences of his stupidity. I'm looking forward to finding out what it's like to feel proud to be an American again once he's gone.
Larry's right, the format stunk.
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-01 14:43:26.105839+00 by: Dan Lyke [edit history]
And if Kerry makes a reference to "getting the job done", take one drink.
(I just went and double-checked: Kerry said "get the job done" or "getting the job done" 5 times, Dubya said it once.)
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-01 15:33:20.53804+00 by: ziffle
I am reading 'Losing Bin Ladin' -- its scary what the Clintonistas did -- Bush is stupid but he has Cheney behind him which calms me down. We are going in the right direction but only in general (we should invade more bad countries soon to prevent danger to our country) and I fear what another Democrat would do - I feel the country would collapse if Kerry were elected.
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-01 17:05:38.29169+00 by: Larry Burton
The country has managed to weather through numerous past poor performing presidents and it will manage to weather those we elect in the future. It's good when we elect true leaders with vision and team building skills to make their vision happen but it isn't terrible when that doesn't happen. At least that's what history has taught me. Whoever ends up being our next president could prove me wrong but I'm not going to worry about things I can't control. Georgia will send Bush electors to the electoral college regardless of my vote. California will send Kerry electors to the electoral college regardless of Dan's vote. We'll all live with the consequences and make the best of it.
With that in mind, just sit back and enjoy the entertainment.
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-01 19:33:13.197766+00 by: Mark A. Hershberger
Every time Bush says "hard work", take a drink. 11 drinks.
All the more reason to prefer Bush's "hard work" to Kerry's "getting the job done".
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-01 20:36:36.892173+00 by: Dan Lyke
Wow. That one didn't grate on me as much, but... ...as often as 3 times in a paragraph!
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-01 21:34:54.942807+00 by: dexev
ok ziffle, I'll bite -- exactly which troops would you like to use to invade those countries?
-mike
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-02 15:05:03.217632+00 by: ziffle
mike - the ones would use when they attack us here, except we do it over there first.
In fact - if 'Losing Bin Ladin' is correct and it seems to be, we don't need troops we just need someone watching and handling them quietly before they happen. Clinton blew it. We are paying the price now.
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-02 19:10:35.678458+00 by: dexev
ziffle-
But the problem with that strategy is that it isn't *states* that are attacking us. If you're suggesting we send Special Ops teams into Pakistan/Afganistan to assasinate Bin Ladin, you've got my attention -- but why did we let him go in the first place, even after 9/11? If you're talking about 'regime change' in Iran (or Syria, or Saudi, or...), why do you expect that to go any better than our current debacle in Iraq?
We're already 90% committed in Iraq, and we're resorting to desperate measures like stop-loss orders and activating the ready reserve to keep our troop levels steady. That leaves conscription as the only option I see for opening another front.
-mike
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-02 21:31:27.302763+00 by: Diane Reese
And with two teenaged sons whom I will refuse to allow into the military if Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld are directing it, that makes moving to Finland look a lot more likely. Bye, y'all.
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-02 22:56:22.399583+00 by: Larry Burton
Diane, while I'm sure that your two sons share your sentiment and this is an unlikely scenario, but if they are old enough to join and decide to do so there is no allow on your part. This was a point driven home to me a couple of years ago when my wife and I moved to Atlanta and my eighteen year old son, who was still in high school, decided to stay in Chattanooga. I told him he was going to move. He stayed.
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-03 00:26:16.147991+00 by: Diane Reese
I think I may have been unclear, Larry: they are not interested in joining the military under this regime, and that's not my worry. I am concerned about the return of conscription as a means of finding young people to fight Bush's wars, and will become an expat, illegally if I must, to avoid them being drafted.
If we decide to move to Finland and one of them says no dice, I agree with you: it won't be likely we could change that.
#Comment Re: made: 2004-10-03 01:51:11.757914+00 by: baylink
The country has managed to weather through numerous past poor performing presidents and it will manage to weather those we elect in the future
You saw the Daily Show's recap, right?
The part where he ducked and said "we're not going to have any more elections" in response to something Bush said?
Anyone here remember Nehemiah Scudder?
"If this goes on--"