The 2008 U.S. Election Thread

[L]

http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=OhMyScience420

 

[Skiwan]

I watched the first part, but I think I'll wait till its on, since its on after the Daily show and Recount. Must say though I felt that Palin uses more spin than content on her answers than Biden, It seems like she's rather good at playing up to the right people. I cant really comment until I've seen it all, but that's what i noticed.

 

[sub]

I'm surprised you get the daily show in the uk.

 

[Skiwan]

Its always on every weekday on More 4. At the moment they're doing a US election season, hence the John Adams and Recount dramas.

 

[Zeonix]

I saw the debate last night, and the entire setup was pretty horrible. The candidates should have been allowed at least 2 reversals per argument, so that we weren't just hearing talking points and nothing but talking points. Being forced to respond to a retort instead of just a general question would have showed us if the candidate actually knew what they were talking about as they'd inevitably be forced to be pretty damn specific. I felt like Palin had simply memorized a script, and whenever the question deviated from that script, she'd either bring up something wholly unrelated or say something that was so vague, you couldn't say whether she was wrong or right because you had no idea what she was talking about.

The few times where she actually was forced to be specific, she got the information horribly wrong. General Mcllelan? Seriously? General David McKiernan didn't state the surge tactic used in Iraq wouldn't work in Afghanistan? Fo'realz? The constitution is vague about the duties of the VP, and as such should be granted more power? Word?

It angers me that we've set the bar so low that her not making a complete ass of herself is somehow considered a victory.

 

[Majin_You]

http://www.cbc.ca/world/usvotes/story/2008/10/03/us-debate-polls.html

Unfortunately, I couldn't watch the VP candidates debate, as the Canadian leaders' debate was on at the same time, and I'm more inclined to watch a debate involving people I can actually vote for. However, I did notice, while scrounging through CBC's headlines for today, that, while Palin was considered "more likeable", polls have shown that viewers (well, CNN and CBS viewers) considered Biden the "victor".

I won't weigh in any further than that, as I know next to nothing about the issues that are key in your guys' election. Moreover, I'm well aware how inaccurate polls can be, particularly when picking subsets that likely contain people with strong opinions... and people aren't pundits. Then again, pundits are prey to bias, too.

However, I just wanted to "counter" Zeo's rather glum declaration of bumbling leading to victory

 

[Zeonix]

http://www.cbc.ca/world/usvotes/story/2008/10/03/us-debate-polls.html

Unfortunately, I couldn't watch the VP candidates debate, as the Canadian leaders' debate was on at the same time, and I'm more inclined to watch a debate involving people I can actually vote for. However, I did notice, while scrounging through CBC's headlines for today, that, while Palin was considered "more likeable", polls have shown that viewers (well, CNN and CBS viewers) considered Biden the "victor".

I won't weigh in any further than that, as I know next to nothing about the issues that are key in your guys' election. Moreover, I'm well aware how inaccurate polls can be, particularly when picking subsets that likely contain people with strong opinions... and people aren't pundits. Then again, pundits are prey to bias, too.

However, I just wanted to "counter" Zeo's rather glum declaration of bumbling leading to victory

I didn't mean an overall victory; just that her not ****ing up gets her points despite not saying anything of worth during the entire debate. Don't tell that to a conservative pundit, though. All morning they've been going on about how awesome she did (again, because she didn't **** up), and how she rolled right over Biden (I didn't see the Bizarro version of the debate, so I can't be sure).

Edit: This line is what I'm talking about:

Expectations for Palin were so low that the mere fact that she managed to keep talking and to keep assailing Obama will be rated as a great victory by McCain's lieutenants.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/02/AR2008100203046.html?referrer=reddit

The thing about that is reality doesn't matter. All they have to do is repeat, "PALIN WAS VICTORIOUS" and it becomes a fact. Not an opinion. A fact. This is pretty much what's been happening this entire election season.

 

[Chakra-X]

I saw the debate last night, and the entire setup was pretty horrible. The candidates should have been allowed at least 2 reversals per argument, so that we weren't just hearing talking points and nothing but talking points.

I was told that they had it organized that way specifically because Palin was inexperienced at that type of debating.

 

[DaRkOwNs]

I was told that they had it organized that way specifically because Palin was inexperienced at that type of debating.

really? she's inexperienced at debating?

how ****ty of a politician can you be?

isnt there some kind of **** meter that they cant go over?

 

[Pieter Paul Rubens]

I just heard on the news that Palin accused Obama of being a downright terrorist that is/was part of a movement that bombed different targets as a protest during Vietnam. Silly enough, Obama was hardly 8 years old at the time of the bombings.

If this is true, Palin really is the dumbest excuse of human waste to hit the political landscape.

 

[Spunky]

Got a source, Bolteh? Something we can read?

 

[Skiwan]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7653132.stm

 

[Spunky]

Oh, so she didn't claim he was a terrorist, she claimed he was affiliated with a terrorist. Big difference. But equally retarded.

 

[Pieter Paul Rubens]

Well, I thank you Dave I heard on the Belgian radio, so I couldn't source it.

 

[Spunky]

Yeah, but you heard wrong. She didn't claim his involvement in terrorist activities, she claimed his affiliation with a terrorist, who isn't actually a terrorist.

 

[Pieter Paul Rubens]

She still aimed at making people believe he was connected to terrorism, the video in that newspost is pretty clear about that. (especially the reaction of the crowd)

 

[Spunky]

I know. Like I said, big difference, but equally retarded.

 

[-Origin]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7653132.stm

Really, my only reaction to that was

 

[Deman]

She still aimed at making people believe he was connected to terrorism, the video in that newspost is pretty clear about that. (especially the reaction of the crowd)

That point was brought up by Hillary when they were campaigning against eachother as well. Funny thing is, I recall listening to the O'Reilly radio show at that time and even O'Reilly was defending all the attacks like that. Now I'm curious to see if he'll flip on his decision about attacks like that :X

 

[sub]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S03ZfFf_gGQ

She is such an idiot.