Okay, now that the debates are over....

[Mary Ann]

Did anyone besides me watch the Presidential and Vice Presidential debates?

I watched with great interest, and found the stylistic differences fascinating. It made me wonder how many minds have been changed by such debates. One of the great debates in our nation's history took place about twenty miles south of me, across the street from my church. Abraham Lincoln debated Stephen Douglas. I wondered what the moderators had to struggle with then, and since the crowd could see both candidates at once, how they experienced the impact of their body language.

Now that the debates are over, I wonder: Was anybody's mind changed as a result of the debates? Or did they stay the same? Did you admire your guy more, or did it make you admire the other guy a bit?

I'm not looking to start any fights, or ask anyone who they're voting for. I'm just curious as to the power of this interesting ritual of democracy that we have.

Your thoughts?

[tlcbouv]

I found that Bush greatly improved in this last debate over the first. no scowling and stupid looks. He didn't get mad. but his laughter was a little much,

I still haven't gotten the information from either canidate, that I am looking for. to many generalities. too much mud slinging Both Tom and I are still undecided
Lisa

[Vicki]

Didn't change my mind one bit!
Did they ever figure out what that box looking thing was under Bush's suit?

I

[Chrisnstar]

I'm afraid the debates didn't help the pres all that much. He did better the third time around, but still had that little boyish smirk all the time. He kept going around and around the issues as if No Child Left Behind is going to fix every social ill in America.

Kerry sounded better and more presidential I thought, but he too beat around the bush (no pun intented) a lot and didn't come right out and say what his programs would be.

sigh........ I know who I'm going to vote for, but I'm not thrilled with the choices.

chris

[dianei]

It's a sad comment on our times when a person votes....not for the best man, but for who they think will do the least damage.

I don't like either candidate, but neither can I name one I think would do any better......*sigh*

[spots]

That box is where you put the quarters in for the next 10 minutes.


I've listened to a lot of the debates on the barn radio and then watched it on tape, so it's really interesting to compare the differences. They speak in sound bites, because that is what people will remember, but the VISUAL differences, wow.

I think the current Vice President claiming he had never met the VP challenger face to face before the debate, and the next day they posted photos of them together at a congressional PRAYER meeting, was over the top. I think the senator held his own very well with him, and that's saying a lot, because the current VP is so...devious. My SO was shocked at how old he really is, he said, so, what is this guy, 35 or something, he's doing pretty well, and I said, no, he's actually 51. "He is not !" "Yes, he is, he's old enough to be a VP." There's being photogenic and then being too photogenic.

I think I quit worrying so much if the Presidential challenger does get elected, because I figure if he can stand up to the current incumbent in that manner with that amount of dignity, he just might be able to make it as President even though he's going to be stuck with the Congress and Senate from Hades.

It did re-affirm my belief that the current President is rather clueless on certain domestic issues, as not being able to acknowlege that even if you have a program in place that sends EVERYBODY to college, that will not then create a system that makes everybody employed. Duuuuuhhhh. Hey dude, ever seen an unemployed college grad? He also has no concept whatsoever of actually working for a very low wage because that's all that is available, and I doubt he comprehends the terror of unemployment without benefits. Minimum wage used to support one adult working full time, now it's a joke. Duuuuuuhhhh. It's not that the challenger understands it much better, but at least he seems to realize that if you make more poor people, it is not actually good for your country.

The current President has made a big fat huge mess out of our reputation in the Middle East, and he still doesn't get THAT either. I don't know if the challenger can actually fix this if elected, but I do know I sure as heck do NOT want the current administration given more time to make a bigger one. One example, they are making noises about Iran getting their nuclear reactor up and running, giving them nuclear fuel for weapons, and the RUSSIANS are helping them. The Russians are supposed to be our friends, well, with friends like this, who needs enemies? It was the Russians whispering in the President's ear 3 years ago "Saddam has WMD, Saddam has WMD, look out, he's got them and will use them, you'd better get rid of Saddam..." Yeah right. Now look who's got the new toy on the block. Gee, where did that come from. You know, the VicePres. said the other day this election would be a Referendum on the current administration, as if it was just a "how are we doing" poll and then things just continued on as they were. He doesn't GET IT either. This is an election, and we get to throw them out if we want. I think.

We have a real issue going on with using private contractors in a war situation that nobody is acknowleging may be hurting us in the long run. Supposedly, this was done to "save" money, because a private contractor can "supposedly" do it cheaper than the government. I suspect a lot of these private contractors are actually over there doing things the US military is not allowed to do, and that is helping to make us very unpopular in Iraq because an Iraqi doesn't distinguish between the American military and the American un-military if they are getting killed or tortured by an American. And it's a two way problem, if a private contractor (of any nationality) is taken hostage, because they are private citizens, NO BODY is going to mount an all-out assault to try to rescue them or get them back, because they are not part of any military unit. (They are trying small operations and some hostages have been released when ransoms were paid, altho the Italians are denying it) We have allies dropping out of our "alliance" now because of the terrible things done to the hostages. The enemy is exploiting this, and we as a country REALLY need to say to our leaders, STOP trying to privatize war, because WAR is WAR, not a picnic excursion to map out new business oportunities.

They couldn't go into this very much during the debates, it's too hot a topic for public discussion, more people would have died, so we are stuck with the challenger complaining about Halliburton cost overuns, just turning it into a graft topic. But to me, this is one of the primary problems with the current administration's insistance that "privatizing" every thing is the best way to do things. It's not.

Neither of them are being forthright on how to pay for all the goodies everybody wants, but this thing with the current President not being able to acknowlege that if you cut taxes too far and in the wrong way you make a deficit is sort of fascinating. Duuuuuhhhhh. But it does get you elected. At least once.

On the perpetual smirking the President cannot seem to control, it frankly gives me the heebie-jeebies. Lord, I hope he doesn't do that with foreign leaders. What do they think when they look at him?

Did the debates change my mind? No, but I've been mad for 4 years that we have this stupid electoral college system that lets the loser take office. They are going after the undecideds at this point.

[Vicki]

Spots,
WOW! That's excatly how my hubby and I feel!

"The enemy is exploiting this, and we as a country REALLY need to say to our leaders, STOP trying to privatize war, because WAR is WAR, not a picnic excursion to map out new business oportunities."

As a former logistican in the Army, I think you hit the nail on the head!

[Mags Mom]

Okay, I'll be the first!!! I voted for "W" in 2000 and he'll get my vote next month! ;D I'm not in step with the Repulicans on some of the social planks but for security and taxes they have my complete support. Get the NEA out of education and education will clean up very well.

At least we can have a peaceful change of power when the citizens want a change. Could I have located Afghanistan on a map 4 years ago- probably not on the first attempt. Did they just have their first free election, with women voting?? Yup- is that cool or what???

Now, here is an interesting article- look at the date it came out and all that has happened since it was written! www.fas.org/irp/world/iraq/956-tni.htm Creeeeeepy, especially given the mass grave filled with women and children which was made public last week.

Leslie

[gypsy]

My dad always said that if you don't vote for your president than you have no right to complain. Well, I am having a difficult time in who to vote for......they both leave me feeling very uneasy. Who is going to do the worse damage??? For the first time in 22 years I am grateful that my son is severely hearing impaired, he is safe. At the rate things are going I may need to start worrying already for my grandbaby....he is 15 months.

I am not sure what to do, I don't feel that either person is "President" worthy. I may write Bill Clinton back in.....I am worried our "US ofA" is going to end up in a bad way.

[zenrider]

Ya know I've deleted several replies to this thread in order not to get into a heated debate. Sum it to say I'm voting for Kerry. Or more so, I'm voting for Edwards.

The debates only reaffirmed my belief that Bush is a danger in a position of power. So let's vote him out, so he can get back to drinking publicly (which I have no problems with, I drink publicly, just never choked on a pretzel), and hanging out on the ranch all he wants, just not on my dime. Well, OK, it is on my dime as we pay a heck of a pension plan to our exPresidents.

[gypsy]

That is what my husband says.....he is voting for Kerry but really only because of Edwards.

[Mary Ann]

Zen Rider--- Welcome to the board! It's good to see you here!

You didn't have to say who you are voting for; that's truly not my business. But I was curious if the debates changed anybody's mind. That was the purpose of the original post.

Hey Spots--- What do you really think?