Well, that decided for whom I am voting.

[Neige]

What about you? Do you watch debates? How do the debates affect your vote? I am adressing the North American Pixies especially, but anyone else please feel free to reply as well!

[Lilith]

I do watch the debates. I like to see how the candidates respond when confronted with questions regarding the policies they would enact. Usually I have my mind made up prior to any debate because my beliefs do not fall in line with the centrist ideals.

I enjoyed this debate.

[PantyFanatic]

I honestly don't believe one word that comes out of their mouths while they are tell me any crap they think I want to hear to get elected. My vote is based solely on what I know about how THEY VOTED while in office.

[dicksbro]

I'm with you on that, PF. I don't believe hardly anything said on the campaign trail, either.

[IowaMan]

Yep, I'm going with the PF/DB ticket. Words are pretty cheap and empty when it comes to politicians, in this country anyway.

PF-DB 2008
A Cock in every pot!
Pan tea For All!

[Coaster]

Yep yep...... I look at their actions because they are very practiced at speaking out of both ends of their bodies!!!!

Last nights debate (if you'd call it that) was too safe. It's like they are so close percentage-wise that they just don't want to alienate one single voter! Give me a candidate with the balls to tell it as it is and hunker down to bring back US manufacturing and prosperity................

[Irish]

Yep yep...... I look at their actions because they are very practiced at speaking out of both ends of their bodies!!!!

Last nights debate (if you'd call it that) was too safe. It's like they are so close percentage-wise that they just don't want to alienate one single voter! Give me a candidate with the balls to tell it as it is and hunker down to bring back US manufacturing and prosperity................
Agreed! Irish :thumbs:

[Neige]

While I didn't watch the American debates, one of the Canadian candidates really stood out as superior to me and I admired her way of talking (that should tell you who it was right there ;)).

[Jax]

I enjoyed the debates (American ones, did not get to see Canada ones). I wish either the rules weren't so stringent OR the moderators were better. I'd like to see more dust ups.

That being said, the two debates I've seen so far are tugging me in a certain direction.

And it's not so much that I don't believe them, as much as in the end, what they want, versus what the negotiate away are different.

[Scarecrow]

What they say they want to do and what will get passed congress are two different things all together. the President has no real power anymore.

[Oldfart]

the President has no real power anymore.

Not in the face of hostile congress and/or senate.

VPs have so little power (so long as they don't lose their P), they really are just ladies in waiting.

[PantyFanatic]

BOTH those ^^^ comments are what I USE to believe. .......... And if they are true, my entire government, not just an administration, does not work. :tear:

[wyndhy]

here the commander-in-chief role is really the only thing that is solely the duty of the president. vote with that in mind, and hope that luck, good conscience, check, and balance will turn out the rest for the better.:)

i enjoy watching debate. pres/veep debates— in my(nsfh:D)opinion—don’t make for good debate, though. it's a lot of grandstanding and talking points: the candidate waits for a question that contains a word on their "campaign index card of handy dandy bulleted talking points” then they regurgitate whatever is written on the flyers we get every other day in the mail—which is to say, they don't actually say a lot. well, not a lot of hows anyway—and consequent rebuttal is all he said/she said.

pressie debate can sway me however, ‘cause i feel it can be a decent indicator of disposition and personality. it’s a wee bit more on-the-fly than your average photo op.

candidate debate is tedious enough; i don’t have sufficient international interest to subject myself to watching another country’s debates.:p;) but i do think it’s very cool to hear about other countries’ debates too, neige. neat thread

[scotzoidman]

Anybody planning to watch the manure-spreaders at work in my (formerly) beautiful home town tonight?

[Lilith]

I can't wait.

[Irish]

In my opinion,what a person says in a debate,has little to do with what they
actually will do.Some people are good debaters & others aren't.For example-
in my own case,I have noticed that altho I know what I want to say,as I get
older(I'm 64),the words just won't come to me!
I'm reminded of a workboat manufacturer that I worked for.On a certain size
boat,I was the foreman &Head Mechanic.The Manager had hired a man ,who was supposedly a marine mechanic.He named ALL kinds of boats.He was supposedly very knowlegable on them all.When he started he got fired on the first day.He could talk a great game but he couldn't do,hardly anything!
Irish (my 2cents)

[lonelyarmywife]

Maybe I'm just biased (I"m a a heavy volunteer for the Obama campaign in my state) but it seemed like McCain was being pretty agressive in the second debate. The newcassters have said this was his style, but he seemed pretty ill at ease to me.

PS forgive the late post - I DVR'd the debate and just got around to watching it.

[jseal]

I know that a month (almost) is a long time in politics, but I have a very difficult time seeing how Senator McCain can win this campaign.

[jennaflower]

As a veteran, it is the Commander in Chief role that I believe to be most important. Unfortunately in the world of terrorism that we live in, national security and the security of our allies should take the highest level of importance.

I wouldn't have served under Clinton (thank god, I got out just before he sat in the oval office) nor would I serve under Obama. How can Obama be trusted when he has in the past aligned himself with known domestic terrorists and others that would joyously celebrate in our countrys demise?

Here is my predictions:
1) If Obama is elected, it will ultimately result in this nations next civil war.

2) If he wins, it will be 1 term. Unfortunately, he will most likely be our next assasinated president. I say that, not because I believe he should be, but because I believe that there are enough whacks in this world that will not tolerate him being president.

3) Certainty of Obama being the winner is highly overrated. If you look at the previous exit polls, it has been proven that many of the people who claim prior to voting that they were voting for him infact did not. When one is in the privacy of their voting booth, they are only responsible to themselves, not to joe blow.

4). Our country is pretty much screwed. I don't have much optimism that either candidate will be able to correct what ails this nation.

Okay, I realize I may have killed this thread. Lol. Again I apoligize for offending.

[Irish]

As a veteran, it is the Commander in Chief role that I believe to be most important. Unfortunately in the world of terrorism that we live in, national security and the security of our allies should take the highest level of importance.

I wouldn't have served under Clinton (thank god, I got out just before he sat in the oval office) nor would I serve under Obama. How can Obama be trusted when he has in the past aligned himself with known domestic terrorists and others that would joyously celebrate in our countrys demise?

Here is my predictions:
1) If Obama is elected, it will ultimately result in this nations next civil war.

2) If he wins, it will be 1 term. Unfortunately, he will most likely be our next assasinated president. I say that, not because I believe he should be, but because I believe that there are enough whacks in this world that will not tolerate him being president.

3) Certainty of Obama being the winner is highly overrated. If you look at the previous exit polls, it has been proven that many of the people who claim prior to voting that they were voting for him infact did not. When one is in the privacy of their voting booth, they are only responsible to themselves, not to joe blow.

4). Our country is pretty much screwed. I don't have much optimism that either candidate will be able to correct what ails this nation.

Okay, I realize I may have killed this thread. Lol. Again I apoligize for offending.
I agree completly!A friend(my next door neighbor,said exactly the same thing,
about assasination.Like myself,he has seen both sides of the people.He said that most likely,our next President,will be Joe Biden,because with all of the nutty organizations around(KKK,etc)most likely Obama will be assasinated.I was leavig a Hardware store recently & being a tatoo affectionado,I noticed that the man in front of me,had the backs of both arms tatooed."White" on one arm &"Power" on the other. Irish

[Lilith]

*note to self page 2

[Aqua]

What is this 'Page 2' you speak of?

[citrus]

Seen all the debaters so far, Pres & VP.
Tina Fey has done the best characterizations of any mimic ever of ANY candidate.

My politics are always being mended and/or upgraded through necessity of growth. Typically when a political candidate lines up with me I vote for him or her as the case may be.
In this campaign I've found only one preferred choice. His history and actions have shown me that he is the one whom I'll vote for. The other one is an adept speaker and can talk right through all the walls of a maze to the other side. But, the problem with that is in the fact that he doesn't need to. All he has to do is communicate with the ones who are inside the maze.
:rant:

[osuche]

I just cast my (absentee) ballot today! So I guess I've decided too :D

[Lord Snow]

I know I'm young and probably a little under educated in politics, but it seems to me that while voting is a very important part of our government, it's not worth taking the time to do anymore. The only difference I see in the candidates is what kind of mud they sling at each other and the way they'll screw the general populace. As was mentioned before, the president only has the power to go to war, so what difference does it make who is in office? I'd rather find a way to get average Joe Blow in congress and get enough of them in there so that we can fix the government. It looks like the U.S. government has lost it's sense of the common man who it's supposed to be protecting. Not the business executives that got greedy and expanded so fast they popped, not go and fix other countries problems. I'm not saying we shouldn't help the other nations, but we need a stable and solid system before we go and spend money we don't have to rebuild a country we just destroyed. The system we have hasn't changed all that much since it was first designed and implemented. How much has changed in the past 200 some odd years? The laws have changed, but certain policies haven't. We've had equal rights for many years, but this is the first time a black man has a chance to be president. Same thing with equal rights between the genders. First time I've heard of a woman actually winning vice president. It's time for a change, but not the kind that the politicians are willing make. Until I hear someone actually make a basic statement that will update a 200 year old system, I won't vote. I think I'll get off my soap box and go back to bed now.

[Irish]

I know I'm young and probably a little under educated in politics, but it seems to me that while voting is a very important part of our government, it's not worth taking the time to do anymore. The only difference I see in the candidates is what kind of mud they sling at each other and the way they'll screw the general populace. As was mentioned before, the president only has the power to go to war, so what difference does it make who is in office? I'd rather find a way to get average Joe Blow in congress and get enough of them in there so that we can fix the government. It looks like the U.S. government has lost it's sense of the common man who it's supposed to be protecting. Not the business executives that got greedy and expanded so fast they popped, not go and fix other countries problems. I'm not saying we shouldn't help the other nations, but we need a stable and solid system before we go and spend money we don't have to rebuild a country we just destroyed. The system we have hasn't changed all that much since it was first designed and implemented. How much has changed in the past 200 some odd years? The laws have changed, but certain policies haven't. We've had equal rights for many years, but this is the first time a black man has a chance to be president. Same thing with equal rights between the genders. First time I've heard of a woman actually winning vice president. It's time for a change, but not the kind that the politicians are willing make. Until I hear someone actually make a basic statement that will update a 200 year old system, I won't vote. I think I'll get off my soap box and go back to bed now.
Geraldine Ferraro(sp?) was the vice president elect a few yrs ago!She wasn't
elected! Irish :huh:

[Lord Snow]

I said that I heard about. I wish that we could get an actual general to run for president again. Colin Powell I think would do a good job as commander in chief.

[PantyFanatic]

How many politicians are NOT liars, ... I mean lawyers?

[jseal]

Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution vests in the Congress the exclusive power to declare war.


All of the seats in the House of Representatives, and one third of those in the Senate are to be voted on in November.

[scotzoidman]

*note to self page 2
Didn't take long this time, did it?

I can accept that we are all different people with very different opinions. What I cannot accept is that some people can't express their opinions without questioning the patriotism & loyalty of the other side.

So sad.



:(

[citrus]

Geraldine Ferraro(sp?) was the vice president elect a few yrs ago!She wasn't elected! Irish :huh:Geraldine Ferraro was chosen to be V.P. candidate for the 1984 general election. Selected as a candidate she never was in the winning position as Vice President elect. Hers was simply a candidacy through the party's selection process. :) Ronald Reagan & George Herbert Walker Bush won the election against Walter Mondale & Geraldine A. Ferraro (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geraldine_A._Ferraro). Mondale was Vice President under the lame duck Presidency of Jimmy Carter.
George H. W. Bush is the father of our current president George W. Bush.

fyi: The elder Bush is not referred to as Senior as the offspring's name is different. The middle name is not included for Geo. W. Bush. Therefore he is not referred to as Junior.

[jseal]

... some people can't express their opinions without questioning the patriotism & loyalty of the other side.

So sad ...
scotzoidman,

I couldn't agree with you more.

[dicksbro]

How many politicians are NOT liars, ... I mean lawyers?

Zero or very close to. You were right on both counts, PF. I think there's a rule somewhere that requires politicians to have completed Deception 101 and Legalese 202 before running for office. (I looked up legalese and the definition was "A style that uses the abstruse technical vocabulary of the law." The rest is self-evident. :) )