But First A Word About The Debate

The debate last night is getting a lot more like the crap we hear from congress.  For all the talk about needing to be aggressive and make points, stir up the base and what ever the chattering heads are saying, and fighting back, and back biting the debates so far have been lacking serious, substantial discussion of policy from both sides.

I would have liked a little more dignity from the candidates.  Stepping on each other the way they did last night was more like McLaughlin Group or the NFL Pregame Shows or Sports Talk Radio talking about the Yankees.

Mercifully the election will be over in about twenty days.  And somebody somewhere is already visiting Iowa and New Hampshire getting ready for 2016.

Comments

  1. Andy KrauseOctober 18, 2012 at 8:14 PM

    The moderator handled it like an NFL substitute referee.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John AsgeirsonOctober 22, 2012 at 5:23 AM

      Moderators get too much credit or blame but they are hardly the biggest problem in the debates. Incumbants don't like being questioned and challengers will do what ever is expedient and vice versa depending on the issue. Governing is what matters. And in the end the composition of the senate and the house has made a bigger difference. Maybe we need a more parliamentary system.

      Delete
  2. Andy KrauseOctober 23, 2012 at 8:37 PM

    We had two years with a Democratic president along with Democratic majorities in both houses. How did that work out? Maybe we should stop saying everybodys doing it and look around and decide that maybe we just need less government.

    I sent Colleen Coughlin the link to the blog. Hopefully, she'll visit and purge you of this parlamentary system idea. I told her your perspective was probably East Coast Liberal Icelander (Sjálfstæðisflokkur). She is a Chicago Progressive.

    ReplyDelete
  3. John AsgeirsonOctober 24, 2012 at 6:33 AM

    Lot's of disappointment with Obama's first two years as well. I thought a majority in the Senate would have been big enough but "their" rules allowed obstruction instead of votes, threats of fillibusters rather than actually obstructive debates on CSPAN but that might have interfered with fundraising which they spend so much time doing. Sixty votes is almost impossible unless it to postpone. Maybe we need some kind of final death, secret ballot process to avoid Obama and Ryan blaming each other like the did on Simpson Bowles.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Andy KrauseOctober 24, 2012 at 9:49 AM

    Since Barack Obama took office on January 20th, 2009, Senate Republicans have sustained one, single, solitary filibuster against his agenda. Just one. That’s out of nearly 3,000 Senate bills introduced since Obama took the oath of office. What you call obstruction could have been solved by the Democrats by actually reaching across the isle. Who had the "we won, get over it" approach?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John AsgeirsonOctober 25, 2012 at 3:39 PM

      These days the threat is good enough to scuttle initiatives by either party. Holds by individual Senators are enough to stop appointments for judges or Elizabeth Warren. I think you used the term poisoning the well. The term fits. As an aside who do you go to negotiate with. My local representative won't even respond to an e-mail unless you include the nine digit zip code and agree to get on her mailing list for mailings.

      Delete
  5. Andy KrauseNovember 2, 2012 at 8:32 AM

    I get your point. Off topic a little but I always wanted to ask a Florida Democratic voter, "Why does Florida hate the rest of the USA so much that they elected Debbie Wasserman?" :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. John AsgeirsonNovember 2, 2012 at 12:58 PM

      Broward County and Miami Beach have some very Jewish neighborhoods. She would have been running against Allen West who you have probably heard of as a result of redistricting, but unfortunately I will still have Illeana Ros Lehtenin to ignore me and Allen West moved to another district. Party chairs who hold political office are usually prolific fundraisers and for Democrats women's issues are a key voting bloc. Sometimes I think she has some very bad hair days, but that is just my opinion.

      Delete

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