WHY I LOVED THE DEMOCRATIC DEBATE

Normally I don't watch the Democratic debates, as I don't learn much--the major details I already know, and the minor details I just don't care about at this point and think they're more of a distraction than anything. However------I accidentally stumbled in front of a TV last night broadcasting the debates, and caught a bit.

1) At one point John Edwards asked if everyone was aware that "there are three people in this debate, not two?" No, not really, Eddie. Asking the question means you already know the answer, and it's not good. That's the political equivalent of asking "Was it good for you?" I think John Edwards has had his thunder stolen; I always adored him after he appeared in a photo spread in Vanity Fair, as any candidate with that much panache' is the candidate for me. But next to Hills and the Obamarama, he just can't hang. Buh-bye.

2) Someone please find a screen capture of the looks Hillary was shooting Barack, with the pursed lips, while she was calling him a slumlord. SO GENIUS. Not that he cared. He has Oprah money, he's not scared of anything.

Speaking of--

3) With all that money that he's got, Barack Obama should be able to afford a better suit. He looks like he's wearing the same suit I wore to my high school Homecoming dance. Bought straight off the rack at Marshall's, fits in the shoulders but way too much fabric in the body. Get a tailor, man. Ask John Edwards, that pretty-boy undoubtedly has the hookup for all that.

Comments

[darryll]

For the first time in my life, if I need to, to save this country from her...I will vote Republican.

[Cameron]

First, she wasn't calling him a slumlord, she was LYING and saying that he had worked for a slumlord. When, in fact, he had simply worked for a firm that had represented a church group that was involved with one. But, I digress.

He only has the backing of Oprah and some of her money. Most of his donations come from real people in increments of $25-$100, and of the three candidates on the stage, he has the lowest net worth. But, if you're still a Hillary supporter after seeing her shrill, divisive and desperate performance last night, there's nothing I could type to talk some sense into you.

But yeah, I'm not feeling the suit. Let's get him into some Boss or something.

[Hephaestion]

I am so devastated by the news of Heath Ledger's death to think. I cried for hours. I wish I was in New York so I could leave flowers in front of his building.

[Katie]

Agh... I know. Harper's Bazaar did a spread with all the candidates, and Barack was one of the worst dressed. And I like him a lot, so it made me sad. I agree with Cameron. Boss or Armani or SOMETHING.

[Glenn C]

Dan, to correct you on a previous post. The Challenges are being watched. Actually the ratings are better than ever. So if you went on the next challenge you would be on a highly rated show. So go on the next challenge and become famous. Hey why not make it your last challenge and bitch slap CT. Come on! The guy deserves it after all of his gay bashing and you know you want to. :) hee hee

[erik]

i thought the debate was amazing. it really showed that hillary has a thought out plan for what she is going to do and that obama is just grasping at straws. i think john edwards is doing all he can to kiss up to both of them so that he can be their vice president.

[echovic]

I'm not really down with the Hilary bashing - I only saw excerpts of th debate, but I think Obama is slick and studied (like the rest of them, of course).

All politicians are lying and fake - its like a high school cafeteria on speed - and Obama has many more rich donors than just Oprah - for example David Geffen and the Virginia Johnsons. In fact, quite a large part of Hollywood is going with Obama. Regardless, with both Hilary and Obama being minorities politically, I wonder if he is given more room because he is 'black and friendly' and she less because she is a 'pushy woman'.

Personally I think Obama is dangerous (his idolizing Reagan is just NUTTY!!) and slick lightweight (anyone saw him dancing on Ellen a few months ago? It turned me off him forever). And Hilary is willing to be unpopular for her beliefs (eg. Healthcare Reform and all the flack she got for it).

I am not sure and I certainly would not be disappointed if Obama got the ticket - any one of our guys is better than the clowns on the other side - but I do hate the anti-woman bias that is so clearly in play here.

[darryll]

Maybe my post was misunderstood. It should be a wakeup call. If you profess that any democrat is better than the other side, then why on earth would you want her to be the nominee.

Also, the implication that anyone who doesn't like her is anti-woman is perposterous(sp?). I suppose since you don't want Obama, you're a racist...no?

By the way, I voted for Bill twice, and always detested her from the early 90's. Now from this process, Bill's appeal is deteriorating quickly.

[David]

I am trying to keep cool here, but Darryll, if you vote Republican just to spite Hillary Clinton, then you represent everything that is wrong with the US electorate.

I find all THREE main Democratic candidates interchangeable. If you look at their platforms they basically all support the same things. What it boils down to is personality, once again returning to the metaphor of high school politics. If you like one candidate more than the other, fine. But to decide to vote against the entire party because you "just hate-hate-hate her" is f-ed up with a capital F. If you think Clinton is evil, you are seriously deluded. The evil is on the Republican ticket.

[darryll]

Too late David, you're not cool. How about I don't think she should be president. Isn't that enough.

First I'm called a woman hater, now I represent the whole spiteful electorate.

Again, I voted for Bill twice. I never liked (things like her policies, ideas, rhetoric, actions and oh boy, her personality) Hillary.

To imply that someone doesn't want her in the White House again because of personalizing it because of spite, or don't like woman is farcial and highly lowbrow analysis.

My point still has been, the Democratic party is going to once again commit suicide if she is nominated because:

Even people such as myself who are Democrats will not vote for her. It's pretty bad when a candidate has enough negative baggage that she can't get one of her own to vote for her, let alone people from the other side who you need to vote for you.

[echovic]

darryll - i didn't call you a women hater - I said I didn't understand the source of the hatred - and not just your own. I was thinking about the reasons why women are given a tough time - at work, in politics, hollywood etc., for attributes that would be perfectly likable in men. Not brain science, but that was the thought.

secondly, she's not doing so bad in the primaries so far, so of course, even if democrats like yourself don't vote for her, it will be a minority and not drastically affect which way this country goes.

[darryll]

echovic, no offense taken. I apparently misunderstood, especially since before your post only two of us stated our 'disapproval' (I figured saying 'liked' would be interpreted as I had some personal issue with the candidate.) of her.

However I was addressing your point in more general terms, because it does seem if you don't want her, then we're anti-women. As to your query as to the hate and why women have it tougher, unfortunately a blog like this doesn't allow for the details.

I will say though if even your supposition is true that, she is simply having a tough time because she's a chick, it at least isn't a one sided aversion. I've found both women and men detest her and her attempt to become president.

Also, echovic I am not talking about primaries. I'm claiming that if she win's the primaries, which of course are only voted by democrats, that she will lose the general election against a republican. In any general election the goal is not to get your own to vote for you, that's a given that democrats will vote for a democrat...to win you NEED some from the other side to vote for you as well. In her case, I'm saying she will actually turn her own away from voting democrat.

I don't believe either that politics should only be about repub vs democ. As I said I've never voted rebublican in my life. However, if I don't like, again I'm sorry I had to use that word, the democrat nominee I don't feel I should just be a robot and vote for one. For instance I also detested Gore, way back since the 80's when he and his wife wanted to censor music. Thus I voted for Nader in 2000.

[echovic]

ok time to stop this personal chat and move on - but - its interesting - the reason bush won (illegally, of course, but still) was nader who was funded by roger milliken and other ultra right wing nutjobs to splice off some of the democrats. He pulled 10% of the democratic vote, creating the confusion that bush exploited.

ross perot did the same with republicans in 1992, helping clinton.

this year, republicans have been touting mike bloomberg as an independent candidate - and he may still run...

politics is a dirty business as we all know - and everyone who touches it gets dirt on their hands. What most of us wouldn't do to have had gore in the white house for last 8 years - even if he did do some stuff with the censorship of music that was unappealing.

I think I have just gotten to the source of my weirdness over Obama - he seems too pretty to be trusted - if you don't piss people off, its like good marketing without a product. He hasn't yet said a single thing that is revolutionary in this campaign. tony blair was like that in the uk - smart and clean looking and a vision of the future till he became the most detested british pm in 50 years (worse stats than margaret thatcher even).

Anyway, good chatting, even if on a public forum...

[darryll]

puhlease...that stale whine. Sorry, if I didn't vote for Nader guess what. I wouldn't have vote for Bore either. Thus Nader didn't take his vote. Gore lost it plain and simple. Just like he couldn't even win his own state!

[Cameron]

Echovic, nothing controversial? Are you kidding me? How about saying "Let's not go to War in Iraq" in 2002? How about saying, "I don't think you have to mandate healthcare for adults." How about saying "we shouldn't take money from lobbyists and PACs," and then actually going through with it . Be careful not to confuse the infamy and revulsion with which the majority of the electorate reacts to Senator Clinton with Political acumen or ingenuity.

To quote paraphrase your earlier comment, if you vote against Obama because he's "too pretty to be trusted," you are the one going against the entire idea of a democratic electorate. I have some news for you: Obama is the real deal.

It's hard to believe, but after 8 years of Bush, we finally have a president that can move our country forward. What's more, you are playing into the cynical politics that the republicans want us to believe: that nothing can be trusted, and that we citizens lack the ability to change our society.

Vote for hope. Vote for Change. Vote for Barack Obama.

[darryll]

Bravo Cameron!

[magickat]

Can't we all just get along?

[magickat]

{sorry - someone had to say it}