Tonight's debate: missing ingredients.

brianlux

It certainly was a heated debate. I found it interesting to note that a majority of women were put off by the male face-off aspects. That certainly was a turn off for my wife.

To me, at least of equal importance, was that yet again key issues were missing in this debate. Those issues, in my opinion, were:

-Climate change.
-Dwindling resources and an emphasis of economy that makes little or no mention of those resources, the very things that make any sort of economy possible.
-Environmental degradation.
-Dwindling energy sources that drive our civilization as it currently exists (aka "peak oil").
-A human population, the number of which is unsustainable.
-The value of durable goods.

Yes, I understand the natural focus on immediate- concerns-- jobs, food, clothing shelter-- but if we don't take a longer, more broad look at where we are and were we are going we will not go far. I find that hugely frustrating and hugely tragic. Are our immediate needs so important as to over rule our well being in the future and, at least as importantly, as to ruin the chances for those who follow after us? I think this is at least worth considering.

Sorry- I don't mean to be a downer. These debates always bring these questions to my mind.

Hugh Freaking Dillon

it's political suicide in the US to tell your citizens they need to stop driving 150 litre tanks to and from the 7-11 around the corner.

like the right to bear arms, everyone has their right to ruin the environment and not give a shit. it's the western way.

gimmesometruth27

you can't have a debate on climate change when one man believes it is happening and wants to base part of the economy on alternative energy to try to curtail it and the other guy thinks it is a myth.

brianlux

gimmesometruth27 wrote:

you can't have a debate on climate change when one man believes it is happening and wants to base part of the economy on alternative energy to try to curtail it and the other guy thinks it is a myth.

So true! The sad thing is, I know Hugh is right- it would be political suicide to talk about climate change.

riotgrl

Perhaps if other candidates, like Jill Stein, were included in the debates then these questions might come up.

catefrances

the missing ingredient was booze... for me. i will never get that time back again unless.... :think:

Godfather.

catefrances wrote:

the missing ingredient was booze... for me. i will never get that time back again unless.... :think:

here Cate,I hope this helps

Godfather.


DebateDrinking.com
DebateDrinking.com has a great multifaceted setup. You pick whether you are drinking to Obama or Romney (although this does not have to reflect your voting plans). Take a sip every time your candidate says one of the buzz words, which include “middle class,” “nuclear” and “let me be clear” for Obama and “unemployment,” “small business” and “China” for Romney. Can’t keep up? DebateDrinking.com is keeping score on Twitter. Not drinking enough? Additional rules include taking one drink for each number on your candidate’s multistep plan.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/10/ ... z29YhiQd5e

catefrances

Godfather. wrote:

catefrances wrote:

the missing ingredient was booze... for me. i will never get that time back again unless.... :think:

here Cate,I hope this helps

Godfather.


DebateDrinking.com
DebateDrinking.com has a great multifaceted setup. You pick whether you are drinking to Obama or Romney (although this does not have to reflect your voting plans). Take a sip every time your candidate says one of the buzz words, which include “middle class,” “nuclear” and “let me be clear” for Obama and “unemployment,” “small business” and “China” for Romney. Can’t keep up? DebateDrinking.com is keeping score on Twitter. Not drinking enough? Additional rules include taking one drink for each number on your candidate’s multistep plan.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2012/10/ ... z29YhiQd5e

my doctor says i shouldnt drink alone in the middle of the day. i asked does God count as a person. she said no.

Wma31394

"Mr president...who is to blame for bengazi attack and was added security declined?"

"Well... uhhhhh let me tell you this..4 years ago during my debates...i did not answer the questions...4 years later I still dont..So what do you want to hear about..my 2 girls, my jump shot, which celeb is coming to the oval office ths week..how about my 2 pack a day smoking habit..did I mention I roll my own these days?'

I swear I heard this answer last night...

polaris_x

here's a bit of a fact-check on last night's debate ...

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/usele ... ial-debate

watched like 25 mins ... initially it looked like obama was weak again but he picked it up towards the end ...

brianlux

riotgrl wrote:

Perhaps if other candidates, like Jill Stein, were included in the debates then these questions might come up.

Sadly, we're far from seeing that. Seeing only two people in a debate reminds us of how narrow our political choices are.

The sad thing is, the issues I mentioned above will be talked about, no doubt. And when they are, the talk will be heavily accompanied with thoughts of "why the fuck did we wait so long to talk about these things?" And we'll be neck deep in shit.

I'm going to try to have a good day and I truly hope you all do as well. This thread is hopelessly depressing- sorry everyone- it's just that somethings have to be said.

riotgrl

brianlux wrote:

riotgrl wrote:

Perhaps if other candidates, like Jill Stein, were included in the debates then these questions might come up.

Sadly, we're far from seeing that. Seeing only two people in a debate reminds us of how narrow our political choices are.

The sad thing is, the issues I mentioned above will be talked about, no doubt. And when they are, the talk will be heavily accompanied with thoughts of "why the fuck did we wait so long to talk about these things?" And we'll be neck deep in shit.

I'm going to try to have a good day and I truly hope you all do as well. This thread is hopelessly depressing- sorry everyone- it's just that somethings have to be said.

Not to be even more depressing but when Stein tried to enter Hofstra for the debate she was arrested. Seems pretty extreme to me that she isn't even invited to the debate.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/16/hofstra-debate-jill-stein-arrested-green-party_n_1971960.html?utm_hp_ref=elections-2012

She is on 85% of the ballots in the US which could play (I know its highly unlikely) into electoral college figures. Although, I would assume this will be like other 3rd party candidates and the winner will claim that the 3rd party candidate just siphoned votes from the other two candidates.
http://www.jillstein.org/ballot

whygohome

brianlux wrote:

riotgrl wrote:

Perhaps if other candidates, like Jill Stein, were included in the debates then these questions might come up.

Sadly, we're far from seeing that. Seeing only two people in a debate reminds us of how narrow our political choices are.

The sad thing is, the issues I mentioned above will be talked about, no doubt. And when they are, the talk will be heavily accompanied with thoughts of "why the fuck did we wait so long to talk about these things?" And we'll be neck deep in shit.

I'm going to try to have a good day and I truly hope you all do as well. This thread is hopelessly depressing- sorry everyone- it's just that somethings have to be said.

Edward Abbey should have been the moderator.

whygohome

Hugh Freaking Dillon wrote:

it's political suicide in the US to tell your citizens they need to stop driving 150 litre tanks to and from the 7-11 around the corner.

like the right to bear arms, everyone has their right to ruin the environment and not give a shit. it's the western way.

Sadly, this is how stupid we have become. We can't have an intelligent discussion about the environment. Drill, baby, drill!!!

pjl44

gimmesometruth27 wrote:

you can't have a debate on climate change when one man believes it is happening and wants to base part of the economy on alternative energy to try to curtail it and the other guy thinks it is a myth.

Um...wouldn't a fundamental disagreement make for a substantive debate?

pjl44

riotgrl wrote:

Perhaps if other candidates, like Jill Stein, were included in the debates then these questions might come up.

It really bums me out that she and Gary Johnson aren't on that stage. These are orchestrated sales pitches instead of vigorous policy discussions. So instead of engaging an electorate, I get to spend weeks hearing about binders, interruptions, moderators, and Big Bird.