US Prez debate pisstakes...

[Ozone]

During 1st debate whenever Obama was talking, McCain would wander aimlessly.

Here's the take on it from Jay Leno, Saturday Night Live, John Stewart, and Conan O'Brien:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A2Zt1krMprI

[Messiah]

He is like a shark. If he stops moving, he dies.

[Syro]

Palin will be playing Tina Fey on SNL this weekend (October 18)

[BlackDove]

Why is that weird? It's all an entertainment show anyway.

[Anubis]

Anyone see that dinner where they roasted each other? Just been watching bits of it - have to say that McCain did a better job there than he did in the first two debates heh. Maybe leaving his speech-giving talents to come on at the last moment!

Edit - Video for anyone interested http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=TdWeqiyn3zQ

McCain is growing on me lately. I'm still backing Obama, and I can't agree with his policies, but he seems far more confident - likeable to me. Not exactly sure why

[enlightened]

Hahaha that previous link was so funny mate. I'm an apolitical person but things like these are very interesting; definitely give people something to talk about

[enlightened]

Thought I'd post this satire. It's been on the net for a while, some of you might have seen it. Funny though





To the citizens of the United States of America
From Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

In light of your failure in recent years to nominate competent candidates for President of the USA and thus to govern yourselves, we hereby give notice of the revocation of your independence, effective immediately. (You should look up "revocation" in the Oxford English Dictionary.)

Her Sovereign Majesty Queen Elizabeth II will resume monarchical duties over all states, commonwealths, and territories (except Kansas, which she does not fancy). Your new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, will appoint a Governor for America without the need for further elections. Congress and the Senate will be disbanded. A questionnaire may be circulated next year to determine whether any of you noticed.
To aid in the transition to a British Crown dependency, the following rules are introduced with immediate effect:

1. The letter "U" will be reinstated in words such as "colour," "favour," "labour" and "neighbour." Likewise, you will learn to spell "doughnut" without skipping half the letters, and the suffix "-ize" will be replaced by the suffix ise." Generally, you will be expected to raise your vocabulary to acceptable levels. (Look up "vocabulary").

2. Using the same twenty-seven words interspersed with filler noises such as '"like" and "you know" is an unacceptable and inefficient form of communication. There is no such thing as U. S. English. We will let Microsoft know on your behalf. The Microsoft spell-checker will be adjusted to take into account the reinstated letter "u"' and the elimination of ize."

3. July 4th will no longer be celebrated as a holiday.

4. You will learn to resolve personal issues without using guns, lawyers, or therapists. The fact that you need so many lawyers and therapists shows that you're not quite ready to be independent. Guns should only be used for shooting grouse. If you can't sort things out without suing someone or speaking to a therapist, then you're not ready to shoot grouse.

5. Therefore, you will no longer be allowed to own or carry anything more dangerous than a vegetable peeler, although a permit will be required if you wish to carry a vegetable peeler in public.

6. All intersections will be replaced with roundabouts, and you will start driving on the left side with immediate effect. At the same time, you will go metric with immediate effect and without the benefit of conversion tables. Both roundabouts and metrication will help you understand the British sense of humour.

7. The former USA will adopt UK prices on petrol (which you have been calling gasoline) of roughly $10/US gallon. Get used to it.

8. You will learn to make real chips. Those things you call French fries are not real chips, and those things you insist on calling potato chips are properly called crisps. Real chips are thick cut, fried in animal fat, and dressed not with catsup but with vinegar.

9. The cold, tasteless stuff you insist on calling beer is not actually beer at all. Henceforth, only proper British Bitter will be referred to as beer, and European brews of known and accepted provenance will be referred to as Lager. Australian beer is also acceptable, as they are pound for pound the greatest sporting nation on earth and it can only be due to the beer. They are also part of the British Commonwealth - see what it did for them. American brands will be referred to as Near-Frozen Gnat's Urine, so that all can be sold without risk of further confusion.

10. Hollywood will be required occasionally to cast English actors as good guys. Hollywood will also be required to cast English actors to play English characters. Watching Andie MacDowell attempt English dialogue in Four Weddings and a Funeral was an experience akin to having one's ears removed with a cheese grater.

11. You will cease playing American football. There is only one kind of proper football; you call it soccer. Those of you brave enough will, in time, be allowed to play rugby (which has some similarities to American football, but does not involve stopping for a rest every twenty seconds or wearing full Kevlar body amour like a bunch of nannies).

12. Further, you will stop playing baseball. It is not reasonable to host an event called the World Series for a game which is not played outside of America. Since only 2.1% of you are aware there is a world beyond your borders, your error is understandable. You will learn cricket, and we will let you face the Australians first to take the sting out of their deliveries.

13. You must tell us who killed JFK. It's been driving us mad.

14. An internal revenue agent (i.e. tax collector) from Her Majesty's Government will be with you shortly to ensure the acquisition of all monies due (backdated to 1776).

15. Daily Tea Time begins promptly at 4 p.m. with proper cups, with saucers, and never mugs, with high quality biscuits (cookies) and cakes; plus strawberries (with cream) when in season.

[Anubis]

That's a good one. Where did you find it?

[BlackDove]

Probably in the primordial soup - that thing is as old as the internet itself.

[enlightened]

I actually got it from my cousin, she's British

[Syro]

Darn good stuff here. I really enjoyed the Al Smith dinner speechs from both gents. McCain did amazingly well!

As more of a classical liberal than a socialist liberal, they both disturb me on several of their points: McCain wants to nationalize banks (already a done deal with our Big 9) and nationalize mortgages (in the works already), while Obama wants to nationalize healthcare (big failure in Hawaii) and increase the scale on redistribution of individual wealth (basic destruction of the middle-class even though Obama says middle class A LOT)!

Personally, I favored Obama until September. After the first debate and his lack of leadership on the Bailout, I decided that I had an equal and non-partisan dislike for both Obama and McCain.

I am left wanting/wishing that Obama would grow on me again because he really "looks" and "sounds" more Presidential than McCain. But in terms of core values on record and dedication to our country, I "feel" a much stronger connection with McCain.

Oh, the turmoil of being in one of those swingers states! Who shall get our vote? No pressure for you, "Senator Government!" Honestly, I am not sure... which one of you is "that one?"

Thank you political humor!

[Futile Resistance]

Wow. Seeing Obama smile during the charity dinner, he looks like the old Joker (Jim Lee's version):

http://www.comictreadmill.com/images/JokerSmile.jpg

[Syro]

Wow. Seeing Obama smile during the charity dinner, he looks like the old Joker (Stan Lee's version):

http://www.comictreadmill.com/images/JokerSmile.jpg

Fact check: True. LOL

Tea time yet? We need some high quality biscuits.

[Isileth]

Only im America could McCain still be in with a chance...

Especially after the last 8 years, its as if people think everyone involved in the last 8 years will just suddenly leave. Its shocking that its this close.

[Anubis]

Only im America could McCain still be in with a chance...

Especially after the last 8 years, its as if people think everyone involved in the last 8 years will just suddenly leave. Its shocking that its this close.

I would have to agree, but it makes sense due to the way American politics is. Look at over here, we're in the exact same situation and the Tories recently held a 28 point lead (though that's down to about 10 now, for the timebeing, due to the government's actions on the financial crisis). I don't think the Democrats have ever gotten above a 10 point lead, despite the fact that Obama is pushing change even more heavily than the Tories are - and it should resonate even more in the US.

As I keep saying in IRC, it all comes down to the fact that the US parties are far more polarised. Polarisation results in a much higher level of party loyalty, and as such support holds up for the most part, barring 10-15% or so, whom are the voting 'Independants'. Back in the 80's it was the same situation over here, despite her massive unpopularity Thatcher kept leading the Tories to victory - why? Because the people who hated her hated the prospect of Socialism more (and the fact that the Opposition was useless).

Now that politics here is all about the center, there has been a very sharp decline in both party loyalty and party membership here. The parties don't stand for the same 'extremes' or moral differences that they once did any more, and as a result support is far more shifting. We've had 18% of the electorate switch their support from the Tories back to Labour in the last month, and when the financial turbulance is gone they'll likely switch back again. You'd never get that in the US, because Republicans will never vote 'Liberal' and Democrats will never vote 'Right Wing' - for the most part.

That's why it's a close race really. It has little to do with the candidates in such a polarised system, it is far more about the parties themselves. And of course, until US politics shifts to the center (which it will in time) that's just the way it will be.

[Inquisitor]

Word of strong caution: Keep the political stuff light, I don't want any morons deciding I am their abusive father this time.

[Anubis]

Word of strong caution: Keep the political stuff light, I don't want any morons deciding I am their abusive father this time.

I'm guessing there may just be a story behind that, heh. But duly noted.

I think we're all mature enough to talk about politics like adults, without attacking particular parties/candidates/points of view. I think a debate about politics in general is fine (that being what a few posts in this thread are to me), but getting into specifics - Why I'm right and you're wrong, why so and so is great, why anyone who doesn't agree with me is stupid - you're quite right. We should steer well clear of that.

Discussing or debating it is fine, so long as everyone bears in mind that we aren't here to serve as their mouthpiece for their party/candidate. So far, I don't see any problems - so as Ed said let's keep it that way.

[Syro]

Word of strong caution: Keep the political stuff light, I don't want any morons deciding I am their abusive father this time.

Serious and funny.

If we are fools, we are fools for the sake of Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness.

[Inquisitor]

Lets just say I'll stay out of political discussions on this forum

[Isileth]

Aye Anny really hit my point there, its not that im attacking the stance of anyone (although due to Europes much more left wing approach over America its fairly obvious there is a big difference between individuals opinions there).

Its just how American politics currently are, there seem to be a few issues that will always hold one person from switching their vote. Often at the expense of something that person them self thinks is more important.

Its really because America is still very split despite being "united". The difference in views from the Northern to Southern states can be very extreme and there does tend to be that big loyalty to one party even when they disagree on some major points.


Here we seem to have found the type of government that we want right now, and so all the parties have to compete within a much smaller range of stances. Now as long as those positions are wanted by the majority its a good system as there isn't a risk of huge swing if one party screws up.

In America of course when power shifts between the 2 parties its a major change due to the vast differences in some areas. But I really don't see that changing for quite a while.

[Syro]

Lets just say I'll stay out of political discussions on this forum

Yes. Your voice is always respected.

Within our community of intelligent and respectful folks, I would expect to see a few posts related to world issues on occassion. Our challenge as human beings with keyboards is to keep potentially "hot topics" in the realm of civil among friends.

[Fenavian]

Word of strong caution: Keep the political stuff light, I don't want any morons deciding I am their abusive father this time.

Does this mean I can't borrow the car "Dad"?

[Syro]

LOL!