Campaign 2008

[Jingus 0]

Or maybe polls and their interpretation are usually dumb, and most journalists are just parrots with typewriters who only repeat what they've been told without any critical thought or desire to inform beyond the most sensationalist, attention-grabbing way of stating things.

nah, couldn't possibly be that, that never happens

 

Rhetorical question: who's to blame for the seeming downward spiral in general journalistic competence? The media's never been perfect, but it's gotten more aggressively stupid over the past couple decades or so. Who's to blame? The owners and executives, for mandating it? The reporters and other employees, for going along with it? The public, for accepting it?

[SuperJerk 0]

I don't know.

 

The stock liberal answer is accountability to their corporate masters, but I think its deeper than that. You could also say "Fox News," but their band of journalism isn't exclusive to them, and there is a market for it.

 

Rather than just spouting out the first thing that pops into my head, I'm going to actually put some thought into this before answering.

 

Meanwhile, here's a fun toy to play with.

http://www.says-it.com/mccain/intro.php

[PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH! 0]

Rhetorical question: who's to blame for the seeming downward spiral in general journalistic competence? The media's never been perfect, but it's gotten more aggressively stupid over the past couple decades or so. Who's to blame? The owners and executives, for mandating it? The reporters and other employees, for going along with it? The public, for accepting it?

 

Journalism has been shit for nearly the entirety of its existence. The "Golden Age" of Murrow/Cronkite/Woodward&Bernstein was really more of an aberration than anything.

[EricMM 0]

Yeah.

 

They used to call newspapers "libels"...

[At Home 0]

Well one quantitative reason behind shitty journalism (on television at least) was the repeal of the Fairness in Reporting Act, which federally mandated that equal time be given to specific themes and topics. With that out the window, journalism centers were now quite literally able to report on whatever they want. However, the most immediate trend of the 21st century seems to be one of pandering to ratings, especially marked by the takeover of news centers by large businesses: CNN is owned by AOL-TW, etc.

[Guest !!!]

Meh, I've never been a big Fairness Doctrine fan. There may have been a case for it when you only had three VHF channels--or even knew the term "VHF channel"--but with so many avenues of information, the idea that television stations "serve the public good" is an antiquated one.

[Guest]

Seeing as we're all so poll happy.

 

Tied.

[At Home 0]

Right, tied.

 

These polls really have no bearing other than a ball park figure for me.

[Guest]

My point is that polls hold no bearing whatsoever when they're as all over the place as the ones that have come out over the last few weeks.

 

Like that Newsweek poll which had Obama ahead by 15, for instance.

[At Home 0]

Ah, I get you now. Word, I agree.

[Guest Vitamin X]

I'll worry more about polls and the like after a debate or two, say maybe in September or October.

 

Summer presidential polling, especially before both conventions, are always really off.

[bob_barron 0]

Or maybe polls and their interpretation are usually dumb, and most journalists are just parrots with typewriters who only repeat what they've been told without any critical thought or desire to inform beyond the most sensationalist, attention-grabbing way of stating things.

nah, couldn't possibly be that, that never happens

 

Rhetorical question: who's to blame for the seeming downward spiral in general journalistic competence? The media's never been perfect, but it's gotten more aggressively stupid over the past couple decades or so. Who's to blame? The owners and executives, for mandating it? The reporters and other employees, for going along with it? The public, for accepting it?

 

I probably have something to do with it

[NoCalMike 0]

Sometimes its not just about the number of channels available, rather who owns them all. For example, clear channel owns hundreds of stations all over the world, so when an order comes down from the CEO, it is going to effect every single clear channel outlet.

 

Same with TV networks, there might be a gazillion channels, but if 4-5 companies own every single channel, are you really getting a vast amount of voices?

[Guest !!!]

But to what extent to we have a free press if the federal government is telling you what to report? There's no easy solution. Journalism does suck.

[Big Ol' Smitty 0]

My point is that polls hold no bearing whatsoever when they're as all over the place as the ones that have come out over the last few weeks.

 

Like that Newsweek poll which had Obama ahead by 15, for instance.

 

Polls were pretty accurate in the primaries, with the exception of New Hampshire. Any stats student will tell you that there are outliers (like the Newsweek poll), but if you have multiple polls you can get a pretty good idea of the state of the race.

[bob_barron 0]

Obama thinks child rapists should get the death penalty. I don't know if I agree with that

[SuperJerk 0]

Lots of stufff to talk about...

 

• I'm undecided as well, Bob.

   

• Different polls have been all over the place. Daily tracking is stupid anyways because the fluctuations from day to day always fall within the margin of error.

   

• I think P.G.O.A.T. probably gave the best answer on the press question.

   

• I think anyone who voted for the Iraq War Resoultion should be automatically disqualified from being offered the VP slot by Obama.

   

• Ralph Nader thinks Obama doesn't act black enough.

   

  Speaking with Colorado's Rocky Mountain News, Nader accused Obama of attempting to "talk white"...

   

  "...I haven't heard him have a strong crackdown on economic exploitation in the ghettos. Payday loans, predatory lending, asbestos, lead. What's keeping him from doing that? Is it because he wants to talk white? He doesn't want to appear like Jesse Jackson? We'll see all that play out in the next few months and if he gets elected afterwards," Nader added.

   

  "I mean, first of all, the number one thing that a black American politician aspiring to the presidency should be is to candidly describe the plight of the poor, especially in the inner cities and the rural areas, and have a very detailed platform about how the poor is going to be defended by the law, is going to be protected by the law and is going to be liberated by the law," he said. "Haven't heard a thing."

   

  Nader also said Obama is making a concerted effort not to be "another politically threatening African-American politician."

  http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/25/nad...bama/index.html

   

  In America, if you're black but don't act like a stereotype, in this case a stereotype of a black politician, you're not authentic. It is bullshit opinions like that, whether they are held by whites or blacks, that help keep the racial divide going. For a white man to attack a black man on this basis makes my fucking blood boil.

   

  I can't believe I ever voted for that asshole.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Obama thinks child rapists should get the death penalty. I don't know if I agree with that

 

Why? What is the benefit of letting someone like that live? I believe that if someone allows themselves to devolve to the level of an animal, they should very well be euthanized like a dangerous animal would be.

[sfaJack 0]

One argument would be that if the punishment is the same for killing the child as it is for leaving the child alive, then what is the incentive to NOT kill the child?

 

Another one I've heard is that if you sentence them to life without parole and put them in the general pop in prison, the "problem" would just sort of work itself out.

[EricMM 0]

AND that since the only person generally able to testify in that crime is the child AND the person is almost always a relative of the child, it would be essentially a child trying to get their stepfather or uncle killed.

 

Not something an eight year old can deal with.

[2GOLD 0]

One argument would be that if the punishment is the same for killing the child as it is for leaving the child alive, then what is the incentive to NOT kill the child?

 

Another one I've heard is that if you sentence them to life without parole and put them in the general pop in prison, the "problem" would just sort of work itself out.

 

Maybe the cops should do it and just save everyone the time. Sorry but child rapists are the one area where I am totally cool with a cop blowing someones brains all over the floor. As long as there is 100% zero doubt that the person they have is the child rapist, don't waste the taxpayers time letting them get to court. Struggles happen, people get stupid thinking they can escape, guns go off.

 

It's odd seeing Obama taking the stance in favor of death penalty though. He really is acting different than most democratic candidates. If he comes out in favor of gay marriage, he'd be really damn different in actually finally being a candidate with the balls to take a opposing stand on the issue instead of being a wimp about it to not upset the bible belt. His best bet in this election is just to be who he is, be open to new ideas but make it damn clear he at least makes STANDS on issues. It's what I hated about Gore and Kerry, neither of them was really willing to take a stand on the dangerous issues.

[At Home 0]

Uhg who cares about gay marriage? Really? It's a state issue.

[Jorge Gorgeous 0]

I care deeply. It shouldn't be an issue for states to decide.

[SuperJerk 0]

Regulation of marriage has traditionally been an issue decided by states, until the conservatives began federalizing it in the 90s.

 

Somehow it became a presidential issue. I'm still not sure how that happened when neither of the two major parties has endorsed gay marrige.

[Jingus 0]

Maybe the cops should do it and just save everyone the time. Sorry but child rapists are the one area where I am totally cool with a cop blowing someones brains all over the floor.

You think that doesn't happen now? Not all the time, but there are plenty of examples of controversial accounts of a suspect being shot "while trying to escape/resisting arrest".

 

As long as there is 100% zero doubt that the person they have is the child rapist

Aye, there's the rub. How many of these guys do you think the police actually catch in the act with their pants down, dick-deep in a toddler? Sometimes there's DNA evidence, semen and such gathered by a rape kit from a victim after the fact, but even that isn't always 100%. Like many adult rape cases, a whole lot of pedophilia cases go down without much more evidence than the child's claim they were molested.

[Dobbs 3K 0]

Gay marriage really shouldn't be a big issue this election year...most Americans aren't in favor of it, so really, what is the point of debating it right now? If states like California want to legalize it, fine. The TV crews can cover these "marriages" and the progressive liberals can get their warm happy fuzzy feelings while the rest of America continues living how they are.

 

I do see the point about not having the death penalty for child rapists, so they aren't further encouraged to kill the child. That does make some sense. I just wish we'd just keep those people locked up permanently. Communities shouldn't have to deal with potential pedophiles moving into their community after being "rehabilitated."

[SuperJerk 0]

I don't think anyone's mentioned this yet...

 

Even if you never met him [Obama], you know this guy...He's the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/26/obama.rove/index.html

 

There's nothing Americans hate more than someone who makes fun of the people at a country club...oh, wait.

 

 

 

[bob_barron 0]

Obama thinks child rapists should get the death penalty. I don't know if I agree with that

 

Why? What is the benefit of letting someone like that live? I believe that if someone allows themselves to devolve to the level of an animal, they should very well be euthanized like a dangerous animal would be.

 

You think people should be executed for jaywalking.

 

The death penalty should only be used for people who commit first degree murder.

[Jingus 0]

Even if you never met him [Obama], you know this guy...He's the guy at the country club with the beautiful date, holding a martini and a cigarette that stands against the wall and makes snide comments about everyone.

No, I don't know that guy, since like the vast majority of people I've never belonged to a country club.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Yeah, his attempt at making Obama look elitist and smug ended up making him look elitist and smug.