The First Presidential Debate

I am American and very proud of my country. Really glad Obama won. I just question the $6 billion price tag this election cost. Can you imagine what good could have been accomplished if the money had been spent on programs that helped people?

And I'm proud of our country that proved you can't BUY our elections...the people will rule this country with their VOTE and you can't buy that either! We need to remember that we can achieve anything and over come any adversity, if we do it together...and if we remember that ALL OF US matter!

Kudos to bluebelle and Lighter for your comments. I'm relieved that Obama won the re-election campaign. And glad that Romney and Ryan with all their smirky lies and bravado lost out on the American vote. Now let's hope Obama can fulfill his plans without the Republican vetos against them.

I hope so, Cindy...



blu, you are right too, but only in a utopian way
bec how can we all make a choice
without elections?

or are you saying better find a cheaper way to that?

I'm afraid I'm with Blu on this. The money that billionaires on the right gladly threw into this race with no problem makes me wonder why they don't use their money to help people in need. in 2008 I donated the most money I ever had to various candidates. This time around, I was disgusted by it. I have many friends who are unemployed. Several in danger of losing their homes. So many empty houses owned by banks in my community. The extraordinary money that went into this election was disgusting. Think how many foreclosed homes could've been saved. How many hungry fed. Instead that money went into horrible attack ads and mailers.

The answer? Publicly funded elections, and every candidate gets equal amount of ad time on TV. I'm not in a battleground state but got to the point I didn't watch TV anymore because I got tired of the constant ads. How those of you in Ohio, Florida, Virginia...survived...I don't know!

I'm scared to death now that Obama won. First time in history that a non-American non-christian has made office not once, but twice. Before you know it, we're going to be the richest third world country. Reagan was republican and he pulled us out of our economic mess; I was hoping Romney would do the same.

But then, does the president really run the country, or is it the elitists, like the illuminates, that really run the country?

playfuldeb wrote:I'm scared to death now that Obama won. First time in history that a non-American non-christian has made office not once, but twice. Before you know it, we're going to be the richest third world country. Reagan was republican and he pulled us out of our economic mess; I was hoping Romney would do the same.

But then, does the president really run the country, or is it the elitists, like the illuminates, that really run the country?

Well, it was really in the bag all along. As the results of modern marathons illustrate, Kenyans never lose races.

Not sure if you are joking deb, President Obama is an American and a Christian. Oh and the President can only do so much---Congress should be held accountable too.

I was joking, silly girl. There's really no arguing with people who, after the release of contemporary birth announcements, birth abstracts, short and long form birth certificates, and verification from Hawaii state officials and medical professionals present at his birth, as well as a record of 20 years attending a Christian church in Chicago and Christian services in D.C. since his election, don't believe President Obama is an American and a Christian. I guess my answer to "He's not a Christian!" is always "Yes he is, but so what if he wasn't?" I'm not sure I understand what about being Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, or athiest disqualifies a person from holding elected office. (Fun election fact: the first Buddhist congressperson was elected last night, as well as the first openly gay senator. Yay democracy!) (Fun fact number two: Jesus was Jewish, so I guess by some people's line of thinking, unfit to hold office.)

From here across the pond I too thought that President Obama
had proved that he was eligible by birth to be President.
What is the evidence against that ? Or is it all a youtube
conspire-they theory because of the colour of his skin ?

I am genuinely confused about it all.

Yes, it's often forgotten that Jesus was Jewish, isn't it, in all kinds
of arguments and discussions over the centuries...Lol

Well, he's a black man with a foreign-sounding name, Joanna. AND, his middle name is HUSSEIN. What further evidence is necessary?

The part of the whole thing that I find amusing is that the "he's not a citizen so he can't be president" brigade are a part of the same party that tried to get a constitutional amendment passed changing the requirement that a president must be a natural born citizen. It was in the early 2000s, when Schwarzenegger was the Republican rising star, and they wanted to pave a way President Ahhh-nold.

playfuldeb wrote:

But then, does the president really run the country, or is it the elitists, like the illuminates, that really run the country?

When are we going to go on our date, Debbie?
We have so much to talk about

Playful, Romney wasn't 'the one' not this time.

actually, it's like picking the lesser of two evils

playfuldeb wrote:I'm scared to death now that Obama won. First time in history that a non-American non-christian has made office not once, but twice. Before you know it, we're going to be the richest third world country. Reagan was republican and he pulled us out of our economic mess; I was hoping Romney would do the same.

But then, does the president really run the country, or is it the elitists, like the illuminates, that really run the country?

He's NOT a non-Christian no matter how many times that lie is repeated...or are you forgetting Rev. Wright and all the angst over him?

And Romney's economic policies of more transfer of wealth to the top would have finished the job that the Bush policies did to make your wildest nightmare a reality (turning America into a third world country by destroying the Middle Class which is the "driving engine of the enconomy" in this country NOT big business who is in the business of making enourmous profits at the sake of exporting all our jobs.) Which is WHY he refused to DISCUSS his policies at all. READ the Ryan Budget and then tell me WHERE the difference is in his budget versus the Bush doctrine.

Thanks for the information...I'm a bit clearer now.
Although not being really deeply political,
I find it interesting.
I just get so disillusioned with politicians generally and
their strange ideas of morality/public service at public expense.

One of ours is now taking a month off from her duties as a Member of Parliament to appear in....
"I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here" would you believe !!!

And the sad thing is, Joanna, people will vote for her again because they'll have heard of her.

A member of Parliament here? No way, who is it? You all don't hold anything back...please tell.

When in 2013 does the next series start? Wiki didn't say.

Back to politics briefly... In Australia our Prime Minister is female, not married (never married I think), doesn't have children, lives with her current partner, and is an atheist and wait for it, a redhead too which seems to be some kind of big deal?. You should have read at the time what some of the media, other politicians, and the public threw in her direction when she became Prime Minister with the above ammunition in mind!. There were many statements that I'm certain they never would have said to a male Prime Minister! I personally don't have a great deal of respect for her, for none of the above reasons, but because she allegedly conspired behind her own bosses back (then current Prime Minister) with other party members to give her the vote should she go for the Prime Ministership. She had issued statements previously that she had no intention of running for Prime Minister, yet saw his popularity diminishing and went for it. I don't approve of what appears to be her stabbing in the back tactics to gain leadership, there are various theories on how she came to know that she would have the power if she contested the leadership, I choose to believe that she knew what she was doing at the time. Some of the media had a field day saying that it was a typically womanly thing to do!!! Anyhow, probably a boring read for those of you who are not Aussies, but thought I'd share.

Joanna is this it [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

theminis,

I don't know about all the shady stuff she's been involved in, but I just recently saw a video of your PM calling out an opposition leader for sexism at a session of Parliament, to his face. It was awesome.

For those of you in the UK and Australia, do you find that having the PM have to answer to/face critics in those Parliamentary sessions a good or bad thing? I've always thought it would be great for senators and representatives here in America to have to criticize the president to his face, and for the president to have to answer those criticisms in real time, without having the luxury of his staff crafting a response. Do you find it cuts down on the nonsense, or does it become an circus for the attention seekers?

Here in the UK, that is part of what happens in a normal day in the House of Commons - and there's a public gallery for anyone who wants to go and watch. The two main parties face each other across the floor and the Speaker of the House is like a referee!

Was there for Prime Minister's Questions (from any party) the other day. He or she more or less knows what questions are coming because they're always topical

Missa wrote:theminis,

I don't know about all the shady stuff she's been involved in, but I just recently saw a video of your PM calling out an opposition leader for sexism at a session of Parliament, to his face. It was awesome.

For those of you in the UK and Australia, do you find that having the PM have to answer to/face critics in those Parliamentary sessions a good or bad thing? I've always thought it would be great for senators and representatives here in America to have to criticize the president to his face, and for the president to have to answer those criticisms in real time, without having the luxury of his staff crafting a response. Do you find it cuts down on the nonsense, or does it become an circus for the attention seekers?

Missa, that was excellent to see our Prime Minister do that, days and days of media coverage here about that particular incident. We have as you mentioned the Parliamentary Question Time broadcast on TV, I don't watch it frequently but catch if often enough to comment. The process works both ways, as anytime you get a bunch of people together on opposite sides, it can degenerate very quickly into a circus, however it can be informative and a good way to get a better understanding of some issues, politics and the politicians themselves. I also like that you can get real time questions/answers however, and I may be wrong, but they have a general idea of what they will be discussing before they enter Parliament so can craft their answers, but the off the cuff remarks are the best, when its heated and the pressures on, you not only get a glimpse of whats behind their usual mask they portray, but how they handle themselves.

The speaker who chairs the Parliament will usually interrupt proceedings if it gets too heated, but I find it fascinating that the usual good manners and respect that you would think apply during a Parliamentary sitting can so easily be forgotten, judging from the way some of the members speak to their Prime Minister.

OH, SPARE US. WHICH DOWN UNDER GOSSIP MAGAZINE DO YOU CONTRIBUTE TO????
Woman's Weekly, No Idea,....

Stick to your two-bit celebs from the FART END OF THE WORLD AS PRIME MINISTER KEATING CALLED HIS OWN COUNTRY!

Why is Wolfgang so angry?

She's a troll. Gone now.

Wow Lighterside - thank you for reminding me why it is that I dont post. I must be a absent-minded simpleton to have forgotten ALL those things. But I do prefer to discuss politics with someone in a calm manner that doesnt make the other person get so flustered so easily when a person merely states their opinions. But I promise, no more posts from me in here

Don Quixote wrote:Joanna is this it [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Yes that's the one. Apparently she didn't notify anyone or ask permission.
But she is a radical.....she called the Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Exchequer, the two top leaders....."two posh boys who don't even know the price of milk".....and they're her own political party. Lol

I think the programme will be on TV soon.....should be interesting ?

playfuldeb wrote:Wow Lighterside - thank you for reminding me why it is that I dont post. I must be a absent-minded simpleton to have forgotten ALL those things. But I do prefer to discuss politics with someone in a calm manner that doesnt make the other person get so flustered so easily when a person merely states their opinions. But I promise, no more posts from me in here

Well if you think that repeating lies about the President being a Muslim, a Kenyan and a Socialist is an adult discussion, then maybe that's a good thing that we don't have your kind of "discussion"...especially when REALITY tells a different story and those clearly are NOT the facts of his life.

I just want everyone to have the same FACTS for this discussion...I don't think that should be a problem, do you?