OMG Politics, I'm over it already.

[jp_nyc]

Ash and I love politics. There is one party that we have a hard time making it through their debates, because it's a fucking shitshow. There is no respect being shown and they don't actually bother to discuss the issues., much less state facts. We normally skip that one and read the transcripts later.

This is where corporate media and academia are a huge part of the problem. Politicians have learned that they can make fortunes appearing on TV and radio, putting their names on ghostwritten books, and giving speeches. So now every primary cycle kicks off with a bunch of people who are just crowdsourcing their book tours and PR expenses. A few hundred thousand crazy Facebook followers and two or three crazy billionaires can rain millions of dollars on a primary campaign and that turns into tens of millions of dollars in income later. The party in question needs to change debate eligibility rules to keep most of these people out of prime time. Cap the grownup debate at four contenders and tell everybody else to go debate on an Oprah special.

 

[surfsteve]

I don't enjoy discussing politics and can usually wiggle out of a conversation by pointing out that if you think either side (D or R) is worried about helping you, you are sadly mistaken. Unless you have say a minimum of 250K to donate.

 

[mongooz]

if you think either side (D or R) is worried about helping you, you are sadly mistaken. Unless you have say a minimum of 25 million to donate.

FIFY
250K wouldn't buy you the sweat off their balls in a presidential race.

(completely agree, tho)

 

[surfsteve]

FIFY
250K wouldn't buy you the sweat off their balls in a presidential race.

(completely agree, tho)

OK, I totally made that number up. Got me.

 

[Theodore]

When these are good, they are gold.

 

[Elias Graves]

To me, politics is like pro sports and this has been the best season I've watched since 1980. The entertainment value is off the charts.

 

[GomezAddams]

Anybody else think this would be a great opportunity for an independent candidate to jump in and save us from having to choose the lesser of two evils?

 

[rhino]

When these are good, they are gold.

If you ignore the fact that the country is completely fucked, this made it all worth it.

 

[mongooz]

Anybody else think this would be a great opportunity for an independent candidate to jump in and save us from having to choose the lesser of two evils?

like who? i mean, who is out there with enough name recognition and is generally liked by most of the public that could simply step in and get elected? and would they step up?
i can think of one, but he isn't having any of it, and never will.

 

[335clone]

Anybody else think this would be a great opportunity for an independent candidate to jump in and save us from having to choose the lesser of two evils?

Nope. All that would do is dilute one of the parties and give the other the win. There isn't a third party contender that could pull enough from both parties to defeat them both. It's a poison pill for either conservatives or liberals. See Michael Bloombergs decision .....

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/08/us/politics/michael-bloomberg-not-running-for-president.html?_r=0

It's a nice thought, but it just wouldn't work and likely do more damage than good.

 

[baimun]

To me, politics is like pro sports and this has been the best season I've watched since 1980. The entertainment value is off the charts.

But this year also has the potential to turn the US into the overreaching world villain that many countries already think we are.

 

[bsman]

Anybody else think this would be a great opportunity for an independent candidate to jump in and save us from having to choose the lesser of two evils?

 

[tompetty]

Nobody here is 'over it'....

 

[GomezAddams]

like who? i mean, who is out there with enough name recognition and is generally liked by most of the public that could simply step in and get elected? and would they step up?
i can think of one, but he isn't having any of it, and never will.

Where's Ross Perot these days?

Warren Buffet?
Bill Gates?
Colin Powell? ( I know he has rejected a political run in the past, but you never know)

I could see Kasich dropping out and making an independent run.

 

[GomezAddams]

Nope. All that would do is dilute one of the parties and give the other the win. There isn't a third party contender that could pull enough from both parties to defeat them both. It's a poison pill for either conservatives or liberals. See Michael Bloombergs decision .....

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/08/us/politics/michael-bloomberg-not-running-for-president.html?_r=0

It's a nice thought, but it just wouldn't work and likely do more damage than good.

You are probably right, but that doesn't mean someone won't try it.

 

[Flamencology]

You are probably right, but that doesn't mean someone won't try it.

People are trying.

 

[yabba]

This is where corporate media and academia are a huge part of the problem

These are two entirely different things... not entirely sure how academia comes into what you're talking about.

 

[Gary Blanchard]

These are two entirely different things... not entirely sure how academia comes into what you're talking about.

Teaches people to read and think. That is bad for politics.

 

[yabba]

Teaches people to read and think. That is bad for politics.

heh. dunno if I'd call that part of the problem

 

[Flamencology]

These are two entirely different things... not entirely sure how academia comes into what you're talking about.

These academics - 'scientists', 'economists', 'sociologists', 'psychologists', etc. - have been trying to influence public policy for decades, with their so-called 'facts' and 'research'. I don't buy it. Enough is enough. I'm going to take my kids and show them clips of Ronald Reagan speeches on YouTube.