Convention Overkill?

[bananiem]

But I don't need to hear it from all these other people. I only want to hear from Kerry & Edwards and Bush & Cheney. I want to hear what THEY have to say. So I'm supposed to sit around for 3 nights and miss my kids' ball games so I can hear all these other people (who I don't know and so why should I trust their opinion?) tell me what the candidates should be saying instead of their bashing?
I'm perfectly capable of researching any of their leadership qualities on my own.

 

[richiebaseball]

Originally posted by wvrevy
Like I said...an "uninformed electorate".

I've watched nearly every minute of the convention that I could, and I can promise you that they haven't been speaking of how many kids he has, what religion he is, or anything else about him in that way. What they have been talking about is what direction he wants to take the country in, and how he wants to do that. They've been talking about him as a leader, and if you don't think leadership is important in a president...well, then it's useless to continue this debate, regardless of how many "government" classes you slept through.

Do you actually try to be this patronizing or does it just come naturally?

Richard

 

[shortbun]

As a child I watched both conventions with my parents. I would
not miss them. I'm so pleased that CNN, MSNBC and others have good coverage. I've been sitting with DS and watching. We've
had loads of good talks just like I did with my Mom and Dad.
It's news without the horror and ugliness that the "News" has
become. I do long for the excitement over not knowing who the
nominee would be until the last day but politics have changed,
sigh. Anyway, as a responsible citizen, I feel it's my duty to
watch both conventions with my family. We don't watch the
spinners much, they are too scripted and it's so obvious they
have their "reactions" planned. I love it!

 

[shortbun]

Originally posted by richiebaseball
Do you actually try to be this patronizing or does it just come naturally?

Richard

And here we have the proverbial pot, kettle and the color black!
Hilarious!

 

[richiebaseball]

Originally posted by shortbun
And here we have the proverbial pot, kettle and the color black!
Hilarious!

At least you'll respond to something.

Richard

 

[wvrevy]

Originally posted by richiebaseball
Do you actually try to be this patronizing or does it just come naturally?

Richard

It's a gift

Sorry...I tend to respond in the same tone in which I am addressed...

 

[wvrevy]

Originally posted by bananiem
But I don't need to hear it from all these other people. I only want to hear from Kerry & Edwards and Bush & Cheney. I want to hear what THEY have to say. So I'm supposed to sit around for 3 nights and miss my kids' ball games so I can hear all these other people (who I don't know and so why should I trust their opinion?) tell me what the candidates should be saying instead of their bashing?
I'm perfectly capable of researching any of their leadership qualities on my own.

And that's all well and good, and I would say your priorities are in the RIGHT place for putting your kids ahead of politics, so I apologize if I implied otherwise. But very few people actually DO research the candidates. For example, I'm willing to bet that the majority of people on here view Kerry as somewhat of a a waffler on the issues. But I'd also bet that the vast majority of those people do not hold Bush to the same view, despite clear evidence that the man switches sides more than a ping pong ball at the world championships. The only reason I can think of, other than just blind partisanship, for that mis-perception is a simple LACK of research on their part.

 

[Deb in IA]

Originally posted by Galahad
I'm not sure that watching the conventions will help make an informed electorate. People are not informed by campaign commercials since they are usually distorted marketing shtick. In the past few cycles, the conventions have become so scripted that they are nothing more that 4 day campaign commercials. DW and I will watch not one minute of either convention and dollars to dough-nuts we will not lack a single piece of relevant information about either candidate or party by missing them.

ITA, Galahad.

Pure propaganda, with no substantive information. Preaching to the choir with a lot of rah-rah, sis-boom-bah.

As an informed voter, I get my data from more objective sources.

 

[Nancy]

I'm watching bits and pieces of the speeches and then watching all the highlights on the news channels. They do decipher the information alot on all the channels....and I watch all of them, not just one. I don't feel I need to watch the entire convention to be an "enlightened voter" I can read, so I read the newspapers...I can see and hear so I watch the news and listen to what is being said by both sides. I'm very happy I have a choice and in my down time and I am not forced to watch convention stuff all the time. I wanted to hear the Clintons speeches on Monday so I watched them both. I didn't watch at all yesterday, but I caught all the replays on the news channels. I feel that I am pretty informed...and while members of the party have impressed me, I'm still undecided on Kerry himself...I'll reserve that judgement until I hear him speak at the convention.

 

[disney4us2002]

Nope, I haven't watched it at all so I can't say it's overkill. I'm catching up on all the movies that I didn't get to see in the theatres.

I'm unimpressed with all of the candidates. Anyone know where I can find a "Jed Bartlett for president" bumper sticker. Now there's a president. Maybe what the candidates need are some hollywood writers.