FLAG PINS? Is that what George Snuffalufagus thinks is one of the most important topics that needs to be discussed in a Presidential Debate?!?
Seriously, folks…the first 45 minutes of this debate really should have been relegated to Saturday Night Live. We were treated to questions about flag pins, the Rev. Wright issue that Obama has sufficiently addressed ad nauseum, implying that Obama should answer for the acts his friends committed 40 years ago, and, of course, the “b” word…
…and oh by the way, we have an economic crisis, a war, gas prices are through the roof, unemployment, veterans in crisis, a broken healthcare system…
You know…the things that affect us every single day?!?
What’s next?
If you were a tree, what type of tree would you be?
Let me tell you…I am a 41-year-old, educated, intelligent, and hard-working woman with good common sense.
I am in worse financial shape than I have ever been in my life. If I didn’t have faith that my God is going to see me through this life, I would be scared to death right now. I already struggle with worrying about how I’m going to provide for my daughter’s expenses when they increase as she gets older, how I’m going to get out of debt, continue to live a decent life without losing my house or not being able to fill my car with a tank of gas as the cost of living increases…
I’m not bitter…I’m outraged!
How are we going to get the right candidate in office if the media chooses to ask trivial questions that play on the FEAR of the country, when what we really need to know is their detailed plan for how they are going to fix the situation right now?
Keith Olbermann hit the nail on the head when he said this during the post-debate coverage…
“If the cost of gas is the throw away question at the end of the debate, you have to wonder if it’s the moderators who are the elitists…not the candidates!”
Updated to add: If you missed the debate, you can go look at a few snippets here.
Filed under: Bullshit!, Current Events, On Notice / Dead to Me, Politics, TeeVee | Tagged: ABC News, Barack Obama, bitter, Democratic Presidential Debate, economical crisis, flag pins, gas prices, George Stephanopoulos, healthcare, Hillary Clinton, Keith Olbermann, Rev. Wright, unemployment, veterans, war
Ginger,
I couldn’t agree with you more. I planned all day for this debate and I was convinced that it was going to be a good one.
Little did I know that I would have been much better off by simply picking up the Enquirer at the supermarket!!!
The truly great respect that I had for Charlie Gibson had all but disappeared by 8:15. As for the sawed off little puke sitting next to him, I wonder if he is sleeping with Ann Coulter???
There was no debate tonight………….it was a calculated attack!!!!
DonC
Ginger, you look great for 41.
And yeah, the debate sucked.
[...] –Ginger Snaps: FLAG PINS? Is that what George Snuffalufagus thinks is one of the most important topics that needs [...]
Girlfriend, you speak so eloquently for all of us. I feel the same… I’m an educated woman who has the luxury of being married to an employed man. Even so, our stomachs are in knots every day as we wait for my husband’s job to go to India (we’re fully expecting this to happen). Then we’ll really be up a creek. I’d hate to move back in with my parents – me pushing 50 and the husband in his mid 50’s. Scary times, these are.
wow…Preds win, and now THIS. Go, G, go!!
I had no problems with the questions.
[...] Listen, I’ve always liked Charles Gibson just fine, but ABC obviously was more interested in asking questions that had absolutely nothing to do with nothing. Ginger wrote last night several things that I agree with wholeheartedly but it was this statement th… [...]
I had no problems with the questions.
Could that be because you have already decided your vote based solely on the letter that follows the name of the candidate?
.
Gibson lost any claim he ever had to be seen as anything but an out-of-touch elitist himself the last time he did one of these debates. That was when he made the unbelievable statement that a $200,000 income was what ordinary middle-class people make. The debate was on a college campus, and he said something along the lines of “that’s what a husband and wife who are both professors would make.” In the real world, a husband and wife who are both professors would think they were incredibly well paid if they made half of that. The entire audience and the candidates started laughing, it was so unreal. I don’t know what people Gibson considers ordinary middle class folks, but the irony of him trying to accuse others of elitism is kind of striking.
Some lady asked, “Do you believe in the flag?” Like, that it exists? As in, “Do you believe in God and Santa Claus?” There was also a point at which Gibson asked Clinton a question and said, “And I don’t think I got an answer out of Barack, but…” Someone should let him know that part of being a journalist/debate moderator is actually pressing for an answer rather than sniping about it with the other guy.
I’m with you – we make more money than we ever have, but it doesn’t seem to be going any further or lasting any longer each month. My biggest fear right now is needing to support my parents one day (who lost their retirement and health insurance when their employers closed-a major setback) but not actually being able to.
I linked to you, but I just wanted to applaud you for this wonderful and well written piece.
Excellent and I couldn’t agree with you more.
Speak it, sister.
amen.
Enjoye “watching” the debate with you last night, and as you can see I agree entirely with your observations and commentary.
This caught my eye: “If I didn’t have faith that my God is going to see me through this life, I would be scared to death right now. ”
Given that the wording is “mangled,” would that not qualify as “clinging” to religion?
I know I better be careful what I say. You might have a gun, too…
–PS
I didn’t watch the debate. I’m glad. It’s all getting to be very circus like. Debates at this point are just a waste of time. No new info to be had.
You have to wonder what a campaign would be like, and a debate, more to the point, if they indeed focused on the important issues rather than the supposedly newsworthy items. Ah, a girl can dream…
‘Cause you know, I for one, am terribly concerned about the state of flag pins in America
Jackson, thanks for that compliment!
Thanks to all of the commenters for stopping by and sharing your thoughts.
MoveOn.org has started a petition called “Enough Distractions” to send to ABC News. Go here if you would like to participate.
Free Press has also responded.
(Hat tip to Andy Carvin via Twitter for the info.)
Newscoma sent me, and I’m glad she did. Anybody who has ‘bullshit’ as a well-used tag is a kindred spirit.
I’d like to see a grassroots movement requesting that radio stations play “Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You into Heaven Anymore”, by John Prine. The media doesn’t like to be laughed at; they think they’re very serious.
Sometimes we can see what all people are about. We vote on character. There is no policy that is going to help a divorced mother become the economic way she was before the divorce. We need to see both character questions and policy questions. I think Obama did not handle himself well on character questions and if he cannot handle questions about his own past then how is he going to handle the hard issues as president??
if he cannot handle questions about his own past then how is he going to handle the hard issues as president??
Such as, “how will he decide whether to invade and occupy a country that posed no threat to us?”
Hard issue.
Or, “gee, should we not give poor refugees from a hurricane non-poison trailers, and let companies BID on supplying the gotdamned thangs?”
Hard issue.
Or, “should we make parents buy their kids body armor, so they have a better chance of surviving an IED attack?”
Yes. Hard issues await our next president. Clue: McCain ain’t that guy.
.
Let’s see, what were those “character” issues?
- o.j. vs. coffee
- bad bowling
- alleged elitism that wouldn’t even pass the giggle test if it weren’t being said about a Democrat
This has been a conscious campaign to impugn Obama.
And there are policies that help people. They don’t change everything, but they do make a difference.
[...] Happy Now? Posted on January 14, 2009 by GingerSnaps You got’cher flag pin… [...]