There was news this week that the campaigns of the two (ineffective, ancient, doddering, serially dishonest, and in at least one case, felonious) major party candidates had agreed to circumvent the tried and true and cosmically-flawed method by which Presidential debates had been conducted for some time.
These are not the debates of yesteryear where parties went head-to-head civilly and reasoned out their positions. What passes for debate now is a guided Q & A with a moderator who tries to steer to an outcome that will best generate advertising revenue and entertain mouth breathers. This showcases what passes for debate today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmO-ziHU_D8 (skip to 01:07)
I'm retired Army and 10 years older than you. I share nearly all of your perspectives. I voted 3rd-party in 2016 and for Biden in 2020. Biden has been about what I thought he would be--a mediocre man of declining faculties committed to no particular goals except staying in the center of his party. But I will vote for him again, because the only way my vote could help prevent a second Trump presidency is the extremely remote chance that the election in my state comes down to one vote and I mark my ballot for Biden. I'll not try to convince you of the rightness of my understanding of my civic duty. I enjoy reading the Conservative Wahoo. Please keep up the good work.
I'm with you and the flock of "double haters" populating the 2024 election cycle. I could not vote for Biden in 2020 simply because I could not really even get enthused about the beating Trump argument, so I remained a 3rd party voter for the fourth election in a row. This year, I am writing my own name in because there is no candidate that will be a fiscal conservative, strong on foreign policy, and less concerned with their own political legacy than the welfare of our nation. If elected, I would fight to balance the budget, unwind the morass of Executive Orders that unconstitutionally govern our nation, deregulate, and demonetize China by moving our trade interests to literally any other part of the world. I have no chance of winning, but I am still in my early 50s and of sound mind, which is more than I can say for the two major party candidates.
I firmly believe voting for the "lesser of two evils" results in those choices getting worse and worse over time. I feel an obligation to choose one of the third party candidates since we don't have "none of the above." Or at least get a ballot and leave the President field unchecked. Neither of the major parties will change a thing until they see a significant number of votes NOT going to the R or D candidates.
"His support for Ukraine has been generally good, though at virtually every decision point on whether to supply Ukraine with some manner of military power, he’s made the wrong decision until forced into a corner where he has to make the right one."
Reminds me when I complained about the Dan White murder trial to a California Judge back in the day. He said Mike you don't know shit. You were not in the jury room. You don't know the law. You did not hear the evidence. You did not hear the judge's charge to the jury. Mike you don't know shit.
No apologies necessary sir. You have become wiser in your later years and you couldn’t have selected a better one to attend in a venue that is one of the Crown Jewels of college baseball. You would have gotten a splinter staying for 13 innings back in the day at Lanigan Field tracking the game on our state of the art scoreboard sponsored by PK German. 😂. Appreciate the post and UVa Baseball thanks you for your support.
I think it's incredibly honest and principled that you voted for the principles of democracy over all other considerations in 2020. You point out that Biden is unfit and you can't vote for him again - I don't agree, but let's assume for the sake of argument that it is true. Wouldn't the question for 2024 again be whether or not democracy will be preserved under an unfit Biden?
If you think a candidate besides Biden or Trump has a chance of winning - and they will preserve democracy - then of course that makes perfect sense. Do you think another candidate has a reasonable chance of winning?
The Debates have been a Misguided Joke for quite awhile . The Moderators have been mostly Poor Selections which affects the Debates Quality . I think the Mics will be cut when it is the other Persons Turn to Speak . Remember the Messes of 2020 ?
Thank you for the note. Thank you for your service this Memorial Day weekend. Go Hoos!
These are not the debates of yesteryear where parties went head-to-head civilly and reasoned out their positions. What passes for debate now is a guided Q & A with a moderator who tries to steer to an outcome that will best generate advertising revenue and entertain mouth breathers. This showcases what passes for debate today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmO-ziHU_D8 (skip to 01:07)
I'm retired Army and 10 years older than you. I share nearly all of your perspectives. I voted 3rd-party in 2016 and for Biden in 2020. Biden has been about what I thought he would be--a mediocre man of declining faculties committed to no particular goals except staying in the center of his party. But I will vote for him again, because the only way my vote could help prevent a second Trump presidency is the extremely remote chance that the election in my state comes down to one vote and I mark my ballot for Biden. I'll not try to convince you of the rightness of my understanding of my civic duty. I enjoy reading the Conservative Wahoo. Please keep up the good work.
Thank you
I'm with you and the flock of "double haters" populating the 2024 election cycle. I could not vote for Biden in 2020 simply because I could not really even get enthused about the beating Trump argument, so I remained a 3rd party voter for the fourth election in a row. This year, I am writing my own name in because there is no candidate that will be a fiscal conservative, strong on foreign policy, and less concerned with their own political legacy than the welfare of our nation. If elected, I would fight to balance the budget, unwind the morass of Executive Orders that unconstitutionally govern our nation, deregulate, and demonetize China by moving our trade interests to literally any other part of the world. I have no chance of winning, but I am still in my early 50s and of sound mind, which is more than I can say for the two major party candidates.
Leader in the clubhouse
I firmly believe voting for the "lesser of two evils" results in those choices getting worse and worse over time. I feel an obligation to choose one of the third party candidates since we don't have "none of the above." Or at least get a ballot and leave the President field unchecked. Neither of the major parties will change a thing until they see a significant number of votes NOT going to the R or D candidates.
"His support for Ukraine has been generally good, though at virtually every decision point on whether to supply Ukraine with some manner of military power, he’s made the wrong decision until forced into a corner where he has to make the right one."
Reminds me when I complained about the Dan White murder trial to a California Judge back in the day. He said Mike you don't know shit. You were not in the jury room. You don't know the law. You did not hear the evidence. You did not hear the judge's charge to the jury. Mike you don't know shit.
No apologies necessary sir. You have become wiser in your later years and you couldn’t have selected a better one to attend in a venue that is one of the Crown Jewels of college baseball. You would have gotten a splinter staying for 13 innings back in the day at Lanigan Field tracking the game on our state of the art scoreboard sponsored by PK German. 😂. Appreciate the post and UVa Baseball thanks you for your support.
I got lost in a wormhole of UVA Baseball research. I had ZERO idea how incredibly good you were. I just knew you were a really good dude.
I think it's incredibly honest and principled that you voted for the principles of democracy over all other considerations in 2020. You point out that Biden is unfit and you can't vote for him again - I don't agree, but let's assume for the sake of argument that it is true. Wouldn't the question for 2024 again be whether or not democracy will be preserved under an unfit Biden?
You are making the binary choice argument without making the binary choice argument. Nope.
If you think a candidate besides Biden or Trump has a chance of winning - and they will preserve democracy - then of course that makes perfect sense. Do you think another candidate has a reasonable chance of winning?
This is the last I will say on this attempt to goad me into the binary choice argument. Picking the winner has zero importance to me.
Anytime you are in Louisville, I'd love to take you to a Bats baseball game, Bryan.
Wilco
The Debates have been a Misguided Joke for quite awhile . The Moderators have been mostly Poor Selections which affects the Debates Quality . I think the Mics will be cut when it is the other Persons Turn to Speak . Remember the Messes of 2020 ?
We need more people vested in Constitutional changes aimed a better governing / return to consensus and compromise.