Humorless Politics Thread

[daveB from Oakland]

Dang, Letterman is TICKED.  (And not out of line at all.)

I don't know, it seemed really petty to me.  Letterman has a legendary ego and temper and he let the ugliness that I've seen live at tapings show on camera.  Whether his motives for suspending his campaign are sincere or not, McCain would have been roundly criticized for going on a late night talk show yucking it up when the vote for the bailout is taking place.  It's probably more appropriate for McCain to do a the evening news instead of sharing the stage with a Dave and a washed up Sportscaster like Olbermann.  I'm sure Katie Couric isn't too happy to be lumped in with Rachael Ray either.

Perhaps he was unfair, but it's his show. He can do what he wants. Letterman's pissiness is a big reason people enjoy his show. Had Leno been put in this situation, he would have been very diplomatic and very boring.

[Andy]

Dang, Letterman is TICKED.  (And not out of line at all.)

I don't know, it seemed really petty to me.  Letterman has a legendary ego and temper and he let the ugliness that I've seen live at tapings show on camera.  Whether his motives for suspending his campaign are sincere or not, McCain would have been roundly criticized for going on a late night talk show yucking it up when the vote for the bailout is taking place.  It's probably more appropriate for McCain to do a the evening news instead of sharing the stage with a Dave and a washed up Sportscaster like Olbermann.  I'm sure Katie Couric isn't too happy to be lumped in with Rachael Ray either.

Perhaps he was unfair, but it's his show. He can do what he wants. Letterman's pissiness is a big reason people enjoy his show. Had Leno been put in this situation, he would have been very diplomatic and very boring.

does anyone really still enjoy Letterman?

[Beth]

Letterman's kind of a tool, but he has a point about Sarah Palin. A few of my Republican friends who are abstaining from voting this year have already said it--she's a good reason not to vote for McCain.

I think the issue here is more that McCain's campaign said that he was "rushing off to Washington" and then he appeared on a news show instead. Not the validity of the news show (although let's face it, they're all kind of a joke).

From a person who identifies as neither Democrat nor Republican, this whole "calling off the campaign" thing seems to me like a big stunt. A president should be capable of doing two things at once, and the idea of calling off the debate is even more ridiculous. I want to hear, ASAP (in a public, pressured forum) what these two guys have to say about how they will heal the economy, and how they will rearrange their proposed budget plans if this 700 billion dollar bailout passes.

[Pat K]

From a person who identifies as neither Democrat nor Republican, this whole "calling off the campaign" thing seems to me like a big stunt. A president should be capable of doing two things at once, and the idea of calling off the debate is even more ridiculous.

I agree. Another senator, I forget who, made the obvious point that #1, McCain is not on any of the relevant committees anyway, and #2, what exactly does he think the Congress will be busy doing at 9pm on a Friday night?

I've got so much more I'd like to go off on, but Mike is giving me the hi-sign - I've gotta move on.

[Emily]

So since McCain suspended his campaign, does that mean that Obama wins?

[Raad_Man]

obama can have his fun mugging for the tv cameras.

johnny mac's going to washington to take care of business.

[daveB from Oakland]

obama can have his fun mugging for the tv cameras.

johnny mac's going to washington to take care of business.

Yes, but the way he "takes care of business" is all-too-similar to the way Lil' Georgie Jr. and his crew have been taking care of business. And at this point, Raad_Man, a lot of your fellow Republicans are starting to admit that the Bush Administration business plan ain't working anymore.

(If you ask me, it never worked. But that's just me).

[Andy]

both parties are shit at this point.

[erika]

both parties This country is are shit at this point.

I fix.

[John Junk 2.0]

obama can have his fun mugging for the tv cameras.

johnny mac's going to washington to take care of business.

Just like his brother Freddie.

[Matt]

Wasn't John McCain still in New York as of today, attending some kind of environmental function? Now that Congress has a plan they're going ahead with, that means everything's been done before McCain even showed his face in Washington. The "suspension" of his campaign will backfire in a huge way, if it hasn't already begun. It'll be interesting to see if he still tries to get out of the debate. He can't continue to try and disrupt the entire election process because he and his running mate aren't prepared. He knows he's lost; he may as well take his lumps and maintain whatever dignity he has left.

I should mention I know next to nothing about politics. Full disclosure!

[Andy]

Wasn't John McCain still in New York as of today, attending some kind of environmental function? Now that Congress has a plan they're going ahead with, that means everything's been done before McCain even showed his face in Washington. The "suspension" of his campaign will backfire in a huge way, if it hasn't already begun. It'll be interesting to see if he still tries to get out of the debate. He can't continue to try and disrupt the entire election process because he and his running mate aren't prepared. He knows he's lost; he may as well take his lumps and maintain whatever dignity he has left.

I should mention I know next to nothing about politics. Full disclosure!

I think McCain has been pushing for more debates for some time now.

[Matt]

Wasn't John McCain still in New York as of today, attending some kind of environmental function? Now that Congress has a plan they're going ahead with, that means everything's been done before McCain even showed his face in Washington. The "suspension" of his campaign will backfire in a huge way, if it hasn't already begun. It'll be interesting to see if he still tries to get out of the debate. He can't continue to try and disrupt the entire election process because he and his running mate aren't prepared. He knows he's lost; he may as well take his lumps and maintain whatever dignity he has left.

I should mention I know next to nothing about politics. Full disclosure!

I think McCain has been pushing for more debates for some time now.

That's the problem - he only wants to debate on his terms. If you're talking about the whole town hall meeting idea, that was a ploy to get Obama dancing to McCain's tune, nothing more and nothing less. Obama was smart in not taking the bait, just as he was smart to go on television yesterday and say Friday's debate is still on. McCain keeps trying to pretend he has some say over how the debates and election should happen, and he doesn't - no Presidential candidate should. Obama continually takes the power out of McCain's hands by not playing ball.

There are only a handful of opportunities to see both candidates on the same stage, and a debate is too important to put off or cancel. On a purely superficial level, McCain has to realize that he suffers if he's placed next to Obama - Obama has kept his cool throughout this financial thingie, while McCain went on television yesterday looking like the Crypt Keeper.

[John Junk 2.0]

I agree, if you want to run for president, then fucking run for president.  Shit or get off the president pot.

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I suspect that lazy, blanket cynicism has poisoned the political atmosphere of this country just as badly as partisan bickering at this point.