Author Topic: Humorless Politics Thread  (Read 853811 times)

chrisfoll577

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Re: Why The Dems Might Lose
« Reply #135 on: September 01, 2008, 08:45:06 PM »
I don't think Palin or McCain's view on abstinence has changed any, so I don't get why this is a big deal. Teaching abstinence only in schools is dumb but it's the daughter who made the "mistake" not Sarah Palin. It can be used to attack what's taught to teens but I don't think it should be used against Palin. I'd say it's a non-issue.

Because she's the one promoting what's taught to teens. It disproves her own policy.

Not to be too academic here, but one case of anecdotal evidence, even in the politician's own family, doesn't disprove an entire policy.  Sound research saying abstinence only education is ineffective however...

Gilly

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Re: Why The Dems Might Lose
« Reply #136 on: September 01, 2008, 08:46:28 PM »
That doesn't really matter though. Voters can decide if they agree with abstinence only teaching and vote accordingly- Palin isn't going to change her stance on it because her daughter is pregnant. What people are trying to do is try to sway people who think like Palin and try to convince them that she isn't who she says. But, that's not true at all, just because her daughter is having a baby doesn't mean she's not going to stand firm on her policies. If anything this is going to boost McCain's cred with pro-lifers.

Andy

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Re: Why The Dems Might Lose
« Reply #137 on: September 01, 2008, 08:52:37 PM »
this is another perfect example of how BOTH SIDES use diversionary tactics to keep us from noticing what a shitty job they're all doing running our country.
Breakfast- I'm havin' a time
Wheelies- I'm havin' a time
Headlocks- I'm havin' a time
Drunk Tank- not so much a time
George St.- I'm havin' a time
Brenda- I'm havin' a time
Bingo- I'm havin' a time
House Arrest- I'm still havin' a time

Shaggy 2 Grote

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Re: Why The Dems Might Lose
« Reply #138 on: September 01, 2008, 09:29:05 PM »
I wonder if the Daily Kos crowd will remember that Barack Obama's mother was unwed and not much older than Bristol Palin when she was pregnant with him.

Yes, but Barack Obama's  grandmother wasn't running for vice-president of a party whose conservative members currently frown on teen sexual intercourse.

OK, but how do you KNOW that?
Oh, good heavens. I didn’t realize. I send my condolences out to the rest of the O’Connor family.

Shaggy 2 Grote

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Re: Why The Dems Might Lose
« Reply #139 on: September 01, 2008, 09:30:03 PM »
Juneau/Juno

Make with the Photoshoppery there, sonny boy!
Oh, good heavens. I didn’t realize. I send my condolences out to the rest of the O’Connor family.

Fido

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Re: Why The Dems Might Lose
« Reply #140 on: September 01, 2008, 09:47:53 PM »
I read that McCain allegedly already knew the daughter was pregnant.  Don't know if I believe that though.  But if I did, there's a conspiracy theorist in me that thinks it's all part of some grand design, a weird baiting of Democrats and the left wing to jump on her and then to yell "For Shame" from the right wing when they do.  That seemed to be the tone of the article I read on CNN this morning.

That's exactly what I thought. And maybe a handful of sympathy votes could be marshaled from the whole thing?

Trembling Eagle

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Re: Why The Dems Might Lose
« Reply #141 on: September 01, 2008, 10:07:01 PM »
That's why I can't talk politics anyone, trying to draw a parallel between abstinence-only programs and legitimate sexual education I can't politely tell you to piss-off I can only tell you to piss ALL the way off down the road.

Abstinence-only in the class room and creationism aren't legitimate points of disagreement where we can just agree to disagree and nobody is wrong or right. That a giant man in the sky made the universe 6000 years ago or that people feel sexual urges because lack of morals isn't a legitimate debate and it's so beneath me to even pretend it is.


AllisonLeGnome

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Re: Why The Dems Might Lose
« Reply #142 on: September 01, 2008, 10:31:02 PM »
I don't think Palin or McCain's view on abstinence has changed any, so I don't get why this is a big deal. Teaching abstinence only in schools is dumb but it's the daughter who made the "mistake" not Sarah Palin. It can be used to attack what's taught to teens but I don't think it should be used against Palin. I'd say it's a non-issue.

Because she's the one promoting what's taught to teens. It disproves her own policy.

Not to be too academic here, but one case of anecdotal evidence, even in the politician's own family, doesn't disprove an entire policy.  Sound research saying abstinence only education is ineffective however...

I guess what I mean is "contradict" more than "disprove." Bad word choice on my part.

Stan

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Re: Why The Dems Might Lose
« Reply #143 on: September 01, 2008, 10:33:52 PM »
Juneau/Juno

Make with the Photoshoppery there, sonny boy!

 Haven't seen this yet? It's not mine:

                                 "This must be where buffcoat left his pants."

Gilly

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Re: Why The Dems Might Lose
« Reply #144 on: September 01, 2008, 10:39:29 PM »
That's why I can't talk politics anyone, trying to draw a parallel between abstinence-only programs and legitimate sexual education I can't politely tell you to piss-off I can only tell you to piss ALL the way off down the road.

Abstinence-only in the class room and creationism aren't legitimate points of disagreement where we can just agree to disagree and nobody is wrong or right. That a giant man in the sky made the universe 6000 years ago or that people feel sexual urges because lack of morals isn't a legitimate debate and it's so beneath me to even pretend it is.



How many people are you talking to that actually believes that creationism should be taught in the classroom? I don't know many Christian's who believe that....

I have a question that I never considered until now... Is the religious right against all forms of birth control? I always thought that was a Catholic thing but the religious right is not known to be Catholic. I grew up Baptist and I was never taught that in church or youth group events and my parents never said anything against condoms or pills either. But, I thought I read that Palin was against all forms of birth control. I might be mistaken.

cutout

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Re: Why The Dems Might Lose
« Reply #145 on: September 01, 2008, 10:45:12 PM »
Best I could do -



I'm trying to think of a good text bubble/caption for what Juno would be saying. Something about the wiggedty wackedness of the situation.

Trembling Eagle

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Re: Why The Dems Might Lose
« Reply #146 on: September 01, 2008, 10:59:19 PM »
That's why I can't talk politics anyone, trying to draw a parallel between abstinence-only programs and legitimate sexual education I can't politely tell you to piss-off I can only tell you to piss ALL the way off down the road.

Abstinence-only in the class room and creationism aren't legitimate points of disagreement where we can just agree to disagree and nobody is wrong or right. That a giant man in the sky made the universe 6000 years ago or that people feel sexual urges because lack of morals isn't a legitimate debate and it's so beneath me to even pretend it is.



How many people are you talking to that actually believes that creationism should be taught in the classroom? I don't know many Christian's who believe that....

I have a question that I never considered until now... Is the religious right against all forms of birth control? I always thought that was a Catholic thing but the religious right is not known to be Catholic. I grew up Baptist and I was never taught that in church or youth group events and my parents never said anything against condoms or pills either. But, I thought I read that Palin was against all forms of birth control. I might be mistaken.

Palin's come out and said she wants creationism taught alongside evolution in schools. I don't care what people believe in their homes but when it comes to teaching kids facts or anybody really I don't want the guys designing my airplanes thinking it's fairy dust that keeps shit afloat. Way too much equivocation to republicans and their nutso base is why the country is in the condition it is now.


Fido

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Re: Why The Dems Might Lose
« Reply #147 on: September 01, 2008, 11:21:59 PM »
How many people are you talking to that actually believes that creationism should be taught in the classroom? I don't know many Christian's who believe that....

Gilly, you and I may not know many Christians who believe creationism should be taught in the classroom, but there are legions and legions of Christians who do believe it. I am Christian and I am certainly not one of them. However, many school districts have fought over this, and in fact a major Supreme Court decision regarding the teaching of creationism in classrooms in a small Pennsylvania town considered and rejected that proposition sometime in the last year. This is a pitched battle in some parts of the country, perhaps not in New York City or more enlightened enclaves in the Upper Midwest or on the west coast.

Further, support for the teaching of creationism in public schools (even the removal of evolution in favor of creationism only in classrooms) has broad support in recent polls. This from Wikipedia (and I don't wanna hear any cracks from any of you wisenheimers about how lazy I am, going straight to Wikipedia):

* * *

In 2000, a poll by People For the American Way[71] estimated that:
20% of Americans believe public schools should teach evolution only;
17% of Americans believe that only evolution should be taught in science classes—religious explanations should be taught in another class;
29% of Americans believe that Creationism should be discussed in science class as a 'belief,' not a scientific theory;
13% of Americans believe that Creationism and evolution should be taught as 'scientific theories' in science class;
16% of Americans believe that only Creationism should be taught;
According to a study published in Science, between 1985 and 2005 the number of adult Americans who accept evolution declined from 45% to 40%, the number of adults who reject evolution declined from 48% to 39% and the number of people who were unsure increased from 7% to 21%. Besides the United States the study also compared data from 32 European countries, Turkey, and Japan. The only country where acceptance of evolution was lower than in the United States was Turkey (25%).[74] (See the chart)
Less-direct anecdotal evidence of the popularity of creationism is reflected in the response of IMAX theaters to the availability of Volcanoes of the Deep Sea, an IMAX film which makes a connection between human DNA and microbes inside undersea volcanoes. The film's distributor reported that the only U.S. states with theaters which chose not to show the film were Texas, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina:
"We've got to pick a film that's going to sell in our area. If it's not going to sell, we're not going to take it," said the director of an IMAX theater in Charleston that is not showing the movie. "Many people here believe in creationism, not evolution."

* * *

I don't mean to come off as preachy in any way, just to show some stats that indicate how widespread this phenomenon is. I was amazed, since I don't exactly talk about this issue around the water cooler at work or rub elbows, as far as I know, with many of creationism's proponents on a regular basis.

todd

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Re: Why The Dems Might Lose
« Reply #148 on: September 01, 2008, 11:47:48 PM »
That's why I can't talk politics anyone, trying to draw a parallel between abstinence-only programs and legitimate sexual education I can't politely tell you to piss-off I can only tell you to piss ALL the way off down the road.

Abstinence-only in the class room and creationism aren't legitimate points of disagreement where we can just agree to disagree and nobody is wrong or right. That a giant man in the sky made the universe 6000 years ago or that people feel sexual urges because lack of morals isn't a legitimate debate and it's so beneath me to even pretend it is.



How many people are you talking to that actually believes that creationism should be taught in the classroom? I don't know many Christian's who believe that....

Are you kiddin' me? There are tons and tons and tons of people who believe that.

daveB from Oakland

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Re: Why The Dems Might Lose
« Reply #149 on: September 02, 2008, 12:29:26 AM »

How many people are you talking to that actually believes that creationism should be taught in the classroom? I don't know many Christian's who believe that....

Are you kiddin' me? There are tons and tons and tons of people who believe that.

Definitely. There's lot of them , Gilly. If there weren't a substantial bloc of people who felt this way, we wouldn't have a president who felt confident enough to say things like this in public:

"Well, the jury is still out on evolution, you know..." GW Bush, September 2005.

"I felt like both sides ought to be properly taught." Asked again by a reporter whether he believed that both sides in the debate between evolution and intelligent design should be taught in the schools, Mr. Bush replied that he did, "so people can understand what the debate is about."

"He didn't sound like a human when I was talking to him ... he sounded like a shape ... what's that shape of that building ... you know, where the Army lives?" -- Bryce, 11/24/2009