I've included Couture's bloody mess of a fight below, her jaw was broken on the first punch of the fight, she said she was trying to touch gloves with her opponent, Kim Rose.Part 1Part 2Part 3Ultimate MMA videos for your viewing pleasure. Also news and comments from the world of mma.
Gordon Mitchell and Kelly Congdon in the Richmond Times highlight:
It is worthwhile to recover the debate spirit of 1963. As George Faras shows in his compelling book, No Debate, the current presidential debate system is broken and needs overhaul. The problem is that the authority in charge, the Commission on Presidential Debates, is beholden to [...]
Technology has definitely surpassed our political system, but the candidates try to stay up with it. And when Andersen Cooper tries to ask our potential candidates about the issues, he learns the valuable lesson that our politicians aren’t exactly the brightest in the bunch.
McCain is right to challenge Obama. He issued his first challenge to Obama when he asked him to visit Iraq ("No, things are not better!" I wonder if he'll use Arianna Huffington's line about the military lying to reporters.). Now, he's challenging Obama on debates. This is a good move because:
1. Obama is a terrible debater when challenged.
2. Obama is the most nonsubstantive candidate since Jar
The women of Al-Qaeda are fed up.They want to blow up, too!Iraqis mourn the death of their relative outside Baghdad’s al-Kindi hospital. Powerful blasts triggered by female suicide attackers ripped through two Baghdad pet markets, killing 64 people in the most lethal bombings in the Iraqi capital in six months back in February 2008. (AFP/Ahmad [...]
The budget crisis facing Pinellas schools was not on the agenda at Tuesday night's School Board meeting, but the issue took center stage anyway, making for some tense moments. About 60 Pinellas teachers appeared in black clothing to protest the...
The Australian morning show 'Sunrise' debated recent comments from British trip hop artist Tricky that hip hop is encouraging violence. The two panelists agreed that while music has long been blamed throughout the years to the decay of society, that
Welcome to Asymmetric, liberal brothers and sisters. Doesn't it sound like Arianna has never heard anybody disagree with her? Her statement that she's not really giving a point of view so much as stating facts and everybody who disagrees with them is a nut is hilarious considering that she's factually wrong on everything. The category is "Debunking the Left" as Arianna is an auto-debunker (bunker?
During the 18th century England was nominally on a bimetallic standard (consisting of silver and gold), however, the mint price of silver was intentionally undervalued to keep it out of circulation and thus a de facto gold standard functioned: banknotes issued both by the Bank of England and country banks were convertible into gold upon [...]
The Pope Debates A RabbiSeveral centuries ago, the Pope decreed that all the Jews had to convert to Catholicism or leave Italy. There was a huge out cry from the Jewish community, so the Pope offered a deal. He'd have a religious debate with the leader of the Jewish community. If the Jews won, they could stay inItaly; if the Pope won, they'd have to convert or leave.The Jewish people met and picked an aged and wise rabbi to represent them in the debate. However, as the rabbi spoke no Italian, and the Pope spoke no Yiddish, they agreed that it would be a 'silent' debate.On the chosen day the Pope and rabbi sat opposite each other.The Pope raised his hand and showed three fingers. The rabbi looked back and raised one finger. Next, the Pope waved his finger around his head. The rabbi pointed
The Doha Debates are Qatar’s unique forum for free speech in the Arab world. Each month invited speakers debate the hottest issues of the Arab and Islamic world in front of an audience who participate by asking questions.
Get More Traffic By Continuing The DebateThe rules to Battle of the Blogs Debates are simple ...1. comment here 2. announce your participation here,link to your post here 3. continue this post on your blog 4. One post per blogger per theme.Each theme posted here is a basic introduction. You can expand and add your own points!(I reserve the right to choose topics and start each debate.)--------------------------------------This Is the Fourth Debate Topic ...The Foreign PressYou Never See(English Language Version)Americans rarely if ever read foreign news. Americans rely on their local newspapers to cover any foreign news of interest. Consequently, Americans only hear about the foreign news their newspapers decide to cover, and the spin their local media uses.Here are some direct links to fo
“Fala pouco o ministro da Comunicação Social, jornalista Franklin Martins. Fala pouco, porém atua muito – é um dos mais influentes na esfera palaciana. Na sexta-feira (25/4) participou dos debates da Conferência Nacional de Comunicação, promovida pelo PT, e pronunciou-se claramente sobre questões muito importantes: criticou o governo no tocante às rádios comunitárias, criticou os petistas que se agarram ao discurso de enfrentamento com as empresas de comunicação, e criticou a concentração da mídia na mão de poucas empresas. Um prato cheio, se não houvesse a deliberada intenção de minimizar o que o ministro disse. Os jornalões paulistanos cobriram o evento, mas no dia seguinte preferiram publicar resumos irrisórios. Sabe-se que a mídia não gosta
The rules to Battle of the Blogs Debates are simple ...1. comment here 2. announce your participation here and link to your post here3. continue this post on your blog 4. One post per blog per theme.Each theme posted here is a basic introduction. You can expand and add your own points!(I reserve the right to choose topics and start each debate.)--------------------------------------This Is the First Debate Topic ...Cultural Differences Between Eastern and Western ThoughtDo you understand people different from you? Do you feel threatened by foreigners? They think different from you. Its all about culture.In this post *Differences Between East and West Discovered in People’s Brain Activity Culture can affect not just language and custom, but how people experience the world at stunningly
The nation of Indonesia continues debating its future as a secular or an an Islamic state. The present government regards itself as secular with strong ties to the Muslim religion. However, the emergence of an Islamic sect named Ahmadiyah has raised new issues for the nation since the leader of this sect claims to be [...]
Sorry, My old ghetto self is coming out... It's a southwest Detroit thing, you'd never understand... Video Via Attackerman (Think Progress): Matthew Yglesias says, "Cue the Jay-Z video!": I think it's great that Obama has taken the high road and is not letting it bother him. If it would have been Hillary, the whine would have been heard for universes away. Others: Ross Douthat and TPMCafe
Security is high in Delhi as the Olympic torch relay passes through; meanwhile Tibetan protesters have been arrested in Nepal and a prominent Tibetan activist has been detained in China.
The Pope gave mass to tens of thousands in Nationals Park today, praising the hope for the future that "is very much a part of the American character".
But this story about the polygamy case surrounding members from the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has trumped the pope on the front page of Nytimes.com.
And keeping with the religious theme, the New York Times offers some suggestions for Passover meals.
I missed the candidate debate last night, but from what I read, it wasn't very good. From FP Passport:
After more than a year of campaigning, what new information are we possibl
"With your performance tonight -- your focus on issues that were at best trivial wastes of valuable airtime and at worst restatements of right-wing falsehoods, punctuated by inane "issue" questions that in no way resembled the real world concerns of American voters -- you disgraced my profession of journalism, and, by association, me and a lot of hard-working colleagues who do still try to ferret out the truth, rather than worry about who can give us the best deal on our capital gains taxes. But it's even worse than that. By so badly botching arguably the most critical debate of such an important election, in a time of both war and economic misery, you disgraced the American voters, and in fact even disgraced democracy itself."read more | digg story
Development In Nicaragua: Civic Debates Mark Positive Sign
Development in Nicaragua is progressing rapidly, and, there are signs that reflect that growth. Yet, reservations about Daniel Ortega’s long term political ambition have led to trepidation for some investors looking at the future of Nicaragua. If you look closely at stories coming out of Managua, however, there [...]
Danny has the story from the Enterprise Ledger on a slate of debates that are upcoming for the candidates for Congress in Alabama’s 2nd Congressional District. They should be good times…
CD-2 Debates Scheduled » Doc’s Political Parlor
“Palavrões e xingamentos estão nas notas taquigráficas Dedo em riste, ofensas verbais, ameaças e empurrões são cenas cada vez mais comuns no Senado. Nos últimos seis meses, nos embates políticos entre governo e oposição, é cada vez mais comum os senadores deixarem de lado o decoro parlamentar na hora de defender suas posições. Plenário e comissões de inquérito são os palcos preferidos dos congressistas para a falta de bom senso que em nada lembram os tempos de Rui Barbosa. Nesta semana, os parlamentares presenciaram, em plenário, o desfecho dos "cacarejos" do senador Mão Santa (PMDB-PI). O peemedebista perdeu o tom ao chamar a chefe da Casa Civil, Dilma Rousseff, de "galinha cacarejadora" dizendo que ela prefere defender insistentemente as obras do Prog
An old saying in the media holds that there is no such thing as bad advertisement. But news that Saginaw will provide the backdrop for a Mafia movie doesn't exactly tout the region's best features.
"Street Boss" is set to begin filming Tuesday, April 29. Philip R. Kerby, a retired FBI agent and former chief of its Saginaw bureau, says the movie is based on the FBI's real-life takedown of
Citizens trying to enact change through the legal system on how dating sites run their businesses have become more commonplace over the past few years. (see: Criminal Record Checks for Online Dating). But a new case in New Hampshire federal court may change everything with one fell swoop.
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by The Backyard Scrawlerbackyardscrawl@gmail.comComparisons are planted in our sporting discourse every day. They come neatly packaged in forced sponsored segments with a not-so-catchy name of, say, Cold Hard Fact or Fiction, Power Points and Six Pack of 60-Second Questions for the Hot-Seated Roundtable. They usually involve some farcical apples-to-oranges debate that compares the accomplishments of an athlete from one era to another or even athletes from totally different sports. (Anyone wanna compare Tiger’s 15-foot putt in the Masters to Jordan’s fade-away jumper in the Finals?) But there was one debate a few months ago with enough practicality that made me question Pitt and West Virginia basketball fans alike. In the November issue of the Pittsburgh Sports Report, the “Showdown
Issue#134% of Americans say their life is better, 43% say their life is worse since the last election. QuestionIs your life better or worse - explain?Issue#2This is now year 17 of the American Iraq Wars. It started with the Gulf War 1991, the years of sanctions and air patrol corridors over Iraq, and the invasion and occupation of Iraq 2003. Most Americans are ignorant about the Iraq Wars and Occupation statistics - find them here ... *Iraq Wars StatisticsQuestionDo you think the Two Trillion Dollars final price tag spent on the Iraq War was worth it? What are your feelings about over one million Iraqis killed and the nearly half a million American veterans disabled by depleted uranium, and the department of defense ordered medications? Will this be another Vietnam?Issue#3The American dol
Ya dije alguna vez que me cansan los políticos de hoy en día. También me cagué en la campaña electoral cuando sufrimos elecciones autonómicas en Cataluña (¡cómo pasa el tiempo!). En esta ocasión, nos abordan con una práctica que había estado felizmente olvidada durante quince años: los debates electorales. ¡Vaya tomadura de pelo!
¿Para qué debería servir un debate electoral? La misma palabra lo dice, ¿no? Dos tipos (o varios) presentan sus respectivos programas, lo discuten, argumentan y defienden sus ideas con el objetivo de reafirmar a los convencidos y de convencer a los indecisos. ¿Y qué es lo que nos encontramos? Dos tipos (y sólo dos) enseñando gráficas incomprensibles -incluso falsas-, repitiendo sus discursos cansinos de siempre y actuando ante las cámar
I must begin this post by truly apologizing to readers of this blog for the confusing thread of "dialogue" on my last post "Stuff False Doctrines Are Made Of". While I try to be fair, as not to immediately dismiss another's perception, I absolutely must commit this blog to clarity and as the keeper of this blog, there will be times when I will shut down all dialogue to preserve the integrity of this blog. This is not to say that I will delete or moderate comments I simply don't like, if that was true, a lot of comments posted here wouldn't be posted. :) I welcome all to comment as they wish, with respect of course, and I expect all those commenting to extend the same courtesy to me as well.God is NOT the Author of confusion, and I cannot allow the devil to use inconsequential issues or sub
Após a morte do bancário Kleber Rodrigo Plens, que bateu sua Parati contra uma carreta no km 25 da Rodovia Castello Branco, em Barueri, na Grande São Paulo, após dirigir por 4 km pela contramão, o incidente virou discussão no site de relacionamentos Orkut.
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So as y’all may be aware, the big Democratic debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama went down tonight in Austin. The truth? It was pretty damned boring. I mean, it’s a debate about the issues between politicians, never a profession noted for not attracting blustery windbags, so it ain’t like boredom wasn’t exactly the [...]
5 Questions On Israel For The Next DebateAs I've said before, there's been a vacuum surrounding Israel and Palestine this campaign season. Moderators have broached the issue only twice in the last 13 debates. And the most recent question, posed by Wendell Goler last week at the Fox News debate in South Carolina, was pretty weak. As Goler wound up—"Mayor Giuliani, President Bush is in the Middle East ... laying the groundwork for a Palestinian state"—there was, briefly, a glimmer of hope. Then he tossed this doozy of a softball: "I wonder, sir, how you would keep a Palestinian state from becoming a breeding ground for anti-American terrorism." One of several surreal assumptions behind the question seemed to be, "The Palestinians are prostrate, mightn't it be better if they're kept that
A current topics discussion program aired on a national television network in India kicked off a lively debate about whether the government of India should regulate blogs. The program not only offers insights into the state of the blogosphere in India but also broaches a topic that has increasingly cropped up as an issue in [...]
Carved in a tower of sand and surrounded by flip flop wearing admirers, Republican Party candidates enjoyed a warm welcome outside the Myrtle Beach Convention Center last week. The South Carolina Republican primary will be on Jan. 19.
The Democrats will get their turn to debate at the Palace Theatre in Myrtle Beach on Mon., Jan. 21. The Democratic Primary will [...]
This news report is from my hometown channel 5 news where we have been following the Supreme Courts deliberation on lethal injection. What do you think? Have you read any of the opinions on t he message board at www.womenofdeathrow.com Read the article below and watch the video. We may be witnessing history in the making.
NewsChannel 5.com Nashville, Tennessee - High Court Debates Lethal
You are sitting with a family that has invited you in for tea, one of countless offers of hospitality you have experienced since you arrived in the new land.
As you share stories of family, friends, travel and life you marvel at how easily people can bridge the differences between them. For that moment, everything is perfect. This is why you travel. World peace is possible, you think. All we need is tea.
Then with one question, your dream shatters.
"Tell me," says your host. "Why does your country start so much war?"
It's a traveler's nightmare: you are trying to connect across cultures with someone who suddenly wants to discuss polarizing issues such as war, foreign affairs, abortion, gay rights, feminism, or drugs.
Don't worry. Look at these conversations as a potential for meaningful cultural exchange. Use the following strategies to turn a potentially divisive argument into a rich dialogue.
1. Come Prepared
You do not have to be an expert in all world issues
Bizarre: Al-Qaeda To Emulate YouTube Debates?Excerpt:"The second in command of Al-Qaeda has asked for questions to be submitted to the terrorist network which he'll then answer in an online interview next month."http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/12/16/bizarre-al-qaeda-to-emulate-youtube-debates/
Dear News Media,In case you haven't heard, Republican debates are for REPUBLICANS to sift through the candidates and decide who will be the REPUBLICAN nominee. They are not created for the express purpose of attacking the candidates with your liberal biases and trying to sabotage them in the general election. You may not prop up Democratic activists as ordinary citizens, nor push the candidates into a "show of hands" on a nuanced, divisive issue without letting them explain their positions.I sat through the CNN / You Tube debate, while the candidates were marginalized and caricatured by that rediculous song; while questions with an obvious liberal agenda were asked instead of issues of interest to Republicans. I watched yesterday, as an antagonistic moderator bullied the candidates into 30 second sound-bites, and refused to let them respond to challenges. And since when do we let an obscure "non-candidate" share the stage with the legitimate candidates who have invested themselves
Blogging about Liveblogging…
I initially started the evening liveblogging on Twitter, but after hearing Baratunde suggest a move to Tech President, I thought I would check it out. You can find my take on the CNN/YouTube debates here.
Wow! Coverit Live was very cool. It was the real deal Holyfield. I think around 57 people in the chat room at a time with a total of around 120 over the evening. Techpresident with the help of Meebo/Coverit Live hosted a great chat (with about 5-15 second delay to ensure a PG-13 experience. I actually have no idea what the criteria was used and no censored comments.) All seemed generally pleased with the experience. It was not unlike my experience with Campfire. I will say I liked the campfire experience better, because it was more real time. However, given that Tech President had some small monicrum of party diversity–that added significantly to the exchange. The Tech President Meebo/CoveritLive setup didn’t even require a l
Winners v. Losers
Winners-Huckabee was en fuego. McCain performed almost as well. Universally 99.9% of the commentary supported Huckabee as the leader.
The Murky and Muddy Middle-Thompson’s last ditch effort was lack luster and according to a CNN commentator “lost without his cue cards.” His commercial didn’t stand on his principles and policy choices, and instead looked like a rabid attack dog (playing bad soundbite games) next to more presidential candidates.
Losers-Rudy v. Romney seemed a bit like a cat fight as the shots were fired back and fourth. Ron Paul was lackluster and didn’t get enough coverage. Tancredo wasn’t exactly spectacular either.
Key National Issues Left Off the Debate Agenda:
From The Tech President chat:
Micah also sez: and i’m surprised that CNN didn’t include any questions on health care, jobs, the environment, the falling dollar, outsourcing, trade, or anywhere but Iraq.
Did the CNN Debates Honor the You
This Wednesday is the Republican CNN YouTube debate, where anyone can send in videos to CNN and ask any Republican Candidate questions. A few months ago, the Republicans refused to enter this absurd “Debate” because the Democrats were asked questions from snowmen and it was completely unproductive. Eventually, the Republicans decided to attend, but I have no doubt they will regret doing so...
Click the Headline Link to Visit Copious Dissent and Read the Full Story.
General Musharraf announced Mohammedmian Soomro as interim prime minister as protests continue in Karachi.
In the U.S., though, talk of plan B has commenced.
Several senior administration officials said that with each day that passed, more administration officials were coming around to the belief that General Musharraf’s days in power were numbered and that the United States should begin considering contingency plans, including reaching out to Pakistan’s generals.
Almost two weeks since Musharraf openly laughed in the face of democracy, it appears as if the U.S. may be looking for an alternative.
Smokeout: Still huffing and puffing away at the staple crop of the American colonies? Today is the day to leave your cancersticks behind with the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout Challenge.
Is troop withdrawal from Iraq becoming a possibility, or will George Bush simply add another feather to his veto hat?
Meanwhile in Iraq: Is the Shiite-dominated government
CNN's Wolf Blitzer has been warned not to focus Thursday's Dem debate on Hillary. 'This campaign is about issues, not on who we can bring down and destroy,' top Clinton insider explains. 'Blitzer should not go down to the levels of character attack and pull 'a Russert.' Blitzer is set to moderate debate from Vegas, with questions also being posed by Suzanne Malveaux. Blitzer says he is not being pressured by any campaign: 'No one has pressured me. No one has threatened me. No one is trying to intimidate me'. CONFIRMATION:Developing.Special Report by:RidesAPaleHorseDeath by 1000 Papercuts Front Page.
VALENCIA, Spain (AP) — A U.N. climate change conference argued over words and phrases Wednesday in drafting a scientific report that will guide governments for years to come on their global warming policies.One dispute involving the U.S. delegation centered on whether human activity could lead to "abrupt or irreversible" effects on the Earth's climate, said participants in the meeting.
Thanks again to 911blogger.com for the heads up on this one. The information is taken from the Architectures and Engineers for 9/11 Truth website. Interview: Richard Gage, AIA Debates Ron CraigRichard Gage, AIA — Richard SyrettMon, Nov 12, 2007 • 8:00 PM PSTNewstalk 1010 Toronto • The Richard Syrett Show Date: Mon, Nov 12, 2007 Time: 8:00 PM Pacific Time Topic: Richard Gage, AIA will debate Ron Craig, a member of the International Society of Explosives Engineers, on the "collapse" of the 3 WTC buildings Station: Newstalk 1010 Location: Toronto, Canada Program: The Richard S
Today Dr. Ron Paul, the Republican candidate for President of the United States has brought in $1.4, $1.87, $2.1, $2.5, $2.8, $3 $3.87 million and counting. The mainstream media is having a hard time ignoring such growing momentum. In fact, how can a politician with a supposedly 1 percent rating be receiving so much money? They argue that Dr. Paul is on the fringe while they give the podium to fear mongers and those that laugh at economic policy. The media is now on the fringe and are having a hard time competing with an alternative source of information, you. That is right, now all you need is time, a love of knowledge and you have a podium to voice your opinion. In the last few debates, Fox news has tried to characterize Dr. Paul as a fringe candidate with only a small amount of supporters. They are wrong just like they were wrong with the housing market, oil, and other economic issues. In fact, this morning one of the top morning news programs stated this, “housing cont
It seems to be the general consensus among my few politically-minded friends that Ron Paul would receive much more support if he would take his yelling down a few notches in the debates. He comes off like a loose cannon when every answer to each question becomes a strident diatribe.I thought he did very well at the last debate on Sunday, but the freak-out factor was still present. So what causes this problem?1. Lack of attention given to him in these forums. It must get frustrating to try and make an impact given two questions, while standing there listening to Thompson, Romney, and Giuliani duke it out.2. Frustration at the bullshit that some of the candidates are spouting, like Romney's stance on gay marriage, trying to portray an anti-gay marriage amendment to the Constitution as a version of "freedom of religion." I think if I was up there, I might freak out too.3. Lack of feedback and critique from his own staff. With some of the candidates, particularly somebody like Romney, you
During a Q&A with the Governor this last week, I asked him about the frustrations he has with some of the televised debates and his reactions to the style, structure and time allocations. Here...
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Finally Fred Thompson had a chance to distinguish himself from the pact. He did!! After many months of on the edge of jumping into the race, Thompson, former senator and actor, who positioned himself as a conservative Washington outsider, debuted in his first debate.October 9 became a red letter day, when Thompson would again try to show that he had what it takes to sufficiently impress the faith community, after a lackluster start in September. But again, according to the polls, he failed to muster much excitement. An apparent false start? Predicted as unstoppable he was somehow to edge Rudy out of the race, but thus far, this has merely been wishful thinking. Fred Thompson in a survey (Campaigns and Elections), after the debate scored, as the worse performer among the group. A mixed review saw someone who was neither witty, sharp tongued or a wacko, but his less than eloquent delivery, has shattered expectations. He was not hammered, but made no headlines. The buzz-- he shows no grit
Abortion issues stem from a variety of concerns. There are two major questions at the heart of all abortion debate: the question Pro-Life advocates - or those opposing abortion - concentrate on is, "When does life begin?" This is central issue of their argument against abortion. Pro-Lifers believe that life begins at conception and therefore abortion should be considered murder. Pro-Choice advocates - or those who support abortion - are concerned with the question, "Do women have the right to choose whether or not they have an abortion?" Pro-Choice advocates believe that abortion is a women's rights issue and that all women should be free to choose what happens to her body. This debate is incredibly fierce because of the political, social, and moral implications of abortion. Religious Right leaders tend to be Pro-Life, while Feminists tend to be Pro-Choice. But there are many, many exceptions to this statement. In fact, most people fall somewhere in the middl
Here is a list of the remaining debates that are scheduled at the moment for both parties. It shows the location and which channel will be hosting the event. Dates and events may still be subject to change by candidates and parties.Democratic Debates• October 30, 2007: NBC News/MSNBC in Philadelphia, PA• November 15, 2007: CNN in Las Vegas, NV• December 10, 2007: CBS in Los Angeles, CA• December 17, 2007: CNN and Politico.com host a Democratic presidential debate at the Kennedy Library in Boston• Jan. 6, 2008: The Des Moines Register and Iowa Public Television host a Democratic presidential debate in Johnson, IA• Jan. 15, 2008: The Caucus of African American Nevadans and Impacto host a Democratic presidential debate in Las Vegas, NV• Jan. 31, 2008: CNN and the Los Angeles Times host a debate of the Democratic presidential candidates in CaliforniaRepublican Debates• October 21, 2007 Orlando, Florida - FOX News• November 6, 2007 Ames, Iowa - MSNBC• November 28, 2007
I'm not one to buy into or promote stereotypes which is why when the front running GOP candidates pulled a no show at the NAACP debates I didn't post about it. Additionally when the same candidates blew off the debates hosted by Univision I didn't post about that either. (They also all blew off a conservative Christian forum in Florida around the same time.) However now that they have all opted out of the PBS debates at a historically Black college we officially have the beginning of a pattern. While many may attribute the worst possible motives to this behaviour I see other more likely and more logical reasons.Number one being that by and large the GOP has written black voters off much in the same way the Dems had previously written off the South. Meaning that the numbers have shown that spending time and effort elsewhere turns out a greater number of voters or wins more districts. However in regards to the Hispanic debates I see another motive altogether. Simply put the odds of
The German government is engaged in extensive debate about which new laws are needed in an age of potential terrorism. Minister of Justice Brigitte Zypries is proposing that attending a terrorist camp and undergoing training could be classified as a criminal act. Opponents argue there must be evidence the person on leaving such a camp had an intention of committing a terrorist action. Zypries is also proposing planning to make or making bombs should be considered as a terrorist act. Defense Minister Franz Jung is urging legislation which would allow him to order a highjacked plane to be shot down. He has previously made that claim but Germany’s Constitutional Court ruled he lacked the power. The German debate raises many questions as to whether or not nations must re-think their laws pertaining to what constitutes a criminal act.
The Democratic presidential candidates are a symbol of the racial and cultural diversity of America. I look at Sen. Barack Obama (African American), Gov. Bill Richardson (Hispanic), Sen. Hillary Clinton (female) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (Martian?), and I’m persuaded that anyone can become President of the United States.
But then I look at the all-male, all-white [...]
Barack Obama’s campaign has announced a decision to turn down additional fall debates beyond the eight he’s already committed to. This might be a smart move. In the past I’ve argued against the idea of limiting the debates to candidates who are believed to have a real chance to win, feeling that long shots such as Ron Paul and Bill Richardson deserve this chance to be heard. That does not mean that every candidate benefits from attending these debates.
The conventional wisdom is that the debates benefit challengers but pose a risk to front runners as they place everyone on the same level as the front runner. This may sometimes be true but has not applied well in Obama’s situation. In this case, although not the front runner, Obama entered the campaign as a larger than life personality. The debates limit him to brief answers to questions which do not allow him to display the vision he has shown when able to speak at greater length. Rather than harming the front r
Frustrated with the volume of interest group forums and non-party sponsored debates, Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign manager has put his foot down: Obama won’t attend any more debates that aren’t sanctioned by the Democratic National Committee, and he won’t accept any more invitations to speak at candidate forums.
The Democrat party is made up off many different caucuses and special interests, ie the black caucus, Mexican caucus, and so on. It will be interesting to see which of these special interests he doesn’t deem important enough to attend their debate or forum. The Democrats have been pandering to all of these special interests by holding debates directly for them, such as the first ever gay debate, now Obama has had enough. I agree with Obama on this. Although probably not for the reason he is doing it. The Democrat party has been splitting the Americans in their party into different groups for years, with all their seperate caucuses. The party th
Great... We are going to get some more questions from Snowmen and idiots on youtube. Youtube is great ot see videos musicians, comedy and other interesting stuff, but a debate for the Presidency of the United States of American is...
There isn't a lot of note to report from the Republican debate yesterday in Iowa. On abortion, Hizzonner took some heat for being pro-choice, and the sincerity of Mitt Romney's pro-life position was questioned. This is nothing new. There were some desultory sparks but no significant fireworks over an anti-Romney tactic by Sam Brownback. There was criticism of Democrats in general and Barack Obama specifically; Hizzonner pointed out that very few of the Democratic candidates have any executive experience (which might be a backhanded swipe at some of the Republican contenders too) but generally the Republicans evidenced substantial agreement on issues like foreign policy and taxes. That is, except for Ron Paul, who argued for the earliest possible withdrawal date for U.S. troops in Iraq, which again is nothing particularly new. There were also the obligatory attempts by each candidate to distinguish himself from the unpopular incumbent Republican President. Right Said Fred Thomp
Several comments were made about my opinion on narrowing the amount of candidates in the Democratic debates. To make sure that all the comments on the matter could be seen I wanted to post a link to the JohnEdwards.com blog section, where my post was made available. If you go to http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2007/7/31/21015/7173#commenttop you will be able to see all of the comments that other readers have made that agreed and disagreed with my position.Thank-you for the lively discussion on the matter!
Apologies for my technological incompetence - I still haven't worked out how exactly to embed videos in blog posts. But this link here is to a video of a clip of John Edwards and Hillary Clinton seemingly bemoaning the size of the previous Democratic candidate debates, and suggesting that debates focusing only on the "serious" candidates are in the pipeline.I don't know what exactly to make of this - whether it will occur, or what effect it will have if it does. My suspicion is that insufficient people watch the debates for the minor candidates to get any traction from their appearances at all, and all the news channels are interested in is whether the top-tier make gaffes or perform strongly. I also think that this is a shame - one of the strengths of the primary system is that an articulate and passionate candidate can force certain issues to be taken seriously when before they might have been written off.Nevertheless, how do people think a debate for the more "serious" candidates
Edwards and Clinton at the CNN/YouTube debate in South Carolina. Photo by REUTERS.John Edwards and Hillary Clinton were recently caught suggesting that the Democratic debates should limit the number of candidates. Dennis Kucinich fired back at John Edwards saying he had, “a consistent lack of integrity”. Dennis Kucinich has been a long time candidate and has constantly been polling in the low single digits. Mike Gravel has been polling even lower, if he is included in the polling data. In a July 23, 2007 Washington Post-ABC News Poll Mike Gravel received less than .5 percent support from potential voters. Are the single issue and outsider candidates adding to the spirit of the debates or are they taking away from those that can win for the party? Splitting the time between eight candidates does not leave a lot of time for the candidates to debate every important topic or in enough detail. Mike Gravel has repeatedly said he does not like the other candidates an
Why in the world would they ever go into these debated in the first place is a shcoker to me. As you could see on the Defeatocrats YOutube debates, it was nothing more os a contest who could dress wierd...
After a plethora of user-submitted videos that served as fuel for the banter among the eight Democratic presidential candidates at yesterday's CNN/YouTube political debate at the Citadel in South Carolina, the unasked question today remains this: Is it really a debate?
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This week, I’m curious to see your reaction to last night’s CNN/YouTube presidential debates. But first, last week’s results:
Last week, we asked you if you thought the so called Republican revolt against President Bush over the Iraq war is genuine or not. Cynically, but not surprisingly, 73% of you thought that the Republicans were just faking it for the viewers back home, and never had any intention to split with the President. 27%, myself included, feel that this was just the beginning of the revolt, and that eventually Republican congressmen will cave to their consituants’ pressure.
Now for this weeks poll. As I’ve written, I don’t feel the CNN/YouTube debates lived up to their hype. Promoted as a sea-change in debate format, allowing people from all over the world to submit questions directly to candidates, CNN instead, in my opinion, came out as a heavy handed editor, preferring to give airtime to silliness over substance. But what do you think
nice gimmick—i thought a little hokey given the gravity of world affairs— but in the end, same result.it only cements my firm belief that politicians will answer questions, no matter how they are asked, the way they hear them, and the way they hear them has little to do with what is asked.
Watching tonight’s forum on CNN reminds me why I don’t like these early presidential debates. With so many candidates on the stage, complex issues were reduced to sound bites. The candidates unfailingly avoided answering the questions directly when they deviated from their prescribed stump speeches. They took veiled pot shots at each other, and they tried hard to differentiate themselves from the pack, but succeeded only in sounding at times vindictive and shrill. However, the real loser of these debates was CNN, who failed in its job of whittling the 3,000 odd submissions down to a handful of real questions.
The YouTube debates were supposed to be a revolution in grassroots democracy. They were targeted towards the youth in America and designed to bring out new viewpoints and presentations that don’t usually get airtime on mainstream media outlets. People who submitted questions were asked to be creative, personal, and focused. In truth, the set up seemed promising,
Senator Feingold (D-WI) is pushing the Senate to censure President Bush for his abuse of the Constitution and mismanagement of the Iraq war.
Higher prices at the pump are due in part to a record number of failures at U.S. oil refiners this year.
Tomorrow/Monday: Live debates co-hosted by CNN and YouTube will allow constituents to pose questions directly to presidential hopefuls via homemade video.
Where does McDonald’s stand on America’s fight against obesity? Meet Hugo.
India, the world’s largest democracy, has elected its first female president. At age 72, Pratibha Patil secured two thirds of the votes cast in state assemblies and the national parliament. While some hail Patil’s victory as a sign of growing gender equality in India, others view her victory as a symbolic gesture. What are your thoughts?
Preliminary results suggest Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party has secured another majority after Turkey’s pa
If you haven’t heard, YouTube is sponsoring a series of Presidential debates in conjunction with CNN. They have asked for people to submit questions to either the Democratic or Republican candidates in the form of short video clips. Some will be chosen and presented live, on the air, for the candidates to answer. It is definitely a cool idea, and so after procrastinating, I submitted my entry just under the deadline. It might not be as silly as some of the other entries, but I think it is a question that is worth asking to our Presidential contenders.
What do you think of my video? Have you submitted your own question?
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Pull up a stool. Get your arguments prepped. We’re attempting to settle the 30 greatest debates of all time. Uh…what’s that? Wait a minute. No? Would you settle for the 30 most-searched debates of the past week? Yes? Good. ‘Cause that’s what we have.
We checked the top “vs” searches over the last seven days to find the hottest battles in Buzz. We’re sure you’ll still find plenty to squabble about…
1. T.I. vs T.I.P.
2. Man vs Wild
3. Red vs Blue
4. Smackdown vs Raw 2008
5. 1 vs 100
6. DirectTV vs Dish Network
7. Chris Benoit vs The Rock
8. PS3 vs Xbox 360
9. Alien vs Predator
10. Freddy vs Jason
11. Zune vs iPod
12. Plasma vs LCD
13. Levitra vs Viagra
14. Naruto vs Sasake
15. Cialis vs Levitra
16. Lipitor vs Zocor
17. AMD vs Intel
18. Marvel vs Capcom
19. Chucky vs Leprechaun
20. Mac vs PC
21. Mario vs Sonic
22. Eagle vs Shark
23. King Kong vs Godzilla
24. Vista vs XP
25. Nature vs Nurture
26. Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD
27. Brown vs B
At the end of March, the final report “Marriage for same-sex couples – wedding issues” was presented to Minister for Justice Beatrice Ask.
The report has ever since been prepared in the government’s coordination chancellery. The matter will now be referred for consideration until January 15, 2008, after which the government can present a bill for the Parliament to consider.
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I love a good debate. Though sometimes I just read about them instead of participate. And sometimes I just don’t have a major opinion. The Forum Finder Blog has a debates category that has some interesting posts.
One is that a guest speaker at Boulder High School in Colorado told kids to have sex and do drugs. LOL I think that’s funny. Actually, why not? Kids are going to do it anyway, aren’t they? So why not teach them how to do it in a responsible way instead of saying don’t do these things at all? Hrm.
So far, the Presidential debates have been a HUGE waste of time. Watching a group of Old White Men trying to go further to the Right than one another is flat out ridiculous and I’d rather watch a dog go to the bathroom in public. I mean, Rep. Tancredo stating, live on TV, that the day Roe v Wade is made null and void would be the “greatest day in American History” made me want to kick my cat. Sure, the signing of the Declaration of Independence was swell and all, but Abortion trumps that in his mind. What an idiot.
On the other side, watching the multi-cultural elite of the Democratic Party compare resumes and reflect where they were the day the recount started while offering no real solutions to the current quagmire makes me long for the days when the East Germans won all those gold medals. Tell me there’s another way? Oh wait…what about this!
I recently read that Current NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg (R, formerly D) is willing to spend $1 BILLION dollars of his OWN money on an
The World Health Assembly (WHA) is holding a meeting in Geneva where deliberations on Indonesia`s draft resolution on the mechanism of the dispatch and sharing of bird flu virus samples have proceeded very toughly."It is a very tough meeting. But with that we have opened the eyes of the world that developing countries have felt an unfair mechanism with regard to the sharing and dispatch of bird flu virus samples," Communicable Disease Director General I Nyoman Kandu said Thursday.But members of the World Health Organization (WHO) who are attending the WHA sessions actually have the desire to produce a fairer mechanism or system for the sake of the international communities` health, regardless of whether they are poor or rich, the director general said.
Good bye Chirac, Hello Sarkozy: President Elect Nicolas Sarkozy was inaugurated into office in Paris today. Nicolas Sarkozy waved good-bye to his mentor Jacques Chirac and was heralded with a 21-gun salute as he took office as President of France. Conservative Sarkozy beat Socialist candidate Segolene Royal in a run-off election held May 6th. Now in office, Sarkozy will head to Germany to discuss the EU treaty with German Chancellor and current EU President Angela Merkel.
Sarkozy faces a tough road ahead, as he faces mounting challenges to solve France’s problems with immigration and unemployment.
G.O.P. Round-up:
Republican Presidential hopefulls pick their battles.
Overall Winners and Losers, according to The Washington Post.
Ron Paul blames U.S. policy for 9/11 attacks.
Giuliani scores big.
Iraq spending bill defeated in Senate:
The Senate voted against a bill (sponsored by Senator Russell Feingold, D-WI) that would cut funding to the War in Iraq, despite support from prominen
By ADAM NAGOURNEY
Published: April 23, 2007
WASHINGTON, April 22 — The last time Jonathan Prince checked, there were nearly 40 requests for John Edwards, the Democratic presidential candidate for whom he works, to appear at a candidate debate or forum.
They came from state Democratic parties and county Democratic committees. From newspapers and television stations. From [...]
YouTube Video: "John Edwards" Debates "Ann Coulter"YouTube Description:"Comedians Frank King and Bill Pietrucha posed as John Edwards and Ann Coulter for a mock debate April 6 at American University. "Edwards" and "Coulter" exchanged blows before a crowd of about 50 people at AU's Wechsler Theater.Video By Carrie Sheffield"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GmGvSUx2bs
After weeks of speculation, a somewhat unexpected link-up has occurred. The word is out--Fox News and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) will team up to sponsor two debates for presidential candidates this year.Negotiations between the CBC and the network have been under much scrutiny since Democrats in Nevada backed out of a debate a few weeks ago that was sponsored by Fox. For many, the arguments against this collaboration has just begun. The squabble could continue even after the fact, on whether this was the right move by the CBC. Why? Liberals and Black activists, among others, have denounced this partnership given the network's conservative views and ideology. Could this bickering, shame the CBC to drop out of this partnership?The schedule by Fox includes a Sept. 23 event for Democratic candidates in Detroit. A time has not been announced for a debate among the Republicans. Questions: Should the desire to reach a large audience be a secondary consideration for the CBC in
Connecticut lawmakers debated a bill on Thursday that would require social-networking Web sites such as MySpace to verify users’ ages and force minors to obtain parental consent before posting profiles.
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The European Commission is considering the feasibility of an interoperable electronic identity (eID) system across Europe The eID system is expected to help reduce the administrative burden on mobile workers and travellers in the EU. It will also simplify cross border business transactions, company registrations, or payment of tax obligations for small businesses.
Read [...]
The New York Times published a pretty good article on the casino debate.
BUFFALO — The gray girders going up in an uninviting stretch of the Cobblestone District near downtown Buffalo seem a promising sign. Almost any economic activity is usually welcomed in this city that has become an emblem of faded industrial glory.
But these gray girders are the bones of a 6,000-square-foot gambling hall that the Seneca Indians intend to open in May, a marker for a far larger, $125 million casino that the tribe hopes will attract gamblers from Cleveland and Pittsburgh and transform Buffalo into a leisure hub.
But even in a city from which jobs and residents continue to flee, many business and political leaders see the casino as fiscal and civic poison. Though the Seneca Gaming Corporation promises 1,000 jobs and $5 million a year for the city, some think the casino would topple Buffalo's shaky economy because as a tribe the Senecas do not pay property or sales taxes. Bars, restaur
Premiers from the 16 German states were unable to reach unanimous agreement Wednesday on proposed laws to protect state gambling monopolies by banning online gambling in the country.
The heads of the individual German states met to discuss the ban, which would have to be approved by the federal parliament. Three German states — Bavaria, Saxony and Hesse — have already introduced state laws. Most of the German states run lucrative monopolistic lotteries and are keen to protect these revenues, according to the German newspaper Handelsblatt.
If Germany were to deny access to its gamblers on protectionism grounds, it could find itself at odds with the European Commission, which is fighting to liberalize the European gambling market, but faces opposition from local and national governments who want to preserve state lottery and gambling monopolies.
The three south German states that have outlawed online gambling were doing so because they decided that an Austrian public company, Bwin In
(Posted by Patrick Sullivan Jr.)
Has YouTube allowed us to reach a new low in the autism/mercury debate?
Kevin Leitch, who I have verbally sparred with from time to time but generally consider to be a good chap, has posted a video on YouTube that reminds me of a political campaign commercial. You know the ones that we all hate? Where politicians use out of context quotes, make ridiculous assumptions, all against a backdrop of "uglifying" special effects and ominous background music to smear their opponents and scare voters into voting for Mr. Sunshine. 96% of Amercians hate these ads*, so much so that Congress enacted (stupid) legislation to restrict free speech. Not that that has cleaned up political campaigns.
I'm saddened that we come down to a sound bite war, but it always does. And I'm sure we'll start seeing "political ads" coming from my side of the river soon enough. Too bad.
In fairness Kev, your first video post was a really touching and positive video abou
I realise that none of us on this blog has yet mentioned the decision last week to appoint Denver as the host city for the Democratic National Convention in 2008 - so let's take this opportunity to have a little 'process' posting.The announcement that Denver had secured the convention came at the end of last week, and representatives from the city were thrilled. "I'm thrilled," city councilwoman Elbra Wedgeworth told the Rocky Mountain News. The venue, more specifically, will be the city's Pepsi Center. The city is now trying to work out how to raise the $80 million it is estimated will be needed to host the convention. Money was one of the concerns that the Democrats had about Denver as a convention host, rather than New York City. Political symbolism - including the notion of Democrats being in touch with Western values, and the desire not to appear to be staging a coronation for Hillary Clinton on 'home turf' - drove the decision Denver's way. Since I'm hoping to go t
Courtesy of The Drudge Report today, The Politico is suggesting that the frontrunners for the Democratic nomination may decide to skip the first round of debates set for later this spring.Says author Roger Simon, "…Obama and Hillary have the perfect excuse for not showing up: They have day jobs. "They should be voting in the Senate, not running around to the debates,' [an adviser to Barack Obama] said. "Hillary and Obama should band together and say, "It is not in our interest to debate this early. We've got jobs to do. October is plenty early for debates"'"Hmm. That didn't seem to stop Senator Kerry in 2004. Or President Bush, for that matter. And given that one complaint of Kerry in '04 was that voters felt they didn't really know him as a man, perhaps waiting until October to begin debating isn't the best course of action.I have a sneaking suspicion that when you intend for your next day job to be POTUS, your current day job becomes slightly less relevant th
I've begun compiling a running list of all the presidential primary debates that are scheduled (actually, some of the dates are not yet set in stone) for 2007 and early 2008. With nearly twenty debates on the list, I still might not have them all. If I am missing a date, or if one is scheduled in the future and I have not included it, let me know and I will update the list. I'd like to keep the list going and updated for the remainder of the primary season.February21- The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) will be sponsoring one candidate forum on February 21st for Democratic presidential hopefuls in Carson City, Nevada.April4, 5- CNN, in conjunction with the New Hampshire Union Leader and WMUR-TV, will be sponsoring two presidential primary debates on April 4th (for Republicans) and 5th (for Democrats) at Saint Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire.26- NBC News and the South Carolina Democratic Party will host a presidential primary debate
