If you HAD to Vote for One...

[Thefishguy77]

That meme was directed at those people here that ask for proof that the media/press protect the left and attack the right.


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[-JD-]

I started this thread just to see what the informal, unscientific numbers would be and 654 posts later, it has turned into this:

Summary of this whole thread

"The republicans are right!"
"No, the democrats are right!"
"No, the democrats are wrong and here's this link from a website showing it!"
"No, the republicans are wrong because that link is just a wrong opinion!"
"No, that link says the other link is wrong so the repub- er, I mean the demo- um, well, one side is definitely wrong!"


"The democrats are right..."
"The republicans are right..."

"Hey, you guys on the other side want to go get a beer? I'm tired of saying the exact same thing six hundred times by just changing a word or two!"

"Yeah, let's go get a beer and talk about hunting or 4Runners or music
or something we can agree on!"

I've got to say, to me personally, the thing that is most worrying about this election isn't the behaviour of either of the candidates but the divisiveness in society. People have always taken 'sides' being either liberal or conservative but I don't know if I ever remember the sides being this far apart and this firmly entrenched in their beliefs.

I mean, I cannot personally even begin to fathom how people don't see through what appears to me to be Trumps incredibly transparent lies, ego, sleazy personality or self serving interests. IMO he is by far the lowest the bar to be president of the US has ever been set, but I know people on the other side feel similarly about Hillary (Not that I understand it, but I know they feel that way).

This more than anything else has me worried about the future. If things continue down this path of increasing divisiveness it has me seriously worried for where they will be in a few years time. When the US government is reaching unprecedented levels of paralysis with the increase in filibustering, pledges to not compromise and general stubbornness you have to worry about its ability to get things done in the future when it is largely dependent on some degree of compromise to get things done.

 

[1engineer]

I've got to say, to me personally, the thing that is most worrying about this election isn't the behaviour of either of the candidates but the divisiveness in society. People have always taken 'sides' being either liberal or conservative but I don't know if I ever remember the sides being this far apart and this firmly entrenched in their beliefs.

I mean, I cannot personally even begin to fathom how people don't see through what appears to me to be Trumps incredibly transparent lies, ego, sleazy personality or self serving interests. IMO he is by far the lowest the bar to be president of the US has ever been set, but I know people on the other side feel similarly about Hillary (Not that I understand it, but I know they feel that way).

This more than anything else has me worried about the future. If things continue down this path of increasing divisiveness it has me seriously worried for where they will be in a few years time. When the US government is reaching unprecedented levels of paralysis with the increase in filibustering, pledges to not compromise and general stubbornness you have to worry about its ability to get things done in the future when it is largely dependent on some degree of compromise to get things done.

I'm not worried at all. The people have always been this divided. The change is how this is communicated with social media. That's the big change. And with that comes the media and others trying to steer people one way or the other.

 

[Gunslinger-13]

I've got to say, to me personally, the thing that is most worrying about this election isn't the behaviour of either of the candidates but the divisiveness in society. People have always taken 'sides' being either liberal or conservative but I don't know if I ever remember the sides being this far apart and this firmly entrenched in their beliefs.

I mean, I cannot personally even begin to fathom how people don't see through what appears to me to be Trumps incredibly transparent lies, ego, sleazy personality or self serving interests. IMO he is by far the lowest the bar to be president of the US has ever been set, but I know people on the other side feel similarly about Hillary (Not that I understand it, but I know they feel that way).

This more than anything else has me worried about the future. If things continue down this path of increasing divisiveness it has me seriously worried for where they will be in a few years time. When the US government is reaching unprecedented levels of paralysis with the increase in filibustering, pledges to not compromise and general stubbornness you have to worry about its ability to get things done in the future when it is largely dependent on some degree of compromise to get things done.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxPRHXgYVlk

Blame Canada! HAHA! Just kidding.

The federal government and the media have been dividing people here for decades. This is what you get when you divide and conquer from within. Social media is a common day plague. 24/7 man made weather! Where people can go to their little bubbles and group think pervades. Scary!

Extremism on both sides is rampant and needs to be dealt with.

Hard task to do when the federal government and the media are 24/7 working to divide them further and push them to extremes.

Look at how much the typical person wants to control what others do. It's disgusting.

Used to be people said "It's a free country". You just don't hear that anymore.

Everyone is so PC and needs a safe space.

There are several different Americas these days and the genuine America of old is diminishing quite quickly.

United we stand divided we fall. We be fallin' yo'.

 

[Hepar]

I'm not worried at all. The people have always been this divided. The change is how this is communicated with social media. That's the big change. And with that comes the media and others trying to steer people one way or the other.

I agree and disagree. Agree that there has always been a divide. Agree that one of the more substantial changes in recent times has been the move to social media. But maybe I disagree that it is just a different form from ones previously seen? I think the biggest issue I have with social media is that it takes away largely from the discussion. Much like internet forums like this. Too quickly do people feel they need to take a side and it more because who can make the most noise over one another. That and any issues lose the moderate. If you're not on one side, then you have to be on the other. There no longer seems to be the space for a middle ground. I feel like when you're face to face, it is much easier to find common ground within a discussion and to actually hear and process where the other person is coming from even if you disagree with it.

 

[Gunslinger-13]

I agree and disagree. Agree that there has always been a divide. Agree that one of the more substantial changes in recent times has been the move to social media. But maybe I disagree that it is just a different form from ones previously seen? I think the biggest issue I have with social media is that it takes away largely from the discussion. Much like interned forums like this. Too quickly do people feel they need to take a side and it more because who can make the most noise over one another. That and any issues lose the moderate. If you're not on one side, then you have to be on the other. There no longer seems to be the space for a middle ground. I feel like when you're face to face, it is much easier to find common ground within a discussion and to actually hear and process where the other person is coming from even if you disagree with it.

Effing a brotha!

We need to do less social media and less interneting and more drinking beers and discussing things face to face.

It's like driving. People do such moronic shit and are such *******s hiding behind their vehicle and anonymity.

When we are walking on the side walk people don't walk like they drive if you get what I am saying.

Same thing with the interwebz and social media.

We all thought the world was getting "Bigger" with the interwebs. Turns out we are making it "smaller" in a way also...

 

[1engineer]

I've got to say, to me personally, the thing that is most worrying about this election isn't the behaviour of either of the candidates but the divisiveness in society. People have always taken 'sides' being either liberal or conservative but I don't know if I ever remember the sides being this far apart and this firmly entrenched in their beliefs.

I mean, I cannot personally even begin to fathom how people don't see through what appears to me to be Trumps incredibly transparent lies, ego, sleazy personality or self serving interests. IMO he is by far the lowest the bar to be president of the US has ever been set, but I know people on the other side feel similarly about Hillary (Not that I understand it, but I know they feel that way).

This more than anything else has me worried about the future. If things continue down this path of increasing divisiveness it has me seriously worried for where they will be in a few years time. When the US government is reaching unprecedented levels of paralysis with the increase in filibustering, pledges to not compromise and general stubbornness you have to worry about its ability to get things done in the future when it is largely dependent on some degree of compromise to get things done.

Let's me expound a bit more...
I'm not worried about who gets elected. I am worried about HOW they get elected. Many people are sheep and are being led by their noses in the direction their choice of media is steering them. People forget that the media is not that smart and their sole job is to sell advertising, not report the news. THAT'S what I am worried about, the dumbing down of our citizens.

 

[-JD-]

I'm not worried at all. The people have always been this divided. The change is how this is communicated with social media. That's the big change. And with that comes the media and others trying to steer people one way or the other.

I agree with you for the most part, but I do worry to some degree about the changes brought about by social media. There have been a lot of positive changes, no doubt, but one of the negatives seems to be an increase in extremism.

I hope you're right about people always being this divided. You've probably lived through more election cycles than I have, but in my limited experience things seem to be becoming more divided.

 

[Hepar]

Effing a brotha!

We need to do less social media and less interneting and more drinking beers and discussing things face to face.

It's like driving. People do such moronic shit and are such *******s hiding behind their vehicle and anonymity.

When we are walking on the side walk people don't walk like they drive if you get what I am saying.

Same thing with the interwebz and social media.

To me we just need to interact more PERIOD. All of this technology is great in many ways, but we are losing our ability to see each others as true human beings. And that interactions with each other hit all of our senses and that's exactly what we need.

And I don't think it's that most drive like idiots because they mean to. I honestly feel that they do because they are just in their own bubble most of the time. They don't move over from the passing lane because they just don't realize there's even a car behind them. Or when merging, parking etc etc. You see it in how people act even outside of their vehicles. It's why I try to avoid Costco like the plague. The people using their carts with no regards to others inside is just a microcosm of how people use their cars outside in the parking lot.

Cheesy, but if we all just took the time when we went out in public and thought of the world we are interacting with around us, it would be a far different place.

 

[-JD-]

I feel like when you're face to face, it is much easier to find common ground within a discussion and to actually hear and process where the other person is coming from even if you disagree with it.

When we are walking on the side walk people don't walk like they drive if you get what I am saying.

Same thing with the interwebz and social media.

We all thought the world was getting "Bigger" with the interwebs. Turns out we are making it "smaller" in a way also...

This is what I'm talking about though. I feel both of these things are going away. I would use the debate as an example. Both the candidates and the reactions from the public and press. IMO they seem to have been some of the least civilized debates in recent history.

Same goes for basic human interaction. I feel like you see a lot more lack of civility from people in public these days. Certainly not from everyone, but on average.

 

[Hepar]

This is what I'm talking about though. I feel both of these things are going away. I would use the debate as an example. Both the candidates and the reactions from the public and press. IMO they seem to have been some of the least civilized debates in recent history.

Same goes for basic human interaction. I feel like you see a lot more lack of civility from people in public these days. Certainly not from everyone, but on average.

Yep. And I have heard of several schools who are making interpersonal communication a required course as early as middle school because they are finding that so many lack basic interpersonal skills being so much of their interactions are through technology.

I know I've mentioned this before, but I recently made a personal pledge to try and have a meaningful conversation with a stranger ever time I go out in public. I'm not always successful, but when I am it's usually such a great experience. I highly recommend everyone here to try and do the same.

 

[_#1_]

I put 10 on Trump!

He'll totally annihilate her lol.

Most of America will forget about this ugly election soon after it's over. We have kinda short attention span. If Trump wins no one will forget cause he's actually quite entertaining to be honest.

 

[Gunslinger-13]

This is what I'm talking about though. I feel both of these things are going away. I would use the debate as an example. Both the candidates and the reactions from the public and press. IMO they seem to have been some of the least civilized debates in recent history.

Same goes for basic human interaction. I feel like you see a lot more lack of civility from people in public these days. Certainly not from everyone, but on average.

Brawndo's got electrolytes! The Thirst Mutilator!

I'm convinced Idiocracy was a time travelers written memoirs/perspective of travelling to the near future!

We aren't too far off from a President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho...

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I hate 'em both but if I put money on one it would be Hillary. Trump hasn't gained any new support and she's led the polls this whole time. Trump could win but I don't think there's enough white people that support him.

 

[Hepar]

Brawndo's got electrolytes! The Thirst Mutilator!

I'm convinced Idiocracy was a time travelers written memoirs/perspective of travelling to the near future!

We aren't too far off from a President Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Herbert Camacho...

Idiocracy should be required viewing before casting your vote.

 

[1engineer]

Can we all agree that, while who gets elected is important, the bigger and longer term issue is the rise of influence of "personalities" that are nothing more than talking heads who sell ads. That influence I fear is a major culprit of the dumbing down of citizens in every country and a major cause of the strife and friction on issues ranging from BLM to the elections. Geez.

 

[Hepar]

can we all agree

Never!

 

[Thefishguy77]

I think debates are a waste of time at this point. If they want to hold debates set up a different format.
Only a format suggestion.

Questions only come from studio audience or online audience. The microphone goes dead 10 seconds after their 2 minute answer time is up.
The "moderators" are over stepping their bounds. They are there to ask the decided questions only and it appears that they feel entitled to put their influence in to it. That shouldn't happen.

I would love to hear other ideas on how a debate could still be beneficial. Of if you think it is currently beneficial.


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[RonMAIDEN]

I put 10 on Trump!

.

How about if Trump wins I'll use a respectable pic of Trump as my avatar for 30 days after the election and if Hillary wins you do the same.

I have a $100 bet with a friend I made about a year ago and I expect a nice dinner on him for me and my wife on election night.

 

[Hepar]

I think debates are a waste of time at this point. If they want to hold debates set up a different format.
Only a format suggestion.

Questions only come from studio audience or online audience. The microphone goes dead 10 seconds after their 2 minute answer time is up.
The "moderators" are over stepping their bounds. They are there to ask the decided questions only and it appears that they feel entitled to put their influence in to it. That shouldn't happen.

I would love to hear other ideas on how a debate could still be beneficial. Of if you think it is currently beneficial.


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https://highschooldebate.org/rules/