Is anyone else frustrated?

Today's endorsement of John Kerry by the New York Times is a gem.

Hope you can get through using this link...

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/opinion/17sun1.html?th

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Gosh !! The New York Times has endorsed Kerry.

Frank - have you pasted this bit on every thread?

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Frank Apisa wrote:

Today's endorsement of John Kerry by the New York Times is a gem.

Hope you can get through using this link...

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/17/opinion/17sun1.html?th

BUT . . . the last paragraph says it all: "Voting for president is a leap of faith. A candidate can explain his positions in minute detail and wind up governing with a hostile Congress that refuses to let him deliver. A disaster can upend the best-laid plans. All citizens can do is mix guesswork and hope, examining what the candidates have done in the past, their apparent priorities and their general character."

Regardless of one's political affiliation, I think most would agree that all smear tactics should be abolished from political campaigns, and that candidates should be televised only in strictly-regulated forums in which they are required to tell us their plan for the good of the country and how they plan to accomplish that plan, with no criticism of the other candidate allowed. Perhaps they could learn something from each other during these forums.

Further, I've just had my fill of all the fallacious email messages blindly forwarded by people who don't check out the facts. Not only that, wouldn't you love to have heard the moderators in the debates say, "Senator Kerry, we are not interested in hearing you use half of your answer period criticizing a previous response/rebuttal by President Bush. We want to hear some concrete answers to the current question"? (Or vice-versa, whatever your affiliation may be).

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But letting the Presidents lies go unchangled would have meant Senator Kerry was just giveing a speach. Dosent sound like a debate to me. In a debate one side presents its case and the other rebuts the statements. Wonder what they teach in schools now in place of debates? Lieing 101.

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Foxfyre wrote:

DTOM, people seeing things differently and remaining friends is what democracy is all about.

yeah, that's true. of my 3 closest buddies, one is a ravenous fox fan, one is an ultra-(and i do mean ultra)liberal and one is nearly oblivious to politics. we can do politics and throw everything but the kitchen sink, then lean back in our chairs, raise a beer and do three stooges lines.

Foxfyre wrote:

I believe the evidence better supports my opinions re Bush and Kerry and you believe you see it correctly.

yup. that's what i mean. that's what makes a horse race. giddyup!

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Foxfyre wrote:

DTOM, people seeing things differently and remaining friends is what democracy is all about.

yeah, that's true. of my 3 closest buddies, one is a ravenous fox fan, one is an ultra-(and i do mean ultra)liberal and one is nearly oblivious to politics. we can do politics and throw everything but the kitchen sink, then lean back in our chairs, raise a beer and do three stooges lines.

Foxfyre wrote:

I believe the evidence better supports my opinions re Bush and Kerry and you believe you see it correctly.

yup. that's what i mean. that's what makes a horse race. giddyup!

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ooops! sorry 'bout that. i.t. clog.

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rabel22 wrote:

But letting the Presidents lies go unchangled would have meant Senator Kerry was just giveing a speach. Dosent sound like a debate to me. In a debate one side presents its case and the other rebuts the statements. Wonder what they teach in schools now in place of debates? Lieing 101.

Obviously, not spelling.

When a prior question has been answered and rebutted, candidates should be required to stick to the current question instead of continuing to "re-hash" prior answers/rebuttals.

My point is that the debates are counter-productive and that another venue (with stricter guidelines) should be used. I would much rather hear more succinct answers, i.e.,"This is my plan, and this is how I hope to accomplish it" (hope being the operative word).

In any case, it is up to you to use common sense, do some research, and decide for yourself what is truth and what is fiction. There's a lot of smoke out there, so be sure to wear a gas mask.

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Welcome to A2K iwan.

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Foxfyre wrote:

Welcome to A2K iwan.

Thanks. I have enjoyed my participation (so far).

I am, by no means, a "political" person, but I am totally frustrated by the negativity of this campaign . . . probably the worst in our political history.

As George Burns once said: "Too bad all the people who know how to run the country are busy driving cabs or cutting hair."

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Gee noavatar. No one told me one had too know how to spell to express an opinion. Sure glad that you new guys are here to correct the rest of us. You are right about one thing, everyone should do their homework before they vote. Unfortunately most listen to the 30 sec. sound bites and figure they have heard the absolute truth without really checking the facts. Feel free to correct my spelling whenever you want .

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rabel22 wrote:

Gee noavatar. No one told me one had too know how to spell to express an opinion. Sure glad that you new guys are here to correct the rest of us. You are right about one thing, everyone should do their homework before they vote. Unfortunately most listen to the 30 sec. sound bites and figure they have heard the absolute truth without really checking the facts. Feel free to correct my spelling whenever you want .

As far as knowing how to spell in order to express an opinion, my opinion is: Verbally - no; Written - yes; otherwise, it's difficult to read and not always taken seriously. And, as for being new, I estimate that while I may be an infant, you are not yet a teenager (in terms of posts), but that also has nothing to do with being able to express an opinion.

You're right . . . Out-of-context sound bites rule the air waves. It's a sad commentary on our print and broadcast media that they assume the role of judge and jury, when sensationalism and innuendo take precedence over proven facts and truth. A prime example is the undocumented CBS story and, subsequently, Dan Rather's pitifully inadequate apology, just as retractions of "hot" front page stories are usually buried in some obscure back section of the newspaper. The damage has already been done.

What's a frustrated reader or viewer to do? Exactly what you said . . . Homework. Check out the facts. Just because you read it or heard it doesn't mean it's true.

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It is often looked upon as bad form to point out misspellings. Some people (like me) are poor typers and when you get going, sometimes the fingers and the mind stop working at the same speed.

If one can grasp the point from what has been "said" that should be enough.

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McGentrix wrote:

It is often looked upon as bad form to point out misspellings. Some people (like me) are poor typers and when you get going, sometimes the fingers and the mind stop working at the same speed.

If one can grasp the point from what has been "said" that should be enough.

Then, why not use the provided SpellCheck feature to help ensure that people can grasp the point? Rebel22 and I agree on the main point . . . Spelling was simply a sidebar.

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In this case, I agree that it is more profitable to develop fluency in typo than it is to require one to be impeccable in his/her spelling, syntax, and sentence structure. Without benefit of word processing here, and most of us snitching bits of time from other projects to hurriedly write, it is difficult to get it absolutely perfect. I am simply too stubborn to use the spell checker myself. Also our European, Asian, South American, etc. friends are often dealing--beautifully I mght add--with English as a second language or are using translaters that frequently screw up the spelling or syntax. But they contribute so much to the forum, I am continually in awe of them. God help me if I had to post something in THEIR native language.

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The SpellCheck feature may be okay for typos, but it doesn't have the ability to check for grammar. For example, 'as' and 'ass' would probably both pass the SpellCheck, without it having any idea as to the context.

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Foxy, something that needed to be said.

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As well as their and there and they're. It's a small thing and most people that do point it out are using it because either they have no reply to the post, they are trying to belittle someone, or they are just mean.

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Or........they can't be a glamour queen, so they try to be a grammar queen Smile

LOL....<ducking>

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Is anyone else frustrated?
I see that spelling is a sensitive subject, perhaps worthy of its own topic (if one does not already exist).

But . . . Aren't we digressing? Since the introduction of the heinous "S" word, the posts seem to have gotten off-track. Rebel22 is the only one who has responded in concert with the topic.

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Is anyone else frustrated?

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