I really do dislike political debates, but I feel compelled to read some of the transcripts after the debates are over. In my perusal of the transcript from Monday’s democratic debate, I picked out some choice quotes. Unfortunately, they are all terribly depressing. That is to be expected, at least to a degree, since there’s no good thirty-second answers to these issues. Many of the questions are outright ridiculous anyways. Especially when the questions are nothing but cues to pander to religion, or to use the words troops, america, freedom, and democracy in a sentence without conveying anything. Or they demand a contradictory answer, such as the question about public schools. The premise of the question demanded that the candidates both say that the schools are awful as a result of the “no standardized test left behind” act, and that they think that the schools are wonderful enough for them to send their own children there.
Don’t think that I’m blaming the democrats though. The republican debates are orders of magnitude worse. Seriously, I can’t imagine a more depressing political situation than three presidential candidates saying they “don’t believe in” evolution. I really can’t think of anything more depressing than that, except for perhaps all of them agreeing. Anyway, here are some quotes:
COOPER: Is anyone on the stage for reparations for slavery for African-Americans?
KUCINICH: I am. The Bible says we shall be and must be repairers of the breach.
I really don’t care what the issue is, using the bible to justify any political position is ridiculous.
EDWARDS: It’s not. I mean, I’ve been asked a personal question which is […] do I believe and do I personally support gay marriage?
The honest answer to that is I don’t.
And he gives no reason for this, none at all. Maybe he’s trying to appeal to the swing-vote gay-haters (???), maybe he’s just latently homophobic. Either way, what a dumb statement to make.
BIDEN: Religion informs my values.
BIDEN: My reason dictates outcomes. […] You know, look, I don’t think they’re inconsistent. I don’t find anything inconsistent about my deep, religious beliefs and my ability to use reason. I think the coin’s [”in god we trust”] got it just right. I think I have it in perspective.
Right, another one of these “I see no conflict” religious types. Does he find anything inconsistant in Sam Brownback’s religious beliefs and “ability to use reason”? Biden, and for that matter all of the candidates asked this question, have done nothing to distinguish their religiosity from any of the Republicans, other than to say they won’t let it influence them. Not good enough.
—cts