Mudslinging In Campaigning

[Darkfinn]

Due process? Nah. Equal rights? For losers. Constitution? Just a piece of paper. Corporations? WE LOVES THEM AND THEY DON"T NEED LAWS!

Sounds like the entirety of America.

[Leilin]

Sounds like the entirety of America.

Some places are objectively worse about this than others.

[redneck diaper boy]

I don't get the obsesion with giving the states ultimate authority we tried that once under the articles of confederation and it went horribly what makes people think it will be any better today if the federal government was abolished.

Try the US Constitition. The 10 Amendments says "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

America has worked for over 200 years! America is the most prosperous nation in world history! Outside Independence Hall when the Constitutional Convention of 1787 ended, Mrs. Powel of Philadelphia asked Benjamin Franklin,"Well, Doctor, what have we got, a republic or a monarchy?" With no hesitation whatsoever, Franklin responded, "A republic, if you can keep it."

Ignorance, apathy and complacency will be the undoing of America.

[Alexandra]

not what i said read my whole post i have an issue with giving states full power

[redneck diaper boy]

not what i said read my whole post i have an issue with giving states full power

The Federal Government has become so big that it is oppresive. It is time to get rid or change the function of the EPA, Department of Education, EEOC, Department of Energy, and HUD for starters. All of these government agencies came about during my lifetime. We got along just fine without them. All of siad agencies are bottomless pits for taxpayer dollars and they have done nothing for our country except to ruin it!

[Alexandra]

blah blah blah does anybody realy care about that right now i know i don't

[Diapered Jason]

The Federal Government has become so big that it is oppresive. It is time to get rid or change the function of the EPA, Department of Education, EEOC, Department of Energy, and HUD for starters. All of these government agencies came about during my lifetime. We got along just fine without them. All of siad agencies are bottomless pits for taxpayer dollars and they have done nothing for our country except to ruin it!

One of the predecessors to the Department of Energy, also known as the Atomic Energy Commission, has been around far longer than you. Without them, we would still be stuck in the 1940s. Our military technology is a direct result of their endeavors and the now current Department of Energy continues to be so. Remember those communists you were so worried about earlier. Well, we would not have been much of a match for the Soviet Union had it not been for the efforts of these government organizations.

Those other organizations have many positive effects on your life and contribute to the our country's excellence. Clean air to breath and water to drink as well as providing more access to higher education were important goals for our country in the past and I am glad we have made great progress in those areas, but there is still much more work ahead. Of course, I know you are totally against the government helping its citizens in any way even if you probably receive help from the government now, so I understand why you would be against the EEOC and the HUD. Of course, screw everyone who is not white and male, am I right?

Still, I would expect you to at least care about our nation's security or are you a communist, a threat within trying to undermine our government so the terrorists win?

Now that is good mudslinging!

[Leilin]

Speaking of mudslinging...

http://current.com/community/93764725_republican-national-committee-attacks-obama-on-jobs-from-overseas-call-center.htm

You're doing it wrong, Republicans.

[FretaBWet]

The Federal Government has become so big that it is oppresive. It is time to get rid or change the function of the EPA, Department of Education, EEOC, Department of Energy, and HUD for starters. All of these government agencies came about during my lifetime. We got along just fine without them. All of siad agencies are bottomless pits for taxpayer dollars and they have done nothing for our country except to ruin it!

Get rid of the EPA and everything will go back to the wonderful idyllc life we all had. Here's a couple examples.

http://en.wikipedia....wiki/Love_Canal

http://www.greens.or.../078/07-09.html

This is how corporations conduct business without any oversight.

Hugs,

Freta

[redneck diaper boy]

Speaking of mudslinging...

http://current.com/c...call-center.htm

You're doing it wrong, Republicans.

It is much easier to set up a call center overseas. Working telephones is the kind of jobs that community organizers do. When you are a "progressive" parasitic group, there are no problems obtaining volunteer phone bank people because they have nothing better to do. When you are part of the wealth production network, one attempts to get the most amount of work for dollars spent. Keep in mind that Current TV is owned by one of the biggest liars in America: Algore. Yes I want Obama gone. If I can make more calls from overseas to get it done that is fine.

This is a smokescreen because we have a President that wants to oversee the systematic destruction of America. America has to be punished for being the greatest nation in the world. We can't have those good high paying jobs like oil and natural gas production right? Instead we have to pay Barzil or the Saudis.

[Diapered Jason]

It is much easier to set up a call center overseas. Working telephones is the kind of jobs that community organizers do. When you are a "progressive" parasitic group, there are no problems obtaining volunteer phone bank people because they have nothing better to do. When you are part of the wealth production network, one attempts to get the most amount of work for dollars spent. Keep in mind that Current TV is owned by one of the biggest liars in America: Algore. Yes I want Obama gone. If I can make more calls from overseas to get it done that is fine.

This is a smokescreen because we have a President that wants to oversee the systematic destruction of America. America has to be punished for being the greatest nation in the world. We can't have those good high paying jobs like oil and natural gas production right? Instead we have to pay Barzil or the Saudis.

This is a smokescreen because we have person here trying to convince us the president means harm without any real evidence. Instead, we have actually been increasing oil and natural gas production. I have told you this already and have shown you the chart, yet you continue to lie following in the foot steps of "conservative" parasitic groups to the letter. They are the biggest liars you know, well, except maybe the communists, lol. Here it is again, just for you:

I apologize, 2010 charts were the most recent I could find, but no matter where you take the charts from, they all say the same thing. Go ahead, do a Google search. By the way, the government has helped us in this endeavor quite a bit through obtaining permits in a quick fashion as well as providing subsidies. In fact, the only ones holding back are the oil companies, who are not using the land and permits they have been given.

Oh forget it, no one listens to facts.

THE COMMUNISTS ARE COMING! THE COMMUNISTS ARE COMING! Electronic Arts is likely to make a Red Alert 4, except this time, the communists are coming from another planet, oh no. Quick, grab your guns, grab your bible, then proceed to your fully stocked storm, I mean, bomb shelter.

[ForbiddenFruit]

This is a smokescreen because we have person here trying to convince us the president means harm without any real evidence. Instead, we have actually been increasing oil and natural gas production. I have told you this already and have shown you the chart, yet you continue to lie following in the foot steps of "conservative" parasitic groups to the letter. They are the biggest liars you know, well, except maybe the communists, lol. Here it is again, just for you:

I apologize, 2010 charts were the most recent I could find, but no matter where you take the charts from, they all say the same thing. Go ahead, do a Google search. By the way, the government has helped us in this endeavor quite a bit through obtaining permits in a quick fashion as well as providing subsidies. In fact, the only ones holding back are the oil companies, who are not using the land and permits they have been given.

Oh forget it, no one listens to facts.

THE COMMUNISTS ARE COMING! THE COMMUNISTS ARE COMING! Electronic Arts is likely to make a Red Alert 4, except this time, the communists are coming from another planet, oh no. Quick, grab your guns, grab your bible, then proceed to your fully stocked storm, I mean, bomb shelter.

Don't forget to wave your bible in one hand and wave your printout of the constitution in another and claim the latter is based on the former.

[Darkfinn]

blah blah blah does anybody realy care about that right now i know i don't

You'd better care, because the clock is ticking. The way our government operates right now is completely unsustainable, and our political parties are unwilling to compromise and attempt to fix their problems. The Federal Govt. especially is rotten with greed and corruption from top to bottom. The banks, big business and the military industrial complex are pulling the strings with everything. At this point the only way forward is to scrap the entire government and start over.

[Alexandra]

yeah see thats what I don't care about conspireasy nonsense and no thats not the answer I'm sorry to sound mean hear but thats stupid getting ride of the constitution is the wrost possible idea to fix america right now

[sarah_ab]

i'm gonna go out ona limb here and say that at some point in history there have been greter nations.. there was a time when britain ran most of the world.... there was a time when rome ran most of the world.... yet somehow in ALL of history america has been the greatest nation? nope... not even close. There are many other nations that have far lower illiteracy, homeless and jobless rates, with higher mean incomes, better living conditions, more people educated, less violent crime, fewer suicides etc...etc...etc... oh yeah.. and those countries are in existance today.. lets see.. japan, norway, sweeden, denmark (i do not include finland because for some reason they have a high suicide rate)... but yet somehow america is the greatest nation? Just because america is the world's bully does not make it great...

[sarah_ab]

ohh i just LOVE visuals!! when will someone make a powerpoint explainig all this???

[Leilin]

Stay classy, Republicans:

http://www.concordmo...74Zadas.twitter

I'm sure our resident troll will have something positively enlightening, relevant, and direct to say about this, possibly involving how Obama is a Marxist and wants to destroy this country.

[Diapered Jason]

Stay classy, Republicans:

http://www.concordmo...74Zadas.twitter

I'm sure our resident troll will have something positively enlightening, relevant, and direct to say about this, possibly involving how Obama is a Marxist and wants to destroy this country.

Where have you been Leilin, Sen. Mary Landrieu is one of them there communists, of course we have to wire tap her phone, lol.

[Darkfinn]

Stay classy, Republicans:

http://www.concordmo...74Zadas.twitter

From the article, "O'Keefe, who is 27 and lives with his parents in New Jersey..."

All I really needed to know about this young man's opinions and credibility right there.

[ForbiddenFruit]

From the article, "O'Keefe, who is 27 and lives with his parents in New Jersey..."

All I really needed to know about this young man's opinions and credibility right there.

Ad hominem has its place, but it isn't meant for a case like this. Not saying it doesn't aid arguments against him (of course, it does) but it's besides the point.

Example: Ad Hominem is perfectly reasonable when critisizing Michele Bachmann, because it includes displays of irrational paranoia (the 'lesbians tried to hold me in the bathroom!' incident), her idiocy (lack of correct facts regarding CO2, trying to push redundant legislature), lack of contact with reality ('pray the gay away'), inconsistency (in giving up her goal of getting to the white house, she's disobeying God!) and method of getting how far she managed to stride - by using the fear and bigotry of her over-conservative single-issue voters on promises she would not be able to deliver. It all points to her being not only a pathological liar, but a bona fide psychopath.

[Leilin]

Pointing out somebody's statements and criticizing their quality or lack thereof and then using it to attack their character is not a method of argumentum ad hominem. It's actually precisely the inverse of it.

[ForbiddenFruit]

Ah, understood. I used to take ad hominem as using something separate to the issue at hand and using that to discredit, a misconception. Having a re-check I see that (most of) my Bachmann diatribe isn't actually ad hominem like Finn's statement. Whoops.

I will, however, stand by my statement that ad hominem has its place (not saying you went against that, just clarifying) There seems to be this idea among idiots that because an argument contains it, it doesn't have anything higher in it, and in many cases it can be relevant. For example, if a journalist defends someone's 'artistic integrity' and I say that they don't have any journalistic integrity based on their previous statements, then what I've done is essentially ad hominem, but hey, it fits.I've used a trait (albeit one deduced from quotes so it's rooted in fact), one that's tangentially related, of the author to add to an attack on an argument.

I've probably phrased this terribly, particularly that last bit. It's late.

[Leilin]

No problem. It's a point of pedantry with me. Ad Hominem is one of the most misused terms in internet debate.

Examples:

You suck! <---- That's not argumentum ad hominem. That's just an insult.

You suck, therefore you are wrong! <----- That is argumentum ad hominem, using a judgment or aspect of the individual as evidence to conclude that the individual's point is incorrect, rather than the content of their arguments.

You are wrong, therefore you suck! <----- Also not argumentum ad hominem. The inverse of it and has no proper name, since it technically isn't a logical fallacy.

[Diaper Mike 05]

Nice to know I was just a few miles from Love Canal last night Love Canal is the basis of a weekly segment on Buffalo morning radio called "the Niagara Falls Police Blotter" because the chemicals dumped into Love Canal got to the locals brains and their crimes are of the "special" variety.

Back on topic, the reason for mudslinging is because no one can fully run on anything positive. Whether it is having a mixed or bad record (Obama's record is mixed at best compared to what he is aiming to achieve), your percepstion (Romney), a combination of both, or whatever reason, you have to highlight the bad parts of the other person, even if it means embellishing to get the point across.

Right now in history, we don't have a political system where the best ideas win. We have 2 sides where idealogues of varying degree stonewall each other if politically expedient. Neither side is willing to work with the other, and both sides are currently playing political games and the losers are the people.

Since January, 2001, we have had an all-Republican (read - majority) controlled government, Democrats in Congress with a Republican President, an all-Democrat controlled government, and now we have a mixed bag with Democrats controlling the Senate and White House and Republicans controlling the House. Guess what - NOTHING HAS WORKED!

Mudslinging is used to hide these issues (because as I mentioned earlier, no one in politics can truly run on anything positive), and so they can broad promises about what they would do differently (I'll lower taxes but won't tell you how, or I will cut spending and not tell you how). You know politicians will not state how they contributed to stonewalling the other party, or how Republicans could only say "NO" to everything for 2 years because Democrats wouldn't let them to the table (and the inverse would also hold if the opposite were to happen). So, revert to the lowest common factor, throw in some broad promises you really can't keep, and you have a political ad.

[sarah_ab]

my campaign will be utterly positive ... i will refuse to acknowledge my oponents.... i am of the belief that anyone who does not agree with me MUST be joking .... thereful anyone running against me is just joking about running....

sarah_ab 2020!!!!