I think that unless you seriously want another 4 years of George Bush (More killin! More torturin! More detentions! Maybe some desaparecidos!), you have to get over the silly notion that there is some notion of fair play in which the New Republican Tribe believes. There's not. To believe otherwise is to bring a nerf bat to a knife fight.
does the Cuban Jew or the Iranian Shiite have his finger more firmly on the pulse of the American electorate?
I haven't the answer there, but I've often wondered which of you would emerge victorious in a Wiffle bat fight. A much easier pick: Belle would decimate Wonkette at arm-wrestling, since baby-toting builds strength much faster than assf***ing. Also, I think I could take Gary Farber at Greco-Roman wrestling. I know he's sick and all, but hey, I smoke.
Seriously though, as to the debate rules, I can't believe that the Kerry camp agreed to them. Under these rules, what will occur tonight cannot be rightfully described as a debate. God, how I wish the League of Women Voters was still running them. Ever since the parties took over the process, the quality has dropped every cycle. By 2008, I wouldn't be surprised if both candidates just sent proxies.
A metafilter post on the declining quality of the "debates".
Well, I'm not an Iowanian, but this is a public debate. Breaking the rules is all very well, but doing it in public could lose a bunch of points, not least because the Repubs would be screaming "Foul" until they run out of oxygen.
Being neither dumb nor Iowan, I can only state that in Iowa a bunch of John Deeres around a McDonalds is called 'Prom night.'
the Repubs would be screaming "Foul" until they run out of oxygen.
They will do that regardless. We should just preemptively restrict their oxygen supply.
I wouldn't recommend against breaking rules because of ethical considerations, nor because Repubs will complain; it's that I think their complaining, in this case, would work.
Still no dumb Iowans?
I was born in Kansas City and you recently talked down to me; will that do?
That makes you the closest thing we've got to an expert around here.
I'm jest a simple country boy from Cambridge Mass., but I think it all depneds how desperate Kerry is. If you view Gallup as a font of lies, as do some of our wacky friends, then it's crazy to risk it as ogged says. If you think we're still basically a 50/50 nation, again, play it safe. But if one believes Kerry is headed towards a monumental shellacking, then he is certainly advised to "make something happen" by hook or by crook.
A Brooklyn Jew says that if you have a kiiller point that can be made only by breaking the rules, and it's worth it, do it. Bit's a weighing of the benefits and drawbacks sort of dreary calculation, not a silly absolute rule. Got a great one worth it: do it. If not; not. Like most things in life, the anstract question won't/shouldn't decide it, but the specific.
Most things in life are validly decided by pushing them down the decision hierarchy. This makes life far less exciting than it is often portrayed in fiction.
"And I have here your picture of you holding the smoking pistol as you killed your old Air Force Mate as he witheld cocaine from you!" That's probbly worth breaking the rules for.
"and I just want to add another paragraph about my social security play: probably isn't."
Headline: Kerry concedes Bush served in Air Force.
When I was young and irresponsible, I was young and murderously irrresponsible. Why won't you move on?