Replacement Refs to Moderate Presidential Debates
Posted by MichaelGroff on October 3, 2012 | Filed under Podcasts, Uncategorized
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Millions tuned in for the first in the series of presidential debates between Governor Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama. The highly anticipated event lived up to the expectations of many as the two candidates squared off on the national stage. When the dust settled on the over ninety-minute verbal melee a few things became abundantly clear: Most political pundits felt Mitt Romney was more poised, focused and assertive Wednesday evening. While others felt president Obama may have been off his proverbial game. Some may dispute who came out ahead in this opening round of debates, the unanimous loser was moderator Jim Lahrer.
Much like the gone and hopefully soon forgotten replacement NFL officials, Lahrer seemed unable to take control of the evening; seemingly unclear as to the rules or how to control either participant. Green Bay Packers fans need not wonder any longer what happened to the official that cost them the game on Monday Night Football… he’s become a debate moderator. The pace of the debate often seemed staggered and unfocused as Lahrer took nearly six-and-a-half minutes to ask his first question to either candidate, and it only got worse from there. While I’m not advocating for a moderator to tell a current governor or the president of the United States to “shut up”, the slightly effort to move the conversation forward wouldn’t have been a bad thing.
Strangely absent (written with as much sarcasm as you would come to expect here) from this debate was former New Mexico Governor and Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson. Obviously, the organizers of the debates (Republicans and Democrats) wouldn’t want some outsider, non-corporatist to potentially call out their candidates in front of the nation. Furthermore, both the R’s and D’s know that any exposure to Gary Johnson would significantly eat into their own polling numbers. Still, one can fantasize about how each candidate would have responded to accusations that they’re both essentially the same on a lot of broader issues such as foreign policy (war in Afghanistan, Iraq, etc), spending and social issues. One can dream, right?
Mitt Romney won the first debate and this is a trait he shares with another former presidential candidate, Walter Mondale… how did that work out?
More thoughts on this debate are contained within this show.
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Pop Quiz: While hiking it’s generally not a good idea to (a) smoke cigarettes, (b) stop paying attention to where you’re going, (c) send text messages, (d) All of the above.
You will find out just what a woman in Alaska discovered was the correct answer to that question during this episode.
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“Don’t make me turn this plane around!”
Shortly after departure, an American Airlines flight bound for O’Hare International Airport made an unusual detour. Passengers on Flight 1214 were diverted back to Raleigh, North Carolina following an argument between two flight attendants. The pilot considered the matter serious enough to alert the tower of the onboard situation. Despite the fact that law enforcement officials were waiting upon the plane’s arrival, no one was arrested.
According to law enforcement, no assault took place and the other passengers nor flight crew were in danger at any point. Nevertheless, questions still arose as to what type of argument would be so significant to merit the captain to turn the plane around. The mystery grew with the discovery that American Airlines had no apparent comment or disciplinary action for the flight attendants allegedly involved.
Now, simply imagine if the two flight attendants in this story were passengers. Do you suppose the airline would be so forgiving? Would law enforcement not charge or arrest them? Would the FBI just decide not to pursue the matter further? We know the answers to these questions. We also know that jail time and a hefty fine would be in store for John Doe Citizen involved in such a situation. Double standards, gotta love ’em.
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Also on this episode:
– Over 75% of all checking accounts are no longer free. That’s right, most people actually pay banks to have the privilege of opening and maintaining a checking account. Just three years ago, only 39% of all checking accounts weren’t free… so why the sudden increase? If you said “government involvement/regulation”, then congratulations on knowing how business works in the real world.
– Master Criminal: Remember those old school cartoons that showed robberies in which the bad guy had a finger in his jacket/pocket to appear as though he is carrying a gun? Now, imagine it’s 2012 and someone tried it in reality… oh wait, you don’t have to imagine it as it actually occurred!
– The worst song of the week, making ears bleed since … well … a week ago.
– Syria’s military claims they never fired a missile into northern Israel. Rader, damage on the ground and the remains of the missile would suggest otherwise.
October 6, 2012 at 9:48 pm
I think the 24 hour marathon podcast should probably wait till the older listeners find out you’re not dead yet =P. And it’d have to be live streamed or it wouldn’t be fun for anyone. I’m an old enough listener to remember when all the shows were live.
October 7, 2012 at 11:56 pm
Agreed, I’d also like Mike’s personal rundown on every song in the top 40, or perhaps a song by song detailed analysis (and perhaps translation into English) of a Nicki Minaj album. Although probably closer to the end, because I’m quite sure it will result in an aneurysm.