Did anyone manage to see the Rock The Vote Debate last night on C.N.N. hosted by Anderson Cooper? I managed to turn it on accidentally. It was a debate geared for America's youth and to get the 18-24 year old age group to vote.

Each candidate talked about his/her position on gay rights including gays in the military and gay marriage. Anderson Cooper even had the audacity to go around the room and ask each candidate if they have previously smoked marijuana.

I was not impressed with any of the candidates at last night's debate. General Wesley Clark wore a form fitting black shirt which was quite a head turner though. One look at his pecs and I am guessing it was really COLD in that auditorium.

Nascar, yes I did. I posted my thoughts about it under Howard Dean thread. It was lets attack Howard night in my opinion. Once again the insiders can't stand the fact that Dean is ahead in the polls. I thought the questions were intriguing for the most part. The actual question about marijuana was really about admitting to previous drug use. Lieberman totally copped out on this one, obviously nervous about his potential answer. I thought Anderson Cooper was quite shaky at times, esp. in the beginning.

Oh my God, what a sorry lot these folks appeared last night! I'm almost starting to dread the fact that I'll have to vote for one of them, including Dean, who did himself no favors in my eyes with his inept response to the Confederate question. Invoking MLK Jr. every five seconds is about as bald a pandering as anything the new "Panderbear," John Edwards, comes up with. Gephardt is starting to look better and better....

Why can't they get a grip and see that W is vulnerable, that he's the worst president we've had since Harding, and that if they presented a positive plan for the future, they would probably win?

BTW, Wesley Clark was turning out that turtleneck. I can't get Camille Paglia's description of him as Keir Dullea in "2001" out of my head, though.

Amen! Also, I think one of them needs to focus on an exit plan from Iraq, Bosnia, and Afghanistan. Does anyone know if CNN is going to rebroadcast this...or maybe MTV?

[ November 05, 2003, 11:21 AM: Message edited by: bobby78751 ]

I haven't paid too much attention to the "Rock the Vote" debates since MTV's first foray into presidentail politics a few years back. The "RTV" debate always seem to be the situation most filled with empty-calorie questions ("boxers or briefs?" "pc or Mac?" "did you ever smoke pot?") and the most blatant pandering by the candidates. This one seemed no different--and I wish the hosts would stop suggesting it was a represenative group of young people (mostly drawn from Harvard, MIT, and Boston College!!) The serious issues that affect people in their 20's have to do with the economy, security, and health care--just like those of us who long ago passed out of the MTV generation. As for offering a "positive plan for the future," there are candidates--Dean, Gephardt, Kerry, and (to an extent) Edwards have offered up some detailed plans on the economy, education, & health care, but because they are detailed, TV doesn't do any of them justice and the debate format doesn't allow for the candidates to offer up deep details. I am pleased that none of the candidates I mentioned have yet to utter "children are our future" in discussions of education or the economy--it always gets applause and never means anything!

~Adam