Parents of the HS Class of 2009

[missypie]

CF, so exciting that your son gets to be a media runner. Moda, on NPR this morning, they said that virutally no students have tickets to the debate.

[Modadunn]

I have no idea how many the venue actually holds, I do know they would need background checks and the University itself didn't know how many tickets students would get. But I thought at least 100 or so. But they had something like 3000 media packets they were putting together, so who knows. I for one am actually looking forward to tonight's debate. I find it hysterical that the go to story has been that Romney has been practicing Zingers.

H and I have decided to go up to Barcelona today. It's a beach off Lake Erie, not Italy.
Cloudy day, with lots of rain, summer crowds gone - perfect day to go looking for sea glass. Wish me luck!

[missypie]

Moda, it certainly doesn't sound like you are wallowing in misery on the Empty Nest thread!!! Good for you!

I find it hysterical that the go to story has been that Romney has been practicing Zingers

I can totally hear in my mind Jason Sudeikis, at Mitt on SNL, saying "I'm going to use one of my zingers now." Son read that Jason Sudeikis was going to leave SNL, but that they persuaded him to stay until the campaign is over. (Haven't heard what happens if Romney wins.)

Of course, the Ultimate Zinger was Lloyd Bentsen's "Jack Kennedy" remark to Dan Quayle, but that certainly didn't change the results of the election. (Although Quayle's response has provided so much entertainment, for which I am grateful.)

[downtoearth]

My h told me I would get sick of all the political stuff and I am. What cant understand is why people dont understand the problems that face this country. Their personal agendas are not important now. In my town I have always voted to raise my taxes to improve the schools even though I have always educated my cildren privately. I am not a saint it is just right. I dont care which side people are on, but vote in a way that makes sense. Someone told me the other day. "I agree with Romney's economics plan but will never vote for someone who is not pro choice" anyway.....
My H and I are doing the empty nest well, also. It has been suprisingly easy going. So nice!
CF nice for your son!

[shawbridge]

Great for Fang Jr.

I'm finding a morbid fascination in the election. I'm reading Real Clear Politics and Nate Silver. But, it is so painfully cynical.

In Massachusetts, we've got Scott Brown, whose guise before a couple of weeks ago, was as a nice guy who was independent, devoting a significant part of two debates and all of his ads to hammering Elizabeth Warren about checking a Native American box on employment applications before getting hired by Harvard away from her position at Penn. I'd like to hear what each would do if they were elected or reelected. I really don't care about silly stuff like that. No longer such a nice guy, but is this the best we can do for political debate?

[CountingDown]

DH had Liz Warren for three bankruptcy classes at Penn Law. I got to know her as well. Even in the late 80s, we all knew she was headed to bigger and better things than Penn (not like that's a slouch school, either!). She was a superstar prof and a genuine, brilliant, thoughtful person.

[missypie]

hammering Elizabeth Warren about checking a Native American box

Living in Texas, I'm kind of pleased when other states focus on nonsense, too. The idea of what can come back to haunt you is interesting. Down here, a whole lot of people have one Hispanic grandparent, so some check the Hispanic box on college apps, the PSAT, etc. What if they later find out that grandpa was like Mitt Romney's grandpa...born in Mexico but really American....and what if they were named a National Hispanic Scholar and received money for college because of it....can they never run for office because they didn't thoroughly trace their geneology before checking the box?

I'd like to hear what each would do if they were elected or reelected.

Novel idea...

[downtoearth]

As far as Elizabeth Warren goes I wish they would drop it, as I could care less. I think she thought she was American Indian, as she was told. I have been told my ethnicity but never checked it out either.

[Modadunn]

This is what I know. One of my very best friends (who is also pretty much the smartest man I know in all ways of politics) is general counsel for a committee on the Hill. Anything more and I'd probably out him on a CC college board. His daughter, by the way is a National Merit kid). He says that anyone who runs for the office of the Presidency is pathological. He is a staunch right wing guy in MOST things, but again, he's got those two daughters. He is no more a fan of Paul Ryan than he was of Sarah Palin or more recently, Michele Bachman.

I am just over this whole "let's get along and find compromise" because oh dear lord if that were only true... ever.

[spartanc24]

interesting

[kmcmom13]

Moda, despite my 9 years here, I am still mystified by American politics and take great solace in knowing that insiders find these personalities pathological too so thanks for sharing!

Canada has no shortage on pathological public figures either (a psychologist might have a hey day with a country that loved Trudeau so dearly though I resembled that remark ) but the difference was that you didn't notice so much because the media tended to focus more on public policy instead of infotainment back then and in Canada however much you might dislike the party in power, they at least had the general capability to move their policy forward, flawed or not, because the prime minister was the leader of the winning party, usually a majority, and ergo you had to break a party line to vote against your leadership -- so that was reserved for unusual issues, not every line item in a budget.

Of course, the net result of the party system is a lot less freedom, per se, but also a lot less chaos. And less opportunity for the kind of deal brokering that seems to bloat budgets and sponsor idiotic inconsistencies in the legislation produced and nets gross opportunities for corruption.

Dte, I am 100 percent with you, but suspect we're in the minority

[kmcmom13]

^re the do-what's-right-re-taxes.

[arabrab]

Much unhappiness in our town over the debate and Obama's performance in it. I feel great, because I didn't watch. I can't stand politicians on TV. Except for Margaret Thatcher -- who could field questions from the House of Commons with pointed, articulate responses. (Anybody else hear her during the war in the Falklands on As It Happens? I miss that show.)

But between my own deluge of work, getting outside and getting covers put over everything to spite the frost, I've managed to avoid most of the incessant phone calls from pollsters and those awful interest groups (on either side). Blech.

[downtoearth]

I watched the debate and was amazed for many reasons. Now the media says Romney was all lies. I have a question, why is OBama considered almost untouchable by the media. He is like a God in a way that I havent seen in any other president.

[oregon101]

I saw (watch with your sound off for a few minutes) one candidate being a bully and the other candidate needing to learn what I call "playground behavior".