What I Learned Watching the Debates

Democrats look sullen or smirk when hearing something that they disagree with.

Republicans listen, take notes, and respond without raising their voice.

I wish that I could be more like the latter, if only in this one thing.

Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 14, 2012 at 5:31 PM

    That's unfair. I think candidates on both sides respond inappropriately to things they disagree with. The problem is not with a particular party but with the entire political discourse in this country. What about:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gf7pkTuVSGM&feature=relmfu

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyTelRaoBAI

    Biden was an ass in the debate, no doubt. But I don't think it's intrinsic in his Democratic party membership. In all likelihood, he'd still be an ass if he was more conservative. The whole partisan "Reps good / Dems bad" dichotomy (or just as often vise versa!) only reinforces this unfortunate trend of judging politicians by their party affiliation rather than by their individual merits.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fencing BearOctober 14, 2012 at 6:17 PM

    On the whole, I tend to agree: the problem is with our political discourse generally. But in the recent debates, at least, it was clear that Romney and Ryan as the Republican candidates were taking the whole thing very seriously: they both prepped and practiced for weeks. Obama seemed taken aback that he was actually challenged; Biden seemed to have a hard time forgetting he was not on the Senate floor hobnobbing with colleagues.

    ReplyDelete

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