2016 Postmortem
Related: About this forumI'm Lucky! I get to miss the Debates on Tuesday....
I work at my restaurant every Tuesday evening, and there is no time or television for me to watch,
which means that I cannot see the debate in real time.
I have plans to listen to a music CD on the way home, just so that I don't hear any news report about the debate.
I will than not come to DU, but watch the debates on my DVR and then stew into what my eyes and ears tell me. I will then turn off the lights and go to bed.
So why am I celebrating this what some would call "sticking my head into the sand"?
It is due to the fact that Pres. Obama is bound to lose the debates, because everyone on our side has super duper high expectations that he has to be better than even perfect.....in order to reverse the terrible opinions folks have in their minds of his performance in the first debate. the media of course, will make it a draw AT best. AT worse, they will find something he said or did to criticize him, and of course, they will excuse the lies that Mitt Romney is sure to tell, like they did the last time.
Over the past 4 years, I've watched close-up folks getting disappointed with this particular President, if he even says one thing they don't approve of. I've witnessed how some want what is in their minds to come out of his mouth in the exact same wording that they came up with, and anything short of that just won't do it. They want Luther, Obama's anger interpreter of Key and Peele Fame. Folks want him to kick ass and take names, and they want it done their way. I'm certain that there will be one thing that they felt he could have been stronger on, etc.... In otherwords, I don't think it possible that he will satisfy all of those who are looking for satisfaction.
I think that due to the long standing harsher zeal to criticize this President (and this has gone on forever), that folks will forget again that we are trying to win an election, and decide that what counts most of all is their own opinion on things. Those folks will plainly said what they expected vs. what they got, and I'm quite sure that at the end of the day....his performance just wont quite do it.
It is possible that I will come and check what's been happening here on Thursday......but that depends on whatever general feedback I get ahead of time. Because, you see....a couple of weeks before the election is not a time that I want to be depressed about what the outcome of the election might be.
Here's the deal on me. My financial affairs will be relatively fine, no matter who ends up winning the election. Although the restaurant may or may not suffer, I have other businesses that are what some would call recession proof. Both of my kids will be fine, as they are now grown. My eldest will have her PHD within a year and a half (which is all paid for), and both her and her husband graduated from Top 10 Ivy League schools already, and own their own home. She currently attends the 3rd ranked medical school in the country. My youngest has a business degree, and is currently helping us in our businesses. I'm past child bearing age, so the laws that will be instituted against women would have a very small impact on me.....and my kids can always fly out of the country (they are dual French Citizens) if need be....and I could retire to France if it gets tough enough. Like Pres. Obama and Romney, the point is that I will be OK.
In otherwords, like some others here, I'm not wanting to win this election based on what good stuff will come my way or remain good for me personally, but indeed, I worry about all of those folks who aren't as fortunate as I have been. I feel for those who are trying to climb out of poverty, I fear for the future of their children, and the future of the American Dream (which worked out quite well for me). I also worry about the world in general, and how a Romney administration would fuck things up beyond repair (like Bush pretty much did). So I ask myself, what will happen to those folks? Now, that is something I do concern myself about quite a lot. It is why I have donated, volunteered and have been involved. I want my adopted country to be the best that it can be, and I don't believe that will happen in a Romney administration.
This Election should be important to all of us, but at the same time, I have very little faith that we are disciplined enough or politically smart enough to do whatever we need to do in order to get the results that will affect the course of the future of so many.
I don't want to contemplate having to watch life getting any harder than it already is for all of those folks that struggle every day. So for this reason, I will do as I outlined, and hope that this works for me.
To conclude; since this isn't a game from all that I can tell is at stake, I refuse to play.
Thank you for reading.
calimary
(81,304 posts)Maybe that reverse-jinxed it?
FrenchieCat
(68,867 posts)I'm just waiting for liars to be called that by our news media,
and don't think it will every happen...which is why I refuse to
pile-on top on this President.
lunatica
(53,410 posts)lillypaddle
(9,580 posts)but we need to be there for him. No matter what.
FrenchieCat
(68,867 posts)not talking about the debate....
talking about those who can't help themselves
doing all of their talking after the fact.
I'm sure that whatever Romney does wrong,
most here won't give a shit.
I have a problem with the fact that
last time, it was threads criticizing Romney
that were allowed to sink.
avebury
(10,952 posts)Even if Obama performs spectacularly, the MSM will do their best to tear him down anyway. I almost want to wait until Weds. night and watch Lawrence O'Donnell on The Last Work. O'Donnell is good at sitting back and giving you a rational analysis of a debate.
FrenchieCat
(68,867 posts)It will be the Republicans topped by the media topped by those who demand a flawless debate miracle.
FrenchieCat
(68,867 posts)and their shit is floating to the top, as usual!
For them it has got to be a game.....
DemKittyNC
(743 posts)I am watching it tomorrow night. I am smart enough to decide on my own who won and who lost without news anchors trying to make up my mind for me. If I felt Obama won just like I felt he won the first debate then he did. Simple as that. I will of course still be voting for him on November 6th proudly. I am almost positive people by this time have already made up their minds who they will be or already have in some cases voted for. If anyone is persuaded to change their vote from Obama to Rmoney after news anchors tell them Rmoney won then they were weak minded low intelligent people to begin with and probably would had changed their minds before walking into the voting both in November anyways.
I refuse to think there are undecideds out there at this point. The choice has never been clearer. They have got to be attention seeking megalomaniacs those people who claim to be undecided. Also yes, I understand not everyone follows politics as closely as we do but those people uninterested or waiting till the last minute to learn about the facts between the two candidates have got to be just a handful at most of the population. Of course the rest might tune in just as a passing interests, watch for 10 minutes and then switch to something else and will probably or never have voted in their lives.
We are smart people here, we know how the media works and what their true intentions are. Unfortunately it is not to report the actual news but to do anything they can to stimulate ratings. We all probably know down deep the media will say Rmoney won. Be prepared for it but do not let it get you down. Let it get you fired up! Fired up and ready to go! Get out there, talk to your friend. Make sure they vote, volunteer on November 6th to drive people to the poles. Do whatever you can in the last minutes of this race to make an impact. To hell with the media - We know the truth!
FrenchieCat
(68,867 posts)DemKittyNC
(743 posts)I do agree with you and I appreciated your post. I definitely think it is best to not listen to the media or peoples comments about the debate till after you can have the chance to sit down and watch it and then take the time to mull it over in your mind so you can make a clear and educated decision about who you think won and how it affected you personally.
FrenchieCat
(68,867 posts)I wish you all a happy debate, and may our candidate win, and then win some more!