Thom Hartmann debates a 14 year old Conservative

Run time: 09:09 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da08j6Y6h8E   Posted on YouTube: February 19, 2010 By YouTube Member: Views on YouTube: 0   Posted on DU: February 19, 2010 By DU Member: thomhartmann Views on DU: 3567

 
The Thom Hartmann Program can be heard daily M-F 12-3pm ET. Visit www.thomhartmann.com to listen live, join the community or purchase a podcast.

... can't win a public debate against a 14 year old. No matter how badly he does, people say, yeah, but he's only 14 and he did prretty good.

I wish Hartmann would not give all this publicity to conservatives.

of ... What kind of adult brags about debating a 14 year old. Sad stuff. Totally humiliating to Mr. Hartmann.

I don't hold debates with children.

points. He talked fast because he feared Thom Hartmann. That kid will have an interesting life, I'm sure. I'll bet Hartmann regrets that interview.

And of course with the mind of a 14 year old.

Someone needs to sit down with the kid and go point by point slowly to educate him.

crap he should have been slapped down. Oh yeah since 1977 poor people were getting home loans but never had a problem paying on their homes until 2 years ago, that is just plan stupidity on the cons part.

No debating that ... But, as noted above, he is the typical "conservative" who has the conclusion drawn in their mind based on the "conservative" sledge hammer solution to all problems, then argues backwards from the final point, instead of thinking it through to the end, he works backwards ...

As noted, one those little memes these douchebags have almost morphed into reality from complete friggen fiction is that the low income housing was the reason for the housing market collapse ... MSM just lets them repeat it, and it slowly becomes reality from fiction ...

Does he punch a baby?

I hope the kid starts doing his own research instead of regurgitating what he's fed by others.

He won't be as interesting to the RW then, but he'll enjoy a better life.

..just what we need... a "Hanna Montana of Hatred".

He is all but completely indoctrinated already. It would take a major collision of his ideals with reality for him to see the obvious problems. So much for open minded 14 year olds.

For example, when Hartmann mentioned the electric companies, he started talking about Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. When asked how do people trying to pull themselves up get to their jobs with public transportation, the kid says that they have already figured out ways to do that, totally glossing over any possible inconvenient reality. Ah huh.

He's smart and a fast talker, but over all, he needs some real world experience with the problems he so quickly dismisses, and I dare say...some more book learning.

These repukes do that. Awhile back I was arguing with a conservative econ professor about the Public Option for health care reform and when I was winning, he abruptly said "I want to talk about France and nuclear power." I told him that he was attempting to change the subject and demanded that he stay on topic. He backed down...

Everything that he says is all theory not practice. He's not saying anything that hasn't been said by conservatives for years. When I was in college back in the 80s, I debated people like this kid all over the place.

He may be able to work through the fallacies in his arguments and realize the world is not such a simplistic place. He does seem to have done a lot of his own indoctrination, of course with the encouragement of parents and teachers. Eventually, he may rebel, as kids are wont to do.

:think:

I wonder if he'll sing the praises of his Republican handlers..

Escalating the war.

so there's always hope other teenagers will grow up out of fantasy and start to see reality, too.

That 14 year old kid was able to discuss issues without shouting over the points made by Hartmann, something I doubt his elder counterparts would be able to do.

scale. Conservatism can not actually work, not without going back to day one of our Govt, taking our surplus and giving the rest of the American people a huge middle finger.

They are, which they have been trying to deny since the 1950's, a part of the liberal tradition that comes from the Enlightenment. When they walk away from that, they abandon the foundation of their political heritage. The Laffer Curve illustrates a point about taxation, but it not anything on which to base an economic policy. Individual initiative is a good thing, but if you aren't lucky enough to have resources, rich parents, intelligence, good looks, a good education, good health, etc., you will need a hand up to be a functioning, productive citizen, a fulfilled individual. Conservatives try to simplify the world and it's realities way too much....and surprise...all to their benefit. Well, to the benefit of some of them.

but if corporations had total freedom we would get things like pollution, unsafe working conditions, dangerous products, child labor, etc. All things they've historically given us at one time or another. I'll never forget the time I actually heard conservative economist Walter Williams say he would not object to repealing child labor laws. His argument was that the government had no right telling anyone they couldn't send their child to work if it was needed. Conservatives seem willing to forget that we've already tried the total economic freedom thing before.

nt

They all have it.

Full of empty facts. :rofl:

to probably grow up to be another conservative arrogant know-everything asshole.

Anytime we can interrupt these people with a little truth and cause some cognitive dissonance is a good time. Just mention this for those unfamiliar with TH, Hartmann doesn't have to fear talking to these folks because he is confident in himself and his audience. If you listen to the points where the conservatives crack, divert, those are the weak spots that can be exploited when talking with your average wingnut. They can be reformed even though I know there are better uses for most of our time than engaging them.

I just watched Food, Inc. and they start talking to the Republican mom about her food safety activism and I just knew the only way she could be on our side was if she had experienced tragedy, and to be honest I almost cried when they said her son died and even more so because I knew the only way she would be acting now in so un-Republican way was if she had suffered.

Who knows, maybe he can managed to make some of them think outside of their box, because it really is tragic how so many people have been fooled into fighting against their own interests. Your story really is a prime example... they have been shamed into harming themselves while supporting those who lie and use them. Sad...

anyway you look at it. Maybe the box is a glass house too. I am not so naive to believe many of these people will reform, but I know liberal ideas are infectious and for the most part it takes brainwashing to procreate conservative ideas. Our ideas are stronger and based in love and WITT, we're in this together.

him to learn more. The kid obviously has been indoctrinated into the conservative viewpoint but at least he is engaged. It will interesting to watch him grow and see if he continues his one-sided thinking or if, as he matures, he challenges the basis of his own views as well as those of the the people he has been told are wrong. Odds are he will remain a conservative but at only 14 he has many more experiences ahead of him that he will have to reconcile to his current world view.

you can see in the face of the kid and Thom at the end who won . LOL

He spoke at the convention last year I believe?

Clearly has the terms down and some of the definitions. The same language coming from an adult would be seen quite a bit more hollow.

He has good manners though - and seems genuinely interested in having a debate and not a screaming match with Thom.

In front of me and I haven't challenged them simply because they're kids and I don't feel the need to best them in a debate.

I swear some DUers would argue with a dog if it was wearing a Reagan t-shirt.

Fact: Subprime loans taken out under the "force" of CRA have a lower default rate than subprime loans in general.

I'm surprised Hartmann didn't know this and blast the Talking Point-robot with it.

and gets his head bitten off, then perhaps the kid should think twice about climbing in the ring with a real tiger.

I say, go hard in the paint on the kid, especially conserva-bots puking up what their parents homeschooled them to think.

I would pay money to see that.

Scratch that, all Hitchens would have to do is breathe on the kid. :rofl:

i dont know what debate some of you guys were watching,thom hartmann won this.I think he explained his point better that some federal programs can and do benefit the general welfare of the american people. And either that kid didnt understand his example of it taking a gov act to force the private companies to install their phone lines in rural areas because they wouldnt do so in the beginning(which would be an example of gov. helping the common good)or he just answered it wrong. I think he got caught up in his philosophy that the gov. act seemed to contradict even if it did benefit those people living in the woodworks. That's the problem with people like him, their theoretical ideals just dont work in every single real life situation. In fact, im beginning to think that thats the inherent difference between conservatism and liberalism,the fact that there's an active thought process behind are liberal ideals that forces us to be practical about solutions and deal with contradictions when they arise in a constructive manner. While conservatives just hold on to their frigid notions no matter what the issue. Are potential perspectives are just more broad and flexible. But anyway back to the video, thom def. won.