Debate Commentary

I am going to be out of town on election day… presenting at a conference in Memphis then. So, my absentee ballot is laying on my coffee table waiting for me to fill it out. I want to be sure to get it in the mail early so it gets counted. I am waiting until the second debate is over to make an final decision on who to vote for. Now, I am never going to get into who to vote for on this blog, my political beliefs really don’t need to be blasted all over the internet. But I do have a few observations to share about this whole debate:

1) I can’t help but wonder if the camps for each side negotiate which candidate will wear what? I mean, I know culture dictates that the GOP is red and democrats are blue… but the nation’s colors are red, white and blue… so aren’t all of the colors fair game? Same thing for the black suits… would it be awful if one showed up in khaki? Or even pinstripes? Lastly, does anyone else notice that Romney’s flag lapel pin is bigger than Obama’s?And what is the circle in the middle of his lapel pin? Should we read something into the size? I really want to know if they negotiate who wears what.

2)Dear candidates- can you please let that sweet little moderator actually MODERATE. I mean, it just seems rude to constantly cut him off. Civility people, you are both role models here… let the guy do his job.

3) Apparently I must have a really good mix of friends when it comes to politics. Because my Facebook news feed has exploded with play by plays of the debate. The thing that makes me happy about this- there are an equal number of pro-Romney and pro-Obama comments (or anti- whatever candidate). The point is, I seem to have a good mix of friends who are supporting both candidates. Granted, my cell phone is blowing up with texts from my father who is definitely a supporter of only one party, I just find it funny that he has become a texting fan all of a sudden.

4) What the heck is up with the noise coming from behind the stage? Whoever dropped something that loud, I wonder if you will have a job tomorrow. National stage people! Keep it quiet in the wings.

5) Another comment about Facebook…. while there have been plenty of people giving a play by play of the debates, there are also a lot of people on there talking about either ignoring the debates or making a drinking game out of the debates… both comments make me sad. What does it say about the state of our country if the most interesting thing people can take away from the debate is how fast they can get drunk? That is depressing.

Anyone else out there have interesting observations about this debate?

PS- As I am trying to decide who to cast my ballot for AND as I am trying to figure out how to convince my students why it is important to register to vote (and then make an informed decision and cast a ballot). I thought I’d share a few cool websites that I’ve found helpful:

• I Side With. This website is great, it asks you about important issues and if you click “other” you can get really specific options. The idea is that by taking this quiz, it will help you narrow down who which candidate fits your values.
• History of Voting. A great little clip on why we have the right to vote!
• Voting How To! Great website to figure out if you are registered, how to register, how to get an absentee ballot and more!