[net.politics] Foreign policy presidential debate

jon@boulder.UUCP (Jon Corbet) (10/22/84)

[Nobody for president!  Nobody's perfect!]

I feel inspired to immediate comment, having just witnessed the presidential
"debate" on foreign policy and disarmament.  In my mind, it is quit clear who
won the debate...


			NOBODY!

My God, neither of those men has any business running this country.  They spent
the entire time slinging mud at each other, and dodging direct questions.
However, I am glad I did not watch Richord Pryor after all -- the debate was
good for more laughs.

	- Like the first rebuttal, where Mondale just ripped Reagan to shreds
	  over Nicaragua, and actually made several good points.  Like if you
	  mine harbors and supply terrorist manuals to revolutionaries, then
	  claim to stand for human rights, people tend not to believe you.
	  When it was Ronnie's turn, he answered with something along the
	  lines of "Well, there are so many things to rebut there that I
	  will talk about a point you made in the last debate:  I never said
	  you could recall a missile after you fired it."  One round for
	  Mondale.
	
	- Or like when Mondale told us a sob story about having taken offense
	  at some remark made by George Bush ("The greatest VP ever") and
	  not getting an apology on demand.  "How", he asked, "could anybody
	  vote for an administration that would not make its VP apologize
	  after having made such a mean, nasty remark?"  One round for Reagan,
	  by default.
	
The best moment in the entire debate is when the moderator cut Reagan off
just as he was launching into a story about his recent encounters with the
youth of America  ("Your sons and daughters").  I think politicians should
be outfitted with ^O keys.

--
Jonathan Corbet
National Center for Atmospheric Research
{seismo|hplabs}!hao!boulder!jon