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Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political Humor

which situation would you consider fair game to use the children/family members of po

  • In this situation, the children where fair game as they where used in an ad

    Votes: 20 29.0%

  • His kids would have been fair game if they where adults. Underage children are not fair game.

    Votes: 4 5.8%

  • The children or family members should never be considered fair game unless they are public figures

    Votes: 31 44.9%

  • The children or family members are never fair game.

    Votes: 14 20.3%
  • Total voters
    69
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

Redress said:
Yes, because clearly there is no one upset about this image...
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I think the claim it would be an order of magnitude greater is fair.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

truthatallcost said:
His comparison was valid. Blacklivesmatter would protest if Obama's girls were depicted as monkeys. This Cruz story will have a 24 hour period before expiration.
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Yeah, every one will forget about this by tomorrow...

Can we kinda stick with the actual ****ing topic of the thread, or is that too ****ing hard?
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

cpwill said:
I think the claim it would be an order of magnitude greater is fair.
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I am not so sure, and not for the reason you would like to think, but that is a discussion for another thread.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

As the butt of the joke? No. Pretty tasteless.

But they're not, here. The butt of the joke is Cruz, and it's critiquing how the artist perceived him as using his children as pawns.

I think that's perfectly on-point. And frankly, I wish politicians got called out for that more often. Tons of them do it.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

Redress said:
Yeah, every one will forget about this by tomorrow...

Can we kinda stick with the actual ****ing topic of the thread, or is that too ****ing hard?
Click to expand...

The thread topic was kinda boring and milk toast to be honest. Like we're only allowed to drink hot coco and listen to Andy Williams at this Christmas party.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

Redress said:
I am not so sure, and not for the reason you would like to think, but that is a discussion for another thread.
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:shrug: okedoke
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

Redress said:
Yeah, every one will forget about this by tomorrow...

Can we kinda stick with the actual ****ing topic of the thread, or is that too ****ing hard?
Click to expand...

You haven't answered your own poll.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

Where's the, "It depends on the political party" option?
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

Redress said:
Yes, because clearly there is no one upset about this image...
Click to expand...

You and I both know had this been Obama's girls Hillary & Co. would have been calling on Congress to outlaw white people from the public square, who you ****ting...
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

Which is more offensive?

Ted Cruz' daughter = :monkeyarm

Barack Obama's daughter = :monkeyarm
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

Redress said:
Yes, because clearly there is no one upset about this image...
Click to expand...

What I'm seeing is that people might be "upset" by it, but pretty much blaming Cruz.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

IMPO, it's fine to use your kids in political campaigns... and it's never cool for others to go after them.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

There's a bit of revisionist history ongoing in this thread, in my opinion. All my life I've watched candidates' families join them on the convention stage. The first candidate that I recall being accused of exploiting children was Sarah Palin.

I receive local, county, and state political mailouts, and almost invariably the photos are of the candidate with his or her family. The point, I suppose, is to depict the candidate as wholesome and "normal" just like you.

Now, suddenly, this is bad, wrong, or stupid?
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

X Factor said:
What I'm seeing is that people might be "upset" by it, but pretty much blaming Cruz.
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That is a strange myopia you have.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

tres borrachos said:
You haven't answered your own poll.
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I never do right away. I want to know what others think. To answer though, I think the family of politicians should be off limits(voluntarily of course, we cannot legislate it due to first amendment concerns, nor should we) to media sources and comedians and the such, unless they are public figures in their own right(ie Bill Clinton in this campaign). Some things you should do, and some you shouldn't, and portray a 5 and 7 year old as monkeys, that falls into the latter category.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

Redress said:
That is a strange myopia you have.
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At least some sight is better than to be completely blind.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

nota bene said:
There's a bit of revisionist history ongoing in this thread, in my opinion. All my life I've watched candidates' families join them on the convention stage. The first candidate that I recall being accused of exploiting children was Sarah Palin.

I receive local, county, and state political mailouts, and almost invariably the photos are of the candidate with his or her family. The point, I suppose, is to depict the candidate as wholesome and "normal" just like you.

Now, suddenly, this is bad, wrong, or stupid?
Click to expand...

Depends on who's doing it. Sometimes the simplest explanation is, in fact, the correct one.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

nota bene said:
There's a bit of revisionist history ongoing in this thread, in my opinion. All my life I've watched candidates' families join them on the convention stage. The first candidate that I recall being accused of exploiting children was Sarah Palin.

I receive local, county, and state political mailouts, and almost invariably the photos are of the candidate with his or her family. The point, I suppose, is to depict the candidate as wholesome and "normal" just like you.

Now, suddenly, this is bad, wrong, or stupid?
Click to expand...

Candidates using their children in ads or emails or even Christmas cards (which we in New Hampshire receive from them, every 4 years) is nothing new. I actually like to see the human side of the candidates. It reminds me that they are in fact human, something that is easy to forget. If we never see their families, they seem robotic, and you could make the argument that they have something to hide when it comes to the kids.

I think it's the depicting his daughters as monkeys that has most rational people somewhat put off. That just smacks of petty ignorance.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

And malice. That's what gets me.

As a disclaimer, I've been disgusted by this since Chelsea Clinton was made fun of as a young teen for being "homely."
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

nota bene said:
And malice. That's what gets me.

As a disclaimer, I've been disgusted by this since Chelsea Clinton was made fun of as a young teen for being "homely."
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The nasty comments towards Chelsea Clinton when she was a young girl were as bad as the homely jokes about Amy Carter and the nasty comments about the Obama girls.

I can't stand some politicians either. But I have no ill will towards their children. If someone hates me in business, I certainly expect that he won't shift his ire to my sons.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

tres borrachos said:
The nasty comments towards Chelsea Clinton when she was a young girl were as bad as the homely jokes about Amy Carter and the nasty comments about the Obama girls.

I can't stand some politicians either. But I have no ill will towards their children. If someone hates me in business, I certainly expect that he won't shift his ire to my sons.
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Yikes, that would be my hope anyway.

After the way the Bush twins were treated by the press, I've been grateful that the Obama daughters have been tacitly off-limits.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

nota bene said:
Yikes, that would be my hope anyway.

After the way the Bush twins were treated by the press, I've been grateful that the Obama daughters have been tacitly off-limits.
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The Bush twins were adults who put themselves out into the public in order to spread political messages.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

disneydude said:
I'm not really sure where I stand on this particular issue. I guess from the outset, my default would be that children are never fair game. But then I look at someone like Cruz who definitely has used his children as political pawns, most notably with his "green eggs and ham" stunt. Still...I think I would have to say that absent a much greater ploy, the kids should be left out.
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So since Obama has paraded his children around for his political gain, can we make nasty comments about them and call them monkeys?
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

CanadaJohn said:
I would simply add here that the children were not and are not the target of the editorial cartoon. Ted Cruz is. In so much as Ted Cruz attempted to use his children as a benefit to his campaign, the editorial cartoonist is equally within her rights to attempt to use them in this satirical manner against Ted Cruz.

If the children, as depicted in the ad or elsewhere in life, were held up and ridiculed specifically, I'd agree with much of the sentiment here and on the other thread. They were not.
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That fact will not stop children at the girls' school from making fun of them for this ad calling them monkeys.
 
Re: Should The Children Or Family Members Of Politicians Be Fair Game For Political H

tres borrachos said:
Candidates using their children in ads or emails or even Christmas cards (which we in New Hampshire receive from them, every 4 years) is nothing new. I actually like to see the human side of the candidates. It reminds me that they are in fact human, something that is easy to forget. If we never see their families, they seem robotic, and you could make the argument that they have something to hide when it comes to the kids.

I think it's the depicting his daughters as monkeys that has most rational people somewhat put off. That just smacks of petty ignorance.
Click to expand...

A candidates family is an important part of who they are. And sure, when a candidate includes them, it is in a way as a prop(though I would argue not in a bad way), but that does not make it open season on the family. I think you are exactly right that it is good to see a candidate as more than just a set of political stances on issues.
 
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