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Do debates influence your vote?

Smeagol

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I have a friend who is a passionate Trump defender, while at the same time being a strong Trump critic. One of the most bizarre things to witness is his Facebook page. I learned 8 years ago not to participate in political discussion with anyone with with strong political passions if you do not already see eye to eye if and want to remain friends, so I'm asking it here. Do you think the debates will change who you will support on Election Day?

I kind of see it as being similar to a college football game. Chances are you'll either do some chest beating and say:

- "Yes, we won!"
- Be angry with your team for losing
- Be angry with the officials (in this case the moderators) for unfair officiating

In any event, I can't image an LSU fan deciding to switch their loyalties to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Am I right?

Sorry, it seems I took too long getting one of the poll questions under the maximum allowed words and now it won't let me post a poll.
 
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"Do debates influence your vote?"

Since I participate in politics all year around, the answer is TYPICALLY no, they don't. But they could without a doubt . . .if theres ever a presidential race where I felt the candidates were close then of course it could but that hasn't happened in my lifetime.
 
I have a friend who is a passionate Trump defender, while at the same time being a strong Trump critic. One of the most bizarre things to witness is his Facebook page. I learned 8 years ago not to participate in political discussion with anyone with with strong political passions if you do not already see eye to eye if and want to remain friends, so I'm asking it here. Do you think the debates will change who you will support on Election Day?

I kind of see it as being similar to a college football game. Chances are you'll either do some chest beating and say:

- "Yes, we won!"
- Be angry with your team for losing
- Be angry with the officials (in this case the moderators) for unfair officiating

In any event, I can't image an LSU fan deciding to switch their loyalties to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Am I right?

Sorry, it seems I took too long getting one of the poll questions under the maximum allowed words and now it won't let me post a poll.



For me, the debates are like watching the Jerry Springer show. There is little value in watching two of the most unqualified candidates go loggerheads over who has the biggest **** pile.
 
For me, the debates are like watching the Jerry Springer show. There is little value in watching two of the most unqualified candidates go loggerheads over who has the biggest **** pile.

A politically connected friend of mine once compared elections to professional wrestling. There's a lot of theatrical smack-talking but privately, they're all friends. By the way, Trump and Clinton's daughters are very close friends. Did anybody else catch that BFF moment between them after the debate last night?

Chelsea Clinton and Ivanka Trump Are Friends: A Closer Look at Their Kinship
 
Not usually, but what Trump said towards the end, calling that uber bigot Scalia a "great judge" and vowing he appoint more like him, i would *never* vote for someone like that. I did not know that about trump's intentions. It doesn't really surprise me but for him to say after the Orlando massacre "vote for me i'll protect you" and then this....He has no concept of minority struggles in this country
 
I have a friend who is a passionate Trump defender, while at the same time being a strong Trump critic. One of the most bizarre things to witness is his Facebook page. I learned 8 years ago not to participate in political discussion with anyone with with strong political passions if you do not already see eye to eye if and want to remain friends, so I'm asking it here. Do you think the debates will change who you will support on Election Day?

I kind of see it as being similar to a college football game. Chances are you'll either do some chest beating and say:

- "Yes, we won!"
- Be angry with your team for losing
- Be angry with the officials (in this case the moderators) for unfair officiating

In any event, I can't image an LSU fan deciding to switch their loyalties to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Am I right?

Sorry, it seems I took too long getting one of the poll questions under the maximum allowed words and now it won't let me post a poll.


Debates do not influence how I vote since I go by a candidate's stand on the issues,verses how that candidate voted on various bills, whom that candidate donated money to,whom that candidate hangs around with,whom that candidate supports and praised, what they said in the past on various issues and if applicable how that candidate does business. There is nothing Clinton and Trump can say in the debates that would influence me to vote for either one of them. I think those that make their decision on who they are going to vote for based on debates are clueless morons.
 
I have a friend who is a passionate Trump defender, while at the same time being a strong Trump critic. One of the most bizarre things to witness is his Facebook page. I learned 8 years ago not to participate in political discussion with anyone with with strong political passions if you do not already see eye to eye if and want to remain friends, so I'm asking it here. Do you think the debates will change who you will support on Election Day?

I kind of see it as being similar to a college football game. Chances are you'll either do some chest beating and say:

- "Yes, we won!"
- Be angry with your team for losing
- Be angry with the officials (in this case the moderators) for unfair officiating

In any event, I can't image an LSU fan deciding to switch their loyalties to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Am I right?

Sorry, it seems I took too long getting one of the poll questions under the maximum allowed words and now it won't let me post a poll.

I imagine they matter a lot more for people who aren't political junkies like us. For the average American though, I think they debates are still very important.


*"US" being the people who frequent a website called DEBATE POLITICS
 
I have a friend who is a passionate Trump defender, while at the same time being a strong Trump critic. One of the most bizarre things to witness is his Facebook page. I learned 8 years ago not to participate in political discussion with anyone with with strong political passions if you do not already see eye to eye if and want to remain friends, so I'm asking it here. Do you think the debates will change who you will support on Election Day?
I kind of see it as being similar to a college football game. Chances are you'll either do some chest beating and say:
- "Yes, we won!"
- Be angry with your team for losing
- Be angry with the officials (in this case the moderators) for unfair officiating
In any event, I can't image an LSU fan deciding to switch their loyalties to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Am I right?
Sorry, it seems I took too long getting one of the poll questions under the maximum allowed words and now it won't let me post a poll.


Smeagol,

I logged off of Facebook a few months ago, and left a message that I would be back after the election was over.

I was definitely about to lose some lifelong friends, that's just how stupid and partisan-Political the postings were getting.

That said, I agree with your original assertions.
Nobody is going to switch their vote in this particular election based upon the outcome of the debates.

And your LSU/Alabama analogy is spot on.
:)
 
Back when I was detoxing from conservatism, I remember still not being quite willing to let go of my devotion to George W. Bush.

The incredibly lopsided Debate #1 by John Kerry over Bush quickly convinced me to let it go.
 
I have a friend who is a passionate Trump defender, while at the same time being a strong Trump critic. One of the most bizarre things to witness is his Facebook page. I learned 8 years ago not to participate in political discussion with anyone with with strong political passions if you do not already see eye to eye if and want to remain friends, so I'm asking it here. Do you think the debates will change who you will support on Election Day?

I kind of see it as being similar to a college football game. Chances are you'll either do some chest beating and say:

- "Yes, we won!"
- Be angry with your team for losing
- Be angry with the officials (in this case the moderators) for unfair officiating

In any event, I can't image an LSU fan deciding to switch their loyalties to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Am I right?

Sorry, it seems I took too long getting one of the poll questions under the maximum allowed words and now it won't let me post a poll.

The LSU to Alabama switch is perfectly normal. Just ask Nick Saban.

120px-Transparent_Trollface2.png
 
I have a friend who is a passionate Trump defender, while at the same time being a strong Trump critic. One of the most bizarre things to witness is his Facebook page. I learned 8 years ago not to participate in political discussion with anyone with with strong political passions if you do not already see eye to eye if and want to remain friends, so I'm asking it here. Do you think the debates will change who you will support on Election Day?

I kind of see it as being similar to a college football game. Chances are you'll either do some chest beating and say:

- "Yes, we won!"
- Be angry with your team for losing
- Be angry with the officials (in this case the moderators) for unfair officiating

In any event, I can't image an LSU fan deciding to switch their loyalties to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Am I right?

Sorry, it seems I took too long getting one of the poll questions under the maximum allowed words and now it won't let me post a poll.

I think a debate could most definitely effect votes...especially the ones we're witnessing right now. These two candidates are under more pressure than we could ever imagine without life, death, health or family at stake. If one of them should lose it? Kathy! Bar the door!
 
I have a friend who is a passionate Trump defender, while at the same time being a strong Trump critic. One of the most bizarre things to witness is his Facebook page. I learned 8 years ago not to participate in political discussion with anyone with with strong political passions if you do not already see eye to eye if and want to remain friends, so I'm asking it here. Do you think the debates will change who you will support on Election Day?

I kind of see it as being similar to a college football game. Chances are you'll either do some chest beating and say:

- "Yes, we won!"
- Be angry with your team for losing
- Be angry with the officials (in this case the moderators) for unfair officiating

In any event, I can't image an LSU fan deciding to switch their loyalties to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Am I right?

Sorry, it seems I took too long getting one of the poll questions under the maximum allowed words and now it won't let me post a poll.

Me? No.

I'm a political junkie with very firm ideas of what course I'd like to see developed over years of heavy involvement. As such, three things are true:

1. I am not going to have my mind changed on where I fall politically by a candidate with a shiny new shtick. I'm more serious about politics than that.

2. I will have done all of the research necessary to decide what candidate I'd rather vote for months before the debates even happen.

3. I have no expectation of getting a comprehensive understanding of anything related to their policy ideas from some 2-minute soundbite.

But that doesn't mean they're useless. As we've seen this election, lots of people actually have changed their vote based on things like the debates. That isn't terribly surprising, given the huge number of undecided/neither voters this cycle.

As I see it, debates are for undecided independents who have not yet finished their research and want a preview for where to start looking at the candidates.

And I totally get why there'd be a lot of those people this election, with what an ugly cluster**** of unpopular realities it is. Hell, even I decided how or if I'd vote relatively late in the season, by my standards. I was still wrestling with it up until a couple months ago.

People like me? Honestly, I only watch them as a drinking game these days.
 
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After the Nixon/Kennedy "Debate" all I heard on the news was comments about Nixon's beard and how he looked and how handsome John Kennedy was. I decided then that they weren't actually debating. It was more like the Miss America Pageant with "the walk" being all important and the "question" and "talent" being optional.

I haven't watched what's called a "debate" since.
 
The current debate setup/strategy cannot influence my vote. However a better format could.

I foolishly watch the debates expecting to see

Moderator ask a question
Candidate A replies with his/her plan to address the question
Candidate B replies with his/her plan to address the question
Moderator asks another question
ect.
 
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I have a friend who is a passionate Trump defender, while at the same time being a strong Trump critic. One of the most bizarre things to witness is his Facebook page. I learned 8 years ago not to participate in political discussion with anyone with with strong political passions if you do not already see eye to eye if and want to remain friends, so I'm asking it here. Do you think the debates will change who you will support on Election Day?

I kind of see it as being similar to a college football game. Chances are you'll either do some chest beating and say:

- "Yes, we won!"
- Be angry with your team for losing
- Be angry with the officials (in this case the moderators) for unfair officiating

In any event, I can't image an LSU fan deciding to switch their loyalties to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Am I right?

Sorry, it seems I took too long getting one of the poll questions under the maximum allowed words and now it won't let me post a poll.

The presidential debates have not influenced my vote at all, but a few debates on this forum have changed my mind on some issues. Some of the members here need to be running for president instead of Trump or Hillary.
 
I have a friend who is a passionate Trump defender, while at the same time being a strong Trump critic. One of the most bizarre things to witness is his Facebook page. I learned 8 years ago not to participate in political discussion with anyone with with strong political passions if you do not already see eye to eye if and want to remain friends, so I'm asking it here. Do you think the debates will change who you will support on Election Day?

I kind of see it as being similar to a college football game. Chances are you'll either do some chest beating and say:

- "Yes, we won!"
- Be angry with your team for losing
- Be angry with the officials (in this case the moderators) for unfair officiating

In any event, I can't image an LSU fan deciding to switch their loyalties to the Alabama Crimson Tide. Am I right?

Sorry, it seems I took too long getting one of the poll questions under the maximum allowed words and now it won't let me post a poll.

Usually not. However in this election, the second and third debates between Hillary and Trump did influence my vote. I was prepared to sit this election out. I am not what you would call a big trump fan and there is no way in hell that I would vote for Hillary. However Trump earned my vote when he started going after Hillary in the second and third debates like no other republican has had the spine to do. it was about time that someone did.
 
No, I don't pay any attention to debates. The candidates stated positions on Libya, Syria, Ukraine, NATO, Vested Interests, Monopolies, the status quo, repesent the pertinent issues to me. They don't seem to come up on pre-scripted debates.
 
Do debates influence your vote?

not really. i usually know by then.

i'll tell you what factors influence my vote the most, though : the stupid two party system, and the gerrymandering that keeps making it worse. i mean, let's get real for a minute. Clinton vs Benito McCheeto? my vote there is no. **** no. i don't want to vote for either of them. but the only way that i can keep orange julius from controlling the most powerful military that the world has ever known is to vote for Clinton, who will spend her one term being investigated by congress and getting nothing done before she hands the baton off to Ryan.

this system is broken, folks. why you all fuss and fume at each other 24/7 like you have something good to offer under the current system or even something to defend is completely unreal. but ****, even i do it, because any port in a storm sometimes. we are all basically dumpster divers, looking for the last bite of a cheeseburger from yesterday. wake up. abandon your team (which abandoned you decades ago) and demand something better.
 
not really. i usually know by then.

i'll tell you what factors influence my vote the most, though : the stupid two party system, and the gerrymandering that keeps making it worse. i mean, let's get real for a minute. Clinton vs Benito McCheeto? my vote there is no. **** no. i don't want to vote for either of them. but the only way that i can keep orange julius from controlling the most powerful military that the world has ever known is to vote for Clinton, who will spend her one term being investigated by congress and getting nothing done before she hands the baton off to Ryan.



this system is broken, folks. why you all fuss and fume at each other 24/7 like you have something good to offer under the current system or even something to defend is completely unreal. but ****, even i do it, because any port in a storm sometimes. we are all basically dumpster divers, looking for the last bite of a cheeseburger from yesterday. wake up. abandon your team (which abandoned you decades ago) and demand something better.

I am actually in favor of the gerrymandering system. It gives more power to the states. It gives the state and local elections more standing. As for the two party system, I am in partial agreement. I think both major parties are quite broken. They have become an openly ruling class system that cozies up to their big donors at the expense of their core voting bases. And while you may not like Trump, probably more based on his brash personality then anything else, Hillary would do far more damage then Trump can even think of doing. In fact, she has already done more damage then Trump can do.
 
I am actually in favor of the gerrymandering system. It gives more power to the states. It gives the state and local elections more standing. As for the two party system, I am in partial agreement. I think both major parties are quite broken. They have become an openly ruling class system that cozies up to their big donors at the expense of their core voting bases. And while you may not like Trump, probably more based on his brash personality then anything else, Hillary would do far more damage then Trump can even think of doing. In fact, she has already done more damage then Trump can do.

how can you possibly be in favor of gerrymandering? as far as examples of conflicts of interest go, that approaches the top of the list.
 
Nope. Heard part of the first debate on the radio, ignored the others. Who cares? No new ground is being gone over.
 
No, I watch them for entertainment and to see how pathetic the moderators are, but debates are for people who sort of follow what is going on and sort of are informed. Low wattage low interest voters don't care and people who really follow the political scene. Debates are the cliff notes for those who don't care enough to study but aren't apathetic enough to be completely disinterested
 
It is not outside the realm of possibility that a debate would matter re my vote. I decided on Trump last year in Sept, I never considered changing, these debates have been WWE style events for me. If Sanders had impressed me fantastically in debate I might have switched horses.
 
how can you possibly be in favor of gerrymandering? as far as examples of conflicts of interest go, that approaches the top of the list.

Someone has to apportion districts. There is no realistic way to make reapportionment completely non-partisan. If there was, I would be all for it. Gerrymandering allows the majority party in the states to control it. At least that control is based on votes in state and local elections.
 
Someone has to apportion districts. There is no realistic way to make reapportionment completely non-partisan. If there was, I would be all for it. Gerrymandering allows the majority party in the states to control it. At least that control is based on votes in state and local elections.

there is a realistic solution. let a computer draw the districts using census population density data only. districts would be redrawn every ten years.
 
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