# An abortion of an election

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-abortion-of-an-election/16840>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [October 14, 1999, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-abortion-of-an-election/16840 "1999-10-14T02:59:00Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Boris\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/fbc32d/32.png) [@Boris\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boris_B)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 1999, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-abortion-of-an-election/16840/41 "1999-10-18T22:10:00Z")

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**DSYoungEsq** Why do you hang out with us peasants anyway? I can’t really tell what you mean. Who exactly is being unintelligent? Being slightly paranoid, I imagine you could mean me. I have added to things to this thread, a question about what soccer moms are, and support for a strong Reform Party as a way of creating a multiparty system. You addressed neither of my points.

The less paranoid view is that you mean someone else, but as usual I can’t tell who you’re criticizing. A sigh is more or less a criticism of the entire universe. Could you be a little more specific? Most people on this thread want to have an intelligent debate on politics, and no, most of us aren’t skilled in legal research. There is a specific profession of people to do that; the rest of us are allowed to vote anyway.

**techchick68** I got confused about your list. You seemed to support abortion rights and welfare reform, then there was a list of what I thought were user fees you supported, then you wrote, “These charges are all bunk!” I thought “bunk” was a bad thing. Don’t libertarians usually support user fees?

Not that you asked, but to me you sound more like a “new Democrat” than a radical independent. You know, someone who might support a President who is arguably

> [@](#):
>
> a moderate with skeletons in the closet. Someone who wasn’t afraid to speak honestly about his or her past, and the American public could relate to.

On the whole, I agree with you that scandals shouldn’t be considered more important than children in poverty, but I don’t know if there is any point in seeking a candidate who speaks for all. It’s more important for leaders to speak _to_ the people than for them to speak _for_ the people. Just my two bits.

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**Author:** ![The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f8ce5/32.png) [@The\_Peyote\_Coyote](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Peyote_Coyote)\
**Post date:** [October 18, 1999, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-abortion-of-an-election/16840/42 "1999-10-18T22:54:00Z")

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Of course intelligent debate is impossible, DSYoung, when people will neither outline their own views in a thoughtful manner, nor will they offer constructive criticism, nor will they even bother to state what they find objectionable and/or – frivolous, shall we say? after all, this isn’t the Pit – in other peoples’ views.  
You have to make a statement, not a sigh, to have a debate.

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