Bias

Great Debates
1

I would just like to point a few things out, especially to those who participated and were offended by my thread about not trusting conservatives.

The fundamental beef about the manual counts coming from the Bush camp was that there was a “Potential for mischief!” to put it in the quaint way they did. In other words, we don’t trust you guys, you want to win so much that you will cheat! Your decisions will always favor your candidate without any regard for fairness!

Well, I have always believed, and still do, that when people are afraid of something, it’s because they would do it themselves. Of course the R’s think that the D’s would cheat…after all, that’s what they’d do!

3 things I’d like to point out:

  1. No one, including any Dems I heard, talked about the fact that it would not only be Dems counting ballots, and that the mischief could go both ways. Hmm.

  2. The Dems in Broward county, did what they felt was the RIGHT thing to do, independent of what they might feel was advantageous, and abandoned further counts. INCLUDING a democrat. Hmmm. (I don’t know that I agree with that decision, I think every vote counts, but I admire the fact that they are not operating from BIAS.)

  3. Given the chance, the BIASED SOS (and please, don’t even TRY to argue that she’s not…she CAMPAIGNED FOR BUSH), who knew full well exactly what the judge knew who said it this morning, SHE HAD DISCRETION, decided to use that discretion to basically…seize power! Faced with an extraordinary circumstance that OBVIOUSLY calls for extraordinary decisions, (And leaving all deadlines to be the same as the absentee deadline is hardly extraordinary, and the majority of Americans favor recount) she seized her opportunity to do the WRONG thing, but the thing that would benefit her guy, and shut down the count.

I submit to you…who is unable (or unwilling) to function fairly due to bias? Who is more likely to do something questionable to serve their own interests?

Puh! Republicans make me sick.

Flame me freely, I don’t care. The behavior I’ve seen here does nothing but support my beliefs. However silly, petty, small, grasping, greedy, childish and unstatementlike BOTH camps are acting, and they absolutely are, the Bush camp and the republicans-at-large have had the most twisted logic, and the most self-serving interpretations of what’s going on. It is has been a relief to see that the majority of Americans are not buying their bullshit for a second, and are basing their feelings on fairness.

Some might say that the Dems are just better at PR. playing to public opinon, whatever…but ya know what? Appealing to public opinion means doing what the public understands to be right and fair, and what’s wrong with that?

stoid

2

  • According to CNN Radio News, the Gore campaign has vowed to fight Broward’s decision to stop manually recounting. Like Stoidela, apparently the only decision they are willing to live with is one in which Gore wins.

  • Florida election law, 102.111. Read it; learn it; live it.

3

**

Is there a reason you felt the need to start another thread on the same topic? You could have just posted this message in your thread about not trusting conservatives.

**

There is a potential for mischief. Do you think human hands can do a more accurate count then machines?

**

That seems like a rather stupid belief. So when I worry about my sister working late at night is it because I myself would take advantage of a woman in such a position?

**

I could be mistaken but I think any interpretation of votes would favor the democratic party.

**

I thought that Florida law required the recounts be done by a certain date. And who the hell cares what a majority of Americans want? This is Florida’s problem and they’ll take care of it under their own laws.

**

Luckily we have someone like you with an unbiased view who can provide us with the truth.

**

I don’t really like Gore any more then I like Bush. But if either one of them gets the majority vote it is not by a signifigant amount. A few thousand out of 100,000,000 is nothing.
Marc

4

And Democrats enjoy inserting bananas up their asses. I can’t prove it, but it’s something I’ve always believed, and still do.

Look, the Republicans believe that the best way for a fair and accurate account of the votes is not through a panel with no specific instructions and in which Democrats can regularly outvote the Republicans on what’s “acceptable”. And yet the Republicans’ opposition to this, by your logic, automatically deems them frauds and cheats.

Well, then, maybe it was because the Dems knew that the Republicans would never commit any fraud.

I’m sorry- I don’t understand your phrasing here, what you’re asking, or what you’re suggesting. Given that previously you assailed all Republicans as “selfish” when you later decided you really only meant leaders, I’ll wait for your clarification before responding to your question.

And were immediately sued by the Gore campaign for not pressing the issue. So if the Dems in Broward county aren’t operating from bias, one would have to assume that the Gore campaign is.

Hysteria will get you nowhere.

The SOS acted within the discretion that the law gave her. A judge- who was a self-identified Democrat- backed her up. So either the judge is actually a Republican secret agent helping to steal the election for Bush, or the SOS is just doing her job by what she feels are the requirements of the law.

And the majority of Americans prefer vanilla ice cream. I don’t see any rush to ban chocolate.

The majority of Americans wanted impeachement against Bill Clinton not to happen. That didn’t mean that impeachement was without legal merit.

When the majority of Americans feel that Al Gore should concede, will you call for him to do so, or will you still argue that Gore should rightly fight for recounts?

Wrong by your opinion. Right by a lot of people’s opinon.

And I get made sick by people who think that their opinions- no matter how loosely formed and without merit- give them the right to condemn over a third of the country.

5

#1 Not true. John Corrado, Millosarian, myself, and I beleive some others have stated that if the tables were turned

#2 Not true. You have no insight into their motivations.

#3 I’m getting tired of saying this: The SOS didn’t interpret anything. There is a deadline that exists as a matter of law. That deadline can e extended at the discretion of the SOS. That power exists according to the SOS to provide for delays due to Natural Disasters.

You know, you’d started to be reasonable and fun. Now your just insulting 1/2 the US again for no reason.

I guess what you said towards the end of the Conservative thread was a lie. I can see no other interpretation for this post.

6

If the Gore people were truly unbiased they would have asked for a re-count in a range of counties, not just the ones that would likely favor Democrats. There were discrepancies in Duval county (more than in Palm Beach), but Gore conveniently left this one off the list.

Politically, that was the smart thing for them to do. My beef is not with the politics. But for the Gore team to try to take the high road? Please. When Gore talks about “fairness” I just have to laugh. If he was interested in the most accurate count possible, it wouldn’t have just been those Democratic counties. Obviously, he is not interested in the most accurate count, but in a political maneuver that will find him (and only him) the votes he needs.
“Potential for mischief.” Well, why wouldn’t this be a concern? Any time you have partisans, regardless of side, there is the potential for skewed subjectivity. Bias wouldn’t necessarily even have to be conscious. A machine has no brain. It may not be 100 accurate, but it can’t “try” to interpret things a certain way.

Why would someone believe that being afraid of something, or protesting against something, indicates a desire to engage in that very activity? That’s pretty ridiculous.

7

Oh Guadere, who art our moderator, hallowed be thy name.
By the unshod hooves of the IPU I beseech you.

move this to the pit

I know I haven’t been perfect, but if you will grant the petition of this humble supplicant I will offer you:

-A thread of adoration in MPSIMS
-A full recantation concerning the whole Bob Sherman/Bush email thing.
-A lasting promise not to be wrong so often.

Surely in you infinite wisdom you see that there is no debate here. Surely you see that this is ignorance in extreme. Surely you see that this is a mere continuation of an already existing marginal and ignorant rant.

I pray your judgement that the evil of this thread can only be purified in the flame of the pit.

Though I am undeserving, and could aspire to be nothing more than a mere mole upon thy perfect buttcheek, I ask this in thy name.
Guadere, here my prayer.

8

Ironically that may have been to Gore’s detriment. The reports that I’ve seen from Duval County, FL was that the ‘irregularities’ occurred in the minority sections.

They really should have done a manual recount of the entire state. At least that would have some finality.

9

Scylla, I started just a Pit Thread dedicated to our dear friend Stoidela, regarding some of the lame thoughts she expressed on a different thread. Feel free to check it out, and to add any thoughts of your own. Also, Stoid, check out your very own Pit Thread! You’ve really arrived!

10

Scylla, that’s a good post. But why don’t you pray to David? He has a religion and everything!

11

Yea and verily Yosemite I have seen thy thread, which is of specific purpose and reason. I desire a pit thread where they OP itself shall be testament to the flamee who hat authored this abortion. Only there can a “new one” be righteously torn upon the impurator.

12

Sterling:

DavidB hath shown himself to be of conspicuous absense of late. He has been consumed by the Purple of Oyster 'O Doom for his sins in the conservative thread, and shall not return unless a minion can induce indigestion upon the oyster and then it is feared he would be more powerful than before, so say not that name.

Guadere sitteth high upon Olympus. Only she can grant this boon.

13

And I’m so looking forward to seeing how nasty you can all be to me!

You guys are reacting like I accused you all of eating babies.

And as for arriving, I arrived long ago. In fact, I was some people’s hero for my bold, outrageous, and unrepentent views. And of course, other people couldn’t stand me.

And scylla, I don’t believe you when you say this isnt’ fun. You seem to having lots.

Party on, dudes!

stoid

14

Here my prayer Gaudere.

Here me now, believe me later.
as a humble supplicant, a master-debater
I want to give this person what she deserves,
but if it’s not in the pit I haven’t the nerve.

15

Stoidela said:

If we accept your line of argument here, wouldn’t its logic therefore lead us to conclude that the only thing we can be sure of is that, given the chance, you’d cheat?

16

Guadere? I don’t know of any poster named Guadere…

17

Gaudere hat arrived! Therefore…
Bump.

18

Forgive the misspelling Oh mighty one. I was writing in toungues.

19

::shrug:: Looks like a debate to me, if not the most genteel one. Stoid made several arguments in support of her perception of bias on the part of the Republicans, and those points were argued against. It wasn’t just a rant, IMHO, it was an actual argument–different from simply posting “Republicans suck donkey dick”. I’d look the same on a thread arguing that Democrats displayed more bias for reasons X, Y and Z. I’d suggest that if you want to flame her based on the statements in this thread, just C&P the relevant ones and start a Pit thread. While it is tempting to gain a “full recantation concerning the whole Bob Sherman/Bush email thing”, I would not want to win that recantation unfairly by doing preferential favors; I want to kick your ass fair and square. :wink:

20

I have been forsaken.