Tolerance Test; Obama versus McCain

[JustRalph]

Kids in school............ interesting thoughts

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-kass-13-nov13,0,2881384.column?page=1

Immediately, Catherine learned she was stupid for wearing a shirt with Republican John McCain's name. Not merely stupid. Very stupid.

"People were upset. But they started saying things, calling me very stupid, telling me my shirt was stupid and I shouldn't be wearing it," Catherine said.

Then it got worse.

"One person told me to go die. It was a lot of dying. A lot of comments about how I should be killed," Catherine said, of the tolerance in Oak Park.

But students weren't the only ones surprised that she wore a shirt supporting McCain.

"In one class, I had one teacher say she will not judge me for my choice, but that she was surprised that I supported McCain," Catherine said.

If Catherine was shocked by such passive-aggressive threats from instructors, just wait until she goes to college.

"Later, that teacher found out about the experiment and said she was embarrassed because she knew I was writing down what she said," Catherine said.

One student suggested that she be put up on a cross for her political beliefs.

"He said, 'You should be crucifixed.' It was kind of funny because, I was like, don't you mean 'crucified?' " Catherine said.

Other entries in her notebook involved suggestions by classmates that she be "burned with her shirt on" for "being a filthy-rich Republican."

Some said that because she supported McCain, by extension she supported a plan by deranged skinheads to kill Obama before the election. And I thought such politicized logic was confined to American newsrooms. Yet Catherine refused to argue with her peers. She didn't want to jeopardize her experiment.

"I couldn't show people really what it was for. I really kind of wanted to laugh because they had no idea what I was doing," she said.

Only a few times did anyone say anything remotely positive about her McCain shirt. One girl pulled her aside in a corner, out of earshot of other students, and whispered, "I really like your shirt."

1 2 That's when you know America is truly supportive of diversity of opinion, when children must whisper for fear of being ostracized, heckled and crucifixed.

The next day, in part 2 of The Brave Catherine Vogt Experiment, she wore another T-shirt, this one with "Obama Girl" written in blue. And an amazing thing happened.

Catherine wasn't very stupid anymore. She grew brains.

"People liked my shirt. They said things like my brain had come back, and I had put the right shirt on today," Catherine said.

[PaceAdvantage]

Yes, the media has done their job well. Years and years of brainwashing is beginning to take hold. It's amazing McCain got even one vote with that dreaded (R) next to his name.

[Burls]

Yes, the media has done their job well. Years and years of brainwashing is beginning to take hold. It's amazing McCain got even one vote with that dreaded (R) next to his name.That's one possible explanation.
Another explanation is that people are so disgusted with the way that some Republicans have destroyed the country that they have a gut reaction of revulsion towards anything Republican.
Here's a case in point.
As if McCain wasn't doing badly enough in the Presidential race, Dick Cheney comes out and publically endorses him, completely oblivious to the fact that he is reviled he is by The American public.
Talk about the kiss of death.
All the Obama campaign had to do was run a tape of Cheney's endorsing McCain as an attack ad. :lol: :lol: :lol:

[PaceAdvantage]

Another explanation is that people are so disgusted with the way that some Republicans have destroyed the country that they have a gut reaction of revulsion towards anything Republican.
Here's a case in point.
As if McCain wasn't doing badly enough in the Presidential race, Dick Cheney comes out and publically endorses him, completely oblivious to the fact that he is reviled he is by The American public.
Talk about the kiss of death.
All the Obama campaign had to do was run a tape of Cheney's endorsing McCain as an attack ad. :lol: :lol: :lol:If what you are saying is true, then McCain shouldn't have gotten more than 20% of the vote.

[Bubba X]

If what you are saying is true, then McCain shouldn't have gotten more than 20% of the vote.

In Oak Park, Illinois, where the story reported took place, I'd be surprised if McCain got 20%. Kids can be mean, especially those middle schoolers.

[ddog]

yep, first place I always turn for insight, the typical 13-14 year old.

Can there be a more closed group think model in the world ?
Well one does come to mind. :lol:

[lamboguy]

pace is absolutely right about the media, but not just with politics alone. first of all mccain did well do get the votes he got. there was nothing wrong with his campagn or his message. he was unfortunate to have run at a time that a trainwreck was the president, and he happened to be a republican.
the new guy is going to run next time, he can't be any worse than what bush was. he may not do that great, but he should do better than his prior. people are going to look at him and compare him to bush, not kennedy or reagan.
that is like a stake horse running against a bottom claimer. one thing for sure the bar is lowered now after the last 8 years.

[Powder River Gin]

the pendulum was going to swing.

FDR/Truman 1945-1953
Eisenhower 1953-1961
Kennedy/Johnson 1961-1969
Nixon/Ford 1969-1977
Carter 1977-1981
Reagan/Bush 1981-1993
Clinton 1993-2001
Bush 2001-2009

Anybody not see a pattern there?

The pendulum was going to swing, and I think the Republican party knew it. I also think they sacrificed McCain knowing full well that they were going to lose the White House. It has been well known for decades that McCain was not well loved by the Republican Party. He ruffled too many feathers. This was the perfect opportunity for them to use him.

The only losing candidate to ever run again that comes to mind was Nixon. I can't think of another candidate who got a second time as their party's nominee. At least not in the recent past.

They gave him his shot knowing full well it would be very long odds and they would not have to deal with him again.

The Republican party did not run with anywhere near the energy demonstrated by the Democratic party, and the Dems hugely outspent the Reps.

The Democrats also had the advantage of having a "Dark Horse" candidate. There was no long history from which to dredge up old dirt.

The interesting thing that happened behind the scenes with the Democratic party was the return to power of the old Kennedy people. Since 1992 the Clintons have controlled the party. This has completely aggravated the liberals in New England who believe it is their Party. Early on in this past election cycle, the junior most Democratic Senator (President-elect Obama) was frequently seen in the company of the senior most Democratic Senator (Ted Kennedy). The only way that happens is if the Kennedy clan chose their candidate and prepped, mentored, polished, and coached him. This election was supposed to be Hillary's turn at the helm. The junior senator from Illinois did not come from nowhere and beat her without some very powerful allies.

As for Ron Paul, when he first showed up he got my attention. Then, the more he talked, more I realized he is certifiable.

How's all that for some good political conspiracy theory.

[LottaKash]

one thing for sure the bar is lowered now after the last 8 years.

Extremely, I think.........:eek: ...... maybe 16 years....(lest we forget the one who thumbed his nose at us)

best,

[Burls]

one thing for sure the bar is lowered now after the last 8 years.Lowered? I think Bush and Cheney pretty much laid the bar on the ground.

[JustRalph]

Lowered? I think Bush and Cheney pretty much laid the bar on the ground.

They didn't lower the bar. They just had the gumption to do whatever they wanted. They didn't swing with the media or use focus groups to make decisions. They screwed up many things, but I also admire some of the stuff they did. I love Cheney. I think he is the ballsiest politician to come down the pike in a long time.

I want my representatives to be balls to walls cut throat bastards. As long as they are forwarding my preferred agenda. They strayed on several things.......but once again, considering the opposite side............ I will take what we got.

Btw, I realize many will say they ruined the party, they didn't give a damn what the American people thought etc.

I don't care about that either. I can go out on the street and meet a hundred people today and I wouldn't trust 10 of them to wash my car. Let alone make decisions on my taxes, health care etc. The collective wisdom in this country is a myth. When half the people don't know who the Vice President is, and most don't understand their taxes, almost none understand how social security works, why the hell do they get a voice?

When I am earth Czar half of them won't get to vote and there will be standards that must be met before they get a voice. We have dumbed this country down so much over the last 40 years it is almost immeasurable. The sad part is that this lack of knowledge cuts across so many demographics. From poor to rich, college educated to the dregs of society. You can expect it on the low end. But I meet college educated people every day who lack basic life skills and every day common sense. I am not the sharpest tool in the toolbox...........but I still get surprised sometimes. Just my take.

[Secretariat]

[QUOTE=JustRalph]They didn't lower the bar. They just had the gumption to do whatever they wanted. They didn't swing with the media or use focus groups to make decisions. They screwed up many things, but I also admire some of the stuff they did. I love Cheney. I think he is the ballsiest politician to come down the pike in a long time.
/QUOTE]

And he even loves waterboarding.

How can you love a man that lied to us about the Iraq - Attah connection which helped precipitate a war with a nation that never invaded us? How can you love a man that lied about the Niger uranium story?

I can see you loving Bush becasue he is "folksy", but Cheney has absolutely zero redeeming qualities.

:bang: :bang: :bang:

[JustRalph]

[QUOTE=JustRalph]They didn't lower the bar. They just had the gumption to do whatever they wanted. They didn't swing with the media or use focus groups to make decisions. They screwed up many things, but I also admire some of the stuff they did. I love Cheney. I think he is the ballsiest politician to come down the pike in a long time.
/QUOTE]

And he even loves waterboarding.

How can you love a man that lied to us about the Iraq - Attah connection which helped precipitate a war with a nation that never invaded us? How can you love a man that lied about the Niger uranium story?

I can see you loving Bush becasue he is "folksy", but Cheney has absolutely zero redeeming qualities.

:bang: :bang: :bang:

I am all for water boarding. Actually I am aware of a few other techniques that are much more effective. And I am for those too............ :ThmbUp:

Including the ones that involved ruptured ear drums.......they have the highest rate of effectiveness

[Burls]

I am all for water boarding. Actually I am aware of a few other techniques that are much more effective. And I am for those too............ :ThmbUp:

Including the ones that involved ruptured ear drums.......they have the highest rate of effectivenessWhat do you say we test them out on Karl Rove to get to the bottom of this Plamegate thing?

[boxcar]

What do you say we test them out on Karl Rove to get to the bottom of this Plamegate thing?

I'll go you one better: Let's test them out on Sandy Berger.

Boxcar

[Burls]

I'll go you one better: Let's test them out on Sandy Berger.

BoxcarWhy? Unlike Rove, Berger pled guilty to his crime.