Attack on NPR/Big Bird: bad idea in pres debate
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This actually did not start as an attack on Mitt Romney. It was the simple observation that when Mitt went after Big Bird and Jim Lehrer it provoked a significant bounce on the NPR Big Bird page. And the context and tone of of the Romney remark were more smart ass than presidential as the debate was over. It was like a winning boxer instead of waving to the fans going over to his opponents corner men and punching them in the mouth. It sort of harks back to Romney's reputation as a high-school bully. And it also reflects the modern republican attitude of take no prisoners and don't work both side of the aisle. It might work in American politics but in the grown up arena of world politics, it is ill advised. Lastly government funding of NPR is so tiny, I can not imagine what Mitt thought he could gain other than the votes of T-partiers who really have no where else to go anyway. A really astute politician would have weighed the cheap thrill of the below the belt shot against any real gain in the election process.
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I get all that. All the more reason why it shouldn't be funded. PBS was founded back in the mid-60's back when there was very little choice on the airwaves. ..especially in the area of children's educational television--other than Captain Kangaroo, as I remember. But I doubt anyone could argue that PBS is more than capable--especially Sesame Street in this day and age that it could totally self-supporting. Mitt was making the point that all of these endless taxes and fees that are no longer needed could be certainly done away with and the program wouldn't suffer at all. We all love Big Bird--but he is definitely a pretty well-off bird in a gilded cage.
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Let me explain why NPR is so vitally important. Tonight on the news they reviewed a list of the best and worst toys as rated by consumers (probably the parents of consumers). At the top was GI Joe. At the top of the worst list was the "Slip and Sue." It is like "Slip and Slide" but comes with the number of an attorney in case you are injured.
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The importance and value of NPR and PBS are not in dispute. But it no longer requires taxpayer support. That's all Mitt was saying. I agree. But let's leave it there. All i was trying to do was dispel some of this grotesque caricature of a man whom i respect and admire and with whom I have had some personal experience. Vote for him, don't vote for him. So be it--but I just wanted to say that all the evil-capitalist monopoly guy flip-flopper stuff that the media has been trashed about him is just flat out untrue.
We're all friends here right?
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@unknownuser said:
So be it--but I just wanted to say that all the evil-capitalist monopoly guy flip-flopper stuff that the media has been trashed about him is just flat out untrue.
We're all friends here right?
Even though I disagree with this and if asked or challenged can start a new thread to prove and discuss over 300 lies and 76 flip flops, let's agree to disagree.
We always will be friends, this is just politics regardless of where we stand, I'm vocal but not obsessed.
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Any SU user is a friend of mine, even if Romney is elected. It is like Bush, all bad things will pass in their time.
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@o2bwln said:
Excellent!! So you're finally realizing that government shouldn't be in the business of financing business.
Never thought it should. Never thought they should have blown taxpayer money to bail out big businesses. Don't believe that businesses should ever be allowed to get so big that they can adversely affect national or world economies for that matter.
My point is that NPR is small fry, there are billions elsewhere that could have been marked for retrieving government income. Those include tax loopholes for the wealthy, including Mitt's offshore wealth avoiding taxes, and the same goes for businesses (but we need to lower the corporate tax rate, it's insane).
NPR may be a business, but IMO it's simply a target for Mr. Romney because it's viewed as a liberal institution. He wouldn't dare say he's cutting off big oil subsidies.
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NPR/PBS was created when there were not many options for that form of broadcasting and they were broadcast to places that couldn't access the more mainstream channels. But that period is over and people have access to all forms of information If people are that worked up about how important NPR/PBS are then these companies should enter the free market and compete like all other businesses, not take tax payer dollars.
I like PBS and NPR but I also believe that they should compete for business. As far as educational content there are a million channels and websites that have the same content that these stations have.
While their budget is small compared to the overall government they should follow what all families have had to do during these hard times; every dollar that does not need to be spent is a dollar that the family can save. Pennies become dimes which become dollars, thats how my kids piggy bank grows and that's how the government should wean these types of business of the governments teat.
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I guess we're just talking past each other. You're justifying PBS as a target while seemingly ignoring the larger ones that cost families more. I'm saying it was a lousy target when there are bigger, more profitable fish to fry that could save billions, not a few hundred million.
Guess we'll just have to disagree.
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If I wanted a "businessman" to run my country, I can think of several others who are much better qualified than Mitt Romney.
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Solution:
Romney wants to increase the military spending by 2 billion dollars (which the military already said they do not need), why not just reduce that by 25% and keep PBS/NPR?
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My daughter just found her old "Subsidize Me Elmo" doll.
The Obama Big Bird ad looks like the work of a campaign in panic mode. It's crunch time, when voters get very serious, very smart. So, this?
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so much for making a big election about small things. . .
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@o2bwln said:
My daughter just found her old "Subsidize Me Elmo" doll.
The Obama Big Bird ad looks like the work of a campaign in panic mode. It's crunch time, when voters get very serious, very smart. So, this?
Now you're just getting mean.
Next you'll start using words like "Commie" and "Socialist", maybe a little Europe bashing thrown in for good measure.
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@escapeartist said:
@o2bwln said:
My daughter just found her old "Subsidize Me Elmo" doll.
The Obama Big Bird ad looks like the work of a campaign in panic mode. It's crunch time, when voters get very serious, very smart. So, this?
Now you're just getting mean.
Next you'll start using words like "Commie" and "Socialist", maybe a little Europe bashing thrown in for good measure.
I'm not sure how I'm being mean about calling out a President who goes on and on about Big Bird when there are greater problems facing this country. Here is a man that is worked up about Big Bird but didn't bat an eyelash about going for a fundraiser to Vegas while US embassies were under siege. Instead of using airtime bashing his opponent for mentioning cutting funding with money that we don't have he should be telling the country how he'll reduce our debt by cutting frivolous spending.
So if that makes me mean then I'm guilty as charged. When I want to reduce expenses for my business I cut all unnecessary spending and I expect my government to do the same.
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Embassy argument is totally specious. Under conditions like that it is almost impossible to know the situation on the ground in real time. Embassy protests are not unique enough to interrupt presidential schedules and the details of the situation would only unravel over the next 24 hours. The argument is nonsensical and a true sign of either desperation or self delusion.
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Choose a different cartoon that doesn't paint the "47%" as freeloaders looking for handouts, that's what's mean - not the good logic of cutting subsidies for industries that don't need it. Cutting's fine. The republicans - scratch that - all politicians need to grow a set and cut the right spending. Romney choosing PBS as a target is weak, political, and cowardly. He couldn't handle the backlash from big oil, and he knows it. That shows exactly what will change if he is elected. Nothing. Except maybe some red states will see less Elmo.
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As an artist I always believe a picture is worth more than just words, hence I post many visual protests by way of humor.
Here is another, this is a very powerful argument IMO.
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