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QUOTE(iamshack @ Feb 28, 2008 -> 07:03 PM) Secondly, Russert didn't make it about him. YOU made it about him because he actually had the stones to not let the candidates give a bs answer to tough questions, and you weren't accustomed to that by the previous moderators. That's for the other candidates, not the moderator. Once again, on Meet The Press, if Russert wants to do his faux outrage to drag out pseudo-controversy, that's his prerogative. Moderators are there to keep the debate moving, bring up topics, and make sure both get the right to speak (or all get the right to speak.) The Farrakhan question was a fine question, but the 40 follow-ups were ridiculous. This isn't the Meet the Press debate, it was The Democratic Primary Debates. Russert needs to ask questions and shut up.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Feb 28, 2008 -> 06:02 PM) Well, I disagree with you, and apparently NBC does as well, as Russert is considered one of their top reporters/commentators. I like the pointed questions, and I think it's necessary at this point in the campaign to do a little seeking. These two candidates are far too sharp and rehearsed to simply be "guided" at this point. Should Russert and Williams have simply sought to guide both Clinton and Obama they would have received the same answers and the very same debate as was held less than two weeks ago on CNN, which was already a litany of the same answers the candidates have been giving in their speeches on the trail. These two asked different questions, held the candidates to actually answering them, and therefore, I think at least on a few accounts there was some new information exchanged, if nothing else. Some will not like Russert's style, although judging by his career trajectory there are quite a few more that do. As for the first comment, my point exactly. Good TV journalists are ranked by how loud and interruptive they can be. And as for the next bulk paragraph, they can reserve that style for interviews on their show or news conferences. Is it getting repetitive now? Yes, 20 debates into a primary season would get tedious. But it's a debate, between candidates, on issues and character. This has just been an unusually long primary season, and debates b/w parties can only go so far. That doesn't mean as a moderator you can make it about you and do these silly "gotcha" questions.

I've heard all these polls don't mean anything with how strange texas's system is.

I was a huge Elliot Spitzer fan when he was bustin the music industry and what not, but I've heard his current governor term hasn't been that great. That made me sad.

Well, clarification: Missouri bars close at 1. He turned 21 at midnight 6 drinks is pretty good to fit in that window.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Feb 28, 2008 -> 07:13 AM) Honestly, I disagree with that. How often do we watch these debates and the candidates will dance around the question or refuse to come anywhere near it entirely. Hilary is particularly fond of doing so, although Barack did so about the public financing of the general election question. I see absolutely nothing wrong with Russert trying to make the candidates squirm a bit with uncomfortable questions. Basically, he was trying to get Obama to reject Farrakhan and whatever base he brings along with him, and Obama was unwilling to do so outright. I don't see anything wrong with that. God forbid we try to make candidates make actual decisions as they will have to do should they ever reach the White House instead of skirting around every pointed question and stating they have a "plan" to fix everything. How was he unwilling to do so, clinton and russert were looking for a specific synonym to what he already announced. IF you do not agree with someones anti-semitism, you do not agree with their anti-semitism. so "farrakhan endorsed you, should jewish americans trust you?" ANd "I did not seek out Farrakhans endorsement and have distanced myself from him" more than answer that question. There is a difference between interviews and moderation, and aside from the fact that russert is terrible at both, moderators are supposed to guide, not seek. And he completely overtook the debate in a way I found disdainful. He's an egomaniac. Nobody cares about him, he forces it on. He had that "i'm looking out for the american people" logic in a way that isn't truly representative. It's so bad journalism logic. He's into creating a "gotcha" mode, and creating controversy, what we need now is a media that isn't so reactionary, that demands accountability. They aren't asking the obvious questions in results to things. It's one of the things i like about talkingpointsmemo so much, despite it's left slant, when something comes up, they get you the document, they check the facts, they don't report on the report. And Russert is just a blowhard, posing as someone searching for real truth just by yelling louder and acting more incredulous. And he's not the only one, but it's an unfortunate dimension to TV news. It is just shallow. And the once shining beacon of it, 60 minutes, is dead. Dateline is a joke. The news magazine has been taken over by hidden cameras and celeb interviews.

QUOTE(maggsmaggs @ Feb 28, 2008 -> 05:52 AM) I am not sure what group I agree with here. I find that to engage in a lot of socialization in college, drinking is almost a must. However, that being said, I have never had a drink of alcohol in my life and I am sure I have missed out on a ton of the socialization in college. But, i honestly don't care too much about being that social, so it really never mattered to me. This is an interesting conversation. well, honestly, my post two pages ago may have been ignored, but it rings true. I thing this thread response encapsulated two things: 1) People didn't like being told they were dropout losers because they drank 2) trying to help out beast learn the values of person to person interaction I have friends that don't drink. BUT, they don't shy away from interaction. Parties aren't their scene and my fraternity and myself respect that, but they also are involved in a lot of things in campus. That is not a "in place of system", where you aren't drinking so you must do this instead, but, I think it is important in college to push yourself far more than academically and mix yourself with different groups of people for self growth. My greatest personal strides in college have not come from drinking, but from interaction with a diverse group of people (i was a summer welcome leader), and I feel it's important to building important social skills. That said, I work my ass off in school, do drink, do have fun, and resent a sentiment that because i do these things and get stupid on weekends I'm somehow inferior. My friend turned 21 tonight, I don't regret celebrating it. And maggsmaggs, you live in almost a perfect college campus. I love our cafe culture, our music culture, our film culture. Go take advantage of the j-school buying T/F tickets and go to the director Q and A, you'll meet people there. Get as diverse a network as you can, because our campus, as well as many college ones, have such a great opportunity to maximize every strength available. and go tigers baseball. Go Crow.

no no, i just thought that was the best example of Russert's incredulous "why don't you answer my questions to my absurd standards and I'll interrupt you until I get the answer nobody cares about"

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Feb 28, 2008 -> 04:53 AM) Well, thats what Tim Russert does. It's nothing new. He hounds everyone with repetitive questions like that. As we already talked about in the thread, I think it's a better question to ask if this is appropriate type of stuff for a debate. Where the questioner begins to take center stage at times. that was the point, I was making fun of him for his tomfoolery on stage. *and him as a person*

Just an interesting fella.

mr. G, I mean, read that again, how excessive was that. 5 minutes of him saying he denounces the man and his statements. "But, he called judaism a gutter religion as well" "Well Then I support him" Russert: "GOTCHA" Obama: "DAMN IT RUSSERT YOU SHOWED MY TRUE COLORS"

QUOTE(mr_genius @ Feb 27, 2008 -> 10:49 PM) Not really, he was asking him to respond to a 'growing controversy'. Then Russert pestered Obama about his answer, like Russert does to everyone he interviews. I remember Russert just destroyed Guiliani during a Meet the Press interview, this really wasn't anything our of the ordinary for Tim Russert. Russert: How can the Jewish community trust you when you support farrakhan Obama : I renounce and disagree with Louis Farrakhan and did not seek his endorsement Russert: But DO YOU SUPPORT HIM?

Here is the correlation kap: Obama's book "the audacity of hope" is a quote from the head of his church The head of his church traveled with Farrakhan in 1982. The head of his church called Farrakhan a "great man" In a speech, Farrakhan called the Jews a "gutter religion" Therefore, Obama hates Jews, is what Russert was getting at.

QUOTE(iamshack @ Feb 27, 2008 -> 05:13 AM) Why do you say that? Because he made the candidates actually answer questions? I think Russert did a very solid job, as did the always excellent Brian Williams. per talkingpointsmemo that I found really funny: Russert's militant simpletonism is getting a bit tiring. What if we partly withdrew and then the Iraqis told us to completely withdraw and then al Qaida was elected president and then they allied with North Korea, do you have a policy ready for that!?!?!?!

I thought it was complete domination by Obama. Hillary is done.

you know, I liked Dizzee Rascals boy in da corner, but Maths + English was much better IMO. I liked the production better and his rapping was better.

couple things, I'd like a thread for jim to talk about this bat collecting. second off, I don't think you should go to parties if it's not your scene. I DO think you should go to cafe's, music clubs, and get involved in student groups on campus. Because a lot of what was said was true. What we learn in a classroom doesn't translate into a workroom environment. You should get involved in things where you are working alongside one another. Because frankly, if you enter the workplace with this "I'm better than everyone I have a girlfriend and gaming network, while they are all drunk assholes who don't care about anything but getting drunk" I can't imagine it will be good for the office team dynamic.

QUOTE(Haarold @ Feb 25, 2008 -> 05:48 AM) He gets into slumps that often last for 4-6 weeks where he does nothing but try and pull the ball, and is downright awful, hitting into double plays seemingly once sometimes twice a game. Look it up. I'll try

my favorite time of the year: truefalse.org looks like there'll be some great films!

I don't see an end to this thread.

"Move Fields to first, yes thats what I said... move Fields to first." Whoa, whoa, what did you say?

QUOTE(Athomeboy_2000 @ Feb 23, 2008 -> 02:42 AM) Well, the far right has begun its attack. Fox News (Hannity & Colmes) is calling out Obama on his Army Commander reference last night. Oliver North, standing in for Hannity, said "i can tell you, with the 70+ groups of people i traveled with in Iraq while covering the war for Fox News, I NEVER saw a group not have what it needed". Here's the problem, he's not with ALL the groups. There are plenty of well documented cases and soldiers CLEARLY in need of proper equipment. i believe there was a story of people using mettle scraps to "armor" their vehicles. North also went on to say that we couldn't have used Taliban weapons because they are not compatible with ours. Hey dumbass, they dont have to be compatible if they are LOADED! Not hard to pick up a pistol or machine-gun and start firing with it! They then went on to say that even though Jack Trapper of ABC personally called this soldier and backed up Obamas story... well, he must be wrong. His facts must not be right. Even presented with testimony from the person involoved they cant face the facts. SHEESH!!! For a guy who claims to have all this military knowledge, he's really rather incompetent. I mean, shoot, the army independent newspaper stars and stripes reports stuff like this all the time (Stars and Stripes is awesome btw. It's online at stripes.com)

And it's not like the drinking in the greek system is a dirty little secret, there is an open dialogue constantly among how to end the drinking culture, including a system called GAMMA which educates about alcohol. Just last night was the finals for RAMS (rockin against multiple sclerosis) which raised thousands for MS. I think where people get fired up when questioned how to end the stereotype comes from the treatment of the greek system from the University. Here at Mizzou, despite a strong and active greek system, the school treats us like they just have to 'tolerate' us. And we feel used. We set up the entire campus for them for homecoming, decorate the town, the steering committee is pretty much all greek. Yet, when an incident happens the school uses it to drop the hammer. And they pick in choose when to include us as part of the campus, for certain rules, we are on campus. For snow removal, we are off campus. Greeks comprise of so much of the student organizations, have better GPAs, thousands of hours of community service, hundreds of thousands dollars donated to charity, and the treatment isn't embracing us, but just tolerating the system. And per your suggestion, Tex, most fraternities require, well, mine and many at mizzou, require you to join some # of student orgs, and they have to raise a set amt. of money for our philanthropy.

QUOTE(Texsox @ Feb 22, 2008 -> 10:08 PM) And what will fraternities do to improve their name? I don't know about other campuses, but in Missouri we basically set up all the homecoming activities for the school, organize two of the largest blood drives in the country, lots of community service and money given to charities. I never thought I'd make this post.

QUOTE(Alpha Dog @ Feb 22, 2008 -> 10:22 PM) http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23271556/ And in the one instance the paper did decide to print, This was more about drive-by journalism that actual news reporting. yeah, not at odds with my post at the top of my page. I've read a lot on this. My point is the scandal wouldn't be over that he x'd her, rather that the "straight shootin express" is another patronage patty