To say the debate encountered “some” technical difficulties would be like saying that Apple has sold “some” iPhones. Johnson kept disappearing from the Hangout like a Muggle at Hogwarts who has yet to figure out which end of his wand is the one that makes stuff vanish. If ever there was a case to be made for blanketing the nation in high speed internet, Gary Johnson made it last night.
Jill Stein promptly became confused by the function of the mute button, and whilst it was obvious that she is passionate about her positions, it was obvious in a 1920’s silent film way. If she doesn’t win the presidency, Stein can always give Verizon a call and see if they need a new “Can you hear me now” person in their ads.
America is the land of free speech, and this reporter for one applauds the embracing of the “Virtual” concept, as well as the sheer grit and determination of candidates willing to run against tremendous odds for what they believe in. Johnson and Stein gave the voices of the people they represent a chance to be heard in this election season. For that alone they deserve credit.
but his passion about what he was snaiyg was clearly authentic.However, I agree with and, FWIW, completely endorse angienc’s comment above.Many of us have a priority issue, or issues, and that’s what we tend to inject into discussions. For my money that’s a really good thing; we tend to know more about what we’re most interested in and when we bring passion to a discussion we bring energy to the conversation. Also there’s a good chance we can learn from one another’s best knowledge and most considered conclusions. Doesn’t mean every one of us is right about what we think about our priority issues or that we’ll agree with each other’s conclusions, but contributing authentic passion to a discussion enlivens and enlarges it. I don’t agree with what feminists here have said about drag (more about that later) but I’m really glad they brought it up because they made it a more interesting discussion.That said, Jay, I really did love hearing you on John’s show but I have a bone to pick with you. You are absolutely positively wrong about people using pseudonyms on the Internet. When I first started posting comments, fifteen years or so ago, I used my real name. I know it will surprise nobody that my comments pissed off some people. What I discovered then and have noticed since is there is usually a loon or two in the crowd. One of them looked me up, it wasn’t hard, found where I worked and tried to make trouble for me with my boss, trying to out me (I was out, thank god, but worked at Goldman where there was a lot of gay-derisive attitude, including my boss, and if I hadn’t been out it would have really screwed with my relationships there) and sending a detailed list of how much time I spent making comments online. My boss sent copies of all this to HR along with his comments supporting me as an employee important to the firm, which he believed would protect both him and me (it did), and told me about it to warn that I should be careful. Then the stalker found my home address and phone number. Called and called and wrote letters denigrating me and making veiled threats. It wasn’t just annoying and unsettling, my husband developed a fear of home invasion and the stalker’s behavior was robbing him of sleep and the sense that our home was a safe place; the phone ringing or a knock on the door had, for him, changed from happy expectation to worry verging on fear. Even after the stalker stopped sending letters and leaving voice messages when I threatened legal action, she continued by calling and hanging up incessantly. We changed our phone number, put it in my partner’s name and paid to have it unlisted. Then I left the site where I’d posted under my name, found somewhere else to comment and began using zaladonis. I don’t post under that name because I’m a coward, I post with it because I value my, and more importantly my husband who wants no part of blog communities, privacy and safety and peace of mind. By using the same online name for nearly 15 years, and being truthful about myself, I am posting under my own name. The fact that I made up a name to write under is no more cowardly than Mark Twain was cowardly.