[Ozmodiar]

Wisconsin's primary is on Tuesday, and the Democratic presidential hopefuls were on campus today for a debate. I believe it was also broadcasted on MSNBC or CNBC.

I thought they all did a good job or presenting themselves, and instead of attacking each other in front of the camera they all joined together against Bush. Al Sharpton was especially critical (and hilarious).

Pi Sigma Alpha took a poll before and after the debate: people were given two small pieces of paper along with a questionnaire on their way into the debate. We were instructed to put one piece of paper in a box marked with the Democrat's name whom we thought we were going to vote for on Tuesday (there were six boxes, the final one being "other"). Then, on the way out, we were to put the other piece of paper in one of the boxes based on the same criteria in an effort to see if anyone's mind changed after the debate. It was interesting to note that Kerry, Dean, and Edwards' numbers were 20%, 18%, and 18% (respectively) going in and 12%, 9%, and 35% (again, respectively) coming out. Al Sharpton's numbers went from 1% to 10%, but I think that was based on how funny that guy is.

I can't wait to vote on Tuesday. Milwaukee has a lot of other things on the ballot that I'm interested in, too, but this was cool. I'm really excited about being part of the political process.

[BRussell]

Sounds like fun. I watched a bit of it on TV.

That's interesting about Edwards, and I think it's true about him in general - when people see him or hear him, they come away liking him a lot. But apparently Democratic primary voters have already decided who they think is most electable.

Anyway, it's great that you're interested in what's going on.

[zigzag]

Doesn't surprise me - Edwards is a born politician. People talk about his lack of experience, but if you think about it, he's got more foreign policy experience than Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and Bush II had. He only looks inexperienced next to Kerry and Bush. He looks a bit young as well, but he seems to have changed his hairstyle to minimize that.

I'm not necessarily endorsing him, just saying that he's got a real gift for stump politics.

[spacefreak]

Originally posted by zigzag:
Doesn't surprise me - Edwards is a born politician. People talk about his lack of experience, but if you think about it, he's got more foreign policy experience than Carter, Reagan, Clinton, and Bush II had.

Yeah, but he lacks the executive experience that Clinton, Reagan, and Bush had, and lacks the overall experience of public service that those others had. He hasn't even finished a single term in the Senate. Whatever...to each his own.

I'd like to see some Democrats actually make it to the polls. In Virginia, only 10% of eligible Democratic voters voted, and only 3500 people total voted in Nevada.

It's a shame that so few are ultimately selecting the nominee.

[zigzag]

Originally posted by spacefreak:
Yeah, but he lacks the executive experience that Clinton, Reagan, and Bush had, and lacks the overall experience of public service that those others had. He hasn't even finished a single term in the Senate.

Governors do seem to carry more weight even if they have no FP experience. There's JFK, who (unless I'm mistaken) was an even younger first-term Senator, but JFK was running against a non-incumbent and had a very influential Pa and a glam wife and PT 109 and even then it was close.