[R] So the next debate is in Tempe Arizona

[Knightshade Dragon]

...and I could barely get home through the freeway today.  Apparently they have closed half of the downtown area off in the direction that I have to head home.  :/  

I have serious concerns over one thing though..traffic aside...they are selling tickets for $100,000 for one ticket, $200,000 for two tickets, or $400,000 for the family 8 pack.  I think that regardless of which side you support you have to agree that this doesn't let the common man see their politicians...

[Odin]

Wow - those ticket prices are insane. Amazing to think that more than half of our eligible voters don't vote, but a few hundred people will pay a couple years' wages to watch a debate.

Sith

[Knightshade Dragon]

I can't even wrap my head around that much money.  Soft money?  Hard money?  Reform?  Which politician do I have to club like a baby seal to get to look at ticket-price reform?

[Captain Caveman]

Why would someone pay that kind of money to hear statements you can hear for free everyday in their stump speeches?

[Destructor]

Wow - those ticket prices are insane. Amazing to think that more than half of our eligible voters don't vote, but a few hundred people will pay a couple years' wages to watch a debate.

Sith

Scary, no?

And like I said last time Mr. Bush flew into town - DON'T TRAVEL ON THE STREETS DURING RUSHHOUR!

Ass.

[noxiousdog]

That's how they keep the libs and the greens out.  Even the participants have to buy a ticket.

[stiffler]

Don't tell anybody, but I am going to watch it at home...for free!  

I might even be naked...

Now I COULD pay $200,000 to be there in person, but they won't let me scream at them, and likely wouldn't let me be naked.




NAKED.

[archipelago]

Okay, I admit it - I'm a political dullard, but....

Where does the ticket money....go!?

[Knightshade Dragon]

School me, has anyone other than a Dem or Rep ever pulled more than 5% of the vote?  Its never more than those two in the debates really...I just can't believe that these are my only two viable options. (and don't say Nader...the man doesn't use those new fangled PCs)

[Captain Caveman]

Perot got about 20% of the vote in 1992.

[rrmorton]

It's that damn tax cut for the top 2% that lets them pay for A) outrageously expensive debate tickets and B) the labotomies they need to undergo so they'll be willing to write the check that pays for the aforementioned debate tickets.

[noxiousdog]

School me, has anyone other than a Dem or Rep ever pulled more than 5% of the vote?  Its never more than those two in the debates really...I just can't believe that these are my only two viable options. (and don't say Nader...the man doesn't use those new fangled PCs)

I assume you're talking in the last 50 years?

[Knightshade Dragon]

Yea, in the last 50.

[Odin]

I assume you're talking in the last 50 years?

Vote Whig! Vote Tory! Rock the vote!

[Knightshade Dragon]

"His teeth were made of wool."

[Geezer]

Jeebus -- that's crazy!  Was the same pricing structure in effect for the last debate?  You know, the "town hall" where us everyday commonfolk were supposed to be able to get in and ask questions?

Plus, where DOES all that money go -- no one has answered that yet, and I think it's a damn fine question

...and I could barely get home through the freeway today.  Apparently they have closed half of the downtown area off in the direction that I have to head home.  :/  

I have serious concerns over one thing though..traffic aside...they are selling tickets for $100,000 for one ticket, $200,000 for two tickets, or $400,000 for the family 8 pack.  I think that regardless of which side you support you have to agree that this doesn't let the common man see their politicians...

[noxiousdog]

John Anderson got 6.6% in 1980 as an independent.
George Wallace got 13% in 68 as an independent.

[Siljanus]

Jeebus -- that's crazy!  Was the same pricing structure in effect for the last debate?  You know, the "town hall" where us everyday commonfolk were supposed to be able to get in and ask questions?

Plus, where DOES all that money go -- no one has answered that yet, and I think it's a damn fine question

...and I could barely get home through the freeway today.  Apparently they have closed half of the downtown area off in the direction that I have to head home.  :/  

I have serious concerns over one thing though..traffic aside...they are selling tickets for $100,000 for one ticket, $200,000 for two tickets, or $400,000 for the family 8 pack.  I think that regardless of which side you support you have to agree that this doesn't let the common man see their politicians...

Bump because I want to know where the $$$ is going!

[Gromit]

There is something fundamentally wrong with a political process that would result in charging (especially the obscene amounts being charged) someone to attend a political debate.

Unless of course the money went to ASU...go Sun Devils! (5-0 overall in the PAC-10)  

[happydog]

Scary, no?

And like I said last time Mr. Bush flew into town - DON'T TRAVEL ON THE STREETS DURING RUSHHOUR!

Ass.

You said it! There were actually people out of their cars on the freeway last time Bush came to town. And I have a feeling I will get stuck again this week.

[Destructor]

School me, has anyone other than a Dem or Rep ever pulled more than 5% of the vote?  Its never more than those two in the debates really...I just can't believe that these are my only two viable options. (and don't say Nader...the man doesn't use those new fangled PCs)

I heard from somebody who got their 'early voter' card to mail back that there are TEN people running for president. TEN people.

Maybe not ten, but it was at least 8 people. Short of the two and Nader, I hadn't heard of a single one of them. Why are they even trying? Just to give the US a 'choice'?

[Sepiche]

but a few hundred people will pay a couple years' wages to watch a debate.

Hrrmm... my guess is that, for the people attending the debate, that's more like a few hours wages.

I might even be naked...

That's a damn fine idea... you know... to... um... protest... things.  Defintely THINGS.

Where does the ticket money....go!?

My GUESS is that it is donated to the university, but that's purely a guess.  For all I know it could be used to buy Bush a new torture chamber.

Maybe not ten, but it was at least 8 people. Short of the two and Nader, I hadn't heard of a single one of them. Why are they even trying? Just to give the US a 'choice'?

I honestly couldn't tell you names (since the media helps to perpetuate the two party system), but the Green party, the reform party, and the libertarians always field a canidate.  Add Nader this year that that still leaves a few... some are probably independants.

Doesn't really matter for me since I'm in a red state... maybe I'll vote for myself... :?


Thanks for mentioning the price of tickets though, I've always been curious how they pick who gets to attend those debates.

s

[UsulofDoom]

For all I know it could be used to buy Bush a new torture chamber.  

Please. :roll:

A state of the art torture chamber could be made for less that $400.000.

Thats with live tv feeds, fire pits, water torture tubs and wood spliters for the nails. All with stainless steel sound proof chambers.  

[Fireball1244]

I'd be willing to bet that those tickets are being scalped. Chances are that both parties are given a certain number of tickets, with a certain number made available for students at the college the debate is being held at. The parties pass them out to major donors and party regulars, some of whom may be trying to make a quick $200,000 on them.

[Fireball1244]

John Anderson got 6.6% in 1980 as an independent.
George Wallace got 13% in 68 as an independent.

Wallace also racked up 46 electoral votes (8.5%), since almost all of his vote was concentrated in 8 states from the old Confederacy. He's the only third party since the first part of the 20th Century to win electoral college votes.

[Fireball1244]

I heard from somebody who got their 'early voter' card to mail back that there are TEN people running for president. TEN people.

Maybe not ten, but it was at least 8 people. Short of the two and Nader, I hadn't heard of a single one of them. Why are they even trying? Just to give the US a 'choice'?

Some of them are just vanity candidates, others are running because they fervently believe in a political philosophy which just doesn't fly with the average American -- ie, folks like the lets-get-theocratic Constitution Party.

And some are running because they feel compelled in their later years to undo all the admirable things they did to protect and help consumers and average Americans earlier in their life. Yes, I'm looking at you, Mr. Nader.

[Hetz]

Some of them are just vanity candidates, others are running because they fervently believe in a political philosophy which just doesn't fly with the average American -- ie, folks like the lets-get-theocratic Constitution Party.

Amazingly, I saw a couple of Presidential yard signs the other day for the Constitution Party here in Wisconsin. *shudder*

Oh well, at least that is a couple less votes for GWB in this very close swing state!  

[Aliasbuck]

I'd like to complain to Knightshade, because you already broke your own rules - this is NOT an [R] Tag thread - it is a [P] Tag thread.  

Ban yourself!   :wink:

(although I did have to wonder how religion fit into it)

Brief aside: Is it still a problem today? My parents are headed home from a cruise tonight and I'd like to give them a heads up if it is (they're in the area of Fiesta Mall)

[dangerballs]

School me, has anyone other than a Dem or Rep ever pulled more than 5% of the vote?  Its never more than those two in the debates really...I just can't believe that these are my only two viable options. (and don't say Nader...the man doesn't use those new fangled PCs)

I heard from somebody who got their 'early voter' card to mail back that there are TEN people running for president. TEN people.

Maybe not ten, but it was at least 8 people. Short of the two and Nader, I hadn't heard of a single one of them. Why are they even trying? Just to give the US a 'choice'?

There are a couple of hundred "candidates" every election.  Most don't make it on the ballot and some aren't even eligible to be president.  There was a news segment on on a couple of months ago about a man who was running as the old Prohibition party candidate.  The entire party was his immediate family and a couple of friends.

[Fireball1244]

These debate tickets are so expensive that even God couldn't afford 'em.

There, the R tag is now justified.