Presidential Election Political Smackdown FFA

[Charles Dean]

[The Tim]

[Charles Dean]

Yeah, I know. I'm a sonofabitch for not coming this weekend. I heard it was ridiculously packed.

[Alan]

Two years ago PAX was in Bellevue and it was ridiculously packed. You could barely move. Seriously.

So the next year they streched out and got the entire Seattle Convention Center and it was comfortably full and active.

This year they got even more of the convention center and it was uncomfortably packed.

I heard they are planning on renting more of the space next year. They might also have two conventions -- one for the east coast and one for the west coast.

I say they just move the whole production down to Vegas and get a bigger space.

[The Tim]

I agree, it was much more packed this year than last, though I don't think it was quite to the level of '06 at the Meydenbauer yet.

I was at the press only Q&A with Mike & Jerry, and they said that next year they're going to get the entire convention center (they didn't have the 5th and 6th floors this year).

PAX east coast starts in 2010 (they already have publishers making reservations!), and will hopefully draw down the crowds at Seattle PAX somewhat. They said that 75% of PAX attendees come from outside Washington State.

They have absolutely no interest in moving PAX to a city other than Seattle, since in their words "we live here." I can appreciate that.

[lamont]

[rose-colored-coolaid]

[Robroy]

[Charles Dean]

[jon]

[Charles Dean]

.

[Charles Dean]

[jon]

[Charles Dean]

Being a Christian, I am fairly familiar with evangelical language and with alot of the political rhetoric that goes along with that. And I would argue that there are plenty of things that go along with both political parties that are anti-Christian.

I understand why he said what he said. What I'm saying is that most americans reject the idea that voting for a democrat is sinful (I have heard this numerous times) or that questioning Dubya and his policies is also sinful, based on the verse about respecting those in power. This verse was never quoted by evangelicals in the 90's when Clinton was president.

So while many evangelicals took issue with things Reverend Wright had to say (myself included), I think Christians of other stripes are likely to take issue with the viewpoints held by the church she is a long time member of.

[rose-colored-coolaid]

Tagging onto tarzanchuck example of not criticizing the president (an admitted straw man since few would associate with it), what concerns me is the hypocrisy. I have never noticed people swinging so quickly on their "deepest held beliefs" as I have during this election.

We're seeing a lot of comparisons of Obama and Palin, and on each side I hear people dismissing the same issues on their own side while exaggerating the concern on their own side. If you look critically, each seems to have almost all the same "positives" as "negatives". Each will break a glass ceiling, each is newer to politics or is new blood, each have numerous rumors swirling regarding their trustworthiness. But because their actual policies are radically different, people seem able to disassociate the similarities and turn them into differences. It's completely absurd at this point.

I will point out, particularly to Robroy, that I was listening to a very conservative radio station this morning and the callers were at-arms over "baby-gate". However, I think your prediction that this will bite Obama is turning out to be rather false. The hosts railed against the media, but applauded Obama's and Biden's maturity and respect for insisting that this not be brought up by their campaigns. The hosts then went on to explain that it's not the candidates jobs to shut up the most extreme bloggers, and a few callers actually represented the opinion that this demonstrated how the media might love Obama but doesn't listen to or respect his authority.

Just an anecdote, but it seems to me that this whole deal might end up being one that actually helps people disassociate Obama from a media bias. Also, it came out so early that unlike Hillary crying it is unlikely this will bump McCain/Palin when the actual election arrives. Instead, it'll just be this seedy thing people have tried to forget but has left a little bit of a bad taste in their mouths.