Did I Watch The Debate? No. Here’s Why.

Politicians are so frustrating to me. I wish we could toss out every single one of ’em this November and have a brand new election with people who are earnest about honesty in government and who haven’t become jaded and jaundiced by lobbyists and special interest groups. I already know a few of the local schmos that won’t be getting my vote when the time comes (hello, Reps. Spratt and Clyburn).

I watched the first 20 minutes or so. And what had me begin to think about turning it off was the very first answer Biden gave in the debate. When asked about the bailout, Biden complained about “economic policies of the last eight years” that led to “excessive deregulation.”

Um…Dude. Is your calendar off? In 1999 (which was 11 years ago) you voted in favor of the 1999 deregulation that some groups are now blaming for part of the current financial crisis. That law allowed Wall Street banks to create mortgage-related securities at the heart of the current problem. In 1977 (31 years ago) Carter helped get the Community Reinvestment Act passed which enabled lower-income families to buy homes they couldn’t really afford. Clinton made changes to it in 1995 to allow even MORE people to buy homes they couldn’t really afford and led to predatory lending practices.

Look it up, Biden. It’s all on the Congressional record.

So anyway, I kept watching for a few more minutes, mainly because it was fun to watch the people-meter on CNN go up and down with each answer. But after a while I got bored with the whole thing because, as Ace pointed out to me in an email, Biden just kept smirking and laughing in counterpoint to Palin’s comments, which was simply inappropriate and condescending. Rather than watch THAT for over an hour, I put on a movie.

But lest you think I’m being partisan, there are several articles on the web this morning telling us exactly what BOTH candidates said that was misleading. You can read them for yourself. I’m not saying Palin was a straight-arrow in last night’s debate either. But the fact that the VERY FIRST RESPONSE in last night’s debate was a blatant distortion was enough for me.

This is why I don’t like politics. When this election is over I’m going back into my shell for four years.