Watch these two clips from Real Time with Bill Maher last Friday

[mudesi]

The last couple of minutes of this first one:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=P9iKbSZOMpQ

And the beginning of this second one:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=_UFvf2yEdGs&feature=related

The segment is entitled "Caucus me" and it's essentially Bill talking to regular people about who they support and why.

Granted, I don't know if this is real. Assuming that it is, here are some of the lovely reasons given for supporting a particular candidate:

Obama supporter:
"He's a uniter"
"He's smart"
"He's presidential"
"He's good looking"

McCain supporter:
"He's a Harry Truman type of person"
"He's honest"
"He has character"

McCain supporter #2:
"I live in Arizona and it seems like a well run state"
"He seems to represent his people well"

Obama supporter:
"He's a dynamic candidate"
"He's got two best selling books"


Bill pointed out afterwards just how these people didn't really have any real reasons to vote for their candidate. I don't know why he didn't make more of a discussion about it, because I think that is exactly what's wrong with American Democracy today.

Where is "I like his/her stance on Iraq/Health Care/Economy"? What is all this "I think he/she is honest/dynamic/charming" nonsense? Is this how the majority of the people base their vote? Because that frightens me.

Is it any wonder that the media so easily manipulates the population? I think more French people need to immigrate and gain citizenship, because they certainly know how to vote in an election.

[dsc]

1. President Sarkosy

just saying.

[iamjoy]

2. You Only Saw A Sample

Maher very well could have been using this to poke fun at people (it is definately in his character) and so he didn't include any of the thoughtful responses he got in his montage. Why would he, the reasonable ones aren't funny.

A little much though going after a kid who should be praised for attention to politics, not asked a leading question and used as a source of mockery.

[Yael]

3. And it didn't escape me that the only Edwards supporter was 7 years old.

[applegrove]

4. Even without the writers it was a good show.