Nothing like a little hostage situation,...

[Merrida]

We just had a hostage situation you guys may have seen on TV happening up here (close by, in NH, at Clinton's). Clean up's been,...interesting. So pardon my temporary absence.

Hope the rest of you are having a more pleasant evening.

[Your_Crazy]

The funny thing is I wouldn't have put it past the Clintons that this was a put on. Someone that wants Clinton in office may have pulled it. HMMM... In NH of all places where she has been losing ground to the field. I like conspiriscies / counsident. Especially, from someone who got caught planting questions in an audience. Who also doesn't know what side of the fence to stand-on. I'm not saying it's true. I just think it seems a bit odd that it happened now.

[Merrida]

I can't believe this. It's 4:20pm and I just got up after all of last nights hocus pocus.

Hey, Crazy, I'm not going to be one to argue with you. A few things,-- when it comes to conspiracy theories I have sort of a mixed palate. There are actually a few I think are rather plausible, but for the most part I believe they're hooey.

Firmly standing on my ground at the risk of losing some cyber friends, heck I'll admit that one thing that has always bothered me is JFK. But this isn't about him. There's just too much controvery surrounding that entire family, too slippery.

Okay so last night,....let me start off by saying (at another risk but heck this is partly why we're here),...I'm not a Clinton supporter. For one (risk #3) I do not want a woman president. That can be smashed against me as using sexism vs. political standing, but sorry, that's just how I feel. But that doesn't mean that because of my background, my wide range of social/political (etc) friends, that I was not involved and also because of various parts of my background it was requested I hang about to assist.

I think the reason I popped online to share it was the heat of such a moment is spicy and the adrenalyne rises, and the odd thing is, you guys are my buds and I've been absent for a while,....just lots of kooky stuff going on, some noteworthy and public, some not. And gosh golly, I miss you guys (most of you anyway)! Pthhh!

[Gooseneck]

We LOVE you Merrida !!

[MAURER]

Originally Posted by Your_Crazy

The funny thing is I wouldn't have put it past the Clintons that this was a put on. Someone that wants Clinton in office may have pulled it. HMMM... In NH of all places where she has been losing ground to the field. I like conspiriscies / counsident. Especially, from someone who got caught planting questions in an audience. Who also doesn't know what side of the fence to stand-on. I'm not saying it's true. I just think it seems a bit odd that it happened now.

Even if that was possible/realistic, how much did the Clinton campaign have to gain from this?

[Merrida]

Originally Posted by MAURER

Even if that was possible/realistic, how much did the Clinton campaign have to gain from this?

I'll preface this by saying that I do not believe this was any conspiracy or set up.

But what does ANYONE have to gain by staging such stunts? Did you happen to notice the media coverage? Gosh, now Mrs. Bill is even more important if such attempts are made, riiiiight? Again, I'm speaking hypothetically and as Devil's Advocate, answering what someone might gain.

Same as staging one's own kidnapping, ransom, bombing, threats,....you're brought to the center of media highlights, given considerably more press, attention, and importance (however misguided).

Bad press (or dangerous press) is still better than no press at all.


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[MAURER]

usually i would agree that bad press is better than no press but im not sure thats the case with politicians. just look back to the last election when in the democratic primaries, howard dean was considered the front runner until the press showed video of him howling like a banchee on his campaign trail. i know that the situations are different but i still don't see how the additional media coverage of hillary clinton's campaign helped her. everybody already knows who she is.

[Dan C]

Originally Posted by Merrida

I'm not a Clinton supporter. For one (risk #3) I do not want a woman president.

Interesting. I've found myself thinking along those lines but never put it so frankly. Why do you feel this way? And why is this risk #3?

[Merrida]

Originally Posted by Dan C

Interesting. I've found myself thinking along those lines but never put it so frankly. Why do you feel this way? And why is this risk #3?

When I was referring to "risks," I meant them specifically in relation to how they might be related to or perceived by, the DF crowd. A "risk" is (in my terms anyway) when someone makes a bold statement and is willing to put themself on the line here in cyberland, and open themselves up to possible e-slaps upside the noggin for expressing what may be unpopular opinions.

So in that context, I realize that my saying that I was not a Clinton supporter and do not want a women president was a "risk" in that there may be people here on DF who might be offended by my opinion. Wouldn't be the first time, but hey, we live in a bold world.

As for why I don't want a female president, that's like leading a lamb to slaughter, isn't it? You sure the forum's ready for a woman's reply to such a heated comment?


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[Merrida]

Originally Posted by Dan C

Interesting. I've found myself thinking along those lines but never put it so frankly.

This reminds me of our "hunting conversation." You know me Dan,...I'm the "frank and direct" type for the most part and say what's on my mind.


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[MAURER]

hey just let it out. i think any person who is offended by your reason for why you think a woman should not be president would already have been offended and has made assumptions for your reasoning.

[EliteLift]

I see no reason to be offended, mostly just curious as to why you think this? personally I don't see how a vagina is going to make a person a bad president, breasts on the other hand though...thats just dangerous

[Merrida]

Originally Posted by MAURER

hey just let it out. i think any person who is offended by your reason for why you think a woman should not be president would already have been offended and has made assumptions for your reasoning.

You make a good point.

I tend to trust a man's judgment with regards to this experience. That is not to say I do not trust women in positions of power, I absolutely do. I just think that historically we have not had enough women in powerful positions yet to establish themselves, and being president of this country is not the place to be breaking ground. I have no problem with women in politics, but believe more in a balance. I am all for equal pay for equal work, I believe women are equal to men in the intellectual department, but we are not equal to them in the physical department, and I dislike that there are double standards or adjustments made for women (such as in Basic Training,....and I don't know enough about things like the Fire Department or Police Academies, but double standards because of weight ratios, are wrong, and there should be a standard across the board).

Women have gotten off of murder charges due to hormone issues, which, right or wrong, means that there is still a portion of this country that believes hormones can be blamed and held responsible for irresponsible decision making and potentially dangerous behaviors. Again, I do not want to be in a country governed where there's even a remote possibility that something along these lines may potentially be brought in as a defense if something goes wrong.

I am not trying to profile, I am not trying to sound mysogonistic, and I am not trying to sound like I have no faith in women. I absolutely do. But I believe men have more experience, historically, when it comes to business. Also because they are linear thinkers, and their brains are physiologically different, they have a capacity that we women do not when it comes to global thinking, problem solving, puzzles (which technically all relationships, foreign and domestic, boil down to).

I've seen, met and worked with brilliant women in the fields of science, so again, I believe the capacity is there. But I think we need to advance ourselves more as women in more areas, especially globally, before I personally would feel like I could extend trust to presidency. We're not ready as a country, and although we've "come a long way, baby," we have not come far enough to make a leap of this magnitude.

Even if it wasn't Clinton, at the "risk" (there's that word again) of sounding like I am profiling and prejudging,....I still would not vote for a woman. I just think men, in general, are more qualified. Women, we need to earn our wings, but there are many steps along the way before presidency.

There ya have it.


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[EliteLift]

the last president was a competely irresponsible as a decision maker who lead potentially dangerous behaviors, and he just so happens to be male. I can see where you are comming from with the whole tried and true thing, but then what steps do you think woman can make before running for president?

[Merrida]

Originally Posted by EliteLift

I see no reason to be offended, mostly just curious as to why you think this? personally I don't see how a vagina is going to make a person a bad president, breasts on the other hand though...thats just dangerous

Well I already explained, and it has nothing to do with the fact that women have a vagina. If I thought that, then that means I would have to believe that mens' brains are located in their penises and since we women don't have a penis, we are without the ability to function or think.

This has nothing to do with genitals.

While I did make a comment about hormones, it was because of our judicial system utilizing womens' hormones in defense of behavior which a man would never have (either because they sincerely do not suffer from things like PMS, irritability on a regular basis without an external causal relationship, post-natal depression, menopause,...but those are all factual biological aspects of being a woman, that many, though not all, women genuinely suffer from). That is one thing men do not have to contend with, and the only comment I made with regards to our reproductive systems and their effect (not genital specific).

Note as well that is NOT my sole "argument" or reasoning, merely a very small aspect of why I feel the way I do.


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