Why does how she practices her religion matter? - Peter Simard
isn't this the same crowd that said it shouldn't matter if Obama really WAS a Muslim (and I know he's not)? If so, why do Palin's religious practices matter so much...? - Team Frosick
How is this a violation of the separation of church and state? If people in a church pray for someone else in that church, is that someone hereby relieved of any opportunity to run for office? Should we only nominate or elect atheists? BTW, someone praying for someone else is not the same as "hands laid on her." It's not as if someone healed her of a disease. It was just a prayer, which isn't illegal or unconstitutional yet. - Charles LePage
This isn't church and state. Church and state would be if she required EVERYONE to have hands laid on to to be dedicated if they went into public office. - Justin Long
It wouldn't matter if the Republican party actually honored the separation of Church and State. - Victor Ganata
I went to a church just like Palin's for more that 10 years. Would love to answer any questions about it. - Robert Scoble
Palin is associated with a network of religious crackpots who not only believe Armageddon is imminent -- they want to help it along. That's the main problem with Palin's brand of religiosity, Simard, Frosick and LePage. Christianists are as dangerous as Islamists. By the way, what are your denominational affiliations? And what are your views on the CNP and CUFI? Tim LaHaye's CNP was Palin's lead backer in the VP selection process. LaHaye is the author of the Left Behind series. - Sean McBride
That's absurd. Whether she had hands laid on, or took an oath, or kissed a frog has nothing to do with church and state. - mathew ingram
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or PROHIBITING THE FREE EXERCISE THEREOF." Apparently you want seperation of church and person. - Graham Bates
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I'm of the opinion that any form of religious extremism is antithetical to my existence. I generally place people like Osama bin Laden and Pat Robertson in the same category. Western Civ tried the whole theocracy thing already. We generally refer to that time period as the Dark Ages. EPIC FAIL! - Victor Ganata
I went to a Baptist church in college because my roommate told me he would let me use his credit card if I went to church with him on Sundays. "Deal" I said. I had a great time and even though I am Jewish I felt such love and tenderness from the Baptist church in Pittsburgh PA. I sincerely felt the desire to convert, but no matter how much I felt their love, I could not do it. I regret that. I always envied church. I like going to church more then I like going to synagogue. - ⓃⓄⒶⒽ ⒹⒶⓋⒾⒹ ⓈⒾⓂⓄⓃ
After a year of church I found myself being a Christian for one week. I got some really bad nightmares and I was scared of punishment. I called my cousin to try to convert him. My cousin didn't argue with me. He told me he would believe in Jesus if I bought him a lobster dinner. It was at that point I realized it wasn't working for me. - ⓃⓄⒶⒽ ⒹⒶⓋⒾⒹ ⓈⒾⓂⓄⓃ
Muslim, Christian and Jewish fundamentalists all share the same pathology. Religious fundamentalists have destroyed the Republican Party and turned it into a laughingstock. The American Founding Fathers would recoil in disgust at Sarah Palin and her co-religionists. They were coastal elitists, men of rationality, skepticism, science and learning. - Sean McBride
as for Baptist church and Sarah Palin. It works for her and I don't hold it against her. It works for many. It worked for my college roommate who was a chip designer at Carnegie Mellon. He was one of the nicest guys I ever met. He didn't even watch porn. The dude said he was a virgin. I couldn't believe it. - ⓃⓄⒶⒽ ⒹⒶⓋⒾⒹ ⓈⒾⓂⓄⓃ
It's common practice to "lay hands" and pray for someone when they are embarking on a journey of significance like that. A missionary trip over seas, a battle with cancer, an election run for office. It's pretty silly to imply anything beyond people practicing their daily faith. - Sam J. West IV
"Sarah Palin has spent more than two and a half decades of her life as a member of an Alaska church which is part of a fanatical Christian-named cult project that is sweeping across America. Palin comes out of the most radical stream of US Born-Again Evangelism known as ‘Joel’s Army,’ an offshoot of what is called Dominionism and sometimes also called the Latter Rain cult or Manifest Sons of God. The movement deliberately attempts to remain below the radar screen." - Sean McBride
exoteric forms of religious worship can be separated from the state. but faith and politics are intertwined. from what i know about Palin's faith her worldview is not compatible with mine (as well as mainstream American people). and to me, that's the bottom line. - ~C4Chaos
C4Chaos now we know you are wrong when you say "mainstream" American people. I'm not an institutional religious guy... though I see it's benefits, but I do know America likes it's church and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. In fact I prefer the church goers. they are better people imho as an outsider without bias. I'll take a Jesus believer over a friendfeed Alister any day. - ⓃⓄⒶⒽ ⒹⒶⓋⒾⒹ ⓈⒾⓂⓄⓃ
@victor ganata, nice comment ... belief is fine, imposing belief on others, not .. and the same with imposing "democracy" on others .. which is where the political and religious meet in america - Gregory Lent
Just because you are in a particular church DOES NOT mean you buy into everything the church teaches, just as when you are in a particular political party doesn't mean you buy into everything it teaches. You can't make that assumption. Look at Obama and the church he was part of. Or look at Biden's stance on abortion. We belong to things for reasons IN ADDITION TO our beliefs, and sometimes we stay in things DESPITE our personal beliefs. - Justin Long
@victor, the dark ages were the dark ages because civilization was falling apart in the midst of war, plague, famine caused more by the 535 darkening of the earth, caused either by the explosion of Krakatoa or a meteorite impact. In point of fact it was Christians - Celtic missionaries - who helped bring Europe OUT of that period. - Justin Long
Justin Long -- Sarah Palin herself stated that she believes Armageddon may well occur in her lifetime and that the Iraq War was ordained by God. Straight from her mouth. A Christian fundy led us into the multi-trillion disaster in Iraq because he thought God was whispering in his ear. Enough of this insanity. The Republican Party should purge this unsavory element from its midst. - Sean McBride
I'm not commenting on what Palin believes - I am staying out of that. I am simply saying that in a broader context, no one should extrapolate that just because I am in a particular church, or Scoble is no longer in a church, or Palin or Obama or Biden or McCain are in a church, that they necessarily believe everything the church - or the party - believes. One has to be careful not to extrapolate generalities from specific cases. Christian evangelicals and fundamentalists are ALSO responsible for some of... - Justin Long
the largest humanitarian relief and development organizations, for some millions upon millions of dollars in aid, in literacy, in response to disasters. Many evangelicals have been opposed to war and crime and oppression. Don't make the mistake of thinking that all Christians think the same way as you think all Christians think. - Justin Long
"The Wasilla Assembly of God church that Sarah Palin attends is involved in a resurgence movement that was declared heretical by the larger Assemblies of God church in 1949. This is the same 'Spiritual Warfare' movement that was featured in the award winning movie, "Jesus Camp," and which is employed by major participants, like Morning Star and Fresh Fire Ministries in The Third Wave of the Holy Spirit, also called the New Apostolic Reformation." http://tinyurl.com/6s8gk3 - Sean McBride
"The Third wave is dedicated to raising an army of young soldiers to fight in “Joel’s Army.” The Joel’s Army movement is a Neo-Pentecostal belief concocted from an esoteric reading of the second chapter of the Old Testament Book of Joel, in which an avenging swarm of locusts attacks Israel. In their convoluted view, the locusts are a metaphor for the minions of Joel’s Army. Believers in the Third Wave movement are focused on training a young "Joel's Army" to become an Armageddon-ready military force of young people with a divine mandate to physically impose Christian “dominion” on non-believers of the United States and the world." http://tinyurl.com/6s8gk3 - Sean McBride
Justin Long - no one here has claimed that Sarah Palin speaks for or is associated with Christians or Christianity as a whole. Quite the contrary. Palin is a Christian FUNDAMENTALIST, in the same way that Osama bin Laden is a Muslim FUNDAMENTALIST or that Ari Fleischer is a Jewish FUNDAMENTALIST. - Sean McBride
Sean - you yourself said "Palin is associated with a network of religious crackpots who not only believe Armageddon is imminent -- they want to help it along. That's the main problem with Palin's brand of religiosity, Simard, Frosick and LePage. Christianists are as dangerous as Islamists. By the way, what are your denominational affiliations? And what are your views on the CNP and CUFI? Tim LaHaye's CNP was Palin's lead backer in the VP selection process. LaHaye is the author of the Left Behind series." What is a "Christianist"? - Justin Long
Justin - Christianist, a term often used by Andrew Sullivan, is the equivalent of Islamist. Aggressive theocrats who fuse religion and politics. Christianists are not synonymous with Christians and Islamists are not synonymous with Muslims. Mixing religion with politics is usually ruinous for both. - Sean McBride
Ha ha, I remember a conversation with a friend and his dad once where I was saying how it was awesome we could call ourselves "Fundamentalists" and not have a problem. Awkward silence. Heh heh. - Stu Andrews
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Wikipedia: "Dominionism describes, in several distinct ways, a tendency among some conservative politically-active Christians, especially in the United States of America, to seek influence or control over secular civil government through political action — aiming either at a nation governed by Christians, or a nation governed by a conservative Christian understanding of biblical law." http://tinyurl.com/hhgt3 - Sean McBride
Wikipedia: "Some authors have used the terms "Christianism" or "Christianist" in place of "dominionism," a usage that began as early as 2003 in certain media outlets, particularly liberal-oriented blogs.[33][34][35] By analogy to the term "Islamist," this usage is intended to evoke the specter of theocracy and even terrorism (citing, for example, the notorious bomber Eric Rudolph). Journalist Ruth Walker discussed usage of the term to refer to political Christians in a 2005 Christian Science Monitor essay,[36] and commentator Andrew Sullivan advocated "Christianist" as a label for the Christian Right in a 2006 column in Time.[37]" http://tinyurl.com/hhgt3 - Sean McBride
a christianist is a proponent of christianism ... like all isms, something to hide fear with - Gregory Lent
I dislike using the term Christianist I suppose for the same reason that moderate Muslims dislike the term Islamist - it extrapolates the ideals of a small minority (e.g. dominionist thinkers) to the larger majority (Christian thinkers) by the association of the ist with the Christian. To say "Christianist" without an immediate working definition makes this association in the minds of people who don't immediately question if there is a difference between "Christian" and "Christianist." I suppose this... - Justin Long
...is why in some places people have begun to call themselves "followers of Christ" - because we want to disassociate ourselves with the baggage that some minorities believe and that some non-believers wish to characterize the whole of the movement with, in order to discredit the whole of the movement. - Justin Long
Stu, that would cause awkward silence around me, too! :) - Justin Long
Justin -- Andrew Sullivan is a devout Roman Catholic, as I recall, He, and others like him, are not using "Christianist" to try to demean Christianity. Christianism is another term for Dominionism, which is a branch of Christian fundamentalism. Sarah Palin is closely associated with Dominionism -- check out the links I posted. - Sean McBride
Actually, no, it was the Arabs who managed to preserve all that scientific knowledge that the theocrats so disdained. Their near-total conquest prevented Europe from completely stagnating into some backwater full of illiterate and superstitious people. It wasn't until dissent was feasible (the Reformation) that Europe actually blossomed. The breaking of theocracy was necessary for the resurrection of democractic principles. - Victor Ganata
The Dark Ages as I was thinking of generally began in the early 6th century. The Arab invasions began in the early 7th. Knowledge was not disdained but rather preserved by the Celts, who were anything but illiterate - in fact they were among the most educated people around, and responsible for the population boom that later made possible the Reformation because of the demographic flow of power to the Germanic states. - Justin Long
I'm not coming at this debate from some extreme minority point of view, as if I were an atheist, or an American Muslim. I was born and raised Roman Catholic. And as a Christian, even I feel that a politician elevating their own brand of faith in the public forum violates that separation. You're just not supposed to favor one religion over another in public. And for Christ's own point-of-view about all practicing your faith in public, I would suggest reading Matthew 6:1-8. - Victor Ganata
OK, on the basis of church affiliation we disqualify Sarah Palin and Barack Obama. Next. - Keith Smith
Keith Smith -- what it all boils down to is that McCain and Palin, who are controlled by neoconservatives and Christian Zionists, are much more likely than Obama to get us bogged down in another self-destructive war in the Mideast that will cost us trillions of dollars. It's as simple as that. - Sean McBride
Keith Smith: Sarah Palin: Armageddon+ Christian Zionists+ creationism+ Dominionism+ Iran War+ Iraq War+ neoconservatives+ World War IV+; Barack Obama: Armageddon- Christian Zionists- creationism- Dominionism- Iran War- Iraq War- neoconservatives- World War- - Sean McBride
I'm not saying anything about disqualification. I think you just need to think for a second, and it's easy to see who is more likely to have your best interest (specifically, your interest in your continued existence on this material plane) in mind. And if you have no interest in your continued existence on this material plane, I suggest you leave the rest of us out of that equation, and deal with your nihilism on your own, instead of electing people who are almost guaranteed to nuke the world. - Victor Ganata
Sean McBride: You've clearly missed my point; that's cool. I wasn't defending Palin, I agreed to disqualify her. I also wasn't comparing her with BO. I was pointing out that if we're viewing them on the basis of church affiliations, you might want to stop ignoring Rev. Wright's anti-American hate mongering. Or you might not. - Keith Smith
Keith Smith -- Christian Armageddonist John Hagee still has enormous influence on Sarah Palin through Joseph Lieberman, one of her leading foreign policy advisers. Is Rev. Wright exerting significant influence on Obama as we speak? (For the most part I despise Wright's theology, but I don't think he is nearly as dangerous as Dominionists and Christian Armageddonists associated with CUFI and CNP.) - Sean McBride
Yeesh. Part of the problem is that we as a people continue to ignore the harm we cause by our imperialist policies. Naturally, the truth-tellers always get slammed. The people who purvey mystic visions of happy-fun-time get to say whatever craziness they want. - Victor Ganata
You should try laying on a foam roller to open your back up... or a heating pad. - Ariane
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find yourself a pilates instructor, its a winner for strengthening core to eliminate back pain. - JC unwired
as much as it hurts, do situps - strengthen your abs/core to alleviate pressure that your back muscles are using - jyamasaki
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Studies have consistently shown that carrying on as normal is better than complete rest or extra exercise. Don't sit very still for extended periods, you will just get stiff. - WorldofHiglet
As a chronic backpain sufferer with a bulged disc that generates pain off the scale: Get advice from a doc, not FF... but you knew that already :-) - Keith Smith
Jason, where do you stand on renewable energy? Mccain votes against it to the pleasure of oil companies. - David Lynch
@Krista trust! in the context of politicians, not very likely.... - Joe Buhler
If Obama is qualified to be President, then Palin is qualified to be President or VP. It's just that simple. David, depends on what you mean by "renewable energy." If you mean ethanol, then I would congratulate any politician who votes against it. - Charles LePage
Charles LePage: really? Obama has met with world leaders and gained their confidence. He has inspired millions of Americans in a deep way. THAT is leadership we need to make a better America and to solve our problems. - Robert Scoble
@Robert Scoble - he gained the support of world leaders not by being special, but by telling them what they wanted to hear. He promises a contrite, more pliable and less sure of itself America. Of course they love him. As for the inspiration part - that is a fine point but hardly makes up for his experience issues. Besides, Palin is inspiring millions as well so I guess that will be even soon. - Soulhuntre
Inspiring people is wonderful. However, I'm not looking to any President for inspiration. I'm looking to them to do their job as well as they possibly can. Obama, in the speeches and comments I've read and heard, has not shown me he understands what the role of the President or the federal government is. I'm glad world leaders are confident regarding him. Does Obama understand most of those world leaders will lift a leg and pee on him if it suits their interests? Who is Obama really looking out for? - Charles LePage
A senior Latin American diplomat, who asked to remain unnamed because of the sensitivity of the topic, says, "Look, we're all watching Obama with bated breath and hoping [his election] will be a transforming moment for the world. But now that we're listening to him on trade—the issue that affects us so deeply—we realize that maybe he doesn't wish us well. In fact, we might find ourselves nostalgic for Bush, who is brave and courageous on trade and immigration." http://www.newsweek.com/id/117... - Charles LePage
Charles... I'm not an isolationist by any means and I am voting for McCain... but I think we need to get our trade situation figured out internationally. we are getting messed up and it should be a bipartisan solution <--another reason for John McCain is he works well with others. - ⓃⓄⒶⒽ ⒹⒶⓋⒾⒹ ⓈⒾⓂⓄⓃ
Solar and wind tax incentives are set to expire by republican congress, and bush's threat of veto, now are having a crippling effect on the industry. Solar and wind projects are going to Europe. @Charles - Your reasoning goes like this: If part of this is bad, then all of that is bad. - David Lynch
David, I can't agree with your assessment of my reasoning, as I can't see how it pertains to the discussion of renewable energy. I'm very much in favor of solar energy. I'm very excited about the advancements HP is involved in. - Charles LePage
Charles, if you realize that solar is prime, then (freaking) vote for the party which has been repeatedly and furiously trying to get solar and wind tax incentives respected, during leadership that won't evaluate carbon, and would rather shake hands with an oil executive. There is no mystery here. You can count on the republicans professing they aren't in lock step with oil, and siting a few examples, if that. - David Lynch
You mistake me for a one policy voter. I disagree with so many other parts of the Democratic/Obama Doctrine, I am not swayed by their allegiance to solar tax incentives. - Charles LePage
The discussion has become one party's Presidential Campaign versus anotherparty's vice president candidate. Not one presidential candidate versus the other. Should Senator Obama debate Governor Palin then? Is it a winning strategy to debate a VP choice vs a Presidential Choice? Should the Democratic Party be focusing on the Presidential candidate isntead? - Jonathan Jesse
The VP is in focus because there is a very significant chance of McCain dying while in office (he's 72, has had melanoma, etc.) - Indio Apache
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Looks like I finally have motive to upgrade my aging HDD on my laptop :). - Shivanand Velmurugan
yeah, and I think you can even find them cheaper! I forgot about those... - Veronica
I would've suggested you get Patrick to swap it out for an episode of Systm. But after witnessing his iPhone antics, I don't know if I'd trust him to work on anything worth more than $5. >:oD - Paul Reynolds
I hear Apple makes it very difficult to upgrade a HD on a macbook :/ - Percival Carti3r
Speaking of which, waiting for the new ones to come out before I get one.. mayhaps they will have much bigger drives.. problem is, who knows when they will get released! - Socom
@Percival - Not sure if you're being funny,but just in case...it's extremely easy to upgrade the drive. I've never replaced a laptop drive before and I upgraded my 80GB Macbook drive to 320GB this past Saturday in 12 minutes. It was extremely simple. - Angel Smith
grrr...all this macbook talk, macbook touch rumors...I want to get a MBP but keep waiting to justify the $. Mabye I should just bite the bullet. - Ⓒⓗⓡⓘⓢ ᴷᴵᴹ ᴬ
Sorry I meant macbook pro, it's easy on a macbook, but requires 'surgery' on a pro, and voids your warranty as shown here: http://tinyurl.com/347k46 - Percival Carti3r
@ChrisKimA - Wait until next month either way, they're supposed to do a refresh. Also, consider refurb? I've bought several Macs refurb and been totally happy. - Chris Weiss
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Percival, Angel, I replaced the HD on my old G4 PowerBook (the procedure seems similar to the MBP, according to ifixit) and it was horrible. It took me the better part of an hour just to figure out how to remove the upper case, and in the end I couldn't make if fit back correctly. I ended up with an ugly 2mm gap over the DVD slot. If taking apart a MBP is anything like that, I won't be doing it anytime soon. - Guillermo Esteves
@Chris Weiss -- thanks, I was considering refurb. just itchy cuz i'm travelling in a couple weeks. we'll see what I do - Ⓒⓗⓡⓘⓢ ᴷᴵᴹ ᴬ
What about the part where she had no idea what the Bush Doctrine is? (Um, important, given it was a complete turnabout in Amurrican foreign policy) - ωαřмaiden
Sarah Palin IS "out of context", any way you slice it. :) - JC unwired
Would have seemed more appropriate given its entire context. Palin (Like Lincoln, FDR, and Kennedy) believe God has a plan and believes in prayer to try to understand that plan. Don't know if I believe that myself, but it's a far cry from trying to cast this as a holy war. - Keith Smith
The relevant part is not her religious beliefs, but her utter lack of foreign policy knowledge (governing a state "near" Russia means nada). Of course, her defenders will just play either the religion or gender card whenever anyone questions her credentials or what she says now on anything... - Dana Longley
The same issue applies to Prince Barak and his lack of foreign policy experience. - Tony Kanzia
I find it highly amusing to hear all the Palin supporters rant about Gibson's "out of context" question while McCain is running an ad that egregiously and deliberately misrepresents Obama's record on sex education. - Kevin Pedraja
The diffrence is that Gibson is a journalist and should know better. The McCain ad is a political attack ad. Pol ads distort and smear all the time. News should not. Otherwise people will stop watching. We also need to compare apples with apples. Obama - no foreign policy experience. McCain - tons of foreign policy experience. What's funny is that the media is comparing The pres candidate of one party with the Veep candidate of the other. - Think Twice
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Tony, this is "FriendFeed". For "SoundbiteFeed", I think you're looking for the link to the Rush Limbaugh forums. - JC unwired
don't block me when I prove Charlie Gibson is a jerk. and I will be happy to dialog. Obama was not given the same treatment on the same question. Enough said. next issue - ⓃⓄⒶⒽ ⒹⒶⓋⒾⒹ ⓈⒾⓂⓄⓃ
"In what respect, Noah?" Charlie ain't runnin' for office. It's Palin who's running. It's her performance that counts here. We already know about Charlie from the way he handled the Democratic debates. Gov. Palin proved that she still needs much to do much more homework. - Michael Markman
Yeah, because when I ponder how we will deal with the military industrial complex, global terror, religious extremism, free trade and our shift to a service based economy, I wonder "Hey, what does Matt fucking Damon think of this?!". - Peter Ghosh CISSP
Damon makes a perfectly commonsensical point: what do we know about Sarah Palin? - jackmason
@Peter I totally agree with you. I don't see any of my comments garnering a Mahalo page and I have just as much expertise in that area as he does. - Kenton
@jackmason I agree 100%, but these points have been made already by many people. I need someone in government to stand up and say this out loud. I want a network other than MS/NBC to point this out. . .repeatedly. And where the hell are the Obama commercials responding to this? - Peter Ghosh CISSP
Good point Kenton. Hey Jason, how can I get a Mahalo page? I could rant all day long. Just ask my FF followers :-) - Peter Ghosh CISSP
Spot on, Peter...I TIRE of those that somehow attribute astute political observation to celebrities as if they have a special knowledge of politics based solely on the fact that they are well paid to pretend to be someone else in front of an audience or a lens...Don't get me wrong, I dig Matt and his acting skills but his opinion on ANYTHING means exactly dookie to me... - Live4Soccer
After watching the video, all I can think about is Team America - "Matt Dayyyyymon" - Peter Ghosh CISSP
I've read some inane threads on FF lately, but this may be the most inane. You don't have to listen to him JUST BECAUSE he's a celebrity. But celebrity status doesn't necessarily mean he's wrong. Why not actually defend Palin from the very sensible charges Damon's making, rather than trying to discredit him merely on the basis that he acts for a living? - Lon Harris
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While I agree with you Peter that someone in government needs to say these things, at least someone is listening to the message even if it comes from Matt Damon. - Lindsey
In the same way I don't take my cues on gun control from Ted Nugent I won't take my cues on Plain or anyone else from Matt Damon. What difference is Fred Thompson's view of Palin as compared to Damon's and why is one given more "credibility" than the other? It's got nothing to do with Palin but everything to do with Celebrity Worship and mindless drones who seek celebrity approval for their beliefs. What qualifies Damon more than my Uncle for opinions on anything? - Live4Soccer
It doesn't make him any more or less qualified to express an opinion because he's a celebrity, but it certainly doesn't disqualify him, like some people would clearly like to do. It's like anything: don't want to hear it, turn the channel, unsubscribe, etc. - Bob M. Montgomery
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*click*....I wonder what Smokin' Joe Fraiser thinks of Sarah Palin? The former Heavyweight Champion of the World is famous and because he's human, he has the ability to form opinions that I must know...my vote this November is counting on it.... - Live4Soccer
My favorite Matt Damon quote : ""For a lot of actors, our biggest fear is that we're going to start talking about things we don't fully understand and sound like idiots,...In the long run, I'll do much more good if, when I open my mouth, I have something worth saying." - Keith Smith
@Lon I have no problem with what Matt has said in the video. I'm certainly not going to defend Palin. My point is that there are plenty of people, far more qualified than some actor, that have been saying the same things, yet without the coverage. Why is it such big news when Matt Damon says it? It seems that because (insert famous actor of choice here) says it, it must be right. - Kenton
But, I mean, it makes sense on one level, right? He makes the point in a funny, compelling way, and people already know and like him from the movies. I understand when people mock celebrities for expressing ill-informed opinions about matters, but why the animosity towards a guy who's clearly at least somewhat intelligent making a good argument? - Lon Harris
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Kenton, because he said it well in an easy to digest format and with good use of humor. - Alex Scoble CISSP
My favorite on this topic from a year or two ago: "Nobody should give a shit about an actor's opinion on politics." - James Caan - Jeff Quinton
Matt Damon is a tool, but I will defend with my life his right to be a tool... - John Denver
Jeff, why stop there? "Nobody should give a shit about a politician's opinion on politics." - Alex Scoble - Alex Scoble CISSP
His question isn't a bad one - but it is answered fairly simply. We know that at no point has Palin attempted to legislate creationism into the school system and we know that she has publicly stated that it is not important as part of the curriculum and that she did not consider it a useful litmus test for teachers. Her father was a science teacher who apparently DID believe in evolution. In short, while it would be good to know her views - panic is not warranted. - Soulhuntre
I just watched the video once again, Matt Damon is concerned about everyone's lack of knowledge about Palin. I understand that and if I was an American voting in the election, I'd be concerned about it too(and as a Canadian I'm still worried because the current lunatic running your country has an impact on us whether we like it or not). However, my point is still this; If the AP had done a man-on-the-street and someone had said exactly the same thing, would he/she have gotten their own Mahalo page? - Kenton
Kenton: Mahalo is not "curated" in the sense that we sit around and decide what news is important enough to make pages on. It's "curated" in the sense that we pick the day's most popular topics and then find the best information about them. Many many people are searching for this Matt Damon clip today. You watched it twice yourself and are now engaged in a discussion about it. That's why we built the page. If an AP "Man on the Street" interview about Palin was a hot search term today, we'd build that page, too. - Lon Harris
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OK, thanks Lon, I didn't realize that about Mahalo. I don't need to belabour my point here any longer. As for M.D.'s comments; If Palin were to become President and she decided that a book that Robert Scoble hadn't saved to his hard drive should be burned... What are the chances that she'd actually be able to make that happen? I'm asking this in all seriousness as I assume it would be very difficult but don't know U.S. government procedures well enough. - Kenton
And... I assume that the current President believes that dinosaurs existed 4000 years ago (if he knows what a dinosaur is). He hasn't accidentally set off any nukes. - Kenton
I think he's just confused. It's born-again, not Bourne-again. - Siona van Dijk
Apparently, you don't get what he's saying in the video. He wants to ask her those questions to see if it's true or not. The main point being that she's so new to the scene that we don't know anything about her other than these tidbits from the news. That there's no way that anyone can rationally say that she's fit to lead the country based off of what we know of her. - Alex Scoble CISSP
Oh, OK. What were Obama's, Biden's, and McCain's answers to the 4,000 year old dinosaur thing? I thought it was Internet noise and didn't realize the candidates were being asked such a dire question. - Keith Smith
They've been out in big party politics for so long that we already know the answers to those questions. And none of them purports to be a creationist, something that to a lot of Americans is synonymous with kook. - Alex Scoble CISSP
duuuh Matt Daaaaaaaaaaahmon.... TEAM America! Duuuh! Howard Zinn brainwashed him. they must of served the good stuff @ Martha's Vinyard - ⓃⓄⒶⒽ ⒹⒶⓋⒾⒹ ⓈⒾⓂⓄⓃ
I'm shocked people are slamming Damon here, he poses thoughtful questions....this video will factor in people's minds...way to go Matt. - timedalkat
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But...but...he's a Hollywood celebrity! And he was mocked in a mediocre puppet movie! He's clearly not allowed to have independent thoughts, right, gang? Especially if they conflict with our own snap judgments! - Lon Harris
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I was making fun of Damon before that movie. he is a great actor... so was Brando... both are idiots - ⓃⓄⒶⒽ ⒹⒶⓋⒾⒹ ⓈⒾⓂⓄⓃ
I like Matt. But, in this short interview he proclaims ignorance ("cuz I don't know anything about her.....but it is a disaster"). - Craig Mische
Nicole, doesn't matter because the event is in the USA and as Jason said earlier, we are proud Americans so I'm all for the National Anthem being sung. - David Ward
I actually really love it when I see an event taking place in another country and they sing their anthem or display national pride, it makes me appreciate their culture even more. - Trevor Lee
Kara Swisher has a beautiful singing voice. - stretta
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more tax is ok, if it is spent well ... we have a lot to do in america, from roads to schools to .... - Gregory Lent
We live in a society that has determined that the government is supposed to take care of our needs. A potato is intelligent enough to know it needs to put down roots to take nurishment from the soil and light to transform the nutrients into energy. A potato is intelligent enough to survive. There are people in the US that have not been able to grasp this seemingly innate concept. Perhaps some day we will celebrate those who take the least from society as opposed to now as we celebrate those who give the most to society. - Mark VandenBerg
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Obama needs to talk about some solid plans, or people will begin to liken him to John Kerry. People want to hear plans, but personally I think it's premature for any candidate. However, that is what the media-driven public wants--like a herd of cattle! It's all a machine, anyway, which he is part of, don't you think. - Paul Salzman
too early for plans! Are you kidding me! That's what elections should be all about. Important issues and plans to address them and serious problems like $ 5 trillion - with a T! - in public debt. Instea what do we get, a beauty contest with people deciding on non-issues like the age of McCain or where Obama went to school in Indonesia... Get real, people! - Joe Buhler
And this is the primary reason I'm probably voting for Bob Barr - Jay Wiegmann
Grrr... ".com" was already taken so I had to settle for ".net" Still okay I suppose... - Mark VandenBerg
no way. I wonder if someone here snapped it up real fast. - Mattb4rd
am I the only tax payer who doesn't mind paying more tax if America gets universal healthcare, better education, better local investment, better foreign policy? I'm not even a permanent resident of this country, and I feel more inclined to support this country than many americans - Ben Metcalfe
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@Ben Metcalfe It's funny, but not the haha kind; most people complain that elected governments are bad fiduciary agents, and all evidence points to this being true. So I pose the question: Who handles your hard-earned money better; you or the government? I say it is you, the tax-payer and therefore you, not an elected body will invest your money more responsibly. @Mattb4rd
