News Scoring the Presidential Debate #1: Winners, Kill Blows & Major Subjects

[Ivan Seeking]

I'm not quoting McCain. I was actually pulling from T. Boone Pickens.

We use about 19.6 million barrels per day, and produce about 5.8 million barrels per day. So with a net requirement of 13.8 million barrels per day, and at $140 per barrel, that is $700 Billion per year, so that was the peak value seen this year. Right now oil is about $100 per barrel, so we should be at about $500 Billion per year, based on the daily demand.
http://maps.unomaha.edu/Peterson/funda/Sidebar/OilConsumption.html

What McCain doesn't understand, or perhaps what he doesn't want anyone else to understand is that we can't drill our way out of this problem.

 

[turbo]

What McCain doesn't understand is that we can't drill our way out of this problem.

The oil industry is running ads every night with an attractive woman explaining how our country's energy needs are not being met because too much of the US and offshore is off-limits for development. Oil companies (and their surrogates, like McCain) think we're stupid enough that we don't know that they have millions of acres of off-shore leases that have never been touched because the oil companies find that they can make a lot more money throttling existing production than they can by drilling on the land they have under lease and increasing supply.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The oil industry is running ads every night with an attractive woman explaining how our country's energy needs are not being met because too much of the US and offshore is off-limits for development. Oil companies (and their surrogates, like McCain) think we're stupid enough that we don't know that they have millions of acres of off-shore leases that have never been touched because the oil companies find that they can make a lot more money throttling existing production than they can by developing existing leases and increasing supply.

Yes, and in that same commercial, they conveniently use numbers for oil and gas - natural gas. Being that we are the Saudi Arabia of natural gas, that is more than a bit misleading!

Note also why the oil companies don't go after all of the oil to which they have access - the cost of drilling. I would have to look for it, but I previously posted a link showing that the coastal reserves cost about $60 a barrel just to drill. So it made no sense to go after these until two years ago.

 

[Gokul43201]

Doesn't it bother you that a first term Senator is named to 5 or 6 (?) major committees (chair on 1)...and in only his 3rd year he's selected to run for President?

This appears to me that he was fast-tracked without a chance to make mistakes.

You know there's been a previous President that was an Illinois lawyer, who served a few years in the Illinois State Legislature and then one unremarkable term in the US House of Reps before running for President.

First, look at his activity and leadership in the Illinois Senate...mediocre at best.

Now look at how long he's served in the US Senate...2 1/2 years approx...(prior to the primaries) and from out of nowhere he's on 5 major committees and a chair...then he's chosen to lead the Democratic party and the free world...tell me I'm wrong to think he had help.

Here's an alternative to your "fast track" theory.

In 2002, when Reps and Dems alike fell for the Bush Admin hogwash about the Iraq war, Obama was something of a lone voice of dissent that predicted most of the troubles that would follow with remarkable insight. That act first propelled him into the national stage and led to a thumping Senate victory for him. In 2004, when the Iraq war was starting to lose popularity and the Democratic Party was wishing they had been more like him, they gave Obama the keynote address at the Convention - and he blew the audience (including television viewers) away with his speech. That made him a national sensation. He then played big roles in the Ethics Reform bill, and created something of a name for bipartisanship when he worked with Lugar on the WMD Non-proliferation Bill and with Coburn on the Federal Transparency Act. He has been an inspirational voice for millions across the country and for many more outside it. He ran an exceptionally strong primary campaign and rallied millions to his message.

It should not come as even the slightest surprise that he could be nominated from his party for the Presidency.

PS: Obama is currently on 4 committees and does not chair any of them (he chairs a sub-committee). Before this, he was on 3 committees. Other junior senators also have anywhere from 3 to 5 committee appointments each.

 

[Amp1]

Although I voted Obama won the debate by a large margin, I think it was a definitive win rather than overwhelming. Whowee, doesn't like Obama's pattern of speach when he was giving his THOUGHTFUL answers. I did and I think many more people besides myself did also. I distinguished him from the choppy, Palinlike speach pattern of McCain; who must have had a little difficulty remembering his pre-rehearsed quips. On the other hand I believe Obama prepared so well for the debate he had to remind himself not to give very detailed answers lest McCain plagerize them.

 

[turbo]

During the debate, McCain made a comment about Russia being run by a KGB functionary. And that would be different from the US HOW? The former director of the CIA was vice-president, then president, and now his son is finishing up his second term. The US government is suffused with spooks and the people who make and implement foreign policy behind the scenes.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

...many people here didn't even know that soldiers swear - agree to give their life if needed - to protect the Constitution, not to protect the President!

One more thing that I meant to add: It is the difference between a nation of laws, and a nation of Kings. That is one hell of a distinction to not understand.

 

[WhoWee]

Too bad we can't see any results from voting in (my state) Ohio today...I heard Obama was quite organanized on the college campuses...isn't our system wonderful...hurry up and vote...before something happens to change your mind.

 

[LowlyPion]

Too bad we can't see any results from voting in (my state) Ohio today...I heard Obama was quite organanized on the college campuses...isn't our system wonderful...hurry up and vote...before something happens to change your mind.

That is a good idea. Go ahead and bank the votes they have. Heck maybe if they get enough people to vote now, there won't be such big crowds at the polls when you go to vote.

Obama is merely taking a page from the Republican playbook. They are very active at getting absentee ballots to their voters like in Florida.

Your complaint sounds more like envy to me.

 

[Evo]

Too bad we can't see any results from voting in (my state) Ohio today...I heard Obama was quite organanized on the college campuses...isn't our system wonderful...hurry up and vote...before something happens to change your mind.

You didn't hear about over a million absentee ballots the McCain campaign sent out in Ohio?

 

[WhoWee]

We celebrate the 4th of July on the July 4th, Christmas is December 25th, New Years Eve December 31, etc. We should ALL vote ON election day.

 

[Astronuc]

We celebrate the 4th of July on the July 4th, Christmas is December 25th, New Years Eve December 31, etc. We should ALL vote ON election day.

What happened to Vote earlier, Vote often?

 

[Ivan Seeking]

The votes have to be counted on November 4th. Early voting helps to insure that everyone gets a chance to vote. For example, some of our elderly, and people with disabilities, may need to make special arrangements for transportation. And they are often in no condition to stand in long lines. This also helps to insure that intimidation can't be used; or that polling stations relocated at the last minute, or that confusion due to false information [that was sent out intentionally], or sudden problems with the registration system, or other problems such as the requirement for two, not just one photo ID, won't prevent people from voting, as has often happened in black communities, for example.

 

[Evo]

Moved posts to the correct thread https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?p=1907456#post1907456

 

[WarPhalange]

Yeah, let's vote on a Tuesday, that's the best idea ever. I'm not tired after work or anything.