@mildretard: dat makes u a sperm nigga(no homo)

tsatsut

I've never understood the "Rock the Vote" thing. Do we really want to encourage the political participation of every apathetic, uninformed schlub? (Although, they often don't show up at the polls, anyway, and the Motor Voter Act means that anybody with a driver's license is registered already.)

@GiantEnemyCrab: "and now that McCain admits that he is for the draft being reinstated, "
Wait, what? Do you have a source for that, or are you joking or something?

Canthros

@tsatsut: Ssssssh. Grownups are trying to talk.

mildretard

also i don't mind getting drafted for Call of Duty 4

tsatsut

@bpapa9013: Man, Flavor Flav is not looking well these days.

Kaiser-Machead's WALL-E fetish

hahahahaha lol keep it going guys u making my day right now

ps: i heard Phil McCrakin is on fire as we speak so i will vote Pollack Oblivious

tsatsut

VETO VETO VETO!!! Dude who cares about the election. Oddball freaking sucks!!!

hired_geek

@bpapa9013: That too. Thanks for the illustration.

They are cattle, but then so are the young people that are "on fire." Just more liberal cattle.

Hectorvex

Masterchief for PreZ!
Dom for Vice!
Cortana for Secretary of state!

mr30gZune

bpapa9013

@Hectorvex: I think you meant "are cattle"

bpapa9013

@slucas: You mean like ads for TV shows & Movies?

bpapa9013

@GiantEnemyCrab: On fire for Obama? Okay, I can see that. He is quite popular with the kids these days. We'll see how it turns out.

Sadly, the real demographic that's going to matter in this election is middle class white Middle America. And they don't have Xbox's, they have cattle.

Hectorvex

@James: "delusional. young people on fire?"

That would only happen after the draft has started...

bpapa9013

The last thing I want on my xbox360 is political crap. Where can we the players vote for or against what crap outside of gaming we are exposed to?

slucas

@GiantEnemyCrab: delusional. young people on fire? right.

James

@bpapa9013: I remember there was a time when we could just grab the little cretins by the scruff of their neck and mop the floor with 'em. Now they're all hidden online, yukkin' it up. Friggin' tubes.

Kaiser-Machead's WALL-E fetish

@DustyButt: If I were a Yankee I'd vote for John McCain and Jerry Attric

Maksimir

@bpapa9013: I had the same thought when I read "talk about the candidates." Great, a kid that won't be able to vote for years saying he wouldn't vote for Obama because he's black.

Anyway, I doubt this "rock the vote" thing is needed this year. Young people are already on fire for Obama, and now that McCain admits that he is for the draft being reinstated, anyone 18-30 that wasn't going to vote will now..

GiantEnemyCrab

Me? I'd vote for Phil McCrakin.

I guess they want to tap the "Couldn't Give a Shit" demographic.

DustyButt

Um... I think the real problem is more likely racism and homophobia...

Funny fake names are one of the minor problems.

Hearing a (obviously white) 6 year old say the "N" word more than three dozen times in the span of 2 minutes while playing gears of war, actually scarred me a little...

bpapa9013

@mildretard:oh well too late....mildretard i heard u were vouching for MIKE ROTCH as president..*smh*

tsatsut

@Hectorvex: Bah. I was just thinking the same thing.

mildretard

@Storm490: To the extent that is true of the of American voters, it is still more applicable to those who are unwilling to register to vote. (If they were not so much more apathetic or ignorant, they'd already be registered, yes?)

@GiantEnemyCrab: Okay. I'm going to agree with this guy that it's probably reaching to assume that Sen. McCain actually supports reinstating the draft. Seems a more reasonable interpretation that he was 1) agreeing with the general comment on the state of the VA system, and 2) otherwise being polite and personable. I mean, see where the claim comes from, but I'm not convinced the comment stands up to such a rigorous parsing.

Canthros

@mildretard: Really? You're going to actually respond to that troll crap? It's better to just ignore comments like those.

Hectorvex

@mildretard: I'm pretty sure you could have worded that better.

mildretard

@Kaiser-Machead's WALL-E fetish: OMG Giz needs to start doing COTD like Jalopnik, I would like to nominate you for the inaugural edition...

bpapa9013

@tsatsut: I...what? If you're gonna hurl insults you should try taking your hand off of that baby carrot you're wiggling and try actually typing.

mildretard

Mike Hunt for president!

DarkHavoc99

@Canthros: [dailykos.com]

MSNBC and CNN also reported it, in case you don't trust kos. It's pretty scary.

GiantEnemyCrab

@Canthros: In case you did not no, most of America are apathetic, uninformed schlubs that are swayed by ingenious adds that disgtort facts and create lies. Case in point "Obamanation" it happenso on both sides and just turns into a mudfight and in the end we end up with what ever presidential candidate that can afford to put up more ads on more air time.

Storm490

@tsatsut: Goodbye. Nice not knowing you.

@Canthros: Voter registration laws are different in every state. In mine, by having a drivers license you are auto UP for jury duty, but you still have to register to vote. I am proud to say that I registered on my 18th birthday and have voted in every single election since then. Too many people have fought and/or died for my right to vote for me to shirk that responsibility. I dont care who you vote for, but let your voice be heard or forever give up that right. **==

Curves

@Nikkoli: No, white middle class middle America. Like Iowa.

Hectorvex

@mildretard: aight homie i gotta go play a lil xbox live before i go to work..1

tsatsut

@GiantEnemyCrab:
Except it is congress that would have to do that, not the president.

@Hectorvex: You think that the majority of White Middle Class has cattle?

Nikkoli

@mildretard: Making a big show of banning someone just attracts the crazies... much more effective to know the penalty for jackassery is disappearing without so much as a whimper.

Hiphopopotamus

@Canthros: The comment is cut off prematurely and quoted out of context... it's a whole lot of fun.

For example: GiantEnemyCrab is racist because according to his own words, he "wouldn't vote for Obama because he's black."

(I kid - but clearly, the draft comment is a total non-story... back to making fun of XBox Live gamers please)

Hiphopopotamus

This reminds me of a suggestion I'd like to make to the Giz. When the banhammer drops, it'd be nice to see the offending comment flagged.

Or does this exist already and I've just missed it?

mildretard

Heck, I want want to vote from my cellphone!
If you can safely vote for American Idol? why can you do it from a president?

At least there would not more chads....

aec007

@GiantEnemyCrab: proof of the draft position please (and I'm talking an explicit "I support and will reinstate the draft" statement, not an "I could possibly, conceivably imagine a scenario whereby the draft would need to be used if someone nuked Mexico, Scotland and Israel as the start of an all out World War 3 offensive" statement).

And really, draft fear mongering? First of all, now that woman are allowed to be in active combat, someone could easily file a lawsuit challenging Rostker vs. Goldberg that would then have to include women in the draft (and you can imagine the shitstorm that would cause). Secondly, there is this thing called being a conscientious objector. Thirdly, just say you are gay. Fourth, just not going is totally an option. Worst case you get chucked in jail (which would suck, but I'll be damned if I let someone try to force me into a position where I compromise my beliefs). And fifth, I've NEVER met anyone who has served in the military who thought the draft was a good idea. Have you ever worked with someone who hated what they were doing? They tend to make things miserable for everyone. Now imagine that person in a combat situation and you having to rely on them to save your life. Screw. That.

McCain is a jerk, but fear mongering him supporting the draft is no better than the people saying Obama supports infanticide. Both of those assholes have plenty of things they've actually said to hold against them without resorting to making crap up or taking things out of context.

dry-roasted-peanuts

@Canthros: Also, also: the more I think about it, the more obvious it is that the audience member's comment about the draft is rhetoric intended to convey her impression of the deleterious effect that the state of the VA medical system likely has on enlistments. In that case, McCain's response is perfectly fine on its face value, because the comment he is responding to isn't calling for a draft, either.

You're free to disagree, of course, but I think it's probably a mistake to make anything much out of this.

Canthros

@aec007: Imagine that nut who has dozens of cell phones. Imagine dozens of nuts with dozens of active cell phones, and they can vote multiple times through some telephony sorcery.

Kaiser-Machead's WALL-E fetish

@mildretard: I prefer the term acorn to baby carrot.

Kaiser-Machead's WALL-E fetish

@Curves: I'm starting to suspect you have ban powers. Do you have ban powers? Please, for the love of Jeff, don't ban me. I swear I'll be extra good I'll stop requesting hi-def pictures of your avatar and everything. PLEASE

Kaiser-Machead's WALL-E fetish

@Kaiser-Machead's WALL-E fetish: No ban powers here, but he has filled out his ban application, filling all spaces, crossing all Ts and dotting all Is so its only a matter of time. I wouldnt want ban powers anyway. I would either ban no one or go mad and ban everyone, myself included.

Curves

@GiantEnemyCrab: Even if he did/does support it (and given the vaguery of his statement, you could spin that any number of ways), it's still a non-isssue. It's not the 60s anymore. Conducting and enforcing a draft in this day and age would be damn near impossible. What if you flat-out refuse to go? Are soldiers/national guard/police going to go door to door and forcibly pull you out of your house? Are they going to put you in prison? If so, where? Our prisons are crowded enough. Then there is the question of drafting women or even people who only speak spanish. What about people who are conscientious objectors? What if you are on drugs (both recreational and prescription)? Logistically, it would be a nightmare. Plus, the military is dramatically different now than in the 60s-70s (in terms of tactics and technology).

And hell, when congress voted to reinstate the draft in '04 ([thomas.loc.gov]), it died 2 to 402.

Really, even being remotely concerned about the draft is just silly. And if you are concerned, I'd be more concerned over the guy who has has actually sponsored legislation to reinstate it three times (Rep. Charles Rangle, NY) in the last four years than anybody else.

dry-roasted-peanuts

@GiantEnemyCrab:
'McCain Said No To Draft In NH'
[www.eyeon08.com]

Hiphopopotamus

@GiantEnemyCrab: erggg... I wish there was an edit button.

GiantEnemyCrab

@Nikkoli: Ha ha, yes. And congress has never been pressured in to bending to the President's will. Ha ha ha.

@dry-roasted-peanuts: Well, the fact that McCain nor any of his staffers have come out and said "No, he does NOT want the draft" is quite telling. I am not one for fear mongering, but for McCain to say he agrees with reinstating the draft, and then not to "correct" himself since then means that he was not mistake. He is for the draft.

@Canthros: Read above. Agreeing with "the draft needs to be reinstated" + not correcting himself since then = support for reinstating the draft.

See, I don't like politics spilling into other stuff like Gizmodo and certainly Xbox live. I think more attention on this important election is great, but discussion with fellow players will be a nightmare.

GiantEnemyCrab

The only ones proposing the draft are the Democrats, who wish to use it to drum up fear and hatred of the war, and to stir class envy. This will all change if Obama is elected. All of a sudden we'll be winning the war, and there will be nothing but positive press coverage. How about Obama's seventh "Time" cover in less than a year?

@GiantEnemyCrab: "and now that McCain admits that he is for the draft being reinstated"

I hadn't heard that. Any support? Seems out of character.

@dry-roasted-peanuts: "people saying Obama supports infanticide."

He's had chances to vote against it and didn't. Nobody's saying he kills babies personally.

@dry-roasted-peanuts: "I'd be more concerned over the guy who has has actually sponsored legislation to reinstate it three times (Rep. Charles Rangle, NY)"

Rangel is a Democrat, supporting my original comment.

GadgetPlay

@GiantEnemyCrab: I read it. I don't think the argument you're making, or that the person at DailyKos is making, holds. It's very nearly preposterous. And this is without having seen any additional context to Senator McCain's comment.

Further, I can't find any reporting at CNN.com or MSNBC.com that supports that interpretation. Not saying they didn't mention it on air or whatever, but Googling isn't turning up anything but cranks and loonies in their comments.

Finally, if you don't like politics spilling into Gizmodo, why on Earth did you bring this up in the first place?

Canthros

@Canthros: I saw it on MSNBC TV myself. I don't why you can't find it.

@GadgetPlay: [www.dailykos.com]

GiantEnemyCrab

@dry-roasted-peanuts: All it takes is a terrorist attack and President McCain's approval rating jumps to 99% and congress would give him anything he wants. Including the draft. Not only that, but considering the attack, the public could even get behind the draft. It happened with Bush, it will happen with McCain.

GiantEnemyCrab

@GiantEnemyCrab: You saw the exchange quoted in the DailyKos article and Marc Ambinder column, or you saw MSNBC making the same logical jump as the DailyKos poster? Because there's a significant difference here between broadcasting the town meeting and making that analytical leap.

Canthros

@Kaiser-Machead's WALL-E fetish:

They should just invent a register to vote by cellphone system.
Register you Phone # + IMEI + SSN + ZIP code or something.

Unless someone has all that info they cannot duplicate your vote.
You can vote only once from only one cellphone #... etc....
As far as privacy of vote goes, use one database to verify voter eligibility and tag if vote has been completed. Use another database to enter actual vote thus separating the vote from the voter.
See... easy. They could do the same from the internet.

DO I HAVE TO FIX EVERYTHING ?

aec007

I think it's a great idea considering that most people and Xbox LIVE SHOULD be 18+ years...

JohnnyCaraveo

Well, if this is as easy as digging, hello largest number of registered third party voters ever.

rughster