Best answer to the question why Paul Ryan — and not Biden (or Obama or Romney) — drank water during the debate. I had 5 suggested answers in my poll:
But the commenters — both in my post here and over at the poll site — came up with some funny answers:
"Hey — you think you're the only one playing a drinking-game during that debate!?"And thanks as well to those who said things like:
"Drinking water helped him keep his cool and avoid beating the shit out of that smug asshole Biden."
"Heat generated by combination of Biden's gusty pizza cheese-smelling sighs and the dazzling white-hot glare from Biden's fake chompers led to increased need for hydration."
"Possibly he had come across Enoch Powell's 'Full Bladder technique.' Powell was a British politician of fifty years ago, famous, inter alia, for being a brilliant public speaker. He always made his speeches on a full bladder, on the theory that it helped concentrate the mind."
"Actually, it was a specially devised clear liquid CHEAT SHEET full of rethuglican LIES!!!"
Thanks for posting this, Ann. I've long felt that Instapundit was a bit too heavy on links to relevant and/or interesting content.I say thanks because it's helpful to me to remember that there's a segment of the population that doesn't get fun. I assume my readers are fun-loving, but there are some people who are essentially fun deaf, and things like this are as annoying as Joe Biden guffawing while Paul Ryan is talking about nuclear war in the Middle East.
Wow. That's some hard hitting insightful analysis there, Ann.
Perhaps for some people, the sorrows and travails of this world are so weighty that we ought to demand a somber demeanor at all times — not just from ourselves, but from others. I can imagine a religion that requires grim facial and verbal expression at all times and for everyone, forever. An eternal funeral. After all: People are dying, dying at the rate of one per second. Wipe that smile off your face. Permanently.
Okay. I just wanted to acknowledge that you of the Religion of Grim are out there. And now, why don't you just take it easy, and please make me a drink of grain alcohol and rainwater, and help yourself to whatever you'd like?
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These cute discussion are so much water over the damn to keep us from the core absence of real substance in the glass Ryan or Romney drink form. Today's NYT best sums up why I will not vote for the R&R ticket: "Mr. Romney has offered to transfigure himself into any shape desired by an audience in order to achieve power."-- sort of like water running to the lowest level.
R/V appears on cue to prove that he is absolutely humorless.
As if we didn't know.
Tell me, R/V, do you think anybody assumed you'd be voting for Romney?
This is a revelation? It was today's NYT that pushed you over the edge?
Ann, perhaps you were following @iowahawkblog (David Burge) during the Biden/Ryan debate on Twitter? If you did you would have noted his comment - "Biden now entering 3rd stage of rabies. Be alert for hydrophobia."
And not very bright. This guy "teaches" for crissakes. Scary.
"These cute discussion are so much water over the damn to keep us from the core absence of real substance in the glass Ryan or Romney drink form."
I don't know what form your drink takes, but damn you need to stop. You've had too much.
Isnt it against the law to write Enoch Powell's name? He was the first to go under PC
"fun deaf"
That, Madame, is a great turn of phrase.
Some people just don't have a sense of humor, but it's less "The world is too much with us" than it's just their personality
Same thing for people who can't see the joy in things.
Our Lefties, however, have some weird ideas of fun, so I don't think it applies to them, as such.
They're just perpetually angry and hateful, not to mention wanting the world to be sure to notice the cross they continually bear.
PS Roesch thinks for an instant anyone believed he was voting for the Romster?
Fun deaf!
Yeah, there's a lot of that going around.
The Gratitude Deficit is growing also.
RV is fun deaf.
Professor. You should credit RV for making me laugh by invoking something in the NYT.
Someone from State will soon be wearing the uniform of a bloody toilet attendant!
Can you imagine?
that clip...that's the Althouse/Meade thang again, isn't it?
Sterling Hayden needs a tag!
ST I thought my playing with the water image and the metaphorical comparison to Romney's character at least rose to the level of satire if not humor --in the eyes of some. In my deep disappointment with Obama, I did consider Romney, although as I expressed on this blog, I liked Ron Paul on a number of issues, but Romney's call to let Detroit go bankrupt, Bain's deep involvement in shipping jobs to China, along with Romney's refusal to release more than a year of tax reports turned me back to Obama-- the lesser of two evils.
I once worked for this guy who had a terrific sense of humor.
He went to a boring meeting once, and told me that it was so boring that he had to entertain himself by seeing how much water he could drink before he had to go to the bathroom.
Now that's funny.
The "Detroit goes bankrupt" meme is meaningless. I'd expect a college level instructor like you to know that bankruptcy doesn't mean the end of a business, as the Democrats keep inferring.
It just means reorganization. Instead of this, Obama chose to stiff the shareholders in order to pay off the unions, which happen to be his constituents.
Bain didn't "ship jobs to China." China offers lower overhead costs.
You've got some plan to stop capital from seeking lower overhead cost environments? You teach at a college and you think a President has something to do with this?
I mixed this myself. Two parts H, one part O. I don't trust anybody!
--Steven Wright
Great post from Prof. Althouse. I often have struggled to understand why some people always take life seriously. They seem to lack understanding of our ephemeral and inconsequential nature as humans. We will all be dead and forgotten in 100 years. It is okay to relax sometimes and have fun even if you have serious business to conduct while on this planet.
Althouse, I entirely agree with you that an appreciation of fun is essential. And I would further agree with George Carlin:
I believe you can joke about anything. It all depends on how you construct the joke. What the exaggeration is. What the exaggeration is. Because every joke needs one exaggeration. Every joke needs one thing to be way out of proportion.
In the right context, where the audience anticipates that fun will be had, anything goes. But context is important.
If George Carlin, Sarah Silverman or Daniel Tosh are on stage & tell a joke about raping an 81 year old woman, that can be funny. If Paul Ryan had attempted to make the same joke during the debate, it would not be.
Politics are serious -- vying for control over our governmental bureaucracy is serious -- the effects that bureaucracy have on people's lives are serious. That doesn't mean you can't joke about it. But if you don't provide a context -- a clear indication as to when you're being "drop-dead sincere" and when you're being "fun", then some people might take things the wrong way.
Of course, some people are simply clods.
BTW I casted my vote for the old men not drinking water because they would have to pee.
I keep trying to find FB friends who want to talk about music, or just exchange funny stories.
I friended about 20 musicians in Woodstock a few weeks ago. None of them want to talk about music. They all want to rant about politics.
I have managed to find a number of friends who send me funny cat and kid videos. Thank God!
Shouting Thomas, go to wimp.com every day.
Here's an extremely quick sample.
I thought this post by Icepick was funny. Made me lol.
Actually the glass had a small LED display in the bottom. Ryan kept drinking from it to cheat. On the other end was a collection of Elders of the Church of Latter Day Saints, Pope Benedict XVI, Karl Rove and, of course, Sarah Palin's uterus.
Oh sure, laugh it up. It's all fun and games. While you are wasting your life ticking yourself with trivia the world is burning. And if you don't think so. I have two words for you:
Dingell/Norwood
Well played, bagoh20.
"I do not avoid women, Mandrake, but I do deny them my essence."
No, Dryden, it's going to be fun.
You have a very peculiar idea of fun.
If you think this is all a joke, just remember your true nature:
How I see you
I've always thought of Althouse as that cool 8th grade teacher who would tolerate if not smile at the stupid jokes emanating from the back of the classroom, even when she's trying to be serious, provided the humor's timing, tone and pithiness is worthy of the interjection.
Excellent insight. Examining seeming minutiae isn't stupid. The comical is found just about anywhere you look.
And it's not just anti-fun/fun deaf. It's anti-curiosity. Why aren't people more curious about why/how things happen? Do they just not observe things?
Cue Sherlock: You see Watson, but you do not Observe.
I can imagine a religion that requires grim facial and verbal expression at all times and for everyone, forever. An eternal funeral. After all: People are dying, dying at the rate of one per second. Wipe that smile off your face. Permanently.
It is rather ironic. The Liberals have morphed into Puritans.
Pure thoughts to toe the party line. Free speech if you agree with them, otherwise..shut up. No laughing, unless it is at the "other guy" who has been selected for the 3 minute hate slot.
If you can't see the funny in life or be able to recognize it in yourself, you are a sad sad humorless scold. Liberals as RV shows us in the very first comment.
Always look on the bright side of life. Skip the annoying ad in the beginning.
Ryan used that glass of water as a tool to keep calm. Instead of lashing out and punching Biden, he's take a drink, count to 5 while doing so and keep his calm.
"I liked Ron Paul on a number of issues, but Romney's call to let Detroit go bankrupt, Bain's deep involvement in shipping jobs to China, along with Romney's refusal to release more than a year of tax reports turned me back to Obama-- the lesser of two evils."
See R/V is not fun deaf. That was incredibly funny. Whereas lies need a little bit of truth at the bottom to work, I guess jokes don't.
Madison Man made me do it.
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night, and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend. "Watson, look up at the sky and tell me what you see." Watson replied, "I see millions and millions of stars." "What does that tell you?" Holmes asked. Watson pondered for a minute. "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all-powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. What does it tell you?" Holmes was silent for a minute, then spoke. "Watson, you idiot. Somebody has stolen our tent!"
Biden was drinking. They just didn't show it, because his glass was filled with something other than water.
RV as Flounder and his sad decision to vote for failure
That is a hilarious clip. *cigar in mouth* "prechioush bodily fluidsh
roesch/voltaire said...
ST I thought my playing with the water image and the metaphorical comparison to Romney's character at least rose to the level of satire if not humor --in the eyes of some. In my deep disappointment with Obama, I did consider Romney, although as I expressed on this blog, I liked Ron Paul on a number of issues, but Romney's call to let Detroit go bankrupt,
Detroit IS bankrupt. Has been for ahile.
Bain's deep involvement in shipping jobs to China,
Since it's been obvious you know litle of economics you wouldn't understand the reasoning.
along with Romney's refusal to release more than a year of tax reports
He's released more than three years. besides. You wouldn't be able to decipher them anyway.
turned me back to Obama-- the lesser of two evils.
You never left. You and garage never fail to unimpress.
Put your burka on, Ann, and we won't know if you are grinning.
I finally have the time to watch the debate. Granted, I'm only 20 minutes into a 90 minute debate, and Paul Ryan does frequently take sips from his glass of water, but those must be small sips; His glass is still half full.
What I find more distracting, and quite rude actually, are Biden's exaggerated animations and frequent interruptions.
My theory on why is Biden smiling: Because he is so convinced of his own super-genius that he thinks he is winning the debate.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1j0FS0Z6ho
Rusty, did you mean to emulate e.e. cummings there? I'm not a poetry fan, so maybe I've got the wrong reference.
I have managed to find a number of friends who send me funny cat and kid videos.
Oh, Dear God!! The end is near!!
Please tell me that you aren't wearing an over-sized sweat shirt with a rhinestone kitty embroidered on the front!!
"Drinking water helped him keep his cool and avoid beating the shit out of that smug asshole Biden."
That's closest to my guess. It's pretty hard to smack someone in the mouth if you're holding a glass of water. Even if they need smacking.
Meanwhile, my wife's reaction was very telling. She's sort of like you, Althouse, except (1) she was, formerly, a nuclear scientist and not a law professor, and (2) she's center-right where you're center-left. And she was appalled at Biden's behavior onstage. As she put it, we want real grown-ups to be in charge.
Considering that everyone on the left side of the political spectrum keeps acting indulgently towards "Crazy Joe" Biden, perhaps he needs a big loss next month to remind him to be serious.
What I'm... surprise is not the word... I dont have the right word right now... to express why is Bidens behavior being mostly overlooked by the MSM.
I mean... If there is anything to be gained by Bidens behavior, the debate was a classroom video textbook of what not to do. At least that’s what I was led to believe; maybe I’ve been misled. Or maybe from now on this is the way debates are to be conducted and Biden should be given an award for furthering communication.
What Biden did was groundbreaking.
BTW, is anyone besides me concerned that we have a VP whose nickname is "Crazy Joe"? Or that he was added to the ticket 4 years ago to provide gravitas?
RV. Bain shipped jobs to China. Obama outsourced security for the Libyan consulate to a firm in Wales.
Your move.
RV. Bain shipped jobs to China. Obama outsourced security for the Libyan consulate to a firm in Wales.
Your move.
Re: people dying:
Old story---
A woman comes up to Mark Twain and informs him, "Do you know that every time I take a breath a person dies?"
To which Twain replies, "Have you ever tried chewing cloves?"
(Baddabish)
Althouse: putting the "fun" in funeral.
Bob Ellison said...
Rusty, did you mean to emulate e.e. cummings there? I'm not a poetry fan, so maybe I've got the wrong reference.
No. For some reason the magic computer thingie is quadruple spacing everything.
It's distracting I know.
I'll get a handle on it and fix it.
What RV and the like fail to understand is that those industries aren't in business to provide jobs. they are in business to create profits.
Instaed of whining about jobs going overseas they should concern themselves with trying to attract businesses to come here.
The outsource arguement is a hollow one,. born of ignorance.
Everyone talks about what a genius Peter Sellers was but it's Sterling Hayden makes that scene.
Big Mike, my reaction was the same as your wife's. Biden is the VP? Biden is clowning around?
Eeesh.
Rusty, the entertainers aren't in it to create profits. At least not the good ones. They're in it to get a reaction, to make you laugh or smile or sing or grimace. Rush Limbaugh reminds his audience often that he is an entertainer primarily. Some see this is an admission of guilt, but I think it's just a statement of fact.
See R/V is not fun deaf. That was incredibly funny. Whereas lies need a little bit of truth at the bottom to work, I guess jokes don't.
I often wonder whether r/v is for real or a subtle parody of pompous, self-important left-wing academics everywhere. Some of his posts are really quite droll if you imagine them being recited overdramatically by David Ogden Stiers or someone like that.
roesch/voltaire wrote:
In my deep disappointment with Obama, I did consider Romney, although as I expressed on this blog, I liked Ron Paul on a number of issues, but Romney's call to let Detroit go bankrupt, Bain's deep involvement in shipping jobs to China, along with Romney's refusal to release more than a year of tax reports turned me back to Obama-- the lesser of two evils.
That is a ludicrous rationalization (and a rationalization is what it is. As if you'd ever vote for anyone other than Obama).
But to humor you, I guess we'd have to find out what you find deeply disappointing in Obama's presidency that would make you stray to other candidates.
And you mean to tell me that whatever those disappointing things are are not as disappointing as Romney not releaseing his tax records? Excuse me while I guffaw for a while.
As to calls to let Detroit go bankrupt, are you reluctant to let any industry go bankrupt? Going bankrupt doesn't necessarily mean going out of business. Very often in means restructuring so as to sort out it's financial mess. While propping up Detroit, whould you be ok if OTHER car companies went bankrupt? or had to shed workers to compete with Govt Motors? As to Bain outsourcing jobs to China. What about Obama outsourcing jobs to China?
Are you aware that a bunch of the green job companies actually have factories outside the US? Cree for example was awarded 39 million in stimulus dollars yet half its employees are in China, and it opened a nice new factory... in China in 2009.
How about Eurus energy. IT got 91 million dollars to create wind farm. Except the wind farm was built with turbines built by Mitsubishi, a japanese firm.
And then there's the firm Sempra Energy which got a 337 million dollar loan for a solar power array in Arizona. However, Sempra bought its solar panels from the Chinese firm Suntech.
And then there's Fisker automotive. It got a 500 million dollar loan part of which was to build a factory in the US. It instead decided to shutter US operations and continue building cars in Finland.
IF you are honest, why don't you hold Obama accountable for that outsourcing? Which was done using taxpayer dollars, mind you.
I obviously don't expect R/v to be either honest or consistent. But R/v for all the talk of the evils of Romney (in particularly on outsourcing) it would be fair to note that Obama is not guiltless in outsourcing jobs. Perhaps you should add that to the list of deep disappointments you have with Obama. Not deep enough to mean you wont still vote for him.
In other words, you're not really that outraged about outsourcing as you are and those deep disappointments are not actually so deep.
Okay, I'll try yet again:
I try to keep on the Sunny Side myself.
Maybe Binden was just to full of xanax or coke.
How can all of you idiots ignore the great point of this post? Mandrake was not in sync w/ General Jack Ripper and the danger of flouride drying up "our precious bodily fluids." Chrissake you're not worthy!!
Wipe that smile off your face. Permanently.
FWIW, if you want to wipe the smile off my face you'd better kill me first and let the mortician do it. For I was born with the gift of laughter, and the sense that the world is mad.
No bonus for recognizing the opening lines of Scarmouche.
Religion of Grim
Would be a great name for a blog with posts of people with dour expressions on their faces.
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