Synchronized Presidential Debating

If you thought the three presidential debates were similar, here's proof you were right. This video show how eerily similar the candidates' canned arguments were. Synchronized Presidential Debating (Thanks, Joe Dolce!)

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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Johnny Cat

Yeah, Scanners! This was a great editing job.
igpajo

Damn that was trippy! These two sure have the soundbite thing mastered!
hassan-i-sabbah

waasamatter you! eh!
gottanoa respect-a!
shuttupayaface!
hassan-i-sabbah

Yeah its OK, but don,t eat the calamari!
Anonymous

This reminds me so much of the Wonder Showzen “bootleg” episode.
http://www.spike.com/episode/16156/st/2775024
Takuan

itsa nicea place?
sammich

‘Thanks, Joe Dolce’ ?!
~this~ Joe Dolce? – http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=sFacWGBJ_cs
Illiteral

Yep, BIg Ed Dunkel, you are right!

Yep, Rasz, they are both clowns. Actually, I’ve been referring to them as “asshole clowns” for a while now (speaking illiterally).
Anonymous

The only thing better than Barack Obama is three Barack Obamas!
Big Ed Dunkel

Be it resolved: debate at the presidential level is canned & inert.
rasz

both are clowns, both will screw you over
Johnny Cat

Joe Dolce is awesome! I plan to share that with everyone I know on November 5th, since pretty much everyone I know is afraid the world is ending. Sad, yes, but this may wake them up. Thanks, Sammich!
sammich

Dammit – ‘The video you are trying to watch is currently unavailable’ …and has been for more than 24 hours – is this just a UK problem?
I want to see it!!
Brainspore

Brilliant video. I’ve long wished for a debate format that would actually force candidates to actually answer the questions asked instead of going to these canned responses. Unfortunately the debate commission only has what power is ceded to them by the candidates themselves, and it’s unlikely that they would ever agree to such conditions.
anthony

Who needs another Holy Roman Empire?
NeilFraser

At the end of the video when McCain said “My friends” times nine, I heard the massed voice of the Borg collective. I’m not trying to be political, it’s just the Trekkie in me showing.
stratojoe

I’m undecided. That is, I haven’t gotten all wound up for either guy – they both have good points, they both have bad. Of course, I know which one will be better for the US (and the world), and I have resigned myself to vote for him.
Now, if he really -was- going to rocket us to the moon to start a new Holy Roman Empire, well that would kick serious ass.
Rindan

I loved the Borg “my friends” the best.
IamInnocent

They’re just a pair of Cylons. If we can bring them to reveal their programming now…
dzed

Joe the plumber would make a better candidate!

Dave
anthony

I feel like I’m in “Scanners”.
padster123

That’s a pretty sweet piece of editing.

But really – is it a surprise, or a bad thing, that the candidates prepared for the debate? Got their arguments and rhetorical devices in shape before the show? To be honest, I think it’s to be applauded. Yes, much of the debate should be improv… but in politics as in business (incl the business called “show”), fortune favours the prepared.
Versh

This overwrought repetition of talking points makes me wonder why there are still undecided voters regardless of party affiliation. I think both candidates have been very explicit on what their platforms are– do the undecided think one of the candidates with bait and switch their policies?
Like when Obama gets inaugurated he suddenly starts maniacally laughing and proclaims the country is going to be jettisoned to the moon to form the new lunar Holy Roman Empire. Why do the undecided hesitate?
Anyway, I’m glad voting early was an option– I am done with election ’08.