What's your favorite presidential candidate catchphrase this election? Could it be Bush's "It's hard work," or Kerry's "'W' stands for 'wrong'"? How many times can Kerry bring up his military service at one event? Does "Dubya" deserve derision every time he creates a brand-new word ... or, instead, a toast?
Drinking to politicians' redundancies seems alternately absurd and practical - from the standpoint of someone who wants to become inebriated very, very quickly.
Margot Abels, Tufts' Director of Drug and Alcohol Prevention Services, notes that drinking games are outlawed in the Pachyderm. As to drinking games in general, she stated, "It's unhealthy. It is still a choice [to get drunk]; you can't blame it on circumstances."
In reference to political or presidential drinking games, she stated, "Maybe some people need to be drinking to watch American politics."
Wonkette, a weblog media group, posted a Debate drinking game, which included rules to take one sip if anyone says the words "flip-flop," "Halliburton," or "Saddam Hussein," among others. With the regularity that these subjects are mentioned in politics, it's almost certain that with full application of the rules drunkenness can't be far behind. However, other aspects of the drinking game are simply jokes on politics in general.
Participants in Wonkette's game should have a shot if "Ralph Nader shows up insisting on airtime." The absurdity continues; those playing the game should finish their bottles if "Anyone challenges anyone to a duel" or "The moderator rips off his mask to reveal his true identity is Karl Rove."
While laughing at the predictability of politicians is understandable (and almost necessary), developing drinking games is something else. Are voters so jaded?
Michelle Friedman, a senior international relations major, hosted a drinking game during the presidential debate Thursday evening. During the debate, she and her
senior friends drank to Bush every time he said something "stupid."
Friedman remarked, "I think that during the previous four years, especially since most of my friends and I were abroad, we have had to deal with and live through a lot of the seriousness regarding this presidency. We are all sick and tired and angry with it."
While abroad in Chile and Australia last year, she encountered ubiquitous animosity toward the current president. Her experience overseas increased her dissatisfaction with President Bush.
"Playing a few games and joking about Bush is in a way our way of releasing all the serious frustrations and anger we feel towards him and his administration."
Some students feel that drinking during the debates is inappropriate. Brandon Balkind, the Editor-in-Chief of the campus magazine for conservative thought, The Primary Source, hopes that students take politics more seriously.
"I do not think getting drunk while making fun of the President in the debate shows proper respect for the importance of the democratic process," he stated in an e-mail.
Are presidential drinking games actually about getting drunk? Senior Gina Kessler found that she and her friends didn't follow the game through to the end. She found commands to "take a sip" of your beverage every time the word "terrorism" is mentioned impractical to consider.
Ultimately, Kessler found that just talking about the rules of the was entertaining. "It was fun just making fun of how formulaic it [politics] all is," she noted.
Sophomore Dan Grant, Secretary of the Tufts Democrats, thinks a more social element to debate-watching is a good thing. The Tufts Democrats and several other groups hosted a debate-watching party on Thursday in Hotung Caf?©.
"It's about the social aspect. Whether it's drinking or popcorn at least it gets people into the political process." Grant continued,
Grant thinks watching the debate together is important so that people "can talk about their views." But, don't get him wrong - as he stated, "I definitely don't think you should get plastered while watching the debate ... it's important that the message of the debate isn't lost."<$>
@jump:see DEBATE DRINKING GAMES, page XX<$>
@conthead:Students gather to watch the debates, with and without alcohol<$>
@contjump:DEBATE DRINKING GAMES<$>
@contpage:continued from page 5<$>
@pullquote:I do not think getting drunk while making fun of the President in the debate shows proper respect for the importance of the democratic process.<$>
@quotename:Brandon Balkind<$>
@quotetitle:Editor-in-Chief, The Primary Source<$>
