Bill Clinton, George W. Bush to Debate in NYC

Bill Clinton, George W. Bush to Debate in NYC

www.cbsnews.com...

It is, according to organizers, "the hottest ticket in political history": On February 25th, former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will share a stage at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

Interested spectators can pay $60 for the cheap seats or up to $160 to be closer to the action. They can also shell out $1,250 to attend a cocktail reception with the former presidents in addition to the discussion.

As Newsday reports, the two men have been teaming up a lot: They appeared together in Toronto in May (reports speculated that they earned $150,000 each for the hour-long appearance) and will be together at a TD Ameritrade conference in Florida in February.

A spokesperson for Madison Square Garden Entertainment, which is hosting the event, declined to discuss what, if anything, the former presidents are being paid. Organizers at these sorts of events generally do not disclose compensation.

A press release from the group said the two men will discuss "topics ranging from the economy to foreign policy."

"The series will be formatted to allow for President Clinton and President Bush to each present their thoughts on a wide range of important current events and national issues through a moderated question and answer period during which the moderator can elicit information and insights into particularly pertinent topics of the day," according to the release.

A spokesperson for MSG Entertainment said the moderator would be announced closer to the date of the event.

This is just a horse and pony show if you ask me. Nothing will be said of any importance and they will both walk away with a bunch of money. Its pretty bad when US Presidens start acting like entertainers instead of heads of the government.

Clinton has to improve bush profile, this is all this is. George w bush just cannot sell that many tickets, so they need clinton to push him into the limelight.

Its just a con.

The fact that this is to take place at MAdison Square Garden says an awful lot about politics.

Why the hell are these people and people like them making any decisions at all let alone decisions that decide how life can be lived and whether or not one should be permitted to live a life at all?

Why not just let Hollywood run the world if entertainment is all this is?

I hate these people more and more everyday.

How has it come to be that if you wanted to kill people at will, extort property and money at gun point, steal and rape whenever the mood suits 'legally' all you would have to do is get into politics.

Scorch the earth and rob the last cent from everyone and while you're dancing around all the world can do is argue like idiots about whether or not you were justified.

Well, it is a dog and pony show, there's no doubt about that. Despite their backgrounds as heads of state, they are after all only ordinary citizens now.

On the other hand, they are former presidents and their opinions are important to some, representing as they do opposite sides of the political spectrum and also opposite sides of 9/11, the day America changed forever.

So, what's the beef? It's still a free country, mostly, and there aren't any tax dollars at stake, which is refreshing.

People who are interested fork over the bucks and for an evening they are entertained, perhaps even informed, and if they've got enough bucks they can hobnob with two former presidents.

That's really not a bad deal when you think about it and the prices aren't that bad.

By the way, I voted for both of them, so it would be interesting to be in the same room with them both, you know, just for old time's sake.

[edit on 2009/11/4 by GradyPhilpott]

I would expect to see a Laurel and Hardy type routine for the cost of those tickets. Give me some value dammit.

Why do they need to do this? I think people are starting to pine for the good old days of politics already. They've had enough of our current regime in less than a year. Sadly, people will get a more candid response and information out of these two turkeys than they will ever get out of Obama.

bush debating?

man this is going to be quite a show.

i might just watch for the laugh.

like these two will actually do anything other than tell people what to think.

what a freakin joke

I love both Bush and Clinton, but I think this is an unfair debate. Clinton is one of the greatest communicators ever while Bush..well we know Bush is a little challenged in these areas.

reply to post by HotSauce


how can you love someone you dont even know or have ever met?

they are politicians and professional liars.

reply to post by mahtoosacks


Well I happen to love politicians and professional liars. Am I not allowed to? Bill Clinton is the best liar in the history of man kind. Now you have to respect the man for his excellence.

why do people have a problem with this?

it's a debate...maybe unfair to bush because of clinton's skill...but anyone debating clinton is going to have a hard time.

also, it is not at MSG, it's at Radio City..the MSG entertainment group is the production company or whatever.

I don't see anythign wrong with it. if i lived there id shell out the 60 to see it. But I love sharing ideas.

if you dont wish to see it just dont go.

we know its a dog and pony show, but these guys gotta make money...right? so they are using what they are "skilled" in to make money...nothing wrong there. nothing at all.

reply to post by iamsupermanv2


Well it is kind of like Einstein having a math contest with a tard. It wouldn't really be that fun to watch because it would seem so unfair.

reply to post by iamsupermanv2


I agree with you. Why get riled up about it?
I bet it will be a fun filled, casual debate aimed at entertainment.

I would gladly pay $60 to see this and I hope they do a Pay per View

Oh goody. Two presidents who took zero responsibility for their actions are teaming up for the greater good. Bull...t.

reply to post by HotSauce


do you really think it's going to be FULL ON debate? both are going to make concessions as to not intentionally embarrass the other. i imagine they respect one another to an extent. i predict there wont be any attacks...and the term debate is used loosely. although i have hopes it isnt.

and yes..lts PPV this...id buy

Originally posted by HotSauce
reply to post by mahtoosacks

 

Well I happen to love politicians and professional liars. Am I not allowed to? Bill Clinton is the best liar in the history of man kind. Now you have to respect the man for his excellence.

lol ok you got me i guess. you can do as you like. i was just wondering why.

i suppose a sort a reverence does come from watching a person who is truly a master at his craft

[edit on 11/4/2009 by mahtoosacks]

What is this 'skill' people keep referring to? There's no 'skill' in debate. There isnt even a right or wrong. There's just two talking heads making noise in front of the choir. There are no winners or losers. Just wasted time. Nothing comes from 'debates.' No minds are ever changed. No new ideas are ever presented.

Maybe, if logic mattered or if facts were unadulterated there could be winning/losing and a changing of minds but logic has been removed from society, politics completely, and 'facts' have had no value for centuries now.

In the end it's all a grand waste of time for the audience and a masturbatory ego inflating festival for those on stage.

Skill in debate, please. You'd be better off putting two television displaying white noise next to each other. Even then morons would still proclaim their favorite snowy screen to be 'winner.'

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


As the president of The Junior State of America in highschool, an organization that was focused highly on debate and improving the outcome of our nation, i take offense to saying there is no skill in debate.

the skill involved is to make the other person not right. not as easy as it sounds when two formidable opponents are facing off. There is a great amount that goes into it. You can just say OMG YOU SUCK AND YOU ARE WRONG you have to form opinions based on facts, back them up with more facts, and be fully prepared for any question or attack you may get.

if you notice, i did say "skill" because this isnt a true debate...its a stroke session more than anything, but id still be interested in hearing their views now that they arent in office.

Originally posted by iamsupermanv2 There is a great amount that goes into it. You can just say OMG YOU SUCK AND YOU ARE WRONG you have to form opinions based on facts, back them up with more facts, and be fully prepared for any question or attack you may get.

Maybe I give people too much credit but not sounding like a mentally ill buffoon as in your above example doesn't cut it as 'skill' for me. Rather, it simply qualifies as not suffering from extensive brain damage.

then there's the point of 'facts' being relative and loose that bothers me. For every 'fact' there is a counter 'fact.' Neither one more 'right' than the other leaving the 'winner' to be determined by what? The guy with the nicer suit or just the one that is affiliated with some larger entity that you also happen to be affiliated with as in party politics?

reply to post by JBA2848


Ahhh. Reminds me of the old saying, "Monica Lewinski had more president in her than George W. Bush ever will."

Hopefully they'll be debating something both sides understand, like favorite sports teams or something, else poor George Boy is probably going to get his face kicked and then he'll leave in a huff.

reply to post by thisguyrighthere


i think you are missing the point of debate.

it's for two opposing view points to get together and find some common ground. yes, there is a "winner" and a "loser", but the overall point is to find common ground on issues that don't need a winner but compromise. this is because as you said, real facts are facts.

good debaters look to finding this common ground.

i think you could take your view on debate from what you see here on ATS..one person says "I'm right" the other goes "no, i'm right, and you smell funny" a broad generalization, but it's becoming more and more common, not only here, but everywhere. This isn't helpful debate, it's talking at each other.

you are engaging in intelligent debate right now,sir. you are putting forth questions, i am providing answers to defend my stance, and you are asking more questions. as i see it, this is the only way to go about it. and i would call you skilled in the question asking portion of debate, from what i have seen so far.