What's With the Mean, Awful Debate Audiences?

For the third time this year, the audience upstaged the candidates during a Republican presidential debate on Thursday.

Too bad it the upstaging was in such a lurid, disgusting way. Where do they get these audiences anyway?

To recap, in past debates over the past few weeks, some audiences cheered when capital punishment was brought up. Kill 'em all! It's fun!

Then in the next debate, some yahoos in the audience cheered at the prospect of a hypethetical man without insurance needing expensive health care. The cheering was for the option of letting the patient die, as punishment for not having health insurance.

At least these audiences are consistent in being pro-death. Except of course for unborn children. After they're  born, they're on their own, I guess.

Thursday night was a debate in which people made YouTube videos of themselves asking question of the Republican presidential candidates.  Steve Hill, a gay soldier serving in Iraq, asked a question about the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell. The repeal, which took effect this week allows openly gay soldiers to serve.

Some members  of the audience booed Hill, apparently because he is for gay. I guess the fact this guy is risking life to protect these audience idiots' lives is besides the point.

So, if one of these yahoos has a heart attack and the paramedics come to save him, he'll check whether the paramedic is gay first? And if so, would he rather die than be saved?

Don't get me wrong. I have no problem with full throated debates on capital punishment, health care policy and gay issues. I'd bet most of my conservative and liberal friends would agree this stuff needs to be hashed out.

Also, to be fair, reports are many audience members during the booing Thursday night tried to shush the loud boo hoos in the audience or gave them cold, hard stares.

But really, it's depressing to hear people cheer the deaths of other people, or disrespect a member of the military like that.

It's got to be hard, being a idiot audience members like those that boo soldiers and cheer death.  When these guys hit hard times,  as karma almost always dictates,  will anybody respect them enough to give them a hand?

Maybe they can talk to that soldier they booed. Maybe learn a lesson in humanity.