Democratic candidates sound off on drinking age

[BreakfastGypsy]

Democrats think Americans are too stupid to make decisions for themselves.

[lozoft9]

@BreakfastGypsy Cripublicans are just as bad when it comes to things like abortion, euthanasia/right to death, etc. Your lot replaces "stupid" with "unholy" or "impure." Don't forget that it's republicans who most often campaign for "dry counties" and many Prohibition-related ordinances.

[lozoft9]

@BreakfastGypsy in all reality, it's both parties who are misguided kooks.

[dudeihavenoalias]

Education, education, education... it ACTUALLY doesn't do anything. D.A.R.E., for instance, has no statistically proven effect. Period. The only reason millions of school district dollars are still being wasted on the program is simply a matter of public relations. Politics... executed with such efficient priority over effective public policy in our country.

[lozoft9]

@dudeihavenoalias Your right, education doesn't work. Role modeling does. How else do you think kids are lured into drugs in the first place? Their little buddies actively role model for them. That's why the Big Brothers/Big Sisters programs are so effective and I've volunteered for it and know it works. Parents do this when they have their kids drink at a young age. They model the appropriate way to handle alcohol and the teen is allowed to follow their lead. Monkey-see, monkey-do.

[ilovemesomechicken]

Biden is a fag, Dodd is a fag, Richardson is a fag, Obama is a fag. Edwards is a fag, Clintion is a dyke,

[saptica777]

people should be allowed to drink whenever, legally after 18 y.o. and EDUCATED in order not to be abusive, NOT forbidden to drink!

[trufflemaster]

No For lowering GET OFF THE STAGE.

[Tatayx0x0]

old peopleeee need to get with the times!

[FelixTheNomad]

I live in British Columbia and am about to turn 19(our legal drinking age), but the drinking age of 21 in the US means that I can't even hang out at a bar in Seattle when I go down to PAX every year. And if you've ever been to PAX or heard people talk about it, you'll know that what goes down at bars after the show closes each day is half the fun. Fuck you Joe Biden, and President Obama for that matter.

[anryth]

the correct answer was "states rights" and "just because something is illegal doesnt mean that it goes away"

[heyho007]

Why should you be allowed to enter a war zone at 18 and risk your life, but cannot enter a blues bar to listen to some music and have a drink ?... this is very illogical and also makes our young adults under 21 go against the law, when they shouldn't in that age group.

[TheGeneralHimself92]

Fucking Biden, go to Hell you limp dick bastard! Make the drinking age 18!

[heyho007]

They don't understand the issue. There are more pros to lowering the drinking age. America has to stop promoting alcohol as some forbidden fruit to young adults. They need to teach them alcohol at an early age like 12. Because this is what we did, when i lived in Europe, before moving back here.Biden clearly has no idea, and does not understand the effect on "todays" society. it's not 1984 politicians. 90 percent of Alcohol related accidents are off highways as of 2003. That is the big problem.

[FOOTBALLGOD1991]

FUCK YOU BIDEN, let me drink a damn beer.

[IlPadrone7]

So I can't have a beer because some fucktard mother can't drink responsibly? Complete bullshit. It's not about safety it's about freedom. None of these douchebags care about freedom.

[aznkent29]

lmao....that was hilarious with wut kucinich said...."we should lower the drinking age to age 18 and lower the voting age to 16"

lmaoooo....the audience was in shock that he said that.....rofl! kucinich is sooo liberall.......fffs man!

[PatRick4001]

I mean, I think I'd be more cool with the drinking age being 21 if the age to vote, age to buy various firearms, age to go off and fight for a war that you may or may not agree with, and age to serve jury duty was 21 as well.

-Patrick 21, Columbus Ohio.

[ProsperityGlobal]

As a Brit, ive always found the "Age 21" Law in the US, completely absurd, if your a a legal Adult when you are 18 you should be able to make the decision to put what you want in your body.

[tatomuck18]

If we followed your logic to other points, murder, rape, theft, and assault should all be illegal because people do it anyway. Do you see where your logic is flawed? I do NOT want to see kids drinking any alcohol!

[Baudex1]

I have a fantastic idea. You should all move to Canada.  I am 19, and I think 19 is a realistic drinking age for where I live.

[snickers6908]

am i the only person that realizes that hardly any of these politicians actualy answer the question asked?? for example, senator biden started going off on birth defects,which really has nothing to do the drinking age, then he goes off on the federal defecit for like half the time, what does that have to do with the drinking age. I laugh so hard that the one sen. got a ton of applause after saying just one sentance.

[jabbahapb]

tatomuck there are always exceptions. If the legal smoking age was 21 then there will be even more kid as smokers. Thank god is 18 because if it was 21 then every single 18 year old will be smoking right now

[tatomuck18]

HUH!!

That doesnt make any sense! If the drinking and smoking age was 18, all of those kids would be able to buy it cause its legal and they will have ID. If its 21 they wont be able to buy it.

[TheGeneralHimself92]

@tatomuck18

Doesn't stop them from getting someone they know who is 21 to buy it for them.

[jabbahapb]

Because the legal drinking age is 21 and they see it as a forbidden fruit. If the legal drinking age is 18 people wil drink more moderate and there will be less binge drinking. Im from Puerto rico and here the drinking age is 18. No one gets so drunk in here like the USA. LOwer the drinking age. If someone can die at war they can have a beer

[polander76]

the first thing he talked about was money, because thats all he or anyone else cares about

[gavcol12]

Fuck off Biden you piece of shit

[ProsperityGlobal]

In The UK The Scottish Governmant tried to raise just the purchase age of Alcohol in shops, everyone was against it and the Government had to leave with their tails between there legs.

I have never understood why the USA thinks its acceptable to refuse legal Adults an alcoholic Drink.

On this issue the only sane person on that Stage is that Senator Gravel.

[MegaDeepthought]

I agree yet I dont agree. Im 19 and yeh I want the drinking age lowered and when I turned 21 i will probably stop fighting because then it will be like whats the point, but my belief will be the same if you're old enough to to join the military you're old enough to drink.

[tatomuck18]

I totally disgree with lowering the drinking age. Just because someone is old enough to vote does not make them responsible enough to drink and to be smart about it. What does voting or being in the army have to do with allowing young kids to get plastered!?? We have too many crazy kids now out on the road...that is all we need for those kids to be driving around drunk. I know that some kids already do that illegally but we don't need to encourage them. It think the whole thing is crazy.

[sunser2]

Nobody is saying they should legalize drunk driving. The fact is that MOST college age young adults (18-20) do drink and they do it in uncontrolled enviroments where binge drinking is much more likely to occur. If they were able to drink in bars/ resteraunts as apposed to fraterity basements then i assure you alcohol related deaths would go down. Its about giving young people the information they need to make informed, responsible decisions.

[radically4rad]

@tatomuck18 Some "kids?" More like all "kids." Is what you're implying that people over 21 never drive drunk and never cause alcohol related deaths? I'm sorry, but Americans are idiotic for thinking that retaining a drinking age of 21 is a positive thing. The rest of the world seems to prosper well, if not better in some areas, than we and their drinking age is 18. I have many friends in European countries and they always say how dumb the United States is for having a drinking age of 21.

[radically4rad]

@tatomuck18 I'm 18, drink, and will drink. People will NEVER wait to consume alcohol until they turn 21. It's nicely said and done, but you people must face reality.

[jabbahapb]

tatomuck I totally agree with you but the laws of the USA doesn't make any sense. either they raise the military age to 21 or lower the drinking age to 18. Cause its ridiculous that my 19 years old brother lost his arm protecting our country and not be able to have a beer. Thats ridiculous! they can make a law that the beer age is 18 and wine 21. Work something out!

[Deej1188]

So? Change the age to 18 for prez too, its not like you're going to get a nomination from either party anyway. The car rental age is set by the companies and their insurance, not the federal government. I'm not saying I think since adults under 21 aren't allowed to drink , they shouldn't have to go to adult prison. I'm just mentioning the double standard. At 17, you can go into the military and learn to kill people. If maturity is all its about, then the drinking age should be 30.

[CosmicPowerz]

Despite of what's in this video Joe Biden is just a total idiot.

[WarningShot7]

fuck these congressmen i hope a new american revolution starts

[KittyKat152]

why did i vote for Obama? sigh...

[houli107]

because you were given the inevitable option of choosing between the lesser of two evils, which really isn't by that much either

[revmysleds]

then dont try me in adult court for drinking if I get caught cuz if im not responsible enuff to drink I aint responsible enuff to go to adult court

[monkmonkman]

it isn't fully developed till 25. And one little beer or alcohol won't disturb that. keeping the drinking age at 21 just increases binge drinking, thus hurting people more. Counter-productive.

[crazzyguydj]

FACT: tobacco kills 6 times as many people as alcohol. look it up schmuck.

[Italianrunner10]

tobacco is a dangerous drug too, but thats legal

[kamikashmir]

"What was the question?"

Oh god....

[maeyako]

Fuck yeah Kucinich and Gravel!

[scata99]

old fucking assholes, I'm binge drinking out of spite and I'm 18

[grootrob]

Prohibition is something that politicians think works. What happened in the 1920's? Doesn't work get it through your damn skulls!!!

[MagnaCarta2015]

The United States is out-of-step with the rest of the world when it comes to the drinking age.

"You are 18 years old, You are a fully grown legal Adult, you re entitled to all the rights and responsibilities that come with adulthood....but you cant buy a beer in the USA untill your 21"

[grasseater108]

First three didn't even answer the question.

[BryanNC08]

I like Dennis Kucinich. If he had won the primary I would have voted for him even though I'm a hardcore republican. This is all a bunch of bs. We should at least make it legal for those between the ages of 18-20 who are fighting in the Military to drink alcohol.

[cjl90]

the US fucked up with the 21 law. They cant change it now though cause shit would go crazy when they suddenly allow 18 yr olds to drink.

[BryanNC08]

They actually make plenty of sense to me. I'm a republican but I believe that if you fight and die for our country at any age you should be able to legally drink.

[youvebeenthunderstru]

To my mind it's hypocritical how such a nation can be called free when a drinking age of 21 is still believed to be a good thing.

[javierb127]

"Anyone who vote, fight or die for this country deserves to drink"

Best quote ever said, and it makes sense.

[fooschnikens]

So I can join the army and get sent to Iraq and gamble with my life but I'm not adult enough for a beer? Fuck the US government. Howcome every other country in the fucking world is 18 to drink except this punk ass country? The logic behind the 21 to drink law is like saying 2% of Americans die in traffic accidents so let's get rid of cars. Its fucking stupid.

[aberfitch82]

Wait so is he saying you can be 21 and drink while pregnant! I disagree! Try educating not to drink while your pregnant. Democrats just lost my vote for this election.

[hiwaymanx]

Welcome to the nanny state - where the government tells you what to do to satisfy their own corrupt self-interests.

[FranklyMisterShankly]

In order to run for just about any office in America you need a ton of money & support from the 2-party duopoly, otherwise your electoral opponent will co-opt the media and paint you as a child-eating, pedophile, mass-murderer Nazi Klansman Communist devil worshipper. If you want campaing funds, you have to sell yourself like a cheap whore to the oil lobby or the pharmaceutical lobby or the military-industrial complex or the NRA or AIPAC, just to name a few. Fuck this, I'm sticking to academia.

[FranklyMisterShankly]

Christ, you sound like you're 13, still in junior high, living with your parents, without any concerns about real costs of living, all because mommy's still around to wipe your ass and hold your dick when you piss. Grow some pubes or get your head out of your zit-covered barely-teenage ass before you decide to comment on adult topics. The world is much bigger and more complicated than what you've glanced from MTV and the back cover of Teen Beat. Grow the fuck up or shut the fuck up.

[FranklyMisterShankly]

How can you talk about wasting your time on something you obviously have no idea about in the first place?

You just can't help making yourself look more and more idiotic with each posting. Everything you say about America is in *past tense*: was, were, had been. Your "strongest structured government" was outright impotent when it came to making Baghdad a safe place to walk around in, powerless in the aftermath of Katrina and on par with any failed state in the recent count of new US HIV cases.

[FranklyMisterShankly]

Nope, America is a country of unlettered, unschooled, ignorant rednecks such as yourself, who can't even spell properly in their own *native* language. Clearly, "No Child Left Behind" must have dropped you along the way, seeing you can't even tell the difference between a plural and a possessive. Is this how the so-called "world superpower" supports the education of its own citizens? Now that's laughable! No wonder America has a retard for a president.

[FranklyMisterShankly]

That "strongest economy in the world" facade was built on credit - everything from subprime loans to credit cards with outrageous APR. America is a country of debtors and now as people are losing their homes in droves, unemployment is through the roof, the dollar is the equivalent to green toilet paper, nevermind the billions of dollars in national debt owned by Chinese banks - it's becoming more apparent that "USA #1" a Yankee-doodle-dandy fairy tale meant for half-witted retards like you.

[FranklyMisterShankly]

Every industrialized country in the world has socialized health care because it's "retarded"? Christ, your mother must have dropped you on your head after giving birth.

[FranklyMisterShankly]

Note the irony. The US is the only country in the civilized world that doesn't have socialized healthcare - yet feels morally obliged to push its prohibitionist "demon rum" crusade on 18-21 year old citizens under the guise of a health issue. What hypocrisy!

[ralphKNS]

LMFAO at the first guy. He says fuck all about the drinking age!

It's legal for a 30 year old pregnant woman to load up on booze and deform her baby all she wants, but a 20 year old can't have a beer!

Chewbacca defense, much?

[slimjunks]

so, why is the shit legal? nobody answers my Q... and why is marijuana illegal? options r great... OPTIONS R FREEDOM... alcohol kills...

[OSDJF]

I'm glad that my province's drinking age is 19. I also agree with Sen. Gravel. If you can die for your country at age 18, why not drink?

[StarlodgeSingerz]

"the prohibitionist, puritannical & paranoid schoolmarms at MADD. "

you say that quite alot... on just about every debate that has been posted... LOL

[FranklyMisterShankly]

I love it how in supposedly "the most free country in the world" we treat a whole section of our voting public like children. Kucinich is the only one with balls out there to stand up to the prohibitionist, puritannical & paranoid schoolmarms at MADD.

[kajun4]

I love how the candidates refusing to lower it started talking about issues completely unrelated to drinking because they couldn't provide and real justification for keeping it at 21. It's disturbing to think that they passed off an issue affecting many law-abiding adults with a quick "no". Strangely enough that's the answer I'm going to give them when they show up on my ballot.

[RMPalm2000]

Drinking is more fun underage. Sadly, now that im 21 its boring

[lmaxisgay]

young doent mean everybodys parents are as ignorant as urs.2nd tomorow528 are u a retard ppl get fuckin hooked on alkohol and drugs ussually way before theyre allowed to drink it would not fuckin make difference and also i hate how adults give kids such a hard time about drinking when theyre being fucking hyppocrittes kuz wut do dey do when they get off of work they fuckin head to the bar every nite u mite not get hammered but u get buzzed on da daily if u ask me dats a fucking addiktion

[lmaxisgay]

ok krob ur an idiot first of all i agrre dat a 18 year old does not have the mentality of an adult but tell me y da fuck are u allowed to sign legally binding kontrakts why are u allowe to own a gun y are u allowed to start killing urself bu buying ciggarettes and allowed to join the army where u kould possibly die but not old enough to buy alkohol.and dont think everybodys an idiot ppl happen to get involved in politiks at a very young age just kuz ur parents didnt fuckin edukate u when u were

[m16204]

People go out and get drunk regardless of what age they are no one cares that they are not 21.

[Ravie3]

Yep, it's just terrible how everyone in the generations before the 1980s all had serious drinking problems and addictions. Good thing we have legislators now to decide what choices we should make in life.

[cmmccarthy09]

Whoever it was who said drinking at 18 and voting at 16 is a geneous to say the least

[heroikrobb]

Whoever said that is idiotic. At 18, you are not completely mature enough to drink because of what goes on in your mind when you drink. As for 16 to vote, they still would not understand politics or government stuff. They haven't even gone through government class yet. I say though to raise the drinking age to 24 because the mind is mature enough, and you would know better.

[jopageri]

It shouldn't be based on age at all. Choosing Responsibility had an idea of creating drinking classes much like driving classes to teach 18-20 year olds how to drink responsibly. I consider myself a very mature person and I'm only 18, I don't drink nor do I condone drinking in excess. I don't see how maturity can be based SOLELY on age.

[StarlodgeSingerz]

That's true about the maturity bit. Although, I am only 19 and I consider myself to be very mature as well, but be realistic. Not many people our age are as mature as we are. And because the majority of our age group isn't, we need to "suffer the consequences" which I am gladly willing to do if it will save lives. But seeing that this is an American debate and I'm Canadian, I don't really have much to worry about. LOL But my opinion, not 18. Some people that age are still figuring themselves

[StarlodgeSingerz]

out and what not, but others are very mature. So, why not just lower it to 19? Like Canada has it? The issue is that it's endangering other peoples lives. When the underagers are drinking, it's in secrecy. Which is probably better because they try not to get caught, and there's not so much endangerment of others lives? Maybe that sounds stupid, but it does prevent unnecessary deaths... right? or.... what?

[youvebeenthunderstru]

How many adults are immature, and crash cars due to alcohol? It's not just the kids. Most kids aren't irresponsible. You're 19, and yet you're restricting your own rights, as well as everybody else under the age of 21.

[petey8887]

If you're not mature enough to drink at the age of 18, heroikrobb, why does it work in every other country on earth?

[heroikrobb]

As far as I am concerned, the radical society heavily publicizes drinking, through shows that teens watch, and through cliques. This is how America runs as far as I am concerned. There is a lot of media frenzy going on and it consumes just about everyone in some way or another.

[tatomuck18]

IT DOESNT!!

Kids in Europe drink and go crazy and puke their guts out!

Your brain Isnt fully developed till your mid 20s.

[Ktownsend1992]

@tatomuck18 judging by the fact that you live thousands of miles away in America, you MUST be the expert on kids in Europe drinking. If the brain isn't fully developed by 18 then we should increase the age of majority to the mid 20s. But then you couldn't go off too college at 18 (which is bad for plenty of reasons). It is unconstitutional to restrict one group of ADULTS and not restrict another group of ADULTS. Man you need to shut up, you are nothing but a tool.

[danskhaab]

The so-called "liberals" in the US would be the conservatives in Europe.

America is culturally so far behind in everything.

Yes, when you turn 18 you can buy a gun and kill someone. But despite having every other adult responsibility, no, you cannot drink a beer with your friends.

America needs to wake up!!

[Sims2789]

It's funny how Biden uses this to talk about the budget deficit.

[grasseater108]

Thank god im european.

[jojoghost59]

America doesn't need to change the drinking age, they need to change their attitude about drinking and ABOLISH the drinking age. Most countries in Europe, the INVENTORS of alcohol, don't have ages because they take a much more sensible approach to alcohol. Alcohol is not a problem, People are the problem

[grasseater108]

because in europe kids are exposed to drink at such an early age it is like drinking milk when they grow up.

[tatomuck18]

Alcohol is not that problem? HAHA!!! Say that to those crazy idiots who drove DRUNK from alcohol and killed several people! Say that do people getting ALCOHOL poisoning and dieing from it! ALCOHOL IS NOT THE PROBLEM?

ITS THE ENTIRE PROBLEM!!!

[Deej1188]

The best part is that Edwards had to ask "what was the question?". I think the double standard of "adult" is bad. I can't have a beer at 18 but if I do something wrong at 18, I have to go to prison w/ big rapists.

[morethanwords00]

Where's the civil liberty?

Why in a free society do we meekly sit back and let the gov't tell us what to do?

Ron Paul=Freedom

[lordblazer]

I like how they ignore the fact that people over 21 tend to be the age group with the most DUI's..

[FartyFartyPoopyPants]

Raise the military age to 21.

(also 21 is the the drinking age, that's left up to the states, it's just the age at which you can buy alcohol)

[neogaia]

Thank god Kucinich & Gravel have common sense on this issue.

[joedirtbody]

wow these guys are making good arguements. because a bunch of people are alcoholics.... then dat means dat we should not lower the age. that doesnt make sense. the drinking age doesnt contribute to alcoholism.

alot of people are getting lung cancer from cigs, that doesnt mean the smoking age should be 21. idiotic, no balls.

[lordblazer]

well people eat this shit up.

[joedirtbody]

yup. politics as usual. just talk around the question and use strawman arguments to get around it.

[LeftLiberalSoCal]

Shut your face Bill Richardson! I cannot stand watching this guy!

[RonPaulVoters]

Who are they do decide?

[burtmuh]

18? Legal drinking age should be 0. Look, its not up to Government to decide what we can and cannot do. P.S., vote Ron Paul 2008.