RSS feed for comments on this post.
The URI to TrackBack this entry is: http://poliblogger.com/wp-trackback.html?p=14274
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
0.372 Powered by Wordpress
You are quite right about Palin. She is like a 7th grader in the school play. She would probably be a great actress. She has the ability to memorize lots of information. What she forgot during the debate, she read from her index cards. Sad part is that she probably do idea what she was saying - just repeating talking points.
Comment by Lonnie2000 — Saturday, October 4, 2024 @ 8:35 am
EVERYBODY REPEATS TALKING POINTS!!!!
THAT’S ALL POLITICIANS DO!!!!!
NOTHING ELSE, EVER!!!!!
WHAT PLANET DO YOU PEOPLE LIVE ON?!?!?!
Comment by Western Man — Saturday, October 4, 2024 @ 1:18 pm
WM:
True, all politicians spout talking points.
However, some do it more than others, and some at least spout their own talking points.
You noted before you are all about the honesty in this context-do you really think that Palin is, on balance, provided her own talking points or the ones that the campaign has coached her to say?
Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Saturday, October 4, 2024 @ 1:29 pm
I think that ALL of these people are providing talking points that they have been COACHED to SAY. Palin included. I just think that since Obama has been planning to run for close to two years -and has had the same coach for all that time (DAVID AXELROD, WHO GOOGLES REALLY WELL), so maybe it’s a LITTLE less obvious. But SO WHAT? It’s still talking point, talking point, talking point. They’re just more “polished”. He’s also a better BS artist; we get really good at BS in law school, I can tell you that from experience.
Come on, Prof - you really, really think this race is about the candidates? You’re still clinging to those beliefs that the most worthy man is elected by a system that serves the people? It has nothing to do with any of that. It’s all about which way the wind is blowing. This “economic crisis” blew up, and for reasons that make no sense at all people turned to Obama in its wake. And the “crisis-ness” of this “economic crissis” is very much worthy of debate. And so is who caused it. There is certainly blame to spread around, as it involved LENDERS, BORROWERS, AT LEAST TWO PRESIDENTS AND AT LEAST THREE CONGRESSES. But who do people blame? The incumbent president, of course!
Tomorrow some other wind that has NOTHING to do with Barack or John might blow, and turn the tide for McCain. These FOOLS have far less to do with their own elections than they think they have. Our electoral system in its present form is nothing more than a glorified CRAPSHOOT, with the winner being the man left standing when CHANCE knocks everybody else down. You call a system where one news headline can change the political wind, a working system?
If I could tell you half of what I’ve seen in the last ten years in our courtrooms, you’d probably be speechless. Our laws mean nothing anymore. Our system is failing.
If you’re an American and you do not have a passport and a bailout plan - YOU NEED TO GET BOTH. This place could implode on itself within your lifetime and you need to be prepared by knowing where it will be safe to go, and how you will get there.
Comment by Western Man — Saturday, October 4, 2024 @ 2:10 pm
Let’s put it this way: I am naive enough to think that all of this is about elected the special person who will fix all things, or whatever.
Still, that doesn’t mean that one cannot critique given candidates. Of the four running: Obama, McCain, Biden and Palin is the clear that one of these things is not like the other, so to speak. I have no doubts that Obama, McCain and Biden have spent a great deal of time thinking about a wide range of policy issues. Palin has not, and that is clear.
I think that matters.
Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Saturday, October 4, 2024 @ 2:25 pm
We can critique all we want. But you know the sad truth? No one is listening to REAL criticism. No one has the patience. No one cares.
The election will go to the guy that luck does not blow down. That’s it. That’s all there is. Critiques of candidates may be fun as academic exercises for the tiny minority who are capable of such things, but they have no meaning or ultimate impact on the election. It’s luck, the timing of world events, who happens to be incumbent and with which party, and nothing more. Elections aren’t won by debates or by critiques of candidates. They’re won by chance.
To come to think of it - that makes my participation in said debate a waste of my time. Hadn’t really thought about it like that before, but now that I have -I shan’t bother you with my presence anymore. Good luck with your blogging, God bless all you people who still have a shred of hope in this system.
Maybe divine intervention will right what is wrong. It’s the only thing that can - and I’m not holding my breath.
Comment by Western Man — Saturday, October 4, 2024 @ 2:45 pm
Dr. Taylor -
While I readily agree with your first point, I am not so sure that I agree with the second. What is it about Gov. Palin that is so polarizing? Is there anything in her past record or current statements that puts her outside mainstream conservative thought? It seems that the visceral responses pf many who oppose her being on the ticket reveals more about them than it does about her.
Comment by ts — Saturday, October 4, 2024 @ 6:43 pm
She is polarizing insofar as it seems that people either really like her or really don’t.
At a minimum, she certainly has polarized my commenters!
Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Saturday, October 4, 2024 @ 6:54 pm
I find it not at all surprising that Palin is so polarizing. To my mind Karl Rove has been the most polarizing and damaging “strategist” in memory - and I’ve had a genuine interest in politics since my 60’s HS days.
When McCain’s campaign was apparently floundering, Steve Schmidt, a Rove disciple, was given the nod to take more control. Since that time, IMO, the whole campaign has been more negative, more polarized, more patronizing to the base (to include the choice of Palin) and more likely to not only fail but leave a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth.
Palin - partially because she is attractive and folksy - will be utilized for some nasty negative attacks on Obama as well as other food for the base. Due to her previous disinterest in many worldly matters as Steve mentioned above, she will also be more susceptible to appearing a shallow Rove-bot transmitting familiar talking points & messages formulated by the Rove disciples now in command of the former “straight talk express.”
I don’t think it’s Palin as much as the Rovian practices and legacy.
Sadly, ISTM neither campaign seems interested in an “educational” thrust - one designed to win over the Independents through an appeal to common ground an logic (of all things).
Rather both camps seem hellbent on beating the other through motivational, get-out-the-base strategies which tend to be more hard edged, abusive, misleading and polarizing.
Just what we needed as our economy is on the brink of failure and our sole super- power status appears waning.
Comment by RandyB — Sunday, October 5, 2024 @ 11:39 am
Randy,
Valid points.
An interesting element of the Rovian approach is that base excitement for the GOP simply isn’t going to be enough this go ’round.
Comment by Dr. Steven Taylor — Sunday, October 5, 2024 @ 12:09 pm
Perhaps Schmidt and company were hoping for the ever popular October surprise. (however, the administration currently seems a bit too hamstrung by the financial calamity, practicle considerations and international pressure to try something like a shooting incident with Iran)
More likely, I guess, they are banking on some Hillary backers and independents coming over due to demographics. Further, they are probably hoping to get independent voters turned off through a battery of negative media presentations by Palin, talk radio and 527s revved up over Obama’s connection to Rev. Wright, William Ayers, Louis Farrakhan etc.
Finally, there are legitimate policy questions the GOP can and should present to independents concerning the economy.
The Democrats are doing themselves no favor beating their chest over Obama’s tax & spend class warfare economic platform.
It is not enough to blame our current mess on the incumbents and then steadfastly propose policy likely to exacerbate the situation. A truly transformational campaign would be modifying positions and explaining changes in policy in response to the emergency. However, it still appears both camps are basically clueless re management of the biggest financial crisis in a generation or two.
SO if everything remains static - you’re right the Dems win because their base is larger. But in these interesting times appealing to the base & banking on the status quo may prove incredibly shortsighted and certainly not in the national interest.
Comment by RandyB — Monday, October 6, 2024 @ 12:34 am
i think the most important thing to take away from this exchange, taylor, is that you worked western man down to a comment with only one all-cap word.
good work, prof.
Comment by mbailey@berry.edu — Monday, October 6, 2024 @ 4:02 am