Just observations, you decide: Recent Comments

Comment on If I were his mother I would be so proud.

Observer — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 14:08:44 GMT

You are full of thought provoking ideas, although again if I were his mother I'm not sure it's a job I would want him to have.

Can't decide if the so-called hearings this morning were scary, funny or sad.

Comment on If I were his mother I would be so proud.

EliseK — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 13:47:43 GMT

So can we hire Willumstad to run Paulson's bailout fund?

Comment on Yesterday and today as word of the - at last count - $700 billion

Observer — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:53:54 GMT

Thanks for your comments, Elise.

I'm not one of those that thinks I would have known any better what to do with the information presented before that Iraq War than those who were there. I certainly never expected HRC to apologize for making her best judgment of what should have been done; nor do I buy into Senator Obama's stance that he is in the clear because he didn't cast a vote. He wasn't there and, trust me, you can't know what you would have done if you weren't actually there. I do think though that situation should be remembered when considering action in this situation.

I am fearful that we are being stampeded into doing something that will burden our children and grandchildren and on and on and on with debt based on the opinions of two men one of whom was working on Wall Street only two years ago. Also, from what I have heard and read so far, Hank Paulson will have almost unfettered discretion and be subject to very little knowledgeable oversight. Plus, the program is growing like mushrooms after a spring rain. Scary stuff.

Comment on Yesterday and today as word of the - at last count - $700 billion

EliseK — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 11:19:58 GMT

You know, I don't have the same negative reaction to the run-up to the Iraq war that a lot of people do and I *still* found myself looking at Paulson on TV on Sunday and thinking, "You guys just don't have the political capital to convince me we should do what you want."

And what was the deal with Dodd and Boehner on Sunday telling George S that they couldn't "on Sunday morning" get into specifics about what Paulson had said? Is China threatening to crash our economy if we don't liquidify things? If the IMF on our case? And if it's just really, really bad - depression bad - why can't they tell us? Don't they realize being coy about it just makes us all worry more? Or is that what they want?

As for smart, let's not forget that not for nothing is one of the books on how we got into Vietnam called, "The Best and the Brightest". Smart people can suffer from terrible tunnel vision. I just really wish we weren't being pushed to do this now, now, now.

Comment on While I believe Sarah Palin's nomination was a game changer

Observer — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 15:08:08 GMT

Thanks for your comments, CFM. The far left wing of the party does seem to have some peculiar ideas about inclusiveness. As a big fan of bread, I must say though there are very few things that beat a warm loaf whether sliced or torn apart.

Comment on While I believe Sarah Palin's nomination was a game changer

CFM — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 20:19:11 GMT

Hi, Observer,

I have to agree with Elise. Your reasoned approach is refreshing. Some of the stuff thrown at Governor Palin makes one wonder if the Democrats (at least the Obamabot wing) have lost their collective minds. Glad to see some sensible discourse.

BTW - Not being much of a bread eater, I think SP is even BETTER than sliced bread (ducking).

Regards,

CFM

Comment on While I believe Sarah Palin's nomination was a game changer

Observer — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:59:16 GMT

Thank you, Elise, for your comments.

Entirely agree with your distinctions between the two types of feminists. Although I never burned my bra, I certainly did protest and I wasn't protesting so that women could be re-stereotyped by other women.

Will try to get to that abortion/choice post although I still have never written that series of posts on basic issues - for some reason the SP issue just really got to me - fired me up in a way that little has since HRC dropped out of the race.

Comment on While I believe Sarah Palin's nomination was a game changer

EliseK — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 17:55:48 GMT

Very refreshing. After more than 2 weeks (has it been that long?) of hearing competing choruses of "Palin is the best thing since sliced bread" versus "Palin is a stupid slut" your post is a breath of fresh air.

I'm glad you mentioned Michelle Obama. I wasn't fond of her when I first started hearing about her but it's just plain weird that she's essentially disappeared. It reminds me eerily of when Hillary Rodham finally took Bill's last name to help him win. Sad, discouraging, unfortunate.

I've begun making a distinction between Institutional Feminists and Real Feminists. Institutionals load up feminism with all manner of liberal issues and class snubs, like barnacles weighing down a lovely, serviceable vessel. Reals know that women come in all colors of the political and social spectrums and that the first rule of Feminism is "Thou shalt not tolerate - much less practice - sexism even against women with whom you disagree."

It will be interesting to see if the Obama campaign can regain its footing. I'm betting they've squandered a lot of political attack capital with all the sexist, class-based, sneering articles about Palin - even though most of those articles came from the media not from the campaign itself. (Shades of RFK/June and the Clintons are racist.) Any future criticism of Palin, however legitimate, may meet resistance from people who will see it as just more of the same ugliness rather than as a genuine issue.

(I'll look forward to your abortion/choice post.)

Comment on I'm okay, you need to be transformed

Observer — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:24:35 GMT

Thank you for your comments, Elise. As always you bring a slant to the conversation that aids my thinking. You may very well be right about Senator Obama having a better chance if he presents himself as above politics and stays well to the left of center. Still, I believe that he has never been above politics and he will move to virtually any position that puts him closer to being President. Governor Palin - for all her lack of experience - is, I believe, going to school the Dems in cultivating their base. It's just that I was hopeful that maybe this election we could get beyond having our elections hijacked by the extremes on both sides.

I know, though, that you are right when you write that he can't sway the voters he needs by patronizing them although - in my opinion - he speaks down to virtually everyone.

Comment on I'm okay, you need to be transformed

EliseK — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:15:29 GMT

I believe Ms Huffington does realize that the voters who bought the Swift Boat charges and the voters devastated by NAFTA are largely one and the same. In other words, these are the people Obama described as economically neglected by Washington and therefore “bitter”. The difference is that Obama was attempting to explain to West Coast supporters how to understand these voters so as to better convince them to vote for Obama. AH is in fact urging Obama to write these voters off.

AH clearly believes these voters are not worth winning because they are, if not exactly stupid, then too swayable for their own good. It’s pointless for Obama to court them because they can’t see that he only wants what is best for them. Obama should, therefore, ignore them, build up his base and win the election so he can do what’s best for them - because he knows what that is even if they don’t. So, yes, we do all need to be transformed. It’s just that some like AH have already drunk from the cup of Obama and some will have it poured over their heads.

I agree it’s pointless for Obama to attempt to win these voters but for a different reason: they’re smart enough to know when they’re being patronized. To win over these voters, Obama would have to consistently present himself as not patronizing. Since I believe he is patronizing and - worse - doesn’t know that he is, I’d say the odds of Obama being able to win over these voters are slim and none - and slim’s leaving town.

More generally, I think AH is correct in urging Obama to stay left rather than slide right. What Obama has to offer is his claim to be a different kind of politician, one who says what he means and means what he says even when it’s not what voters want to hear. Even if his particular positions didn’t resonate with swing voters, they were supposed to be impressed by his forthrightness and vote for him on the issue of character. By moving to the middle, he tells swing voters he doesn’t have any more character than any other politician and is gambling they will like his positions enough - and hate the Republicans enough - to decide character is overrated.

Even worse, by moving to the middle he demotivates his most enthusiastic supporters. Democrats will probably still vote for him but the tidal wave of new voters and newly enthused voters that was supposed to guarantee him victory will realize that he’s just another politician and won’t provide him with money, volunteers, and votes in the numbers he needs.