Alarming News: I like Morgan Freeberg. A lot.
American Digest: And I like this from "The Blog That Nobody Reads", because it is -- mostly -- about me. What can I say? I'm on an ego trip today. It won't last.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: We were following a trackback and thinking "hmmm... this is a bloody excellent post!", and then we realized that it was just part III of, well, three...Damn. I wish I'd written those.
Anti-Idiotarian Rottweiler: ...I just remembered that I found a new blog a short while ago, House of Eratosthenes, that I really like. I like his common sense approach and his curiosity when it comes to why people believe what they believe rather than just what they believe.
Brutally Honest: Morgan Freeberg is brilliant.
Dr. Melissa Clouthier: Morgan Freeberg at House of Eratosthenes (pftthats a mouthful) honors big boned women in skimpy clothing. The picture there is priceless--keep scrolling down.
Exile in Portales: Via Gerard: Morgan Freeberg, a guy with a lot to say. And he speaks The Truth...and it's fascinating stuff. Worth a read, or three. Or six.
Just Muttering: Two nice pieces at House of Eratosthenes, one about a perhaps unintended effect of the Enron mess, and one on the Gore-y environ-movie.
Mein Blogovault: Make "the Blog that No One Reads" one of your daily reads.
The Virginian: I know this post will offend some people, but the author makes some good points.
Poetic Justice: Cletus! Ah gots a laiv one fer yew...
Nate Silver, Five Thirty-Eight:
If there is a credible case to be made that the economy is getting better — when coupled with what is likely to be a strong case on foreign policy — then Mr. Obama is likely to be given the benefit of the doubt by voters. But if you instead see the White House spending more of its time blaming Mr. Bush for the state of the economy, that’s a sign that they’re afraid of Mr. Reagan’s question — and may have reached a stage where they’re the underdogs in the race.
The situation is unique, contrasted with previous elections, in that President Obama possesses an unusual ability to avoid blame for His incompetence. Silver backs this up with good data, and good readable graphics built on top of the data. The election, therefore, will turn not on Obama’s ability to turn the economy around, but on His ability to make the electorate forget that He can’t and won’t turn the economy around.
Now the second of those two abilities, will that remain potent and vibrant as the country is dragged through the campaign season? There’s your question. Is Obama so charming, so personable, so likable, so hopey and changey that He can make a meaningful segment of the voting public forget Reagan’s question:
The smart money says yes. Obama’s ability to distract from clear-headed evaluations of His own dismal performance, remains considerable. The problem is, though, the smart money is evaluating this ability of Obama’s based on history up to this point in time. There must be something about Him, and we don’t have to explain or critique what exactly that thing is — it’s always been there, therefore it will always be there. The idea that Obama can survive a critical evaluation of His fitness for a second term, is based entirely on this idea, that He can count on some unexplained factor that, although it defies explanation, is somehow guaranteed to never go away or even to recede.
I would not feel comfortable relying on this. For one thing, we have another year, to seventeen months, of fatigue setting in before America renders its verdict. For another thing, America will know this is the last shot she will have at expressing an opinion for an additional forty-eight months. Those who are still looking for work at that time, will be voting on their prospects of trying to find a job in an Obama economy. Those who are running a business at that time will be voting on the opportunities they find available to them, as they try to sell things in an Obama economy.
The rest of us will be voting on our satisfaction as we shop for milk and gas.
One final point to be made: At the time Reagan asked his late-hour (last week in October) question, he was not favored to win. Had he not asked the question, he probably would have lost.
As it is, it was a thorough ass-reaming.
Draw your own conclusions. I’ve drawn mine. The last homeless guy you met on the street, could probably win the 2012 election against Barack Obama.
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Yeah, I’m seeing a lot of stuff written these days about how the Republican presidential candidates aren’t exactly earth-shaking. Maybe. Who have the Democrats got?
- vvp39 | 06/08/2011 @ 18:14Does anyone remember why they voted for BHO? Are the reasons still there today? Thought not.
- wch | 06/09/2011 @ 19:16