Saturday, December 12, 2009
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Monday, October 05, 2009
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Monday, September 07, 2009
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Being a liberal means never being disgusted
I am old enough to remember when liberal meant fighting for civil rights and helping the disadvantaged, having a just society, and progress in every field.
It stands to reason that in the age of Obama when most “liberals” are silent on torture, gay marriage and right to chose, alternative definitions would be sought.
We have already seen Generation Jones invented by a political strategist – idealist but pragmatic, no longer wanting to change the world
Jonesers are idealistic, Pontell says, but not ideological like boomers. “Boomers were flower children out changing the world. We Jonesers were wide-eyed, not tie-dyed.”
Nicholas Kristoff comes with a sillier, symbolically more accurate definition: nothing can disgust a liberal. And predictably, ends this with how brilliant Obama is…
Not coincidentally, Kristoff starts with the attitude towards authority – the slapping your father experiment which holds the title of this. And the anonymous studies (reminding me of the Family Feud surveys) say:
Studies suggest that conservatives are more often distressed by actions that seem disrespectful of authority, such as slapping Dad. Liberals don’t worry as long as Dad has given permission.
And I think this is the subliminal point Kristoff is driving. Liberals need to check for permission before slapping “Dad”.
Just like the many IQ “studies” we’ve seen before, Kristoff provides fodder for the nature vs nurture political differences
The upshot is that liberals and conservatives don’t just think differently, they also feel differently. This may even be a result, in part, of divergent neural responses.
So, you see boys and girls? Obama would have all his children agree with him, but some are just born differently…
Meanwhile, those born well, are harder to be disgusted
Likewise, conservatives are more likely than liberals to sense contamination or perceive disgust. People who would be disgusted to find that they had accidentally sipped from an acquaintance’s drink are more likely to identify as conservatives.
Liberals can live with military tribunals, torture and discrimination against gay and women – they won’t object especially as “Dad” didn’t give permission to be slapped.
“Obama did not like it and stated it was not helpful to equate me with President Bush”.
What does this mean for activists? Just stop!
Those of you unhappy about gay rights – calm down, Kristoff says
Thus persuasion may be most effective when built on human interactions. Gay rights were probably advanced largely by the public’s growing awareness of friends and family members who were gay.
All you have to do is wait for enough gay people to be born in conservative families and voila!
So, now that we know the answer to “who’s your Daddy”, how will he deal with those children with the wrong neural responses?
Kristoff, who exposed his daddy issues by writing a long admiring piece about W entitled “Reagan’s Son”, is now ’splaining this one as well:
He’ll use persuasion! he’ll make the “special kids” believe he thinks they are “normal”
A corollary is that the most potent way to win over opponents is to accept that they have legitimate concerns, for that triggers an instinct to reciprocate. As it happens, we have a brilliant exemplar of this style of rhetoric in politics right now — Barack Obama.
So, you see kids? Obama only threw women under the bus so conservatives would reciprocate. Just wait for the respect they’ll show to the woman nominated for SCOTUS (without asking her views on the women’s right to choose). It’ll all work out.
Nothing is disgusting to the good children, the “special” ones will come around. And be sure to ask permission from Dad before doing anything untoward.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Friday, February 13, 2009
Monday, February 09, 2009
Saturday Night Live - Pelosi/Reid Open
All in all a riot. Although someone needs to remind Lorne Michaels that he can use his paid by insurance Viagra and have children all over the place, because the dreaded condoms are out! Hooray!
Besides that, pretty much on the mark.
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Schadenfreude
I started this 6 months ago, on the wordpress blog. It's getting more and more fun to keep it up so, I am transferring it here
2008 back stabbers & villains meeting karma
1. Bill Richardson
Bill Richardson’s Star is Falling with a BIG THUD (Not on VP Shortlist, State Legislators FED UP with Him)
sourced here
and a new slap
final blow after getting Commerce
2.JOHN KERRY
You know, the guy who didn’t cry in his tea cup for stolen elections, conceded his victory and asked the media not to count the Florida primaries because “they don’t count? That Kerry!
Royally snarked by AP
John Kerry says Republican John McCain doesn’t have the judgment to be president.
and
Getting a challenger in the primaries
And a new slap for John
and now WaPo pours salt in that wound with a delicious headline
IT HURTS TO BE JOHN KERRY TODAY
2008 back stabbers & villains meeting karma
1. Bill Richardson
Bill Richardson’s Star is Falling with a BIG THUD (Not on VP Shortlist, State Legislators FED UP with Him)
sourced here
and a new slap
New Mexico’s governor and former Clinton U.N. ambassador-cum-Energy secretary dearly wanted State. And Obama owed him big-time, both for his primary endorsement and for Richardson’s now-forgotten decision to swing his delegates to Obama during the Iowa caucuses.
final blow after getting Commerce
Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico confirmed in a statement released Sunday afternoon that he has withdrawn his name as the commerce secretary nominee, citing a pending “investigation of a company that has done business with New Mexico state government
2.JOHN KERRY
You know, the guy who didn’t cry in his tea cup for stolen elections, conceded his victory and asked the media not to count the Florida primaries because “they don’t count? That Kerry!
Royally snarked by AP
John Kerry says Republican John McCain doesn’t have the judgment to be president.
If that’s the case, then it’s probably a good thing McCain rejected overtures from Kerry, the Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, to form a bipartisan ticket and run with Kerry as his candidate for vice president.
and
For the record, Kerry is not among those being mentioned as possible running mates for McCain.
Getting a challenger in the primaries
“FOR THE FIRST time in 24 years, Senator John Kerry faces a Democratic primary challenge. For that, he blames Hillary Clinton.
Lau said that O’Reilly wouldn’t have made the ballot “were it not for John Kerry’s early endorsement” of Obama. O’Reilly said support from unhappy Clinton supporters “was not a huge factor, but it had some bearing.”
And a new slap for John
Kerry’s people say he never had any expectations of being named secretary of State but other Democrats say he made no secret of his Foggy Bottom aspirations. “He’s crushed,” said one Senate aide.
and now WaPo pours salt in that wound with a delicious headline
IT HURTS TO BE JOHN KERRY TODAY
The Massachusetts senator had once been considered the frontrunner to be Obama’s secretary of state. Then suddenly he wasn’t,
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