Comments on: The Depressing Irony of our Dysfunctional Politics http://www.chopstork.com/blog/2008/09/21/the-depressing-irony-of-our-dysfunction-politics/ Coming soon to a restaurant near you. Sat, 19 May 2012 11:13:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.1 By: christine http://www.chopstork.com/blog/2008/09/21/the-depressing-irony-of-our-dysfunction-politics/#comment-9601 christine Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:06:11 +0000 http://www.chopstork.com/blog/2008/09/21/the-depressing-irony-of-our-dysfunction-politics/#comment-9601 The fact that the Economist is "fiscally conservative" should have no bearing on how much validity you give their argument. The blurb you posted was subjective commentary on some of the vitriol we've seen exchanged over the past few weeks. Nothing monetary about it. It also fails to mention things some people might find equally offensive from the other side. I hate Rush Limbaugh as much as the next guy, but the way the Obama campaign deliberately truncated some of his clips -- changing the context drastically -- and used them on its Spanish channel commercials is disheartening at best. For a guy who claims to be post-racial, you'd think his people would refrain from taking ironic commentary and presenting it in an incendiary fashion to the viewers most likely to take racially-based offense. (my spanish is weak, but the ad seems to attempt to link McCain to Limbaugh, which is ironic, because the little I know of Rush's politics, he is completely at adds with McCain on immigration... a lot of people are). To me, the example is at the very least on par with taking Obama's comprehensive sex education bill and presenting it to parents as "this guy wants sex ed in kindergarten," which was likely put out there to scare people away from him. What is depressing and dysfunctional to me is how many people -- including smart people -- don't know bias when they see it. There's a lot of human nature in that, but also a lot of unnecessary weakness. And really, laziness. It takes a while to read the actual wordings of bills -- and verify that you are reading the version passed by both houses, not the individual, pre-congressional report versions -- and then look up the voting records to see who a) showed up, b) who voted, and c) who voted something other than "present." A huge pain in the ass, really. I rarely do it, and lately it seems like I'm made of free time. But I don't know of any better way to guess how a candidate is likely to perform in the future, other than getting the exact actions he has performed in the past. The rest is empty promises and and horn-tooting. Actually, in recent times, it seems to be less of "here's why you should vote for me" and more of "here's why you shouldn't vote for him." The amount of misinformation disseminated on both sides is deplorable; reading about it isn't going to solve jack shit. The fact that the Economist is “fiscally conservative” should have no bearing on how much validity you give their argument. The blurb you posted was subjective commentary on some of the vitriol we’ve seen exchanged over the past few weeks. Nothing monetary about it. It also fails to mention things some people might find equally offensive from the other side. I hate Rush Limbaugh as much as the next guy, but the way the Obama campaign deliberately truncated some of his clips — changing the context drastically — and used them on its Spanish channel commercials is disheartening at best. For a guy who claims to be post-racial, you’d think his people would refrain from taking ironic commentary and presenting it in an incendiary fashion to the viewers most likely to take racially-based offense. (my spanish is weak, but the ad seems to attempt to link McCain to Limbaugh, which is ironic, because the little I know of Rush’s politics, he is completely at adds with McCain on immigration… a lot of people are). To me, the example is at the very least on par with taking Obama’s comprehensive sex education bill and presenting it to parents as “this guy wants sex ed in kindergarten,” which was likely put out there to scare people away from him.

What is depressing and dysfunctional to me is how many people — including smart people — don’t know bias when they see it. There’s a lot of human nature in that, but also a lot of unnecessary weakness. And really, laziness. It takes a while to read the actual wordings of bills — and verify that you are reading the version passed by both houses, not the individual, pre-congressional report versions — and then look up the voting records to see who a) showed up, b) who voted, and c) who voted something other than “present.” A huge pain in the ass, really. I rarely do it, and lately it seems like I’m made of free time. But I don’t know of any better way to guess how a candidate is likely to perform in the future, other than getting the exact actions he has performed in the past. The rest is empty promises and and horn-tooting. Actually, in recent times, it seems to be less of “here’s why you should vote for me” and more of “here’s why you shouldn’t vote for him.”

The amount of misinformation disseminated on both sides is deplorable; reading about it isn’t going to solve jack shit.

]]> By: Luke http://www.chopstork.com/blog/2008/09/21/the-depressing-irony-of-our-dysfunction-politics/#comment-9604 Luke Mon, 22 Sep 2008 05:30:55 +0000 http://www.chopstork.com/blog/2008/09/21/the-depressing-irony-of-our-dysfunction-politics/#comment-9604 I definitely agree that neither party is innocent of misinformation and misleading adds. Moreover, I agree that I made a pretty big leap when blaming the GOP for these "sordid affairs". Indeed, the Economists article does not support such a wide claim. Backfire Effect anyone? I definitely agree that neither party is innocent of misinformation and misleading adds. Moreover, I agree that I made a pretty big leap when blaming the GOP for these “sordid affairs”. Indeed, the Economists article does not support such a wide claim.

Backfire Effect anyone?

]]> By: christine http://www.chopstork.com/blog/2008/09/21/the-depressing-irony-of-our-dysfunction-politics/#comment-9653 christine Tue, 23 Sep 2008 05:09:48 +0000 http://www.chopstork.com/blog/2008/09/21/the-depressing-irony-of-our-dysfunction-politics/#comment-9653 I hate that you aren't on Lockheed IM anymore. Let's do beers soon. Or Rockband. Oh! I can bring my cowbell!! I hate that you aren’t on Lockheed IM anymore. Let’s do beers soon. Or Rockband. Oh! I can bring my cowbell!!

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