Comments on: The Audacity of Hope http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/05/30/the-audacity-of-hope/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas Sun, 07 Sep 2008 21:10:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Jack http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/05/30/the-audacity-of-hope/#comment-28662 Jack Wed, 31 May 2006 01:12:05 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=852#comment-28662 I really don't believe that Obama being black is a problem. It's certainly not as much of a problem as Hillary being [a certain kind of] woman. I really don’t believe that Obama being black is a problem. It’s certainly not as much of a problem as Hillary being [a certain kind of] woman.

]]> By: Elliot http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/05/30/the-audacity-of-hope/#comment-28569 Elliot Tue, 30 May 2006 20:40:01 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=852#comment-28569 Spyder, Your suggestion that Obama and Leiberman, and Hillary are even comparable border on laughable. Leiberman is not even a democrat. Hillary is political opportunist. Obama is the real deal, head and shoulders above the other two. Had Gore picked Dick Durbin for his running mate in 2000 he would have picked up Missouri and be president now. Picking Leiberman got him nothing, not even the Jewish vote in Florida which he already had. Spyder,

Your suggestion that Obama and Leiberman, and Hillary are even comparable border on laughable. Leiberman is not even a democrat. Hillary is political opportunist. Obama is the real deal, head and shoulders above the other two.

Had Gore picked Dick Durbin for his running mate in 2000 he would have picked up Missouri and be president now. Picking Leiberman got him nothing, not even the Jewish vote in Florida which he already had.

]]> By: Sourav http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/05/30/the-audacity-of-hope/#comment-28563 Sourav Tue, 30 May 2006 20:32:35 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=852#comment-28563 There is nothing essentially worse about political discourse now -- a quick survey of American history should tell you so. While blogs are rarely impartial, discerning readers have more choices, and there is a healthy ecology -- blogs from all sectors of the political landscape are at least keeping an eye on one another. Same goes with other media channels. The current "dialog" is effectively worse because the Republicans have shored up power under heretofore untapped themes that Rove idenitfied. Furthermore, the Democrats have crumbled in the face of it, unable to devise a similarly compelling message, splintering between the ideology of the far left and the pragmatism of the center. I understand the appeal of Barack, a la Clinton: young, cool, well-spoken, and at least giving empathetic lip-service to standard liberal issues like egalitarianism. But unless Barack can galvanize the Democratic party machine to match that of the Republicans, I don't see the Democrats being relevant. There is nothing essentially worse about political discourse now — a quick survey of American history should tell you so. While blogs are rarely impartial, discerning readers have more choices, and there is a healthy ecology — blogs from all sectors of the political landscape are at least keeping an eye on one another. Same goes with other media channels.

The current “dialog” is effectively worse because the Republicans have shored up power under heretofore untapped themes that Rove idenitfied. Furthermore, the Democrats have crumbled in the face of it, unable to devise a similarly compelling message, splintering between the ideology of the far left and the pragmatism of the center.

I understand the appeal of Barack, a la Clinton: young, cool, well-spoken, and at least giving empathetic lip-service to standard liberal issues like egalitarianism. But unless Barack can galvanize the Democratic party machine to match that of the Republicans, I don’t see the Democrats being relevant.

]]> By: spyder http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/05/30/the-audacity-of-hope/#comment-28549 spyder Tue, 30 May 2006 20:00:20 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=852#comment-28549 Hopefully when you get fully moved to SoCal the luster of Obama will be seen for the tarnish it appears to some of us. David Sirota had an interesting essay post today on the failure of the vision of Lieberman. http://www.davidsirota.com/ Senator Obama is not much different really, younger and slightly more willing to occasionally utter some political spin candy pandering for votes from the real progressive left. We keep coming back to trying to elect people who are electable rather than people we know would be the best persons making the decisions for the precariousness of our future. When the center is really to the right, and folks like Hillary, Joe, and Barack try to tell all of us that we are included, they are being disingenuous, not unlike McCain or Frist (who said this weekend that the most important issues in the US right now were gay marriage and flag burning?). Hopefully when you get fully moved to SoCal the luster of Obama will be seen for the tarnish it appears to some of us. David Sirota had an interesting essay post today on the failure of the vision of Lieberman.

http://www.davidsirota.com/

Senator Obama is not much different really, younger and slightly more willing to occasionally utter some political spin candy pandering for votes from the real progressive left. We keep coming back to trying to elect people who are electable rather than people we know would be the best persons making the decisions for the precariousness of our future. When the center is really to the right, and folks like Hillary, Joe, and Barack try to tell all of us that we are included, they are being disingenuous, not unlike McCain or Frist (who said this weekend that the most important issues in the US right now were gay marriage and flag burning?).

]]> By: Arun http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/05/30/the-audacity-of-hope/#comment-28540 Arun Tue, 30 May 2006 18:53:49 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=852#comment-28540 I'd settle for a competent President of any gender, race or creed. I’d settle for a competent President of any gender, race or creed.

]]> By: Rob Knop http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/05/30/the-audacity-of-hope/#comment-28534 Rob Knop Tue, 30 May 2006 18:04:35 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=852#comment-28534 Perhaps one way to help mitigate the splintering of communication is to have political opinions on science blogs.... People will be drawn to the blog for one reason, but then will see opinions there that they would never have seen on a political blog, for they'd never have been drawn to a political blog that would post that opinion. Dunno. In reality, the whole hope things seems just a little to audacious to me. -Rob Perhaps one way to help mitigate the splintering of communication is to have political opinions on science blogs….

People will be drawn to the blog for one reason, but then will see opinions there that they would never have seen on a political blog, for they’d never have been drawn to a political blog that would post that opinion.

Dunno. In reality, the whole hope things seems just a little to audacious to me.

-Rob

]]> By: The Anti-Condi http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/05/30/the-audacity-of-hope/#comment-28529 The Anti-Condi Tue, 30 May 2006 16:50:29 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=852#comment-28529 Condi has more going for her than Al Gore? Please. Kerry's problem wasn't that he was so decent that he got massacred; his problem was that he ran a terrible campaign, became obsessed with the debate over his Vietnam record and got sucked into its petulance, and is as exciting as a lump of coal. Condi has more going for her than Al Gore? Please.

Kerry’s problem wasn’t that he was so decent that he got massacred; his problem was that he ran a terrible campaign, became obsessed with the debate over his Vietnam record and got sucked into its petulance, and is as exciting as a lump of coal.

]]> By: tooliroukus http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/05/30/the-audacity-of-hope/#comment-28515 tooliroukus Tue, 30 May 2006 15:01:49 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=852#comment-28515 Beware of any liberal desideratum: Margaret Thatcher was the first (modulo the queen) female head of state in the UK, and she got down like the Mother from Hell. Colin and Condi each have a lot going for them (more so than Al Gore and Hilary); a color-blind electorate might creep up on the soi-dissant liberal establishment sooner than they think. Beware of any liberal desideratum: Margaret Thatcher was the first (modulo the queen) female head of state in the UK, and she got down like the Mother from Hell. Colin and Condi each have a lot going for them (more so than Al Gore and Hilary); a color-blind electorate might creep up on the soi-dissant liberal establishment sooner than they think.

]]> By: PK http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/05/30/the-audacity-of-hope/#comment-28511 PK Tue, 30 May 2006 14:45:50 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=852#comment-28511 Obama would have the same problem as Kerry did: He's too decent to run a smear campaign, and as a result he will be slaughtered by Karl Rove (or whoever is slinging the mud in 2008). Obama would have the same problem as Kerry did: He’s too decent to run a smear campaign, and as a result he will be slaughtered by Karl Rove (or whoever is slinging the mud in 2008).

]]> By: Elliot http://cosmicvariance.com/2006/05/30/the-audacity-of-hope/#comment-28508 Elliot Tue, 30 May 2006 14:26:33 +0000 http://cosmicvariance.com/?p=852#comment-28508 I would like to see Obama president as well. That said I think it will not be in 2008 unless there is a tremendous groundswell. I actually am a big fan of the other senator from Illinois Dick Durbin. Another intelligent articulate person on the correct side of things. It is somewhat incongruous that with two such stellar senators, we have a governors race between Judy and Rod. I guess if your running within the state, the standards are considerably lowered. Elliot I would like to see Obama president as well. That said I think it will not be in 2008 unless there is a tremendous groundswell.

I actually am a big fan of the other senator from Illinois Dick Durbin. Another intelligent articulate person on the correct side of things.

It is somewhat incongruous that with two such stellar senators, we have a governors race between Judy and Rod. I guess if your running within the state, the standards are considerably lowered.

Elliot

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