Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[froot loops]

This is correct, IMO. Though, I should note that I feel the need to question my conclusion given that it accords with the vapid intellectualism of Hoss.

There doesn't seem to be any measured pushback. Ever. There wasn't from the right on the key Obama shit. There certainly isn't from the left on Trump. Everything is an outrage.

What's interesting is the contrast in Obama and Trump. Obama chose to, IMO, condescendingly brush off opponents as people who just don't understand. I found it particularly irritating. He was never "non-presidential" -- just, ummm, remarkably condescending. Trump, heh, carries no airs of intellectual superiority. Heh heh. He counters outrage with outrage and brazenly challenges the afflicted to BRING IT STRONGER!!!

I'm not sure which is better for political points, but I do very much believe that Trump's approach has currency with more than just his voters if/when the media falls into hysterics and outrage and, inevitable, unfair stories. 1 hit job ruins 10 legitimate, well-reported stories -- ok, I have no stats on that -- but I think you get the point -- you can lose your credibility and lot faster than you can build it up.

The election is over, governing is the hard part. If Trump's approach continues on this path, I can't imagine he is going to get a lot accomplished. It's very hard to get deals done if you are only playing to the base. Presidents generally get things done early because there is a honeymoon period. Remember the George W Bush charm offensive, that dude's administration devolved into disaster, but he was able to get a lot of pledges done.

Your comparison to Obama is interesting, you have 8 years of Obama to critique, we are two weeks into this train wreck. This is going to be exhausting.

[hack]

I am disappointed with most of the political commentary on a daily basis -- Cassidy, or Amy Davidson, or whomever. It doesn't stand out from the herd. It's the stuff in the magazine that really counts, which is why hacks like me can get on the web site but getting in print is a ton harder.

Not gonna argue your litmus test - I'm not there either. But when seasoned Russia reporters tell us to pay attention, I think it's at least worth reading them. People like Masha Gessen or Gary Kasparov have earned that right. Just like Stephen Miller has earned that right now that he's on the Trump team. Going back and reading him isn't all that helpful since he just asserts stuff simple to disprove or to moderate, but he's still worth paying attention to. People like this are getting at least some things right.

[iam416]

I think both kinds of stories are going to have, very high up, some numbers. Or should have. Specific and transparent ones. Those stories are only told in mainstream media when they are a zoomed-in look at a larger phenomenon, and when that one family in the spotlight is representative of a much larger group.

Yeah, and I think the real question -- at least in some instances -- is how representative is representative? In my 2nd example, an illegal murderer is no representative of illegals -- murders are, of course, never representative of the population at large. However, maybe the murder is representative of illegals that commit felonies and are not deported -- and that may be a worthwhile issue to call attention to.

I mean, at bottom the crux of the anti-"BLM" folks is that police shootings targeting AAs are not representative how police use deadly force. Pro-BLM counter that police shootings are representative of larger behavior -- including all police behavior. It would seem, with limited evidence, both positions are credibly supported, so how you cast the representation matters. And so you have strong disagreement about the value of, e.g., Tamir Rice, as something more than a tragedy. [Not trying to revisit this issue]

Anyway, your point is taken.

[Wild Hoss]

This is correct, IMO. Though, I should note that I feel the need to question my conclusion given that it accords with the vapid intellectualism of Hoss.

There doesn't seem to be any measured pushback. Ever. There wasn't from the right on the key Obama shit. There certainly isn't from the left on Trump. Everything is an outrage.

What's interesting is the contrast in Obama and Trump. Obama chose to, IMO, condescendingly brush off opponents as people who just don't understand. I found it particularly irritating. He was never "non-presidential" -- just, ummm, remarkably condescending. Trump, heh, carries no airs of intellectual superiority. Heh heh. He counters outrage with outrage and brazenly challenges the afflicted to BRING IT STRONGER!!!

I'm not sure which is better for political points, but I do very much believe that Trump's approach has currency with more than just his voters if/when the media falls into hysterics and outrage and, inevitable, unfair stories. 1 hit job ruins 10 legitimate, well-reported stories -- ok, I have no stats on that -- but I think you get the point -- you can lose your credibility and lot faster than you can build it up.

We'll have to wait and see on that one. The Don is a grossly unsympathetic figure outside the margins of his dedicated followers.

Much like yourself...if you had followers. Heh.

[hack]

Fair enough.

As for the matter of outrage, I think to an extent it is an important element of the discussion right now. Not the shrill kind focused on things like how Trump didn't help Melania out of the car or that Spicer's suit is three sizes too big. That is harmful stuff and endless outrage obscures justified outrage. But if one cannot find anything ongoing right now that is truly alarming, that's a problem too. A degree of it in The New Yorker is appropriate, but I do agree it veers off fast. No need to read Remnick right now, for example.

[Wild Hoss]

The election is over, governing is the hard part. If Trump's approach continues on this path, I can't imagine he is going to get a lot accomplished. It's very hard to get deals done if you are only playing to the base. Presidents generally get things done early because there is a honeymoon period. Remember the George W Bush charm offensive, that dude's administration devolved into disaster, but he was able to get a lot of pledges done.

Governing won't be the hard part in the immediate term, when he has full access to the piggybank. The GOP is falling in line for their bits of silver, as expected.

If we see substantial blowback in the 2018 midterms, to the point that nothing gets done without some D support...then it gets interesting.

[Wild Hoss]

A detour into less-contentious waters...do we have any Joe Bonamassa fans in here? I am not familiar with his music, but my father is a big fan so I just bought he and mom tickets for his show here in March. I ripped his current live album for dad too, and have been listening to it at work. Good stuff...a more classical-blues version of Stevie Ray, with a dash of Bob Seger.

[Jeff Buchanan]

The evidence is mounting that DJT isn't the skillful leader that he would like to be seen as both nationally and internationally.

I don't think you can describe the Immigration EO as anything but a spectacular fuck-up. At this point it is probably immaterial that it may or may not be legal or may or may not stop terrorists from entering the country. It's pretty clear that it was poorly thought out by him and the people around him and poorly implemented. This on so many levels. The blow-back has been justly deserved.

Post implementation explanations of the EO by those involved in explaining it only highlight an administration that isn't just finding its way but rather wholly unprepared to govern effectively.

I still think it remains to be seen how this administration will deal with trade and Wall Street. There are both pluses and minuses with regard to NAFTA and TTP; same with Dodd-Frank and the entirety of the banking and financial industries' regulatory legislation. Trying to unwind some of the bad parts of Trade policy and banking financial regulation is apparently very difficult and fraught with potential unintended consequences.

If how the Trump administration has blundered it's way into quickly fixing immigration policy is an indication of the approach that will be taken elsewhere where Trump has promised change, we should all be concerned..... and I don't think it matters about your politics at all.

[hack]

I still think it remains to be seen how this administration will deal with trade and Wall Street. There are both pluses and minuses with regard to NAFTA and TTP; same with Dodd-Frank and the entirety of the banking and financial industries' regulatory legislation. Trying to unwind some of the bad parts of Trade policy and banking financial regulation is apparently very difficult and fraught with potential unintended consequences.

If there's one thing we all can agree on, it's curtailing the worst excesses of Wall Street. Even if for some people you have to remind them Wall Street has a lot of Jews.

[AlabamAlum]

I am probably more anti-open borders than most of my political stripe. There are some issues in England and France with Muslims settling into a town and essentially taking it over and making aspects of Sharia the de facto law of the area.

But I agree, the EO he issued could have been done better.

[Da Geezer]

hack:

But it is still useful to remember media are for-profit corporations, and to adjust expectations accordingly. At some point the sane reaction would be to count up the media that are insulated from their own bottom line, note the remarkably and consistently better product available in almost all cases, and act on that.

Hack, at some point you are going to have to stop mistrusting all things that positively impact profitability. I would argue, and Talent also referred to this, that credibility is the most valuable asset a newspaper can have. In terms of profit, maybe a spike in subscriptions is good for short term income, but the harm to the overall value of the enterprise far outweighs the short-term gain.

In the Podesta emails, Politico and the NYT were getting pre-approval of their news stories in addition to their opinion pieces. IMO, NYT's spike in subscriptions is because of the polarization in the country. The radical left has their voice, and a substantial number of Ds who believe that way are subscribing to a paper that confirms their bias.

[Whitley]

And there went, with Pence's vote, right down the crapper public education in this country.

But, hey I am sure Rev. Jerry Falwell Jr., will make sure higher education is there for everyone. Just as soon as he rolls back some student loan protections.

[iam416]

Alright. We have one prediction in: public education into the crapper. Given what is currently acceptable (slight decreases in proficiency and 65ish% not proficient at math/english), I expect to see something on the order of 90% of kids being not proficient at math and english.

Anyway, looking forward to more 24/7 coverage of more D protests in wake of defeat.

[hack]

hack:

Hack, at some point you are going to have to stop mistrusting all things that positively impact profitability. I would argue, and Talent also referred to this, that credibility is the most valuable asset a newspaper can have. In terms of profit, maybe a spike in subscriptions is good for short term income, but the harm to the overall value of the enterprise far outweighs the short-term gain.

The Times remains the paper of record, warts and all. It's not like it's a new thing. People have come back to it in droves after a surge in awareness of fake news. There's an Occam's Razor conclusion available there to counterbalance what sounds like wishful thinking.

[Whitley]

Alright. We have one prediction in: public education into the crapper. Given what is currently acceptable (slight decreases in proficiency and 65ish% not proficient at math/english), I expect to see something on the order of 90% of kids being not proficient at math and english.

Anyway, looking forward to more 24/7 coverage of more D protests in wake of defeat.

Do you think she is qualified? I live in Michigan where she has tirelessly worked to dismantle public education and make sure charters have no accountability at all.