Ann Althouse and Glenn Reynolds point to pictures of Barack Obama with his family (including his two cute children) as his “secret weapon.”
“Secret,” though often used to describe a weapon, is probably not the correct word in this context. Obama is not the first politician to use an attractive family as a political prop. The attractiveness of a candidate has been a factor at least as far back as the televised Nixon-Kennedy debate. “Subconscious,” “subliminal” or “nonverbal” are closer to the mark here.
Back in January, I flagged the following University of Michigan/University of Chicago study:
After watching 10-second silent video clips of competing gubernatorial candidates, participants in the study were able to pick the winning candidate 58 percent of the timeâ€â€significantly better than chance. When the sound was turned on and participants could hear what the candidates were saying, accuracy dipped to 53 percentâ€â€no better than chance since the study had a two percent margin of error.
Researchers found that the accuracy of predictions based solely on silent video clips was greater than the accuracy of predictions based on knowledge of which candidate was the incumbent and information about the prevailing economic conditions at the time of the election, including the unemployment rate and any changes in personal income for the year prior to the election.
It is clear that nonverbal cues and symbols affect our perceptions of politicians on a level more basic than our responses to their policy positions.  Politicians know this, which is one reason why they bring out their families at rallies (including John McCain’s use of his 95-year-old mother regarding his age issue), flank themselves with retired generals when discussing defense issues, change their wardrobe, and so on. Indeed, the Obama campaign has been remarkably disciplined in its branding, to convey a candidacy that is well-managed and not a risky proposition.
But this sort of communication can have a downside for a candidate as well, as Nixon found out in 1960. The public’s Rorschach reactions to McCain versus Obama are largely “old and experienced” vs. “fresh and inexperienced.”  While viral video has often created good buzz for Obama, viral video of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright damaged his pitch as a unifying political figure. Obama (and his supporters) can have a hissy fit over flag lapel pin politics, but his logo is a blue ring with red and white stripes. Some people will notice when Obama did not put his hand over his heart during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” much as some noticed Pres. George H. W. Bush checking his wristwatch during a 1992 presidential debate. You can trot your family out on stage, but occasionally your wife might say that America is downright mean and been getting worse over the past 44 years.
So when Michelle Obama tells us all about how her husband is struggling to contain his anger and frustration over the constant barrage of questions about his character and judgment, one wonders if this is the reaction of a rookie in presidential politics or whether he is thin-skinned over his inability to exercise total control over his image.
Well… 58% isn’t really that great, is it? Only a little better than flipping a coin.
Baracky’s campaign is a branding campaign. It’s all he’s got really. That’s why he gets so pouty when he gets asked about off-message stuff.
Cause he’s so callow he can’t follow traditional marketing basics…
Baracky is a lot our first presidential candidate ever that’s running on venture capital. He’s a start-up running against a Fortune 500 is a lot I think the way to look at it.
This is one of the reasons I usually listen, rather than watch, the debates.
In the Nixon/JFK one, the radio audience said Nixon won while the tv audience gave it to JFK. (there was only a 4 year difference in their age and both Navy vets of WWII).
Darleen – my pop was lamenting the good old days where you had the likes of Stevenson, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson… where today we have Luke Warm, Shillary, and some Black Irish guy named O’Bama running for the highest office in the land.
Happy – when there is nothing in the box, marketers are still forced to sell the box. As long as it’s glossy and properly positioned on the shelf, it’ll sell like an Asia record… and, well, Asia sucked.
At least the lady in red has something good to say about Obama.
Obama’s the best as he’s the nicest (Ms.Dowd, daughter of a cop, appreciates that Obama is well liked by the Secret Service guys while the Clinton’s a notoriously nasty towards the ‘help’.)
Obama’s the smartest. (No doubts about that.)
Obama’s the most honest. (again not hard to beat those other two in that category.)
Of course, he’s a little pissed since Hilario’s interrupting him in every debate, trying to piss him off with statements about her 30+ plus years of sacrifice for the American public (the largest segment being a corporate lawyer representing Walmart, and other Arkansas big wigs). The man’s controlled trying not to say, “liar, liar, pants on fire, your balls/b> and underwear hanging on a telephone wire, stop your lying, you byotchhh!” but Obama’s gotta eat his waffle and keep his cool. So far he’s doing a good job, but Hillarie’s sucking up the oxygen saying “I am such a fighter, I’ll obliterate you all!”
gotta admit, McCain might have to worry facing such a pitbull if she gets it. McCain would have a hard time against either at this point. He’s not being tested so far. He couldn’t beat a drunken frat boy in the last race so maybe Republicans need to have this debate over as much as the Democrats so McCain can get in a few punches.
Happy – when there is nothing in the box, marketers are still forced to sell the box.
There’s something in the box alright.
ah ah. left out the closer on the b…sorry, mates.
hmmm, i didn’t link my tag to Quest? what the hell?
Hmmmmmmm…
Qwest…typo on the uri window. probably I did it accidentally.
datadave – after hearing your analysis (re: McCain hasn’t got a chance), I feel more confident than ever that he’ll clobber either of the socialists.
actually e.root, I’ve been saying McCain has the advantage for a long time but i just want to give O a make-over. I’d want him to show more passion… and I suspect others do too.
darleen should’ve caught the fact that JFK was so hopped up on amphetamines, happy drugs, his eyes were giving him away shooting merciless steely-eye beams of fake power and anger swearing that there was a missle gap and those damned Republicans were being too nice to the Soviets. Look at those Nixon/Kennedy debates again some time. He was scary. I disagree about Kennedy being a peacenik like Oliver Stone claims. Kennedy upped the ante in Vietnam for example.
Michelle Obama tells us all about how her husband is struggling to contain his anger and frustration over the constant barrage of questions about his character and judgment, one wonders if this is the reaction of a rookie in presidential politics or whether he is thin-skinned over his inability to exercise total control over his image.
or one can wonder if she is not BSing.
My wife gets me wrong plenty of times too.
Ardsgaine wrote:
As noted in the post, it’s better than knowing which candidate was the incumbent and information about the prevailing economic conditions at the time of the election, including the unemployment rate and any changes in personal income for the year prior to the election.
For watching 10 sec. of silent video, that’s pretty great. And it’s better than watching 10 sec. of video + sound.
For those who don’t know, Ardsgaine is of the school that it’s all about the issue positions of the candidates. And it is mostly about the issues for most voters. But judgment and character questions also play a role, as do things as seemingly trivial as the appearance of the candidate. It is the world we live in.
Baracky will make you work. Your lives will never be the same. Your life is so empty and purposeless you find this very attractive.
[…] morning, Karl links to an Ann Althouse post that in turn links a photo of what Ann feels is “Obama’s Secret […]
of course, Nixon’s military service was stateside out of harm’s way, unlike PT 109 Kennedy’s who’s injuries necessitated the drugs for his painful back injuries. (My dad served in the same PT boat Squad as Kennedy and the list of dead and missing including Kennedy is in the Squadron’s newsletter which I saw many names beside JFK’s. 4 years in the Solomon’s with few breaks….lots of Japs died somewhat mercilessly by the PT boat’s slaughtering landing craft barges. Some hairy stories but my dad was lucky…only one man killed on his boat –1/2″ plywood “armored”– and that was the cook killed below deck by a wandering bullet. My dad has withering things to say about “patriots” like John Wayne ‘n Nixon n’ Reagan sitting out the war stateside, the Vietnam war turned him from the Republican party.
“as do things as seemingly trivial as the appearance of the candidate. It is the world we live in.” Yupp, that explains Republicans like Reagan.
I am wondering why my Vietnam vet friend who served in the Marines on the Laotian border way ‘in-country’ hates McCain so much. REALLY HATES him. I think he is wrong about McCain but he swears McCain was a traitor and was totally appeasing the Vietnamese as a POW. McCain probably did get preferential treatment as he was an Admiral’s son…but I don’t doubt the account McCain gives. And I think McCain is correct about the Black Flag waving idiots who sweared that the North Vietnamese were keeping lots of POWs way after the war was over…but I don’t want to push the guy too much…he’s got a black belt and I am not that into martial arts anymore.
anecdotes again. What else do we have here?
Oh please. They look like a fucking sitcom family. Ann Althouse doesn’t watch the Disney Channel so she’s easily impressed is all.
happyfeet being that you’re in Calif. it’s getting time to go to work…I work my own hours….being self employed.
The average work week has been increased while pay has lessened during 40 year of Republican dominance in US govt. (from Nixon onwards) Work, work, work…for less, less, less. That’s the Republican mantra.
Get to work y’all.
Baracky will make you work. Your lives will never be the same. Your life is so empty and purposeless you find this very attractive.
that is just plain silly, you gotta admit. same shit like fifteen years ago Recessions are good for the ruling class…like after everyone they get more work for less pay.
I work 9-5 with an hour lunch and a five minute commute. You listen to too much NPR.
Um and who controlled both houses of Congress every year up until 1994 dave? Did Carter have a a Republican controlled Congress to deal with? How about Kennedy? Johnson? Bubba was so effective on his first two years of office that finally, finally both houses switched to Republicans and he still got most of what he wanted out of the houses (excluding Hillary’s ludicrious Universal Health Care plan but including consistant cuts in Defense spending and, more eggregious, deep cuts in the CIA’s black ops and humint capabilities.)
You try to make an argument and then you just throw out a baldly partisan lie. It’s why you are not taken seriously, as opposed to someone like Lisa.
“…the Vietnam war turned him from the Republican party.”
That’s an interesting statement, considering that the Democrats started it, and the Democrats lost it.
You’re not the first white person to use incessant racist tripe as a prop.
“It’s why you are not taken seriously”
I thought it was the stupidity, then the mendacity. Live and learn.
What message is that blouse sending (at the Telegraph link)?
I don’t get that.
Oh. The racist tripe thing. I don’t get it.
Not much nuance in what I said. I directly implied that Karl is a man of incessant racist spew.
I make no apologies. The weight of Karl’s words reveal his intent and agenda.
MayBee,
BHO and MO are dressing like the Clinton’s did prior to Harry & Linda Bloodworth-Thomason’s remake in ’93. MO uses a bit more color than Miz Dowdy did in ’92 but it’s still just Target or lowest end Macys. Take a look at Bubba’s suits in ’92 pictures sometimes, he was a walking “before” ad. He’s actually reverting to his inner slob again these days – she’s not. I think she may have given up the block commissar style forever.
Oh. I still don’t think that’s a very nice thing to say. Baracky’s control freaky centralized hopey socialism a lot transcends race I think. He’ll make you work too you know. Your life will never be the same. Karl is just trying to prevent all the tragedy what will befall America if Baracky is elected.
I directly implied that Karl is a man of incessant racist spew.
Calling someone a racist for your own amusement is pretty crummy, thor.
Beacuse his “attractive family” is black? Racist?
thor: Lighten up and go out and treat yourself to a new pair of flip flops. Just because you don’t like Karl discussing things like Obama’s “pseudo-marxism” doesn’t make you right in your raciial identity profiling.
Maybe if you gave yourself a break from the aggressive, relentless Obama Love/Apologist role you wouldn’t be so mean.
Rick- Target doesn’t have anything that dowdy. You have to make a real effort to buy clothes like that. Sure, you’ll see similar blouses in retirement communities, but that’s because they’ve been in the closet since the 90’s.
I think one of their Hollywood supporters must have access to the Golden Girls’ wardrobe room.
As noted in the post, it’s better than knowing which candidate was the incumbent and information about the prevailing economic conditions at the time of the election, including the unemployment rate and any changes in personal income for the year prior to the election.
I got that. What I was pointing to in the quote is that campaign spending is an even better predictor, and McCain is practically broke. That doesn’t bode well. My comment then was meant to sound hopeful: There’s still that 40% chance…
For those who don’t know, Ardsgaine is of the school that it’s all about the issue positions of the candidates.
That’s not exactly what I have said, Karl. It’s not that I don’t think people will vote based on image and character issues, it’s that I don’t think Obama is as weak on those issues as Republicans assume. Republicans can’t assume that the majority is going to see Obama the same way that we do, because the majority doesn’t share our viewpoint. We have to explain why his associations with Wright and the Weathercouple are important, and the way to do that is to connect what he believes with what they believe. That means we have to talk about his positions and how they fit with leftwing ideology. We can’t afford to let this election be a beauty pageant.
Attn, datadave, I need to go to an expert on this one: does having only a small ball peen hammer in his widdle tool box merit tiny thor any status beyond being “specially abled” – like maybe having a disabled parking permit? Or are hammers accepted by the State as mind-proxies or prostheses to begin with, and, if so, does thor have to drive strapped into a tool-restraining tool belt – when he goes to Head Start, for example?
Thanks!
probably showing my age, but my mom would NEVAR have let me dress like that for a public event. it would be a dress. and hosiery.
THe way I’ve looked at Obama’s reaction to character questions is I think he thought he’d get a pass by the MSM. I’m fairly certain he was convinced to run – I can’t imagine he believes he’s actually qualified for the post- and the people who convinced him to run downplayed his past and upplayed his hope and changeyness. And while Barack could count on the MSM, he can’t count on the blogosphere, which will vet him and point out his many, many flaws. Add to that the Clinton camp doing everything they can to throw mud at him and I bet his problem is he never saw any of this coming. He never thought he’d haev to apologize for his racist minister and his terrorist friends because the people that convinced him to run almost certainly didn’t have a problem with either Wright or Ayres and assumed no one else would.
Also, about McCain’s finances, I expect once the dems are locked in to a candidate, the real fundraising will begin. Right now, I see no reason to donate to McCain, as I’m almost afraid he’ll blow the money long before he really needs to. There’s no reason for McCain to campaign hardcore right now.
He never thought he’d haev to apologize for his racist minister and his terrorist friends because the people that convinced him to run almost certainly didn’t have a problem with either Wright or Ayres and assumed no one else would.
We already know that he was talking about having to distance himself from Wright a year ago. You are probably right, though, that they underestimated just how much of a problem it would be for them. I’m sure they didn’t anticipate Wright going out of his way to make things worse.
thor has nothing to offer on behalf of his donee candidate. The people injecting race into this campaign have largely been Democrats and Obama’s longtime spiritual adviser. So thor is left playing the race card against me. Pathetic, really.
I think he thought he’d get a pass by the MSM… I think this is kind of a misread for how Baracky is planning on strategically turning out his media whores. It’s a lot telling how scared Baracky is of the gas tax holiday. Lower gas prices would really suck for him. His whole hopey changey schtick is designed to draw its force from a compliant supine media that will manufacture economic pessimism and perceptions of a declining America and malaiseyness. They’ll do their part.
Oh, and it doesn’t reflect very well on Obama when his supporters stoop that low. I think Obama would distance himself from those sorts of comments.
See thor? That’s me calling Baracky a misery pimp even though pimp is a code word a lot for black men what turn out whores and it’s like an analogy where the whores are like MSNBC and NPR and the New York Times. For real you’d think if Baracky really wanted to move beyond race he’d try not to be such a pimp.
Ohnoes.
Reached for comment, Baracky said, “Report? I don’t care about no report, homes. Bitch better have my money.”
In degrees of pathetic, racists are pretty close to the top, Karl. Yes, you are a racist, without question. Obama’s children are rarely seen on the campaign trail. Sure, they’re are his children, after all, and so occasionally you will see them on stage with their proud father. That you falsely accuse Barack Obama of using his children as a prop while the other two white candidates’ children are seen almost daily on the campaign trail is just another example of you impugning the one black candidate without regard to fact, truth, honesty or your own racial bias.
You’re as obvious as you are pathetic. I think we all, meaning people of all races, have prejudices, bigotries and hold generalized opinions of differing races, cultures, etc… With you I’m talking about something far exceeding the norm, I’m saying you are an overt racist who thinks he can use politics to be a covert racist.
There’s a fair amount of otherwise nice people who are racists, many are smart as well, but none of that excuses their disturbing racist attitudes. You’re have company, Karl, but no, there’s no denying that you have participated in race-baiting, race-pandering, race-mongering, racist symbolism, racist stereotyping, and overall being a racist ass.
He said McCain used his grandma as a prop. Jeez. You’re really reaching. Me I think Baracky should get a lot of credit for taking care of his kids. Good on him.
hf: I condemn you and your self proclaimed racism.
Hey, wait a minute…um …
probably showing my age, but my mom would NEVAR have let me dress like that for a public event. it would be a dress. and hosiery
B..But, Hold On, for just one got dam second! That entire Telegraph photo is RACIST itself! Just ask little thor. And likewise with any comment in any way “critical” of the contents of the photo – other than that the photo is RACIST. “For even the small hammer shall always see only nails” – little one’s own reflection excepted, of course.
Hey now. There’s no way anything I said could be construed as racist I don’t think cause it was all about Baracky and Baracky transcends race. It’s one of his specialest qualities really.
thor: You are, seriously, losing your mind. Pretty soon you’ll be inviting Wright and Farrakhan over for tea and oppression. Karl notes McCain’s grandmother and only notes Barack’s children because they have been so rarely seen. Seek. Professional. Help.
Speak for yourself rather than the comic book “people” in your head.
I had to go back and read Karl’s post again to see if I had missed something. I didn’t. It just wasn’t there. Nothing derogatory was suggested about Obama’s family appearing with him on stage. It was compared in a value-neutral way to how other candidates use family to create a good image. The negative points had to do with Wright and Michelle, and the things they have said.
Actually, I mentioned Obama’s kids because Althouse and Reynolds mentioned them, which was flagged by nishi in an earlier thread, doing her usual babble about the visual cortex. The subtext of the post — to the exten there is one — is that nishi thinks that’s a brilliant theory when it’s really about as obvious as the sun rising every day.
And to be far more fair to thor than he ever is with me, I do criticize Obama at the end of the post for perhaps being thin-skinned. But Obama has nothing on thor in that category.
Does anyone know the way to thor’s world? Because #46 was so wild I’m left wondering what color the sky is over his head.
In Baracky’s defense, I think he’s only thin-skinned when things don’t go his way. It’s not his fault that there are some what haven’t gotten with the program.
There’s no way anything I said could be construed as racist I don’t think cause it was all about Baracky and Baracky transcends race
“Oh yeah, hf? Well, you’re just saying that ‘transcends race’ thing as secret neocon code, because you really think Blacks are inferior – even half-Blacks. The true weight of your words reveals your intent and agenda. Gotcha!”
“I project it, therefore it is true.”
No. For real I swear. Who’s racist a lot is Ann Althouse for all swooning over a black guy having a nice family. Jeez. She really should spend a day at the mall or something.
Let’s just all generally condemn Karl for deeply hidden racist probables and move on.
Oh and I condemn J. Peden for his obvious racially charged use of a ball peen hammer.
Ardsgaine has double-secret protection for condemnables due to his winning the last Scotch challenge. (Sponsored by “Advil by the Barrel!”)
Carry on!
I’ve joked about it. I’ve mocked it. I’ve implied it. I’ve warned Karl of my thoughts.
At the end of the day one can conclude Karl’s continual poorly-constructed anti-Obama rhetoric has a motivation outside of typical punditry. The kid harps on no other candidate as he does Obama, that comparative is not even close, and he does so almost entirely in a race-centric framework.
I wouldn’t invoke the ugly R word if I wasn’t certain of the obvious being displayed.
No. For real I swear
“All that protesting doth make you even more guilty. Gotcha-two-times, hammer-hammer, uh-uh!”
The kid harps on no other candidate as he does Obama, that comparative is not even close, and he does so almost entirely in a race-centric framework.
So, let’s see. Either Karl is a closet racist, or he’s a Republican talking about the Democratic frontrunner… Hmmmm. Gee, that’s a tough one, thor. Can I get back to you on it?
No no no. Baracky is a lot the candidate that is most deserving of examination. It’s not hard to just review the last 6 weeks and see how creepy it was that the media jumped four-square into the effort to mainstream Baracky’s creepy Marxist hatey church, and then backpedaled just as quickly, explicitly eschewing it’s mainstreamyness when Baracky got all nervous. The media isn’t exactly going light on McCain, but if people like Karl didn’t keep up with all the big sloppy media blowjobs Baracky’s been getting, I think over time we’d start to think that him getting fellated like that was normal. That’s dangerous cause the press has a serious role it’s supposed to play as a sort of watchdog of democracy. Karl I think should get a lot of credit for filling that role until the for real media can sort of wipe its chin and be presentable.
You’ve had plenty of opportunity and time to be balanced, thoughtful and fair in your analysis, and yet you’ve used almost every opportunity and a far disproportionate amount of time to attack one candidate almost exclusively. Moreoever, your arguments are, in a word, shitty.
That Rev. Jeremiah Wright is a racist gives you no license to be.
THOR HAS WARNED ME!!!
ZOMG!!!11!!
thor, have you noticed that no one else shares your opinion?
I harp on Obama because he gets 70 percent of the news coverage, and the Wright stuff is where the buzz is. If you weren’t eleventy zillion percent in the tank for Obama, you might have noticed this.
My arguments are so shitty that thor spends his time calling me a racist and never rebutting them. I just hope he’s not hitting the gin again this early in the day.
70 PERCENT!!!???! That a lot points to the development of a Media-Baracky axis that could wield unprecedentedly enormous power and should probably be examined really really closely I think. That sort of imbalance, while common in the developing world, is rarely seen in Western democracies.
thor? Obviously a sexist.
Don’t be hating on the alpha girl!!!
hf,
The week before last, it was 76 percent.
That’s scary. And he still can’t put it away. That’s a lot demonstrative of what an artificial construct he is I think.
I’ve warned Karl of my thoughts.
But your brainedness still just might-could be the problem, Jethro.
Few people, most likely, are willing to share such an ugly opinion of you. You don’t hesitate of play connect the dots so why should I?
I don’t give shit if you whimper. You’re a racist twerp.
When you hit on a dynamic, such as fund raising lists, etc.., I try to engage you for no other reason than to encourage you to focus on topics outside of your usual racially biased crap. No more.
thor wasn’t anywhere near this complusive in his man love with Michael Vick. Barack has inspired a whole new level of teh devotion.
I condemn thor for his compulsive, stalky, creepy mandingo love of Obama.
RACIALIST!
Don’t be hating on the alpha girl!!!
It’s because she’s so mannish, and she hits harder than any candidate in the race. She’s got that left jab going, but then she comes out with her right, and wham! Nuke Iran!
*sigh* It’s too bad she’s such a liar.
thor tried to “engage” me on fund-raising lists because that post wasn’t critical of Obama. Cheerleading is not engagement. And he still has had nothing of substance to say in rebuttal.
thor is like the little boy who cried wolf. If and when he actually does identify something racist no one will even bother to listen.
You don’t hesitate of play connect the dots so why should I?
You should see an opthamologist about those spots.
Thor, Karl is a lot the only thing standing between us and Marxist tyranny I think. You should be more nicer.
The best rule of thumb regarding race and politics is that he who invokes race the first, longest, and loudest is the racist.
Since there was no mention of race prior to thor’s hysterical announcement of it, it is easy to conclude that he is either off his meds or a racist. I think that fact speaks clearly and I will stand by it.
Because, you know, this is the internet, and I can always wander off if I get bored.
thor’s deep reasoning in declaring Karl to be a !!RACIST!!11eleventy!!11:
1) Kark writes a lot about the candidate that gets, by far, the most press attention.
2) Karl writes critically of him depsite the changetudinous hopelicious unityness.
3) Every single one of Karl’s criticism has no basis in fact despite the mega thousands of links.
4) thor really really, really really, likes Obama, has read his books and listened to his speeches and, thus, has conveyed upon himself Barack Authority™
5) Thus Karl’s criticisms, being all worthless and hurtful, can only be because of Karl’s blatant racism, which Karl tries to create covertly throguh his never ending criticisms of the hopey changy.
6) thor has extra special melanin perception (ESMP) that allows him to divine the racism through a computer screen.
Well, thor, you have gone from being the eccentric great uncle who confused the family but was so consistantly funny and occasionally insightful that the relatives continued to invite him to family reunions…
to…
the sinister spawn of John Dupont driving around town in a Cadillac convertable, butt naked, waving a .357 and yelling for those “pussy KKK faggots” to show themselves.
Bravo!
Wait. I don’t think Karl or thor are racists. I think Anderson Cooper might could be though.
Let the record reflect that I believe it was Karl who dared not provide rebuttal to mine raping of his logic on oh-so-so many occasions.
Again, which candidates’ children could most aptly be described as being used as props?
Outstanding tie, your Honor!
At least Karl didn’t say Obama was pimping his daughters out.
BTW, thor, mine raping sounds dangerous and I think it was smart of Karl not to offer his rebuttal for it.
I think Baracky’s children are probably most aptly described as being used as props. Even Ann Althouse noticed it.
The Clintons never ever used Chelsea like that. It was sort of a thing with them.
Yeah, hf, just like McCain’s mother and whatever poor, sorry, miserable soul Hillary’s bringing out to
pimpillustrate the need for something or other fix.But still you miss the overt but covert racism. I’ll have to condemn you…
… and cancel the unicorns.
OK, anybody… I’ll grab the .357 and you take the keys to the Cadillac
LET’S ROLL!!!!
BTW, thor, mine raping sounds dangerous and I think it was smart of Karl not to offer his rebuttal for it.
MayBee wins teh thread.
I thought Karl was writing about the Barack’s white half.
and 8, 8 I forget what 8 was for and 9, 9, 9 for a lost god I think.
Shoulda figured Ragnarok would land on a Monday.
At least he didn’t, yeah, OK, and so what?
Mine Victorian nuance, it’s a little much, eh Jethro?
thor, I think the politics is getting a little much for you. When you start sounding like someone on DU it is time to step back from the computer and take a break, and right now DU is making more sense than you are. You are obssessing, you’re babbling, and you really ought to take a long walk and a nice lie-down afterwards.
I’m pretty sure that if a candidate didn’t bring his family out in front of the press for photo ops and stuff, everyone would be asking what the hell’s wrong with them that they can’t be out in company.
“See, they’re not aliens, idiots, or Billy Carter. Just normal folks here…”
Ouch. DU making more sense?? Whoa.
Sad but true.
Boobs for all! Except for Thor!
thin-skinned…
RACIST!
#74
Seems Barak Obama’s name on the HD of the FARC computer captured by the Columbian military. It would be nice to know in what context. BTW they also captured 30 kilos of enriched uranium.
Hugo’s face got sooooooo red.
not watching dancing with the stars fan but my s/o* is.
I don’t think Karl’s a racist at least from his writing. But the Marxist obsession of both hf and Karl, I just don’t get it. Saying Liberals want more govt and Conservatives less and that Socialists and Fascists both want a dominant role for govt but with diametrically different goals is valid to say but to say all “Socialists” are Marxists isn’t quite correct. Marx didn’t invent ‘socialism’ and neither is he in high repute of late with all the failed experiments of the past. Reverend Wright certainly didn’t show the classic mind-numbing repetitive doctrines espoused by so-called Marxists.
Calling any and everybody to the Left of the Republican party “Marxists” hardly impresses anyone in this age of fear of Religious terrorism. Remember the Islamic terrorists and the Christian Identity types are far from Marxists. In fact the “Marxist” nation of China is our trading partner and supplier of cheap necessities that we can’t seem to afford to make ourselves. I recall Republican Chamber of Commerce types are the biggest fans of Chinese cheap manufacturing labor.
An obsession or just a concern with fairness in pay for all citizens, to protest discrimination and ghettoization, to assert a benighted minoritie’s pride or survival in order to encourage that minority to achieve knowledge and success, all of that, isn’t “Marxism”. Liberation isn’t Marxism. Again, historicall, our alliance with Soviet and Partisan “Marxists” during World War 2 was very helpful in defeating a more fearsome and aggressive enemy than the Marxists. (thus history’s proven my case: Rightwing terror went out in a firestorm of a Hundred Million deaths…while the Marxist Soviet’s offered the US an olive branch and retired from the field w/o much fire at all. As I say, our fear needs to be focused on the Right, not the Left.
Karl, are you a throwback to the 1950s or what? Marxism is no longer a threat. Period.
*significant other (people still use that? g/f seems a bit “young”…)
good liberals have “partners,” datadave person. It’s very ecumenical.
I know, I use that term too….but I was told it sounds “gay”. She’s written and re-written my resume and when I put her number as a local reference….and suggest I may relocate there with my “partner” She said that I shouldn’t call her my “partner” as they’d think I was gay or something. I like the term, though, but also see her point. Fiancee is a little presumptuous at this point. (have to wait for the divorce to go through first….) so I am stuck with Girl Friend. Sounds so adolescent for 50-something persons!
It does sound gay, datadave person, nevertheless…
You should probably just leave her out of the story you tell employers altogether, datadave. Just say you are planning on relocating to the area.
Datadave,
I agree to the extent that I don’t think it’s particularly useful to try to track the pedigree of a person’s socialism. Socialism is socialism, and it’s all bad.
I don’t know what notion of “fairness” you have, but mine does not include taking what one person has earned and giving it to someone else.
dd,
How about “Lover?” Would give you a nice “sex god” vibe, but for the fact that you are moving to her area, which might give you more of a “sex slave” vibe, though still hetero.
More substantively, liberation theology is historically recognized to have a Marxist hermeneutic, though obviously it’s not atheistic. I would toss you a link to folks like Gustavo Gutierrez on that, but I just did a new post here and have to do tomorrow’s stuff for my regular quasi-blog gig. It’s a Gramscian attempt to get people to re-identify with Marxist aims without disturbing their prior religious beliefs (though the LT hermeneutic largely inverts them).
She said that I shouldn’t call her my “partner†as they’d think I was gay or something.
Who are you going to work for that you would need to worry about that?
gee Karl, thnx for the props.
lulz
btw your U Mich study is total appeal-to-the-visual-cortex.
visual input data is weighted more heavily for homosapiens sapiens than aural input.
Mine Victorian nuance, it’s a little much, eh Jethro?
Yeah, it sounds alot like mine, Jethro!
O is a Chicago Democratic Machine hack with a rolling paper thin resume and no legislative accomplishments. The only reason he has got this far is because the MSM is so in the tank for him.
Karl, that’s hilarious. But then I am a major “lover”: a Sex slave for health insurance, eh! But I am not an “ironpacker”. Packer? whew, that sort of stinks. I guess it’s in reference to his favorite weapon, right? ironpacker? (maybe a salesman who irons his own shirts when traveling? or more likely artillery person?
true, maybee…but one needs an excuse for wanting to move there anyway other than fleeing the law. (more like a letter of introduction, but then maybe I shouldn’t make it so personal as it’d come up in the interview anyway….which are mostly on the phone these days, but in my low level, low pay occupation: carpenter, designer, cabinetmaker it’s better to know someone there anyway. And she’s my main connection there, well, only her friends and her, thus the reference. She’d move here but it’s much more expensive for real estate here (VT opposed to CNY). and she’s got a great ‘estate’ compared to my dump. ardsgaine, it’s all small business and llc’s, not like some impersonal HR office of something. Hell, maybe I should take maybee’s advice and just leave it out. I did get some pretty good bites already and I am not even ready to move, it might be years away as I like my dual state citizenship. Gas prices though are a problem.
Yeah, Karl, I read the link you gave before and saw nothing ‘evil’ on Gutierrez. I guess I am a Vatican 2 kind of guy. How do you like the spin on the latest Pope with the Press saying he’s kind of conservative forgetting that the previous long term Pope was Conservative. Forgetting that it was the Polish Pope John Paul II, also protector of sex criminals in the Church but ‘popular’ who backtracked from the short lived popular Good Pope John and the reserved but long term Pope Paul who actually kept the Church together in doubtful times, but then forgetting that it’s the popular conservative Pope John Paul who is revered but his conservative legacy is forgotten (such as removing the ‘devil’s advocate’, thus the “Reagan” of the Church. Anyway, I am not Catholic, I’ll let Enoch deal with that.
“hermeneutic” (damn, Reverend Wright did use that word a bit in his ‘sermon’ at the Nat’l Press Club. It didn’t exactly roll of his tongue well though.
“regular quasi-blog gig” whew, I wonder sometimes how Dan and you feel about this. (don’t tell Jeff, but I like Dan’s and your stuff more but Jeff founded the joint and he does have a twisted sense of humor that attracted you two, but he could get a little more ‘real’ imo. stop spouting that liberalism is fascism crap, that’s equivalent with ‘flying saucers’. _)
damned italic closer left out again
• The smart guy usually loses.
• The likable guy always wins.
in a nutshell…(thx, Karl)
Liberalism isn’t facsism, but having big ideas requiring a lot of government coercion to work ‘for the good of the poor/nation/volk/working classes/ etc. is fascism, or authoritarianism. Utopian solutions require a lot of coercion to get off the ground, and its self-styled ‘progressives’ or ‘liberals’ that are utopianists.
“I’m doing this for your own good” is what a parent says to a stubborn child, not what an elected representative is to say to constituents.
Dave? Moving? Write when you find work. Just kidding.
I really like your site