Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Mr. Suck-Up Goes to Michigan
Boy, has Mitt Romney gotten craven in his desperate attempt to win a primary. (Yes! Even more craven than usual!)
Trying to win votes in a state where the auto industry is dying, Romney has come out against new gas mileage standards and pledged to raise federal investment on (basically) car-related technology from $4 billion to $20 billion.
In other words, a massive pork barrel program—and this from a man who has cast himself as a true conservative.
Two thoughts.
First, American auto executives, who at the Detroit auto show are only announcing more gas-guzzling vehicles, and won't have any fuel-efficient new cars until 2010 at the earliest, are morons, and don't deserve to have taxpayer dollars thrown at them. It'd be the definition of good money after bad.
Second, is a certain frequent poster on this blog ready to admit that he is wrong and Mike Huckabee will not win the Michigan primary? ¶ 6:13 AM
Trying to win votes in a state where the auto industry is dying, Romney has come out against new gas mileage standards and pledged to raise federal investment on (basically) car-related technology from $4 billion to $20 billion.
In other words, a massive pork barrel program—and this from a man who has cast himself as a true conservative.
Two thoughts.
First, American auto executives, who at the Detroit auto show are only announcing more gas-guzzling vehicles, and won't have any fuel-efficient new cars until 2010 at the earliest, are morons, and don't deserve to have taxpayer dollars thrown at them. It'd be the definition of good money after bad.
Second, is a certain frequent poster on this blog ready to admit that he is wrong and Mike Huckabee will not win the Michigan primary? ¶ 6:13 AM
Comments:
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Yes, Richard, I lose on Michigan. Once again I've learned how insanely powerful the media is in this country: they anoint a Comeback Kid (just cause NH loves him) and he gets an enormous bounce. Brad DeLong is fond of saying of the Bush administration: "it is once again worse than you can imagine, even after taking account of the fact that the Bush administration is worse than you can imagine." I feel the same way: the media is more powerful than can possibly be appropriate, even after I have taken account of the fact that the media is more powerful than can possibly be appropriate.
Newspaper and TV editors are like a pack of children on top of the Science Center, pulling the pins on handgrenades. Who knows where they might land? We could after all end up with a President Faustus (McCain, I mean; Bush being Beelzebub. Keep up with me here people; this post is in no way about Pres. Faust [no relation].)
However -- if Romney wins Michigan all bets are off (figuratively, not literally). McCain's aura of inevitability tarnishes again and South Carolina decides who gets the front-runner label going forward. Since McCain never says or does anything new, the media is going to want a new story. Why not Huckabee? SC is his state. Then Giuliani bleeds warmonger votes in Florida and Huckabee wins there too -- and it's vindication once again for Standing Eagle.
Standing Eagle is currently however chastened.
Standing Eagle is however persistently indignant over how strong the media is in this country, and clutches at a straw of meta-vindication again there: a perfectly predictable media narrative can swing political outcomes in this country massively. This began with a single germ -- the nasty TNR hit piece on Hillarycare in 1993 -- and culminated with the cocoon of lies woven about Iraqi WMD. Reporters (yes, I'm looking at YOU) need to be aware of their power and be much much much more cautious with it. Their failure so far to learn a lesson, even from Judith Miller's Iraq bungling (cf. Michael Gordon, administration stooge du jour; also John Solomon), has begun massively to cost them in terms of civic trust in their work.
Who wins from this scenario? No one much. It is to be hoped that the entertainment money-making model of media will be crippled in the wake of the writers' strike, and maybe some new values will fill the void. I suggest Veritas.
One group that does win from this scenario of mistrust for the media? That's right, Richard. Bloggers.
Also, concomitantly: Standing Eagle.
Go Patriots! also, patriots.
Standing Eagle
Newspaper and TV editors are like a pack of children on top of the Science Center, pulling the pins on handgrenades. Who knows where they might land? We could after all end up with a President Faustus (McCain, I mean; Bush being Beelzebub. Keep up with me here people; this post is in no way about Pres. Faust [no relation].)
However -- if Romney wins Michigan all bets are off (figuratively, not literally). McCain's aura of inevitability tarnishes again and South Carolina decides who gets the front-runner label going forward. Since McCain never says or does anything new, the media is going to want a new story. Why not Huckabee? SC is his state. Then Giuliani bleeds warmonger votes in Florida and Huckabee wins there too -- and it's vindication once again for Standing Eagle.
Standing Eagle is currently however chastened.
Standing Eagle is however persistently indignant over how strong the media is in this country, and clutches at a straw of meta-vindication again there: a perfectly predictable media narrative can swing political outcomes in this country massively. This began with a single germ -- the nasty TNR hit piece on Hillarycare in 1993 -- and culminated with the cocoon of lies woven about Iraqi WMD. Reporters (yes, I'm looking at YOU) need to be aware of their power and be much much much more cautious with it. Their failure so far to learn a lesson, even from Judith Miller's Iraq bungling (cf. Michael Gordon, administration stooge du jour; also John Solomon), has begun massively to cost them in terms of civic trust in their work.
Who wins from this scenario? No one much. It is to be hoped that the entertainment money-making model of media will be crippled in the wake of the writers' strike, and maybe some new values will fill the void. I suggest Veritas.
One group that does win from this scenario of mistrust for the media? That's right, Richard. Bloggers.
Also, concomitantly: Standing Eagle.
Go Patriots! also, patriots.
Standing Eagle
All due respect, SE, but I didn't hear you complaining about the media when Huckabee was riding its wave of puffery....
Speaking of wave of puffery...the Pats are headed for a fall! (Call it the celebri-babe girlfriend jinx.)
Speaking of wave of puffery...the Pats are headed for a fall! (Call it the celebri-babe girlfriend jinx.)
Richard, what color is the sky in your world? Huckabee never got puffed: he was the FRONT-RUNNER in all the polls in all the early states except NH and maybe Michigan. That includes Florida. And the media gave him attention grudgingly, and treated him like a clown (which, to be fair, he is).
He was the front-runner; do you think he got commensurate coverage? No WAY.
SE
He was the front-runner; do you think he got commensurate coverage? No WAY.
SE
SE,
You're making all that up. Huckabee was the front-runner in all polls except NH and MI?! Er, when?
Certainly not before Iowa. And that was less than two weeks ago.
I also think you're wrong about the media's overwhelming power. In NH they wrote Hillary off, and she won. McCain arose from being written off last summer. Obama and Huckabee arose this fall from way behind -- invisible in the Huckster's case. All this up and down was because of voters, in some way, being insensitive to media pronouncement.
You're making all that up. Huckabee was the front-runner in all polls except NH and MI?! Er, when?
Certainly not before Iowa. And that was less than two weeks ago.
I also think you're wrong about the media's overwhelming power. In NH they wrote Hillary off, and she won. McCain arose from being written off last summer. Obama and Huckabee arose this fall from way behind -- invisible in the Huckster's case. All this up and down was because of voters, in some way, being insensitive to media pronouncement.
# posted by 
: January 15, 2008 10:19 AM
: January 15, 2008 10:19 AM
Yeesh. What am I, Strawman Eagle? I didn't say the media was all-powerful in New HAMPSHIRE. New Hampshire is famous for its stubborn resistance to being told what to do by the media. But now that McCain is the Comeback Kid, thanks to a few thousand votes in an atypical northeastern state, he's gained 10 or 15 points virtually everywhere else. This is a media phenomenon, not one that reflects the reality of what people think about McCain.
Moreover he had been written off for good reasons: no money, married to the Iraq War, lousy staff that he had to replace wholesale.
Obama has always been a media darling (even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then).
Huckabee arose from nowhere because evangelicals pay real attention to the question of who reflects their values. All the other candidates kept hurting themselves every time they appeared on the teevee, and Huckabee became the default Last Man Standing. But here comes the McCain Zombie Campaign from the shallow grave dug for it in South Carolina in 2000!
Lookout! Straight Talk Express is off the rails, comin at you!
I don't think he can beat Obama. He represents the past, voters are ready for the future. But I sure would prefer a Huckabee candidacy.
That is all.
Standing Eagle
Moreover he had been written off for good reasons: no money, married to the Iraq War, lousy staff that he had to replace wholesale.
Obama has always been a media darling (even a blind squirrel finds a nut every now and then).
Huckabee arose from nowhere because evangelicals pay real attention to the question of who reflects their values. All the other candidates kept hurting themselves every time they appeared on the teevee, and Huckabee became the default Last Man Standing. But here comes the McCain Zombie Campaign from the shallow grave dug for it in South Carolina in 2000!
Lookout! Straight Talk Express is off the rails, comin at you!
I don't think he can beat Obama. He represents the past, voters are ready for the future. But I sure would prefer a Huckabee candidacy.
That is all.
Standing Eagle
I might vote for McCain in a general election-- I certainly will if his opponent is Clinton. Which astonishes me, considering that I abominate everything about the Iraq war and have since before it began. Even now I can't stand McCain's smirking "the surge is a success, my friends" (always "my friends" - have you noticed?) - which makes him hardly better than Batterin' Bill Kristol of the NY Times, in some ways.
The surge is a temporary measure, that can collapse at any time especially as troops are withdrawn. Saying that it's succeeding, now, is something we can't know before 2010.
Still, I admire McCain. And there must be a lot o' Northeastern liberal voters like me: we're a constituency, as Hill will find out after the conventions if it's the two of them squared off. I feel he has the personal and intellectual qualities to lead the country, and that his administration will always be honorable rather than cynical, partisan or opportunistic. He's wrong about Iraq, but he might salvage something there. This is not an entirely coherent let alone considered position and I must (self-)analyze more to find out why I'm thinking so strangely. Hate Iraq but vote for McCain! It's a good bumpersticker for Massachusetts.
The surge is a temporary measure, that can collapse at any time especially as troops are withdrawn. Saying that it's succeeding, now, is something we can't know before 2010.
Still, I admire McCain. And there must be a lot o' Northeastern liberal voters like me: we're a constituency, as Hill will find out after the conventions if it's the two of them squared off. I feel he has the personal and intellectual qualities to lead the country, and that his administration will always be honorable rather than cynical, partisan or opportunistic. He's wrong about Iraq, but he might salvage something there. This is not an entirely coherent let alone considered position and I must (self-)analyze more to find out why I'm thinking so strangely. Hate Iraq but vote for McCain! It's a good bumpersticker for Massachusetts.
# posted by : January 15, 2008 10:48 AM
: January 15, 2008 10:48 AM
EADW, I think you definitely need to do some self-analysis. Or meet some people whose children have died because of McCain's bizarre convictions about Iraq.
# posted by : January 15, 2008 11:09 AM
: January 15, 2008 11:09 AM
Mz Magee,
The (two) readers of this blog who know who I am know I think constantly about those who've died in Iraq: I've even published two pieces (one fiction, one an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune) on just that subject. I don't think they died because of Johnny Mac's "bizarre convictions." Rather Bush's and Cheney's and Rumsfeld's and Feith's. One of whose children was a student of mine at Fair Harvard. (He got an A.)
The (two) readers of this blog who know who I am know I think constantly about those who've died in Iraq: I've even published two pieces (one fiction, one an op-ed for the Chicago Tribune) on just that subject. I don't think they died because of Johnny Mac's "bizarre convictions." Rather Bush's and Cheney's and Rumsfeld's and Feith's. One of whose children was a student of mine at Fair Harvard. (He got an A.)
# posted by : January 15, 2008 11:23 AM
: January 15, 2008 11:23 AM
EADW,
All the more reason why it seems shocking that you would vote for McCain. Is having convictions or principles admirable even if they are misguided and dangerous?
SM
All the more reason why it seems shocking that you would vote for McCain. Is having convictions or principles admirable even if they are misguided and dangerous?
SM
# posted by : January 15, 2008 12:41 PM
: January 15, 2008 12:41 PM
The problem here is that eadw may be right about the McCain appeal (not to me, btw), particularly if Clinton's on the other ticket. Go Obama (and Patriots)!
SE, I hope you're right about Pastor Huck, but I think many of the evangelicals with half a brain will see through your strategy, suck it up and go for McCain, the new Rudi for Clinton-haters. McCain's "truth squad" (brilliant! is Rove working for him??!!) will succeed in calming them down, once Huck falters in Michigan
SE, I hope you're right about Pastor Huck, but I think many of the evangelicals with half a brain will see through your strategy, suck it up and go for McCain, the new Rudi for Clinton-haters. McCain's "truth squad" (brilliant! is Rove working for him??!!) will succeed in calming them down, once Huck falters in Michigan
# posted by : January 15, 2008 1:10 PM
: January 15, 2008 1:10 PM
Richard T.,
Huckabee not faltering in Michigan. 17 or 18 percent is stellar. Bloom is off the McCain rose and SC is up for grabs. With Giuliani strong in Florida it's easy to see Huckabee in position to steal this thing. He just needs a couple big funny media scenarios to introduce him to the country at large before Super Tuesday.
By the way, Russert and Williams have been despicable tonight. Trying to gin up race- and gender-baiting where the campaigns have forsworn it; airing stupid lies about Obama; and digging up the three-year-old ROTC debate as if it were today's headlines. Oo! Oo! Democrats are the party of the Ivory Tower! Will they throw those pointy-headed Harvards under the bus? Yeah! Stick it to em!
Stupid stupid TV people.
SE
Huckabee not faltering in Michigan. 17 or 18 percent is stellar. Bloom is off the McCain rose and SC is up for grabs. With Giuliani strong in Florida it's easy to see Huckabee in position to steal this thing. He just needs a couple big funny media scenarios to introduce him to the country at large before Super Tuesday.
By the way, Russert and Williams have been despicable tonight. Trying to gin up race- and gender-baiting where the campaigns have forsworn it; airing stupid lies about Obama; and digging up the three-year-old ROTC debate as if it were today's headlines. Oo! Oo! Democrats are the party of the Ivory Tower! Will they throw those pointy-headed Harvards under the bus? Yeah! Stick it to em!
Stupid stupid TV people.
SE
I agree on tonight, SE, Russert in particular. Edwards, the best candidate, not helped by the race-gender thing, and they clearly want him where they have already put the very best candidate, Kucinich, so they can do an Obama-Clinton miniseries. This time around I'll vote for any of the three of course.
That wheelchair basketball guy is the big winner however (though is he still around?), if you agree that one of us gives him another 10, you if Huckabee loses SC, I if he wins -- if that's what you're saying.
Someone on one of these lists seems to think you are Prof. Pinker, btw., which I thought was pretty funny. Back to Australian Open, a little boring in the early going.
That wheelchair basketball guy is the big winner however (though is he still around?), if you agree that one of us gives him another 10, you if Huckabee loses SC, I if he wins -- if that's what you're saying.
Someone on one of these lists seems to think you are Prof. Pinker, btw., which I thought was pretty funny. Back to Australian Open, a little boring in the early going.
# posted by : January 15, 2008 11:58 PM
: January 15, 2008 11:58 PM
Richard,
You're on. I haven't seen the guy yet but have a standing eagle-eye out.
"One of these lists"? What lists?
Always ready to enter the lists,
Sir Standing of Egality
You're on. I haven't seen the guy yet but have a standing eagle-eye out.
"One of these lists"? What lists?
Always ready to enter the lists,
Sir Standing of Egality
OK, Stout Cortez, SC/SE, looks like SC lost yr. Huckmentum (sad to say since that's the end of that fun), so go looking for that guy -- outside Cardullo's last time I saw him.
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# posted by : January 19, 2008 9:35 PM
: January 19, 2008 9:35 PM<< Home
