Political punditry-Monday morning quarterbacking-is an awesome job! Why? For the same reasons that being a meterologist is-the expectation of certainty is really quite minimal and there is no expectation that you will be apologetic if wrong, or even an acknowledgement that you were wrong. At least meterologist's predictions are based on some empirical evidence and so their predictions have a likelihood of being right.
So why are all the talking heads paid so much for knowing so little? Why do people continuously support the punditry and reiterate their opinions when they are wrong so often rather than read insightful scholarship and develop their own ideas and opinions, i.e. think for themselves? It looks like that is just what the majority of Americans did on 4 November 2008. Thank you Obama supporters for proving the irrelevance of the conservative political punditry.
http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/11/06/bad_prediction/
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Random Thoughts About The Election
I'm not. No, I am. No, I'm not. And so the internal conflict about whether to contribute my wholly unoriginal thoughts about the election and insuing outcome has come to fruition as evidenced by this post. As America enters uncharted waters I have the utmost confidence that our country, and her people, will prevail. Without further adieu, my thoughts:
1) Obama's victory is a positive victory. Let me explain: Obama won this election because his vision of what America can and should be like resonated with many, many people. People voted for Obama because they wanted to, and because they believed in his vision. Listening to conservative commentators claim that Obama's victory is a negative one by alluding that this election was McCain's to lose is damaging to this country and is more telling about the divisiveness the Republicans once counted on. Polls reveal that a rather large percentage of McCain voters didn't want to vote for McCain but did so because they couldn't vote for Obama.
2) After listening to McCain's concession speech I couldn't help but think where was this McCain over the course of the campaign. Perhaps if we saw more of that McCain the outcome may have been different.
3) Obama realized, and righfully so, that there is an entire generation of voters that the Republicans just didn't make any effort to connect with, those voters comprising the 18-30 year-old demographic. Either the Republicans really believed that apathy among that generation was a real phenomenon, or the more paternalistic and patriarachal of McCain's advisors really believed they do know what is better for young people, nevertheless it was a huge miscalculation. It is the kind of miscalculation that really smart and in-touch people just don't make.
4) Obama realizes that our 'culture' is evolving. The Republicans don't. Issues such as abortion just don't affect the younger people in the same manner as the baby boomers and pre-baby boomers that are still alive. Proof again that the Republican party is vastly out of touch. I am hopeful that Obama will work to end the culture war that the Republicans have been so adamant about fighting. If the Republicans really want to regain some viability they should put all the old white men out to pasture and begin cultivating young and energetic leaders that recognize when what was once an issue is no longer an issue. Voters continually and resoundingly defeat legislation that attempts to constrain abortion. Lose the 'moral majority' motif and maybe, just maybe, Republicans will emerge from the desert.
5) Where is Joe the Plumber? This is proof that the American public is not as stupid as the Republicans thought, and they got pummeled for it. The ham-handed attempt to politicize the plight of the 'average' American by hauling out someone that is not indicative of an 'average' American (whatever that may be) was shameful. The American people recognize gimmicks when they see them, and they saw right through this. McCain's advisors should never work in politics again after thinking that they could actually win a presidential election by hauling Joe out at every campaign event and have him talk about Israeli policy. I mean, did McCain hire a bunch of used car salesman?
6) Sarah Palin? Need I say more?
7) I am really enjoying listening to all the groveling among the conservative commentators. They are really beside themselves and are not happy with democracy right now. The majority of Americans spoke and the conservatives are a minority and are none too happy about it! Perhaps the Hannity's and Limbaugh's will finally develop a reality-based perspective on their relevance in the political discourse. One wonders if they have ever heard the expression, "Preachin' to the choir."
8) The Evangelical Right is not as powerful as it thought. Thank God! It is paradoxical that those who claim to follow Jesus' teachings most closely know little or nothing about Jesus' teachings.
Finally, we have a president that is thoughtful and capable of developing a deep understanding of complex issues.
1) Obama's victory is a positive victory. Let me explain: Obama won this election because his vision of what America can and should be like resonated with many, many people. People voted for Obama because they wanted to, and because they believed in his vision. Listening to conservative commentators claim that Obama's victory is a negative one by alluding that this election was McCain's to lose is damaging to this country and is more telling about the divisiveness the Republicans once counted on. Polls reveal that a rather large percentage of McCain voters didn't want to vote for McCain but did so because they couldn't vote for Obama.
2) After listening to McCain's concession speech I couldn't help but think where was this McCain over the course of the campaign. Perhaps if we saw more of that McCain the outcome may have been different.
3) Obama realized, and righfully so, that there is an entire generation of voters that the Republicans just didn't make any effort to connect with, those voters comprising the 18-30 year-old demographic. Either the Republicans really believed that apathy among that generation was a real phenomenon, or the more paternalistic and patriarachal of McCain's advisors really believed they do know what is better for young people, nevertheless it was a huge miscalculation. It is the kind of miscalculation that really smart and in-touch people just don't make.
4) Obama realizes that our 'culture' is evolving. The Republicans don't. Issues such as abortion just don't affect the younger people in the same manner as the baby boomers and pre-baby boomers that are still alive. Proof again that the Republican party is vastly out of touch. I am hopeful that Obama will work to end the culture war that the Republicans have been so adamant about fighting. If the Republicans really want to regain some viability they should put all the old white men out to pasture and begin cultivating young and energetic leaders that recognize when what was once an issue is no longer an issue. Voters continually and resoundingly defeat legislation that attempts to constrain abortion. Lose the 'moral majority' motif and maybe, just maybe, Republicans will emerge from the desert.
5) Where is Joe the Plumber? This is proof that the American public is not as stupid as the Republicans thought, and they got pummeled for it. The ham-handed attempt to politicize the plight of the 'average' American by hauling out someone that is not indicative of an 'average' American (whatever that may be) was shameful. The American people recognize gimmicks when they see them, and they saw right through this. McCain's advisors should never work in politics again after thinking that they could actually win a presidential election by hauling Joe out at every campaign event and have him talk about Israeli policy. I mean, did McCain hire a bunch of used car salesman?
6) Sarah Palin? Need I say more?
7) I am really enjoying listening to all the groveling among the conservative commentators. They are really beside themselves and are not happy with democracy right now. The majority of Americans spoke and the conservatives are a minority and are none too happy about it! Perhaps the Hannity's and Limbaugh's will finally develop a reality-based perspective on their relevance in the political discourse. One wonders if they have ever heard the expression, "Preachin' to the choir."
8) The Evangelical Right is not as powerful as it thought. Thank God! It is paradoxical that those who claim to follow Jesus' teachings most closely know little or nothing about Jesus' teachings.
Finally, we have a president that is thoughtful and capable of developing a deep understanding of complex issues.
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