Politics

Elitist Mumbo Jumbo

Jim's Notes — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 21:34:04 GMT

I guess there has been hellfire raining down on Obama over a comment he made about jobless people being bitter. McCain and the re-pubs have been blasting him including my favorite republican, Hillary. As the following breakdown illustrates, the "elitist" pejorative being slung at Obama is certainly a case of pot meet kettle.

Found at joeydevilla.com

Tags: Obama

Straight Talk

Jim's Notes — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 01:43:38 GMT

I just got done watching Barack Obama's speech about race in America from the other day. If you haven't watched it then I urge you to do so. One thing is apparent: Barack Obama is more of a straight talker than George Walker Bush could ever dream to be.

Here is the video:

Tags:obama

Hillary's Latest Tactic

Jim's Notes — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:25:29 GMT

I have to say that I am disturbed by the campaign Hillary is running against Obama. Suggesting that the only two current candidates fit for the presidency are herself and John McCain, then talking about a dream ticket of herself with Obama as a running mate seems disingenuous at best.

Let me put this clearly:

I believe that a Hillary nomination would be bad for the Democratic Party.

She is a polarizing figure and if she wins the nod, I think that McCain is in a much better position than he would be against Obama. Obama has mobilized a huge number of potential voters measuring by the sheer number of people who have donated to his campaign. There is a large group of young voters who have been inspired by Obama and if Hillary becomes the candidate, I believe those voters will be lost. The fact is, Hillary is so polarizing that there are people who simply will not vote for her. Also, it seems likely that the people who would vote for her would vote for Obama if she were not the nominee. But I don't think that door swings both ways. Many would-be Obama voters will not vote for Hillary. I am not sure about this, but I may even be included on that list myself.

What Obama Really Means

Jim's Notes — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:19:23 GMT

This was a comment that I posted in the discussion of my last post. I think it is worthy of a post of it's own.

Thank you all for your comments.

If you haven't been to the site listed in the first comment I recommend that you check it out. http://www.votehelp.org According to my results I am most in tune with Hillary which is no surprise to me as I have always been a centrist at heart. But regardless of my similar views with Hillary as far as policy goes, I feel that this election means so much more. What Hillary doesn't see is that there is a fundamental problem with the system itself.

If you've heard Obama speak then you cannot deny that the man is a great orator. He has a way with words and can turn a phrase in a way that even such great speakers as Lincoln, F.D.R., and J.F.K. would be jealous. And it strikes me now, in the face of recession and with so many other problems in this country, that sometimes it takes a great orator to inspire the masses to rise above the status quo and make real change. Lincoln freed the country from the tyranny of slavery and motivated an Army to fight to protect the Union. F.D.R. (who was both a great orator and policy maker) inspired a nation to overcome the Great Depression and led our country to victory over an evil and vile force. Churchill inspired England in much the same way. Kennedy put a man on the moon with his words alone.

What the country needs now, what the whole world needs now, is inspiration to pull itself out of what has become a downward spiral. Words are powerful things. Hopefully Obama can lead us to have the courage, the bravery, and the will to rise up and become something greater than ourselves.

Tags:obama

Believe

Jim's Notes — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:39:54 GMT

I'd like to thank Beccaboo for her thoughtful comment on my Support Barack Obama post. I cannot reiterate enough how much I support Barack Obama. His words are enough to motivate even the most jaded, apathetic and disillusioned
voter. But he is much more than just a great orator, he embodies hope. He embodies hope that we can break the cycle of greed and corruption that has plagued this country for half a century. If you have a minute, watch his response to the State of the Union Address posted below. In it you can see how much he cares for this renewed ideal of just politics.

Tags:obama

Support Barack Obama

Jim's Notes — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 04:48:19 GMT

As the state of the union winds to a close, and it becomes apparent that with Bush it is more of the same yadda yadda, (in spite of the fact that his legacy is failed); I want to take a second to say, please support Barack Obama.

Some say that Bush's time in office was the catalyst for catharsis. Like a deep cleansing at the spa, all the shit rises to the surface. Civil liberties, habeas corpus, ignoring Geneva, war, spying, torture, disproportionate tax relief for the wealthy, a failed economy; every child left behind, lack of global warming legislation, moreover the failed and corrupt political system in our country; in short, all the shit that has been festering in this country has risen to the surface under Bush and the time has come for change.

Barack Obama embodies change. He stands for a new brand of visionary politics that seeks not to rule by creating policy in a system where corporate money has far too much influence, but to inspire and mobilize the disillusioned masses. Barack seeks to change the system fundamentally so that it serves the people in the way that the founding fathers intended.

This country can be great, and not just because of a charismatic leader but because of the people within it and their capacity to do the right thing.

Tags:obama

Race, IQ and Politics

Jim's Notes — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 02:11:22 GMT

I may be a little bit late to the party on this one, but in light of recent comments made by Hillary Clinton, it somehow seems relevant. Last month there was some fervor in the press over some remarks made by James Watson, a prominent biologist, stating that a persons race may be related to their level of intelligence particularly in the case of black Africans¹. The statement is controversial and has opened the door to a lot of discussion on the web and elsewhere. Some, like William Saletan in this controversial Slate article, argue that IQ tests, and sequentially the racial gap that shows up in test results are infallible. Others have been quick to point out that the IQ standard is anything but infallible as noted in a New Yorker book review. In fact, at least one study has shown that Blacks gained 4 to 7 points on Whites between 1972 and 2002; which seems like a very short time in terms of evolutionary catchup.

Personally. I think that IQ tests and the faith that is put into their results is a simplistic way of looking at a complex problem; what it means to be intelligent. To paraphrase an Asimov anecdote, should the mechanic who can repair a motor be considered any less intelligent than the astrophysicist who cannot? I bet your typical farmer probably doesn't know a lot about web design, but as I proved to myself this last Summer I sure as hell don't know how to grow a tomato. It even brings to mind the cases of people with conditions like autism (like Gilles Trehin) who are able to accomplish amazing feats. As Asimov stated in his anecdote, IQ test are arbitrary in that they are measure of intelligence decided by "a small subsection of [a] society [that] has managed to foist itself on the rest as an arbiter of such matters."

In any event, the statement that James Watson made, the Slate article, as well as Hillary's recent political gaffe, show that being considered intelligent doesn't exclude you from saying something dumb.

1. In a case of profound irony it has been discovered that Watson himself is 16% black African having a great-grandparent from sub-Saharan Africa.

In Case You Missed It

Jim's Notes — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 16:03:18 GMT

In case you missed it here is Obama's rousing speech in Iowa from the other night:

I have to say that I find the politics of hope refreshing. It stands in stark contrast to the Giuliani video I posted a few days ago. I remember thinking in 2004 that the politics of hope could be just as effective as the politics of fear. I am glad that it has become a reality.

Fear Mongering 2008

Jim's Notes — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:17:28 GMT

Can anyone say "only leg to stand on?"

Surprise Surprise

Jim's Notes — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 01:44:35 GMT

Bush has commuted Scooter Libby. Wow. Didn't see that one coming. In case you are not familiar with Scooter Libby, he is the author of the erotic thriller, The Apprentice. Oh yeah, he's was also the chief of staff of Vice President Cheney who was convicted by a jury of his peers of unlawful conduct. I guess rich white friends of DICK are above the law. And as far as Bush's decision goes, why not? Nobody likes him anyway.

Scooter commutes.