Jonny, consider the phenomenon of the double doors. You know, the kind of double doors that are so common in stores and office buildings. Someday when you have the time, go to a busy shop or restaurant that has a double door at its entrance and just observe.Now a double door has two sides precisely to allow people to flow smoothly in and out of the building. But what usually happens? People use just one side. Like a herd of mindless critters, they struggle to go in and out of one side. Often one dumb cluck holds the door for a friend or relative, and keeps holding it while everyone queued up trying to go in and out pours through. Like true herd animals, no one turns on to the fact that there is a second door which could easily be opened to relieve the cluck holding the door, and allow people to enter and leave more freely.
Every now and again, along comes someone who actually thinks. That person bypasses the gaggle at the one half of the double door, opens the second half, and goes on about his or her business. So what does the herd do? At first, they follow the thinker and use both sides, but pretty soon the thinker's example is forgotten, and they are all trying to crowd in and out of one side of the double doors again.
In politics, we see that phenomenon over and over and over again in the way herds responds to the media and punditocracy. In politics, I think there are three distinct herds: right, left and swaying reeds. As we saw with the Harriet Miers matter and immigration the last couple of years, the right herd is easily stampeded over a cliff by its pundit class. Similarly, the left herd is easily stampeded by its pundit class which, in the last few years, convinced its herd that "Bush lied, people died," etc.
As for the swaying reeds herd, they are the easiest of all to stampede by any huckster with a good line. Because they are so flexible, they never break as they sway to and fro.
Pinging you to the Saturday afternoon Dose. Let me also take this opportunity to wish everyone in the Dose community a very Happy Thanksgiving.
hi everyone
Where are the pictures of George and Laura getting a his and her Asian massage?
Fabulous photos. I LOVE it when they travel.
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From the very start,
T'was:
'WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE...& YOUNG'...4 FREEDOM
http://www.Freerepublic.com/forum/a39626542519c.htm
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Great DOSE this evening!
Thank you for the picture-packed weekend Dose!
Wolfstar, good job!
What great pictures. Prayers for the rest of our First Family's travels.