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Eight years ago Russert had on the GOP candidates following the straw poll. Eight years later he has on Harold Ford, Jr. and Markos?
Harold Ford & Markos Moulitsas on MTP. Nothing like a good Dim squabble to get the day started right. Let’s see if Timmie plays it up or tries to smooth it over.
within the last 15 minutes. So far no comments, but I'm betting we'll want to keep an eye on it and cross polinate some of the stuff
I think Timmy may have orders to take out Kosie boy like he did Richardson a few months ago. Be fun to watch, too bad I am at work
Leonardo DiCaprio???
Hollywood "stars" are legends in their own minds - they think they have "the foremost opinion" on most any topic when they become rich and famous. Then they use their soapbox to "preach" to all the little people, which they believe are stupid and uninformed.
If he was alive today, I imagine Curly Howard of the Three Stooges giving his take on things in our time...
"Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!"
Bob Scheiffer is also off today. I missed the introduction of his sub. He missed a “big get” interview with Huckabee. This guy doing the interview is a real attack dog, but Huckabee is doing well, IMHO.
What impressed me today was Chris Wallace’s interview of Mitt Romney. No doubt about it, Romney is the smartest of the group and has a track record of success in something other than government—co-founder of Bain Capital, etc.
His problem is curb appeal. Drew Westen defines “curb appeal” as the feeling one has ve after hearing or seeing a candidate. Empirical findings illustrating the importance of “curb appeal.”
Westen summarizes the Ambady and Rosenthal study. Here, the investigators compared first impressions of a professor with their final evaluation. Students were showed thirty seconds of film (without sound) before they began the course. After taking the course they then rated the professor as to ability and competence. The first 30 second impression was astoundingly predictive of the student’s final evaluation.
Westen summarized another study that showed average people could diagnose a psychopath from a brief, nonverbal, tape--- 70% of the time! And, more importantly, could not make as good a prediction if they listened to what was actually said. Psychopathic fluency works!
Westen then summarized a political study buttressing the above. A Princeton group had subjects evaluate opposing candidates for US House and Senate Races. The subjects were selected for ignorance of the candidates and the races. Investigators showed the subjects still photographs of the candidates. The subjects had only thirty seconds to look at both photos. The subjects were then asked to predict the election outcome. The subjects correctly predicted outcome in 70% of the time.
On this basis Romney to me seems deficient in this matter. He arouses in me the same feelings I had about Richard Nixon—very bright, very narcissistic and very competitive. That said, it must be noted that it takes a big ego to fancy yourself as president.
Also, while people (especially conservatives) prepare long lists as to the pros, cons and reasons for a candidacy, they usually fail to recognize the most important facet of why someone runs for office. That facet or part of the reason is “thymos.”
Recently David Brooks wrote a short article in the New York Times called “All Politics is Thymotic.” In this short article Brooks summarized Plato’s thoughts on recognition.
Plato saw the need for recognition (thymos) as central to understanding why people seek leadership positions. Similarly, recognition is seen as a powerful motivator for many human activities.
As Brooks summarizes Plato, “Men want others to recognize their significance. They want to feel important and be part of something important.” For sure, this desire for recognition can miscarry and become a thirst for glory regardless of cost. The desire for recognition results in both worthy and unworthy behavior.
Plato also saw us as desiring group as well as personal recognition. Political parties, religions and other social groups demand respect and dignity. We seek leaders to achieve group goals and among these goals is a sense of justice. The voiceless, downtrodden and ignorant also eventually find leaders who demand justice.
Plato believes the search for recognition (Thymos) is the basis for political action. People will sacrifice for personal glory. They will also sacrifice for causes greater than themselves. Like all of us candidates crave recognition as means to enhance self-esteem and self-worth.
Others discussing Plato find that Plato’s Thymos includes a desire for pride, self-esteem, distinction and excellence. Plato felts that satisfying these desires resulted in a fulfilled life. Life will then have a purpose and not just be a matter of surviving, reproducing and experiencing pleasure. Achieving a full life permits us to make contributions that continue beyond our meager lifespan.
Plato’s theories may mix up goals and responses but his 2400 year old observations still reflect human nature. Politicians do strive for recognition. As members of political parties, religions and a nation we also strive for success, relevance and respect. We do base our individual and cultural self-esteem on the actualization of these goals. And, we also do seek recognition in activities unrelated to politics.
Perhaps, Romney’s central motivation is a search for “thymos.” If so, he is admirably equipped—intellectually and experientally—but his major fault is a lack of “curb” appeal. But, then again, Hillary lacks “curb appeal;” according Michael Barone (panel member Fox News Sunday) Hillary is working on this. Apparently, politicians believe, “if you fake it you will make it...” We will see if either Mitt or Hillary can remedy their lack of “curb appeal” in the meantime thymos will have to do.
This Week w/the DNC has Kookcinch and DiCaprio?? Shouldn’t there be some sort of limit on cliches? Did Leo bring his G% to lecture about Global Scamming?
Pray for W and Our Troops
After watching and listening to Mitt Romney this AM I am quite comfortable with his candidacy. I think that Rudy is the best person for winning the primaries because he knows how to beat Hillary, plus I also like him. I think the best person to BE the president, is Mitt Romney. There is my current BEAT THE RATS ticket, Mitt the pragmatic executive who loves America, and Rudy, the no holds barred street fighter who loves America. They both have their strengths and could use them to the maximum for the US.
Posted at 12:32pm on Aug. 12, 2007
The Sunday Morning Talk Shows - The Review
By Mark Kilmer
Sunday, August 12, 2007
It was Harold Ford and Markos Moulitsas debating on MTP, with David Gregory moderating. It was nothing. Ford says the Dems need to run to the center, Moulitsas says the country is liberal and the party should be proud to be liberal. They almost embraced at one point, but Moulitsas was angry that Ford blamed Harry Reid and Ford was angry that Moulitsas blamed him for John Breaux. Go figure. But they didn't mess up the playground, so the kids can keep having fun.
Mitt Romney was on FNS, and I thought he did well with the softballs. There was the matter of Romney saying he did not spend money to win the straw poll, which could be overlooked, but there was the more serious matter of Romney continuing to compare himself to Ronald Reagan on abortion. That cannot be overlooked. But on the matter of Romney saying that though his sons did not serve in the military, they served their country by working for his campaign, Romney gave the right answer. He said that he misspoke and that the two were not comparable.
On TW, Brownback is in the race, suggested that there are "three or four" tickets out of Iowa's caucuses in January, and he's hopeful that he'll get one. Later, Dennis Kucinich declared himself to be at the new center of the Dem Party.
On FTN, Jim Axelrod was in for Schieffer, and he interviewed Mike Huckabee. The former governor was on his game, comparing his finish in the straw poll to one of Jesus' miracles and declaring that he was now a top tier candidate. He said that the GOP was pwned by Wall Street and he wants it to be owned by Main Street. And the obligatory shot at the winner: "It [Huckabee's support] was a movement; it wasn't just, hey, we're giving out [goofy yellow] t-shirts."
First on LE, with guest host Joe Johns in for Wolf, was Transportation Secretary Mary Peters. Peters said that it was not that we were spending too little money on the nation's infrastructure; rather, it was how it was being spent. Johns suggested that bridges to nowhere were the problem, while Peters mentioned art museums and the like. Johns played a clip of Newt exclaiming that bureaucratic government was broken and Peters agreed. She reiterated that the problem was with how we were spending the money, though I don't know that Gingrich meant that, per se.
Next on LE, Johns spoke with David Dreier for Rudy, Jim Talent for Romney, and Buddy Roemer for McCain. This was each campaign spinning the current situation in the manner that looked best for their candidate. The campaigns do it on shows like this and for the other media outlets, and people do the same thing here in diaries at RedState. It is one of my favorite parts of a Presidential campaign, perhaps because it can be alternately maddening and confounding.
The complete, show-by-show review is below the fold. ...
Posted in Archived — Read More »
Follow the Read More link above for the full thing.
Read it and weep:
Mystery at Goose Creek: Who are the accused Pipe Bomb Boys?
http://michellemalkin.com/
ROFL
Harold Ford v. Kos, the remix
http://hotair.com/archives/2007/08/12/video-harold-ford-vs-kos-the-pjm-remix/
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