http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjYv2YW6azE

Well – he has a sense of humour, at least:

That's weird ...

Can't get more American than that! Well, unless you're shooting the deer and antelope.

but in general he genuinely appears to be the 'compassionate conservative' George W pretended to be, and is an advocate of large-scale state based solutions to social and economic problems

So long as that solution isn't "let's have another great big war".

Something that just occurred to me about Iraq.?

"Home, home on the range
Where the deer and the antelope play"

It does seem that on Bush's Range, discouraging words are seldom heard.

Something that just occurred to me about Iraq. The received wisdom that war is good for the economy seems to have been completely forgotten.

Not as much as the "we're saving the women of Iraq from the Islamic extremists" rationale has been forgotten.

But there's a reason for that.

The only thing that differentiates him from the left is that he feels the solutions should all be 'faith based'.

And being fervently anti-abortion and opposed to gay marriage. He talks about a 'culture of life' but

When asked what Jesus would do about the death penalty: "Jesus was too?

I think he'll win Iowa, as 40% of the Republican voters are evangelical Christians and he is an ex-preacher. Also the evangelicals know how the somewhat odd Iowa caucus system works?

Huckabee has spent around $9 per vote?

It just seems so perfect?.

Ha ha. Now answer the bloody question, how do you reconcile being 'pro life' and 'pro death'? He wants Creationism taught in schools, but believes science has proved bumblebees can't fly, and uses that as a metaphor for his campaign.

Check this out. The director of the school science curriculum?

He wants Creationism taught in schools...

he won't be interrested then in The Genetic Basis for Political Participation

I still think Creationism has a place in schools – at least one class in which the 20 most famous creation myths are placed side by side. If it's treated in an anthropological way, it's just another branch?

PS: And don't forget to vote for the Public Address Word(s) of the Year 2007.

Would a little alphabetical action have hurt too much? Hours I tell you, hours!

On the other side of the race, Hilary's in some trouble.

And the failure of Operation Barbarossa was some trouble for the Third Reich. Ok, that's an overwrought analogy but is her campaign loaded with Obama sleeper agents?

And before anyone accuses me of being a partisan Hillary-hater, WTF can?

Believe it or not, if I was American I'd change my voter registration to Democrat just so I could cast a primary vote for Obama.

A friend of mine is considering doing just that. She voted for Bush twice, and now can't bring herself to choose any of the current?

His main whoopsie with potential Democrat voters so far has been failing to put sufficient distance between him and a preacher who claims to have been cured of homosexuality.

He did get there in the end. In fact, his speech on this made quite an impression with me, as it?

Is America – and the world – ready for a President who can be mistaken for an adult with the lights on?

well I think Bill Clinton qualified in that category and The World at the time was full of talk about evil America was. So maybe this time round?

Ha ha. Now answer the bloody question, how do you reconcile being 'pro life' and 'pro death'?

Well, to be fair Emma it isn't only right-wingers trying to position themselves as moderates who start spinning more fudge than Willie Wonka on speed when asked that question. Seriously, what do think?

well I think Bill Clinton qualified in that category and The World at the time was full of talk about evil America was. So maybe this time round with a Dem pres the world will be ready to ditch all the crap about imperialism.

I don't think everyone thought that.?

Well, to be fair Emma it isn't only right-wingers trying to position themselves as moderates who start spinning more fudge than Willie Wonka on speed ...

Heh. Your best colorful metaphor in ages Craig.

I don't think everyone thought that.

not everyone but it works both ways. If the world wants a more reality based Pres then perhaps the world's criticism of the US should be a bit more reality based – when Clinton was in office a lot of it wasn't.

well I think Bill Clinton qualified in that category and The World at the time was full of talk about evil America was. So maybe this time round with a Dem pres the world will be ready to ditch all the crap about imperialism.

I think that very much depends?

Like I said on the Guardian blog, I don't think people like that should go to jail. Jail should be for violent crime, mostly.

Instead, he should be bankrupted for the rest of his life and deprived of all assets and income. The next 10?

His main whoopsie with potential Democrat voters so far has been failing to put sufficient distance between him and a preacher who claims to have been cured of homosexuality.

There's also the whole subtext about whether he's 'black' enough, but that's the kind of political pathology I can only handle?

On the topic of Black:

Like I said on the Guardian blog

I haven't checked today, but would it be fair to see there's a healthy element of glee there at the moment?

Its supposed to be.

Also, its moved down from 22, to number 28 on the order paper – Banderton must be stewing.

The Correct link is:

also heres some good quotes:

?It breeds disrespect for the law when – and usually we are?

http://mikeenz.blogspot.com/2007/12/bzp-ban-delayed-untill-at-least.html

Russ, the link to mine is dead...

Arrggh. Sorry. There was a stray space in there. Fixed now.

When asked what Jesus would do about the death penalty

Sorting out the SNAG Jesus from the hell fire and brimstone Jesus is a tricky task. On the one hand he exhorts his flock to adhere to existing laws – which included the death penalty – but on the other?

If the world wants a more reality based Pres then perhaps the world's criticism of the US should be a bit more reality based – when Clinton was in office a lot of it wasn't.

Fair comment. We didn't hear the same level of noise in the 90's when US?

His main whoopsie with potential Democrat voters so far has been failing to put sufficient distance between him and a preacher who claims to have been cured of homosexuality.

For what it's worth, Obama has made a couple of real woopsies:

1. Buying into [[http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/11/11/why-barack-why/|untrue conservative talking points on Social?

. So my husband, born and raised in Texas, could not become a NZ passport-holder without renouncing his US citizenship.

Aaah.. off the top of my head,NZ doesn't ask that one renounces any previously held citizenship when getting NZ citizenship. The Americans may see it differently.

The tubes are helpful: I see that the Department of State has a wishy-washy policy on deliberate dual citizenship: you don't necessarily lose your US citizenship unless you show?

Will Iowa ?s Huckabee replace Howard's End as the pun-crazed sub-editor's headline of choice?

Conrad Black gets six and a half years in prison. Good.

Nice to see that some jurisdictions take massive fraud seriously.

I mean, 12 months home detention with allowances for working? Isn't that pretty much normality for, say, any law-abiding person with a young family?

I'm not sure if your vote being worth next to nothing is any different in Texas to anywhere else. I vote more because I feel obliged to than because I think it matters.

I do feel that my vote in New Zealand matters much more. We are a more democratic?

Although his message is different, there?s a bit too much of the Nerd Chic (think Key and Rudd) about him.

Note: I make this observation very much from the armchair.

If you're a registered Democrat, you can still vote Republican, right?

Rich – it depends on the state.

There are open primaries – anyone can vote in any primary.

There are closed primaries – you can only vote with your registration.

There are semi-closed primaries – independent/unaffiliated voters can choose,?

And a registration is just that – it isn't like joining a party, being accepted and paying?

It's the feeling that counts I guess. Our electorate vote is still FPP so I get the Texas experience by being in Mt Albert Electorate. The proportional thing is certainly more representative nationally, but where a Texan might?

And that's as it should be. We vote?

The US Party system is a lot less disciplined than the NZ one – they are both very broad churches. It's true that it's near impossible for, say, a?

– if you take US citizenship you MUST renounce any other citizenships you have – some countries (NZ included) ignore you, sensibly our country?

I shall get with my submitting immediately...

One should be able to find a party (amongst the 20 or so that contest elections) to match ones ideas, and if not, anyone can start their own and many do.

20 is better than 2, but seriously there is no party that really stands for what I believe, and?

The strategic issues facing the Democrats can be picked up at a glance with a quick?

What I haven't been able to find: how many skull and bones members this time around? They had it?

surely obtaining filibuster and veto proof majorities must be long term objectives

Seriously?
[insert some joke about smoking odd things]

If the entire US moves to the left, the Senate will never fall to 33 Republicans. The Republicans would just move with the people, and they'd be fighting over a?

I don't think there's too many people who don't ultimately derive all of their moral intuitions that way, so "it just feels right/wrong" isn't a vote loser, necessarily. For everyone who feels the same intuitions it's a powerful argument.

I suspect I could without too much trouble, poke holes in?

Has that ever stopped them?

I try to get rid of contradiction where I find it, but whenever you step on moral intuitions you're pushing shit uphill to convince people of things. They just make exceptions?

Has that ever stopped them?

No, but I was talking about me, rather than anyone else's messed up world :)

It was encouraging to see the Democrats make progress in some traditionally red states in the mid-terms...

... Well, still your beating heart WH. As Graeme pointed out, don't make the mistake of thinking the Democrats and Republicans are just the Labour and National parties writ large. You'd be surprised?

I'm conflicted. Obama is better than Clinton on foreign policy. Clinton, for the most part, is better on domestic stuff.

I agree on domestic policy – Clinton's policies are more generally developed and she's got far more change of getting thru her sorely needed health sector reforms.

As for foreign?

Seriously?
[insert some joke about smoking odd things]

I don't find that especially funny, Graeme. Do you actually know what you are talking about?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20477656/
WASHINGTON – The last Democratic president to enjoy a filibuster-proof Senate majority was Jimmy Carter 30 years ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filibuster
The term first came into use?

So was I :-) You're a good example to yourself. If you can't avoid contradiction in your own beliefs (and I can't when it comes to morals), why think anyone else can?

I see morals?

I don't find that especially funny, Graeme. Do you actually know what you are talking about?

I like to think I do – though I do probably know more about the American political system than I do about American politics.

I am aware of what cloture is; I acknowledge that?

The long-term aim of the democrats – to the extent that political parties (esp American ones) have long-term aims – must surely be to shift the political centre to the left

What bums me out about them as a party is their triangulation-mania. The Democratic higher-ups are such a bunch?

This is the "What is the Matter with Kansas" thesis.

Which sounds so much nicer on the book jacket than 'Snap out of it, you retarded inbreedl'. :)

noun: Isn't that a giant roll of filo pastry stuffed with an entire chicken or similar?

verb: To make a political speech while eating a filobuster, thus making delivery slow and indistinct, and thus deliberately delaying proceedings. The filobuster has been banned in many parliamentary assemblies as an unfair?

It is sometimes claimed out that modern Republican dominance is unintuitive and is built on the careful exploitation of cultural issues such as religion, race, crime, immigration.

What's unintuitive about that? Hasn't politics has centered around these issues since time began?

So was I :-) You're a good example to yourself. If you can't avoid contradiction in your own beliefs (and I can't when it comes to morals), why think anyone else can?

I think I can. I just haven't found it/expressed it yet.

That's OK. I'm still young :)

What's unintuitive about that?

The exploitation is not unintuitive, its the voting pattern that results. The question is why do people from poor states (who would benefit from Democratic economic policies) vote for anti-government-services Republicans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/What's_the_Matter_with_Kansas%3F

Since we are trying to work out the principle we can't use the principle to do it. Again we fall back to our feelings.

well God is dead after all- there is no ultimate justification for any moral view. We get to choose.

but "we fall back to our feelings"?

The exploitation is not unintuitive, its the voting pattern that results....

I got your point, was just joking really. Yes, poor people voting Republican is nuts, unless you believe what they believe, of course. That religion, race, crime, immigration are the big issues of the day and Republicans have?

Party pill ban delayed

12.12.2007
By MICHELE McPHERSON

A new law banning party pills containing the chemical BZP has been delayed _ meaning they can be legally sold over the Christmas-New Year holiday period.

The delay has happened because Parliament has run out of time for the second reading of?

"With the agreement of all parties, legislation can come before the House under urgency but if there isn't that agreement, certain legislation can be blocked," said Mrs Grant.

No, urgency just needs a majority of the House, not unanimity:?

empathy is the way out of the dilemma. and it's not reliant on reason. we generally do show concern for the well being of others – and that does have an evolutionary basis. but some people have less than others and some poeple have?

I read more on cognitive psychology but have read some philosophy and have been thinking that philosophy must surely be able to do a lot with recent developments in cognitive psychology and?

Empathy means?

Hume was great, I agree, although I find?

maybe in some circumstances empathy could even make you a better killer

What a lovely thought.

Also, this thread has started to make me feel as dumb as a box of hammers. :)

Also, this thread has started to make me feel as dumb as a box of hammers. :)

Now there's a feeling I can empathise with...

What a lovely thought.

;-) I'm just bitter-ending against any remnants of an idea that empathy could be a sufficient guide to morality. Straw man anyway I know.

It is often said that criminals can make excellent cops and vice versa, on account of how much time they spend in?

There are a lot of social functions which seem to give low empaths an advantage. I'm thinking warrior types work better that way. But again, whilst having no empathy might be an advantage it also may not be decisive.

are you familiar with game theory? it's the classic cheaters vs?

I volunteer to bring out the drinks on the little trolley, though.

Also, while I've only just scanned the proceeding of the society?

Sensible Sentencing Trust Thanks Louise Nicholas

Now here's an unexpected opinion from a Sensible Sentencing ancillary:

Man, that's a badly-written press release ...

Man, that's a badly-written press release ...

That's so badly written, it makes some of the badly written comments on PAS look positively NCA-acheived-with-merit-worthy.

WTF

What makes Kelly Te Heuheu a 'Sensible Sentencing Trust Maori?

What makes Kelly Te Heuheu a 'Sensible Sentencing Trust Maori Crime issues specialist' I wonder.

She's a member of SST, a maori, and a criminal?