Posts by WH
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Despite what I said on the other thread, I enjoyed your post (and its positivity) and hope the day is a big success.
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WH: move.
If you can't understand people's experiences of and fears about criminal offending, they are unlikely to sympathise with your concerns for young people. Not all families can afford to move away from social problems. Maybe its different for middle aged, professional types living in wealthy suburbs. I couldn't say.
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This weekend: a young friend was sexually assaulted by four men as she made her way home after work. The men fled when a nearby security guard raised the alarm. On Friday, I watched three young guys harass two young girls as they walked down the street - they didn't seem to appreciate my lame attempt at intervention a great deal.
In the past, I've had three young guys try to rob me at knifepoint, had another young man steal my wallet and phone from my car (I called the phone to ask for the SIM card back - he answered). This is to say nothing of the multiple burglaries and vehicle breakins around my family home growing up (we got a dog (I loved that dog (sniff)) - our neighbours soon followed suit). I got rid of my blue bandana after being threatened in a mall by a young person sporting a red bandana... That isn't the end of the list but I'd reckon I'd be round about average.
I wear my hoodie when it is cold and agree that we should not unfairly demonise young people. I also feel a lot of sympathy for the victims of crime.
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So, the ends always justify the means?
I'm going to let Meatloaf take that question, Craig.
Ha ha this song is so bad. I watched three drunk and presumably single English girls do a harmony karaoke version the other night. So very, very wrong. What some people do for love would rightly shock us all I suspect.
Seriously though, conservatism is incoherent, especially as far as race relations is concerned. You should revise your viewpoint while you still can.
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I guess nowadays we'd dismiss that as the rhetoric of an empty shirt, and say that appealing to the worse demons of people like Aaron Roe & Susan Dzimian is just "how it is" when you've got an election to win.
Well, this year the Republican primary was fought out amongst nine old white men on the real issues - tax cuts, crime and who was tougher on illegal latino immigration. Keeping liberal judges off the Supreme Court - you know, those Brown v Board of Education, anti states rights types, also rated a few mentions. There is another 50 years of Southern Strategy context you've cheerfully omitted that I won't even start on.
Modern conservative Administrations aren't famous for their enthusiasm for social equality, Craig. Elections have consequences, and if you want to win them, you need to think about your message as well as what your audience is likely to respond to. I'm certain that Obama and Clinton know this and put a lot of thought into how they would present their candidacies to the American people. The picture of high road you're painting defies reality in my opinion.
Having the Democrat win the general election is more important to me than which Democrat wins the nomination. The Democratic Party and its objectives are ultimately bigger and more important than either groundbreaking and worthwhile candidacy.
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That WP article Russell linked to is interesting. While its generally a good read, the last page assumes what it needs to prove:
Pollsters have found it difficult to accurately measure racial attitudes, as some voters are unwilling to acknowledge the role that race plays in their thinking. But some are not. Susan Dzimian, a Clinton supporter who owns residential properties, said outside a polling location in Kokomo that race was a factor in how she viewed Obama. "I think if it was somebody other than him, I'd accept it," she said of a black candidate. "If Colin Powell had run, I would be willing to accept him."
Aaron Roe, 23, was mowing lawns at a local cemetery recently, lamenting his $8-an-hour job with no benefits. He had earned a community college degree as an industrial electrician, but learned there was no electrical work to be found for someone with his experience, which is to say none. Politics wasn't on his mind; frustration was. If he were to vote, it would not be for Obama, he said. "I just got a funny feeling about him," Roe said, a feeling he couldn't specify, except to say race wasn't a part of it. "Race ain't nothing," said Roe, who is white. "It's how they're going to help the country."
If I was Aaron Roe's mother (I'm not), I'd be asking how and why his comments were included in a list of racist anecdotes, thereby implying that he was a racist. I'd also want to know exactly how the WP could possibly justify using Mr Roe's explicit declaration that race was not an issue for him as an example of latent racism. (I'm not at all denying the phenomenon of latent racism, I'm just saying that using Mr Roe as an example of it involves a dangerous piece of guesswork.)
Complicated issue, this race thing. Don't really want to get into it. (Where is Tze Ming when I really need her, yeah?)
Some African Americans are voting for Obama because he is the black Democratic candidate. Some white voters are supporting the white candidate for the same reason. That both helps and hurts the candidates, but that's just how it is. (It sure didn't help Clinton, wife of the first black President, in South Carolina.) OTOH, promoting equality of opportunity and opposing racial and sexual discrimination are die-in-a-ditch objectives of modern Democrats - which makes this is a particularly difficult and sensitive strategic issue.
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Whether you agree with it or not, Clinton's argument is that she is more electable on an electoral college basis notwithstanding Obama's delegate lead. I couldn't give a toss about Obama's delegate lead. I want the candidate who is going to beat McCain, whoever that may be.
As an unidentified Clinton strategist was quoted as saying, Hillary lost the race for the nomination in February. The 'she can't win' narrative really hurt her, the exclusion of Florida probably finished her off (weird shades of 2000 IMO). Until quite recently, Obama ran the better campaign. His zeitgeist candidacy and his status as favourite among the liberal base of the party propelled him to a number of important primary and caucus wins. It would be foolish to ignore his popularity among African Americans, a key Democratic constituency that makes up approcimately 13% of the total US population. Clinton has a point, IMO. I hope the increased turnout Obama represents will be a net plus, but who really knows.
I'm tired of arguing about this. I try to remember that I like Obama, and that its the comments of his supporters that I tend to have issues with. At some point that party is going to have to come together around Obama, and there is no point digging trenches now that will only need to be filled in later. If Obama is going to have this nomination, I just want him to win. But he had better not f*ck this up.
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The Audacity of Hope is okay, the chapters on race and faith are thoughtful and well written. Obama impresses me when I hear him speak.
Judging from what he's said and written, I'd guess that Obama would dissociate himself from childish personal criticisms, especially when the target is a fellow Democrat. You know, on his way to uniting the country and changing the tone in Washington and stuff.
I know its hard to make sensible, evenhanded contributions when you feel strongly about something, but its usually worth the effort.
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Uh. Calling a Democrat who commands the support of about 50% of the Democratic constituency "evil" may not make you a sexist, but it may suggest [figure it out for yourself]. Sorry, harsh but true.
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It says here that Hillary Clinton is "a working-class hero who gets knocked down, always gets up and thus wins favorable comparisons to Rocky Balboa".
As a working class hero myself, I totally see what he is talking about. No Easy Way Out was always completely underrated IMO. Men love this stuff, I call it the 'Mal Meninga' demographic.