tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886798502338849917.post6765296615485053392..comments2023-12-21T02:26:26.867-08:00Comments on Advice From A Fake Consultant: On Smarter Voting, Or, It's Time To Toss Those Old, Cold, Freedom Friesfake consultanthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09254946474239731269noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886798502338849917.post-37709666304025873892007-08-15T19:05:00.000-07:002007-08-15T19:05:00.000-07:00which takes us back to "people change their minds,...which takes us back to "people change their minds, and if they do it for the right reasons, i can support that", the starting point of the conversation.fake consultanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09254946474239731269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886798502338849917.post-14713894532768400062007-08-07T22:03:00.000-07:002007-08-07T22:03:00.000-07:00Go back and see what Edwards said before he found ...Go back and see what Edwards said before he found that passion. With as much passion he (and Kerry) said that Saddam must be stopped.Lord Nazhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00251537214808629536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886798502338849917.post-22288657570434014302007-08-06T20:25:00.000-07:002007-08-06T20:25:00.000-07:00edwards and kerry have both espoused the position ...edwards and kerry have both espoused the position that failure of the diplomatic and political tracks have led to a militarily unresolvable failure.<BR/><BR/>edwards said that <A HREF="http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/07/victory-not-pos.html" REL="nofollow">here</A>, in july 2007; and kerry said it in 2004 to the american legion <A HREF="http://www.theleftcoaster.com/archives/002545.php" REL="nofollow">here</A>.<BR/><BR/>i find this position to be both intellectually reasonable and supported by the opinions of nearly all of the previously serving centcom and iraq commanders.<BR/><BR/>petreus gave a warning that the military effort could only be a fraction of what's needed to win in his confirmation hearing. <BR/><BR/>there is no reason to believe that any substantial diplomatic or economic success has occurred or will any time soon.<BR/><BR/>as to "following the polls": kerry has a long history of antiwar activism, suggesting his motives are not entirely opportunistic; and i've heard edwards discuss his own failure on this issue with a passion that i do not think is false.<BR/><BR/>maybe i'm being suckered, but i would suggest he really wishes he had been smarter.fake consultanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09254946474239731269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886798502338849917.post-11943901916049383632007-08-06T17:16:00.000-07:002007-08-06T17:16:00.000-07:00I give none of them credit for changing their view...I give none of them credit for changing their views. They did it simply for the polls. If not they wouldn't be out parrotting the line that they were misled when each and every one of them had access to the same information (Edwards even went so far as to say that the information was what Clinton had when he was President).<BR/><BR/>They are not against the war because 3500 lives have been lost (a very small amount as wars go) they are against it because they think the voters will reward them for being anti-war and anti-bush.<BR/><BR/>When they claim a turn-around on the war vote BECAUSE they think they were wrong and that Iraq cannot be a free country, then maybe I'll give them credit.Lord Nazhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00251537214808629536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886798502338849917.post-47616762788080722462007-08-06T01:04:00.000-07:002007-08-06T01:04:00.000-07:00regarding "flip-flopping" on the war:i give kerry ...regarding "flip-flopping" on the war:<BR/><BR/>i give kerry credit for changing his mind, but man, did he do a lousy job of explaining why.<BR/><BR/>edwards has admitted he should have done better, clinton seems to be edging twoard an anti-war stance; and, at least in the case of kerry and edwards, they saw their error in time to save many lives, had they been successful candidates. (at the end of november 2004, there were <A HREF="http://cryptome.org/mil-dead-iqw.htm" REL="nofollow">337 us dead</A>)<BR/><BR/>i think both answers cover those who knew 3500 lives early, and those who "came to the light" later.<BR/><BR/>i'm not aware of any members who changed their view immediately after the 2003 aumf vote, but that was not my point-the criticism was really directed at those who voted for the aumf, but will not change their minds now, despite more than sufficient evidence that this has been a massive failure from most objective obsevers' points of view.fake consultanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09254946474239731269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886798502338849917.post-20254102446097214042007-08-06T00:09:00.000-07:002007-08-06T00:09:00.000-07:00for more examples, consider some of the 133 who vo...for more examples, consider some of the 133 who <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_Resolution" REL="nofollow">voted against</A> the aumf in the first place:<BR/><BR/>abercrombie, for starters.<BR/>brian baird, the only psychologist currently serving in congress.<BR/>eva clayton, who, as we know from the original post, beat walter jones.<BR/>david bonior, who has been a legislator of respect for many years.<BR/><BR/>more? here's a short list: ron paul, delahunt of mass, barney frank (look at his work on banking as well), david wu, obey, inslee...<BR/><BR/>my guess? about 5-10% of congress today is at or close to the "fantasy" description-including knowing, 3500 troops sooner than others, just how bad this idea was.fake consultanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09254946474239731269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886798502338849917.post-22407208819205277582007-08-05T16:53:00.000-07:002007-08-05T16:53:00.000-07:00those are good examples FC, but the one I was talk...those are good examples FC, but the one I was talking about was the '3500' lives too late.<BR/><BR/>I presume that you are talking about going from pro-war to anti-war instead of changing policy to the current surge. If not, I retract my statement.Lord Nazhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00251537214808629536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886798502338849917.post-63153746376805965232007-08-04T14:24:00.000-07:002007-08-04T14:24:00.000-07:00if you think that's bad, my fantasy gets even wors...if you think that's bad, my fantasy gets even worse...i'd like them to show vision on a range of issues-the federal defecit, patriot act repeal, climate change, energy independence and health care would be other issues that we have been unable to get traction on but require immediate attention.<BR/><BR/>don't get me wrong: ds have been asleep at the wheel as well, and you may have noticed that pelosi and reid are among many members feeling pressured by their own side.<BR/><BR/>in other times, the executive has taken the lead on important issues such as these, but that seems especially unlikely these days.<BR/><BR/>it's not hopeless...look at senate judiciary, where specter and leahy have led the charge for the return of congressional oversight. carl levin is doing yeoman's work; and on the house side, neil abercrombie or adam smith are two quick examples of pretty good legislators.<BR/><BR/>even dan burton and richard lugar, with whom i share little philosophical real estate, are members who come close to fitting my "fantasy" description.fake consultanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09254946474239731269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886798502338849917.post-15455127043870382122007-08-04T10:25:00.000-07:002007-08-04T10:25:00.000-07:00...I want Members of Congress to be independent th......I want Members of Congress to be independent thinkers who see this stuff in advance, not cheerleaders who figure out they missed the boat 3500 US lives too late...<BR/><BR/>So good to see that dreams and fantasies stil exist.James Highamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14525082702330365464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886798502338849917.post-44715181535742853092007-08-03T22:43:00.000-07:002007-08-03T22:43:00.000-07:00a clarification, and an expansion of a thought:hig...a clarification, and an expansion of a thought:<BR/><BR/>highways and alternative energy are related in that congress is likely to expand spending on alternative energy at the expense of highway expansion projects.<BR/><BR/>as regardds naivete: jones' personal history appears, from a distance, to be a story of total belief and commitment followed by total reversal of his previous value system.<BR/><BR/>for more on this, take a look at the mother jones article i linked and consider his "three conversions", and the effect of each on his personal psyche. in each case, he seems to have been <BR/>profoundly hurt-first by the loss of his primary election, then his reaction to the discovery that he's been used by the admninistration. <BR/><BR/>each seems to have been equally surprising and hurtful, and i would prefer a member that is more pragmatic about these things and less ideological.fake consultanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09254946474239731269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886798502338849917.post-73865829244371952912007-08-03T22:15:00.000-07:002007-08-03T22:15:00.000-07:00when you refer to my desire to have a candidate wh...when you refer to my desire to have a candidate who bases his opinions on polls, i presume you refer to this:<BR/><BR/>"I want a Member that can have the flexibility of mind to know in advance that they will make mistakes, will have to change position...who are, frankly, smart enough to know that they will have to flip-flop from time to time- if only because change inevitably demands it."<BR/><BR/>i anticipated that question, and in respomse i would tell you you've misinterpreted my statement.<BR/><BR/>here's what i'm saying:<BR/><BR/>consider the example of forest fires. for almost 100 years we fought them relentlessly, and now we discover that this policy might be misguided. now it seems that forest fires are actually part of a forest's life cycle, and that sometimes we hurt the forest when we fight every fire.<BR/><BR/>congress might use the power of the budget to change forest service policy-but it would be a flip-flop if it did so.<BR/><BR/>that said, i would rather have a change that makes sense than a refusal to change because change is somehow inherently bad.<BR/><BR/>a second example: highways. the world of $3 gas is changing all kinds of attitudes about alternative energy, and members of congress (as well as the public) are reconsidering their former positions regarding the logic of investing in alternative energy. <BR/><BR/>are these changes of position flip-flops? <BR/>yes. <BR/>is it bad? <BR/>not automatically.<BR/><BR/>my greater point is that jones displayed a high level of naivete by making the pledge in the first place, and i would rather have someone who can admit they are not all-knowing, that they can be wrong, that they might makie mistakes, and that they may have to change their position in the future, if conditions warrant.fake consultanthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09254946474239731269noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6886798502338849917.post-207744681752393062007-08-02T16:37:00.000-07:002007-08-02T16:37:00.000-07:00So what you want is a candidate that bases his pos...So what you want is a candidate that bases his position on the polls eh?<BR/><BR/>And France didn't become 'the enemy' because Iraq 'spent some money there'. They were 'the enemy' because they were trying to block the war because of oil-for-food billions (ie. some money).Lord Nazhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00251537214808629536noreply@blogger.com