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« Friday Open Thread | Main | Did You Read It First At DRUDGE, Or At JustOneMinute? »
November 01, 2008
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I hope you're feeling better,TM.
Posted by: Clarice | November 01, 2008 at 11:00 AM
I like the new york times story on candidates views on gay marriage. Obama's opposition is based on his religiois views.
One can imagine -- or cite numerous examples of -- a less sympathtic treatment by the Times of a conservative who decides public policy based on religious beliefs.
Posted by: interested | November 01, 2008 at 11:02 AM
Hi folks. I'm looking for conservatives/Republicans to answer my survey. Basically I want to see if Republicans or Democrats do a better job of predicting the election result. We've gotten hundreds of responses, but so far only about 10 of them say they're voting for John McCain. Wanna give it a shot?
http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/
Posted by: Dave Munger | November 01, 2008 at 11:13 AM
"Obama's opposition is based on his religious views."
Yeah, he memorized the appropriate surahs at
madrasaschool in Indonesia.Posted by: Rick Ballard | November 01, 2008 at 11:18 AM
"We've gotten hundreds of responses, but so far only about 10 of them say they're voting for John McCain. Wanna give it a shot?"
Nah - I don't like lying idiots too much.
Posted by: Rick Ballard | November 01, 2008 at 11:29 AM
Rick Ballard:
Maybe I just don't understand your code, but it was an honest request. Yes, our readers are a bunch of flaming liberals, but we'd like to see how a broader cross-section of the population thinks.
Posted by: Dave Munger | November 01, 2008 at 11:34 AM
Dave,
How serious can it be if it doesn't include justoneminute as an option for political news?
...kidding.
On the bright side, it does include an off-hand reference to Jeff Dobbs blog, albeit under his JoM moniker.
Posted by: Walter | November 01, 2008 at 11:50 AM
... Jeff Dobbs' blog ...
Posted by: Walter | November 01, 2008 at 11:53 AM
Dave,
What's the scientific part if liberals vote for liberals and conservatives vote for conservatives? At this point no one is going to "predict" something they don't want.
Posted by: Sister Jane Plumber | November 01, 2008 at 11:54 AM
"but it was an honest request."
Well, that's an entirely different matter. My answer is still no though. The value of the game and the candle are too disproportionate. Others here might feel differently. I wish you all the success that your endeavor deserves.
Posted by: Rick Ballard | November 01, 2008 at 12:01 PM
Dave, doesn't it bother you that your readers are "a bunch of flaming liberals?"
What have you done to increase diversity?
Posted by: mockmook | November 01, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Okay, prompted by filling out Dave's survey, here's my predictions:
McCain 52 pct overall.
Electoral vote: 310 McCain, 228 Obama
Senate 52/40/2 D/R/I (Assuming Joe Lieberman doesn't come all the way to the Dark Side with us. [Psst, Joe. We have cookies.])
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 12:17 PM
This doesn't really have anything to do with anything, but I still keep thinking how odd it is that one of my favorite books, Endless Love's, main character is also named David Axelrod. And the book was set in Chicago. And also thinking back on the book, Axelrod's father was supposed to be a real socialist union political activist type. I believe he was also a campaign consultant. The fact that the main character's father was supposed to be such a well-connected socialist Chicago activist was part of the book, as his father was able to pull strings with his cronies to get his son out of a mental institution.
'Axelrod' is not really a common name that I know of. And that's a lot of similarity there. So that got me to thinking, was it possible that the writer Scott Spencer knew the real Axelrod family and named the character after the boy, or did the real Axelrod family name their son after the book. I looked up the real David Axelrod in Wiki and he was born in 1955 in NYC, and the book was written in the 70's, when the real Axelrod was in his 20's, so Spencer would have had to have known the real family if there was a connection.
There was also another David Axelrod in Wiki who was a poet born in 1965 who went to the well known Iowa writing graduate program in the 70's. Maybe Spencer was familiar with the students in that program and named the character after him. But a lot of coincidences with the David Axelrod name there.
Posted by: sylvia | November 01, 2008 at 12:18 PM
Sr. Jane P,
I suspect I've resigned myself to an obama victory for the same reason I predicted a conviction for Mr. Libby: Either I'm proven right* or proven wrong**.
One might suspect that Mr 70%*** would agree with this approach.
It's actually consistent with the (non-political) content of Dave's site.
____________
*A very small consolation, but beats moving to ... well, wherever the free market will still exist.
**The consequences of my error will be a significantly greater consolation than even being proven wrong.
***Hope you are feeling better Tom!
Posted by: Walter | November 01, 2008 at 12:19 PM
Why is McCain doing an event in NY today?
Posted by: Sue | November 01, 2008 at 12:20 PM
Dave, don't let them bug you --- we're used to a lot of copy-and-paste trolls coming in, we've lost the habit of thinking there are also thoughtful serious libs. But we've talked quite a bit about the technicalities of polls and samples and that kind of stuff, and it's clearly that kind of question you're asking.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 12:21 PM
I just checked his schedule and he isn't. But Fox had a graphic up showing where he would be today and it had NY. I either saw it wrong or they had it wrong.
Posted by: Sue | November 01, 2008 at 12:23 PM
You might expand your reading a bit though: besides our little soiree, you could have a look at pajamasmedia.com, which is a serious news-and-opinion site with more hits than HuffPo.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 12:24 PM
Eagleburger walked back fast on Palin in an interview with FNC--Says she's great and a great study.
*****************************
Less than 24 hours after he told National Public Radio that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is thoroughly unqualified to assume the presidency, should the need arise, a despondent and, at times, stammering Eagleburger appeared today on Fox News to repent and offer a nearly 180-degree endorsement of Palin
http://washingtonindependent.com/16296/eagleburger-recants-says-palin-is-a-fast-learner>Eagleburger redeems himself to me
Posted by: Clarice | November 01, 2008 at 12:25 PM
Okay, according to google "Scott Spencer was born in Washington, DC. and grew up in Chicago." Spencer wrote "Endless Love" in 1979. According to Wiki "As an undergraduate, (David) Axelrod wrote for the Hyde Park Herald, covering politics, and picked up an internship at the Chicago Tribune. They hired him when he graduated in 1977."
I'd venture a guess that the writer Scott Spencer was inspired by the leftist writings of the real David Axelrod, that he read either in the Hyde Park Herald or the Chiacgo Trib, to name a character in his book after him. Not that that has anything to do with anything, but just a weird piece of trivia for ya'll.
Posted by: sylvia | November 01, 2008 at 12:31 PM
Right Clarice,
Eagleburger probably didn't realize she had a degree in sports journalism from U of I at the time he made his original remarks.
Posted by: riverman | November 01, 2008 at 12:31 PM
By the way, here's more Ohio vote fraud: absentee ballots being intercepted and voted.
"Miami County" had me fooled for a second, but it's the football Miami, not the sunny one.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 12:33 PM
I can't imagine why political attitudes would be relevant to prediction skills. Those skills,it seems to me, are largely a function of information and experience. If for example, you are a careful analyst of the polling data and live in a key battleground state you should have a better idea than someone who merely watched MSNBC's geniuses. Some analysts(probably less watched my liberals) do seem to have had a better track record in 2004 than others--notably Jay Cost and Michael Barone and some pollsters--IBD, for example. Yet we all know that accurate results and analysis in one election may not predict how well you'll do polling and analyzing the next one.
Posted by: Clarice | November 01, 2008 at 12:37 PM
riverman, No matter if Biden had sat on the Senate foreign relations committee for 100 decades, he'd still be the dumber on foreign affairs of the two. He might have a more facile recall of the name of the deputy Undersecretary of Interior of Azerbijan but his proscriptions--i.e., carving Iraq into three parts--are still numbskullish and hers never are.
Posted by: Clarice | November 01, 2008 at 12:39 PM
***probably less watched By liberals***
Posted by: Clarice | November 01, 2008 at 12:40 PM
And riverman, Biden does have a law degree, but frankly having watched his clownish performance on the judiciary committee nomination hearings, were I in a pickle, I'd much prefer being represented by Palin.
Posted by: Clarice | November 01, 2008 at 12:41 PM
riverman,
Right. And Palin has done absolutely nothing since obtaining her degree? You sound like Obama deriding remarks after McCain picked her, when he characterized her as a "small-town" mayor ... as though she hadn't become Governor after that.
Posted by: PD | November 01, 2008 at 12:42 PM
I don't know about that, Clarice. Wishful thinking can sneak in to anyone's predictions; what you're hearing from others can certainly slant your perceptions.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 12:47 PM
I forget - what was the field in which Truman took his degree?
Posted by: Rick Ballard | November 01, 2008 at 12:48 PM
By the way, did you notice on the memorandum bug that the top three stories are two stories about Obama's illegal aunt and one about the illegal Ohio records checks on Joe W?
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 12:48 PM
riverman - just so i know whether to credit your opinion more than my own, what are your educational qualifications for having one?
Posted by: ex-democrat | November 01, 2008 at 12:50 PM
Well, to a certain extent--for example I was delighted to see your predictions. Nevertheless, I suspect that wishful thinking is not enough for you to have made them. What I did notice in the last two presidential elections is that the liberals relied on what I considered less good info, were outraged by reality and concoted a fantasy of vote theft to cover that , a fantasy which led them down the road to BDS .
Posted by: Clarice | November 01, 2008 at 12:50 PM
oh, and riverman, I take it you put more stock in Obama's affirmative action "degrees" ?
Posted by: ex-democrat | November 01, 2008 at 12:52 PM
Charlie
Unreal. I have McCain 301, Obama 237; McCain 52.3, Obama 45.7.You got me on the Senate, though. I didn't realize they had executed 6 of them. :-) (I have 56/42/2.)
Posted by: Antimedia | November 01, 2008 at 12:56 PM
Put thism on the wrong thread:
Michelle has some good points about Auntie, although she is a little overheated.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 12:59 PM
Why is McCain doing an event in NY today?
Isn't he doing SNL tonight? Probably doing a bit of fundraising for the legal fund while in town.
Posted by: Chris | November 01, 2008 at 01:00 PM
You got me on the Senate, though. I didn't realize they had executed 6 of them. :-) (I have 56/42/2.)
Hey, I'm a logician, not an arithmetician. And I've got a little list, God knows.
I'm curious which swing states you did. I would have had 303 McCain except at the last minute I decided I thought Iowa would go McCain.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 01:02 PM
Sue
Here's the McCain campaign's schedule through election day.I don't see New York in there unless you count Rudy Guilani as being New York. But he will be in Nevada.Posted by: Antimedia | November 01, 2008 at 01:02 PM
How serious can it be if it doesn't include justoneminute as an option for political news?
I know, that was rather thoughtless of me, wasn't it? But thanks for checking out the survey anyways!
What's the scientific part if liberals vote for liberals and conservatives vote for conservatives? At this point no one is going to "predict" something they don't want.
Maybe that's true -- if it is, then it's interesting to me. After all, most of the polling sites are predicting an Obama victory.
My suspicion is that conservatives will predict a closer race than liberals, but not necessarily a victory. But we need more responses from conservatives to know for sure!
Dave, doesn't it bother you that your readers are "a bunch of flaming liberals?"
What have you done to increase diversity?
Sure, it bothers me a little. I'd rather have a more diverse readership. But politics isn't really the subject of my blog, so it doesn't usually come up. Do you have any suggestions about how to attract a more politically diverse audience to a psychology blog?
Dave, don't let them bug you --- we're used to a lot of copy-and-paste trolls coming in, we've lost the habit of thinking there are also thoughtful serious libs. But we've talked quite a bit about the technicalities of polls and samples and that kind of stuff, and it's clearly that kind of question you're asking.
Thanks. I've always appreciated this blog as a place where thoughtful conservatives hang out. In fact Tom was one of the people who gave me early encouragement years ago when Cognitive Daily was launched.
I can't imagine why political attitudes would be relevant to prediction skills. Those skills,it seems to me, are largely a function of information and experience.
It's possible that it's some of both -- and we're asking respondents about both, so we may see an interaction between the two. You're also right to point out that a single election probably isn't enough to say whether people are able to predict better or worse. But we may be able to see how their information sources and biases affect their predictions, whether or not they're accurate. Accuracy just ends up being more fun to measure.
Posted by: Dave Munger | November 01, 2008 at 01:07 PM
Heh. CBS Miami is not happy with the way Obama treated them. That piece is "The Faces Of Barack Obama, From 2003 To 2004", and includes
...
In the video clip, he also defines the people who should get a tax cute down to $60K-$70K.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 01:08 PM
Charlie, my electoral map is in my LUN
Clarice, Eagleburger was off his meds. The second statement was after he got back on them.
Posted by: Antimedia | November 01, 2008 at 01:09 PM
Dave, on the last set of questions, you're set up for a whole helluva lot of covariance issues. If, for example, you answer "I always vote on everything" then the next five or so questions will come out as "I always vote on those subtopics."
Also, at least one of them makes a mistaken assumption, in that you ask "do you vote FOR unopposed candidates." I have for years made a practice of either voting AGAINST unopposed candidates if the election was set up that way --- I voted against Jesse Helms in two primaries that way --- or write in someone.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 01:12 PM
McCain 450+ EVs.
Even the internal polls are not measuring right. McGovern territory.
Posted by: M. Simon | November 01, 2008 at 01:13 PM
McCain 450+ EVs.
I dunno about that.
It does have the advantage that if you're right you'll move right into wizard territory.
I might believe 365 --- there have been some funny surprises in California polls recently.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 01:16 PM
A curious observation from a progressive blog
The Sudden, Mysterious Disappearance of Linda O’Connor from Ohio’s ODJFS
Why did Strickland change his story?
Posted by: Rocco | November 01, 2008 at 01:17 PM
Krauthammer did a second pro-McCain column yesterday.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 01:18 PM
Walter,
You are a wise man.
Dave, I took your poll and owe you an apology. As someone said above we are all exhausted by trolls, and I apologize for lumping you in with them without given you even the briefest of shakes.
Posted by: Sister Jane Plumber | November 01, 2008 at 01:19 PM
Charlie:
No doubt. Basically those questions are designed to see how much people vote the whole ticket, and there's a lot of overlap.
Good point about the unopposed candidates. My ballot (in NC, BTW) doesn't allow write-ins on those races -- your choice is to vote for them or not to vote. But clearly that's not always the case, so maybe we should have allowed for that option. On these "casual" surveys it's always a problem because we want to make it quick and easy for respondents, so we can't necessarily account for every possibility.
Posted by: Dave Munger | November 01, 2008 at 01:21 PM
Speaking of that progressive blog, what's up with this sudden fashion of doing web sites with text in little sans serif characters in about 50 percent gray on a 10 percent gray background? That layout is just one step from being frank steganography.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 01:22 PM
M.Simon
Where have you been the past eight years? This country is far too evenly divided for anyone to get a landslide in the EV. The reason I'm predicting a McCain/Palin win is because I think the PUMA vote has been severely discounted. (I use PUMA to refer to all disaffected Dems, not just the Hillary supporters.)I think the PUMA vote splits five ways; Far left for McKinney, liberal for Nadar or Obama or not voting, moderates for McCain.
There are a lot of angry Democrats out there who cannot vote for McCain/Palin but damn sure aren't voting for Obama. The anger is multivariate. Some are angry about the caucus fraud. Some are angry about the Obama ticket's derisive treatment of Joe the Plumber. Some are angry about the "background checks" done on Joe the Plumber. And some are furious about the ACORN registration fraud.
I peg that group at about 20% of the Democrat vote. Given normal turnout of 39%, that equals 7% of the Democrat vote or about 3% of the total vote. So you can drop Obama's average by 3% in every state just based on that alone.
Then you add in the Bradley vote (surprisingly I've recently read several very racist comments by Democrats who stated that they could not vote for Obama because they didn't think "the country was ready" yet), and he loses more support. The Obama campaign (if the reports are true) is using the figure 10% for the Bradley vote (which I think is too high), so they figure anything lower than 10 is at least a tossup.
We'll see.
Posted by: Antimedia | November 01, 2008 at 01:23 PM
The thing is it's going to make it hard to evaluate the answers, at least if you mean to do so statistically. The potential information content is severely limited by the potential collinearity.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 01:24 PM
McCain is suppose to be appearing on SNL tonight.
That would explain time spent in New York.
Posted by: madawaskan | November 01, 2008 at 01:25 PM
Porchlight
Did you see the post at Powerline about the visiting professor from St. Olaf who penned a piece at the Huffington Post exulting in his theft of McCain/Palin yard signs up and down Highway 19 in Northfield?
Visiting professor Philip Busse now expresses "regret" wrt his "immature" and "impetuous" actions.....
"A former attorney in San Francisco, Phil has served on the faculty at the University of Oregon School of Business as the assistant director for the Entreprenuership Center. Phil also has worked with other programs in higher education—including working as the Program Director for School for Field Studies sea turtle program in Costa Rica and as the head coach for crew teams at Lewis & Clark College and the University of Portland."
"Phil graduated from Middlebury College in 1992 and earned his law degree from the University of Oregon in 1997." Philip Busse
According to the article, Busse is a visiting professor in the THEATER department at St. Olaf. Huh?
Posted by: Lesley | November 01, 2008 at 01:26 PM
According to the article, Busse is a visiting professor in the THEATER department at St. Olaf. Huh?
Well, maybe the casual attitude toward theft explains his being a former attorney?
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 01:32 PM
I live in DC where we get to vote really only for the Pres and some local offices..most questions like that are inapplicable here..I do write in names of friends for the unopposed nitwit posts
Posted by: Clarice | November 01, 2008 at 01:33 PM
NY...SNL...duh!
Posted by: Sue | November 01, 2008 at 01:35 PM
"I forget - what was the field in which Truman took his degree?"
The one with the sign, "Beware of the bull".
Posted by: PeterUK | November 01, 2008 at 01:39 PM
Charlie - heh
Posted by: Lesley | November 01, 2008 at 01:41 PM
At least Busse didn't commit murder like another HuffPo contributor. Get togethers must be a hoot!
Posted by: Clarice | November 01, 2008 at 01:42 PM
Lesley, I hadn't seen that. LOL and why am I not surprised? Actually, I am a bit surprised that it was a St. Olaf prof and not a Carleton one. Also that there were ever McCain-Palin signs on Hwy 19 to begin with. ;)
I never understood St. Olaf to have much of a theater department, but it's been awhile since I was on campus. They have built a wind turbine just like Carleton's - you can't miss it as you drive into town on 19.
Posted by: Porchlight | November 01, 2008 at 01:45 PM
"You got me on the Senate, though. I didn't realize they had executed 6 of them."
They haven't; fearing an Obama victory, the entire populations of Idaho, Montana, and North Dakota have flooded into Canada, leaving those states without Senate representation.
Posted by: hrtshpdbox | November 01, 2008 at 01:48 PM
Do you have any suggestions about how to attract a more politically diverse audience to a psychology blog?
Money and chicks. Not necessarily in that order.
Posted by: Barney Frank | November 01, 2008 at 01:49 PM
Antimedia,
I don't disagree with your assumptions but I would put the national effect at closer to 1.5% than 3% due to weighing the disaffected Dem percentage at a somewhat lower level. The highest crossover percentage I've seen is around 15% rather than 20% and some value must be given to the increase in Dem registration.
That said, I believe the sleeper is going to be the execrable youth vote which is simply not going to show up. The reason that they won't show up is that the Obama candle flame which drew the dimwittwed young moths in the first place - Iraq - has been off the table for months. Our beknighted youth have never shown particularly fervent interest in economic issues and those issues are about all that remain.
The disinterest on the part of the kegger crowd may have a very large impact on those new voter registration numbers and a very negative impact on the new registration/actual vote ratio. Lots of those registrations were racked up in the heady days of February and March and lots of them were kegger-feelers "doing something" to show their opposition to being protected from terrorism.
If the kegger crowd turnout percentages demonstrated in early voting in NC hold true through Tuesday there will be a lot of pollsters with a dozen eggs dripping down their foreheads come Tuesday evening.
Posted by: Rick Ballard | November 01, 2008 at 01:51 PM
The most miserable thing I see today is that the Gallup expanded and traditional are out to 10 points. Can I hope they've been drinking kool-aid? Can I wish for a Sunday Surprise?
Posted by: hrtshpdbox | November 01, 2008 at 01:52 PM
Rick your blog on Indiana is up
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2008/11/creating_the_illusion_of_unsto.html>Ignore first returns from Indiana
Posted by: Clarice | November 01, 2008 at 01:53 PM
?There are a lot of angry Democrats out there who cannot vote for McCain/Palin but damn sure aren't voting for Obama.
McCain pretty much won the nomination in the more liberal states. I would think there are just as many Republicans not all that enthusiastic about voting for McCain as there are Democrats. However, if you don't want Barack Hussein to win, then the normal thing to do would be to vote for the one you DO expect to win, and that would be McCain, whether you love McCain/Palin or not.
Posted by: Pofarmer | November 01, 2008 at 01:58 PM
email from a friend:
Coolest things about John and Cindy McCain:
1) He can fly a fighter jet
2) He survived being a tortured POW for 5 years
3) His father and grandfather have air bases and ships named after them
4) He married a beer baroness!
5) He's not a lawyer
6) She is a globe trotting philanthropist ... and never talks about it
7) She is a race car driver (+ mother/son drift racing)
She's also a pilot
9) They've got a son who just returned from serving in Iraq, and they never
even mention it. They also have a son at US Naval Academy
10) She's a beer baroness!
Coolest things about Sarah and Todd Palin:
1) She was a state basketball champ
2) She was a beauty queen
3) She can shoot and field dress a moose ... before school
4) She helps out on the commercial fishing boats
5) She was a council member, mayor, and governor....without being a lawyer
6) He's been a commercial fisherman since he was 9
7) He's a pilot...and named their daughter Piper after his 1958 Piper Super
Cub seaplane.
He's a steel union member ... and married to a republican
9) He works on the north slope in sometimes - 80 degree blizzards
10) He's part Inuit (name of his Indian tribe)
11) He's a 4-time world champion snowmobile racer
12) He supplies the household with caribou, moose, and salmon...and cooks
dinner for the governor and family
13) They've got a son serving in Iraq ... infantry in the most dangerous
part of the country
**********
Coolest things about Barack and Michelle Obama:
1) He supposedly quit smoking
2) He's supposedly got a good hook shot
3) She's ....
Coolest Things about Joe and whatsername Biden:
1) He overcame stuttering
2) They have a son serving in Iraq (and Biden's not bashful about
mentioning it) ... as a lawyer ... far from any combat.
*********** THE END ***************
_______________________________
Posted by: Clarice | November 01, 2008 at 01:59 PM
Do you have any suggestions about how to attract a more politically diverse audience to a psychology blog?
You simply aren't going to get many conservatives to a psychology blog. Not wired right for it.
Posted by: Pofarmer | November 01, 2008 at 01:59 PM
McCain-Palin signs in Northfield? I grew up there in the 60's and 70's and knew only one Republican family. Maybe there is hope for MN.
Posted by: Lori | November 01, 2008 at 02:03 PM
Just returned from my first day knocking on doors with mrs bgates. 20 doors, 18 nobody home, 2 early voters, one of those an Obama guy and the other didn't keep his door open long enough to say.
The Obama guy said that given his position in a lower tax bracket, he thought Obama's plan would be better for him personally. Ironic that the best argument for the Messiah turns out to be "selfishness".
Posted by: bgates | November 01, 2008 at 02:04 PM
bgates: Indeed. Obama characterizes our desire not to have our taxes raised as "selfish." But his pitch is based on convincing people that they want *other* people's taxes raised so that they can benefit from it.
So, where is the actual selfishness?
It's an interesting rhetorical trick that O has: Criticize your opponents for a flaw that you are actually inflaming in your own supporters.
Posted by: PD | November 01, 2008 at 02:08 PM
Please continue to rock on while I'm out voting and then watching college football! Go Seminoles!
Posted by: BobS | November 01, 2008 at 02:09 PM
Porchlight
I sat facing that stupid wind turbine during my daughter's graduation glumly pondering 700+ graduates X $100,000+ for four years of education = $70+ MILLION. My mood was not helped by the cute, giggling, straw hatted woman, in a pair of one-size too small slacks, standing in front of us (as we were seated), constantly bending forward to take pictures of the grads coming down the ramp, her ample rump dominating our view.
Oh well, at least for all that dough, my daughter had one classics professor who stode into class at Old Main with a smile on her face, beginning every session with, "Let's speak Latin!"
You gotta love that attitude.
Posted by: Lesley | November 01, 2008 at 02:10 PM
"Let's speak Latin!"
That is an exciting thought!
/me actually speaks no latin (confession)
Posted by: PD | November 01, 2008 at 02:13 PM
The one with the sign, "Beware of the bull".
useful advice for any politician.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 02:15 PM
10) He's part Inuit (name of his Indian tribe)
Actually, he's part Yup'ik, not Inuit, and they aren't Indians, they're Eskimos.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 02:19 PM
Lesley, where did your daughter go to school?
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 02:19 PM
By the way, Palin is back in Colorado on Monday, with Hank Williams Jr.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 02:20 PM
Clarice,
You forgotObama has a secret Auntie. Bound to sew up the illegal immigrant vote.
Posted by: PeterUK | November 01, 2008 at 02:20 PM
Maybe there is hope for MN.
Lori,
That was my thought, too.
Lesley,
Love the Latin teacher! That is indeed the right attitude.
Speaking of Latin, I was at Carleton graduation this past June, at which I spent my time counting up all the cum laudes, magna cum laudes, and summa cum laudes in the graduating class. Over 50% of the class received one of those three honors. Back in my parents' day it would have been more like 5-10%. Harumph.
Posted by: Porchlight | November 01, 2008 at 02:23 PM
Sorry bgates,
"Just returned from my first day knocking on doors with mrs bgates."
that gave me a Charles Adams moment.
Posted by: PeterUK | November 01, 2008 at 02:25 PM
Pofarmer:
On the previous thread you asked about the 2nd reporter who was kicked off the Obama press plane. While I don't know if the exile was permanent, Ryan Lizza was refused a spot on Obama plane for the great Euro Adventure -- after his New Yorker profile of Obama in Chicago.
Assuming an Obama win, it would be nice to think that when the press find themselves frozen out of the next adminstration by a Democratic president, they might consider going back to actual investigative reporting. I'd be interested to know if this year's election coverage has affected public attitudes toward shield laws for the press.
Posted by: JM Hanes | November 01, 2008 at 02:25 PM
Porchlight
Are you a Carl?
Posted by: Lori | November 01, 2008 at 02:27 PM
So, where is the actual selfishness?
It's an interesting rhetorical trick that O has: Criticize your opponents for a flaw that you are actually inflaming in your own supporters.
Posted by: PD | November 01, 2008 at 02:08 PM
Excellent! Hadn't even bothered to think about it due to the constant bombardment of O! talking points that we're subjected to. Brings to mind something Jay Nordlinger said the other day wrt O!'s peanut butter and jelly/communist comment. He said that he figures McCain would call him a commie for sharing his lunch in grade school or something.
Nordlinger pointed out that we're in trouble if the first thing people think about when communism comes up is "sharing". He thought of 100 million dead or some such nonsense.
Posted by: Chris | November 01, 2008 at 02:27 PM
Lori, yes ma'am. Also the sister and daughter of Carls!
Posted by: Porchlight | November 01, 2008 at 02:28 PM
Do you have any suggestions about how to attract a more politically diverse audience to a psychology blog?
Dave, to be completely serious, it might be easier if there weren't such a number of well-publicized, methodologically questionable, studies that come out to equate "conservative" with low IQ or psychopathology.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 02:29 PM
Charlie -
My daughter graduated from St. Olaf College in Northfield (think Northfield Raid, James/Younger Gang, you can still see the bullet marks on the bank), Minnesota. Our dear Porchlight graduated from Carleton College, also in Northfield, hence our mutual interest in that beautiful, beautiful corner of the country.
Posted by: Lesley | November 01, 2008 at 02:30 PM
Damn. My kindergartner just told me that they voted on the election in her class and it was unanimously Obama. She's said in the past "McCain wins the team!" when I've mentioned the election, but she said all the other kids raised their hand for Obama and she didn't know what to do.
Sheesh. We have a long way to go.
Posted by: Porchlight | November 01, 2008 at 02:30 PM
Back in my parents' day it would have been more like 5-10%. Harumph.
Man, what a bunch of slackers. ;0)
Posted by: Pofarmer | November 01, 2008 at 02:32 PM
Today's note from Mom:
An old country preacher had a teenage son, and it was getting time the boy should give some thought to choosing a profession. Like many young men his age, the boy didn't really know what he wanted to do, and he didn't seem too concerned about it. One day, while the boy was away at school, his father decided to try an experiment. He went into the boy's room and placed on his study table four objects.
1. A Bible.
2. A silver dollar.
3. A bottle of whisky.
4. And a Playboy magazine.
'I'll just hide behind the door,' the old preacher said to himself. 'When he comes home from school today, I'll see which object he picks up.
If it's the Bible, he's going to be a preacher like me, and what a blessing that would be! If he picks up the dollar, he's going to be a business man, and that would be okay, too. But if he picks up the bottle, he's going to be a no-good drunken bum, and Lord, what a shame that would be. And worst of all if he picks up that magazine he's going to be a skirt-chasing womanizer'
The old man waited anxiously, and soon heard his son's foot-steps as he entered the house whistling and headed for his room.
The boy tossed his books on the bed, and as he turned to leave the room he spotted the objects on the table. With curiosity in his eye, he walked over to inspect them.
Finally, he picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm. He picked up the silver dollar and dropped into his pocket. He uncorked the bottle and took a big drink, while he admired this month's centerfold.
'Lord have mercy,' the old preacher disgustedly whispered.
'He's gonna run for Congress.'
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 02:33 PM
Ah. pretty well every college has an Old Main; if it had turned out to be Colorado, I was going to try to sign up for the course.
Posted by: Charlie (Colorado) | November 01, 2008 at 02:34 PM
Porchlight-me too-'79.
Posted by: Lori | November 01, 2008 at 02:35 PM
Porch - probably fewer than half of those kindergarteners have been registered to vote.
Posted by: bgates | November 01, 2008 at 02:36 PM
Lori,
That is super cool. I'm '91, my brother is '89, and my parents are '62 and '63.
Should have known there'd be other JOM Carls out there!
Posted by: Porchlight | November 01, 2008 at 02:41 PM
bgates - thank goodness it's only fewer than half. I was getting worried.
The school is also our polling place - can't wait to drop my daughter off on Tuesday and walk down the hall to vote.
Posted by: Porchlight | November 01, 2008 at 02:45 PM
In addtional to the Democrat voter angry toward Sen Obama or their party, I am wondering the number of typically apolitical voters who are showing up for Gov Palin because they're tired of Washington beltway political speak and the media which continously pumps it out?
Anecdotal yes, my own 43 yr old apolitical sister is voting for the first time in her life and its not for The One. Further, she doesn't have a computer nor buys newspapers however she watches tv. Suffice to say I was floored when she told me she is voting (straight Republican and is in a swingstate)
I'm wondering the percentage of apolitical voters who are showing up because Gov Palin speaks to them in apolitical language?
Posted by: syn | November 01, 2008 at 02:46 PM
Clarice--Thanks for passing on that friendly e-mail-enjoyed it very much.
Charlie--I so hope your numbers are right-I count 300 as lowest for McCain(I'm giving him 1 from a split vote in Maine)
By the way, I heard Rove speaking he is registered to vote in Kerr County, Texas. Our getaway in the Hill Country is @ 10 miles from Ingram (3 as the crow flies)!Anyone want to join me in a hunt in the beautiful Hill Country? (For deer, of course; not Rove)..but I would love to grill steaks, drink some merlot and talk to KR for about 8 hours, for a start. And, Hit, my husband's 1st choice for after-dinner drinks is beer, good suds!
Vote McCain/Palin or we'll soon be the JOM
Underground!
Posted by: glenda waggoner | November 01, 2008 at 02:48 PM
Porchlight,
It drives me BATTY that this is about the same result in my daughter's class. My husband and I are paying serious $$$$ for her education in a Catholic school. We made that choice for moral and religious reasons. Most of her fellow students are pro-Obama. Aaarghhh!!!
Posted by: C.R. | November 01, 2008 at 03:02 PM
John McCain Facts
. John McCain doesn't sleep. He waits.
. John McCain counted to infinity. Twice.
.When taking the SAT, write "John McCain" for every answer. You will score over 8000
. John McCain can lead a horse to water AND make it drink.
. Some people wear Superman pajamas. Superman wears John McCain pajamas
. If you spell John McCain in Scrabble, you win. Forever.
. John McCain was once in a knife fight. The knife lost.
. There are only two things that can cut diamonds. Other diamonds and John McCain.
. John McCain stared evil in the face. And it backed down.
. John McCain once participated in the running of the bulls. He walked.
. John McCain once shot down a North Vietnamese fighter plane with a finger by yelling "bang!".
. The first rule of John McCain is "you do not talk about John McCain".
. John McCain's beard hair is believed to be an aphrodisiac in China.
. If at first you don't succeed, you're not John McCain.
Posted by: matt | November 01, 2008 at 03:07 PM
Don't worry about the kindergarten vote. They are voting for the younger guy over the older guy even tho they both seem old to them. That's normal.
Posted by: Sister Jane Plumber | November 01, 2008 at 03:09 PM