My first (and still only Editor. 2/1/2020) attempt at a meme. I was struck by the hypocrisy of Bobby Jindal calling other Republicans “stupid”. Look in the mirror, Mr. Jindal.
Tag: Bobby Jindal
More on the hopeless outlook for Republicans
More on just how hopeless the outlook is for Republicans this election year can be found at Freethought blogs.
I would have thought that it was a relief, a minor bit of unconcern, that Mitt Romney nominally supports evolution (he’s one of those waffly theistic evolutionists, so he doesn’t really…but at least he wouldn’t be brazenly contradicting all of the evidence). But there’s a potential problem looming: who will he pick for vice president? Who does he turn to advice on education? Ken Miller discusses the situation, and points out that his key advisor on education reform and potential VP pick is…
Bobby Jindal, creationist governor of Louisiana.
Pharyngula
Mitt is still trying to convince conservatives that he’s a real Conservative. But what he should be worried about (if he wants to win the election) is proving to the rest of us that he’s really not completely loony like the base of his party.
There’s always the hope that the LP has their game face on. For once.
Pick a President on the Internet?
Went looking for sites that took advantage of the internet in the candidate selection process recently. I knew about http://www.selectsmart.com/president/
Politicians have already indicated their 2012 presidential aspirations. This matching quiz includes President Obama, top members of his administration, Obama’s most vocal critics (Boehner, Cantor, etc.) and likely White House prospects (Palin, Pawlenty, Jindal, etc.). You may select a position for every issue, or just select issues important to you. The political figures’ positions are based upon their voting records, special interest group ratings and their statements in the public record. In cases where there is no known public record or statement, these politicos are not given a score on that issue. We add candidates, revise their views and include new issues as they become known or change. Check back often for updates.
…from previous elections. However, I was pointed to http://www.opencongress.org/ (hardcore debate site, I’m told) and VoteEasy (from Project: Vote Smart) as other resources that do the something similar.
The problem is, who to trust? The fractious nature of the American populace is the stumbling block. It’s not just that they have different sources, it’s that those sources use different facts. They think they’re entitled to different facts. Reality just doesn’t work that way.
To me, this is just another example of why we need an election process that is more open, and publicly funded. I don’t want to have to pick over Iowa’s leavings when it comes to opponents for the status quo. What they select will most likely not be electable, an we’ll end up with Romney against Obama as a compromise candidate; the status quo vs. the status quo. That’s not a race, that’s yet another yawnfest. Maybe something like this…
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Elliot Ackerman | ||||
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Something more “content neutral”. Rather than having to sell yourself to your nutjob left or right base (about 2/10’s of the population, combined) you can appeal to the middle directly. An interesting approach to the problem, to say the least, if not exactly original (saw something similar started last election that never got any traction) let’s see if it goes anywhere.
Maybe we should use this guy’s theories (also on Colbert. It’s been a good week for election theory there lately) to pick the candidate we need;
A First-Rate Madness: Uncovering the Links Between Leadership and Mental Illness
| The Colbert Report | Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Nassir Ghaemi | ||||
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Probably the most interesting interview I’ve seen in awhile (Much as I like The Cars‘ revival album) on Colbert.