This Election Is (Probably) Over

[Torie]

Wow, what an essay, JS. Kudos. I have a simpler explanation, rather than that  the masses are Manichean,  with which I in general don't agree. Voters are smarter than the cognescenti might want to admit.  Obama seems evasive, like he is walking on eggshells. In fact Obama WAS evasive on some matters, but that is beside the point, and just my opinion. I am not sure Obama has a core, and therefore one knows not what he would do under stress. I think that is his major weakness.

By the way, I don't really agree with the stock portfolio thing either. I have more than enough money, for example, to carry me until the supernova. (I sometimes bitch a bit around here about Obama wanting my bank accounts, but it's all jive really. ) The issue is what will facilitate economic growth over the long term, indeed after I have assumed room temperature.

[Torie]

The election is far from over.  Obama certainly has time to figure it out.

However, just as a general observation, Torie's gut sense seems right to me as to what the "voters" think.

Indeed, it is far from over, and Obama still has the edge. The issue is whether he can effect a mid course correction. Does he have it within him?  Does he have the ability to seem less uptight, and natural?  Does he have the ability to seem more authentic?  Obama has been suffering an erosion with the young in part because of this.

[Torie]

JSojourner, I disagree, but I will say this.

1.  Those people who expected Obama to vastly outperform McCain in debates are likely to be disappointed.

2.  The "rock star" packaging of Obama is a big mistake and it's been a mistake that he has made.  He needed to connect with the average voter, and, for the most part, he hasn't.

3.  Those Obama supporters who expected Obama to win because he is articulate and intelligent, should wake up and smell the coffee at this report.  Obama is not a "poor child made good."  Him mother had a Ph D, his stepfather an oil company executive, and his grandmother was vice president of a bank.  He was raised upper middle class.  No matter how you look at it, his pre-Senate accomplishments were not atypical of someone from that background and McCain's personal story is more compelling.

Good point, graduated bottom 1% of his class, lost 5 planes, cheated on his wife, was involved in the Keating 5 scandal. And was an absolute nobody with a father and grandfather as the first 4 star son-father pair. That is quite compelling.

Well McCain did manage to graduate in a school where many wash out, and he admits he as a goof off back then, and did not have focus, or as he puts it, a cause larger than himself. McCain does not hide the flaws in his resume.

[Torie]

This thread has sure come a long way.

uh-oh.  I see another Torie recruit.

Maybe it is time to toss over the side the notion that one side or the other has a greater incidence of nuance cells in their brain. Just a thought.

[Torie]

I thought the initial thrust of JS's post was Manicheanism versus shades of gray. And doesn't what is dumb to subscribe to, depend on the merits of the issue, or one's subjective views on the issue?  In any event, the issue also becomes whether assuming shades of gray is a genuine point of view, or a politically protective Camelion act, of one  worried about survival, and just trying to blend in.

[Torie]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

I nominate this for quote of the week!

No one is saying that Americans are too dumb to make a decision on the issues, what we are saying is that they are dumb enough to make dumb decisions based on dumb reasons.

Did I get it?

Americans are smart, but sometimes vote for dumb reasons because they fail to vote on the "real issues."  I think that was sbane's point maybe, which of course does not anneal it from further parries and  thrusts.

[Torie]

That is why politicians spend so much time hectoring voters about what they claim are  the "real issues"; e.g, is the real issue, radical islamofacism, or health care for all no matter what it costs, or what? And on and on it goes. Defining what are the "real issues" becomes the bulk of the ball game. If you are weak on an issue politically, just try to make it "unreal."

Sbane, I don't think many voters will be voting on the basis that Obama is a "Muslim."  A few more may be voting on the old thing, but still not that many. We may be beating to death a straw man.