2008 USP(G)ET pt. II: counting the days to 2012 primary thread 1

The lead tenor in my current opera is an ex-marine who spelled out McCain's campaign strategy pretty succinctly:

*from link*

Since the OODA Loop was designed to describe a single decision maker, the situation is usually much worse than shown as most business and technical decisions have a team of people observing and orienting, each bringing their own cultural traditions, genetics, experience and other information. It is no wonder that it is here that decisions often get stuck and the OODA Loop is reduced to the stuttering sound of “OO-OO-OO”.

I would pay quite a lot of money to see McCain saying that on Wednesday.

To add on early to what Tombot was telling Pinefox & others, the John Dean book is critical to understanding wtf is going on right now. For today's reading, there's some more necessary background:

(1) One of our own threads: Dealing with Authoritarians; or, How to Talk to People Who Hate You

(2) Richard Hofstadter's The Paranoid Style in American Politics. Written 44 years ago and still massively relevant.

Perhaps the central situation conducive to the diffusion of the paranoid tendency is a confrontation of opposed interests which are (or are felt to be) totally irreconcilable, and thus by nature not susceptible to the normal political processes of bargain and compromise. The situation becomes worse when the representatives of a particular social interest --- perhaps because of the very unrealistic and unrealizable nature of its demands --- are shut out of the political process. Having no access to political bargaining or the making of decisions, they find their original conception that the world of power is sinister and malicious fully confirmed. They see only the consequences of power --- and this through distorting lenses --- and have no chance to observe its actual machinery. A distinguished historian has said that one of the most valuable things about history is that it teaches us how things do not happen. It is precisely this kind of awareness that the paranoid fails to develop. He has a special resistance of his own, of course, to developing such awareness, but circumstances often deprive him of exposure to events that might enlighten him --- and in any case he resists enlightenment.

We are all sufferers from history, but the paranoid is a double sufferer, since he is afflicted not only by the real world, with the rest of us, but by his fantasies as well...

(3) A essay in Harper's about the dolchstosslegende: Stabbed in the back! The past and future of a right-wing myth

(4) John Dean's book does much to publicize the work of Dr Bob Altemeyer at the Univ of Manitoba. Dr Bob then wrote a book called "The Authoritarians" and posted the entire thing online

I would esp. enjoy the guerilla edits the next day that added "Mr. Kotter" at the end. (xpost)

http://basdeopanday.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/ramesh_whip_it_devo_radiation_suit22.jpg

give the past a slip?

I was wondering what Steve Schmidt was going to mumble about all this and behold:

McCain's chief strategist Steve Schmidt, in an interview on NPR's "Morning Edition," argued today that McCain's new "I'm a fighter" message will resonate with voters and that with three weeks left in the campaign, McCain still has time to overcome the polls.

Obama has "a history of closing weakly in the campaign," he said, while McCain has a reputation as a strong closer. "We believe that we're well within striking distance to win this election," Schmidt said.

Schmidt acknowledged that McCain's association with the Republican Party and an unpopular president has been a difficult hurdle for McCain to overcome.

"People are, right now -- they're angry, upset. We are disadvantaged by virtue of having an 'R' next to our name on the ballot in an election cycle where there's a lot of blame at the president, a lot of blame at the Republican party, as the party that's held the White House for the last eight years. That is a disadvantage for us in this race," Schmidt told NPR. "Sen. McCain is his own man. The next four years wouldn't look anything like the last eight years. He'll make that case to the American people over the course of the next weeks."

Well then.

well what do you know

Vote for Obama
McCain lacks the character and temperament to be president. And Palin is simply a disgrace.
By Christopher Hitchens
Posted Monday, Oct. 13, 2008, at 10:44 AM ET

http://www.slate.com/id/2202163/

Oh god. I haven't been allowing myself to Believe, but any time people start saying their guy is a strong closer (cf Kerry, cf Gore etc etc) - I mean...

fallows:

If you want an indication that the McCain camp has conceded...
.... listen to this interview, from today's NPR Morning Edition (audio available after 9am EDT). In it, Renee Montagne questions Steve Schmidt, famed tough-guy, gloves-off strategist for the McCain campaign.

Anyone who has ever been near a troubled campaign -- or a sports team late in a losing game, or a business venture facing harsh reality -- will instantly recognize the signs of internalized defeat in Schmidt's comments:

Rationalization and excuses ("We were ahead until the financial crisis began"). More excuses ("We have the handicap of wearing the 'R' label this year" -- I mean, think about that for a moment, and imagine Karl Rove saying it). More and more excuses ("When someone says something inappropriate at our rallies, the media is all over it. When someone does it at an Obama rally...") A "we'll do our best" tone as opposed to confidence about being able to win. A rote quality to the pep talk about victory ("Senator Obama is known as a weak closer, and Senator McCain is a strong finisher!"). These quotes are approximate, a few minutes after hearing the spot, but true to the spirit. Given Schmidt's reputation as the heir to Lee Atwater and Karl Rove, that he was not able to keep on his game face is startling.

Anything can still happen. But to me this is the first sign of the McCain team itself recognizing how things stand now.

any time people start saying their guy is a strong closer (cf Kerry, cf Gore etc etc) - I mean...

yeah it's one of those lines like "i always prefer to be the underdog."

ready for come back bring pie

Mark Levin cries, wets himself.

"Senator Obama is known as a weak closer, and Senator McCain is a strong finisher!"

^^ neither statement has any factual basis.

Vote for Obama
McCain lacks the character and temperament to be president. And Palin is simply a disgrace.
By Christopher Hitchens
Posted Monday, Oct. 13, 2008, at 10:44 AM ET

http://www.piesnthighs.com/images/pig.gif

Senator Obama is known as a weak closer

...what was his margin of victory in 2004 again?

schef i've been seeing that gif around here lately, and i'm not sure what the deal is really, but i like it! kiu

guys he also has never stood up to his own party. not once!

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=7532

J.P. Freire in flameout mode with "The Fucking Solution" "ironic" "fake" lynch-Obama ad.

he could raise his hand

― ○◙i shine cuz i genital grind◙○ (roxymuzak), Monday, October 13, 2008 1:37 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

:-OOOOOOOOOOOOOO XD

haw

\o/

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v483/Hereward/?action=view¤t=sp.jpg

A chip off of the old block

Oops.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v483/Hereward/sp.jpg

whoa!

^^^^ U KNOW WHAT 2 DO, Z S. D UR THANG

It's a shop.

SHIT I bookmarked your message, nooooooooooooooo

http://www.gov.state.ak.us/photos/dscf1254.jpg

^^^ maybe the kid's secretly british

A clever shop it is, though.

http://www.newyorker.com/images/2008/10/20/cartoons/081020_cartoon_1_a13528_p465.gif

that coat is a fashion 9/11

"that coat reminds me of a coat my sister wears. well i know who i'm voting for."

http://i161.photobucket.com/albums/t214/ZachRScott/robscneiderconvention.jpg

yay I finally found the blank for this one

http://i33.tinypic.com/14d3x8h.gif

^^^^
this

I just called my gf to try out the joke on her and she did not lol.

it's not meant to be

That Meet The Press stuff I mentioned last night? Someone's onto it.

http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5j5EWRC22Nx_phjXpenOArhNeOUew

wtf sarah palin truly has ruined everything i thought i knew

Convenient timing for him after An American Carol bombed!

"Only did it for the money, folks."

lol dobbs

"These GENIUSES that are telling you they know what's going on over on wall street are just that: phonies and fools."

....what?

^^^sad old racist angry that his pet issue is not deciding the election

realclearpolitics moves VA from toss-up to lean-Obama and publishes the first electoral map with him actually above the 270 threshold.

http://i36.tinypic.com/kbac2f.gif

Now the Dow has rallied one day, will McCain drop into Wall Street and attempt to take credit?

McCain literally dropping onto Wall Street paratrooper style might actually make me vote for him.

trading floor tomorrow afternoon:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/3d/Vietcapturejm01.jpg