Saturday Open Thread [2.16.13]
I gotta give credit where credit is due. The freshman Republican Congressman from Michigan, Rep. Justin Amash, said the following true statement (a rarity for a Republican):
“I think it’s a mistake on the part of Republicans to try to pin the sequester on Obama. It’s totally disingenuous. […] [Y]ou can’t vote for something and, with a straight face, go blame the other guy for its existence in law.”
This is on top of Amash’s denouncing John McCain for making a racist joke earlier this year. Good job Amash.
“[The 2014 election] is setting up as a crucial moment in the renewed battle for gun control. There may well be enough momentum for Obama to push through some new laws this year. They won’t be sufficient, but doing so will make gun control a major issue in the ’14 midterms. If those who support the news laws pay a price at the polls, the issue will again recede. But if they survive – and, especially, if those who vote against any of the laws Obama is calling for are defeated – it should create new momentum for further, more far-reaching reforms.”
“Obama made a passionate, convincing case on Tuesday night that his gun agenda deserves a vote in Congress. It may even be enough for him to get his way. But he won’t get everything he wants. For that, he and his allies are going to have to be patient and persistent. For real gun control, the fight won’t take months; it will take years.”
Chris Cillizza credits the President with unprecedented seriousness on curbing gun violence and climate change:
“Obama’s comments on guns will be the lasting legacy of this speech and a sign that his past pledges to use all of his political power to bring about measures he believes will curb gun violence was not simply rhetoric. [… and Obama’s comments on climate change are] as direct a call for action by Congress on climate change as you will hear from a president.”
“The proposals Obama laid out yesterday are likely to continue cementing the degree to which core growing constituencies — Latinos; young voters; college educated whites, especially women; and even to some extent non-college white women — identify with the Democratic Party. Reflexive GOP opposition to all these things could exacerbate the party’s estrangement from these groups.”
The Miami Herald reports that Jeb Bush made an offer to buy the Miami Marlins during this past offseason. Chuck Todd notes that this might “signal he’s not all that interested in running for president? Trying to buy a baseball team doesn’t exactly say your focus is prepping for a presidential run.” Um, Chuck… remember Junior and the Texas Rangers.
Since there is no Open Thread today, I am posting this here.
I’ve often wondered why fear seems to be such a part of the far right’s narrative for every. It seems to pervade their every action, reaction, thought, word and deed.
Well, it turns out that they are not fearful becuase they are conservative. Rather they are conservative because they are fearful.
In a study conducted by several professors/psychiatrists at various univerities they discovered that there is a direct correlation between phobic fear and how conservative someone is.
The study was published in Jan 2013 – Fear as a Disposition and an Emotional State: A Genetic and Environmental Approach to Out-Group Political Preferences
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ajps.12016/full
This actually would explain a great many things, at least for me, including what motivates someone to buy a firearm for self defense -what are they afraid of? It seems that their fears have little rational basis (setting aside some number who are responding to a direct threat to themselves or family). Yet they feel threatened and are driven to arm themselves out of that fear.
Obviously, this is not exact, because I’m not afraid of much of anything and I think I am kinda conservative or at least pragmatic. While others seem to have an affinity for “Be not afraid.” The far right apparently is wedded to “Be afraid. Be very afraid.” I used to think it was a choice. Now I find out it’s genetics!
Interesting — if Walmart had to pay its employees $12.00/hour it would not drive up prices much.
Walmart could give every single one of its workers a $5000 raise and still have an $18 BILLION profit. Henry Blodgett:
My buddy JPC, JR. is busy defending Connections CSP, Inc. in today’s TNJ article.
Read the comments here.
‘it would not drive up prices much”, because the quality can’t get any poorer. it’s a bitch putting on a shirt and the entire seam separates from your shoulder on your arm. not because of your biceps or batwings either. and how about that package of tube socks you find tossed into the ground beef area? just what I was looking for. and packaged the same way. it’s a default day for me when I shop Walmart.