Comments on: Hey Pundits: You’re Not Smarter Than Voters

By: bernieo

bernieo — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 14:35:00 +0000

True but it is also true that they think average Americans can’t understand issues. I remember when one of Clinton’s State of the Union addresses was panned by all the network anchors – Peter Jennings included – as too long and detailed for the Anerican public. The next day polls showed strong positive reaction to the speech. Apparently it was only too long and detailed for political pundits who prefer simplistic gotcha stories or he said/she said reporting. These are more entertaining and require no research or thinking on the media’s part. We all know that is why our founding fathers gave them special constitutional protection.

By: awakenaustin

awakenaustin — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 20:30:00 +0000

Really? So if I am wrong correct me, your position is that it is an open, unbiased game, with a level playing field, everyone starts in the same spot and the winners and losers are chosen soley on by some perfect unbiased merit system or set of standards. Therefore, whereever a person ends up has solely to with some personal factor over which he/she has complete control.
Nature doesn’t matter, nurture doesn’t matter, parents don’t matter, genetics don’t matter, intelligence doesn’t matter, where you were born doesn’t matter, chance doesn’t matter, natural disaster doesn’t matter, because everyone is equal with an equal chance. All of our life opportunities are the same. (I guess we could allow for the deviation that if chances aren’t the same it is okay because without the aid of anyone else we are able to overcome them or change them to our advantage at our will.) Therefore, I am not beholden to anyone on any basis because no one ever did any thing for me to help me along. I am solely responsible and I get sole credit for where I am and what I am.
In such circumstances holding me responsible for everything that happens to me makes sense. Giving me exclusive control and ownership over everything I have amassed makes sense also. (Under these circumstances I really see no need for doctors, lawyers, soldiers, firemen, policemen, etc.The concepts of fairness, justice,equity, good, bad, moral, ethical and so forth have no meaning and serve no purpose. They would simply limit the actions and abilities of some to the benefit of others. If I can do it, who is to say I shouldn’t.)
If, however, someone puts a finger on the scales (e.g., my kids get well educated and inherit a lot of money from me because I amassed a lot of money) then sole credit and sole responsibility become maybe a little complicated. We could still just accept the inequities. (Which are likely to grow and become substantial after awhile.) Some win and some lose. Too bad you aren’t a winner, should have been more careful when you picked your parents. It isn’t fair, but that is life. No one has any obligation to anyone else.

You know, it isn’t just that the folks with disadvantages want the rules altered to help them, it is the case also that people with advantages want the rules to protect their advantage. I am astounded at your ability to see so clearly the problem with programs which favor the disadvantaged, while missing altogether the existence of the laws and programs which favor the advantaged.

Apparently, in your real world, money does not affect outcomes, race does not affect outcomes, education does not affect outcomes, ones sex does not affect outcomes, health does not affect outcomes, intelligence does not affect outcomes because such things affect everyone the same. If one believes otherwise then one lives in a fantasy world or at least is a marxist.

Oh, by the by, it is simply a fact that wealth is less equitably distributed in our society than any time since the early 20th century.

This is supposed to be a reply to my OMG

By: Jack Hughes

Jack Hughes — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 20:22:00 +0000

Our so-called “liberal media” must play dumb when it comes to politics and economics.

Why? All that special-interest money that corrupts our politicians is ultimately delivered to Big Media for those mindless TV attack ads that contribute nothing of value to our political discourse.

Our politicians are just the bag-men.

By: karinursula

karinursula — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 18:13:00 +0000

Of course the rich people did not give their money to Romney without any strings. Sooner than later they want payback. And we, who do not belong to the 1% will have to pay for it. Just look at the Ryan budget which Romney supports. It’s taken money from social programs and from senior citizen. The Senate turned down equal pay for women, plus I worry about Romney and Iran. It’s useless, once again I realize that his country is not run for the people, but for the 1%. And ObozoMustgo, you will have a rude awakening if your buddy Romney wins.

By: darkagesbegin

darkagesbegin — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:55:00 +0000

Bozo:

I am not that bad, but I do remember Richard Nixon and the Hunt brothers…maybe you don’t

And I was raised to believe that America is the land of opportunity and freedom, but know that bullies of all sorts seek to limit both. And I believe that when someone invests millions of dollars in anything, they expect a return on that investment and don’t feel constrained by notions of fairness and egalitarianism.

By: Elsa

Elsa — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 17:24:00 +0000

I agree there is a difference between an honest person who is trying to do the best he can for the company and the people who work there and one who is trying to make himself richer at anyone expense. Romney is definitely in the second category and he will be like that as President.

By: William Deutschlander

William Deutschlander — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 16:46:00 +0000

Sorry you blindered con-servatives, I will take one OBAMA to 100 Romneys!

I prefer honesty to obfuscation and deceit, again Obama wins.

I prefer Democracy to Autocracy, again Obama wins.

I prefer Leadership to Pack Rule, again Obama wins.

I prefer compromise, collective bargaining, negotiating to NO, Obama wins.

I prefer government of all the people, by all the people and for all the people, to government for 0.50 % of the select people, Obama wins again.

By: David Jones

David Jones — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 16:45:00 +0000

When Mr. Lyons is through ranting his spin memo, Romney will be President. What a frail effort for a sport job on a ventilator.

By: ObozoMustGo

ObozoMustGo — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:46:00 +0000

dark…. what is it with all of you leftist nutjobs that have this cockamamey idea that “wealth is swirling upward, draining all of us, until we are all helpless subjects of the rich” kind of crap? What is it with you morons? You fear a world that does not exist except in the absolute twisted mind of Karl Marx. More of the same proletariat vs. the bourgeois garbage. You’re simply just NOT rational, my friend. You’re fighting a war that does not exist in reality. Don’t be so stupid, please.

Yeah, yeah, I know… you’re come back is more of the same old garbabe about how I’m snowed by the rich guy, and how I’m really a slave to them and dont know it, and how it’s all Bush’s fault, and how Obozo is helpless but vote for him anyway…. blah blah blah blah blah blah……… Spare me, please.

Now you can go back to your fantasy world of Marxist visions of oppression, or you can wake up to reality and begin to see the world for what it is, an open field of simultaneous opportunity and peril, through which the navigation is solely and exclusively your responsibility, regardless of how much you wish to shove that over onto other people. Get over it, and grow up!

Have a nice day, dark!

By: darkagesbegin

darkagesbegin — Wed, 06 Jun 2012 15:20:00 +0000

Bozo, Bozo, Bozo. tch, tch, tch

right now, you are able to hold politicians accountable for their actions. They won’t be able to get away with stealing taxpayer dollars very long as we stand now.

But in the future, after politicians are beholden only to the billionaires that own them, we little people will not have any control over our government, or even our private lives. If you a not one of the 1%, which I doubt you are, you are just another of the faceless masses they will grind up and spit out. They won’t know or care that you defended them before they had complete control. You will just be another rat trying to get a piece of their cheese. they just about have you in their trap now.