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[Torie]

JewishCon gets a bad rap, when has he ever said anything mean to another poster? I've never seen it.

He's said something mean to a whole group of people. Is that enough for you?

JC called me a Dem lover. I guess it reposes with the reader to fathom whether that is a complement or insult.  

Frankly I am not much in love with much of anyone in politics these days. I guess my expectations are just unrealistic or something. The problem of course is the filter through which one must pass to succeed in politics, which tends to weed out those who have much to offer typically that is of much use. What one tends to get are superficial and egotistical power trippers out to be somebody, rather than be serious students of what makes sense from a policy perspective, and try to persuade based on that, even if it renders them one termers. And that is very sad.

[Torie]

Frankly I am not much in love with much of anyone in politics these days. I guess my expectations are just unrealistic or something. The problem of course is the filter through which one must pass to succeed in politics, which tends to weed out those who have much to offer frankly that is of much use. What one tends to get are superficial and egotistical power trippers out to be somebody, rather than be serious students of what makes sense from a policy perspective, and try to persuade based on that, even if it renders them one termers. And that is very sad.

I think that the real pioneer in this regard, in the development of the perpetual campaign, is Richard Nixon.

Things started going downhill with JFK, went way downhill with LBJ, and reached the current trough with Nixon, from which movement back uphill remains to be discerned. Part of it is of course the media and the way campaigns are financed. Who that is sane, would want to spend so much time dialing for dollars and kissing ass of folks regarding whom one frankly finds nauseating for their $$$$ of course, or course, but can only tell that to one's significant other?

[Torie]

You have a point Xahar, although Nixon was unfairly traduced on that particular matter, and went saccharine (successfully with his little mutt as a prop) to diffuse it.  These days, such a story would be handled differently, and be diffused via the internet I think, because it was bogus. In that sense, we have made some progress.