10k posts AMA - Del Tachi

[Del Tachi]

What countries have you been to other than the U.S.? Do you admire any other countries, and why? Do you think there are things the U.S. could learn from other countries?

Good question.  So far, I have been to:

U.S.
Canada
Mexico
Honduras
The Bahamas
Dominican Republic
Turks and Caicos
Cayman Islands
Belgium
France
Holland
Italy
Monaco
Spain
Swizterland
United Kingdom

My international travels have (admittedly) been mostly of the drunk college kid garden variety.  On  my next trip overseas, I'd really like to check out Central Europe (Germany/Austria/Hungary) or Scandinavia.

I've also always been fascinated by Argentina and Brazil as countries, mostly because of their unique (somewhat right wing, lol) literary/philosophical history that has a lot of non-Anglo or Native influences.  The continent is extremely remote physically, but also highly urban.

In general I guess I like European food/wine and work culture, lol.  Americans would do good to relax a little bit and think more about enjoying what they eat

[Green Line]

Has the pandemic affected your world view, political views, etc. in any way?

Do you have any interest in working in politics?

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

Which parts of Italy did you visit?

[Del Tachi]

Which parts of Italy did you visit?

The Riviera and Lombardy.  I stayed in Nice for a few weeks during the summer of 2015, so we would sometimes pop over to Ventimiglia or San Remo.  Spent a weekend in Milan that summer too and while I liked the fashionable nightlife there, the city seemed dirty and not ancient or romantic enough (like how I had envisioned Italy in my head, lol.)  Oh well, Dolce vita, Milano da bere.

The place I most want to visit in Italy is Florence, and I regret not making a bigger effort of going that summer.

[Del Tachi]

Two questions:

1. Who are your top choices for the GOP nomination in 2024, if Trump doesn’t run?

DeSantis checks most of my boxes.  Young, Southern governor with a military background.  Would only be 46 in 2024 (younger than Obama in '08.)  I think a DeSantis/female VP ticket in 2024 would be really good for the GOP shedding it's "old, white man" image.

2. In regards to foreign policy, where do you stand, do you consider yourself more of a hawk, a dove, or somewhere in between?

I'm increasingly of the opinion  that American foreign policy needs a pretty complete overhaul.  Transatlanticism is not sustainable as our primary policy.  Europe is an aging, shrinking continent that is becoming increasingly vulnerable economically and socially.  We need a 21st century policy of Chinese containment, which I believe must entail new alliances with growing democratic powers, namely India and the Philippines, to create substantial enough regional counterweight.

U.S.-India relations are key.  India is the the future IT powerhouse of the free world and will soon be the most populous nation in the world.  America is home to a large, influential first- and second-generation Indian immigrant community.  So far, India has resisted the siren call of the BRI.  We need to make sure it stays that way by incorporating them as our most important strategic ally (which probably means keeping a long-term presence in Afghanistan, as India sees immense value in having friendly forces squeezing Pakistan on two sides.) 

I think cooling things with Russia would also be a good move.  They'll never be an ally, but we should be seeking more areas of engagement and cooperation (namely energy, counterterrorism and keeping China away from the Arctic.)  Our influence in Europe is at least helpful in bringing Russia to the table on these issues, as Russia looks westward for its markets. Moving the needle with Russia would also help cool the Saudi-Iran conflict, as it is (in part) a proxy for the U.S.-Russia influence war in the Middle East. 

[Del Tachi]

Given you've stated that you consider yourself to be pro-choice, and given that (correct me if I am wrong) you're gay, how do you grapple with the Republican Party's social policies with regards to abortion and gay rights? Namely, what are your views on evangelicals within the Party who have been on the right flank of such issues, and on Republican politicians who have been denounced as extremists on the issue of abortion (akin to Todd Akin or Richard Murdock) and as homophobic?

I am pro-choice only in the most basic sense of that phrase; that I would want my sister to have the choice of whether or not to carry a baby to term.  I'm generally ok with state legislatures regulating the practice to such the extent courts have allowed, and I do recoil at some of the liberal rhetoric on protecting unrestricted access to cheap abortions.  I won't go as far as some conservatives in calling it eugenics, however.

I don't really believe in sexual orientation as a concept but, yes, most of my sexual/romantic history has been with other men.

The Republican Party is a big tent.  Evangelicals are a valuable part of our electoral coalition.  I would even describe myself as an Evangelical, not of the especially conservative type but certainly neither of the BRTD-type, lol.   I think the religious freedom issues raised by conservative Christians are credible, and generally agree with the exceptions courts have carved out for religious people/institutions.

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

Which parts of Italy did you visit?

The Riviera and Lombardy.  I stayed in Nice for a few weeks during the summer of 2015, so we would sometimes pop over to Ventimiglia or San Remo.  Spent a weekend in Milan that summer too and while I liked the fashionable nightlife there, the city seemed dirty and not ancient or romantic enough (like how I had envisioned Italy in my head, lol.)  Oh well, Dolce vita, Milano da bere.

The place I most want to visit in Italy is Florence, and I regret not making a bigger effort of going that summer.

As an inhabitant of the Eastern part of Liguria, VERY BAD.

Milan is quite ancient and artsy actually, just not as much as other Italian cities, and yeah, it's more famous for the nightlife. It's basically the best Italian city for Blairite types, if you get what I mean.
By the way you mixed up two things, as Dolce vita refers to Rome, lol.

[insert joke about how you must be a far-right Republican so I should suggest you Verona here]

[OSR stands with Israel]

- Do you regret supporting Hillary in 2016

- What’s your opinion of Marco Rubio being able to carry the torch of the working class conservative movement

- Least favorite college football team

[Del Tachi]

- Do you regret supporting Hillary in 2016

I mean, it's not like me switching my vote to Trump would have changed anything so, no, I don't "regret" it.  In retrospect, I would have maybe been more open to voting for Trump than I actually was at the time, but my politics and what I like about Trump has changed since 2016.   

- What’s your opinion of Marco Rubio being able to carry the torch of the working class conservative movement

Nothing about Marco Rubio screams "working class" to me.  I think his probable ceiling is becoming an elder statesman type figure for the GOP in the Senate or maybe as a future Secretary of State. 

- Least favorite college football team

Ole Miss, quite obviously

[Del Tachi]

Has the pandemic affected your world view, political views, etc. in any way?

This answer could be a multi-volume essay series lol

In short, I'll just say that the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed how deeply partisan our media/political culture is.  There was maybe a very brief, 2-3 week window in March/April where there was an overreaching, bipartisan consensus for swift action but it cooled rather quickly.  I attribute this limited window to Trump's knack for entangling himself in controversy and the established media's natural penchant in coloring his Administration's actions in the most unflattering light possible.

Secondarily (or maybe primarily), the pandemic has shown how uncritical our political debates can become in a time of perceived crisis.  The media amplifies this tendency by peddling constant panic to garner views or clicks.  The worst, most evident part of this is how Joe Biden campaigned to lead our country by following a vapid, immutable abstraction of some "science" that only resonates because liberal Democrats and the established media have always believed Trump and his supporters to be anti-empirical, fact-denying rubes.

Do you have any interest in working in politics?

I do work in politics (kinda sorta.)  My boss is a gubernatorial appointee in MS.  I worked campaigns in college and grad school, and I spent a semester + a summer interning in D.C. on Capitol Hill.  I was a U.S. Senate page in high school. 

I don't think I would ever enjoy campaigning for public office.  Being a candidate is much too performative for my liking, but I would consider any advice or encouragement credible people were giving me to run for something in local/state politics.  That being said, I don't think the MS-GOP is going to be ready for an openly gay Republican anytime soon

[WD]

Favorite Mississippi Republican and Favorite Mississippi Democrat?

[Del Tachi]

Favorite Mississippi Republican and Favorite Mississippi Democrat?

Incumbents?  Delbert Hosemann and Brandon Presley, probably

[𝕭𝖆𝖕𝖙𝖎𝖘𝖙𝖆 𝕸𝖎𝖓𝖔𝖑𝖆]

Do you think that so far Tate Reeves has been a better or worse governor than Phil Bryant and how does it relate to your expectations?

[Alcibiades]

Opinion of Barry Goldwater?

Also what’s it like living in MS? IIRC you live in a rather upscale suburb, but I’m still interested to know. What’s the culture like, what are the people like, what job opportunities are there, what’s your experience of the rural areas, and how do you deal with the weather?

Edit: Thought of another one: To what extent are there tensions in the Deep South Republican parties between Democrats-turned-Republicans and lifelong movement conservatives?

[Del Tachi]

Do you think that so far Tate Reeves has been a better or worse governor than Phil Bryant and how does it relate to your expectations?

Hmmm...interesting question.

The deck was kinda stacked against Reeves from the beginning.  He's had a historically poor relationship with a lot of other Republicans around the state, and his first few months in office have been defined by issues surrounding our prison system, a major public embezzlement scandal, turf wars with GOP legislators, historic flooding and (of course) COVID-19.  He's definitely had a rocky tenure to date, and I don't expect things to be looking up for him anytime soon (his new tax plan notwithstanding.)

Bryant, for all his many faults, was at least glib enough to get along with his party in the Legislature.  Reeves 20-year political career has seen his list of friends shrink, not grow (which is a really terrible position to be in.)  Mississippi is essentially a feudal chiefdom ruled by Lt. Gov. Hosemann and Speaker Gunn for the time being, and I'm pretty happy with that outcome.   

[Del Tachi]

Reopening for 10k posts

I'm now an Atlas Icon! 

[Del Tachi]

Opinion of Barry Goldwater?

Don't have a particularly strong opinion, I've never really studied him before.  I can concede he's a very important figure in the 20th century American conservative movement, obviously

Also what’s it like living in MS? IIRC you live in a rather upscale suburb, but I’m still interested to know. What’s the culture like, what are the people like, what job opportunities are there, what’s your experience of the rural areas, and how do you deal with the weather?

I rent an old apartment in Belhaven, which is kinda a part-yuppie, part-old money, part-boho neighborhood of Intown Jackson.  It's ok - we have a few good restaurants and coffee shops that opened up right before COVID, but I've recently felt myself longing for a more suburban existance.

MS and broader Deep South culture is defined by a WASP-Black bi-raciality and the associated tensions of that relationship.  Everything - from our food and music to our politics - really starts there.   

I work in state government so my job is pretty stable.  Jackson is an uppity, cliquey government/medical town, and I miss the college town scene (I had only ever really lived in college towns before moving to Jackson in 2019.)

Rural MS is like other rural parts of the country, mostly.  Most of my family is from rural Northeast MS.  Their little community is >99% White and very Appalachian in their culture #Populist .  I like the weather here because I enjoy summer heat 

Edit: Thought of another one: To what extent are there tensions in the Deep South Republican parties between Democrats-turned-Republicans and lifelong movement conservatives?

This is an interesting question.  The transformation is largely generational rather than ideological - the Republican reformists of the 1960s-80s have now mostly aged-out of the electorate and public office, so I'd say Southern GOPs are *less influenced by movement conservatism now than they ever have been before.  As far as what tension there is today, I think you could put this broadly in terms of establishment/Tea Party and Trump/anti-Tump debates the GOP has been having internally for the past decade.

[The Houstonian]

Who is your favorite segregationist Mississippian politician?

[Del Tachi]

Who is your favorite segregationist Mississippian politician?

Stennis, although he reformed his segregationist positions later in his career.

[Penn_Quaker_Girl]

Do you have a favorite part of your state? (Mine is Foxworth - one of the top ten most beautiful places I've been). 

[FEMA Camp Administrator]

Do you prefer the title "American Hero" or, more simply, "Legend"?

[President Punxsutawney Phil]

When do you estimate is the first time MS votes for the Dem in a 21st century presidential election?

[Lechasseur]

Which parts of Italy did you visit?

The Riviera and Lombardy.  I stayed in Nice for a few weeks during the summer of 2015, so we would sometimes pop over to Ventimiglia or San Remo.  Spent a weekend in Milan that summer too and while I liked the fashionable nightlife there, the city seemed dirty and not ancient or romantic enough (like how I had envisioned Italy in my head, lol.)  Oh well, Dolce vita, Milano da bere.

The place I most want to visit in Italy is Florence, and I regret not making a bigger effort of going that summer.

As an inhabitant of the Eastern part of Liguria, VERY BAD.

Milan is quite ancient and artsy actually, just not as much as other Italian cities, and yeah, it's more famous for the nightlife. It's basically the best Italian city for Blairite types, if you get what I mean.
By the way you mixed up two things, as Dolce vita refers to Rome, lol.

[insert joke about how you must be a far-right Republican so I should suggest you Verona here]

This is the best Dolce Vita:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=93vWTvGVkQ0

[Lechasseur]

What countries have you been to other than the U.S.? Do you admire any other countries, and why? Do you think there are things the U.S. could learn from other countries?

Good question.  So far, I have been to:

U.S.
Canada
Mexico
Honduras
The Bahamas
Dominican Republic
Turks and Caicos
Cayman Islands
Belgium
France
Holland
Italy
Monaco
Spain
Swizterland
United Kingdom

My international travels have (admittedly) been mostly of the drunk college kid garden variety.  On  my next trip overseas, I'd really like to check out Central Europe (Germany/Austria/Hungary) or Scandinavia.

I've also always been fascinated by Argentina and Brazil as countries, mostly because of their unique (somewhat right wing, lol) literary/philosophical history that has a lot of non-Anglo or Native influences.  The continent is extremely remote physically, but also highly urban.

In general I guess I like European food/wine and work culture, lol.  Americans would do good to relax a little bit and think more about enjoying what they eat

Which country did you like best out of those you visited?

And where in France and Belgium did you go?

[Lechasseur]

Which parts of Italy did you visit?

The Riviera and Lombardy.  I stayed in Nice for a few weeks during the summer of 2015, so we would sometimes pop over to Ventimiglia or San Remo.  Spent a weekend in Milan that summer too and while I liked the fashionable nightlife there, the city seemed dirty and not ancient or romantic enough (like how I had envisioned Italy in my head, lol.)  Oh well, Dolce vita, Milano da bere.

The place I most want to visit in Italy is Florence, and I regret not making a bigger effort of going that summer.

Yeah I've never been to the parts of Italy you've been to.

I've been to Tuscany (Florence, Siena, Pisa, Livorno), Lazio (Rome), Umbria (Perugia, Todi), Campania (Naples, Pompeii) and Sicily (Palermo).

Florence was by far my favorite place in Italy. Absolutely gorgeous city with lots of history and actually is pretty interesting even beyond the monuments and stuff (it's the place out of those mentioned I would most be able to see myself living in). Siena would be my second favorite. However, I found Pisa quite underwhelming (worth going if you're in the area to see the Leaning Tower and the Cathedral, but seemed pretty boring beyond that), and I did not care for Sicily at all. Naples probably has the most beautiful natural landscape in all of Italy, definitely so out of the places I've been too. I've only seen comparable landscape in terms of beauty in Southern Bavaria/Salzburg state and the Rhone-Alpes region in France.