Kamikaze politics

A couple of great articles on McCain’s bad week:

McCain, the former fighter pilot who seems to have found his calling as a kamikaze politician.

…he’s proven to be a bull in a china shop–or, more accurately, a bull that 1) misleadingly says the china shop is in disarray before he enters; 2) vows not to leave until he cleans up; 3) enters and shatters everything in sight; 4) blames everyone else for the damage and 5) leaves, claiming a job well done.

Incidentally, I watched the debate at my father-in-law’s place and thought that McCain did well. In fact I thought that Obama was on the defensive and that McCain had the upper hand. Obama struck me as taking too cerebral an approach, much as Kerry did in 2004 with all these four or five-point lists, and that it was McCain who had the most emotionally punchy points. But the polls the next day suggested that I was in a minority, and a couple of women voters I talked to the next day said they thought McCain looked small and mean. So maybe my perception is conditioned by my testosterone levels.

Now a Buddhist blog round up

Terrence at Republic of T on Palin:

The questions she was asked, and failed utterly to answer, are not “gotcha” questions. They are questions that any serious candidate should be able to answer coherently and without hesitation, or sense that they are leading questions and avoid answering them.

William Harryman at Integral Options has links to two very interesting articles on politics and psychology:

Robert Burton – My Candidate, Myself: Even when faced with new facts and insights, most voters don’t change their minds about their favorite candidates. A neurologist explains how they might.

Brainstorm – Conservatives are Dumber—And Smarter—Than Liberals: Social conservatives turn out to be not so smart, but libertarian conservatives are smarter than the average liberal.

And Bill Kristol in the NYT had me hooting with laughter this morning:

McCain picked Sarah Palin in part because she’s a talented politician and communicator.

Talented like this?

Couric: What lessons have you learned from Iraq, and how specifically will you try to spread democracy throughout the world?

Sarah: Specifically we will make every effort possible to help spread democracy for those who desire freedom, independence, tolerance, respect for equality. That is the whole goal here in fighting terrorism also, it’s not just to keep the people safe, but to be able to usher in democratic ideals around the world.

Or like this?

We don’t have to second guess what their efforts would be, if they believe that it is in their country, and their allies, including us, all of our best interests to fight against a regime, especially Iran, who would seek to wipe them off the face of the earth. It is obvious to me who the good guys are in this one and who the bad guys are. The bad guys are ones who say, “Israel is a stinking corpse and should be wiped off the face of the earth.” That’s not a good guy who is saying that. Now one who would seek to protect the good guys in this, the leaders in Israel, and her friends, her allies, including the United States — in my world, those are the good guys.

Or like this?:

COURIC: Why isn’t it better, Governor Palin, to spend $700 billion helping middle-class families who are struggling with health care, housing, gas and groceries; allow them to spend more and put more money into the economy instead of helping these big financial institutions that played a role in creating this mess?

PALIN: That’s why I say I, like every American I’m speaking with, were ill about this position that we have been put in where it is the taxpayers looking to bail out. But ultimately, what the bailout does is help those who are concerned about the health-care reform that is needed to help shore up our economy, helping the—it’s got to be all about job creation, too, shoring up our economy and putting it back on the right track. So health-care reform and reducing taxes and reining in spending has got to accompany tax reductions and tax relief for Americans. And trade, we’ve got to see trade as opportunity, not as a competitive, scary thing. But one in five jobs being created in the trade sector today, we’ve got to look at that as more opportunity. All those things under the umbrella of job creation. This bailout is a part of that.

I have, by the way, made a start on a piece about Buddhism, liberalism, and conservatism. But I think it’s going to take me some time. There’s just too much going on right now.

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