The Atlantic - Latest Comments in A journey back in time

Re: A journey back in time

pls — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 17:07:25 -0000

SeanH

How was Dean not successful, all things considered? He started the race in 2004 an unknown, former governor of the second smallest state in the union. He was supposed to be what Bill Richardson was in 2008, someone who got in the debates, got a little recognition, and got about 5% in a couple of primaries before dropping out as Gephardt and Kerry ran in the real contest.

Instead his run for the nomination and subsequent win as DNC Chair began the the ascent of the Democratic Party from minority to majority status.

And no, the Wright brothers were not the only pioneers of aviation (and may not even have been the first to get off the ground, but that's another historical debate).

Re: A journey back in time

Kuros — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:58:22 -0000

50 plus 1 ended at least partly b/c the greatest economic crisis a generation has ever seen struck in the middle of the general election, dooming the incumbent party.

Yes, Obama/Axelrod/Plouffe transformed politics (or at least harnessed the internet), but credit where credit is due: circumstances were highly favorable. The real battle, the primaries, Obama barely eeked out. And that was truly 50 plus 1, a very new phenomenon for the primaries.

Re: A journey back in time

SeanH — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:26:51 -0000

It really annoys me that the Obama campaign gets credit for pioneering two things that were actually pioneered by Dean just four years earlier.

Nothing at all against Dean, but that's because Obama successfully pioneered them. I don't think anyone shorts Dean on credit for vision, but Obama deserves the credit for the very difficult accomplishment of pulling them off successfully.

The Wright brothers sure weren't the first dudes to try building an airplane, but they deserve the lion's share of the credit for being the first to build one that worked.

Re: A journey back in time

Juba — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 12:54:51 -0000

I agree Jindal's main problem was reheated Reaganism (if the GOP gets in an emotional struggle over who can truly lay claim to the Reagan mantle, they may find--as they did with Ayers--that there's a big flop awaiting, a disconnect with younger voters).

I do not agree that his style was ok. He reminded me totally of Al Gore droning on and on about lockboxes. If you're potentially facing a Democrat Reagan, you dont wanna counter with a Republican Gore--esp since like Gore, he may not do well in the South regardless of his conservative bonafides. The South (Florida and VA aside) was not yet ready to elect a Black man with huge AA turnout, what makes them think Jindal is gonna get a pass in three years?

Re: A journey back in time

Curtis — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:38:20 -0000

Surly, it is all good. The joke was funny enough to be made twice.

As for the volcano issue, Jindal is enough of a dorky wonk to know that there is a volcano about to blow in Alaska. So his plan is to try to shut down the monitoring now and hope for a Mt. St. Helens style eruption to destroy much of the state, thereby making Palin and Obama look bad, greasing the skids for his triumphant campaign in 2012.

Because if there is one thing we know about Republicans, it is that they do not put the welfare of millions of citizens ahead of their quest for power.

Re: A journey back in time

pls — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 11:15:35 -0000

Actually, Howard Dean was "the dude who reinvented campaign fundraising, who pioneered the use of social networking …"

The Obama campaigned simply perfected those two campaign tools in a far more favorable political environment (basically after the country had turned against the Iraq War, not before that had happened).

It really annoys me that the Obama campaign gets credit for pioneering two things that were actually pioneered by Dean just four years earlier.

Re: A journey back in time

Surly Duff — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:53:36 -0000

On the Minor comment above^ - Sorry, for repeating Curtis. Apparently I need to read all of the comments before posting. I hate when that happens! OK, I'll try again.

If any volcanoes erupt in the next three years Jindal will look like a damn fool.

Or it will all be Obama's fault. I do believe that W kept us volcano eruption-free for the last eaight years. Eat it libruls!

Re: A journey back in time

stonetools — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:51:22 -0000

I think Jindal is going to be there in 2012. Underestimate him at your peril. his problem is not style , which was OK. His speech was pretty much reheated Reaganism,which simply won't do now. Everyone (even conservative economists) understand that the government has to do SOMETHING now, or else we'll see Great Depression, take 2.

He has three years to retool the content, and polish up the style, and he is smart enough to do it. Three years from now, everyone will have forgotten this speech.

Re: A journey back in time

Surly Duff — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:48:58 -0000

There was a rock star that once said "Nobody's the next anything." It's true. It's intellectual laziness to refuse to really see what's in front of you, and describe it in new words.

Whatever. Harold Minor is so the next Michael Jordan.

Re: A journey back in time

k1 — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:02:38 -0000

KevDog-

The Kindle is pretty sweet, I saw Bezos on CNBC the other day and while it won't be the next iPod, I must admit it is the logical evolution of print media.

I'll do the same thing I did with the iPod wait for color and a few more upgrades and a price reduction and then I'll grab one.

Nuada, et al-

I'm with you. I never liked that "next Jordan" thing because it was always being applied to guys who obviously weren't. Miner, Smith, Carter, Stackhouse. It was pretty clear even at their highs that they lacked the confluence of skills that made Jordan Jordan. Surprisingly, I don't remember Kobe or Lebron getting that lable much and those two from a competitive, skill level, confidence, collectedness, leadership and talent level most rival Jordan.

k1

ryanculver.blogspto.com

Re: A journey back in time

KevDog — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:32:27 -0000

Republicans think they've won the day if Rush agrees with them or if Hannity is cheering them on.

Obama knows that he's won after the votes are cast.

Also, what would happen if you gave Jindal a Kindle?

Re: A journey back in time

kiti — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 06:18:35 -0000

The three people that enjoyed Jindal's speech the most were Huckabee, Palin, and Romney.

Re: A journey back in time

Guest — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 03:09:50 -0000

"But Harold Miner really is the next Jordan."

If this is true, does that make Steve Smith the next Jordan or the next Minor?

Re: A journey back in time

FinchLittle — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 01:56:53 -0000

The problem with Jindal and Palin is they have no patience.

You are so correct on this. The thing with Obama is that he's a "I don't eat my rice while it's hot type of person" as a Caribbean friend of mine explained to me once. The phrase means that I don't have to respond to, or get you now after you've attacked me, but I will later, after you've forgotten you even attacked me before. He is a big picture type of person. He lets everyone say what they want to say and basically uses the information he has culled from you against you. He must have been a very formidable lawyer. And that was the beauty of the stimulus fight. He let the Repubs talk and talk and talk about fiscal responsibility and the dangers of big government--the first they failed at, the second they ushered in--thus appearing as rank hypocrites and then last night pops out with an executive who willfully and silently shared $60 million of his money with his employees and a young woman in a SC school who wrote to him and her senators and Congresspeople about fixing her crumbling 100 yr old school, which was an OBVIOUS dig at his SC critics Lesley Graham and Gov Sanford. Obama reminds me of the only boxing match I ever saw all the way through. This Hispanic guy was the champ and the challenger was beating him mercilessly and everyone was basically saying "Oh my God, the champ is going to lose, he isn't getting in much punches. Then all of a sudden in the 8th round the Hispanic guy wallops the challenger 2 times and wins the fight by knockout. I was speechless at this guy's win b/c he really was getting bloody. Obama lets you hit him and wear yourself out--he'll even take a couple of bruises and then he punches you at the end and you're surprised he won.

Another blog called Obama's approach Ghandian hardball. You have to be patient to do make that your political strategy b/c you basically learn all the enemies' moves and strategies that way so as to better neutralize them, while they really get to know nothing about you. And unfortunately, or fortunately depending on your view of the Republican Party, their vanguard don't seem to be capable of watching and waiting and thinking so as to formulate strategy.

Re: A journey back in time

Kylopod — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:19:11 -0000

I made similar points a few weeks ago:

http://kylopod.blogspot.com/2009/01/failure-of-imagination.html

Re: A journey back in time

Incertus (Brian) — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:11:54 -0000

I have never felt so much embarrasment for someone before in my life. He's over.

Don't be so quick to dismiss him. 2011 is a long way away, and 2015 even longer should Obama look unbeatable in 2012. Nixon made a comeback from far worse, as did Reagan. Jindal believes some pretty ludicrous things, but that doesn't mean he can't win elections. I think Bush proved that one.

Re: A journey back in time

todd bbq — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 21:42:04 -0000

They should rename the Microsoft Zune the Jindal.

Ding!Ding!Ding!!!!!

We have a winner!!

Re: A journey back in time

SeanH — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:49:10 -0000

If any volcanoes erupt in the next three years Jindal will look like a damn fool.

Jindal is a damn fool. There has almost certainly never been a single instant in the 4.5 billions years since earth formed when a volcano wasn't erupting somewhere. There are more than a dozen volcanoes that have been erupting continuously for Jindal's entire lifetime and Mt. Etna's been erupting since 1500BC.

Of all the incredibly stupid things said by a Republican lately his bits about Katrina and the complaining about spending on volcano monitoring take the cake. How is it even possible that nobody involved realized how stupid the governor of f***ing Louisiana would look complaining about government spending on natural disaster prevention?

Re: A journey back in time

Shine — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:11:22 -0000

Gramsci wins teh post.

Re: A journey back in time

Gramsci — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 19:05:15 -0000

They should rename the Microsoft Zune the Jindal.

Re: A journey back in time

Sara — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:52:53 -0000

Louisiana native and resident here to tell you that Bobby (Piyush) is no national candidate. Unless the Republican Party is determined to run a brown person in 2012, Piyush has no shot. He has no national profile to speak of. His resume here in the state is anemic at best. People complained that Obama was a celebrity who was wet behind the ears. If that was the knock on Barack, can you imagine how the cable news will react to Piyush?

His claim to fame is healthcare reform, but he's fallen short of the goal consistently. He used to be the secretary for HHS in LA, and his tenure was noteworthy only for the fact that the LSU assumed control over the state's Charity Hospital system. Now, LSU is obstructing the rebuilding of Charity in New Orleans with Bobby on their side.

Bobby = republican weaksauce

Re: A journey back in time

k1 — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:50:34 -0000

The problem with Jindal and Palin is they have no patience. The one thing I learned about being a trader is that you have to be both a person of patience and person of action.

I thought both jumped the gun, Palin with McCain and Jindal overplaying his stimulus hand. That's the beauty with Obama that guy is an opportunist and as such only increase chances for success while decreasing his risk. He's brilliant.

k1

ryanculver.blogspot.com

Re: A journey back in time

cd — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:48:59 -0000

Ross Douthat, the Palin/Jindal fanboy extraordinaire! I mean, wasn't GNP touting Jindalin as like the prototypical leaders of the new republican party? Ouch!

Although Ross has a nice post up today about how lame Jindal is.

Re: A journey back in time

cd — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:39:56 -0000

TNC r teh pwnz mcardlez.

Re: A journey back in time

marcus — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 17:26:22 -0000

Bobby blew it.

He's not even the next Bobby Jindal anymore. I have never felt so much embarrasment for someone before in my life. He's over. The Republican party in it's current incarnation is finished.

Sorry but the bench just ain't that deep.