by Dan Nexon | 8 Oct 2008 |
The conventional wisdom was that McCain needed to "take it to Obama." McCain even signaled that he'd take the gloves off. But Obama swung first and was, in many ways, the more aggressive of the two. I'm not sure what to make of that.1) I'm hearing a lot of people saying that McCain was more aggressive. I don't think that's true. I think his demeanor was more aggressive, and his attacks (with one exception) more personal, and that's an important...
by Dan Nexon | 8 Oct 2008 |
9:35 -- ..... zzzzzzz .......... zzzzzzzzz ...... huh! wazaht? Oh, yeah. Isn't it amazing how each year the campaigns come up with an even worse format than they used the last time?9:40 -- Obama gets animated... on tax policy.9:41 -- My big question is whether McCain's constant references to the 1980s make him seem Mavericky, or just really old.9:42 -- Oh, Peter's already doing this. I guess I'll stop now.9:44 -- The candidates fiddle while...
by Peter | 8 Oct 2008 |
Why, o why do I subject myself to this exciting town hall styled 'debate'? Is boring, and my prediction is that it stays boring, and in the grand scheme of things, doesn't do all that much. And yet, I feel compelled to watch and blog. I guess it gives me something to do while my brisket is in the oven. Mmmmmmmmm brisket!McCain is good in this format, its his strength. He's hitting many of the same themes of the last debate. Obama is decent as...
by Peter | 7 Oct 2008 |
If this doesn't have you worried, this should, as it indicates a significant degree of panic by those who are supposed to save our economy. When Dr. Doom is surprised by the deterioration of the markets, things are bad indeed.
by Peter | 7 Oct 2008 |
By way of introduction... I've been pondering a post along these lines for a short while now, but this isn't going to exactly be the post I had originally envisioned. Rather, inspired by the ongoing financial crisis and some things I read this evening, a slightly different version has emerged. Now, onto the show:A significant challenge for the next President will be dealing with the percipitous decline in American Hegemony since 2001. All three...
by Charli Carpenter | 7 Oct 2008 |
Recently, I criticized Sarah Palin's pronunciation of "nuclear," and suggested that electing her would only make Americans look as if we (still) don't care how dumb our leaders appear on the global stage. At best, I expected a discussion about whether we should take such things into consideration in elections. More accurately, I expected that post to be ignored, and for most readers to latch on to the much more interesting food for thought to...
by Charli Carpenter | 5 Oct 2008 |
I have a post up right now at Complex Terrain Lab about developments in the area of autonomous weaponry as a response to asymmetric security environments. While fully autonomous weapons are some distance away, a number of researchers and bloggers argue that these trends in military technology have significant moral implications for implementing the laws of war. In particular, such writers question whether machines can be designed to make...
by Charli Carpenter | 5 Oct 2008 |
AP reports, in an article titled "Somali Pirates Stare Down Superpowers":With a Russian frigate closing in and a half-dozen U.S. warships within shouting distance, the pirates holding a tanker off Somalia's coast might appear to have no other choice than to wave the white flag. But that's not how it works in Somalia, a failed state where a quarter of children die before they turn 5, where anybody with a gun controls the streets and where every...
by Charli Carpenter | 5 Oct 2008 |
As I always tell my World Politics 101 students, the word is "nuclear," folks. Noo-clee-ahr. No such word as "nuk-ya-lar"! Yet here we go, Sarah Palin on the stage pontificating about nukes (HT to Moira Whelan at Democracy Arsenal):Seems like a silly thing to bitch about, eh? But goddammit, the thought of listening to my President or Vice-President further embarrass our country and belittle the incredible threat posed by these weapons by...
by Dan Nexon | 3 Oct 2008 |
it is bad enough that our professional pundits feel compelled to tell us what "average Americans" think, but do bloggers really have to imitate this particularly insipid form of analysis?The polls give it to Biden. As dubious as these "snap" surveys are, I think they're a better indicator of what your average (undecided) American thinks.I don't have any profound insights about this debate. I thought McCain won on points last week, and I think...
by Dan Nexon | 3 Oct 2008 |
by Peter | 3 Oct 2008 |
I'm watching the debate. Not even 10 minutes in and its anti-climatic.Palin: I'm not going to answer the questions the way you or the moderator want to hear, I'm going to talk straight to the American people.I'm not sure what that means.I can't wait until a student shows up in class and says I'm not going to answer the question on the test the way the professor or the students want, I'm going to write my blue book straight to the American...