Random thoughts
I haven't been on for awhile. A number of factors, including 'flu and depression. Hopefully coming out of these soon. Perhaps I'll talk later about that whole can of worms.
I have been following (a little) the whole Occupy movement and it seems to me that it suffers from a lack of effectiveness based on a couple of the things. The lack of a clear manifesto, or platform, or goals. This means that they are protesting, but they are defined only be what they are protesting against (and even that can be diffuse). They have a multiplicity of ideas but no priorities or strategies. I feel that the movement is not likely to accomplish much, certainly nothing to address the problems that they are mad at.
I have also been watching the ramp-up to the GOP primaries. As a Democrat (although an increasingly reluctant one) I have no vested interest in the outcome, but the show is entertaining. Newt is ahead in the polls at the moment, but I wonder if he can sustain it all the way through the actual primaries.
Many people are arguing about the importance (or lack thereof) of the early primary states, in particular Iowa and New Hampshire. I think their significance has increased because of the heavy news coverage and the tendency to keep the horse-race aspects of media coverage going as long as possible. Some news sources will want to immediately start predicting a winner right after the early primaries, but the numbers are going to be fluctuating a lot since the only thing everyone agrees on is "Not Romney". Newt is the latest "Not Romney", but most of them have only lasted about 45 days or so. Cain even shorter than Perry. I'm happy to see that Bachman is not doing well so far. I was afraid that they would find a way to put up a Jeb Bush/Sarah Palin ticket. Or possibly worse, Sarah Palin/Jeb Bush ticket.
The bog mindles -- and I don't think it's just the Nyquil talking.
I have been following (a little) the whole Occupy movement and it seems to me that it suffers from a lack of effectiveness based on a couple of the things. The lack of a clear manifesto, or platform, or goals. This means that they are protesting, but they are defined only be what they are protesting against (and even that can be diffuse). They have a multiplicity of ideas but no priorities or strategies. I feel that the movement is not likely to accomplish much, certainly nothing to address the problems that they are mad at.
I have also been watching the ramp-up to the GOP primaries. As a Democrat (although an increasingly reluctant one) I have no vested interest in the outcome, but the show is entertaining. Newt is ahead in the polls at the moment, but I wonder if he can sustain it all the way through the actual primaries.
Many people are arguing about the importance (or lack thereof) of the early primary states, in particular Iowa and New Hampshire. I think their significance has increased because of the heavy news coverage and the tendency to keep the horse-race aspects of media coverage going as long as possible. Some news sources will want to immediately start predicting a winner right after the early primaries, but the numbers are going to be fluctuating a lot since the only thing everyone agrees on is "Not Romney". Newt is the latest "Not Romney", but most of them have only lasted about 45 days or so. Cain even shorter than Perry. I'm happy to see that Bachman is not doing well so far. I was afraid that they would find a way to put up a Jeb Bush/Sarah Palin ticket. Or possibly worse, Sarah Palin/Jeb Bush ticket.
The bog mindles -- and I don't think it's just the Nyquil talking.