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It’s fundamental cluelessness about how the economy works, and a demonstrable inability to conceive of foreign policy in anything but the crudest terms. ~Julian Sanchez
No, he’s not talking about John McCain, but he very well could be. As you might have guessed, he’s talking about Palin. This takes us back to what I was saying below. This [...]
2 Comments »
Filed under: politics
Governor Palin’s every comment was scrutinized by the media and judged against what Jefferson or Lincoln might have said. ~Fred Thompson
Yes, if not for the unfair Jefferson/Lincoln standard they imposed on her, she would be doing just fine. Now we know why Palin has been doing so badly in those interviews–the standards we are using to judge [...]
7 Comments »
Filed under: politics
I think that all of them would agree that, while there were a lot of things wrong in Pakistan during the years leading up to the 1999 military takeover, Pakistan was not a failed state as we normally define such states. I am on record as stating publicly that, having come to Pakistan from Liberia [...]
No Comments »
Filed under: foreign policy, politics
The whole reason for the urgency is that people genuinely are concerned that a financial collapse will spark a deep recession that will cause a lot more pain in Muncie than in Manhattan. But you sure as hell wouldn’t have known that. ~Ezra Klein
It depends a great deal on who he means by “you.” If [...]
7 Comments »
Filed under: economics, politics
Some politicians and government officials are making reckless charges of greater financial turmoil in the absence of a bailout. These grossly irresponsible statements may cause short-term market losses as investors try to second-guess how other investors will respond, but the assertion that the stock market’s health - especially in the long run - depends on [...]
4 Comments »
Filed under: economics, politics
James paraphrases Ross on the presidential debate:
So but for the one thing he needed to do in the debate to win, McCain won.
Perhaps this is simply my bias against McCain, but I just don’t see it. Why does Ross think that, all things being equal, McCain would have been considered the winner? This is the main [...]
3 Comments »
Filed under: politics
My take on the potential and the flaws of populist backlash politics is up at Culture11.
4 Comments »
Filed under: politics, populism
Shortly after the bailout legislation was shot down in the House, someone Arnold Kling said, “David Brooks is not going to be happy.” ”David Brooks must be horrified.” He had no idea:
And let us recognize above all the 228 who voted no — the authors of this revolt of the nihilists [bold mine-DL]. They showed the [...]
4 Comments »
Filed under: politics
Ross discusses possible scenarios following the failure of the bailout. The idea that the House GOP can really be blamed (credited?) with the defeat of the bill seems strange to me. No doubt many people will blame (or credit) the House GOP with defeating it, because far too many on the Democratic side were unwilling to [...]
22 Comments »
Filed under: economics, politics
The issue here is not that Palin didn’t know the answer. There are many possible answers to this question, some of which are right and some of which are wrong. The issue here is that she didn’t know the question. Because she was apparently ignorant of the subject, she endorsed Hamas’ victory, and, in essence, [...]
No Comments »
Filed under: foreign policy, politics
The House has rejected the measure 228 (95 Dems, 133 Reps)-205 (140 Dems, 65 Reps). The market is responding very dramatically.
P.S. The vote is still open, so the result might change later today.
Update: Rasmussen released poll results today showing that support for the bill had edged up from 24% to 33%, and opposition dropped considerably from [...]
3 Comments »
Filed under: economics, politics
It has been vexing to find my old support of Ron Paul so starkly at odds with the my later support of Bob Barr. I admit that I have been discouraged by the falling-out between them and what is admittedly the mistake of Ron Paul in refusing to make a choice several weeks ago rather [...]
56 Comments »
Filed under: politics
I’m as much a limited government guy as the next fellow, but let’s not pretend that we live in some libertarian utopia in which the state has no role in the market. ~Stephen Bainbridge
Of course, that’s just the point. Bainbridge isn’t as much of a limited government guy as the next fellow if the next follow [...]
7 Comments »
Filed under: economics, politics
I have to agree for the most part with Gregory Cochran against Dan McCarthy on the questions of Obama’s chances in the Electoral College and trends in the polls. National and state polls have tended to go in the same direction with each shift in the campaign, and the state polls have followed the changes [...]
4 Comments »
Filed under: politics
Speaking of Dreyfuss’ sputtering disbelief, here was a key passage of his post on the debate:
He checked all the boxes. Barack (”Senator McCain is right”) Obama couldn’t find anything to disagree with the militarist Arizonan about. Support for NATO expansion? Check. Absurd anti-Russian diatribes? Check. Dramatic escalation of the war in Afghanistan? Check. I’m ready [...]
2 Comments »
Filed under: foreign policy, politics