Alex Palazzo is a postdoctoral fellow working in the Department of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School.
Joe Biden. How do I feel about the pick? It's okay, nothing to get excited over. At least when Biden attacks McCain, the media will echo it.
So we spent the day packing and listening to all the "pundits" on all the MSM websites. It is amazing how vacuous all these shows are. Not one iota of useful information. All sound bites that mean nothing. Listening to all this crap can really fry your brain. Is this why after such a disastrous 8 years McSame is only 2 points behind Obama? And what's up with all this Clinton supporters who are leaning on the fence towards McCain. I know that PP and Gwen Ifill think that they'll eventually fall in line, but my wife recently found out that one of her coworkers is such a person. I just don't get it. Obama and Clinton's policy differences are so minute that this lack of support can't be based on their platforms. Obama was against the war, Hillary appeased the right before going 180 - so it can't be that either. Sure Obama voted for FISA and has expressed support for some offshore drilling, but considering that a McCain presidency would be a full continuation of GWB's current agenda, there is no way that these two should be so close in the polls. And there is no way that Clinton voters should even consider voting for McCain. No way. I just don't get it. I asked Lesley, a summer student from North Carolina. She tells me that most of the folks back home think that Obama is a Muslim. Is that it? Are people so susceptible to such childish tactics? Either people are realy dumb, or racism is still a big factor.
This all reminds me of a song that curiously appears on this blog every election cycle:
Politics
Comments
Posted by: llewelly | August 25, 2008 12:52 AM
Thanks for the fucking link, bro!
Posted by: PhysioProf | August 25, 2008 10:58 AM
Someone (an American in fact) once told me the reason the U.S.A. couldn't go metric is the majority of the U.S. population was just too dumb. I laughed nervously, but after seeing Bush get reelected, and then the McCain support still crazy high when that party has been responsible for a war based on a lie (weapons of mass destruction anyone!), the U.S. economy going down the tubes, inflation at an all-time high, housing collapsing, and yet that party is still in it, that guys words came back to me.
The majority of americans are just plain too stupid.
In other words get back to Canada, before the S*#T hits the fan.
Posted by: Steve | August 25, 2008 5:16 PM
"Are people so susceptible to such childish tactics? Either people are realy dumb, or racism is still a big factor."
Or they aren't paying attention. Not that they will ...
Posted by: Acme Scientist | August 25, 2008 6:37 PM
Acme, I am on the same page as you. People are not dumb, but they are sheep - taking in what's been fed to them by the MSM. It's just so sad.
Posted by: Alex Palazzo | August 25, 2008 6:52 PM
Thank you Jon Stewart
Posted by: Alex Palazzo | August 26, 2008 12:03 AM
Michelle was great last night.
Posted by: Acme Scientist | August 26, 2008 1:36 PM
I agree, she was fabulous. I would write something up but I have WAY too much work.
Posted by: Alex Palazzo | August 26, 2008 3:28 PM
So, if the neo-cons are so good at manipulating the MSM, why don't the liberals learn how to do it better?
I find it highly ironic that liberals and conservatives swear by the notion that the MSM is biased towards the other guys. Both claim that the populace are sheep, being led by the nose to do what is not in their best interest. Both the liberals and conservatives try to tell me, "If only you'd be just like us, then the whole world would be saved."
Which leads me to ask, "Why would I want to vote for a party whose members think I'm too stupid to think for myself?"
Posted by: Spike | August 27, 2008 9:16 AM
Spike,
The MSM is an arena for stupid arguments - even I could be a better spokesman for conservative thought then all those screaming pundits. The MSM is only concerned about one thing - increasing viewership and making a profit. What sells best? Stupidity that plays on people's emotions. And people fall for it. Who cares about Obama's bowling skills? Obama a Muslim??? Obama an elitist? WTF???? These are dumb-ass arguments. Jon Stewart said it best - according to this line of reasoning, FDR would be a terrible president.
All I'm saying is that the last 8 years have been a disaster. On every front. And McCain will be a continuation of that. He voted with Bush 95% of the time BY HIS OWN WORDS. He supported every major Bush policy BY HIS OWN WORDS. Bush's approval is in the mid 20% and thus the election should be a no brainer - but still I hear all these vacuous leaps of logic and I see that Obama and McCain are almost tied. And why? Can you explain that to me???? What am I suppose to conclude? That people are well informed when they argue that Obama is a secret Muslim?
So no, I don't think that the MSM is actively sabotaging either side - it's just that they can gain many more viewers by shoveling the shit that people enjoy consuming - illogical, stupid, petty argumentation. And anyone willing to feed the MSM that type of shit wins the argument. Incredible!!!!
Posted by: Alex Palazzo | August 27, 2008 9:47 AM
Unfortunately, as a Republican working for a Government agency, I would tend to agree that the majority of Americans are VERY susceptible to domestic propaganda (generally referred to under the PSYOPS moniker as Truth Projection and Perception Management). A large portion of suposedly educated Americans are still very superstitious, ill informed, and unable to separate truth from falsehood.
I see this trend mostly in the areas of science and religion but it is also fairly pervasive in the day to day issues that confront us.
What bothers me the most is how the Republican party has used this vulnerability to cater to the fears and ignorance of the American public and foment irrational responses in the voting booth.
Intelligent Design, the worldwide conspiracy of UFOs, Xenomorphs and monsters, ghosts and spirits, and finally, THE SECRET - all play into the superstitious ignorance that has gripped our society. Very sad...
Posted by: Netherper | August 30, 2008 3:04 PM