I'm already so sick the constant Perry Watch, and it's only August 2011.
We may have to get through MONTHS of this. If you do even a modicum of research, you'll find an interesting article about "Brain Biases & News" and see that people who are deemed attractive by our shallow US standards generally are considered Teflon-coated and given a "pass" on many things. (http://www.brainbiases.com/2008/11/beautiful-people-bias.html) That's one reason Sarah Palin won't go away, and why we're going to have to suffer through the Bachmann BS as well. Romney's not an issue because he's a ... dare I say it ... MORMON.
The more sentient beings, however, will see beneath the surface and begin to look at more substantive things like values, behaviors, etc. Do your own Rick Perry research and see where he really stands and what he's really done (TO us) during the past ten (okay, really 28) years. This government-tit hypocrite can't make up his mind on a variety of issues, and the way you can tell he's lying is when his mouth is open. Pukey.
As I've harped on many times, however, this is why reality TV exists. We have become an extremely shallow, easily distracted, frequently duped society suffering from ADD.
To quote a favorite movie line, "you people make my ass twitch."
There is also something out there called the "Gullibility Control Bias" - the tendency to become more gullible when we feel out of control. Do you feel in control of the current economic situation, yours or America's? That probably makes you more susceptible to buying the BS that our current 'elected representatives" spoon feed us regarding what's in OUR best interest, which just happens to make some of them millionaires while the rest of us watch our 401k's disappear along with our chance of getting anything out of the Social Security system that we have paid into for decades, etc. Do you feel 'entitled' to that money? How dare you.
There are all sorts of things we've been manipulated into buying/believing:
The Money Illusion: http://www.brainbiases.com/2009/03/money-illusion.html
The Self-Serving Bias: (this has Congress written all over it): http://www.brainbiases.com/2009/03/money-illusion.html
The Dunning-Kruger Effect: http://www.brainbiases.com/2009/04/dunning-kruger-effect.html
The Authority Bias: (aka Glenn Beck, you should really just kiss my a$$)
http://www.brainbiases.com/2008/11/authority-bias.html
I could go on, but then you would miss out on the opportunity to fish for yourself.
Wake up, America. It's time to start thinking critically and not just swallowing the pablum.
You know Dicky Perry must think everyone in the country must be as clueless and gullible as Texans who keeps re-electing his sorry ass into office over and over and over again. He plays cheerleader games when confronted with a hard question and how does he defend his flip flop from Texas chair of Al Gore's 1988 Presidential bid to current lead wingnut? "Al Gore was the most conservative candidate."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/us/politics/16perry.html?hp
And sadly, he may be right in thinking that there ARE enough stupid people out there to propel him to the Presidency of a country he wants to secede from.
I am worn out from pounding my head against the wall.
Dunning-Kruger often manifests as employees called Peter Dilbert Parkinson (referencing my blog from a couple of weeks ago - http://dailyhurricane.com/2011/07/peter-dilbert-parkinson.html).
Stranger things have happened in politics. This horse race, or horse's ass race, won't be over for a while, and I have the utmost confidence in the ability of the American people to vote for an idiot from Texas.
My passport is in order.
carguy - The backside of this last full moon is a beast! I suspect that if everyone had the kind of Monday that I have had (and it started on Saturday), no one has any strength back yet. Things falling apart, failing, and futile attempts at repair in time to make any difference have been the drill...
And I'm tired of dragging sprinklers around and feeling bad for keeping things alive around here. The drought is going to my brain.
Where is everybody today????????
Many of you know I subscribe to Mark Twain's theory, "95% of the people in the world are idiots and the other 5% of us are in danger of contagion." So, I'm already a little skittish when it comes to what will happen 2012.
Like aH, I was more than a little bit unnerved with the Dunning-Kruger Effect particularly since I have seen it "in practice". I didn't know that's what it was. But, it's unmistakable and irrefutable. Lots of that going around.
I k now lots of you are concerned about Perry. You should be. But polls show he has no chance of beating Obama. Neither does Bachmann and the GOP GOP bigwigs KNOW that. Romney appears to be dead-even with Obama at present and, you'll find THIS interesting, Rudy Giuliani polled ahead of Obama 51-49.
For some reason that Dunning-Kruger Effect bothers me a little bit.
As I always do I watched the Sunday morning political shows and several of the more knowledgable political pundits seem to agree that the "weeding of the field" has officially begin with the retirement of Tim Pawlenty.
These "experts" are also in general agreement that Newt Gingrich is out of the running. Although, Newt and his lovely third wife seem to be oblivious to that fact.
John Huntsman, trailing the field considerably is neck and neck with Rick Santorum to see who gets voted off podium next.
So, many feel that, as totally not indicative of anything whatsoever as the Ames vote was, that the remaining viable candidates are, in no particular order of sanity or religious piousness, Romney, Bachmann, and Perry.
I think it is likely too late for Giuliani and Palin to enter the race. And for that reason, I suspect one or both may likely join the circus anyway.
Regardless, it should be a spectacle to "The thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. The human drama of political competition. This is, the United States of America."