Comments on: The Wheels on the Bus Go ‘Round and ‘Round http://www.wholesomereading.com/2008/10/30/the-wheels-on-the-bus-go-round-and-round/ Musings on culture and politics by baseball writer Steven Goldman Sat, 19 May 2012 09:55:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Michael http://www.wholesomereading.com/2008/10/30/the-wheels-on-the-bus-go-round-and-round/#comment-187 Michael Sat, 01 Nov 2008 15:57:07 +0000 http://www.wholesomereading.com/?p=166#comment-187 Craig-"irreparable damage"? That's a little rich, assuming you have been paying attention during the last 8 years. I was asked recently by a client who I favored in the Presidential election. He assumed I would support McCain, because my company's interests probably lean that way. I assured him that my bosses probably thought so, but I disagreed. I argued that change will be painful, but hardly less painful than continuing in the same vein. To bring things into a baseball context, we're down 13-5 in the fourth. In the end, whether we lose 13-5 or 24-5 is of little importance-it's still a loss. What we need, if we want any hope of winning in the end, is to stop the bleeding-we can't allow the opposition to put any more runs on the board (or as few as possible) while we claw our way back into the game. As Steven pointed out, you're wrong-what the terrorists have said, clearly, is that they favor a McCain victory. Comedian David Cross has a joke where he states that he thinks 9/11 happened because of our support of Israel and the presence of our military on Arab soil. "Why do I think that?," he goes on. "Because that's what they f&*king SAID." To the extent that we can believe anything those semi evolved humans say, they have made it clear that the current policy of invasion and occupation suits their needs just fine. To argue otherwise is, in Christina Kahrl's immortal word, wishcasting. Craig-”irreparable damage”? That’s a little rich, assuming you have been paying attention during the last 8 years.

I was asked recently by a client who I favored in the Presidential election. He assumed I would support McCain, because my company’s interests probably lean that way. I assured him that my bosses probably thought so, but I disagreed. I argued that change will be painful, but hardly less painful than continuing in the same vein.

To bring things into a baseball context, we’re down 13-5 in the fourth. In the end, whether we lose 13-5 or 24-5 is of little importance-it’s still a loss. What we need, if we want any hope of winning in the end, is to stop the bleeding-we can’t allow the opposition to put any more runs on the board (or as few as possible) while we claw our way back into the game.

As Steven pointed out, you’re wrong-what the terrorists have said, clearly, is that they favor a McCain victory. Comedian David Cross has a joke where he states that he thinks 9/11 happened because of our support of Israel and the presence of our military on Arab soil. “Why do I think that?,” he goes on. “Because that’s what they f&*king SAID.”

To the extent that we can believe anything those semi evolved humans say, they have made it clear that the current policy of invasion and occupation suits their needs just fine. To argue otherwise is, in Christina Kahrl’s immortal word, wishcasting.

]]> By: Craig http://www.wholesomereading.com/2008/10/30/the-wheels-on-the-bus-go-round-and-round/#comment-184 Craig Fri, 31 Oct 2008 17:52:13 +0000 http://www.wholesomereading.com/?p=166#comment-184 If your dream of Obama's presidency becomes a reality, he'd be a conservative. So, in answer to your question, it is unlikely that the complainers will shut up - there won't be any reason to. We haven't had a great president since Reagan (before that you have to go back to Teddy Roosevelt) and it is unlikely we will have one any time soon. A McCain presidency will unquestionably be a dud; an Obama presidency will most likely cause irreparable damage that this country will never recover from. For the record, I have never called Obama a terrorist. My concern is that the terrorists want Obama to be elected - that's not encouraging. If your dream of Obama’s presidency becomes a reality, he’d be a conservative. So, in answer to your question, it is unlikely that the complainers will shut up - there won’t be any reason to. We haven’t had a great president since Reagan (before that you have to go back to Teddy Roosevelt) and it is unlikely we will have one any time soon. A McCain presidency will unquestionably be a dud; an Obama presidency will most likely cause irreparable damage that this country will never recover from. For the record, I have never called Obama a terrorist. My concern is that the terrorists want Obama to be elected - that’s not encouraging.

]]> By: mike fenger http://www.wholesomereading.com/2008/10/30/the-wheels-on-the-bus-go-round-and-round/#comment-182 mike fenger Thu, 30 Oct 2008 20:45:50 +0000 http://www.wholesomereading.com/?p=166#comment-182 I would harken back to the Carter presidency -- it always seemed to me at the time that lots of forces were at work trying (with success) to undermine Carter. I don't think we should underestimate the power that can be wielded by those with significant economic power, to make things worse in the short term with an eye towards their longer-term interests. Certainly they'll have "complainers" working with them, trying to make the case that left-leaning government cannot work; just look at [the stock market/interest rates/capital flight]! Remember Hunter Thompson's review of the Law Day speech that Carter made? He thought it sent signals that Carter was more liberal than his image. With Obama, the right has made more of a public show of what it (perhaps rightly) points to as signals that Obama might also be more liberal than his image. Hard for me to believe that the cries of "socialist" will go away after the election. BTW, just found your blog [via BP], keep up the good work. I would harken back to the Carter presidency — it always seemed to me at the time that lots of forces were at work trying (with success) to undermine Carter. I don’t think we should underestimate the power that can be wielded by those with significant economic power, to make things worse in the short term with an eye towards their longer-term interests. Certainly they’ll have “complainers” working with them, trying to make the case that left-leaning government cannot work; just look at [the stock market/interest rates/capital flight]!

Remember Hunter Thompson’s review of the Law Day speech that Carter made? He thought it sent signals that Carter was more liberal than his image. With Obama, the right has made more of a public show of what it (perhaps rightly) points to as signals that Obama might also be more liberal than his image. Hard for me to believe that the cries of “socialist” will go away after the election.

BTW, just found your blog [via BP], keep up the good work.

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