What would you like to see me write about? It's okay to repeat suggestions from yesterday, and also okay to repeat/refine suggestions made earlier in the thread since intensity of preferences counts.
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12 Jun 2008 11:30 am
Comments (64)
We're doing a fan mock draft at blazersedge.com and I drew (at random) the Washington Wizards. The draft is tomorrow. Who are some players you'd be targeting at the GM at the 18th spot?
Where is the dividing line between a political blog with a point of view and a blind propaganda blog for a specific point of view?
I've thrown this at a few of my favorites in the blogosphere, but with no response.
If the Dems had not blocked social security privatization in 2005 ... and 10s of millions right now had some substantial portion of their SS money in the market ... what would the panic be like? Is it possible to surmise how much more inflated it would have made all that questionable bundled debt? How many more scams would have been perpetrated on people who suddenly found themselves with large amounts to invest?
Anyway, it sure strikes me as something Dems could be trying to pin on McCain and the GOP right now. Is it not just this kind of bursting bubble that backs up the Dems arguments against privatization?
I'd love to see you write about how you're promoting HITS in Baltimore on or before June 17th, or in Bangladesh thereafter.
I'm beginning to see a pattern where Obama seems to take on concerns directly and promptly and not in the media. I think it's a good sign and, as a style, far different from what we've seen in other campaigns today and in the past.
Three examples: Lieberman on the Senate floor; Evangelical meeting in Chicago; and, the Stop the Smears website.
I think you should write a post or point out regularly when he operates that way because it can give insight to the type of president he may be.
Address the VP question from the standpoint of who the media wants, i.e. what matchup would be most fun to write about. My impression is that an Obama/Webb vs. McCain/Jindal contest would have the virtual ink flying with unimaginable intensity.
You could write a take-down of this stupid David Ignatious piece:
Apparently Obama needs new ideas for the economy because he already used up his old ideas, which are merely standard democratic boilerplate, for the primaries. To do this he needs to repackage them as something "new" like a response to globalization.
Yes, it is that dumb.
The public demands more coverage of the NBA game fixing scandal.
The public demands more coverage of the NBA game fixing scandal.
I am curious to see what your thoughts are, as far as why John Lynch of New Hampshire isn't talked about as a Veep candidate. Is it the military experience? He seems like someone with a lot of upside, being pro-choice, antiwar, and is EXTREMELY popular in the swing state of NH.
For you, it may be his lack of tax increases...
The public demands more coverage of the NBA game fixing scandal.
I believe that the future of music rights and royalties will be subscription services for unfetterd access to a complete catalog of work rather than on the basis of selling individual licenses to consumers for individual works.
I see unfettered access to the catalog as the only service that people will ultimately accept, and since they can't have it now they use P2P filesharing illegally, but most would probably be willing to pay subscription fees for a legal version, which would create a revenue stream for payment to artists.
Is the subscription service a natural monopoly?
The problem is that in order for the system to work, any catalog needs to be complete, which means you can't have different companies bidding for exclusive rights to material. In the absense of competition, royalty rates would have to be set by statute, either at a fixed rate or as percentages of revenue. How do you set those rates? Can you still have different companies competing for customers on the basis of price, or do prices have to be set by statute as well?
I can't think of a model which satisfies the requirement of enabling unfettered access to the complete catalog and which allows for competition between firms, but I don't want to advocate monopoly or government management unless there's no other way.
(a) If Obama is elected and the economy really tanks, can he avoid being a Carteresque one-termer?
and/or
(b) Would it really be desirable for the Democrats to win both the WH and a veto/filibuster-proof majority in Congress in the November elections? Does the existence of a much-needed corrective period in our current situation outweigh the general desirability and Constitutional intention of check/balance between these two branches?
and/or
(c) is anybody trying to fix your servers?
An Italian company recently purchased New York’s landmark Flatiron Building. A Dubai company is about to claim a majority stake in the Chrysler Building. A Belgian company is about to acquire Anheuser-Busch in a hostile takeover. In the current global economy, and with a weak U.S. dollar, are all U.S. assets vulnerable?
I would like to see a discussion of the pros and cons of Richardson as Obama's VP pick. He seems to be an obviously good candidate: he's from the West, were we have serious chances of picking up states, he appeals to Latino voters, he has executive office experience, he has lots of energy experience, and he has lots of diplomatic experience. His CV seems to enhance Obama's ticket without claiming that he has weaknesses. It would allow Obama to more credibly push a 50-state strategy, and more importantly, recast foreign policy towards diplomacy and away from military intervention. With all of this, I haven't heard a peep out of people trying to evaluate him as a VP.
I think all signs point to an Obama win this election but there is a fear among the media that the white working class in PA and OH will not elect a black man.
Disregard that if Obama is up in the popular vote by 5-10 points, he should win most states anyway, I don't think people talk enough about the 2006 TN senate race. Harold Ford Jr., who is black lost the election by 3 points. It was the only open senate seat the democrats lost.
Clinton won the TN primary by 13 points and it would seem TN is along the lines of PA and OH. The point is if a black democrat can almost win in a working class red state in favorable Democratic conditions, Obama should win working class toss up states where there is a large racist element. However, as the Ford race demonstrates, I think the media may be exaggerating the biases of people voting for a black candidate.
Hi Matt,
I've been reading your blog for a long time and would like to hear your thoughts on President Obama creating a bipartisan commission on robots and threat they could pose.
thanks!
Along the lines of Peter K: Do you think a President Obama will create a special cabinet position for Sarah Connor?
Has Wall Street evolved into one big viagra-fueled circle jerk? And if so, at what point (and how) do we insist that they spread their seed with rest of America?
Why can't NYC clean up its urine-soaked hellhole that they call a "subway system?" You seem to like to blog about public transportation and you are a New Yorker. Maybe you could address why many New Yorkers like to defend that shithole as "quaint" and "old" and "charming." The MTA can't seem to figure out how to use a mop to clean up some of that quaintness.
You could compare the NYC subway to Tokyo's, for example, which is also "old," but somehow doesn't like the 9th circle of Hell. Personally, I think New Yorkers just have low expectations and inured to the filth. And I say this as someone who rode the subway everyday for almost 20 years.
I'd be interested to see more attention given to the future structure of the US economy, particularly whether we will continue to do any manufacturing at all. Everyone talks about specific policies like NAFTA or the FTA with Colombia, but a wider perspective would be worthwhile.
Oh, and what someone said about new servers. My hypothesis is that the loooong wait in posting a comment is intentional, designed to exhaust the patience of robo-posters and trolls, but there's got to be a better way.
Matt,
I was wondering if you could provide a list of web addresses that you most frequently use to acquire knowledge of foreign policy, moves made in congress, etc. What sites and/or other literature do you peruse when researching? I think this could be helpful for some of us to research on our own so that we can bring more understanding to the blog, which, my hope is, will create more dialogue.
Thanks.
I'd be interested to see more attention given to the future structure of the US economy, particularly whether we will continue to do any manufacturing at all. Everyone talks about specific policies like NAFTA or the FTA with Colombia, but a wider perspective would be worthwhile.
Oh, and what someone said about new servers. My hypothesis is that the loooong wait in posting a comment is intentional, designed to exhaust the patience of robo-posters and trolls, but there's got to be a better way.
I still think a look at economic advisors Goolsbee and Furman is worth doing. Are they both in the mainstream of neoliberal economics? Does Obama plan to stay away from John Edwards style economic populism in the general election campaign? Where are Obama's heart and mind on economic issues anyway? McCain does not seem interested at all. Is Obama interested in economic policy?
Seriously--why cannot/should not Joe Lieberman be recalled, since he still has four years to run this scam of his? Is it that the state's GOP would have his back? But what's wrong with that? Why can't Connecticut call for a full and honest revote over whether they want a Democratic senator or a complete sellout to the neocon warmongers and hard-core American imperialists? Or is there some procedural impediment?
Which VP picks up the most votes for McCain? Who does the most harm? Where is Huckabee in all of this?
Oh, never mind....
query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C07E6DE143BF930A25754C0A9679C8B63
I'd like to see you address to question of whether calling our current occupation of Iraq a "war" is a good idea. It seems to me the debate about a war can be cast as something you either "win" or "lose" where as an occupation has to be discussed as something you either "end" or "continue". It seems this latter framing is better for the side who want to get our troops out of there.
Kevin Garnett's legacy if the Celtics win. It is so ridiculous to me to read a Simmons column about how Garnett is choking and yet he then talks about how awful Gasol and Odom have been. As though those things are unrelated.
How does your own experience reflect on the fact that the supposedly democratizing aspects of blogs have been co-opted by the traditional media? Do you think that there is a kind of failure in now being under the imprimatur of the Atlantic? Doesn't the fact that every Atlantic blogger is Ivy-League educated and old media connected undercut the notion that the web has opened up avenues in media previously denied to "regular people"?
Repeat: Would appreciate a recommended reading list, with a permanent link somewhere on your site, similar to the blogroll. Include both recent stuff as well as influential works from way back when.
New: The Abolish the Air Force argument made me wonder if anyone has written about why there are separate branches at all. A historical explanation would be ok, but I'm more interested in a justification. If the Navy can have ships, subs, pilots, and marines; and the Army can have helicopters, tanks, armor, infantry; why not just put everyone under a single institution called, say, the US Military Force, with specialized sub-branches of, say, sea (ships, subs), land (tanks, armor), air (helicopters, bombers, fighters), and guys-with-guns (amphibious, paratrooper, special forces, etc.) branches?
Why is no one focusing on Gilbert "the Black President" Arenas as VP? You should get behind that. Their swag is phenomenal.
http://www.motheringhut.com/obama_arenas.html
Seriously: Bendis or Morrison?
I'd like you to talk more about comic books in popular culture, both historically and how they relate to culture in very recent history and at present. Possible topics, anti-heroes, movie adaptation, commercialism, political themes in comic books, social themes in comic books, underground comic books, etc.. Assignment: talk more about comics.
During the primary season there was much talk about the "Meet the press-ization" of modern media as if it was a negative. Personally I believe one of the benefits of the 24-hour constant media is it allows the public to hold their elected officials accountable for what they actually say.
Do you believe the effect "Meet the Press" has had on the way in which the media operates is a positive or negative, and why?
It would be good if you would discuss the current account deficit and the large buildup in reserve assets by emerging market countries (especially the Gulf states and China) and whether and how these problems can be unwound without wrecking the world economy or further impoverishing working Americans.
Jamie Kirchick at TNR.
More basketball....more urbanism and transit.
Since it has come up in the comments to your "Rule of Law Still In Force" post: it would be interesting to see a discussion of FDR's handling of the Operation Pastorius situation in WWII compared with today's Supreme Court ruling and Bush's approach to detainee rights.
More Jay-Z dogwhistles to the youth vote. Also, more about that guy who fellates the goats.
Will Obama ban human/animal hybrids???
How much did the David Geffen flap affect the course of the primary election?????????
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You know how "Santorum" is now a word? I think we should do the same thing to "Tancredo." I propose using it as a verb, meaning "to enter into a daunting, alien society and succeed."
Ex. As a former pitcher, it was unexpected that Rick Ankiel would be able to succeed as a hitter, but he's been totally Tancredoing, with 4 HRs in 54 AB.
I'd like to know why I keep p0wning you. No, really. While some of my comments are one-offs, others point out serious problems with your posts. Does any of that sink in?
Tell us some of the shitty bands you like so we can make fun of you.
How about a comment on the article by Hanna Rosin in the current Atlantic. Rosin outlines another failed attempt at social engineering.
If the elites of America want to help the less fortunate, they should move the less fortunate to their own neighborhoods like Grosse Pointe, Mich, Gladwyne, Pa, and Greenwich, CT.
The working class pays the price for the good intentions of the elites.
Alonzo Mourning and Shawn Marion are big Obamaphiles. 'Zo gave $25,000 to the D-Trip in 2004. And Marion "plans to play pickup basketball with the presidential hopeful in Chicago this summer." I want a breakdown of that matchup. Looks to be no contest unless Tim Donaghy's the ref.
More on climate change. It's way more important than many of the "outlier" topics you mix in. Given your focus on politics, I'd be particularly interested in how we can build political support for the changes we need.
More parallels between policy and comics. (Please.)
"The Green Lantern Theory of Geopolitics" is obviously your best.
I have a lot of conservative friends and family (also a loved one lost in Iraq). During our arguments, I've found that the GLT kind of touches a nerve in a way that's very useful.
Do you have any others? Something along the same vein?
Answer my two fucking questions on Iran or STFU all together.
Failing that, explain why you think the "Terminator" TV show sucks when it's obvious you only watched the first episode which was not representative of the show at all.
Also explain why you can't say anything useful about the Palestinian situation (hint: ball less wonder is scared of AIPAC.)
transportation transportation transportation!
I know you read Ambinder's blog. Do you think it's balanced? If not, which way does it incline?
book recommendations
Please keep covering transportation, oil prices, and the excessive distortion/misallocation of spending on various modes.
A follow-up: if not Parfit, which philosopher would vote for McCain? And, please, make it somebody with whom you agree on at least a couple of important issues.
Can you comment on the numbers cited by Randal O'Tool today on the Diane Rehm Show.
http://wamu.org/programs/dr/08/06/12.php#20828
O'Tool is out of the Cato Institute and trotted out some very alarming numbers on the cost per mile traveled on public transit versus private auto in the USA. On European public transit his numbers, if correct, challenge quite strongly the dominate view in left of center circles on how they, Europeans, are doing ay getting people out of there cars and into public transit.
He also makes the argument that if gas tax dollars were exclusively spent on highway upkeep we would not be having a highway infrastructure problem.
Richardson as Obama's VP pick... he appeals to Latino voters
Be careful not to conflate "is Latino" with "appeals to Latino voters."
Matt: As a practicing urban planner, I would just like to say, "More urban planning, please!"
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My boyfriend and I want to go on a awesome long vacation soon. We were looking for advice. Anyone have any fantastic spots? A means to save some money would be nice too. Traveling is drains the wallet these days.
Comments closed June 26, 2008.
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Heads in the Sand
I'd like a bit of coverage on the policies that have made the U.S. dollar so weak, what either candidate has to say about those policies and the dollar, and the impact that the weak dollar has had on the price of a barrel of oil.
Related, are oil producing countries serious about moving oil sales from the U.S. dollar to the Euro, or possibly multiple currencies? I read Iran was talking about it, but I'd be interested if it's just a bit of bluster or for real.
Posted by LFC | June 12, 2008 11:40 AM