tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049100705786633064.post1877704698772579446..comments2024-01-20T02:06:45.388-08:00Comments on The Political Omnivore: 2016: WHAT ARE THEY THINKING!??Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049100705786633064.post-76065378848085465052015-01-06T11:47:23.891-08:002015-01-06T11:47:23.891-08:00The Grexit is -fascinating- -- and while "The...The Grexit is -fascinating- -- and while "The Man" may want me to consume it as a horse race, I have to respect the effort they've put into it to make it an exciting one. <br /><br />I am of the Geo-Politics school of thought that for major policy decisions, the people involved (and this is especially true for international policy) don't matter much. In many ways, Obama or Romney would be interchangeable on the world stage (although: Cuba).<br /><br />HOWEVER, that's the rule. The exceptions are things like the Grexit or the minority-opposition party we've seen for the last six years. Should they manage to successfully unhorse Boehner, we'd get a look at policy in the margins at the far end of the bell-curve.<br /><br />That's our own brand of chaos. But for 2016? I'm predicting cheap European vacations for EVERYONE!!<br /><br />-The OmnivoreAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049100705786633064.post-83734494047596257612015-01-06T11:20:15.992-08:002015-01-06T11:20:15.992-08:00"Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon.
Goi..."Sitting on a sofa on a Sunday afternoon.<br />Going to the candidates' debate.<br />Laugh about it, shout about it<br />When you've got to choose<br />Every way you look at this you lose."<br /><br />Seriously, consuming politics as horse race is precisely what The Man wants. You know there's only an illusion of a choice; what Jeff Connaughton calls <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Payoff-ebook/dp/B008Y4TY92" rel="nofollow">"The Blob"</a> is all but guaranteed to win, no matter what happens.<br /><br />I suggest watching out for the aftermath of the upcoming Greek elections on January 25: if Alexis Tsipras' SYRIZA party wins (as seems likely), they'll likely push for what amounts to forgiveness of their hopelessly unpayable €322B debt, which will put the ECB in an impossible position. Call their bluff and kick them out of the EU and suffer a near-certain banking meltdown, or let them stay and prompt Europe's other debtor nations to demand the same deal.<br /><br />Either way, the ensuing chaos will reach here before long. When it does, the ensuing panic,finger-pointing, and other infantile behavior will only exacerbate the situation.<br /><br />I think the 2016 political gamesmanship will end up being even more plainly irrelevant than most prior years'.<br /><br />-- ΩAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049100705786633064.post-56689891195328288322015-01-06T11:09:08.800-08:002015-01-06T11:09:08.800-08:00I wrote a longer post that failed for some reason....I wrote a longer post that failed for some reason. I am pretty sure she will run.<br /><br />A - She is expending a lot of time and effort (and money) setting up groups, traveling, releasing a book, etc.<br /><br />B - She has weathered three campaigns already (2 with Bill, one her own). This may be the easiest one yet. Why not try to be the first woman US President?<br /><br />C - She gains little by announcing early. Yes, some people (as above) may have doubts--but announcing will increase the volume of incoming fire and might make the far left feel cornered into HAVING to run someone against her. In this case, waiting is all to her advantage.<br /><br />I see little upside in her announcing early.<br /><br />I'll be very surprised if she does not run.<br /><br />-The OmnivoreAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8049100705786633064.post-47653526132259463242015-01-06T10:50:33.413-08:002015-01-06T10:50:33.413-08:00I ran into David Gergen at the airport about six w...I ran into David Gergen at the airport about six weeks ago and we talked about Hillary. He said he doesn't know if she wants to go through the grinder of an election, and that indecision is what is causing delay and much of the seeming lack of coherent messaging/strategy. Will be interesting to see what happens.Stanleybostitchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00806163739407718704noreply@blogger.com