This is long, but worth reading. Yes, it's about Huckabee, but it also describes a side to evangelicals that rarely makes it to you elite coastal people. You have to read pretty far down to get to that part. Here's the quote that struck me:

His naivete about how his actions would be judged was compounded by his own belief in the nobleness of his motives. Huckabee was—and likely remains—a true believer in the concept of restorative justice. Like many politicians who latch onto ideas that support their worldview, however, he was enthusiastic about the general theory while failing to grasp the nuances of its application.

Judging from the records, the governor also seemed to put a lot of weight on conversion stories—a common trait among evangelicals, who believe the gospel is sufficient for restoration and redemption of character. The opinion of clergy appears to have carried a great deal of weight in the decision-making process.

I see this all the time--and it can be infuriating, in part because so many seem to find Jesus when it's really convenient for them to do so, and no one seems to notice this. Or, you can get away with a lot if people think of you as a "good Christian".

Anyway, the whole blog entry is really in my opinion worth reading.

Nate Silver fights progressive apathy for 2010. Makes good points. This is why I hate activists who act like cry babies.

traderdave wrote:Question for those in the know - as I noted some time ago I am strongly considering a run for school board this coming April. I am trying to estimate my current level of support so I can plan my "campaign" going forward. Is there any guideline for the level of what I'll call "periphery support" I can anticipate? So I am clear, what I mean by that is votes that I might get from a friend of a friend-type of thing. Or is there no such thing. TIA!

First step is to be clear on why you want to run. What do you believe in? What do you want to do differently than the current school board is doing? Decide a few key positions that you want to run on. What your positions are will determine whether you go for support from the teachers' union, the PTA, senior citizens, or the local taxpayers' league. Unless there is some really hot issue in your district, school board races tend to be pretty low key. Not a lot of spending, sometimes not even a full slate of candidates from each party.

If you haven't already, things you should do: attend a few school board meetings, attend a few PTA meetings, talk to your neighbors and see what is important to them, get a copy of and study the budget for your school district, read the school code for your state. Pick the current school board member you agree with/respect the most and get together to discuss what the job really entails and whether that person can help you run or point you toward any support. If you can find a willing person, tell the superintendent or local principal that you are thinking of running and sound them out as to what they think needs to be accomplished. From them, or digging on your own, you want to find out how your district fares on the state's standardized test results. Do the same with a teacher or teachers' union official you trust. You might even chat with a high school student government leader or high school newspaper editor. Go online or to your local newspaper morgue and read all the coverage about the school district for the past year or two. Also check on any significant pending legislation that significantly impacts the schools.

I'm wondering if the Clemmons clemency issue doesn't start to cause problems for Fox News. Huckabee is not likely to simply drift away. Yet I suspect Fox's core audience is going to have real problems with him on this one.

Just thinking out loud.

I guess I would just assume that if enough people stop watching his show, they'll change the programming to something that'll get better ratings.

I have just watched the interview of the so-called State dinner party crashers on the Today show and would support their incarceration at a federal penitentiary for quite some time.

Squire wrote:I have just watched the interview of the so-called State dinner party crashers on the Today show and would support their incarceration at a federal penitentiary for quite some time.

They sound like they just finished up at another party a few hours before.

Squire wrote:I have just watched the interview of the so-called State dinner party crashers on the Today show and would support their incarceration at a federal penitentiary for quite some time.

My ideal would be the handing down of a judgement that would hasten not only their demise, but the demise of the entire realiTV genre:

So You Think You Can Survive a Public Stoning?

Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon found guilty

This is what we get in lieu of a sixth season of "The Wire."

The president is disrupting my primetime TV schedule. Disapprove.

jerseyhoya wrote:The president is disrupting my primetime TV schedule. Disapprove.

it's unlikely that in your lifetime you'll see a republican politician who can say whatever they have to say in as compelling a fashion as the sitting president.

Try not to be bitter.

I don't watch Obama's speeches. I didn't watch Bush's speeches either. I hate debates and speeches. I'll read the transcript.

jerseyhoya wrote:I don't watch Obama's speeches. I didn't watch Bush's speeches either. I hate debates and speeches. I'll read the transcript.

A speech is 60% President and 40% WH staff speechwriters. The transcript reverses those percentages.

jerseyhoya wrote:I don't watch Obama's speeches. I didn't watch Bush's speeches either. I hate debates and speeches. I'll read the transcript.

as political animals go, you're something of a platypus

Christie said that the McKeon legislation, along with Middlesex County Democratic Chairman Joseph Spicuzzo's appointment to a seat on the Sports and Exposition Authority, were two things he thought were going wrong with the transition.

In his testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, which cleared his nomination for a vote in the full Senate, Spicuzzo indicated that he thought the Xanadu project - which is in the Meadowlands in Southern Bergen County -- was in Middlesex County, where he has been Sheriff since 1980. He also did not know what the Sports Authority budget was, how many employees it had, or that PSL's were personal seat licenses.

Christie said Spicuzzo was "probably the most unqualified candidate for the Sports Authority you can find" and indicated that Corzine should withdraw the Sheriff's nomination.

Amazing

Senator Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, who converted to the Democratic Party earlier this year, also came out in opposition, saying he was not persuaded that additional troops in Afghanistan would defeat Al Qaeda.

“If Al Qaeda can operate out of Yemen or Somalia, why fight in Afghanistan where no one has succeeded?” Mr. Specter said.

Arlen Specter must not like his internals for his Dem primary

I wonder what jeff2sf has to say for his favorite left leaning moderate

drsmooth wrote:

jerseyhoya wrote:The president is disrupting my primetime TV schedule. Disapprove.

it's unlikely that in your lifetime you'll see a republican politician who can say whatever they have to say in as compelling a fashion as the sitting president.

Try not to be bitter.

Do you watch all of Obama's speeches?

Werthless wrote:Do you watch all of Obama's speeches?

no

drsmooth wrote:

Werthless wrote:Do you watch all of Obama's speeches?

no

Neither do I. I imagine that most of Obama's future speeches (except the ones surrounding a monumental historic event) will not be worth watching for those of us who are politically aware.

Werthless wrote:Neither do I. I imagine that most of Obama's future speeches (except the ones surrounding a monumental historic event) will not be worth watching for those of us who are politically aware.

imagination's not your strong suit