Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Something to Know - 8 November


1.  What we should hope to see as we move forward as a result of Obama's return to office.   Immigration reform - for sure.   With the Republicans reeling from their perceived anti-minority stance, what better time than now to craft and pass an all encompassing and effective law.   We should also figure out a way to resolve these efforts by some states to disenfranchise the voters by purposefully throwing up obstacles to make it harder or impossible to vote.  I would suggest that any federal election by standardized throughout the nation, so that early voting, registration, proof of registration, voting by mail, etc. are the same in each state - no exceptions.  Also, putting an end to the filibuster in the Senate - by making it a 51-vote majority rule to pass a law:

2.  As the Democrats work forward, the side show of what is left of the Republican Party is in the process of re-inventing itself, finding itself, reforming itself, and trying to reconstitute a new philosophy.   All the various factions of the GOP will be grabbing for the direction of the internal debate, but who among this band of splintered groups will emerge as the leader to put the broken pieces back together.  As I have said before, there is a definite need for at least two parties.  Right now the Democrats are in charge, and it is up to the GOP to figure out who they are and where they are going.   It really is going to be amusing to watch, but not to the point where we forget about the work that needs to be done:

3.  For those of you who missed Karl Rove's irritation on camera when Fox News predicted Ohio for Obama, and thus his re-election, you missed a good one.   After all, Rove was the money bundler for the Uber-Billionaires who were tossing cash into the dark funds like ping-pong balls into the fish bowls at county fairs.   Rove was out on the end of his rope as the results came in, which were all contrary to his calculations.  He was like the stock broker standing on the building ledge during the Wall Street Crash of 1929.   He blew his investors money on his bad advice and predictions:

4.  There are articles. columns, and op-ed pieces on the subject of the basic reconstruction of the Republican Party.  Nothing I have seen suggests that it remains the same.  It has to change.  The direction, substance, and composition of that change is going to be lively, but probably mostly behind closed doors.   Nicholas Kristof offers up his version of the rehab prescription.   There will be more of these as the days and weeks roll on.  It will be interesting to see who emerges and the leader:

5.  Time for a bit of Schadenfreude.   Jonah Goldberg is a conservative writer who might make an appearance on this forum about twice in one year.  He seems to question the legitimacy of Nate Silver and his ability to prognosticate with amazing accuracy.  So it gives me a cheap  thrill that Nate has predicted all 50 states and the District of Columbia  - for a total of 51 out of 51 for Obama (Florida is still finished, however, but leaning favorably):
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-goldberg-statistics-20121106,0,7248130.column

--
Juan

My definition of an expert in any field is a person who knows enough about what's really going on to be scared." 
       -- P. J. Plauger
"The folly of mistaking a paradox for a discovery, a metaphor for a proof, a torrent of verbiage for a spring of capital truths, and oneself for an oracle, is inborn in us." 
       -- Paul Valery
"Democracy is the name we give the people whenever we need them." 
       -- Marquis de Flers Robert and Arman de Caillavet
"Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons." 
       -- Woody Allen


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