3 ms·

Yet another outcome correctly predicted by pg's "It's Charisma, Stupid" essay. Although the need to nominate only charismatic candidates hasn't sunk in.

will_robinson 18y ago
Something keeps bothering me about charismatic leaders with revolutionary views and overwhelming mandates in times of severe economic trouble.
- ojbyrne 18y ago
  I don't agree. I hope that while he won because of severe economic trouble, I think they recognize that the root of that problem has been severe disruption of freedom and democracy by the current party in power. I hope that economics will be put on the back burner and "security" (also known as security theater - also known as fascism) will be the most important consideration. As in rolling back "security" in favor of "democracy." Freedom fixes economics. And the last administration has been assaulting freedom for eight years.
  - kirse 18y ago
    The thing that fixes this economy is each and every person not spending ridiculously beyond their means and taking on insane levels of debt up to their eyeballs. Don't be naive and try to blame this economic situation on some other bullshit about freedom from the "last administration". Many of us Americans (for the most part) have been spending out the ass using credit and the bills are coming due. Americans' personal money management habits have _nothing_ to do with the party in office. It's our own aggregate greed and desire for more that has left us with a shell of an economy stuck with trillions of debt. Now point to yourself and say it with me: "My personal choices affect the economy. Not the current administration or the next administration, not anyone else, but how I choose to manage my budget and debt as an individual." I'm all for blaming others when things go wrong, but this one's pretty simple buddy. We're in a metric ton of debt and the fault belongs to each one of us.
    - ojbyrne 18y ago
      But one hedge fund manager making 3.7 billion dollars annual salary makes you (and a million of your friends) irrelevant. Cheers!
    - jrockway 18y ago
      Many of us Americans (for the most part) have been spending out the ass using credit and the bills are coming due. Americans' personal money management habits have _nothing_ to do with the party in office. The problem, though, is that the banks let them do this. It is very easy for the credit card company to start declining transactions, and it's very easy for a loan officer to say, "sorry, you can't afford this house". Nobody did that, though, and here we are.
- nostrademons 18y ago
  I'm encouraged by the humility he showed in his victory speech. His mood seems entirely different than, say, Bush's "Mission Accomplished" Iraq stunt.
  - hugh 18y ago
    I didn't see his victory speech this time, but I did see his victory speech in the primaries: "...I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal..." which at the very least suggests "humility" isn't necessarily deeply ingrained.
    - Retric 18y ago
      He was still trying to get elected at that point in time and it's hard to drum up support when you say "aww shucks" (?sp) when your given the spot light.

will_robinson 18y ago

Something keeps bothering me about charismatic leaders with revolutionary views and overwhelming mandates in times of severe economic trouble.

ojbyrne 18y ago
I don't agree. I hope that while he won because of severe economic trouble, I think they recognize that the root of that problem has been severe disruption of freedom and democracy by the current party in power. I hope that economics will be put on the back burner and "security" (also known as security theater - also known as fascism) will be the most important consideration. As in rolling back "security" in favor of "democracy." Freedom fixes economics. And the last administration has been assaulting freedom for eight years.
- kirse 18y ago
  The thing that fixes this economy is each and every person not spending ridiculously beyond their means and taking on insane levels of debt up to their eyeballs. Don't be naive and try to blame this economic situation on some other bullshit about freedom from the "last administration". Many of us Americans (for the most part) have been spending out the ass using credit and the bills are coming due. Americans' personal money management habits have _nothing_ to do with the party in office. It's our own aggregate greed and desire for more that has left us with a shell of an economy stuck with trillions of debt. Now point to yourself and say it with me: "My personal choices affect the economy. Not the current administration or the next administration, not anyone else, but how I choose to manage my budget and debt as an individual." I'm all for blaming others when things go wrong, but this one's pretty simple buddy. We're in a metric ton of debt and the fault belongs to each one of us.
  - ojbyrne 18y ago
    But one hedge fund manager making 3.7 billion dollars annual salary makes you (and a million of your friends) irrelevant. Cheers!
  - jrockway 18y ago
    Many of us Americans (for the most part) have been spending out the ass using credit and the bills are coming due. Americans' personal money management habits have _nothing_ to do with the party in office. The problem, though, is that the banks let them do this. It is very easy for the credit card company to start declining transactions, and it's very easy for a loan officer to say, "sorry, you can't afford this house". Nobody did that, though, and here we are.
nostrademons 18y ago
I'm encouraged by the humility he showed in his victory speech. His mood seems entirely different than, say, Bush's "Mission Accomplished" Iraq stunt.
- hugh 18y ago
  I didn't see his victory speech this time, but I did see his victory speech in the primaries: "...I am absolutely certain that generations from now, we will be able to look back and tell our children that this was the moment when we began to provide care for the sick and good jobs to the jobless; this was the moment when the rise of the oceans began to slow and our planet began to heal..." which at the very least suggests "humility" isn't necessarily deeply ingrained.
  - Retric 18y ago
    He was still trying to get elected at that point in time and it's hard to drum up support when you say "aww shucks" (?sp) when your given the spot light.