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I think a big blocker here is that it's takes a lot of time and interpersonal connection to get people on board with a political plan. EA types want to be able

I think a big blocker here is that it's takes a lot of time and interpersonal connection to get people on board with a political plan. EA types want to be able to spend/design/research your way to a solution (I derogatively think of this as "Magic the Gathering politics"), but sometimes all that's required is to knock on 20 neighbors' doors and let them know about an upcoming vote they might be interested in, and having a strong enough relationship with them that they might listen. Someone like SBF does not seem like the type to have an authentic, positive connection with the people living in physical space near him.

s1artibartfast 3y ago
>Someone like SBF does not seem like the type to have an authentic, positive connection with the people living in physical space near him Conversely, if you strip away all the FTX crypto hate and eat the rich sentiment, I actually find SBF quite charming and persuasive. I loved the interview he did with Matt lavine, and thought he was a clear and effective communicator. He probably could have gone far in politics if he didn't go into finance and if he wasnt ugly.
- tech_ken 3y ago
  Interesting point. I guess on one level I feel like giving a good interview isn't really indicative of someone's actual character, the kind of political movement building I'm thinking of is a somewhat different skillset than just "presents well on screen" (though they can overlap!). With that said, presenting well on screen does help when you're running for office so he maybe could have gone far with that as you say. However as to whether he would have actually been a good and prudent public servant once in office seems unlikely to me, given his financial misdeeds and the narcissism that seems to be coming through all the post-hoc analysis.
- jrumbut 3y ago
  > thought he was a clear and effective communicator He would not have come off that way if he hadn't severed the connection between what he was saying and the truth. Any dinner theater actor can give a good speech, it's giving a good speech without ignoring the messiness of reality that's difficult. If he had been a clear and effective communicator while describing using customer funds to buy houses and pay debts then he might have become president.
  - s1artibartfast 3y ago
    I don't think he said anything dishonest in the interview I mentioned. In fact he was widely criticized for the clear description of yeild farming he gave
- roywiggins 3y ago
  > thought he was a clear and effective communicator conmen often are very effective communicators. It comes with the package.
- JohnFen 3y ago
  > I actually find SBF quite charming and persuasive. I genuinely find that fascinating, because from the first I ever saw or heard him (before the FTX stuff erupted), my reaction was the exact opposite. My most charitable reaction was that he was a scammer.
  - s1artibartfast 3y ago
    Interesting. Did you see or hear him directly, or through third party reporting? Do you have any priors that would lead you to that reaction, or were you neutral and open to what he was saying? I know a lot of people are hostile to crypto, so that I should see them reacting inherently negatively to anyone in the crypto space.
    - JohnFen 3y ago
      I watched him in an interview. I don't remember where, exactly. It was a while ago. As near as I can tell, I had no prejudgement about him, other than my assumption was that he was a subject matter expert. My reaction to him was entirely about how he acted and spoke during the interview. It had nothing to do with the subject matter being discussed. His manner strongly resembles a personality type that I've encountered numerous times over the decades, and in most cases those people were extremely sketchy. I think it's that he speaks and acts in a way that appears disingenuous and calculated to manipulate.
      - s1artibartfast 3y ago
        yeah, it could simply have to do with the topic of the interview as well. My first exposure was the Matt Levine, which I thought was really candid and basically laid all the card on the table, to the extent that Matt said at one point "I think of myself as like a fairly cynical person. And that was so much more cynical than how I would've described farming. You're just like, well, I'm in the Ponzi business and it's pretty good." I didnt think he was being deceptive at all.

s1artibartfast 3y ago

>Someone like SBF does not seem like the type to have an authentic, positive connection with the people living in physical space near him Conversely, if you strip away all the FTX crypto hate and eat the rich sentiment, I actually find SBF quite charming and persuasive. I loved the interview he did with Matt lavine, and thought he was a clear and effective communicator. He probably could have gone far in politics if he didn't go into finance and if he wasnt ugly.

tech_ken 3y ago
Interesting point. I guess on one level I feel like giving a good interview isn't really indicative of someone's actual character, the kind of political movement building I'm thinking of is a somewhat different skillset than just "presents well on screen" (though they can overlap!). With that said, presenting well on screen does help when you're running for office so he maybe could have gone far with that as you say. However as to whether he would have actually been a good and prudent public servant once in office seems unlikely to me, given his financial misdeeds and the narcissism that seems to be coming through all the post-hoc analysis.
jrumbut 3y ago
> thought he was a clear and effective communicator He would not have come off that way if he hadn't severed the connection between what he was saying and the truth. Any dinner theater actor can give a good speech, it's giving a good speech without ignoring the messiness of reality that's difficult. If he had been a clear and effective communicator while describing using customer funds to buy houses and pay debts then he might have become president.
- s1artibartfast 3y ago
  I don't think he said anything dishonest in the interview I mentioned. In fact he was widely criticized for the clear description of yeild farming he gave
roywiggins 3y ago
> thought he was a clear and effective communicator conmen often are very effective communicators. It comes with the package.
JohnFen 3y ago
> I actually find SBF quite charming and persuasive. I genuinely find that fascinating, because from the first I ever saw or heard him (before the FTX stuff erupted), my reaction was the exact opposite. My most charitable reaction was that he was a scammer.
- s1artibartfast 3y ago
  Interesting. Did you see or hear him directly, or through third party reporting? Do you have any priors that would lead you to that reaction, or were you neutral and open to what he was saying? I know a lot of people are hostile to crypto, so that I should see them reacting inherently negatively to anyone in the crypto space.
  - JohnFen 3y ago
    I watched him in an interview. I don't remember where, exactly. It was a while ago. As near as I can tell, I had no prejudgement about him, other than my assumption was that he was a subject matter expert. My reaction to him was entirely about how he acted and spoke during the interview. It had nothing to do with the subject matter being discussed. His manner strongly resembles a personality type that I've encountered numerous times over the decades, and in most cases those people were extremely sketchy. I think it's that he speaks and acts in a way that appears disingenuous and calculated to manipulate.
    - s1artibartfast 3y ago
      yeah, it could simply have to do with the topic of the interview as well. My first exposure was the Matt Levine, which I thought was really candid and basically laid all the card on the table, to the extent that Matt said at one point "I think of myself as like a fairly cynical person. And that was so much more cynical than how I would've described farming. You're just like, well, I'm in the Ponzi business and it's pretty good." I didnt think he was being deceptive at all.