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Tuesday, August 9, 2016

We Have Learned Some Ugly Things About Dilbert

For one thing he-or his creator, Scott Adams-thinks he's a master hypnotist. He is fascinated by Trump's fascism and has become Trump's Goebbels.

Now in the primary Adams was right-as was I. We both realized early that Trump had a real shot at winning the GOP primary.

But in retrospect this was for very different reasons. For Adams, this is because Trump is a Master Persuader. For me, just that the GOP is a dysfunctional dog's breakfast of a party.

We've also learned that Adams is not such a great predictor either.

Mark Ruffalo:

"Ouch! This Has Got To Hurt: 50 Repub Security Officials Say Trump Would Be a Disaster."

https://twitter.com/MarkRuffalo/status/762774960980975616

So Adams replies:

"51 people who want you to believe they can see the future."

Uh, Adams is the one who predicted a Trump landslide so he clearly-wrongly-believes he can see the future.

In any case more and more GOPers are turning against Trump. We even have a possible GOPer running independent.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/aug/8/evan-mcmullin-former-cia-spy-announce-third-party-/

Meanwhile, Susan Collins is not voting for Trump:

"I will not be voting for Donald Trump for president. This is not a decision I make lightly, for I am a lifelong Republican. But Donald Trump does not reflect historical Republican values nor the inclusive approach to governing that is critical to healing the divisions in our country."

"When the primary season started, it soon became apparent that, much like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Mr. Trump was connecting with many Americans who felt that their voices were not being heard in Washington and who were tired of political correctness. But rejecting the conventions of political correctness is different from showing complete disregard for common decency. Mr. Trump did not stop with shedding the stilted campaign dialogue that often frustrates voters. Instead, he opted for a constant stream of denigrating comments, including demeaning Sen. John McCain’s (R-Ariz.) heroic military service and repeatedly insulting Fox News host Megyn Kelly."

"With the passage of time, I have become increasingly dismayed by his constant stream of cruel comments and his inability to admit error or apologize. But it was his attacks directed at people who could not respond on an equal footing — either because they do not share his power or stature or because professional responsibility precluded them from engaging at such a level — that revealed Mr. Trump as unworthy of being our president."

"I had hoped that we would see a “new” Donald Trump as a general-election candidate — one who would focus on jobs and the economy, tone down his rhetoric, develop more thoughtful policies and, yes, apologize for ill-tempered rants. But the unpleasant reality that I have had to accept is that there will be no “new” Donald Trump, just the same candidate who will slash and burn and trample anything and anyone he perceives as being in his way or an easy scapegoat. Regrettably, his essential character appears to be fixed, and he seems incapable of change or growth."

"Some will say that as a Republican I have an obligation to support my party’s nominee. I have thought long and hard about that, for being a Republican is part of what defines me as a person. I revere the history of my party, most particularly the value it has always placed on the worth and dignity of the individual, and I will continue to work across the country for Republican candidates. It is because of Mr. Trump’s inability and unwillingness to honor that legacy that I am unable to support his candidacy."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/gop-senator-why-i-cannot-support-trump/2016/08/08/821095be-5d7e-11e6-9d2f-b1a3564181a1_story.html

Joe Conason actually brings up an interesting paradox: for all the nasty things the GOP says about Hillary in public, many Republicans who know her have only good things to say privately.

"Everyone knows that Hillary Clinton is smart, tough, knowledgeable and determined — but not very likable. That reputation seems set in stone, even among people who plan to vote for her, and especially among Republicans, whose disdain for the former secretary of state is almost universal."

"Yes, nearly every Republican despises that woman — except the Republicans who actually know her personally, having encountered her up close in the Senate or White House. To read their raves about Clinton over the years is to understand how badly her personal image has been distorted by decades of negative coverage and political propaganda."

"What they’ve said may stun anyone who has accepted the stereotypical portrait of Clinton that is served up every day."

"Consider political consultant Dick Morris, who spent many hours with her during the years when he worked for her husband. Back before Morris switched parties to become a right-wing media personality and Clinton basher, he described her exceptional kindness to him and his aging parents."

"She was “loving and caring,” he wrote in his 1997 book, “Behind The Oval Office,” “quite the opposite of her sometimes strident public image.” Meeting her at the White House was “probably the happiest moment in the last year of my mother’s life.” And while the elderly Mrs. Morris lay dying, Hillary “was a major support in my grief and I can never forget that.” (Not until he started to collect a paycheck from Fox News, at least.)"

http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/joe-conason-republicans-love-hillary-clinton-article-1.2740094


15 comments:

  1. "Ouch! This Has Got To Hurt: 50 Repub Security Officials Say Trump Would Be a Disaster."

    Incredibly, that's what Benjamin Cole (Sumner commentator) now saws is making him change his mind and decide to vote for Trump. He says if warmongers are against Trump it means Trump must have it right. Lol. He's seen lots and lots of anti-Trump evidence and has slowly, grudgingly come to accept it. All to be undone by the unlikeliest of news stories.

    It's like trying to teach a moth to keep out of the flame. Whatever limited success you might achieve is soon undone by the siren call of the fire.

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    2. http://www.themoneyillusion.com/?p=31891#comment-1027208

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    3. I saw a story about a family who was caught trying to escape from an ISIS controlled area: mom, dad and 2 year old girl. Their punishment: all three burned alive.

      In the comments some idiot (Trump supporter, but I repeat myself) said something like

      "CARPET BOMB THE SHIT OUT OF ALL OF THEM!!!!"

      I may not have captured the full subtlety of his sentiments, but that's basically it. I pointed out to him that this is illogical as it would likely have resulted int the deaths of that same innocent family so horribly victimized by ISIS. After which he accused me of being "a child" and that I needed to "get real" and "man up." But this commenter: isn't he just like Trump or Cruz when appealing to a mob? No logic, no actual concern for the victims of ISIS. They just don't like seeing stories like that. It's all about THEM! How to eliminate stories like that (which must somewhere deep down not only disgust them but make them afraid)? Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out! Woooo-hooooo!

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    4. Despite Benjamin Cole, the polls show lack of GOP unity is hurting him

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  2. Mike, has Scott Adams ever responded to one of your tweets? If he's so up on identifying confirmation bias and brain washing, then why not put you chips on the table and turn to the scientific method and test your model against reality? I.e. make a lot of predictions regarding this election and see how many of them come true. Also define ahead of time which results will show that your model of reality is likely wrong. I notice he turned comments off on his blog. He tries to come off as impartial and only concerned with the candidates' persuasion skills, but there's a definite undercurrent of Trump boosterism I think. Did you read his so-called endorsement of Hillary?

    More evidence: he talks about alpha males and beta males (and females). This is MRA, red-pill anti-feminist lingo. he talks about how men find Hillary's speech style unpleasant. I find Trump orders of magnitude more unpleasant. I think he's projecting his own dislike of her onto what "men" think.

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    1. He claims he endorsed Clinton for his personal safety because Clinton and her surrogates are painting Trump as the next Hitler, and thus violence is justified against Hitler and his surrogates.

      Yet ask any right wing Jew who's #NeverTrump about the death threats they get. Plus Trump called Clinton the devil and Carson says she takes her marching orders from Lucifer. Granted that "endorsement" by Adams was written before the conventions, still... seems very ironic.

      He could do a test. He could pretend to come out honestly for Clinton and start attacking Trump. Let's see how his alt-right fans (assuming he has some) respond to that. See if he feels safer afterwards.

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    2. Yes I wrote about that endorsement for safety thing. It actually shows that Hillary and her team have been pretty persuasive.

      Adams never answers me. He probably can tell he'd get nowhere with me

      He has talked about how it's tougher to 'hypnotize' people in person-easier when you write it.

      But the tenor of my tweets probably tells him I'm not exactly in a 'persuadable' mindset on this.

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    3. Yeah I think Adams has taken his persuasion thing too far.

      First off, Trump is not nearly as calculated as he gives him credit for. He spouts off and then calculates a response for damage control but he is not playing 11 dimensional chess.
      Secondly I dont think he's persuading anyone in his favor anymore. He has hit his ceiling for support. The only way he wins is if Hillary completely blows it. No one currently for Hillary will go to Trump.

      I really liked Adams site til the last few weeks. I liked the couple short stories he wrote and I liked his book " How to fail at almost everything and still win big".

      He cant admit that he missed on Trump regarding the general election. He overplayed his hand and cant accept it.

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    4. Agree with everything Greg. I have read his site with pleasure in the past too and he has some good books.

      But when he claimed that the DNC convention would lead to a negative bounce because the female singers made men feel inadequate I knew he'd jumped the shark.

      What's really interesting Greg is Hillary is even winning Georgia in the last two polls since the convention. There's something I never thought I'd see.

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    5. Well like I said in another comment yesterday I think, Georgia is the least crazy southern state. The presence of Atlanta assures some balance to the right wing craziness. Thats something no other southern state has, a large metro area. NC has Charlotte and research triangle (and Asheville) but much of NC is hillbillies. You've seen what kind of stuff has come out of NC state house. GA's governor (R) made it clear that no anti LGBT laws would be signed by him. Atlanta is a huge convention city and he's not doing anything to disrupt that.

      All that said Im still surprised she is winning GA. I thought she might tip the scales some but not this much.

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    6. I think before this race is over there will be many surprises

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    7. OK, Greg. I've found your comment from the Georgia post.

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  3. http://www.redstate.com/brandon_morse/2016/08/09/rumors-floating-around-michelle-obama-senatorial-run/

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  4. I would love it if true, though I'm pretty skeptical. Just everything I know about her suggests this is not something she'd want to do.

    I'd be happy to be proven wrong

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