The Power of Words and of Democracy, Japan, and Sarah Palin

I remember a few years back during the Good Ol' Days we had ... a George W. Bush as president of the White House. I didn't really appreciate what people meant when they believed the United States was the country most dangerous to world security and stability at that point in time yet. (See my post America the Dangerous). By the way, just as in the post below, please send me corrections. I would hate to think that I would be propagating something untrue.

Ahh. Those were the good ol' days. The U.S. economy was booming (after a sharp, but short-lived contraction after 9-11). Well, the U.S. President at the time, George W. Bush was in a Japan for a summit with then Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi (I guess those were the good ol' times for Japan too... at least on a relative basis, considering the past twenty years now).

Oh, and on a side note, for those thinking the decline of the LDP and the recent dissolution of the Diet in Japan after the humilitating defeat of the ruling LDP in recent elections in Tokyo is the start of a new multiparty democratic regime in Japan.

this is from one of the source materials via your link ...

“To the other half of the country, however, Mrs Palin’s complaints ring true. And the divide is largely a cultural one. Many liberal or well-educated Americans feel it their patriotic duty to point out that the Caribou Barbie is far too ignorant to be allowed anywhere near the White House. But many rural and working-class whites adore her, and resent the way she has been ridiculed.

This divide matters. Many Americans want as president someone who is exceptionally well-informed about public policy, who surrounds himself with experts, who weighs the evidence and then does what is best for the country. But few people are policy experts, so they often follow their hearts rather than their heads when deciding whom to vote for. Often, they assume that someone culturally similar to themselves will be more likely to look out for their interests. And that is why Mrs Palin is still so popular. There are an awful lot of Americans who see her as one of their own. She talks like them. She guts her own fish. She wears her faith on her sleeve. She obviously didn’t go to Harvard. And when people who did call her stupid or mock her faith or her family, her fans take it personally.

The kind of people who support Mrs Palin have several grievances. They are less well-educated than the American average, so the labour market has been unkind to them for years. They are often white and male, but they do not feel privileged and they often chafe at the way affirmative-action policies discriminate against them. In short, they are the Republican Party’s base. There are not enough of them to decide a general election, but more than enough to decide a primary. And that leaves the Republicans in a bind. Party bigwigs do not want Mrs Palin to be their nominee, not least because they think she would be sure to lose to Barack Obama. They hope that her resignation has opened a space for a less polarising and more competent candidate.

Rudderless Republicans
But who? Mark Sanford, the governor of South Carolina and a prominent fiscal conservative, disqualified himself last month by giving a news conference to explain how much he loved his mistress. Tim Pawlenty, the governor of Minnesota, is young, moderate and evangelical but has yet to set national pulses racing. Mitt Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, is doing well in the polls. As a successful businessman and the architect of his state’s universal health-insurance system, he passes the competence test. But he lacks the common touch. Jon Huntsman, a former governor of Utah and soon-to-be ambassador to China, is impressive but little known. Mike Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas and Baptist preacher, is charismatic but too preachy for some. None of these candidates has Mrs Palin’s star power.

The primaries are nearly three years away, so much could change. If the economy recovers, Mr Obama will be hard to beat. But if unemployment stays high and the debt looks terrible he is in trouble. The same goes for the Democrats in Congress. Their majorities are so large that the Republicans will probably fail to recapture either the House or the Senate in 2010. But they could well make gains. The key test will be whether the party can find a leader who will enthuse its Palin wing without pandering to it. And that will be harder than a frozen moose. You betcha.”

Economist.com/blogs/lexington
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say what you want many people who are very educated are complete egg heads in the everyday world. Being educated to higher levels is not the criteria for positive, solving changes, ... that create prosperity for/of the masses.

Look at Socialism the world over, present and in history
... it is a disaster ... only the elite like it and live in their several mansions and vacation homes, and above all the other people.

Of course they believe it is a great system and who cares if thousands are starving?

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