Posted on 03/24/2007 9:26:31 AM PDT by FairOpinion
In his 2000 bestselling book The Tipping Point: How Little Things can make a big Difference, Malcolm Gladwell explores the idea of 'the tipping point,' the moment or time period when an item, an idea, a strategy or a person (or anything for that matter) changes from being just a 'product' into a cultural phenomenon. For example, the crackdown on quality of life crimes in New York City under Giuliani led to an overall 'crime tipping point' in that city where the crime rate went from a high point to an extremely low point in a short period of time, an amazing feat by any measure.
In his book, Malcolm Gladwell writes about the dramatic crime rate change in New York City that happened under America's Mayor. This occurred, Gladwell argues, for several reasons but one of the main reasons behind it was Rudy Giuliani's focus and prosecution of quality of life crimes at the lowest level in the city. As mayor, Giuliani started aggressively going after those responsible for quality of life crimes, such as spraying graffiti and public drunkedness. After this crackdown began, the number of smaller crimes in the city began to decrease and the momentum began building up. With that momentum building, the number of larger crimes began to decrease and crime in the city tipped -- and suddenly, New York City had become much safer than it had been in years.
This was one of the strongest examples of Gladwell’s book (which I strongly recommend, by the way) and it shows how one small idea transformed an entire city.
As an example of this great momentum Giuliani has going for him, recent poll numbers have shown Giuliani rapidly expanding his lead. The latest poll from CNN conducted between March 9th and 11th has the former mayor of New York with the support of 34% of Republicans polled while McCain only has the support of 18% of the Republicans (and he’s in second place!). Meanwhile, the latest poll from the website Rasmussen Reports currently has 33% percent of Republican support behind Giuliani and only 15% of support behind McCain (poll conducted between March 12 and March 15th). Those two polls have Giuliani up by 16% and 18% respectively, an astounding gap with so many candidates in the field and a gap that seems to be expanding with every new poll between these two candidates.
Posting facts = hijacking? Wow.
"JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE AUTHOR'S MAIN POINT IS THAT RUDY IS DESTINED TO CRASH AND BURN"
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Yes, indeed, there is just this one little problem: FACTS DON'T BARE OUT THE WISHFUL THINKING. RUDY IS STILL THE STRONG FRONTRUNNER.
Rudy Giuliani made crime go down in New York!
But crime went down in the entire country.
Because Rudy Giuliani did it!
Rudy Giuliani made New York prosperous!
The entire nation prospered in the 90s.
Because Rudy Giuliani did it!
If we have strong supporters of corporal punishment at home and in schools--and capital punishment in society--crime will drop everywhere. And Rudy isn't the only one who would be an example in this area; in fact I dare say several others would be far better choices.
Especially since several others already in this race wouldn't disarm citizens of their protective private property.
btt
Anytime an article prints the less complimentary side of someone we champion, it's a hit piece, in our eyes. Some will see it as needed, others will see it as a revelation, but if it's about someone close to you or someone you champion, then it's perceived as a hit.
Yes. It's a cut-and-paste of the same comment made in other threads, and you didn't even bother to pretend to tie it into the topic of the article being discussed.
I could go into an illegal immigrant thread and post facts about the Israeli-Palistinian conflict. But those facts would have nothing to do with illegal immigration, and would be hijacking.
Or I could do some real work, and post facts about the Israeli-Palistinian conflict and add some pithy commentary about how Isreal's problems stem from it's trying to be accomadating to Palistinians living within it's borders -- thus tying it to the illegal immigration thread.
Then it would advance the discussion, instead of sidetracking it.
If we are talking about Giuliani's crime program in New York, along with the theory that his fast poll rise could reach a reverse tipping-point, a repost of an article about Rudy's abortion stance is not germaine to the topic of the thread, and is a hijack of the discussion.
If you want to write your own original opinion about how his abortion stance will, when advertised appropriately to the right people, cause a "tipping point" reaction among evangelicals, that would be a valuable addition, and if that post included selected quotes from an article discussing Rudy's stance that would be facts in support of your opinion on the issue discussed in the thread.
But reposts of tables of Rudy's positions just clutter the threads, they don't contribute to the conversation.
Actually, tipping points are not only not a "phoney (sic) meme", they are both logical and observable in life. Further, the concept of "broken glass" has been proven more than once as a practical application of a tipping point.
And in fact things sometimes do happen "overnight" -- so far as it is observed by the masses. The point of "tipping point" is that things do NOT happen overnight, but the change that occurs at the critical mass is so great it appears that something literally "sprung up" when it has been growing for some time but in the dark, in the shadows -- like the Fred Thompson campaign.
I disagree. Many do not know the truth and I regularly get thanked by them for bring the facts to the Rudy threads.
Links are our friends. People who want the truth should look for it. I'm thankful too when I learn about something I didn't know, but the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
"...the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few."
All too few understand what a RINO Rudy is. The many need the facts. I will provide them.
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