[lbo-talk] yucky press release of the day

[Sean Andrews]

I think you're right overall, but would quibble with your distinction
of weaker and stronger here; the moderates might have more numbers,
but in this battle that doesn't mean anything.  If there exists a
moderate band of voters, they are surely weaker in the current climate
than this loud minority.  The press release, after all, cites poll
data trying to claim it is defending the "common sense."  Seems a
classic hegemonic strategy of a strong minority trying to become a
majority through control of the state.  But maybe I'm rusty on my
political science

s

On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 12:49, Wojtek S <wsoko52 at gmail.com> wrote:
> Sean: " Turns out many of my compatriots like icky, retrograde
> xenophobia. So it's
> icky, but it may actually be a pretty good strategy."
>
> [WS:]  It is a good strategy not because it is getting wide popular
> support, but because it intimidates moderates, who are a majority.  If
> a weaker party wants to win concessions from a stronger party, playing
> by rational rules will not get it anywhere, because the stronger party
> will prevail.. But if the weaker party intimidates the stronger party
> by showing that it is nuts and will go ballistic even if it is going
> to loose, thus inflicting significant damage on the stronger party,
> they chances are that the stronger party will try to avoid
> confrontation.
>
> The so-called TP plays that game very skillfully.  I wish that the
> left segments of the DP did the same.
>
> Wojtek
>
>
> On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 1:14 PM, Sean Andrews <cultstud76 at gmail.com> wrote:
>> On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 11:32, Eric Beck <ersatzdog at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> On Fri, Sep 23, 2011 at 10:50 AM, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Mitt Romney opposed Perry's positions and pointed out that Perry's in-state tuition for illegal aliens law was forcing Texans to pay approximately $100,000 in tax monies to support each of the current 16,000 illegal immigrants in Texas colleges.
>>>
>>> Which is .002% of the state's annual budget.
>>>
>>> I'm happy for Perry's campaign to come off the rails, but this is
>>> entirely the wrong way.
>>
>> Agreed.
>>
>> On the other hand, this was one of the few things that made him seem
>> halfway reasonable.  That this doesn't pass the TP test (i.e. a
>> perfectly clean asshole)...
>>
>> ...well, wait, I was going to say it should show middle of the road
>> voters just how insanely retrograde the TP is.  But then I realized
>> people should know that by now and yet they still keep winning.  Turns
>> out many of my compatriots like icky, retrograde xenophobia. So it's
>> icky, but it may actually be a pretty good strategy.
>>
>> Sorry to equivocate while everyone's looking.  US politics made me do it.
>>
>> s
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