I lifted this handy-dandy, subjective overview of the two major parties from a Chronicle columnist - feel free to share!
For years I have been trying to persuade supporters of the other major American party to change their mind and vote with me, to no avail. That is, until last week, when three politically minded friends came over for an evening of snacks and politics, and, halfway through the evening, I unleashed my new one-two approach to political persuasion.
First, I asked my friends how they would go about choosing a new dishwasher. We agreed that the responsible and rewarding method would be to ignore any marketing hype and instead follow the Best Buy recommendations by Consumer Reports. Because nobody mentioned the virtues or shortcomings of, say, Whirlpool's executives as a valid criterion for choosing the appliance, I asked why they argue for hours about the perceived personalities of the candidates instead of comparing the track records of the major parties. My friends answered that it's simple enough to summarize the essential properties of dishwashers, while the elections are about a large number of issues that defy easy tabulation. Therefore, they concentrate on the candidates, hoping that by choosing the right person for the job, the elected official will make the right decisions when dealing with all those different issues.
I used to share this view myself, but then I checked the numbers. I was surprised to find out that the results of comparing the track records of the two major parties fall neatly (with one exception) into two categories - economy and family values. In my analysis, I compared all administrations going back to 1960 and all states based on how they voted in the presidential elections since 1980.
It was time for the second phase. I presented my friends with a list of numbers. To overcome bias, I used symbols (A, B, C and D) to represent the two major parties under the two categories. All state-related numbers (including those for the District of Columbia) are per person.
Economy
Jobs: Since 1960, each of the A Party administrations has delivered higher rates of jobs creation than any of the B Party administrations.
Deficit: Since 1960, the deficit each of the A Party administrations has passed to its successor was lower than the one it inherited, while each of the B Party administrations has increased the deficit. The average yearly deficit under the B Party administrations was 277 percent higher than the average deficit under the A Party.
Productivity: The gross state product of the 20 states that voted for the A Party candidate at least 5 times out of the last 8 elections (let's call them the A states) is 15 percent higher than the other states (the B states).
Household income: The median household income in the A states is 16 percent higher than in the B states.
Poverty: The percentage of persons below the poverty level in the A states is 21 percent lower than in the B states.
Health insurance: The percentage of people without health insurance in the A states is 25 percent lower than in the B states.
Advantage: Party A
Family values
Divorce: The divorce rate of the 20 states who voted for the C Party candidate at least 5 times out of the of last 8 elections (let's call them the C states) is 19 percent lower than the other states (the D states).
Birth to teenagers: The teenage birth rate in the C states is 38 percent lower than in the D states.
Birth to unmarried women: The unmarried women birth rate in the C states is 7 percent lower than in the D states.
Infant mortality: Children born in C states are 24 percent less likely to die before their first birthday than children in D states.
Murder: The murder rate in the C states is 17 percent lower than in the D states.
Rape: The forcible rape rate in the C states is 20 percent lower than in the D states.
Aggravated assault: The aggravated assault rate in the C states is 18 percent lower than in the D states.
Robbery: The robbery rate in the C states is 10 percent higher than in the D states (This is the one exception).
High school dropouts: The dropout rate in the C states is 16 percent lower than in the D states.
College: The college graduation rate in the C states is 16 percent higher than in the D states.
Advantage: Party C
I asked each of my friends to pick the category he or she considers more crucial, and then I showed them the key to the symbols. That's when I was rewarded with my first success at achieving a crossover vote.
The answers
This is the key to the identity of the two political parties analyzed by Yagil Herzberg in "The long view of the other party":
A - The Democratic Party
B - The Republican Party
C - The Democratic Party
D - The Republican Party
Read more: Click HERE.
10/25/10
10/13/10
Stupid Things That Make Stupid People Angry
I was reading this article in the Sunday Chronicle about an informal (and not “sanctioned” by the Bureau of Printing and Engraving) competition to re-design our boring currency--particularly in terms of providing bills of different sizes in order to help blind folks.
But NOOOO, we can’t do something so “radical” as re-design our currency! People will get very upset. In fact, a guy from Texas (surprise!) left a voice mail for the San Francisco graphic artist who submitted a design idea (link at the bottom to see his design), saying “Redesign the dollar bill? I’ll leave the damn country!”
Pffft, I wish!
But seriously, “leave the damn country” because the currency is redesigned? It’s people like that that give people (like me) with legitimate complaints about non-everyday things a bad name.
Another example: I read a letter to the editor some months ago re: the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ vote to SUGGEST that local restaurants have a “meatless Monday” option at their restaurants—-pretty toothless, actually, and not only coz it’s just a “suggestion” from the Supes, but that most any restaurant has a vegetarian option every day these days. But still, a guy from somewhere down south, or maybe Marin or Sonoma, was SO outraged that the Board would “force” such a thing on people he said he would now take his “into the City” lunch and business meetings elsewhere! Huff huff huff!
Again, seriously? The Board of Supes suggests having restaurants offer a vegetarian option and you’re going to boycott a, in your words, “World Class City” in response? Fucking grow up! Sheesh!
But the worst are the folks who get SO angry at the idea of someone getting something for "free" - be it health care or even, god forbid, food. Not so coincidentally, polling shows that the people who are most angry/disgusted/opposed to free health care or food stamps identify as "Christian." Also, oxymoronically, it's the folks from the "welfare states" - places like Alabama, Kentucky, etc., that take in way more gov't handouts relative to what they contribute versus, say, the blue states.
So you have these self-identified Christians, sucking on the government teat, and yet waving their guns around, appalled at taking orders from a Black man, and oh-so-Christianly railing and raving and ranting about people getting free health care. it would be just sad if it wasn't so appalling.
BTW, notice anything about these stats? In the late 1950s, the poverty rate for all Americans was 22.4 percent. These numbers declined steadily throughout the 1960s, reaching a low of 11.1 percent in 1973. Over the next decade, the poverty rate fluctuated between 11.1 and 12.6 percent, but it began to rise steadily again in 1980. By 1983, the number of poor individuals had risen to 15.2 percent and remained at that level until 1993, when the rate declined for the remainder of the decade, to 11.3 percent by 2000. From 2000 to 2004 it rose each year to 12.7 in 2004.
Give up? Read the stats again and note how they match the President's party (i.e., poverty rate consistently goes up while a Republican is president, and goes down when a Democrat is President). But by golly, they is tax & spenders so they gots to go! Doi!
To see the designs Duncan submitted, click HERE.
But NOOOO, we can’t do something so “radical” as re-design our currency! People will get very upset. In fact, a guy from Texas (surprise!) left a voice mail for the San Francisco graphic artist who submitted a design idea (link at the bottom to see his design), saying “Redesign the dollar bill? I’ll leave the damn country!”
Pffft, I wish!
But seriously, “leave the damn country” because the currency is redesigned? It’s people like that that give people (like me) with legitimate complaints about non-everyday things a bad name.
Another example: I read a letter to the editor some months ago re: the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ vote to SUGGEST that local restaurants have a “meatless Monday” option at their restaurants—-pretty toothless, actually, and not only coz it’s just a “suggestion” from the Supes, but that most any restaurant has a vegetarian option every day these days. But still, a guy from somewhere down south, or maybe Marin or Sonoma, was SO outraged that the Board would “force” such a thing on people he said he would now take his “into the City” lunch and business meetings elsewhere! Huff huff huff!
Again, seriously? The Board of Supes suggests having restaurants offer a vegetarian option and you’re going to boycott a, in your words, “World Class City” in response? Fucking grow up! Sheesh!
But the worst are the folks who get SO angry at the idea of someone getting something for "free" - be it health care or even, god forbid, food. Not so coincidentally, polling shows that the people who are most angry/disgusted/opposed to free health care or food stamps identify as "Christian." Also, oxymoronically, it's the folks from the "welfare states" - places like Alabama, Kentucky, etc., that take in way more gov't handouts relative to what they contribute versus, say, the blue states.
So you have these self-identified Christians, sucking on the government teat, and yet waving their guns around, appalled at taking orders from a Black man, and oh-so-Christianly railing and raving and ranting about people getting free health care. it would be just sad if it wasn't so appalling.
BTW, notice anything about these stats? In the late 1950s, the poverty rate for all Americans was 22.4 percent. These numbers declined steadily throughout the 1960s, reaching a low of 11.1 percent in 1973. Over the next decade, the poverty rate fluctuated between 11.1 and 12.6 percent, but it began to rise steadily again in 1980. By 1983, the number of poor individuals had risen to 15.2 percent and remained at that level until 1993, when the rate declined for the remainder of the decade, to 11.3 percent by 2000. From 2000 to 2004 it rose each year to 12.7 in 2004.
Give up? Read the stats again and note how they match the President's party (i.e., poverty rate consistently goes up while a Republican is president, and goes down when a Democrat is President). But by golly, they is tax & spenders so they gots to go! Doi!
To see the designs Duncan submitted, click HERE.
10/6/10
Deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots the tenth!
So I “finally” bit into the Stieg Larson apple and saw “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” – the largest grossing movie in Sweden’s history! No spoilers here, don’t worry, but I would recommend it if you like crime thrillers and/or if you like damaged women getting vengeance on siimy assholes. And the movie has everything evil in the world in it: murder, arson, Nazis, incest, rape, and, ewwwww, romance – there’s something for everyone!
Of course, if I’d known ahead of time there was a vivid rape scene, I probably wouldn’t have even rented it—I just can’t stomach a rape scene. So I fast forward and look the other way until it’s over; and then, as I say, vengeance is involved later. And such complete and utter vengeance! I know they’ve already signed Daniel Craig for the American version, and he should be pretty good; but I can’t imagine going to see it after knowing the ending. Think I’ll just stick with the Swedish versions.
OMG, I just saw THE most disgusting thing. One of those Hummer limos – and not just a regular fucking disgusting hummer limo, but a STRETCH fucking disgusting hummer limo. And you know the kind of person that would rent something that appalling these days is the same person who’d say something like, “Change the dollar bill? I’ll leave the damn country!”
Again, please, LEAVE! Why can’t we cut them loose and split the country up? Do I have to hold my breath or something? Sheesh!
It’s a few weeks later and I got to see “The Girl Who Played With Fire” at the Lumiere this weekend. That Noomi Rapace or whatever her name is that plays Lisbeth is effing off the hook! I would NOT want to mess with her. If you see it, and find the ending a bit too implausible, I would recommend you remember the early scene with her and her grandfather wherein he calls her “invincible.” When he says it, YOU believe it, too (assuming you’ve seen the first movie or read the books).
This one wasn’t quite as drawn-out suspenseful, but it had more intense suspenseful moments, I think; it was also more violent (no mean feat), which I didn’t appreciate. The guy certainly drew up an interesting, oddball lot of characters (particularly the bad guys—oh man, are they bad and deserving of what they get).
Changing the channel: I have to say I don’t quite get the panty-wetting over Modern Family. I watched a couple of episodes and while it has some mildly and even a few pretty amusing moments, on the whole it’s not much different from most of the other drivel on Network TV.
Part of it is I’m just tired of that unattractive-middle-aged-male-with-a-gorgeous-young-hot-wife. I mean, please. And of course the two homos are stereotypically nelly and quirky. And the other couple with their smarmy kids are just like 10,000 other sitcom families who happen to regularly have bizarre and larger-than-life experiences.
I mean, Glee is by no means without its problems, but it’s light years ahead of Modern Family in terms of originality and fun (although Glee’s stereotypically nelly homo trumps the...but wait, the homos in Modern Family also just happen to have an adopted Asian child; whew! They maintain their lead). And of course Modern Family gets the Emmy. Example #4,372 why I don’t watch TV except on DVD.
Okay, seriously, is it my imagination, is it a “side effect” of getting older, or are Americans, in general, becoming even MORE selfish, spoiled, self-absorbed, fat, and/or stupid? When I was in L.A. last week, I was shocked at the number of fat people. I know a lot of them were tourists (believe me, you can tell), and I know San Francisco is an anomaly in terms of per capita overweight folks (a major anomaly), but it appears when I travel that more and more people are fat, and the fat fat ones are growing (pun intended) even MORE fat. And I’m not talking about just being “overweight” or a large person.
Airplanes are a "perfect storm" where these issues come to a head. Can I just say to all the clueless and selfish people lugging their monstrous bags on the plane who stand in the aisle and block it so people can't get by:
Get your fucking shit — get your fucking shit — out of the aisle; and then get your fucking shit put away. And your fucking shit shouldn’t be as big as your fucking fat ass which you know wouldn’t fit in the thing they don’t use by the gangway to measure – in fact, why aren’t the stewards/stewardesses calling them on their shit? (outside of the Jet Blue guy).
I think we need to have a national “call people on their shit” week and people will know, ahead of time, that they will be called on their shit during this week and so they can’t get offended or mad. They just to have deal.
People will either be like, “Oh wow, I didn’t realize I was so (choose one) selfish, spoiled, self-absorbed, stupid, whatever.” And maybe make an effort to change. But, of course, more likely, they’ll be pissed/offended no matter what, get mad at YOU for calling them on their shit, and will continue to be selfish, spoiled, arrogant, clueless, self-absorbed, stupid, etc. :(
Sigh.
Of course, if I’d known ahead of time there was a vivid rape scene, I probably wouldn’t have even rented it—I just can’t stomach a rape scene. So I fast forward and look the other way until it’s over; and then, as I say, vengeance is involved later. And such complete and utter vengeance! I know they’ve already signed Daniel Craig for the American version, and he should be pretty good; but I can’t imagine going to see it after knowing the ending. Think I’ll just stick with the Swedish versions.
OMG, I just saw THE most disgusting thing. One of those Hummer limos – and not just a regular fucking disgusting hummer limo, but a STRETCH fucking disgusting hummer limo. And you know the kind of person that would rent something that appalling these days is the same person who’d say something like, “Change the dollar bill? I’ll leave the damn country!”
Again, please, LEAVE! Why can’t we cut them loose and split the country up? Do I have to hold my breath or something? Sheesh!
It’s a few weeks later and I got to see “The Girl Who Played With Fire” at the Lumiere this weekend. That Noomi Rapace or whatever her name is that plays Lisbeth is effing off the hook! I would NOT want to mess with her. If you see it, and find the ending a bit too implausible, I would recommend you remember the early scene with her and her grandfather wherein he calls her “invincible.” When he says it, YOU believe it, too (assuming you’ve seen the first movie or read the books).
This one wasn’t quite as drawn-out suspenseful, but it had more intense suspenseful moments, I think; it was also more violent (no mean feat), which I didn’t appreciate. The guy certainly drew up an interesting, oddball lot of characters (particularly the bad guys—oh man, are they bad and deserving of what they get).
Changing the channel: I have to say I don’t quite get the panty-wetting over Modern Family. I watched a couple of episodes and while it has some mildly and even a few pretty amusing moments, on the whole it’s not much different from most of the other drivel on Network TV.
Part of it is I’m just tired of that unattractive-middle-aged-male-with-a-gorgeous-young-hot-wife. I mean, please. And of course the two homos are stereotypically nelly and quirky. And the other couple with their smarmy kids are just like 10,000 other sitcom families who happen to regularly have bizarre and larger-than-life experiences.
I mean, Glee is by no means without its problems, but it’s light years ahead of Modern Family in terms of originality and fun (although Glee’s stereotypically nelly homo trumps the...but wait, the homos in Modern Family also just happen to have an adopted Asian child; whew! They maintain their lead). And of course Modern Family gets the Emmy. Example #4,372 why I don’t watch TV except on DVD.
Okay, seriously, is it my imagination, is it a “side effect” of getting older, or are Americans, in general, becoming even MORE selfish, spoiled, self-absorbed, fat, and/or stupid? When I was in L.A. last week, I was shocked at the number of fat people. I know a lot of them were tourists (believe me, you can tell), and I know San Francisco is an anomaly in terms of per capita overweight folks (a major anomaly), but it appears when I travel that more and more people are fat, and the fat fat ones are growing (pun intended) even MORE fat. And I’m not talking about just being “overweight” or a large person.
Airplanes are a "perfect storm" where these issues come to a head. Can I just say to all the clueless and selfish people lugging their monstrous bags on the plane who stand in the aisle and block it so people can't get by:
Get your fucking shit — get your fucking shit — out of the aisle; and then get your fucking shit put away. And your fucking shit shouldn’t be as big as your fucking fat ass which you know wouldn’t fit in the thing they don’t use by the gangway to measure – in fact, why aren’t the stewards/stewardesses calling them on their shit? (outside of the Jet Blue guy).
I think we need to have a national “call people on their shit” week and people will know, ahead of time, that they will be called on their shit during this week and so they can’t get offended or mad. They just to have deal.
People will either be like, “Oh wow, I didn’t realize I was so (choose one) selfish, spoiled, self-absorbed, stupid, whatever.” And maybe make an effort to change. But, of course, more likely, they’ll be pissed/offended no matter what, get mad at YOU for calling them on their shit, and will continue to be selfish, spoiled, arrogant, clueless, self-absorbed, stupid, etc. :(
Sigh.
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