Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (47353)	1/30/2008 3:21:11 PM
From: Dale Baker	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 541986

It is purely subjective but I place a high premium on people engaged by ideas and debate - curious people who want to dig into what is going on around them and explore the alternatives. The problems facing the country are so complex, and so divided among different schools of political thought, it takes a nimble analyst to follow the currents and play a leadership role. Bush has never shown such curiosity about ideas and policies. His "business" career was mediocre and showed little initiative of his own. In the White House, he never showed much genuine interested in working with diverse interests to get things done. No surprise he was a C student who would rather party at the frat house than crack the books beyond a minimal level. It's not just that he had an apolitical period when the world was steaming and fuming with political change. There is little evidence he ever set foot, physically or intellectually, outside the small niche he grew up in. That weakness showed during his presidency.

To: Lane3 who wrote (47353)	1/30/2008 4:11:14 PM
From: cnyndwllr	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541986

Lane, re: "Perhaps, then, you'd care to share just why you think it matters if someone has an apolitical period during his life. You haven't done so, merely repeated the many ways in which Bush was a wastrel. You haven't told us why you think it matters if someone aiming to be President wasn't focused on politics throughout his entire previous life." First, I didn't suggest he should have been "focused on politics throughout his entire previous life." Nice try. Second, perhaps you didn't read my post? Message 24265819 "Those who are born to privilege in an ultra political family but fail to show any sense of duty or adventure, any intellectual curiosity, any empathy or compassion and instead pursue their own pleasure are not usually the "best among us." But maybe you'd like to contrast the life of George Bush with those of the Kennedy boys; JFK, Bobby, Jack who died in a top secret and ultra dangerous bombing run over Europe in WW11, or Teddy Kennedy? You may not agree with the Kennedy politics but you can surely contrast their level of commitment, curiosity, compassion, intellectual engagement, self sacrifice and public service with that of a very similarly privileged George W. Bush and see a very dim bulb in that mix? Maybe not; here's a test...which one of the 5 did NOT look pre-presidential? Next question. Ed