• AdLib : Khirad – That is the narcotic effect of giving people what they crave, they become dependent on it and dependent on the “dealer” who’s giving them their “high”. Many people need to cling to the fantasy that somehow they will be wealthy and happy and have everything they don’t have now…and they will work against the realities of their own interests to desperately reach for something that is in fact only imaginary. With that pleasant thought, take it easy this weekend and recharge, we’ve got an election to win!

  • Khirad : Oh, Night guys. I didn’t catch that we’re ending this. :-)

  • Khirad : The you can be anything you want to be dream that makes America great, is also an Achilles’ heal. There comes a point when I would think people would have been told, “no, you will not be the next Kobe.” I cannot believe that 80% poll, and yet, I DO believe it…

  • AdLib : Well, this would seem like a good time to wrap up tonight’s edition of Vox Populi. Thanks Khirad for your incisive words tonight. Have a great weekend!!!

  • AdLib : Thanks bito, really enjoyed it. Have a great weekend!

  • bitohistory : Good Night Patsy, I am going to take my leave also. Good night all and thanks for a wonderful time. peace

  • AdLib : Night CL! Hope you get some rest this weekend!

  • Khirad : Night Patsy.

  • choicelady : ‘Night Patsy AND everyone. I’m also off to slumberland. Busy day tomorrow. Great chatting with one and all.

  • AdLib : Night Patsy, welcome home and have a great weekend!

  • Khirad : To add to that – I think it fits in to the ultranationalism USA, USA rah rah thing. It’s one of the only things that makes them ‘special’ – they have little else going for them, and the right wing cultivates it and exploits their inferiority-supe riority complex.

  • AdLib : Khirad – I think that is a sound proposition. I would also add in the denial factor, that human beings will live in denial for emotional reasons. “Only the shiftless, lazy and weak are poor, not me, I’m not poor because poor people are to be despised and I shouldn’t be despised because I’m not really poor.” I’d add in the other key ingredient, the lie of the American Dream that people are programmed with beginning as a child and neverending. There was a poll several years ago and 80% of college students said they believe that they will become millionaires. Even though only half of one percent ever end up becoming millionaires. So, many out there have the disconnected belief brainwashed into them that one day they will be wealthy so better keep those taxes down now so they won’t be there when they become a millionaire. Convenient how this corporate brainwashing of people with this “American” feel good fantasy works out to make those who are being smashed down economically support those who are stomping on them, eh?

  • choicelady : Khirad – your innate sense is essential. All the books in the world (especially old ones) won’t help if we cannot SEE what’s going on right now. Your observations keep that critique alive. That’s not a cliche! (Sorry – no accent grave…)

  • bitohistory : She just said today that it all will be forgotten by election day. BTY, she is not going to do any more debates. She has one song SB1070

  • PatsyT : Well my friends great to chat with you tonight… I must turn in .. Have a wonderful evening!

  • Khirad : Yeah, I guess what I said was cliché and no secret, but it just hit me clearer than ever before that day.

  • choicelady : Khirad – I believe you’re right about that. About 40 years ago some political scientist wrote about that (cannot recall who) phenomenon. The art of mobilizing voters’ self deception is prime in swaying the voters who think they are someone else and getting them to vote against their own self interest.

  • PatsyT : Khriad, I hear that dog whistle Loud and Clear! They know exactly what they are doing

  • bitohistory : I’m going to trademark that,Patsy :lol:

  • Khirad : I loved Brewer’s non-explanation of that. Acting like she never said they were on the Arizona side of the border. Do ANY of them realize we now have YouTube and search engines?

  • PatsyT : Bito, Headless Body Brewer LOLOLOL !

  • AdLib : CL – Rachel does have fantastic ratings and it does prove that strength and honesty can succeed. KO had bigger ratings though, don’t know where that is now but none of the others come close to them.

  • bitohistory : Local PBS just rerunning “headless body Brewer”. Her not being able to speak, is not new to her. She has stumbled in pressers before.

  • AdLib : Jon Stewart has consistently hammered and exposed the propaganda out there in an incredibly consistent way, entertaining and cutting to the truth night after night. He seems far too dismissive of his impact in our democracy but he and those working on the show are indeed making a huge contribution to our democracy. And, as Stewart would say, it’s just a comedy show!

  • Khirad : Off topic. So, I was talking one day on the how do the GOP convince people that Dems want to steal their wealth when they don’t have any and they don’t stand to LOSE from Dem politics, but gain? Well, a Louisianan author came up in the discussion (can’t remember the name) who said that one of the paradoxes of LA is that they always despised the poor more than blacks – even when they themselves weren’t doing so hot. They just never registered that they were poor themselves – it was always those ‘others’. How to explain the disconnect? So, with that, and the common race-baiting of “inner-city vassals of Big City machine Dem politics meme,” I think I figured it partly out – and I don’t know why it didn’t hit me earlier since it was always in front of me. That whole ‘they’ will steal ‘your’ wealth isn’t really about economics, but it and race are still one and the same… Am I going too overboard on this? I don’t think it’s 100% true, but there’s definitely a dog-whistle quality to it all…

  • PatsyT : Well after Labor Day I hope some people (Dems) start kicking booty! Regardless of what show they are on

  • Khirad : Like I said CL, O’Donnell could be really good, or really bad. I’ve seen him fill in, but wonder if he has enough ‘personality’ to pull it off. Not that Jim Lehrer has charisma, but sadly, they do need a bit of a gimmick to make it on cable. By the way, you guys echo my feelings on Matthews. Sometimes I want to strangle him and let them answer, other times he totally NAILS someone and it is awesome. I’m lukewarm on him overall, but when he does good, he does good. We also agree on the others like Keith totally playing up the histrionics for ratings. The special comments had become way too contrived before the mosque one, and he needs to tone down the smug factor. And so on. Even Rachel I sometimes am not pleased with, but as was said by AdLib, she never goes so far that I can’t help but excuse it the next day.

  • choicelady : EVeryone – how do the ratings compare among the MSNBC folks because if, as I dimly recall, Rachel is in the lead – then all the snivelling cowardice of the others is misplaced. Boldness and decency CAN coexist, and honest interviews with people DO go over well. The others should take a hint – you don’t have to be Ben Nelson to get good ratings.

  • AdLib : Though, we can’t overlook the one person who has cut through the bullshit and asked the point blank questions with top Repubs and Dems, Jon Stewart.

  • PatsyT : Louis Black … very cool ….

  • AdLib : CL – Wanda would be fun but she’s primarily entertaining an audience as opposed to educating, where Louis Black could hit both bases.

  • choicelady : Now Louis Black – I could get into his style! And he DOES have substance.

  • AdLib : bito – Yep, that is a part of their brain that’s working on decision making while I don’t see that with someone like Rachel.

  • AdLib : Patsy – Love Wanda. Louis Black would be fun too.

  • choicelady : Patsy – I have to tell you I really DISLIKE her. I don’t think she has substance, and I am not a fan of her style. So I’d not watch her at ALL.

  • bitohistory : I always feel empty with Matthews and Ed, they keep missing the hard pertinent questions IMHO. Is it because they don’t want to piss them off too much? Won’t come back on the show? No guests, No ratings?

  • AdLib : CL – I agree about the arrogance of TYT. As for Matthews standing up to people, he does sometimes do it to the right people, other times he harasses legit people as he did virtually calling Alan Grayson full of shit about getting HCR passed…which he did help pass despite Matthews pronouncing it impossible.

  • PatsyT : How about Wanda Skyes on MSNBC? That would help their ratings!

  • choicelady : I will have reservations about L. O’Donnell unless and until I see him stand on his own two feet for long duration. He has been a bit too close to Ms. H. at times for me not to worry a tad.

  • choicelady : AdLib – I never knew that about Chris. But it sure fits, doesn’t it – same head shape and all. Same hyper feather fluffing, too. Still – Tweety the Original is much nicer.

  • AdLib : Thanks Patsy, I like O’Donnell but he is sometimes leaning a bit too hard on Obama. He’s not a purist and he is a sharp guy.

  • choicelady : Patsy – I would agree. Chris won my heart before the election by totally swatting down a major anti-abortion person and just telling her to STOP talking about “partial birth abortion” which had NO bearing on the discussion. I’d never seen a mainstream person be so blunt and honest! So he will always have that in his favor. BTW – I hate the Young Turks, too. They are arrogant and uninformed about LOTS of issues.