I went running Saturday with a Republican friend and a friend who is now a former Republican. In between admiring a purple house and numerous friendly dog encounters, we talked a bit about the 2012 election.
One rather interesting point that came up is that a majority of voters prefer a Republican over Obama, yet prefer Obama over any of the candidates who have declared their candidacy. This reminds me a bit of some of the odd examples and counterexamples brought up when we discussed decision theory in graduate school (like people preferring A to B and B to C, yet preferring C to A). It also provides just a hint of metaphysics: people prefer the universal Republican over the particular Democrat Obama, but prefer the particular Democrat over any particular Republican. As such, if the Republicans could put the Platonic form of Republican up against Obama, they would win in 2012. Unfortunately for the Republicans, they have to run specific Republicans.
While these preferences might seem odd, they can be explained easily enough. When people claim they would prefer a Republican over Obama, this most likely reflects three facts. First, many people do not approve of his performance. Second, because of this, people would prefer and alternative. Third, the only viable alternative to Obama is a Republican. In terms of Obama being preferred over any specific Republican, this can be explained in at least two ways. One, which is favorable to Obama, is that Obama is actually seen as being better than the Republican candidates. To use an analogy, this would be somewhat like being low on food and having only canned peaches and canned pineapples to eat. I might like pineapples more than peaches, but I might like the the specific brand of pineapples less than I like the specific brand of peaches. Hence, I would rather have a pineapple than a peach, but I’ll pick the specific canned peaches over these specific canned pineapples. If this explanation is correct, then Obama has a decent chance of winning in 2012.
Another explanation, which is less favorable to Obama, is that the preference for Obama is created because of the competition between the Republican candidates. Going back to the food analogy, I might like pineapples more than peaches, but the pineapples might be of so many varieties that my preference is thus divided up. So, I go for the peaches because there is only one sort to pick. If this explanation is correct, then things might improve for the Republicans when they finally settle on their candidates. At that point, the choice would not be between Obama and numerous Republicans, but between Obama and a Republican. As such, even if the specific Republican is not well liked, enough voters might vote against Obama so that the Republican is elected.
There will be no 2012 election, because good people who know what Justice is are working very hard to take control of the US government before then. Summer of Justice 2012 – DC will be known as America’s facebook revolution. Without a shot fired at us, I am hoping. Washington is a stinking, rotting corpse. We have, now, our necessary “long train of abuses”. It’s taken 50 years of slaughter, but the slaughter will be over by this time next year. People often say the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over expecting different results each time, which, to me, sound like voting in America. Please support out constitutional gathering next July Fourth. Read my written works. Follow the many links on my facebook page. We need wise people like Michael on our side, especially myself. I appreciate his wisdom more than he knows. Wise men are hard to find. See: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Summer-of-Justice-2012-DC/223664350994440 – AS WELL AS – http://www.scribd.com/doc/57977869/Treason-and-Sedition-in-US-Federal-Law-A-People-s-Guide – AND – http://www.scribd.com/doc/59118618/Unjust-War-Operation-Iraqi-Freedom – AND – http://www.scribd.com/doc/58318030/US-Military-Knows-Israel-Did-9-11-Alan-Sobrosky-USMC
I am sick and tired of seeing your Right wing/Ultra-conservative swayed beliefs being spewed out through your programming. You as a Media program, never state the facts clearly and it’s my belief that you and the conservatives that provide your program( and News itself) are always swaying the facts in a way that supports the right wing/ conservative sides of every issue you choose to cover. I stopped watching and supporting your programming long ago but I am disgusted with the people you choose to provide information through ( I.E. Eric Cantor (VA) ). Your news program supported the Bush administration when it’s was the most ignorant and disgraceful two term presidency in our countries history. Our current president(Obama) is the finest representative I have seen in office in my lifetime and the changes he has put into play or proposed are the right thing to do for this country. The Bush administration was not only full of political FATHEAD liars but they are almost singularly responsible for the crisis we see today as Americans. By this I mean the war we have experienced in Iraq(Over 1500 Dead Americans) , massive deregulation that goes back to the Reagan administration that nearly crippled our economy in 08′ and the tax breaks for the top 5% of Americans in this country. Decisions like these are the cause that is about to collapse our economy with the new debt ceiling issue. I am disgusted with the way the House of Representatives is unwilling to increase revenues/taxes for the benefit of this countries struggling people, by taxing companies like BIg Oil and many others that can not only afford to do so but who have benefited from surplus breaks that they are not entitled to recieve . Instead, the House proposes major cuts to highly regarded public programs(Social Security, Medicare, and others) and say that the issue is more about job creation than a need to create revenue through taxes on the wealthy. 4$ trillion in cuts is a ridiculous proposal as is a short term raise of the debt ceiling. I and many others are not stupid and are well aware of the Republicans intentions to push the issue back until presidential election race is on, as an attempt to get another Conservative president into office because they don’t approve of president Obamas liberal views and honest approach to the politics in Washington. Obama is RIGHT ON to hold his ground for his proposal to a solution for our debt ceiling and what he is trying to accomplish is the RIGHT THING TO DO. The House of Representatives should be ashamed of themselves. Representatives like John Boehner, Eric Cantor, and Paul Ryan are lousy political figures and You News station should be ashamed for using them as political resources for your programming. I am personally disgusted with both you(Bill O’reilly) and Fox news for your swayed Right-wing programming and the House of Representatives with John Boehner at the helm.. You make me ashamed to be an American and if drastic changes don’t come about through the House of Representatives by July 22nd, I think you and your followers will ruin this country and its economy. SHAME ON YOU FOX NEWS AND THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES!!!!!! GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER AND DO WHAT IS RIGHT FOR THIS COUNTRY!!!!
-Jeff/ Florida