To be honest, I don’t know why we elect people to government positions. I mean, in the larger sense I know that we NEED Senators and such; Nationally and on the State level.
But why do we elect that guy to the job?
I have zero idea.
Maybe because we hate him and want to condemn his life to one of a meaningless suffering?
It certainly is not, simple CAN NOT be, that we think he is smarter and more able to lead and govern than us.
Right?
I suspect the media is much like everyone else; you get on board a winner.
For example, a study found that while it may appear that money wins elections, it’s really a winner that wins money.
But they dispute the commonly held assumption that the spending causes the win. Instead they point out that anticipated win – or possible win – will often attract the campaign money. When candidates obtain large amounts of money it is usually because they are seen to be the best candidate or the one mostly likely to win. Based on Levitt’s study of campaign spending by the same candidates against the same competitors over decades of US congressional elections, it was found that ‘the amount of money spent by the candidates hardly matters at all. A winning candidate can cut his spending in half and lose only 1% of the vote. Meanwhile, a losing candidate who doubles his spending can expect to shift the vote in his favor by only that same 1%’. The Freakonomics authors conclude that campaign spending has a very small impact on election outcomes, regardless of who does the spending.
To expect the media top act any better is, well, perhaps unfair.
But jeez…
Posted in Elections 2010, National
Tagged Abuse of Power, California, Democrat, House of Representatives, Leftist, Main Stream Media, Politics
Serious. There seems to be an upside.
California is going broke. And how.
They tax the rich out of their state. They tax the businesses out of their state. They’ll tax anything that moves and now, they’ll tax half of that stuff that doesn’t.
Posted in Politics: National, States Behaving Badly
Tagged California, Illegal Immigrant, Liberal, Politics, Recession, Taxes
I have been tracking the whole Brett Favre thing; especially in Vegas and then on Intrade. And while I was there this morning I stopped by the Midterm Senate race page and saw this:
The Number of seats expected to be held by the Republicans that clears 50% has gone up 1 from 47 to 48. The market is clearing at 48 seats!
Excellent news on a Wednesday morning. Almost as good as seeing the chances of Brett Favre playing again at 96%.
Posted in Elections 2010, Fun, Politics: National, Senate
Tagged Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings, Politics, Senate
I suppose there’s nothing illegal about this. And maybe it’s even natural that someone who’s spent a umber of years building experience and contacts would make a career move that makes sense.
In fact, it happens in Corporate America all the time.
But still, this rubs me wrong:
Raleigh, N.C. — Tom Shaheen, who has headed the North Carolina Education Lottery since its inception four years ago, has resigned his post to take a job with a company involved in the sale of lottery tickets through ATMs.
Lottery officials said in a statement Monday that Shaheen will be vice president of business development for Linq3, which has developed solutions for the sale of lottery tickets through automated teller machines and other point-of-sale terminals for distribution both in the U.S. and abroad. His last day at the lottery will be Sept. 17.
Good work if ya can get it!
Posted in Lobby/PAC, Politics: North Carolina
Tagged Abuse of Power, Lottery, North Carolina, North Carolina Politics, Politics
Recent analysis of changes to Hong Kong are getting press in the Economist. A new law is going to be passed setting a wage floor in Hong Kong. For years, the city has managed to grow, thrive even, without the common law known as Minimum Wage.
The legislation is set to impose a minimum wage between $3.00 and $4.00 American. Not much by our standards, but then again, perhaps our standards are a bit exaggerated.
Posted in Economics, Liberty, Lobby/PAC, Politics: International
Tagged China, Hong Kong, Leftist, Minimum Wage, Politics, Unintended Consequences, Unions
We are now running at 23 months* of consecutive sub 1% Chance of Recession as predicted by the New York Fed.
And, like last month, I have kept up my new expanded metrics. For 35 consecutive months, my four leading indicators of Recession risk have been zero. Not one of ’em has signaled a recession. For the first time in just under 3 years, I have hit a signal; 2 out of 4 running months with a rising chance of recession.
Even if you’re against gay marriage, the time has come to move on.
No one wants to run on this, and they shouldn’t. It’s a loser.
So this just makes us look dumb:
RALEIGH, N.C. — A national group touring the country to show support for traditional marriage is holding a rally in North Carolina.
…
The event is one of more than 20 stops on the organization’s summer bus tour.
But there is hope:
North Carolina is the only Southeastern state that hasn’t approved a state constitutional amendment restricting marriage to between one man and one woman.
Carolina may be resisting the dark side.
I am a new comer to politics. And economics. While it’s true that I’ve always resonated with Republicans and Conservatives, I’ve never really been all that serious about it.
This has been true all the way through Bush vs. Gore; I just really didn’t care.
I guess marriage, home ownership and parenthood will do that to ya huh?
With that said, I’ve never really understood the trade deficit. Am guessing many others don’t either.
Posted in Economics, Politics: International, Politics: National
Tagged Deficit, Economy, John Stossel, Leftist, Lou Dobbs, Politics
I have updated the races here. 
Without going into details, I have the Republicans picking up 7 seats and holding 48 seats. To be sure I have my bias.
So, to see how people who actually “put their money where their mouth is” I went to Intrade.
Posted in Elections 2010, Politics: National, Senate
Tagged Democrat, Politics, Republican