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Journal pudge's Journal: Sunday Thoughts 12

Journal by pudge

I don't have a lot to write about this week. The Sunday shows were devoted to the horse race in Iowa, and it's not interesting to write about, to me.

This Week had an excellent little dramatization of a caucus. I've never been to a caucus before (though I hope to go to the Republican caucus in WA this year, for the experience), but I had most of it figured out, but it was good to see it, to get a better idea.

The one thing I really learned is that this year, a simple toll free number will be used by the caucuses to report the results. This could lead to very quick statewide results, perhaps having complete results by 10 p.m. CST. And I wonder if anyone will try to hack the system.

Note that the results we get are not the final tally. This is the precinct caucus date. What is chosen are the number of delegates that go to their respective county conventions, which meet in March to select delegates to the congressional district conventions, which in April choose delegates to the state convention, which in June chooses delegates to the national convention in July. What we get Monday is merely a rough draft of what Iowa will send to the national convention.

Fox News Sunday had an interesting interview with the Sergeant at Arms of the House of Representatives, the guy who announces the President when he addresses Congress. His friends try to trick him into saying, "Mr. President, the Speaker of the United States!" He wields a +8 Mace of Disruption, for use in case members of Congress come to blows.

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Sunday Thoughts More

Sunday Thoughts

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  • "Note the fasces (above)"
    • Yeah, that made me take a step back. "A bundle of rods bound together around an ax with the blade projecting, carried before ancient Roman magistrates as an emblem of authority." Dear Diary: Learnt a new word today ...

      • Re:From the mace webpage (Score:3, Informative)

        by jamie ( 78724 ) *
        Fascism is named after the principle that a stick by itself is easily broken, but a bundle of sticks bound together is strong.

        I've heard that little parable told in movies as a proud statement that families should stick together, and it always makes me wince and think of Mussolini.

        • I think you are way off base with the symbolism. Read the linked mace article and note how it's made. Then equate that to America's historical rhetoric:

          Franklin: "We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."

          Franklin's Join or Die [k12.co.us] cartoon.

          Revere's Join or Die [loc.gov] similar themed postings.

          Lincoln's A house divided can not stand speech during the civil war.

          Look again at the symbolism the linked article points and tell me that you honestly see fascism. I supposed you could bend p
          • I don't think he was seriously implying that the mace represented American fascism, or anything of that sort.
            • I don't think so either. But what he took from the mace's description seemed to draw up a fascism connection from him that was off mark from what the symbols actually represent.
          • Fascism is named after this principle; it doesn't mean every invocation of the principle is evil.
            • I mearly questioned the images you brought up in connection with the mace. Perhaps I misread your meaning... Fascism has left deep scars in all of us.

              Similarly, the swastika has been marred by fascist associations. We've got a historic monument local to us (Orcutt Ranch) built around 100 years ago. It's often used for weddings -- and has swastika's all over as part of the decorations. The symbol dates back well before the nazis (like 3000 years -- check your local buddhist temple -- don't be surprised

      • Re:From the mace webpage (Score:3, Informative)

        by sulli ( 195030 ) *
        There's a fasces on the back of the Mercury Dime [mindspring.com] (used before the current Roosevelt dime).
  • ...to my mind was how Dean clearly had all the buzz, mindshare, momentum -- and the media have spent the last two weeks shoving the other three guys back into the race.

    That's always the strongest bias in the media, the need to keep things interesting. To my relatively non-partisan perspective (what do I care who wins the Iowa caucus?), it seemed like absolutely shameless manipulation. ("John Edwards! John Edwards! John Edwards!" Why weren't they remotely interested in him a month ago?)

    • I'm not sure how much was the media's own work and how much was the fact that much of the rest of the Democratic party is looking for a way to stop him.

    • Well, I think the single greatest reason why Edwards started getting buzz is because he started going up in the polls, but the single greatest reason why he started going up in the polls is that the Des Moines Register endorsed him. He got a huge bump right after that, and hasn't looked back since.

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