The Chronicles of Narcissist

[billd91]

I would have thought that would be Colin Powell but, unfortunately, the Bush Government sent his credibility like a renewable resource over the Iraq business.

Powell's too liberal for the GOP activists these days - which basically means he holds values common in the GOP back in the 1960s-1970s.

 

[Kramodlog]

I would have thought that would be Colin Powell but, unfortunately, the Bush Government sent his credibility like a renewable resource over the Iraq business.

For one he is pro-choice so that disqualifies him pretty much off the bat. He also said that to reduce the federal deficit cuts in military spending were needed, which goes against party orthodoxy.
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2011/01/24/colin-powell-cut-military-spending-to-reduce-deficit He also said good things about Obama.

 

[Ryujin]

Powell's too liberal for the GOP activists these days - which basically means he holds values common in the GOP back in the 1960s-1970s.

For one he is pro-choice so that disqualifies him pretty much off the bat. He also said that to reduce the federal deficit cuts in military spending were needed, which goes against party orthodoxy.
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2011/01/24/colin-powell-cut-military-spending-to-reduce-deficit He also said good things about Obama.

Which is where we have the problem of political parties moving more to the fringes, which alienates and disenfranchises more and more voters rather than altering their views to match more of the electorate, which would both motivate voters and obtain a greater share of those votes. The Republican party is nowhere near its original roots. It's a completely different organism now, with the heavy adoption of social conservatism.

 

[Kramodlog]

Which is where we have the problem of political parties moving more to the fringes, which alienates and disenfranchises more and more voters rather than altering their views to match more of the electorate, which would both motivate voters and obtain a greater share of those votes. The Republican party is nowhere near its original roots. It's a completely different organism now, with the heavy adoption of social conservatism.

Not all parties go to the fringe, but those who got there do it because it can be beneficial for them. They might appeal to less people, but the people they appeal to might be more motivated to go vote. It is in part the Rep strategy.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Granted I'm not all familiar with all the stereotypes, but how does he reflect badly on black people? He seems to be a bigger embarassment to religious people. That pyramid things is way out there.

He's actually less of an embarrassment to the religious right- many of his espoused religious beliefs (Creationism good/Evolution bad, for instance)- are in accord, not only with HIS particular faith (7th Day Adventists), but with a large swath of other conservative faith traditions. To be sure, he's not alone in some of that. One of my mentors has a similar career arc as Carson's': from poor black kid in the Southern USA to dual PHD/ from Oxford...and he, too, doesn't believe in Evolution*. But add to that the other stuff- assertions about Jews being able to fend off Naziism with small arms, comparing Obamacare to slavery, claims about the pyramids being granaries, etc...

In contrast, the black intelligencia in general- while fairly conservative- is NOT anti-science. ESPECIALLY those with STEM degrees. Black doctors are praising the ACA for getting their patients out of ER rooms (reactionary medicine) into doctors's offices (proactive medicine), and the like. You don't find black archaeologists positing the granary theory. Most black MDs accept Evolution as "the fundamental theorem" of biology which makes their work possible.

In a sense, he is such a departure from our norm that he plays into the stereotype of being uneducable. He seems impervious to that which does not conform to his worldview.

And that disturbs those he inspired or who consider(ed?) him a peer. Here's an example:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/post...f-black-doctors-now-were-disappointed-in-him/

My Dad is a little older than Carson. He came from a lower-middle class household in the South, and became the first black admitted to and to graduate from Tulane medical school. He's one of the best there is at what he does. But he's low profile- no political aspirations, no drive to write a blog or letter to the editor. Mention Ben Carson's beliefs & political platform to him, though, and you'll eventually see the steam coming from his ears...





* puzzling, since he's Catholic, and the church has said that Evolution and divine creation are not in conflict in Catholic theology.

 

[Kramodlog]

He's actually less of an embarrassment to the religious right- many of his espoused religious beliefs (Creationism good/Evolution bad, for instance)- are in accord, not only with HIS particular faith (7th Day Adventists), but with a large swath of other conservative faith traditions.

But the religious right is not the only religous people in the US. Shouldn't religious people outside of the right be facepalming right now as he's perpetuating a stereotype about religious people being coocoo and anti-science?

To be sure, he's not alone in some of that. One of my mentors has a similar career arc as Carson's': from poor black kid in the Southern USA to dual PHD/ from Oxford...and he, too, doesn't believe in Evolution*. But add to that the other stuff- assertions about Jews being able to fend off Naziism with small arms, comparing Obamacare to slavery, claims about the pyramids being granaries, etc...

In contrast, the black intelligencia in general- while fairly conservative- is NOT anti-science. ESPECIALLY those with STEM degrees. Black doctors are praising the ACA for getting their patients out of ER rooms (reactionary medicine) into doctors's offices (proactive medicine), and the like. You don't find black archaeologists positing the granary theory. Most black MDs accept Evolution as "the fundamental theorem" of biology which makes their work possible.

In a sense, he is such a departure from our norm that he plays into the stereotype of being uneducable. He seems impervious to that which does not conform to his worldview.

And that disturbs those he inspired or who consider(ed?) him a peer. Here's an example:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/post...f-black-doctors-now-were-disappointed-in-him/

But who believes the bolded part? I'm gonna say that the majority of the people who believe black people are "uneducable" also do not believe in evolution, think gun control lead to the Holocost and won't spit on pyramids holding Joseph's grain.

What I'm saying is that he isn't causing damage to the perception racists have of black people since he is talking to them in their own language and looking good to their eyes. But he might be damaging the perception people outside of the right have of very religious people.

My Dad is a little older than Carson. He came from a lower-middle class household in the South, and became the first black admitted to and to graduate from Tulane medical school. He's one of the best there is at what he does. But he's low profile- no political aspirations, no drive to write a blog or letter to the editor. Mention Ben Carson's beliefs & political platform to him, though, and you'll eventually see the steam coming from his ears...

* puzzling, since he's Catholic, and the church has said that Evolution and divine creation are not in conflict in Catholic theology.

Is your dad Wolverine!?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

But the religious right is not the only religous people in the US. Shouldn't religious people outside of the right be facepalming right now as he's perpetuating a stereotype about religious people being coocoo and anti-science?

Not as much, because we can say "he's one of THOSE guys- our faith recognized the validity of science," yada, yada, yada.

But who believes the bolded part? I'm gonna say that the majority of the people who believe black people are "uneducable" also do not believe in evolution, think gun control lead to the Holocost and won't spit on pyramids holding Joseph's grain.

The bigots we won't convince, regardless. The undecided- and yes, there are some- are the ones who worry us. That, and it still makes it harder for us even among those who don't believe it all, because they still harbor doubts about us in general (or particular). I went to a small private HS. When I was a junior, the only other black guy in the school was a freshman. When his ass got booted for stealing money from other students' lockers- along with an Italian American kid- I had to weather a lot of funny stares. All of a sudden, I was seen as a possible thief.

(Not so the other Italian Americans, it should be noted.)

His sins were projected on me until I graduated. (The first black in the school's history, FWIW.)

Is your dad Wolverine!?

Nah...but Mom might be.

OTOH, he is amazingly healthy for his age. Hmmmmmm...."Highlander?"

 

[Kramodlog]

Ben Carson says he was named most honest student... In a class that never existed. http://gawker.com/ultimate-trickste...m_referrer=http://gawker.com/?trending_test_d

I bet his numbers in polls rise cause he is a "victim of the media".

 

[Homicidal_Squirrel]

Ben Carson’s pyramid theory is from Sid Meier’s Civilization.

 

[MechaPilot]

Ben Carson’s pyramid theory is from Sid Meier’s Civilization.

Too bad Carson didn't keep up. In Civ V, pyramids grant you two workers and speeds up tile improvement by 25%. Clearly the pyramids were built to house people who work fast.