tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856837.post663808886050011968..comments2023-10-24T09:06:30.200-04:00Comments on No More Mister Nice Blog: Steve M.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11963290427258439242noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856837.post-76269094505563745122014-11-06T09:41:24.133-05:002014-11-06T09:41:24.133-05:00Aren't most Republican "stars" self-...Aren't most Republican "stars" self-made, too? Politicians like Rand Paul & Ted Cruz (not to mention green room denizens John McCain & Peter King) get as much public face time as they can garner. They are super-showboaters. And not just on the teevee. You will find them ginning up the base at wingnut confabs & -- at least in Rand Paul's case -- tantalizing reporters by showing up where they're least expected (at black community group meetings).<br /><br />It's true Fox "News" is eager to raise the profiles of the wackiest wingers (Mike Huckabee), but I'm not aware that MSNBC bookers are telling Democrats not to appear on their shows to shoot the breeze. CPAC might not invite liberal politicians to its convention, but there are plenty of opportunities for liberal politicians to raise their profiles. <br /><br />I'd blame the politicians themselves more than the Democratic party. They've all bought into Hillary inevitability when more of them should be better positioning themselves for high national profiles. Modesty does not become them.<br /> marieburnshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05551898556011521804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856837.post-4276612740357025912014-11-06T06:53:32.312-05:002014-11-06T06:53:32.312-05:00Every female and minority Republican is made into ...Every female and minority Republican is made into a star, because there are so few of them, the party has to - and is more than willing - to trumpet their success.<br /><br />The Democratic Party has a ton of women and minorities - like the Republicans have older white (mostly) males.<br /><br />Victorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06609452382111686086noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856837.post-85991724128001000182014-11-05T23:08:51.471-05:002014-11-05T23:08:51.471-05:00Yes, exactly. And even Krugman isn't all that...Yes, exactly. And even Krugman isn't all that left-wing by, say, Chomskyan/academic left standards.bgnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07110058388805605682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856837.post-47997842000276449272014-11-05T22:47:01.561-05:002014-11-05T22:47:01.561-05:00How many left-of-center pundits can you name after...<i>How many left-of-center pundits can you name after Paul Krugman and maybe Rachel Maddow?</i><br /><br /><br />How left of center is Maddow? MSNBC isn't the liberal equivalent of Faux Noise. She's left of center like Brookings is left of center.Phil Perspectivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13540815981930702517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856837.post-13013453808720568352014-11-05T22:44:55.092-05:002014-11-05T22:44:55.092-05:00Meanwhile, the Democratic Party doesn't even t...<i>Meanwhile, the Democratic Party doesn't even try to make household names of its winners. How hard has the party tried to make a star of Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq veteran who lost two legs in combat before becoming a congresswoman from Illinois? After she was elected in the Democrats' 2006 wave election, how hard did the party try to promote Gabby Giffords?</i><br /><br /><br /><br />You're talking about two Rahm-recruited Blue Dogs. Remember how Duckworth first came to attention? Not exactly a way to win the hearts of activists. Activists aren't going to get behind wishy-washy candidates and politicians. Are Nunn and Grimes inspiring candidates? Absolutely not! Stars are usually inspiring people. How many of those do we really have?Phil Perspectivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13540815981930702517noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856837.post-72287254030361579882014-11-05T22:38:43.153-05:002014-11-05T22:38:43.153-05:00It's the same thing with pundits. How many le...It's the same thing with pundits. How many left-of-center pundits can you name after Paul Krugman and maybe Rachel Maddow?<br /><br />Let's face it, American liberals these days just don't do stars. Maybe it's because they have other things in their lives besides politics, while Republicans are monomaniacally focused on it. But how can you compete with them without becoming entirely like them? Do we really want to expand the purview of the purity-at-all-costs academic left?bgnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07110058388805605682noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3856837.post-65287681122044834902014-11-05T22:31:50.652-05:002014-11-05T22:31:50.652-05:00How many people nationwide have heard of Sherrod B...<i>How many people nationwide have heard of Sherrod Brown? Amy Klobuchar? Kamala Harris? Maybe Kirsten Gillibrand gets a bit of national attention, and self-promoters like Cory Booker, Wendy Davis, and Elizabeth Warren get more.</i><br /><br /><br />Why would Klobuchar even be considered in the same class as Sherrod Brown, or even Harris? Has she done anything at all high profile? I remember someone, probably in the TradMed, floating her name if Hillary didn't run. Would three people at TGOS even be able to pick her out of a police lineup?Phil Perspectivehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13540815981930702517noreply@blogger.com