Letters posted here are associated with the following Salon Premium Member:

pieceofcake

Published Letters: 3009
Editor's Choice: 1

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 05:47 AM

the only problem -

I have with all this "polling" and "calculating" and "predicting" - It is very "one-dimensional".

Americans are able to think and act at least in "three dimensions" (-joke! - now -serious!!)

Let's put for the sake of a good argument the "dependence on facts and reason" on first place - There still would be this difficult second place - where all these informations are processed in a very individual way - resulting in a final and very subjective list of priorities.

To use a simple example:

For somebody, whose priorities are -

1.The war -

2.The economy - it is very difficult to argue with someone else, whose priorities are just the other way around.

So -if I want to have a truly constructive discussion - I first would have to syncronize the priorities with my partner. But it really get's "tricky" - the unpredictable "THIRD DIMENSION" kicks in - a chaotic mix of all the facts with our unconscious or sometimes even conscious "feelings" - and a lot of times - boom - out comes a decision, where the feelings "trump" everything??

As another poster - I think a psycholgist - explained: It is virtually impossible to convince someone to believe something, they do not want to believe - and our ability to discount evidence and logic is formidable.

This is why it would be so tremendously important - to adress "the real issues" - Like:How to beat John McCain!! He is very dangerously "fishing" in the "THIRD DIMENSION" of Obama - proven by a lot of "anti-war" Republicans who voted for "Kain:. And this "virus" even spread to Salon, where suddenly, one of the worst "warmonger" this country ever has seen - was promoted!!

I know - I know: There might be some "clever" guys and gals out there, who would love to turn my argument against me.-

"Kain" is fishing for emotional decisions - Obama is - and Bush was too". But that doesn't work. There never ever will be any type of "rational" comparison between "Bushchange" and Obamas "change". And I think It is perfectly okay to "like" or even "love" a candidate if you are able to work your way back to the "first dimension" -

You check:

HEALTH INSURANCE FOR AMERICANS - check -

AGAINST THE WAR - check - etc etc.

-And as a last note to the so called "fact based community"-

In the last years professional politicians have failed so miserably, that each of us has a neighbor or a friend, who - with the help of an excellent group of experts would make an excellent President.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 06:02 AM

anon -

you think very poorly of your fellow Americans!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 06:29 AM

and anons-

before I forget - I already met a lot of friends and foes on Salon and I guess I know you guys too - you were on this christmas dinner last year and you brought a big cristal ball

to the table and told us all - you could tell the future -

and we were waiting and waiting and then you mumbled something nobody understood and ate my daughters piece of cake!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 06:46 AM

please - please Koch-

-not you again - didn't I tell you already I'am not interested - You offered me a piece of gum and told me how you just had learned "the art of promotion" but then you should change your words more often or you going to kill what you promote.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 07:22 AM

i just read all the letters -

before I got up and posted again - And I thought for a minute -

last night - that the type of writers I don't find words for

anymore were in retreat! They are like the Pest and if Salon doesn't get rid of them I'm leaving again!!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 09:21 AM

trying to change ezhik

-is only possible with a completely different strategy

(see P13 "the problem")

If ezhik would "confess" the real reasons for the McCain decision it might be possible - but only in a very long and involved process!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 09:26 AM

to anon -

we are posting together - right now the the daughter -

Hi dude! - sometimes my dad!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 09:41 AM

daer ezhik -

as you just read my daughter was posting - so please don't call her stupid - and I - I just tried to offer some help

to some sensible Salonistas!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 09:45 AM

this is fun -

says the daughter - let's all try to find the best argument why ezhik should vote for Oabama!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 09:49 AM

good point

-by person!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 10:19 AM

we are sorry -

there is tooo much "faith" in this discussion - and we are totally lost at these type of arguments!

You can not give points for "faith"!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 10:26 AM

ezhik -

don't call my daughter "stupid" - god doesn't like that!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 10:36 AM

ezhik -

I guess we could close with having prove by ezhik of - "the problem" page 13!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 10:55 AM

well done ezhik -

you made the point of "the problem" page 13!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 11:57 AM

thats great -

now we got a second ezick would you guys spend that much time with us if we tell you the world is flat?

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 12:07 PM

it would -

help a lot if we tell ezik always he is right - then he might go away after a little while.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 12:26 PM

and we are so exhausted-

about this "Obama has nothing to offer to us" - that I will offer from now on to play ezik - please - hit me with you best shot!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 12:37 PM

sorry -

after reading the anonymus "we have nothing to offer" post again - I think it is parody - a pretty good one...

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 12:47 PM

we actually are friends of Karl -

and if factcheck keeps smearing him like that he will have to

go hunting with Dick!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 12:50 PM

damn are we slow today-

that was another parody this time from factcheck - sorry!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 12:58 PM

we also know Rupert

and he told us he likes Hillary mucn better than Barack!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 01:05 PM

sorry -

we forgot ezik is right - Rupert likes Barack much better than

Hillary.

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 01:19 PM

got a go now -

brushing my teeth - and it was really fun today - sometimes

its a little boring - but today with ezik or ezhik and Karl

and Rupert and all of you guys - don't forget to brush the teeth too before you go to bed - write you tomorrow!

Most Active Letters Threads

523

The crazy, irrational beliefs of Muslims

Tom Friedman explains the real problem: stupid Muslims think the U.S. is about war and aggression.
424

The face of rotted Washington

Evan Bayh demands more debt-financed war - fought by others - while boasting that he's a stern "deficit hawk."
187

Bigotry wins in Switzerland

By voting to ban the construction of minarets, Switzerland apes the most extreme intolerance in the Muslim world
130

Facebook, the mean girls and me

At 34 years old, I finally feel like a popular seventh-grader. How sad is that?
103

Polanski moves from jail to ski chalet

The rapist director is granted bail, and one of his most vocal apologists celebrates

View all »

Letters Help

Currently in Salon