Countdown to Extinction: The 2016 Presidential Election

[Ken B]

My youngest sister is now going to be involved in the "elect Hillary" campaign at the next Presidential election.  She has a Masters in US Studies from Sydney University and has networked through the university US Studies Centre (visiting diplomats, academics and business people from the US) and is a permanent member of the university alumni.  Recently she was over in the US on a small stipend (she had taken leave from her teaching position at another university) for the "G'day USA" program in California.  My sister seems to think Hillary is good for America, feminism and women in general, but I remain unconvinced.

We met some charming Americans in Amsterdam a couple of weeks ago and joined them for dinner.  That evening I learned in no uncertain terms what some Americans think of Hillary Clinton!!

Hillary would be lousy. That makes her better than the last three democrat nominees.

[Karl Henning]

Mrs Clinton is an at least modestly divisive figure.

"Some 49 percent of Americans feel favorably about Clinton, but 46 percent had unfavorable views and only 4 percent felt undecided, according to a March ABC News/Washington Post poll."

[Todd]

"Some 49 percent of Americans feel favorably about Clinton, but 46 percent had unfavorable views and only 4 percent felt undecided, according to a March ABC News/Washington Post poll."

The most important question here is how are 4% undecided about a prominent national and international figure who has been in the national spotlight for almost a quarter century?  (And what about the unaccounted for 1%?)

[Gurn Blanston]

The most important question here is how are 4% undecided about a prominent national and international figure who has been in the national spotlight for almost a quarter century?  (And what about the unaccounted for 1%?)

I have always wondered the same thing. Last election, I distinctly recall CNN or one of those, having a big panel discussion the night before the election with a bunch of 'undecideds'. Really? If you don't know who you are going to vote for by then, you need to be out of the pool of eligible voters!   

[Todd]

I have always wondered the same thing. Last election, I distinctly recall CNN or one of those, having a big panel discussion the night before the election with a bunch of 'undecideds'. Really? If you don't know who you are going to vote for by then, you need to be out of the pool of eligible voters!   

Can you imagine having dinner with such a person? 

"On the one hand, Ranch dressing is smooth and creamy; on the other hand, Thousand Island is tangy and has a nice texture.  Why must life be filled with so many difficult choices?"

[Gurn Blanston]

Can you imagine having dinner with such a person? 

"On the one hand, Ranch dressing is smooth and creamy; on the other hand, Thousand Island is tangy and has a nice texture.  Why must life be filled with so many difficult choices?"

I dub thee 'Sir Duncely of Moronshire' 

I'd be suicidal after the first 5 minutes...

[Henk]

I foresee a wonderful collaboration between Hilary Clinton and Martha Nussbaum..

[Gurn Blanston]

I foresee a wonderful collaboration between Hilary Clinton and Martha Nussbaum..

There are elements of scariness there; not sure they haven't already been talking. Just girl talk, of course.

[Henk]

There are elements of scariness there; not sure they haven't already been talking. Just girl talk, of course.

You're right.

Chicago is a place for both from which they work.

[Florestan]

I couldn't care less about who's going to succeed Obama. The last decent USA president was George Washington.   

[Jo498]

What's wrong with professor Nussbaum? If the politicians do not become philosophers, the philosophers might have to enter politics...

[The new erato]

What's wrong with professor Nussbaum? If the politicians do not become philosophers, the philosophers might have to enter politics...

Seems a sensible lady to me, but perhaps too nutty for some of the posters here?

[Ken B]

I couldn't care less about who's going to succeed Obama. The last decent USA president was George Washington.   

r

Seriously Andrei, you think Romanians won the cold war alone? 

[Todd]

If the politicians do not become philosophers, the philosophers might have to enter politics...

I'd love to see an academic philosopher try to make it in contemporary retail politics in the US.  That would be most entertaining.

[Karl Henning]

I'd love to see an academic philosopher try to make it in contemporary retail politics in the US.  That would be most entertaining.

Separately . . . did I see that Rowling's title was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but that the US publisher compelled her to change it to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, because American children would not read a book with philosopher in the title?

[North Star]

Separately . . . did I see that Rowling's title was Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, but that the US publisher compelled her to change it to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, because American children would not read a book with philosopher in the title?

Yes. They probably also wanted to change 'Chamber of Secrets' to 'Hole of Secrets', 'Goblet of Fire' into 'Mug of Fire', and 'Order of Phoenix' into 'Group of Seagulls'.

[Karl Henning]

Well, once the first one sold so handsomely, they must have unclenched a little.  As a rule, when the letterhead people at a US publisher try using any intelligence, it's none too much, and probably misapplied.

[North Star]

Well, once the first one sold so handsomely, they must have unclenched a little.

'A little' is surely an understatement.

As a rule, when the letterhead people at a US publisher try using any intelligence, it's none too much, and probably misapplied.

One is reminded of that child critic in the Wooster & Jeeves story.

[Jo498]

Actually, I knew that Nussbaum was at some stage involved in some developmental policy stuff (together with Amartya Sen) and as I just found out she also was an expert witness in the early 90ties in some Colorado pro/anti gay legislation where the contested translation of a word from a Plato dialogue apparently became a big issue afterwards. (The other side had enlisted catholic legal philosopher John Finnis.)
So she has been rather more involved in such things than most academic philosophers in recent times.


Which Jeeves and Wooster Story is the one with the child critic?

[Florestan]

r

Seriously Andrei, you think Romanians won the cold war alone? 

Who said we won it?