Tag: fishbowl

@LizMair invokes the power of the Fishbowl.

The Fishbowl is what I call an artifact of what Neal Stephenson called the Age of Scrutiny: basically, it’s the world that we live in now. Which is a world where you have to simply assume that somebody is now, or will be, watching everything that you’re doing. It’s a perilous world, to be sure: but at least you’re never alone, right? Anyway, here’s Liz explaining how life sucks for politicians now:

It was, to put it mildly, not helpful in the 2004 election for a candidate (Kerry) to have taken multiple different positions on matters concerning the Iraq War. It was not okay in the 2008 cycle to suddenly play the civil libertarian after contrary votes, to position as somehow anti-Iraq War when you voted for it and wouldn’t apologize (see Clinton, Hillary). It was not tenable to claim to be a hardcore social conservative after prior pro-gay positioning and pro-choice status, nor to claim anti-comprehensive immigration reform credentials that did not previously exist (see Romney, Willard Mitt). It certainly isn’t going to be credible or plausible for any candidates this cycle to attempt equivalent contortionism while simultaneously pretending to be oh-so-sincere this time around. Yet we already see them doing it, and doing it badly.

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A quick question for the Obama administration on the Japanese counter-missile thing.

Let’s say that the Japanese carry through with their promise to try to sweep from the sky any North Korean missile that even looks like it’s going to violate their airspace (yes, I’m paraphrasing, and running the statement through the politeness filter). And let’s also say that they do so.

If that happens, can we assume that the missile defense system that they used – and developed jointly with us – will be sufficiently ‘proven’ to satisfy you?


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Obama to skip the Gridiron Club Dinner. Unsurprisingly.

Don Surber called it with regard to Obama snubbing the Gridiron Club:

Pres. Obama Will Not Attend Annual Gridiron Dinner, First President Since Cleveland to Miss

A Gridiron Club member tells FBDC first that President Obama will not attend this year’s dinner next Saturday, March 21st. He will be the first president since Grover Cleveland not to attend the first Gridiron Club Dinner of his presidency.

This year’s date coincides with the spring break of President Obama’s daughters’ school and club members have been informed the Obama family will be out of town, likely in Chicago.

…and in case you were thinking that “kids’ spring break” is rather weak beer for sloughing off a century-old tradition, well, good call. The real reason is that Obama would be expected to do something like this:


Continue reading Obama to skip the Gridiron Club Dinner. Unsurprisingly.