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Tag Archives: Alec Baldwin
Eric Cantor’s Lost Surplus
The three figures above (serving as a simple economic model showing tradeoffs between production of two goods) illustrate the fundamental empirical flaw in Rep. Eric Cantor’s political philosophy: that there is a unit-for-unit tradeoff between liberty (L on the y-axis) and security (S on the x-axis) as in Figure 1.
Figure 2, with a bowed-out “production possibilities frontier” or “PPF” is a much more accurate representation on the tradeoff between liberty and security. Indeed, it is possible for a society to gain significant security while giving up a minimal amount of liberty. Banning lead in gasoline and paint, for example, does not significantly restrict liberty, yet offers a great deal of additional “security” to society. The curve is bowed-out, though, to reflect the diminishing marginal returns of sacrificing liberty for security.
Figure 3 combines the PPFs shown in the previous two charts and highlights the surplus loss that our society would experience if Congress adopts Cantor’s policy ideas. Cantor’s policies fall along the straight line; shifting out in any direction would increase society’s utility.
Cantor’s inability to understand that even a relatively extensive regulatory regime can give society significant security with minimal loss of liberty is tragic. If Congress follows his incorrect observations, we will find ourselves with inefficient policies from which we could actually gain additional security without any loss in liberty through different policy choices.
Posted in Blog, Douche of the Day
Tagged Alec Baldwin, eric cantor, Republicans, tea party
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Alec Baldwin – KAAA Quick Read
Jack: Good lord! The worm … that’s so degrading. Are its origins German?
I love the television show 30 Rock. It is some of the best writing and acting presently on television. Chief among the amazing cast of actors that make the show so vibrant is Alec Baldwin. Alec Baldwin has played a CIA agent, a Lt. Col. at Pearl Harbor, a Boston police captain, and is a real life die-hard liberal. He is also a regular columnist with The Huffington Post.
Today Baldwin wrote a scathing piece ripping apart the Republican Party and Rush Limbaugh. It is highly entertaining and speaks directly to the quagmire the Republicans have found themselves in since the election of Barack Obama. Check it out HERE.
Sneak peak:
Rush Limbaugh is an uneducated, marginally talented, overbearing, recovering drug addict who was, at least according to Wikipedia, ineligible for the draft because he had cysts on his ass.
Posted in Blog, Rants, Republican Party, The Media
Tagged 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin, awesome, Baldwin, editorial, Goldwater, quagmire, Republicans, rush limbaugh, The Republican Party
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Electoral Geography in the South
I came across this from a really cool blog called Strange Maps, a place where the internet can indulge my love of geography. Here is the map:
I recently did a big class project about the politics of Georgia. The biggest theme for Georgia and the rest of the South is the mass polarization by race. If a Democrat can get 30% of the white vote within the state, they can win. Obama got 23% and Jim Martin got 26%. Obama only got 10% of the white vote in Alabama. The patterns that this map shows is where cotton was grown, represented by dots. The areas where slaves used to live became the places where their ancestors stayed to create this map of polarized voting. Strange Maps really is a cool site and I recommend going there.
Baldwin Endorses Clinton!
Don’t you love when all of your favorite things come together? Alec Baldwin just published a snazzy little piece on Huffington Post, endorsing Senator Clinton for Secretary State. Now I know that it’s almost certain Miss Clinton has the spot, but it’s just nice to know you have Jack Donaghy on your side.
I mean, you can argue with Tom Duvall and Nathaniel Styer, but you don’t mess with a Baldwin:
The president can not go to every corner of the world that requires his attention. Who better to send than the one American who can represent him and all of America with an equivalent intellect, dedication and dynamism. I hope she says yes.
Posted in Blog, Cabinet Appointments, Hillary Clinton, The Media
Tagged 30 Rock, Alec Baldwin, Hillary Clinton, jack donaghy, jfk, Nathaniel Styer, Secretary of State, tom duvall
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I watch too much cable news
^Joe the Plumber^
I’m watching a McCain rally on MSNBC. He’s talking about Joe the Plumber again. (Btw, should “plumber” be capitalized?) I don’t know why he keeps bringing this guy up. All the focus groups last night – Fox News included – said they got sick of hearing about Joe P. after about the 15th time McAnecdote mentioned him.
Honest to god. Does McAngryOldMan realize that the election is 19 days away and he’s about infinity behind Obama? Every time I see McStumpSpeech address a TV screen and not say something new and game-changing, I shake my head in wonder. Why does he continue with the same old lines that have literally not helped him at all? Every minute he spends not trying to shake things up is a minute in which Obama moves closer to victory. I understand that he doesn’t want to seem like he’s trying some sort of desperate stunt. But doesn’t McClueless get it? If he doesn’t do something, he’s going to lose! You know, as in “not win?”
On the other side, Obama looked relaxed and cool at his rally today, which was brought to me by the good people at CNN. One of Obama’s line that I found particularly memorable was “I like pie.” A shining example of the dessert our nation needs.
Seriously, though, I noticed one clear contrast between the Obama rally and the McAwkward speeches. Anybody who has watched a McRabbleRouser rally know that the boo-to-cheer ratio is about 34,532,542,346 to 13. There’s a freakin’ lot of booing, and McCreepySmile does nothing to discourage it. During the Obama speech, however, Barack quieted the crowd when they began to boo his McPonant. He told his supporters, “Don’t boo now – vote now!” It was a completely different atmoshpere than the McCain rally.
Posted in Barack Obama, Blog, John McCain, The Media
Tagged Alec Baldwin, Avi Snider, Barack Obama, Bob the Builder, cable news, campain rallies, CNN, debates, Joe the Plumber, John McCain, McNicknames, MSNBC, Super Mario
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Quote of the Day
I have this many houses. (Why does Cindy have a cast on?)
“I think – I will have my staff get to you.”
~ Senator John McCain when asked how many houses he owns….Turns out the McCain’s own 7 houses worth a grand total of 13 million dollars. The Obama campaign hit back:
Update: You can check one of their houses here in Archetectural Digest… ugly.
Randy Newman defends America
Singer/songwriter Randy Newman released his new album Harps and Angels (2008) this past Tuesday. One of my favorite songs on the album is “A Few Words in Defense of My Country” about America’s changing reputation among our allies. In typical Newman fashion he spins it around on them, dragging up references to horrible European leaders (similar to his song “Great Nations of Europe“) while remaining equally harsh while talking about the President, color codes, and the Supreme Court.
Posted in America, Blog
Tagged Alec Baldwin, Alec Baldwin Sucks, America, Randy Newman
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Quote of the Day
Obama in Lansing
“He’s pandering to San Francisco liberals and environmentalists who would just as soon we not have cars.â€
~ Saul Anuzis – Michigan Republican Party Chair – I seem to remember this part of the speech where Obama called for the abolition of cars… It came right after the call to give up Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream and puppies.
Posted in Blog, Quote of the Day
Tagged Alec Baldwin, Alec Baldwin Sucks, Cars, Lansing, obama, Rally, Republicans, Saul Anuzis
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Weekly* Blog Digest
^ I can blog because I am not there ^
People are losing their heads this week as McCain fires the ultimate political weapon – Paris Hilton – and Indiana may become the most important state ever in the next 72 hours…
From Talking Points Memo: A Must Read… Remember when John McCain did a major flip-flop on off-shore oil drilling? You may not because the media doesn’t cover that sort of things. Well, at the same time he was flipping oil executives from the Hess Family were pumping $28,500 a person into the McCain fund.
Update: This story keep getting better. Turns out an “office manager” and her Amtrak foreman husband both gave $28,500 on the same day as the Hess Family Donation Explosion. These two live in a lower-middle class neighborhood in Flushing, Queens where the average household income is $58,069. How is it that two people that rent homes in this area are able to give maximum allowable amount to McCain?
From Political Wire: Evan Bayh?
From the Huffington Post: What do topless women, motorcycle gangs, Kid Rock, and John McCain have in common? That would be Sturgis, South Dakota where McCain will be addressing the mecca of bikers…
From the Detroit Free Press: Obama in Lansing calls for more aid to the auto industry to retool factories for more fuel efficient cars!
From the BBC: Did anyone else notice the uptick in beheadings last week? I can’t really link this to anything political unless you want to blame it on Mike Rogers, which I would be cool with. First, the freaky beheading in Canada. Secondly, the beheading that lead to a slashed police officer, two battered physicians, and a women wounded by a ricocheted bullet in Greece.
From the Harvard Dems: Why the Republicans are inspiring this Democratic blogger from the House floor.
From the UCLA Dems: California notices the funky things going on in Michigan politics.
From College Click TV: A U of M College Democrat is interviewed about life at Michigan.
* I think I can manage a weekly one of these… this is not guaranteed.
Posted in Blog, Blog Digest
Tagged Alec Baldwin, Alec Baldwin Sucks, Dana Cronyn, Evan Bayh, hess, John McCain, Kid Rock, Lansing, oil, Sturgis
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Mike Rogers Enemies List
In a world of high oil prices and Mike Rogers – this gleeful graphic was created to explain why we need foreign oil independence… The full plan can be found here…
This constitutes Mike Rogers Enemies List -
1) Vladimir Ilyich Lenin – I assume that since Lenin has been dead since 1924 Mike Rogers is targeting Lenin’s embalmed corpse. Lenin’s corpse apparently is quoted as saying…
“Buy more missiles, make more tanks, modernize the army!”
2) Evil Arab – Mike Rogers is the enemy of any person who wears a turban, is mustachioed, and sneers, which means they probably support terror. Evil Arab is quoted has threatening Mike with…
“Drive the oil prices up! We need more money for jihad!”
3) Hugo Chavez – This terror from south of the border represents both 1. A scary hispanic man ready to take your jobs and 2. Another scary ethnic man with oil. This double threat looms closer as Hugo Chavez utters…
“Steal the ballot boxes! I need to be in power forever.”
There you go. This is Mike Rogers Enemies List. Be very afraid and be very aware of those who are threatening the life Miker Rogers wants for you and me.
Posted in Blog, Energy, Unfounded Speculation
Tagged Alec Baldwin, Alec Baldwin Sucks, Arabs, Enemies, Hugo Chavez, Lenin, Mike Rogers
3 Comments