"I'm not the type to compliment a politician," (to quote Bono) but I'm a fan of Brian Schweitzer. Amazingly, so are a lot of the Republican hard-noses around here. He's a Democrat, but somehow has managed to be so sensible and non-partisan that nobody cares.
It would be an election I'd finally feel confident about, but as the article alludes, there's not much of a chance there.
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
I'd rather he opposed abortion rights and favored gay marriage, but I'd be willing to take a hard look at him Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
The main reason I like him is that he's taken a direct approach to some local issues that had both parties entrenched and not budging and just made a common sense decision. There's been a huge water rights hulabaloo in my county this year, and he came out and toured and talked to everyone involved and basically told the county commissioners to get off the political crap and solve the problems. A couple of those types of things made the local democrats mad because they thought he'd come in and pander to their demands, but I think after it was all over, everyone realized that a good compromise had been reached.
Of course, water rights in Ravalli county Montana are a little less intense than, say, international relations.
Posted by Jim-Me (Member # 6426) on :
Still, that's a good trait and one some friends and I were longing for, just today.
No-nonsense is always good.
Posted by Jonathan Howard (Member # 6934) on :
"Good politics" is an oxymoron. That was my conclusion of a "utopia" course I took.
The other conclusion of that course was that one of the best realistic implementations for Russel's paradox is Bureaucracy (or take it one step up with meta-stuff - the "Bureau of Bureaucracy"). You end up with a crushing result of endless paper wasted and nothing achieved.
Sadly, this is the only thing that works...
And Jim-Thee - you can also say "sense" if you wish to state the opposite of nonsense.
Just a thought!
Posted by King of Men (Member # 6684) on :
"No-nonsense" is a stock phrase in English, which you might have noticed if you weren't so busy showing off.
Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :
Even bad politics is much preferable to the alternative, violence. And considering the amount of truly STUPID legislation that is passed, it's a good thing that bureaucracy slows down the velocity at which laws are applied and moderates their effects.
Posted by scottneb (Member # 676) on :
quote:"No-nonsense" is a stock phrase in English, which you might have noticed if you weren't so busy showing off.
You're up one notch on the respect-o-meter.
Posted by Beren One Hand (Member # 3403) on :
quote:Originally posted by aspectre: Even bad politics is much preferable to the alternative, violence. And considering the amount of truly STUPID legislation that is passed, it's a good thing that bureaucracy slows down the velocity at which laws are applied and moderates their effects.
Even with all the deception and self-serving crap, I agree with aspectre that politics is not categorically bad.
When people are involved in the political process, they are at least agreeing to a specific set of rules. It is much better than, say, terrorism.
Posted by Jon Boy (Member # 4284) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jonathan Howard: And Jim-Thee - you can also say "sense" if you wish to state the opposite of nonsense.
You break my heart, Jonathan. How can you know so many languages and yet understand so little about how they work?
Posted by TomDavidson (Member # 124) on :
He's a Jack of All Tracheas.
Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :
Tom, that's one of the weirder mental images I've ever had to conjure up.
Posted by Kasie H (Member # 2120) on :
I dig him too. I saw him when I was covering the National Governors' Association meetings in DC, and he was straight up about his problems with Iraq: Bush had taken his National Guard troops and he wanted them home to fight summer forest fires. I remember thinking, "You know, that's the first utterly sensible thing I've heard a politican say about this war."
Posted by Sid Meier (Member # 6965) on :
If I were an American citizen I would vote for him as it is being a crazy conuck I'm voting for the NDP or maybe some sort of ultra radical leninist party you know keep the hope alive since I've recently turned 18.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)