On Obama's debate, a repeat from 4 years ago, and from another: Obama is a black man who's lived most of his life in a white man's world. He's a Prep School Negro. He's been a politician his entire life.

On whether Obama was at least partially "affirmative action hire":  After the election a story got linked around (an email to TPM[?]) about a man who went to vote before making up his mind, finally choosing Obama because he didn't want to be "on the wrong side of history". This was noted with approval.

On the hyped video. No one comments that both Clinton (Arkansas) and G.W. Bush (Texas) tailored their accents to fit their audience.

Obama, Rahm Emanuel and Jews as the highest of high yella. I've imagined Rahm's oration to his boss about how to play the game and win. "Keep your head down, motherfucker!"
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Agnotology, again, (and context).

A commenter at the second link: "STOP IT. This is becoming like a thread of vaccine deniers arguing about the doctors who are pooh-poohing them."

"Quiggin",  "The irrationalism of others", etc.

"...represents the worst of Crooked Timber, maybe their greatest exemplar of Taylorism and Fordism: a fundamentalist technocrat more left wing and less polished than DeLong."