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SteveDallas · 11-09-2012, 01:10 PM

I'm not really interested in rehashing or discussing the election. But there was one aspect of it that resonated with me, in a non-partisan kind of way. I thought I would throw it out for everybody to consider, dismiss, etc.

It's been said that the Republicans ignored polls that said they were behind. It goes beyond "ignoring." They were actually paying strategists, paying them a lot, for information that was encouraging, but that in hindsight looks dead wrong, mistaken if not outright misleading. I would go as far as to say the Republicans paid people to tell them what they wanted to hear.

"But wait," you say, "I thought this was going to be non-partisan?" Well, yeah. I didn't come here to bash the Republicans over this. I'll leave it to other people to hash out whether they should have realized what was going on.

What I want to know is.... who is telling ME what I want to hear?
Who has received consideration from me (cash or otherwise), and as a result is eager to make me happy? And thinks the best way to make me happy is to confirm everything I already believe or want to believe?
Who has said something that I needed to hear, but that I ignored because I disliked the person?
Who have I disagreed with so often that I can longer even consider the possibility that they might be right about something?

11-09-2012, 01:10 PM	#1
SteveDallas Your Bartender Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Philly Burbs, PA Posts: 7,651	My takeaway from the election I'm not really interested in rehashing or discussing the election. But there was one aspect of it that resonated with me, in a non-partisan kind of way. I thought I would throw it out for everybody to consider, dismiss, etc. It's been said that the Republicans ignored polls that said they were behind. It goes beyond "ignoring." They were actually paying strategists, paying them a lot, for information that was encouraging, but that in hindsight looks dead wrong, mistaken if not outright misleading. I would go as far as to say the Republicans paid people to tell them what they wanted to hear. "But wait," you say, "I thought this was going to be non-partisan?" Well, yeah. I didn't come here to bash the Republicans over this. I'll leave it to other people to hash out whether they should have realized what was going on. What I want to know is.... who is telling ME what I want to hear? Who has received consideration from me (cash or otherwise), and as a result is eager to make me happy? And thinks the best way to make me happy is to confirm everything I already believe or want to believe? Who has said something that I needed to hear, but that I ignored because I disliked the person? Who have I disagreed with so often that I can longer even consider the possibility that they might be right about something?