David Brooks reflected on being addicted to polls recently. Part of an addict's problem is that he/she doesn't get the effect that he used to. We're not getting the same kick; so we try harder. The problem is not totally with ourselves however; the poll signals aren't as good. People can't be reached as reliably; so 'we' can't poll as well. We don't know when we know.

Link to a National Park site that can give air quality reports, DADvocate on Althouse today.

Bush, Thoughts in the aversion to him

@Gregg, I think the problem with Bush is really more subtle. I've been reading American Nations lately, 'the eleven rival cultures of North America.' One of the author's postulates is that people adapt/conform to the first standing culture. New York is thus still culturally New Netherlands for instance. 'Greater Appalachia' extends at least to Midland where he grew up. He has some patina of Yankeedom and some El Norte which is also Texan. So for all his 'cowboy,' or at least so called by Yankees, but it really isn't, it's Appalachian simplicity, the other elements in his cultural personality come across as disharmonious especially to those who don't have a strong Appalachian perspective, 'people (who) have supported every war the United States has ever fought once the fighting began, regardless of cause, opponent, or consequences' and you are going to have trouble. So you might says he's a disarmingly exotic dish probably best served cold.

Vatican II, the 50th anniversary

Fr. Farkasfalvy was in Rome when John XXIII said he wanted to have a Vatican Council. The reaction of the Curia was, he says 'Why do you want to do that? With the doctrine of infallibility you can do anything you want.' Ahh, but that's just part of the point. When the Pope was elected, he told his intimates, 'You won't find me saying anything infallible.' I think that is also a key to the criticism of Vatican II. Those who prefer a hidebound dictatorial Church, anhedonic but superior in attitude will identify with seeing a font of degeneration for the Church, put snarkily. Fr. Roch quoted Jacques Maritain in saying that the Church opposed error but that people had to freely seek for truth. I recall a book by him on my parents small personal book case.

Debate

Bob Stewart and I used to debate together. That was the best part about it. Knowing what a 15 year old Pakistani informs about debate was not intuitive to us. She gives crisp instructions for what to do. Kind of like ancient warfare we would run against the opponent with citations. Her opinion on the 1st presidential debate is also at the link.

Univision gave Obama a hard time about immigration and subsequently reported that Operation Fast and Furious led to the deaths of 16 Mexican youths. I am reminded of a story told me by 'Pickle' who happened to walk into my room in college when I had accidentally run into a former girl friend and was feeling blue. One day in Mexico the federales came to a rural area and the next day there were some young men hanging by their necks on a rope across a street. The sign 'This is what happens to people who sell drugs to the Americans' hung there also. Maybe it was the next day in the same area that there were some 13 men hung from telephone poles. 'This is what happens to people who kill our children' the sign said. The sadism did me good; I felt pretty good that evening. Going back to the Unvision story, I think it is more dangerous for Obama politically than his operation may realize.

Being in our debt really annoys some Muslims. The Libyans are in or debt for our air support allowing them to overthrew a tyrant and our ambassador is killed. You would think the population would not have participated in the plot but warned us. The U.S protected Saudi Arabia from the encroachment of Iraq, and we had 9-11 in response. A Los Altos Marine learned Arabic and stayed in the advance team to help out the Afghans and was invited to a predawn Ramadan breakfast, came and was killed there. It may be better not to do favors for Islamic nations. A related comment of mine is now on Dan Drezner's Foreign Policy blog.

Republicans and the American Culture

Ran into an interesting book: From this perspective, Gingrich supported El Norte and Perry gave evidence of finding it part of his culture but ran to his Appalachian roots under pressure. Also recently heard an author of 'Redeemers' on NPR. The book talks about Jose Marti and a Uruguayan author in part.

Republican National Convention

The commenters at this post on Just One Minute had great links to material of the last night of the Republican National Convention including Clint Eastwood at a couple of links and Mitt Romney's acceptance speech.