The Selling of the President 1968

From "The Selling of the President 1968" by Joe McGinnis

Kevin Phillips, the “ethnic specialist,” was twenty-seven years old, pale and dour…

“Essentially what I do is determine what blocs can be moved in what states by what approach,” he said. “'Group susceptibility' I call it.

"For instance, in Wisconsin you have Germans and you have Scandinavians, and the two groups respond to very different things. First, we determine where the groups are and then we decide how to reach them. What radio station each listens to, and so forth.

Sounds like the Obama campaigns except substitute Facebook and Twitter for radio and add special interest, gender, and race to ethnic groups. Yes, I did just compare the Obama campaign to the Nixon campaign.

I'm so Bored with the Inequality Debate

My daughter last night was frustrated others in her class didn't study as much as she did and got the same or better grades. I told her not to worry, the do-gooders in the world were going to eliminate inequality. All would be well.

I'm so bored with this debate. It's dishonest, trivial or inane. Often all three simultaneously.