Akkam’s Razor

• PixoPoint | Specialists in the design, coding and implementation of websites -
• Hitler Emoticons [PIC] - Too soon.
• Teaching Online Journalism » What we now know about blogs -
• robcurley.com » The Five Ps - The 5P's, but for the internet…
• Business Dynamics Statistics - Home - The new Business Dynamics Statistics are a product of the Center for Economic Studies of the U.S. Census Bureau. The annual series describes establishment-level business dynamics along dimensions absent from similar databases including firm age and firm size. The new data series provides researchers with a tool to gain insight into the dynamics of a changing economy.

A friend of mine forwarded me an email from a columnist by the name of Jack Tymann, detailing the share of votes Obama and McCain received from a variety of constituencies.  The gist of the numbers was that McCain LOST every demographic EXCEPT white males.

I thought back to Karl Rove’s interpretation of ‘the math’ and why he expected an outcome extremely different than the 2006 mid-term electoral results, famously quipping the following on NPR (via the Raw Deal):

“You may end up with a different math, but you’re entitled to your math,” Rove said. “I’m entitled to ‘the’ math.”

What led him to make the assumptions he made, and why were they wrong?  Rove believed that voters would respond to allegations of Democratic corruption, so that was the campaign he ran.  It also plays a role in the US Attorney Scandal as well as the prosecution and conviction (and subsequent appeal) of Alabama governor Bud Siegelmann.  It is quite possible that Rove was correct, and that the electorate did recognize corruption; Unfortunately, they had come to associate lawbreaking with the majority party and minority party.

I’m going to say that there may be far more simple indicators than black-box explanations of voter behavior. 

• Psychology of Cyberspace - Article Index -
• Tentacles of Rage: The Republican propaganda mill, a brief history LEWIS H LAPHAM / Harpers Magazine v.309, n.1852, September 2004 1sep04 -
• The New York Times > Week in Review > Image > Dissecting the Changing Electorate -
• Secret Service blamed Palin for sudden spike in Obama death threats | Crooks and Liars - There was a reason, I think, that people were repelled by the ugliness that proceeded from the McCain/Palin campaign this year — common sense, after all, should tell you where this kind of ugliness was heading. It showed up at the polls.

  The problem is finding a way to put out the fuse that they lit.

• Obama’s Seven Lessons for Radical Innovators - Umair Haque - Barack Obama is one of the most radical management innovators in the world today. Obama's team built something truly world-changing: a new kind of political organization for the 21st century. It differs from yesterday's political organizations as much as Google and Threadless differ from yesterday's corporations: all are a tiny handful of truly new, 21st century institutions in the world today.

  Obama presidential bid succeeded, in other words, as our research at the Lab has discussed for the past several years, through the power of new DNA: new rules for new kinds of institutions.

  So let's discuss the new DNA Obama brought to the table, by outlining seven rules for tomorrow's radical innovators.

• Rahmbo Chief Of Staff? You Can Kiss Bipartisanship Goodbye - I don't share Rahm's political objectives — he's the architect of NAFTA, a "free trade" hound and the godfather of the Heath Schuler immigration bill, which seeks to privatize the border and give illegal immigrants no path to citizenship. But Rahm doesn't do "bipartisan" — which I've always sort of liked about him. Not that I think the Republicans have any interest in working with a Democratic administration — particularly not the ones who are left after Tuesday. As Paul Krugmann notes this morning, the moderates will likely be purged from the party, leaving it in the hands of the extremists. They're very good at operating as an opposition party and will be only too happy to do so once again.

• Best of the ’08 Campaign: The effective use of history—By Scott Horton (Harper’s Magazine) - History is grabbed by the roots when it is used to remind a new generation of the accomplishments of the past, when it is used to inspire a people to accomplish what they can and prevent what they must. The invocation of history is particularly powerful when it is used to remind a nation of aspirations long cherished but not fully achieved. The image of that tall and gangly lawyer from Springfield has been summoned to motivate a new generation of Americans to reclaim a democratic legacy. It has served to power a political campaign that has known few equals in the nation’s history. The election on Tuesday will mark the beginning of the end of a great national nightmare. But still greater tests are ahead of us.

• From Cave Paintings to the Internet: 70,000 BCE to 8,000 BCE Timeline -
• Calculated Risk: Comparing Stock Market Crashes - Oh my.
• EzraKlein Archive | The American Prospect - Granted, it's probably (okay, certainly) not true. But if that crazy person who runs Atlas Shrugged is right and Barack Obama really is the son of Malcolm X, that would make my day. Honestly, who wouldn't give Malcolm props for that one? And think there's anyway we can fit Tupac into the bloodline? Or maybe Obama actually is Tupac? You know that whole shooting was some bullshit, right?

• Talking Points Memo | The Palin Effect - Palin was a surprising pick– virtually unknown outside Alaska (including, as it turned out, by the McCain campaign itself)– and she lacked experience (a key talking point for McCain). But her effect was supposed to be three fold– a woman and feminist for life, she'd pick up disgruntled Hillary supporters, an avowed Christian, she'd consolidate and energize the religious right, and with her youth and self described Mavericky ways, she'd counter Obama's fresh enthusiasm.

  Two months later? Not so much. The Palin Effect exists– but it's not energizing the base. On the contrary. Of the 70 odd conservative politicians, pundits and newspapers that have turned from McCain to endorse Obama this fall, 38 of them have cited Palin as a significant contributor to the decision. Hover over for quotes, and click on the pictures for links. And enjoy.