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[sebastian_dangerfield]

Burger:

You don't see a difference between spin and rhetorical devices as compared to lousy fact-checking coupled with adament assurances that the network stands behind its reporting? But, if you want to equate Dan Rather and Michael Moore, please feel free.
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Bob: Jesus Christ, people, have none of you realized that THIS IS SEBBY YOU'RE ARGUING WITH!!!

He's just trying to make a point via hyperbole, and y'all are looking at the trees and not the forest. He's like Ronald Reagan telling that story about that lady on welfare who drives a Cadillac -- the specific facts don't matter, they merely serve as the temporary framework for the broader point. His facts aren't meant to be taken literally.

Sheesh. Don't you people read the FB?

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Me:

Burger - No. I see no difference. The delivery mechanism does not change the innacuracy of the information.

Bob - You lead me to an interesting point... There have been three effective Presidents in the past 30 years - Reagan, Clinton and Bush II. All men were generally considered to be "loose" speakers who's words were not always as accurate as they could be. And, with the exception of Clinton, who was a micro-manager, none could be considered terribly detail-oriented. And none were known for marshalling facts to their defense. Clinton was a wizard of wordplay - he'd face off against stats with no facts at all and come out winning. NOW, John Kerry and Al Gore are two of the most organized, fact-armed, stat-firing candidates in years. If they can be summed up in one word, "lawyerly" would suffice. Neither found/will find higher office despite going up against a seemningly weaker opponent, and the main reason was/is that people couldn't stand either man. Now, if you look at both men, you'll see two personalities most partners woul LOVE to have in associates of any level. Both men are utterly middle-management types, but not built for anything higher.

SO, when you call me out for speaking interms of forests as opposed to trees, I warmly embrace your assessment. It reminds me I'm not a lawyer personality, which is precisely what I use these boards to remind myself every day. You're a real mensch for providing the compliment.

I mean this in all sincerity. I think you're a pretty good judge of people, so you make me feel pretty damn confident that I'm not another middle manager, even though it feels like it a lot.