"A black sheriff?!": The Official Topic of Obama and New Era American Politics

[Bocsius]

From the commission that's meant to investigate and report on the causes of the financial crisis:

During a private commission meeting last week, all four Republicans voted in favor of banning the phrases "Wall Street" and "shadow banking" and the words "interconnection" and "deregulation" from the panel's final report, according to a person familiar with the matter and confirmed by Brooksley E. Born, one of the six commissioners who voted against the proposal.

Yeah, I heard about that the other day on the librul NPR

  Republicans

[Mandark]

I'm not sure if that second half was trying to draw some false equivalency, but it was stretchin'

It's hard for people to find equally crazy liberal shibboleths, because there generally aren't any*.

The conservative movement's been driven by people who feel shunned/marginalized/lied to by academia, Hollywood, and the news media.  Who felt that because they were being shut out, that they needed their own think tanks, publishing houses, news network, (home) school system, etc.

So rejecting some facets of mainstream knowledge in favor of special conservative "truths" is a way of showing tribal solidarity, in a way that just doesn't have an equivalent on the left.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

*Which isn't to say that there aren't plenty of liberals/leftists who believe absolutely crazy shit, just that there aren't really beliefs that are 1) obviously, importantly, factually wrong and 2) so widespread that they'd have to be pandered to by an aspiring Democratic candidate.  Like say the Laffer Curve stuff with the GOP.

[close]

[Bocsius]

My unscientific opinion is that a vast swath of Republican support is from social conservatives (like myself) that are mostly along for the ride on the fiscal side of the ledger (formerly like myself). Because of strongly held beliefs that cause you to support one part of the platform, you mentally subscribe to the other.

It's basically a problem of the two party system in the current political climate, there's little room for middle ground or straddling fences. Those dual-axis, four corner charts are nice to plot yourself against, but the current party system is concentrated in two opposite corners of the chart with no one to speak for the people in the other corners. At least, not with a voice loud enough to be heard.

[Mandark]

There's definitely something to that, but on the other hand politics in pretty much every European country (most of which involve more credible parties than the US) seems to split along roughly the same fault lines.

The groups that supported the creation and expansions of the welfare state have generally been socially progressive, while those that opposed it have been concerned about traditional sexual mores, immigration, etc.  So whether it's neurochemistry, shared Western culture, the vagaries of a developed capitalist economy, or something else, something makes the left-right axis pretty widely intuitive.

[Boogie]

ya, just that the specific location of the line tends to vary greatly from state to state.

edit:  that made more sense in my head then coming out.  for now, nm.

[Phoenix Dark]

The conservative movement's been driven by people who feel shunned/marginalized/lied to by academia, Hollywood, and the news media.  Who felt that because they were being shut out, that they needed their own think tanks, publishing houses, news network, (home) school system, etc.

Sort of like conservatives complaining about not having an Ebony/Jet/Black Enterprise/etc equivalent mags? Maybe we'll get some white-centric magazines in the near future, given how quickly conservatives made their own think tanks; might as well trademark Ivory, Boeing, and White Empire now

[Van Cruncheon]

I'm not sure if that second half was trying to draw some false equivalency, but it was stretchin'

It's hard for people to find equally crazy liberal shibboleths, because there generally aren't any*.

The conservative movement's been driven by people who feel shunned/marginalized/lied to by academia, Hollywood, and the news media.  Who felt that because they were being shut out, that they needed their own think tanks, publishing houses, news network, (home) school system, etc.

So rejecting some facets of mainstream knowledge in favor of special conservative "truths" is a way of showing tribal solidarity, in a way that just doesn't have an equivalent on the left.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

*Which isn't to say that there aren't plenty of liberals/leftists who believe absolutely crazy shit, just that there aren't really beliefs that are 1) obviously, importantly, factually wrong and 2) so widespread that they'd have to be pandered to by an aspiring Democratic candidate.  Like say the Laffer Curve stuff with the GOP.

[close]

yeah, the most crazy fringe "left" movement i can think of is the "food religious" set -- the folks into naturopathy or gaia mysticism or general food paranoia who push animal rights uber alles and remain steadfastly freaked out about bioengineering in general. there ain't THAT many of them, though, despite hollywood's best recruiting efforts.

[Mandark]

Boogie:  I get you.  It's not the axis that changes from country to country, but where on that axis you'd place the median voter.


PD:  Actually, there's probably a really good National-Review-as-Ebony-Magazine analogy to be made here.

[Phoenix Dark]

American empire's downfall starts today
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/dont-ask-dont-tell-repeal-advances-in-senate.php?ref=fpa

[Howard Alan Treesong]

I'm not sure if that second half was trying to draw some false equivalency, but it was stretchin'

It's hard for people to find equally crazy liberal shibboleths, because there generally aren't any*.

The conservative movement's been driven by people who feel shunned/marginalized/lied to by academia, Hollywood, and the news media.  Who felt that because they were being shut out, that they needed their own think tanks, publishing houses, news network, (home) school system, etc.

So rejecting some facets of mainstream knowledge in favor of special conservative "truths" is a way of showing tribal solidarity, in a way that just doesn't have an equivalent on the left.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

*Which isn't to say that there aren't plenty of liberals/leftists who believe absolutely crazy shit, just that there aren't really beliefs that are 1) obviously, importantly, factually wrong and 2) so widespread that they'd have to be pandered to by an aspiring Democratic candidate.  Like say the Laffer Curve stuff with the GOP.

[close]

yeah, the most crazy fringe "left" movement i can think of is the "food religious" set -- the folks into naturopathy or gaia mysticism or general food paranoia who push animal rights uber alles and remain steadfastly freaked out about bioengineering in general. there ain't THAT many of them, though, despite hollywood's best recruiting efforts.

homeopathy
homopathy

[Mupepe]

so the DADT repeal passed the senate.

[Stoney Mason]

so the DADT repeal passed the senate.

Great. So now our soldiers not only have to worry about the enemy on the battlefield. They have to worry about the enemy in their own showers.

John McCain was against this bill and he was a POW so I'm going to defer to his judgement thank you very much!

[brawndolicious]

yeah, the most crazy fringe "left" movement i can think of is the "food religious" set -- the folks into naturopathy or gaia mysticism or general food paranoia who push animal rights uber alles and remain steadfastly freaked out about bioengineering in general. there ain't THAT many of them, though, despite hollywood's best recruiting efforts.

In that case they're also opposed to any science that opposes their lifestyle views.  It seems like every non-scientific article I read about GM foods wants to call them frankenfoods or something so it's not that small of a group really.

[Mandark]

Props to the Republican Senators who bucked their party, props to the Democratic Senators without safe seats who did the right thing, props to the Democratic leadership for getting this done, props to the activists for bringing the pressure and not shutting up, props to Robert Gates, props to Joe Lieberman (!), props to a big chunk of the American people for making a No vote a political liability in lots of states.

Movement conservatism and ~95% of the GOP establishment get the gas face.

[Stoney Mason]

Props to the Republican Senators who bucked their party, props to the Democratic Senators without safe seats who did the right thing, props to the Democratic leadership for getting this done, props to the activists for bringing the pressure and not shutting up, props to Robert Gates, props to Joe Lieberman (!), props to a big chunk of the American people for making a No vote a political liability in lots of states.

Movement conservatism and ~95% of the GOP establishment get the gas face.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a leading opponent of repeal, warned shortly before the vote that “elites” would celebrate the end of “DADT” without understanding its consequences for the armed forces.
During the debate over repeal, McCain pointed to the concerns of some military commanders that a change in the policy during wartime could jeopardize the cohesion of combat units.
“I hope that when we pass this legislation that we will understand that we are doing great damage,” he said. “And we could possibly – and probably – as the Commandant of the Marine Corps said … harm the battle effectiveness that is so vital to the survival of our young men and women in the military.

 

[Oblivion]

I knew Grandpa McCain was an opportunist, but after losing the election, he just seems like a bitter, old dickhead.

[Stoney Mason]

I knew Grandpa McCain was an opportunist, but after losing the election, he just seems like a bitter, old dickhead.

John McCain at his fieriest before 'don't ask, don't tell' vote


By Dana Milbank
Saturday, December 18, 2010; 5:48 PM
If John McCain gets any more hostile toward his Senate colleagues, they might consider having him go through the metal detector before he enters the Capitol.

Saturday's debate on the repeal of the "don't-ask-don't-tell" policy was only half an hour old when the Arizona Republican burst onto the floor from the cloakroom, hiked up his pants and stalked over to his friend Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.). Ignoring Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), who had the floor, McCain hectored the men noisily for a few moments, waving his arms for emphasis.

When McCain finally stormed off, Durbin shook his head in exasperation and Lieberman smiled. A minute later, McCain returned - he had apparently remembered another element of his grievance - and resumed his harangue.

It turns out McCain's fury was stirred by a trifle - he had wanted more time for the debate, which the Democrats eventually gave him - but that was typical. It doesn't take much to set off McCain these days.

Earlier in the week, he was observed in the unseemly act of publicly gloating on the Senate floor over his success in killing a massive spending bill. He's also been raising hurdles to the ratification of the Obama administration's nuclear arms treaty with Russia. At the same time, he led the opposition Saturday to repealing the ban on openly gay men and lesbians serving in the military - taking on Lieberman, who led the other side.

McCain's statement on the floor was roughly one part argument, four parts tantrum. "So here we are about six weeks after an election that repudiated the agenda of the other side," he said, and those who would repeal don't-ask-don't-tell "are acting in direct repudiation of the message of the American people." (Actually, polls show support for repeal.)

He bemoaned "this bizarro world that the majority leader has been carrying us in," and taunted: "Maybe it will require another election." The Arizonan suggested those who vote to repeal would have blood on their hands. "Don't think that it won't be at great cost," he said, punctuating his words by bouncing on his toes and chopping with his left hand. It will "probably," he said, "harm the battle effectiveness which is so vital to the survival of our young men and women in the military."

The loss of Republican votes, no doubt, made McCain even angrier. When it came time for his closing argument before the day's key vote, McCain spoke for only a few seconds: "Today's a very sad day. The commandant of the United States Marine Corps says when your life hangs on the line, you don't want anything distracting. . . . I don't want to permit that opportunity to happen and I'll tell you why. You go up to Bethesda Naval Hospital, Marines are up there with no legs, none. You've got Marines at Walter Reed with no limbs."

McCain turned and, without another word, walked into the cloakroom.

Lieberman later said that he expects his friendship with his volatile colleague to recover. "I don't think this will leave any scars," he said. "I just think we leave this fight knowing that I was right and he was wrong. I mean, it's as simple as that."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/12/18/AR2010121802738.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

[Mandark]

In this week's episode, John McCain explains that when politicians lose an election decisively, they should consider their views repudiated and acquiesce to the winning side.

[Oblivion]

For today's 'No Shit' news:

Those who watched Fox News almost daily were significantly more likely than those who never watched it to believe that most economists estimate the stimulus caused job losses (12 points more likely), most economists have estimated the health care law will worsen the deficit (31 points), the economy is getting worse (26 points), most scientists do not agree that climate change is occurring (30 points), the stimulus legislation did not include any tax cuts (14 points), their own income taxes have gone up (14 points), the auto bailout only occurred under Obama (13 points), when TARP came up for a vote most Republicans opposed it (12 points) and that it is not clear that Obama was born in the United States (31 points). The effect was also not simply a function of partisan bias, as people who voted Democratic and watched Fox News were also more likely to have such misinformation than those who did not watch it--though by a lesser margin than those who voted Republican.

There were cases with some other news sources as well. Daily consumers of MSNBC and public broadcasting (NPR and PBS) were higher (34 points and 25 points respectively) in believing that it was proven that the US Chamber of Commerce was spending money raised from foreign sources to support Republican candidates. Daily watchers of network TV news broadcasts were 12 points higher in believing that TARP was signed into law by President Obama, and 11 points higher in believing that most Republicans oppose TARP.

tl;dr
Fox news viewers most misinformed. All network news outlets are shit.

Fox responds:

Fox News senior vice president for news Michael Clemente has responded to the study which found that his network's viewers are more misinformed about American political issues than any other channel. In a statement to the New York Times' Brian Stelter, Clemente disparaged the University of Maryland, where the study was done.

"The latest Princeton Review ranked the University of Maryland among the top schools for having ‘Students Who Study The Least’ and being the ‘Best Party School’ – given these fine academic distinctions, we’ll regard the study with the same level of veracity it was ‘researched’ with," Clemente said.

Except it turns out...

"For the record, the Princeton Review says the University of Maryland ranks among the 'Best Northeastern Colleges," Stelter notes. "It was No. 19 on the Review’s list of 'Best Party Schools."

Way to prove the study wrong, Fox.

[Mupepe]

Anyone surprised Fox News is ignoring facts again?

[Phoenix Dark]

What the president didn’t say was that a few hours earlier he had met with and tried to assauge some his most vociferous liberal critics -- economists Paul Krugman, Joseph Stiglitz, Jeffrey Sachs, Alan Blinder, and Robert Reich, the former Labor secretary.

In what two participants describe as a somewhat-argumentative one-hour discussion, Obama tried to convince the group that his compromise would deliver more bang for the buck to the economy and to people most in need of help than any other politically feasible option.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/whitehouse/obama-tried-to-placate-liberal-economists-20101217
(more at link)

lmao no wonder he was so pissed off with liberals at the press conference

[Beardo]

Speaking of Krugman even MSNBC is wipping their ass with his articles. They made a joke yesterday morning about having to brave the possibility of a Krugman article in the Times just to get ti Freidman.

What a joke.

[Beardo]

Looks like people can't leave liberals states fast enough.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Census-shows-slowing-US-apf-939635687.html?x=0&.v=2

The new numbers are a boon for Republicans, with Texas leading the way among GOP-leaning states that will gain House seats at the Rust Belt's expense. Following each once-a-decade census, the nation must reapportion the House's 435 districts to make them roughly equal in population, with each state getting at least one seat.

[Great Rumbler]

http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/21/f-c-c-approves-net-rules-and-braces-for-fight/?hp

[Beardo]

Not sure what gives the FCC authority to regulate the internet. Seems about right for someone who also thinks Americans can be required buy law to purchase something.

[Mandark]

I think the main point about what you're saying is that the people at MSNBC are dumb enough to read Thomas Friedman.

Yeah, Friedman's just awful.  He's like an Oprahfied version of a public intellectual.

Too bad you don't read Krugman, Beardo.  I can't think of a better writer for explaining economic theory to a popular audience.  You might learn something.

[Great Rumbler]

Apparently everybody hates the FCC's new NN rules:

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/12/why-everyone-hates-new-net-neutrality-ruleseven-nn-supporters.ars

[Beardo]

Not sure what gives the FCC authority to regulate the internet. Seems about right for someone who also thinks Americans can be required buy law to purchase something.

Remember when conservatives lost their fucking minds over a nipple?  Good times.

Was that really a conservative/liberal issue? Really?

[Beardo]

I think the main point about what you're saying is that the people at MSNBC are dumb enough to read Thomas Friedman.

Yeah, Friedman's just awful.  He's like an Oprahfied version of a public intellectual.

Too bad you don't read Krugman, Beardo.  I can't think of a better writer for explaining economic theory to a popular audience.  You might learn something.

I really cant get over the fact that he looks like he poops his pants.

spoiler (click to show/hide)

[close]

[Dickie Dee]

Looks like people can't leave liberals states fast enough.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Census-shows-slowing-US-apf-939635687.html?x=0&.v=2

The new numbers are a boon for Republicans, with Texas leading the way among GOP-leaning states that will gain House seats at the Rust Belt's expense. Following each once-a-decade census, the nation must reapportion the House's 435 districts to make them roughly equal in population, with each state getting at least one seat.

Remember when Beardo was in disbelief that Texas may turn blue in the coming decades because he didn't seem to understand that there are legal Hispanics in Texas.

Now let's all gather round and listen to his commentary on demographics

[Mandark]

Real question Mandark.  Is there any current conservative economists worth reading?  Any that can explain conservative positions without slipping into ideology?

Good question.  There's Bruce Bartlett, but of course I'd say that; his niche is criticizing the GOP from a conservative perspective.  Marginal Revolution, a blog by a couple of libertarianish economics professors at George Mason (which is like Chicago U East) was pretty good, but I haven't read it in a while.

Most conservative economists I read fall into two categories.  First are the hacks, like Stephen Moore and Kevin Hassett, who just repeat the main GOP talking points (like the CRA causing the housing bubble) and who have authored some hilariously wrong books in the past.

The others are passive-aggressive apologists like Greg Mankiw or Douglas Holtz-Eakin, who have some serious academic credentials and aren't fire-breathers, but who don't feel comfortable criticizing the GOP.  With those guys there's a palpable effort to avoid talking about the big issues, like they're embarrassed to be on the same side as mainstream conservatives but don't want to abandon their team.  Actually, the Marginal Revolution guys probably fit here too.  I remember during the financial collapse their blog was weirdly evasive about the whole thing.



Anyways, I can't think of any conservatives who can simplify and explain Friedman the way Krugman does Keynes.  But that's okay, because Krugman and Brad DeLong have read Friedman and consider him an important contributor to economic thought, so you can skim their archives and find a lot of stuff there.

So that's my answer, I guess.  I you want a good explanation of the conservative economic tradition, read the liberals!

[Mandark]

Another way to think about it is that Krugman himself is the conservative explainer.  For an alternate worldview, check out the Marxists!

[Beardo]

Looks like people can't leave liberals states fast enough.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Census-shows-slowing-US-apf-939635687.html?x=0&.v=2

The new numbers are a boon for Republicans, with Texas leading the way among GOP-leaning states that will gain House seats at the Rust Belt's expense. Following each once-a-decade census, the nation must reapportion the House's 435 districts to make them roughly equal in population, with each state getting at least one seat.

Remember when Beardo was in disbelief that Texas may turn blue in the coming decades because he didn't seem to understand that there are legal Hispanics in Texas.

Now let's all gather round and listen to his commentary on demographics

Oh right, all hispanics are liberals. I forgot about that.

Can't wait till minorities realize that Democrats dont actually do anything except use them for votes.

[Brehvolution]

Except for the DREAM legislation, of course.

[Mandark]

You know a great way of winning people over?  Telling them they're too dumb to properly recognize their own self-interests.

[Beardo]

You know a great way of winning people over?  Telling them they're too dumb to properly recognize their own self-interests.

Yeah, I've already mentioned that democrats are dumb.

[brawndolicious]

Oh right, all hispanics are liberals. I forgot about that.
Can't wait till minorities realize that Democrats dont actually do anything except use them for votes.

You're being distinguished mentally-challenged here if you can't even admit that conservatives and liberals are polar opposites wrt illegal immigration.

[Oblivion]

Speaking of Krugman even MSNBC is wipping their ass with his articles. They made a joke yesterday morning about having to brave the possibility of a Krugman article in the Times just to get ti Freidman.

What a joke.

Fortunately, I don't watch Morning Joe.

Looks like people can't leave liberals states fast enough.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Census-shows-slowing-US-apf-939635687.html?x=0&.v=2

The new numbers are a boon for Republicans, with Texas leading the way among GOP-leaning states that will gain House seats at the Rust Belt's expense. Following each once-a-decade census, the nation must reapportion the House's 435 districts to make them roughly equal in population, with each state getting at least one seat.

Remember when Beardo was in disbelief that Texas may turn blue in the coming decades because he didn't seem to understand that there are legal Hispanics in Texas.

Now let's all gather round and listen to his commentary on demographics

Oh right, all hispanics are liberals. I forgot about that.

Can't wait till minorities realize that Democrats dont actually do anything except use them for votes.

I love this excuse. It's always amusing when some douchebag Republican congressman mentions it too:

"Oh, sure, we're being complete assholes by trying to fuck over poor people, minorities, child brides in third world countries, 9/11 first responders, etc. But it's the DEMOCRATS' fault for not being able to stop us!"

[Phoenix Dark]

Looks like people can't leave liberals states fast enough.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Census-shows-slowing-US-apf-939635687.html?x=0&.v=2

Anecdotal shit, but when I was doing the census it was interesting seeing so many empty and vacant houses everywhere. Initially we thought they were foreclosure related, and many were, but a shit ton wound up being people who were moving down south (or to Ohio lol)

[Beardo]

Looks like people can't leave liberals states fast enough.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Census-shows-slowing-US-apf-939635687.html?x=0&.v=2

Anecdotal shit, but when I was doing the census it was interesting seeing so many empty and vacant houses everywhere. Initially we thought they were foreclosure related, and many were, but a shit ton wound up being people who were moving down south (or to Ohio lol)

You're from michigan right? Thats a really bad example because everyone is trying to get away from that hell hole. Like rats off a sinking ship.

[Phoenix Dark]

out of the frying pan into the inbred oven I guess

[Brehvolution]

C'mon PD admit it, it's the auto unions that have fucked the state. If the unions had just let the CEOs rake in millions in bonuses instead of having the workers earn a fair share, Michigan wouldn't be where it is today.

[Eric P]

people who were moving down south (or to Ohio lol)

THE GREAT RE-MIGRATION!

[Dickie Dee]

That's been happening forever since manufacturing died and AC's been cheap and ubiquitous

[Eric P]

That's been happening forever since manufacturing died and AC's been cheap and ubiquitous

THE MEDIOCRE RE-MIGRATION

[Mandark]

START passes with 71 votes, which I figured was basically impossible as recently as a week ago.  What's with this bizarrely productive lame duck session?

[Phoenix Dark]

David Broder was right, Obama is back!

[Mandark]

Reading Krauthammer has actually been fun the last couple columns, cause he thinks that Obama rooked the Republicans on the tax deal and is on his way back.  He doesn't quite come out and say that the GOP needs to block anything that would improve the economy in time for November '12, but that's definitely the implication.

[HyperZoneWasAwesome]

START passes with 71 votes, which I figured was basically impossible as recently as a week ago.  What's with this bizarrely productive lame duck session?

Great for finding your backbones guys, think of all the shit that could have been done and done better if they had the cojones for longer then two months.

But yeah, START is a real victory and I'm glad it didn't become a victim of GOP obstinacy.

[Phoenix Dark]

Interesting take on START and why it's a "victory"
http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_12/027216.php

Some tea partiers want to cut 20-30% of gov spending in exchange for lifting the debt ceiling, which would effectively kill any recovery/stimulus effect. I just hope Obama stands his ground and refuses to fold. Even Boehner realizes the limit has to be raised, but I wonder if he can keep his caucus in check.

I wonder how much, if any, of this "comeback" has to do with Emmanuel being gone.

[Mandark]

I wonder how much, if any, of this "comeback" has to do with Emmanuel being gone.

Now now, don't be a Cheebs.

[Oblivion]

[youtube=560,345][/youtube]

[Mandark]

Shit like this is why I still co-sign that Obama statement.

It's a lot harder whine about the president's dolchstoss when you actually know people who have been out of work for over a year.

[Phoenix Dark]

I wonder how much, if any, of this "comeback" has to do with Emmanuel being gone.

Now now, don't be a Cheebs.

Obama should hire Rove as his chief of staff to create a real team of rivals, don't you agree?

[Oblivion]

It's a lot harder whine about the president's dolchstoss when you actually know people who have been out of work for over a year.

Wouldn't those people not be affected by the compromise anyway?

[Mandark]

As far as I understand it, it doesn't extend the maximum time that one person can receive unemployment benefits, but extends the temporary emergency system which lets people collect for up to 99 weeks rather than being cut off at half a year.

So yeah, there are a lot of people who have been out of work for over a year for whom this is kind of a big deal.

[Oblivion]

What, did this all the usual contributing members to this thread get in a plane crash or somethin?



Well, I for one am shocked that Viriginia doesn't teach its kids too good:

Surprise, surprise, historians have found glaring errors in a textbook claiming that African Americans fought in large numbers for the South during the Civil War.

A number of additional errors have been found in other textbooks being used in some Virginia classrooms, since the state ordered a review of the books, the Washington Post reports.

Among the textbooks' errors are claims that the Confederacy included 12 states and the U.S. entered World War I in 1916. Five professional scholars reviewed the books, with three of them finding "disturbing" results. State officials are scheduled to meet January 10 to review the results.

"I absolutely could not believe the number of mistakes -- wrong dates and wrong facts everywhere. How in the world did these books get approved?" said Ronald Heinemann, a former history professor at Hampden-Sydney College who reviewed "Our Virginia: Past and Present." The other book mentioned in the report was "Our America: To 1865."

Heinemann added that the book "should be withdrawn from the classroom immediately, or at least by the end of the year."

Five Ponds Press, a small publisher in Connecticut, is responsible for the books in question. The Post reports that the publisher e-mailed to say the "historians' critiques," as the Post put it, will be included in the books' next printing.

The Post first reported the errors back in October. The author, Joy Masoff, defended her work, telling the Post, "As controversial as it is, I stand by what I write. I am a fairly respected writer." But when it came to one of the Civil War's most controversial themes -- the role of African Americans in the Confederacy -- she relied primarily on an Internet search, according to the report. And the results were based on the work of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a neo-confederate group based in Tennessee.

Masoff's other literary achievements include "Oh Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty" and "Oh Yikes! History's Grossest Moments."

Virginia's Department of Education requires textbooks to fulfill certain "Standards of Learning" goals, including making sure history standards provide "a basic knowledge of American culture through a chronological survey of major issues, movements, peoples, and events in the United States and Virginia history."

The state's Standards of Learning disqualifies many textbooks produced for a national market from being used, leaving Five Ponds Press in a unique position of providing several books for the state. Five Ponds' books are reportedly less expensive than its competitors, too.

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/12/historians_find_myriad_errors_in_va_history_textbo.php?ref=tn

[Great Rumbler]

The author, Joy Masoff, defended her work, telling the Post, "As controversial as it is, I stand by what I write. I am a fairly respected writer." But when it came to one of the Civil War's most controversial themes -- the role of African Americans in the Confederacy -- she relied primarily on an Internet search, according to the report. And the results were based on the work of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a neo-confederate group based in Tennessee.

[Dickie Dee]

"As controversial as it is, I stand by what I write. I am a fairly respected writer."

Masoff's other literary achievements include "Oh Yuck! The Encyclopedia of Everything Nasty" and "Oh Yikes! History's Grossest Moments."

lol

[brawndolicious]

Supposedly the "author" of history textbooks is not the one that usually writes them.  They just get a bunch of interns to ghost-write it and then stamp the name of somebody with some credibility on the front.  I think the official "author" is required to at least quickly skim over the final product to make sure it's not too inaccurate, but for example our elementary school textbooks in California are just the same thing as 50 years ago and so one of the authors is dead and the other is in a nursing home.

The fact that she fell back on google searches that led her to a SoCV site makes me think that she may not have any real background as a historian though.  At least Virginia is trying to solve this problem unlike Texas which is adding to it.