Lazy Sunday Tabs

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Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a retired Professor of Political Science and former College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter

Comments

  1. Sleeping Dog says:

    Dental practices were one of the first medical professions that private equity began buying up. That’s when the visit to the dentist began feeling like getting your car serviced at the dealer and not like a medical appointment.

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  2. gVOR10 says:

    @Sleeping Dog: Ah, but dentist visits won’t continue to feel more like car dealers than medical appointments. As you note, private equity is also buying up medical practices. My PCP already feels like visiting a car dealer. I’d drop her, but I have no confidence I’d find anything better.

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  3. Bill Jempty says:

    Lee has been out of favor for almost 160 years. He was an excellent defensive general but not very good at staging offensives.

    The Civil War was a war of attrition and the Confederacy had to lose. Today we have another war of attrition going on and its between Russia and The Ukraine. I see Ukraine losing that one too.

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  4. Kathy says:

    Africa isn’t a country? Next you’ll be claiming Europe isn’t a planet.

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  5. charontwo says:

    The part of the piece that I really hit me was the upselling. I have long found it to be incredibly offputting that when you got to the dentist it feels like they are just looking for ways to squeeze some more money out of you. As the piece notes, it does not really feel like a medical visit.

    Not all dentists. I read the Atlantic piece but I do not perceive either the upselling or patronizing attitude from either my regular dentist or the periodontist.

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  6. Bill Jempty says:

    @Kathy:

    Africa isn’t a country? Next you’ll be claiming Europe isn’t a planet.

    Kathy,

    I live less than a hour’s drive from Jupiter.

  7. Mr. Prosser says:

    I doubt very many, if any, former staff and cabinet members will be talking too much or too loudly about trump. The very efficient character assassination teams would be on them like stinkt nach Sheisse.

  8. Scott F. says:

    The drip, drip, drip continues. But the real test is going to be how vocal they are all willing to be.

    NH Governor (and former Haley supporter) Chris Sununu had a chance on This Week today to explain how he can now support Trump for POTUS while still holding that The Former Guy spurred the insurrection at the Capitol. He blamed the voters…

    “I understand it doesn’t make sense to you, George, but look at the polls,” Sununu responded. “What you’re telling me is you don’t understand why 51% of this country is supporting Donald Trump.”

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  9. Just nutha ignint cracker says:

    @Scott F.: Well first, I don’t believe that 51% of the country is supporting Trump, but Chris, if it makes you feel safer, go ahead and claim that.

    Moving on, no, I don’t understand why 51%, or more likely 46 or 45%, of the country supports Trump. I would have hoped we were better people than that. Sadly, I heard Mrs. Luddite proclaim “I don’t vote for school bonds anymore now that I don’t have any children in school” just after she criticized a school board for laying off teachers after their bond issue failed.

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  10. EddieInCA says:

    @Scott F.:

    Everyone should watch the interview. It’s sad watching someone torch their entire life’s work defending Trump.

    Watching the Stephanopolos/Sununu exchange reminds of of the old joke:

    Q: What do you call a really good guy having dinner with six Nazis?
    A: A seventh Nazi at dinner.

    Sununu is basically saying that there is no reason, none, that he would ever not vote for the GOP candidate – even when he, personally, despises the guy and finds him unfit for office.

    It’s a truly breathtaking display of cognitive dissonance.

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  11. DK says:

    @Scott F.:

    “I understand it doesn’t make sense to you, George, but look at the polls,” Sununu responded. “What you’re telling me is you don’t understand why 51% of this country is supporting Donald Trump.”

    In other words, Sununu is unqualified for office: a liar who peddles fake statistics in a desperately lame attempt to shirk responsibility for his cowardice and lack of integrity.

    Good to know. Noted for 2028.

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  12. Scott F. says:

    @Just nutha ignint cracker:

    Moving on, no, I don’t understand why 51%, or more likely 46 or 45%, of the country supports Trump. I would have hoped we were better people than that.

    Sununu saying that Trump’s all good if that’s what the people (less than 45% of them if you consider primary voting) want, is WHY we aren’t better people than that. Support from prominent politicians is all the cover some people need to be their worst selves. This is driving force of Trumpism.

    @EddieInCA:

    It’s a truly breathtaking display of cognitive dissonance.

    This gives Sununu the benefit of assuming his behavior discomfits him. Sununu says in this interview it’s all about GOP power. So it is less dissonant than it is amoral.

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  13. steve says:

    Listening to Trump talk about history is nearly always word salad and it’s clear he doesnt know much history. However, his cult, I mean his political followers, think he knows more about anything than anyone.

    Steve

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