this Obama guy knows some Aikido!

After watching yesterday night's 30 minute TV special with Barack Obama I was thinking this guy knows some Aikido:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GtREqAmLsoA
Many analysts had expected he'd use this time to hit back at his opponent's assertions but no - he just got out of the way, let the blows miss him, and turned in the direction he wanted to take.
No one got hurt, either, but his move out of the impact zone served to demonstrate his optimism that with new ideas and better priorities we can leave failed policies behind and rebuild a new America.
It reminded me of a fascinating book: Aikido in Everyday Life: Giving In to Get Your Way.

Just heard an interview with Mark Sawyer on Terry Gross' "Fresh Air":

Mark had pretty much the same idea, saying that Obama used political Aikido to deflect his opponent's attacks. He's Associate Professor of African American Studies and Political Science at UCLA and the Director of the Center for the Study of Race, Ethnicity and Politics in Berkeley, so my guess is some of you might be training with him

The link to the interview is here:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...oryId=96649317

So, I guess telling lies is aikido?

I'll keep that in mind.

John Hogan wrote: So, I guess telling lies is aikido? I'll keep that in mind.

Better clean out that fridge, John, them grapes are sour.

All I can say is...

It's been a long time coming.

John, a LOT of bitterness on both sides from the nature of that campaign. How about this though...

This is one country...why don't we set our previous opinions aside and pull together to make this country work again?

Best,
Ron

Ron Tisdale wrote: This is one country...why don't we set our previous opinions aside and pull together to make this country work again?

Amen to that...

In my area over the previous 2 presidential elections I never had to wait to vote. On November 4 2008 the line went around the block. It actually choked me up.

Mary Malmros wrote: Better clean out that fridge, John, them grapes are sour.

My comment is meant to mean that all politicians tell lies. Obama is a politician, ergo: he lies. I am not sour about anything, thanks for assuming though.

John Hogan wrote: My comment is meant to mean that all politicians tell lies. Obama is a politician, ergo: he lies. I am not sour about anything, thanks for assuming though.

Oh, I get it, so your comment was a tossoff and completely irrelevant to the thread. Got it. So, let's take it back to the thread. Obama gets called a Socialist, a Marxist, a Muslim, an associate of terrorists, a redistributionist, et cetera. He responds in a manner that has been equated to aikido. So what you are now saying is that you have no disagreement with that comparison whatsoever, but that you were simply offering an irrelevant, disparaging remark about politicians in general. Am I correct, or am I once again "assuming"? And, if the latter, will you elaborate and correct me?

Mary Malmros wrote: Oh, I get it, so your comment was a tossoff and completely irrelevant to the thread. Got it. So, let's take it back to the thread. Obama gets called a Socialist, a Marxist, a Muslim, an associate of terrorists, a redistributionist, et cetera. He responds in a manner that has been equated to aikido. So what you are now saying is that you have no disagreement with that comparison whatsoever, but that you were simply offering an irrelevant, disparaging remark about politicians in general. Am I correct, or am I once again "assuming"? And, if the latter, will you elaborate and correct me?

No, you are assuming again. And no, I won't elaborate.

So why post?

Best,
Ron (not that there's anything wrong with that... )

Hi folks,

Please keep this thread (and all others) respectful, and please contribute positively to the discussion topic when you post.

Thanks,

-- Jun

Some questions I think I hear and in which I feel interested:
If we compare literal aikido to aikido as metaphor (in this case "aiki-politics"):

Reading the Forum Rules but also recognizing room in them for interpretation, do we want this discussion to be like good training (individual and group attention paid to how we are practicing) or is it a place for learning from more "realistic" (unmediated by process-level attention) hostility, attacks, and reactions?

Is deception part of aikido?

Are categorical presuppositions (when I feel attacked, the attacker is deserving of whatever punishment I care to meet out ~~ all politicians lie) helpful when training to respond with a budo, much less aikido?

When is the time for appeals for unity (why don't we set our previous opinions aside and pull together to make this country work again?) when conflict is obviously occurring?

Can we address moreover's comparative assumptions directly

1. analysts had expected Obama would hit back at his opponent
2. he got out of the way, let the blows miss him
3. he turned in the direction he wanted to take
4. no one got hurt
5. moves out of the impact zone demonstrate optimism
6. using new ideas and better priorities can leave failed policies behind and result in rebuilding
7. this reflects Aikido in Everyday Life: Giving In to Get Your Way.

and also receive attacks and defenses with respect?

Uke is never wrong.

I actually don't feel we have shown John any disrespect.

When is the time for appeals for unity (why don't we set our previous opinions aside and pull together to make this country work again?) when conflict is obviously occurring?

Sorry, don't understand what you are saying here. Is your point that once conflict is already occuring, it is too late to appeal for unity? I'm afraid I don't agree.

Best,
Ron (just my opinions...)

RE: Obamaiki

Brandon Williamscraig wrote: compare literal aikido to aikido as metaphor (in this case "aiki-politics"):

I noticed http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/2...059/662/449871

I didn't intend to limit the question to John, but posed it more along the lines of "where is there disrespect here?" and "does it serve us?"

I'm not advocating positions at this time, so I am posing questions rather than making statements. I often take positions but need to consider these before posting them.

The point is not to insist "once conflict is already occurring, it is too late to appeal for unity". Since immediate appeals for unity are often ways to avoid hearing legitimate concerns (and this may or may not be the case here) my question is "when is the time?"

Jun Akiyama wrote: Hi folks, ... please contribute positively to the discussion .... Thanks, -- Jun

Well, I DID have a smiley face in my post...

And just because I do not wish to engage further in political discussion with someone, especially after there have been times here when certain people carried political talk to the extreme in the past - and I think you know who I am talking about - I think it understandable that I did not go further, & this does not mean I am trolling, as your PM warning claimed.

Ron Tisdale wrote: I actually don't feel we have shown John any disrespect......)

Quite right - I didn't take anything said as disrespectful at all. Especially from Ron, a fellow crook.... err, I mean Chicagoan..



(note 'nother smiley face)

(at least a former Chicagoan, right Ron - didn't you say you were from or lived in Chicago at some point?)

John Hogan wrote: And just because I do not wish to engage further in political discussion with someone

I have the same question as Ron, then -- why go there in the first place? The thread was inherently political from its beginning, so why go there if you didn't want to engage in political discussion?

And, of course, you don't have to ask that question either. I think it does, however, raise some questions about the nature of discourse, both here and more generally.

Mary Malmros wrote: I have the same question as Ron, then -- why go there in the first place? The thread was inherently political from its beginning, so why go there if you didn't want to engage in political discussion? And, of course, you don't have to ask that question either. I think it does, however, raise some questions about the nature of discourse, both here and more generally.

My comment was my engagement. Not every comment needs to be explored further. I tried to make a short-to-the-point response to the original poster's claim that Obama showed Aiki like behavior in his campaign. My short comment, I thought, would get across I thought no such thing. THAT was my 'vote' so to speak on the question. If I wish to go no further, it does not mean that everything needs to be talked to death or that I am trolling, as Jun claimed in his PM to me. Can we move on to someone else?

If Aikido is about blending and harmonizing, then look at the election results and Obama has achieved that in running a campaign for president of the Unites States of America.

I stood back and looked at my vote selections (I did vote for Obama) in awe at the potential of what could happen. I honestly did not believe that I would see in my lifetime what I saw the other night when Obama won the election. My wife and I were overwhelmed by positive emotions.

I am truly proud to be an American. What has happened has restored my faith in the ability of America to rise above the base tendencies towards hatred, misunderstanding, bigotries and other forms of ignorance. My pride began with McCain's concession speech ( the real McCain emerged again) and went on to Obama's acceptance speech.

Like the higher ideals of Aikido, I sincerely hope that our country can begin to work together again, not based upon the politics of fear that dictated the policies of the administration that is on is way out (NOT SOON ENOUGH).

Marc Abrams

John Hogan wrote: So, I guess telling lies is aikido? I'll keep that in mind.

You can argue that this might be off topic but you cannot aruge that it is not factual. What he did with FISA showed us that. He lost all credibility with me after voting in favor of telecom immunity. Maybe it is 'political aikido' but so what, the guy is still a no good politician.

just sayin,
bettis

Hi John, nope, never had the pleasure of a Chi-Town winter (brrrr)

But I did live in Rochester NY for a year (brrr brrr).

The point is not to insist "once conflict is already occurring, it is too late to appeal for unity". Since immediate appeals for unity are often ways to avoid hearing legitimate concerns (and this may or may not be the case here) my question is "when is the time?"

And sometimes they are simply wishing to follow through on the marvelous start by both Obama and Mckain in trying to move forward now. If an actual concern had been voiced and elaborated upon, I would be glad to entertain it. But since it wasn't...

Marc, My Sentiments Also.

Best,
Ron

Ron Tisdale wrote: All I can say is... It's been a long time coming.

A great day, isn't it, Ron?

And though aiki does not require the opponent to off-balance himself when attacking, McCain's camp will stand as a great reminder of how easy it is to beat someone who IS off balance.

Obama just kept his cool, didn't do too much, and let his way-off-balance opponent bring himself down.

I liked McCain's concession speech, but it's the only time I've liked him now in many months.

Obama, on the other hand, grew on me very gradually. I started off supporting Hillary, but gradually came to respect Obama more and more. I think we made the right choice this time. Certainly, democracy won, with the huge turnout we had this year.

I'll pray that our new President lives up to the hope he has inspired in so many, not only here, but around the world.

http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/pat...sN4EVIXQgDwLAF

Best to all.

David

Since you're posting links to editorial cartoons, my fave...

Ratified...

Hi David and Keith, nice cartoons!

I think there is one thing that this great day is going to do that some are going to find hard...

The old excuses just won't hunt anymore. A lot of people in my community are going to have to put up, or shut up... step up, or step off. The boogey man made me do it just won't cut it anymore. And that is a good thing.

Best,
Ron