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- Aug 18, 2009
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It's crazy to see anyone in the U.S. argue that they would want Putin over Biden. They would prefer a murdering dictator over Biden because Biden appears weak?
The projected image of strength is certainly important but it shouldn't overshadow support for actual democratic values. We've kind of reached the end stage of what began with the Nixon v. Kennedy debate. For those that don't remember, that debate was the first one ever televised. People who listened to the debate on the radio thought that Nixon beat Kennedy. People who watched the debate on TV thought Kennedy won. The difference boiled down to perception -- Kennedy had an appealing image and that was enough to make people think he was the better candidate. Image is very powerful but we should try to remember the effect that it has on people's ability to reason.
Putin likes to sell a tough guy image and people should make sure that they don't become so enamored of his imagery that they ignore what he actually does or stands for.
The projected image of strength is certainly important but it shouldn't overshadow support for actual democratic values. We've kind of reached the end stage of what began with the Nixon v. Kennedy debate. For those that don't remember, that debate was the first one ever televised. People who listened to the debate on the radio thought that Nixon beat Kennedy. People who watched the debate on TV thought Kennedy won. The difference boiled down to perception -- Kennedy had an appealing image and that was enough to make people think he was the better candidate. Image is very powerful but we should try to remember the effect that it has on people's ability to reason.
Putin likes to sell a tough guy image and people should make sure that they don't become so enamored of his imagery that they ignore what he actually does or stands for.

