1.0Sightline Institutehttps://www.sightline.orgClark Williams-Derryhttps://www.sightline.org/profile/clark-williams-derry/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="2QUrvMl8yz"><a href="https://www.sightline.org/2011/10/07/weekend-reading-10711/">Weekend Reading 10/7/11</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.sightline.org/2011/10/07/weekend-reading-10711/embed/#?secret=2QUrvMl8yz" width="600" height="338" title="“Weekend Reading 10/7/11” — Sightline Institute" data-secret="2QUrvMl8yz" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> Eric I pounded my fist on the table in vigorous agreement with Dave Roberts on the problem with climate wonks in politics: Here are the outlines of a theory of politics I think many wonks share. It envisions a vast "American middle," obscured by the din of partisans on both sides, filled with undecided, uncommitted, but fundamentally reasonable people who are just waiting to be spoken to in a "grown-up" way… The problem is that this theory of politics is mistaken. It is not even really a theory of politics so much as a desire to remove politics from politics. In fact, as Dave ably points out, there is abundant evidence that people simply do not form opinions (or political blocs) in anything like the way that scientists and researchers imagine them to.