Friday, October 19, 2012

Binders of nothing

I teach Election Law. One of the things that I tell my students is that a not inconsiderable portion of our political discourse - and much of our political advertising - is undertaken in bad faith. The unspeakably silly attack on Mitt Romney for saying that he had his staff assemble binders containing information on women that he might appoint to high political office in Massachusetts is an example. There have been, I suppose, political attacks even more stupid, but this has to be on the Irrationality Hit Parade.

Normally, our friends on the left would be telling us that it's wrong to hire through an "old boy's network." They would say that we must make a special effort to include members of historically excluded groups. Indeed, they might even say that we must intentionally hire so that the percentage of certain groups is proportional to the population at large.

Romney didn't go to quotas, but he did make a special effort to ensure that women were included in in his administration. That's where the binder come in. Let me explain for those who are unable or, more accurately, unwilling to understand.

You see, binders, in this context, are a notebook cover with rings or clamps for holding pieces of paper. Persons will often make up binders to contain documents that are important to them and that they want to keep together for further reference and review. When I am arguing a case,for example,  I will often have binders put together with the parties' briefs, important prior decisions and other critical information.

When I am hiring someone - and I am now - I like to have binders put together with those resumes that warrant further consideration. Sound familiar?

Governor Romney was concerned that the names that were initially brought to his attention had failed to include qualified women. So he instructed his staff to work harder to find qualified female candidates and to place the information pertaining to them in binders to ensure that this information would get further reference and review and the women would get the consideration they deserved.

See, it's not so hard.

Oh, I know its the atmospherics of the matter - the sub-rational signifying - which is another way of saying that there is no point at all. Or its supposed to be funny. I get the joke. "He had "binders of women" - like a little black book!" "Did he have photos?" Grow up.

After the first debate, the Democrats thought the issue was Big Bird. After the second, they think it was binders. Pretty thin gruel.

Cross posted at Purple Wisconsin

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

The "binders of women" phrase is just an odd locution, that's all; that's the main reason it's gotten some press. The real issue here is that Romney is again taking credit where credit isn't due. Before the election ever occurred, a bipartisan consortium of women formed a group called MassGAP that put together the binders in question, to promote the appointment of qualified women in state government. It gave the binders both to Romney and to his Democratic opponent.

So it wasn't Romney who "instructed his staff to work harder to find qualified female candidates." He's saying that, but it's not true. There was a binder or binders of women, but they were prepared for the future governor's benefit before he was even elected.

This is just like when Romney said "I'll take a lot of credit for that" in referring to the Obama administration's rescue of the auto industry. The guy lies.

Anonymous said...

"One of the things that I tell my students is that a not inconsiderable portion of our political discourse - and much of our political advertising - is undertaken in bad faith."

Could you please be more clearer in what you are saying. The "not inconsiderable portion", how is this even proper grammar?

Anyways, let me explain to the Professor who is unable to, or more accurately, unwilling to understand.

If your students are of an independent mindset--that is, they can see the hypocrisy of the left and the right and they can set aside their confirmation bias--then they would be laughing at the irony of your post.

You can figure it out what I'm talking about, professor, you have your binders of nothing to go through to find the answer.

Anonymous said...

"So he instructed his staff to work harder to find qualified female candidates and to place the information pertaining to them in binders..."

Which,of course, has been shown to be false.

So which part of this argument is in bad faith, the mocking of Romney's language or the fact that he was lying about what happened?

Don't worry, nobody expects you to address this fault in your argument either.

Dad29 said...

AnonyOne: are you telling us that because the women prepared the binders, that Romney did NOT 'tell his staff to work harder'?

....and you know this with moral certainty sufficient to call Romney a liar, eh?

My, my.

Or is it possible that his staff collected even MORE binders? Or that they had to read through thousands of resumes (which is work, ya'know) to find 3 dozen who could be hired?

If you were there, actually watching the events, then you know what was said and what was done.

If you weren't, then you're simply another gasbag shill.

Anonymous said...

Occam's Razor, Dad.

Anonymous said...

"If you weren't, then you're simply another gasbag shill."

Coming from Dad29, that's a compliment!

Anonymous said...

I feel sorry for those compelled to support Willard. Perhaps in 2016 you'll have a legitimate conservative candidate.

Salonenrgyn said...

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