@MLClark Glad to hear you're better. Hope you got some rest.
Political theory?!
Is political science "science," true or false? Go. π
Only under the archaic definition of science, before the emergence of post-Enlightenment empirical rigor necessitated a stricter division of the concept into (modern) "science" and "philosophy". :)
Political theory is definitely what I'm wrestling with today. What's in your queue?
@MLClark Great answer. My answer was short and snarky:
"It's not a science, it's a dark art."
I remember my Intro to PSCI class. The textbook argued that all politics can be reduced to systemic models.
Once I got into politics, I realized that was a crock. I'll text you a story later about a defrocked U.S. Senator from CA who spent the day with us.
Worked on my book yesterday, into the meaty stuff.
@MLClark So, Senator story ...
John Tunney (D-CA) once taught law at my alma mater, U. of CA Riverside. He was elected to the House in 1964 and then to the Senate in 1970.
Tunney went to law school with Ted Kennedy. After Ted drove off the bridge, Tunney flew to the Kennedy compound to support his friend.
When he ran for re-election in 1976, his GOP opponent was Sam Hayakawa, a Canadian (!) born English professor with no political background ... (1/x)
@MLClark Even though it had been six months, he was still stunned and grieving. He couldn't understand why the electorate ignored the record and voted for someone who openly proclaimed he intended to do nothing for them. I felt so sorry for Tunney.
I always remember that as the day that I learned politics is not a science, it's a dark art.
He was also the first of many candidates I supported over the years who lost. If you want to be with a winner ... don't take my advice. π Fin. (3/3)
@WordsmithFL @MLClark oh yeah. I know those stories. Can't tell some of them publicly because...powerful people.