Ever since the 2008 primaries, the meme that Barack Obama is playing 11-dimensional chess has been out there. I have to say that I think the President is one of the wisest, smartest, and most moral human beings I have ever seen. But I don't think he's playing 11-dimensional chess. If you want to use a chess analogy, there's a better one.
For more on chess analogies, join me below the double gnocchi, but if you want to skip to the Good Stuff™, that's OK too. But, first, a word from our sponsor:
Top Comments recognizes the previous day's Top Mojo and Top Photos and strives to promote each day's outstanding comments through nominations made by Kossacks like you. Please send us the comments you'd like to nominate (but not your own) either by email to topcomments@gmail.com or by our KosMail message board before 9:30pm ET. Just click on the Spinning Top™ to make a submission.
Make sure that you include the direct link to the comment (the URL), which is available by clicking on that comment's date/time. Please let us know your Daily Kos user name if you use email so we can credit you properly. If you send a writeup with the link, we can include that as well. The diarist reserves the right to edit all content.
|
I don't think the President is playing 11-dimensional chess. Last time I counted, there were only three or four dimensions, except in cosmic woolgathering. I do like the idea of using chess to describe Obama metaphorically, but people have been using the wrong analogy.
I believe Obama is playing regular two-dimensional chess just like the rest of us, albeit far better than most. A better analogy than a game of multi-dimensional chess is an exhibition where a Grand Master or a prodigy plays 50 people simultaneously. As the Prez, he's dealing with a ton of stuff. He has a plan in mind for each game, and some are easy, but he is constantly having to deal with whatever situation presents itself. He's not just dealing with Congress or Republicans, he's dealing with the whole country, not to mention the rest of the world. He's not playing one chess match each day, he's playing 50 of them. And I think he's playing pretty damn well.
So that's my alternate analogy. I expect you folks can come up with some analogies of your own. Please feel free to do so in the comments.
And, speaking of comments...
Image Credit:
11-Dimensional Chess courtesy osborneink.com
Here's the Good Stuff™:
TOP COMMENTS
October 12, 2013
Thanks to tonight's Top Comments contributors! Let us hear from YOU
when you find that comment that is tops!
From bwren:
Re our response to the Republican shutdown, this comment by Phoebe Loosinhouse in Laurence Lewis's diary about the Democratic message is brilliant. Torta's reply to it is right on, too.
Diarist's note: These comments are a few days old, but they're still good comments.
From your humble diarist:
In DarkSyde's This week in science: Drunken Trees, Mike Kahlow had this great comment about the scientific consequences of the shutdown. But when Mike corrected a typo, it brought out the smart aleck in JML9999 and DarkSyde.
Sharon Wraight joined me in nominating a "reassuring, insightful, and funny" comment:
BvueDem offered this insight into the cause of forgetfulness and started a great thread in the process in Sorta Randle's rescued diary Aging... Fading Memories.
|
TOP PHOTOS
October 11, 2013
Enjoy jotter's wonderful PictureQuilt™ below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo. Have fun, Kossacks!
|