Articles by David Roberts

He understands you … and you too

Let's discuss Barack Obama, shall we?

I'm about 3/4 of the way through his book. The first half or so is mostly him telling stories -- his own history, stories from his campaigns, stories about his fellow senators. The writing is just spectacular: clear, engaging, slyly funny, self-deprecating, perfectly paced. It's got those touches of idiosyncrasy no ghostwriter can capture (if you've read ghostwritten books, you know they all have a certain feel). It's clear he's uncommonly self-aware, intelligent, authentic, and charismatic. It's impossible to resist the guy.

But when he turns to discussion of the issues, the tic emerges. In every case, there are two moldy, entrenched positions, politicized extremes advanced by shrill partisans. In every case, neither of those moldy positions adequately addresses our current realities. He, however, has a clear-eyed, above-the-fray position of his own that synthesizes all the best of both extremes.

Sweeping political repudiation …

... isn't going to stop Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) from being a tool.

Meetings, meetings who love meetings

Sorry for the lack of blogginess today. I've been in some marathon meetings about Grist's target audience, how to reach them, what they want, what we want to become, and how to select a concrete course out of the almost limitless possibilities in front of us. Heady stuff.

There's all sorts of interesting stuff going on out in the world, including a new report ranking carbon offset providers that has created quite a fuss in that sector. But alas, it shall all have to wait until tomorrow.

Funny video alert!

These retractable pillars are traffic-control devices in Manchester, England. People don't seem to really get them: