Mitt Romney, Robotics, and the Uncanny Valley

Hugh Pickens writes "Brian Fung writes in the Atlantic that one of Romney's electoral problems is that he occupies a kind of uncanny valley for politicians, inexplicably turning voters off despite looking like the textbook image of an American president. Just as people who interact with lifelike robots often develop a strange feeling due to something they can't quite name, something about Romney leaves voters unsettled. As with the robotic version of the uncanny valley, the closer Romney gets to becoming real to a voter, the more his likeability declines. 'The effect is almost involuntary, considering the substantial advantages Romney enjoys from appearance alone,' writes Fung. 'But in person, his polished persona gives way to what appears a surprisingly forced and inauthentic character.' Political commentator Dana Milbanks adds that although Romney is confident and competent, in casual moments his weirdness comes through — equal parts 'Leave It to Beaver' corniness and social awkwardness. 'Romney's task now is to work his way out of the uncanny valley toward a more compelling style of humanity,' concludes Fung. 'But every day he lingers in it, the hill grows steeper.'"

Comments

Romney Most Qualified

[footNipple]

Here we go. The hard and heavy wheels of destruction are starting to turn. Inevitable I suppose.

IMO, Romney is, intellectually and experientially, the most qualified candidate for US president that we've seen in the last two centuries. I'm not sure what kind of president he'll end up being, but he is certainly qualified for the role and infinitely more qualified than the current US president.

FWIW, I had the opportunity to work in fairly close proximity to the man back in 1994. Back then I got the distinct impression that he was generally the smartest guy in the room. But what really stands out in my memory was a meeting where various topics of quantitative finance were discussed...in detail. He was very comfortable with partial differential equations. :-)

Re:You're quoting Dana Milbanks (sic)???

[datavirtue]

Required reading:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203716204577014262225551278.html

Re:You're quoting Dana Milbanks (sic)???

[Ellis D. Tripp]

You're saying that pot laws drive illegal immegration purposefully? To what end?

Let's see...

Providing an easily exploitable pool of cheap laborers for construction and agriculture interests?

Providing an excuse for further militarization of law enforcement?

Illegal immigrants might make a good scapegoat to deflect blame for rising unemployment and falling wages away from the rich fuckers who are really responsible?