Stealing the pot isn't just a one time bet that happens right before the other player folds. Almost always there were several moves that transpired earlier that allowed the bluff to be successful. Another key component for any savvy player that tries to pull one off is the understanding that the other player understands the game. You can't bluff someone that doesn't know how to play, they don't do what they're supposed to do and their play is unpredictable. But when you know your opponent understands the game and plays according to the best strategy available then it becomes easier to pull off a bluff.
In the end, you're really just playing the odds and assuming the other player understands the odds and will fold their hand based on the probability that they can't win, whether they really can or not. The bluffer puts the pressure on the other player and makes them make the hard decision. In the end it really isn't a bluff at all, it's simply playing the game. Imagine I'm dealt pocket aces and raise before the flop. I get one other player that calls my bet and the hands proceeds. The flop comes and there are three low to medium cards and two of them are the same suit. I bet big and the other player thinks for a while and then finally makes the call. The next card comes and it's the third card of the same suit. I don't like it because at this point I just have a high pair and could be beat by several hands and can't even draw out against other hands like a flush. I bet and get raised immediately by the other player. Who knows what the other player has at this point, but they're putting the pressure on me and that's what matters. They've made it look and feel like I am losing, whether or not I truly am. If I decide to fold and the other player couldn't beat my hand then I was bluffed.
Prior to exiting the race Governor Rick Perry claimed President Obama was waging a war on religion. Today three of the candidates running for President all claimed Obama was waging a war on religion and some even specifically stated he was targeting the Catholic Church.
Mitt Romney promised to "reverse every single Obama regulation that attacks our religious liberty" if he is elected President.
"What's left in France became the guillotine. Ladies and gentlemen, we're a long way from that, but if we do and follow the path of President Obama and his overt hostility to faith in America, then we are headed down that road." This statement was made by Rick Santorum just yesterday.
Today Newt Gingrich decried President Obama wants to "declare war on the Catholic Church after his reelection."
This move has been set up long ago. Immediately upon winning office the right wing began attacking the credibility of Obama's faith. They challenged it so much they convinced people he wasn't even born in this country. It doesn't matter if they have the best cards, they're putting the pressure back on Obama and placing him in a difficult situation. It should be no surprise this is the tactic they're employing at this moment because they have been playing this hand all along, waiting for the moment to push their chips in and enact the "bluff".
The right wing is no longer worried about issues, they simply have convinced their base we've "lost" our country and the guy in charge is the worst thing on the planet since Hitler. They continue to lie to their base every time they talk about anything. They've accused Obama of shrinking our military, creating more government jobs and shrinking private jobs, and now, since it doesn't matter if what they say is true or not, they have gone all in on Obama's war on religion. They want to paint him as a bad guy and by aligning him against faith there is no better way to anger this crowd.
Pretty genius really, despite the lack of moral integrity. They launch an attack in an area that is taboo to discuss, religion. They get to strike at people's emotions and don't have to make sense. They can lie and lie and say all the key words that incite the rebels to fly their Confederate flags and it doesn't matter what the facts are. To this point the turnout for the GOP primaries has been very low (except in one state) and it appears the conservatives just aren't excited about their candidates. Along comes this ace up their sleeve, the war on religion.
Just like the guy that called my pocket aces all along, knowing he would make a play at the pot when the opportunity arose, the right wing has been setting this move up for three years. And shame on Obama for making a gaffe with the contraception mandate allowing this to unfold. Now it will go on and fuel a base that wasn't that fired up. What will be interesting to watch unfold is how the left deals with it. Will they "respect" the faith of others and ignore this issue, the politically correct way to handle it, or will they try to take over a hand they've been outplayed on all along? I suspect they will sit with their head in the sand, much like they always do when it comes to this subject of religion. They will play by the rules of the fringe right, not counter attacking outrageous claims of "war" and "overt hostility" because that would look bad if they engaged on such a topic.
This is why this subject is too important to never address. I'm not suggesting we need to hold debates on the existence of God or not, I'm simply stating we have to be able to honestly discuss the role of religion when it comes to politics. We allow people to claim this is a "Christian nation" despite the fact our Founding Fathers did every thing in their powers to make sure we couldn't be labeled like this at all. We allow people to soap box the "under God" part of the Pledge of Allegiance and claim our country has lost its moral standing because of a court case that didn't change anything many years ago. We allow people to claim the President of the United States is waging a war against religion and we can't call the bluff.
In the end the right is simply playing a game. And they're playing it well if we just judge the end and not the means. They are winning a hand they have no business winning, they have the worst cards. While one player has integrity and respect for faith and should be the winner, the reality is the player with no fear of pushing in all their chips, even when they have the worst cards, is taking down this hand. The right has out maneuvered the left on this hand and they've been setting it up for quite some time. And as long as the left is predictable and the right understands how they will respond when under pressure they will continue to lose.
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