John Dickerson

John Dickerson is a CBS senior national correspondent and Chief Political Analyst. He is also a Contributing Writer to The Atlantic and is co-host of the Slate Political Gabfest.

  • 07/13/2024: Asking ChatGPT for ways to engage in conversation.

    Is this the right way to write this query?
    Q: Someone is making a point to me with which I disagree, but I might be wrong and miss a chance to learn something. They are members of the human race, so I owe them grace and no motive-questioning at the start, but I don’t want to be snookered, and sometimes I might engage in conversations where people who participate in them act in bad faith for political, ego and attention-grabbing reasons. My patience, concentration and energy are not limitless. Time spent in an unproductive exchange has an opportunity cost. Please create a list of short instructions (please don’t go on) for how I should interpret their argument and maintain maximum humanity while at the same time exhibiting efficient critical thinking which would prompt me to duck out if the exchange has become stale or toxic. Please provide guidance for identifying such sour turns.
    ChatGPT
    1. Absolutely, John. Here’s a concise guide for interpreting arguments with both humanity and critical thinking:
      1. Listen Completely: Ensure you fully understand their argument before reacting.
      2. Clarify and Probe: Ask for details and examples to better grasp their points.
      3. Stay Open: Keep an open mind and avoid premature judgment.
      4. Maintain Respect: Engage politely and keep a calm tone.
      5. Assess Evidence: Critically evaluate the validity and sources of their claims.
      6. Focus on Arguments, Not People: Address the ideas, not the individual’s character.
      7. Spot Fallacies: Be alert for logical errors in their reasoning.
      8. Separate Emotion from Logic: Identify whether the argument relies on emotional appeals or facts.
      9. Delay Motive Analysis: Concentrate on the argument’s content before considering potential motives.
      10. Monitor Time: Be mindful of the conversation’s duration to avoid unproductive exchanges.
      11. Identify Sour Turns:
        • Repetition: The same points are being rehashed without new information.
        • Ad Hominem Attacks: The discussion shifts to personal attacks.
        • Straw Man Arguments: Misrepresenting your position to refute it easily.
        • Red Herrings: Introducing irrelevant topics to divert from the main issue.
        • Hostility: The tone becomes aggressive or disrespectful.
      12. Exit Gracefully: Politely end the conversation if it becomes repetitive, personal, or unproductive.

      This approach ensures a balanced, respectful, and efficient engagement while recognizing when to step away from a futile discussion.

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  • 11/03/2023: Ray Bradbury punk rock graduation.

    Ray Bradbury was so poor growing up that in order to dress up for his graduation he had to wear his uncle’s suit. His uncle had died recently. The suite was the one he wore when he died. His uncle was shot. The suit still had the bullet hole in it. I learned that from […]

  • 06/14/2023: An artificial intelligence response to the Trump indictment

  • 06/07/2023: Presidential Restraint

    Matt Yglesias has a piece in the New York Times under the headline: “It’s Great to Have a President Who Knows When to Shut Up.” My favorite topic: presidential restraint. I spent a lot of time on the topic in my book, and why it’s necessary for the job. (Chapter 23: Restraint). There is no greater […]

  • 05/10/2023: How would Christ campaign for president?

      UPDATE: I tried the opposite:  

  • 05/06/2023: Campaign Short: Carter in Wisconsin 1976 and Cronkite asserts his personality

  • 05/02/2023: AI really gets to the point

  • 04/30/2023: Selling Candidates Like Soap

     

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  • 04/29/2023: The Magic of Music

    My cocktail chatter from the recent Gabfest: My chatter is on the magical properties of music. To me, musicians are the closest we have to actual Wizards. They can conjure a feeling and then make another human soul have that feeling or launch another feeling. Writing does this too, of course, but it’s rare when […]

  • 04/22/2023: Long Tail Interviews on Prime Time

    We cover the latest on Prime Time every day, but we also conduct a number of interviews that last beyond the move to fish wrap(*). Here are some interviews from the first four days of this week: 1. Why the fighting in Sudan matters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16ffhTXOsAQ 2. Evan Gershkovich’s friend explains his condition in a Russian […]

  • 04/15/2023: Campaign History: Reagan and Bush in Nashua