Taking off from an idea for a Victory In Iraq Day (nov. 22), I officially dub today, the 26th of November, to be "George Bush Is A Hero" Day.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
George W. Bush Is A Hero Day
Taking off from an idea for a Victory In Iraq Day (nov. 22), I officially dub today, the 26th of November, to be "George Bush Is A Hero" Day.
Hey guys, It's OK to be pro-War now
Ok, Michael Moore, Sean Penn, and Maureen Dowd. You can all go home and rest easy. Obama is at the helm, and the way things are looking Guantanomo will NOT be closed, the Iraq mission (the war is over) will be completed and we will not pre-emptively leave before that country's security is in plave. Afghanistan war will continue and will in fact be scaled up. Obama will likely get credit for Iraq's success.
Are you happy? Will you suddenly accept that torturing terrorists for information might be a really good idea? Will you suddenly see the light on Iraq and surmise that in the long run being rid of Saddam and having a democracy in his place was a positive thing and worth fighting for? Will our troops suddenly be heroes to you rather than demented monsters who enjoy killing?
Of course you will, is the answer to all the above questions. But it's not because you ever held clear convictions on those issues, but that you merely hated George Bush.
Are you happy? Will you suddenly accept that torturing terrorists for information might be a really good idea? Will you suddenly see the light on Iraq and surmise that in the long run being rid of Saddam and having a democracy in his place was a positive thing and worth fighting for? Will our troops suddenly be heroes to you rather than demented monsters who enjoy killing?
Of course you will, is the answer to all the above questions. But it's not because you ever held clear convictions on those issues, but that you merely hated George Bush.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Palin-Romney-Huckabee 2012
Let's just say this up front: it is WAAAAAY too early to say who will be a frontrunner in 2012. But it isn't such a stretch as it was this last time around, when the GOP had no clear heir-apparent. This cycle had several strong contenders rallying support to them. And the top three are who you would expect.
Here: http://www.gallup.com/poll/112252/GOP-Faithful-Like-Palin-Romney-Huckabee-2012.aspx
Here: http://www.gallup.com/poll/112252/GOP-Faithful-Like-Palin-Romney-Huckabee-2012.aspx
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Batman---The Dark Knight---as you've never seen him before
Youtube is a wonder. Yeah, there's a lot of trash and the commenters almost always use at least one expletive (even on kid videos)...but the good stuff available makes it all worthwhile.
I recently read an editorial by John Podhoretz where he opined that 'The Dark Knight' was just another superhero movies. Ok, his opinion. Fine. But regular superhero movies don't inspire as much fan-spoofing (admiring fan spoofing, I should add) as did this last Batman movie. Spoofs of the trailer are most common, though there are some recreated movie scenes as well.
Here are some of the best The Dark Knight spoofs on YouTube:
1. First, a kiddie-version of the trailer. This both genuinely funny and weird. Pure enjoyment.
Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy673zWHUOw&feature=related
2. Next, a lego-version of the trailer. Quite well-done indeed. Also a second version was made, and the link for that is in the feature box next to the video.
Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StWZDqqBfJo
3. And this is one of the BEST. A Toy Story version!
Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QFWBFIEuig
4. A pretty good spoof by high-school kids, with a slightly different twist on the trailer here and there.
Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sYBqhOEdRQ&feature=related
5. Perhaps funniest of all this Interrogation Scene re-do, in which Batman's breathy/raspy way of saying things leads to some confusion...
Here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2yv8aT0UFc&feature=related
Mitt News Nov.23rd, 2008
A website promoting Romney for a 2012 Presidential run:
1. Here: http://mittromneyrevolution.com/
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If you didn't already catch the news, Mitt was in Georgia (the US state) campaigning for Senator Saxby Chambliss.
2. Here: http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/11/mitt_romney_campaigning_in_geo.html
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I'll bet you didn't know Mitt Romney had a flickr page...
3. Here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mittromney
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Romney was on CCN's Late Edition with Jennifer Granholm, Carl Levin, and some other dude to discuss the Auto bailout package that congress is considering.
4. Here: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002990434
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General Motors responds (quite well, in my opinion) to Romney's NYT editorial some days ago...
5. Here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/opinion/l21gm.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
-------------------------
This story highlights part of an interview with Romney by Wolf Blitzer in which Romney refuses to go back into the muddy waters of primary fighting. The real amusing part however is reading the comments which follow the article. I won't say, "not since Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton have two men hated each other so much in American history!"....but boy, I sure is tempted :p
6. Here: http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/2008/11/mitt_takes_the_high_road.aspx
Saturday, November 22, 2008
My Top Ten LEAST Favorite Conservatives/Republicans
First let me say that I do not dislike any of these people purely on a personal basis. All of them are disliked by me because they have either a) not been real conservatives/Republicans, b) given in too often to the left or c) hurt the party more than helped it by their tactics.
10. Mike Huckabee---Why? Because he has spent more time bashing Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, the Club for Growth, and Libertarians than he has defining his credentials. And his credentials are quite stellar, if you really look at them. A full 3-term Governor, a good on-the-stump speaker, has visited many countries, and has a background as a Baptist minister which is a POSITIVE thing, not a negative one. The negative stuff is the fact that he is often mean-spirited, even in his jokes. Anybody remember the "Mitt Romney doesn't know how to eat fried chicken" remark? Or the time in Iowa where he invited the press to see his new ad against Romney, then told them, "nah, I not going to show this SUPER NEGATIVE ad, because I'm a nice guy." Or worse of all the Mormon-bashing that came specifically from his campaign
One of things about good Republican candidates is that they should be able to sell their credentials well, and store away the slashing remarks for their true opponents: Democrats. Mike Huckabee has failed at both, and continues to fail.
9. Peggy and (K.) Parker, the Palin-Bashing Sisters---and Christopher Buckley too!
There's nothing more aggravating than "conservatives" who jump ship, and when the liberal media sings hallelujah. As you may know, Peggy Noonan and Kathleen Parker didn't start out as Palin-bashers. In fact, they wrote very nice things about her. But there was a problem: they didn't know what they were really talking about. Then the liberal firestorm hit, and in the aftermath Peggy and Parker found themselves weeping over John McCain's pick. How could he do this to them?! How could he pick a dummy lady who speaks different from Harvard and Yale graduates?! How DARE he pick someone just because he is a woman! We were supposed to WAIT for that, until we felt SINCERE about it! That does it! I'm voting for quasi-socialism! This is no longer the big-tent Republicanism I once knew! There aren't enough media-worshipers like me!
The problem is that Peggy Noonan and Kathleen Parker didn't know what they were talking about when they praised Palin. Neither did they know of which they spake when they started bashing her.
8. Colin Powell---The prize for the most inarticulate ship-jumper goes to Colin Powell, who said that people who were against Obama thought Obama was a Muslim. This is insanity. The "Obama is a closet Muslim" people are very fringe, and even living here in TN, I swear I've never met one who believed that. Too bad Colin Powell couldn't vote for his old friend John McCain because a few fringe-believers on the left thought McCain was secretly one of the "Lizard People."
7. Chuck Hagel---In some ways I can understand why leftists hate Joe Lieberman so much. He defects from his party on the issue they love the most: giving up in Iraq. Lieberman is the liberal counterpart to Hagel. He has defected from the Republican party as regards to Iraq. Nevermind that we've now won the war, essentially. The difference between Lieberman and Hagel is that Lieberman has guts. That's what it takes to side with George Bush on Iraq, to support the surge and to support John McCain specifically to ensure America wins that war. Hagel on the other hand, is merely impatient with having to defend Bush, the war. He longs to be loved.
6. Ted Stevens---we all knew Uncle Ted was corrupt a long time ago. I knew in 2004 when I was 17 years old. But nobody did anything about it. Ted Stevens is not a bad person on the whole, but very morally weak. The real villain here is the GOP senate leadership, who looked away rather than call out one of their own. That's what kills a party.
5. Ill-informed Radio Talk Show Host who blathers---there are a lot of good conservative radio talk show hosts. Hugh Hewitt, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, Mike Gallagher, Neal Boortz,, Phil Valentine, Laura Ingraham...and for the most part they all fight against the Left in a decent way, and don't indulge in hyperventilating dooms-day talk. Others, especially those who host shows on local levels, are the very kind who give talk radio a bad name. The sad thing is that many people take them seriously, and the result is a very embarrassing slew of sentiments from a certain segment of the GOP bloc. The sunny side is that none of the Air America hosts match even these conservative blatherers.
4. Scott McClellan---President Bush's former Press Secretary is the slimiest character on this list. I percieve part of it to be his shallow political bearings. The other part was greed. He sold his former boss down the river for a sack of gold. It's one thing to tell "the whole story" once a person is out of office or is about to be prosecuted. Neither of those was the case with George Bush.
3. Ron Paul---I like SOME of Ron Paul's ideas. That is, I think he was made for the 1880s. To be perfecty honest, I'm not sure how I feel about the Federal Reserve. Nor do I know whether the Gold Standard is a good or bad idea. But one thing I can tell you is: eliminating the Federal Reserve, at least within one presidency, is a BAD and dangerous move. In addition to that, congressman Paul has been against the Iraq war. OK, fine. But what about winning the Iraq war? He's against that too. Just like a Democrat. Unrealistic.
2. Michael Bloomberg---Granted he may never have been "on the right," but time was once when he was Republican. So he qualifies for the list. In a frighteningly FDR-esque move, Bloomberg has made it possible for himself to run yet again for the NYC mayoralty. Good politicians would respect the limits of power, or they would seek to run honestly for another position. But Bloomberg decided he wants to be Dictator of New York, mandating that restaurants not use certain types of cooking oil (while he eats Cheez-its in the office), and then decides about term-limits "what the heck, these legal boundaries didn't anticipate that I was going to be such an awesome guy. I'll just chunk 'em."
1. The Unrealistic Voters of 2008---I know I know, everyone has the perfect right to vote however they want. However more than ANYONE else on the conservative side, voters who a) hated McCain b) hated Palin c) loved Obama and drank of his chalice of kool-aid, or d) voted Libertarian....are the cause of the GOP's troubles. Sometimes political pundits think too much about the ideas-campaign, or the get-out-the-vote campaign etc. The fact is, certain voters are just plain gullible and vote for the guy who is "nice," or are just plain stubborn, and will write in their own name as a "protest vote." Thanks a bunch guys. Iraqi children may die because of you.
0. David Brooks---David Brooks is not really a conservative. Thus, he gets mentioned only as my #0 on this list. Everyone acts like Brooks is a conservative though. NPR pairs him with EJ Dionne, and slaps down the label of "conservative," despite the fact that Brooks is only a conservative about 12% of the time. When are those times? Only when times are looking up for Republicans. When Palin was riding the crest of post-convention popularity, the sky was blue and sunny, David Brooks was galloping along with the rest of the gang. When the liberals struck, Brooks jumped back onto his old home wagon. Ah, political chameleons...
10. Mike Huckabee---Why? Because he has spent more time bashing Mitt Romney, Fred Thompson, the Club for Growth, and Libertarians than he has defining his credentials. And his credentials are quite stellar, if you really look at them. A full 3-term Governor, a good on-the-stump speaker, has visited many countries, and has a background as a Baptist minister which is a POSITIVE thing, not a negative one. The negative stuff is the fact that he is often mean-spirited, even in his jokes. Anybody remember the "Mitt Romney doesn't know how to eat fried chicken" remark? Or the time in Iowa where he invited the press to see his new ad against Romney, then told them, "nah, I not going to show this SUPER NEGATIVE ad, because I'm a nice guy." Or worse of all the Mormon-bashing that came specifically from his campaign
One of things about good Republican candidates is that they should be able to sell their credentials well, and store away the slashing remarks for their true opponents: Democrats. Mike Huckabee has failed at both, and continues to fail.
9. Peggy and (K.) Parker, the Palin-Bashing Sisters---and Christopher Buckley too!
There's nothing more aggravating than "conservatives" who jump ship, and when the liberal media sings hallelujah. As you may know, Peggy Noonan and Kathleen Parker didn't start out as Palin-bashers. In fact, they wrote very nice things about her. But there was a problem: they didn't know what they were really talking about. Then the liberal firestorm hit, and in the aftermath Peggy and Parker found themselves weeping over John McCain's pick. How could he do this to them?! How could he pick a dummy lady who speaks different from Harvard and Yale graduates?! How DARE he pick someone just because he is a woman! We were supposed to WAIT for that, until we felt SINCERE about it! That does it! I'm voting for quasi-socialism! This is no longer the big-tent Republicanism I once knew! There aren't enough media-worshipers like me!
The problem is that Peggy Noonan and Kathleen Parker didn't know what they were talking about when they praised Palin. Neither did they know of which they spake when they started bashing her.
8. Colin Powell---The prize for the most inarticulate ship-jumper goes to Colin Powell, who said that people who were against Obama thought Obama was a Muslim. This is insanity. The "Obama is a closet Muslim" people are very fringe, and even living here in TN, I swear I've never met one who believed that. Too bad Colin Powell couldn't vote for his old friend John McCain because a few fringe-believers on the left thought McCain was secretly one of the "Lizard People."
7. Chuck Hagel---In some ways I can understand why leftists hate Joe Lieberman so much. He defects from his party on the issue they love the most: giving up in Iraq. Lieberman is the liberal counterpart to Hagel. He has defected from the Republican party as regards to Iraq. Nevermind that we've now won the war, essentially. The difference between Lieberman and Hagel is that Lieberman has guts. That's what it takes to side with George Bush on Iraq, to support the surge and to support John McCain specifically to ensure America wins that war. Hagel on the other hand, is merely impatient with having to defend Bush, the war. He longs to be loved.
6. Ted Stevens---we all knew Uncle Ted was corrupt a long time ago. I knew in 2004 when I was 17 years old. But nobody did anything about it. Ted Stevens is not a bad person on the whole, but very morally weak. The real villain here is the GOP senate leadership, who looked away rather than call out one of their own. That's what kills a party.
5. Ill-informed Radio Talk Show Host who blathers---there are a lot of good conservative radio talk show hosts. Hugh Hewitt, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, Mike Gallagher, Neal Boortz,, Phil Valentine, Laura Ingraham...and for the most part they all fight against the Left in a decent way, and don't indulge in hyperventilating dooms-day talk. Others, especially those who host shows on local levels, are the very kind who give talk radio a bad name. The sad thing is that many people take them seriously, and the result is a very embarrassing slew of sentiments from a certain segment of the GOP bloc. The sunny side is that none of the Air America hosts match even these conservative blatherers.
4. Scott McClellan---President Bush's former Press Secretary is the slimiest character on this list. I percieve part of it to be his shallow political bearings. The other part was greed. He sold his former boss down the river for a sack of gold. It's one thing to tell "the whole story" once a person is out of office or is about to be prosecuted. Neither of those was the case with George Bush.
3. Ron Paul---I like SOME of Ron Paul's ideas. That is, I think he was made for the 1880s. To be perfecty honest, I'm not sure how I feel about the Federal Reserve. Nor do I know whether the Gold Standard is a good or bad idea. But one thing I can tell you is: eliminating the Federal Reserve, at least within one presidency, is a BAD and dangerous move. In addition to that, congressman Paul has been against the Iraq war. OK, fine. But what about winning the Iraq war? He's against that too. Just like a Democrat. Unrealistic.
2. Michael Bloomberg---Granted he may never have been "on the right," but time was once when he was Republican. So he qualifies for the list. In a frighteningly FDR-esque move, Bloomberg has made it possible for himself to run yet again for the NYC mayoralty. Good politicians would respect the limits of power, or they would seek to run honestly for another position. But Bloomberg decided he wants to be Dictator of New York, mandating that restaurants not use certain types of cooking oil (while he eats Cheez-its in the office), and then decides about term-limits "what the heck, these legal boundaries didn't anticipate that I was going to be such an awesome guy. I'll just chunk 'em."
1. The Unrealistic Voters of 2008---I know I know, everyone has the perfect right to vote however they want. However more than ANYONE else on the conservative side, voters who a) hated McCain b) hated Palin c) loved Obama and drank of his chalice of kool-aid, or d) voted Libertarian....are the cause of the GOP's troubles. Sometimes political pundits think too much about the ideas-campaign, or the get-out-the-vote campaign etc. The fact is, certain voters are just plain gullible and vote for the guy who is "nice," or are just plain stubborn, and will write in their own name as a "protest vote." Thanks a bunch guys. Iraqi children may die because of you.
0. David Brooks---David Brooks is not really a conservative. Thus, he gets mentioned only as my #0 on this list. Everyone acts like Brooks is a conservative though. NPR pairs him with EJ Dionne, and slaps down the label of "conservative," despite the fact that Brooks is only a conservative about 12% of the time. When are those times? Only when times are looking up for Republicans. When Palin was riding the crest of post-convention popularity, the sky was blue and sunny, David Brooks was galloping along with the rest of the gang. When the liberals struck, Brooks jumped back onto his old home wagon. Ah, political chameleons...
Friday, November 21, 2008
My Top Ten Favorite Conservatives/Republicans
There seem to be a lot of Top Ten thingamabobbers floating around the blogosphere. I've posted a few of my favorite names already as well, but not a complete TOP TEN. So, here it is:
10. Dinesh D'Souza----Why? Because as a conservative/Republican Mr. D'Souza has done more than anyone to re-ignite the debate between atheists and theists. Not only that, but he's been kicking butt! In addition to that, I admire Mr. D'Souza's independent thinking when it comes to the issue of why Muslims dislike western culture. In the war between D'Souza and Victor Davis Hanson, I agree with many points of Hanson's, but find many others to be naive and wishful thinking. I'm in D'Souza's camp.
9. Haley Barbour---Why? If anyone has bothered to track Mr. Barbour's comments this election cycle there is a consistency of focus from the Mississippi guv. He has consistently dismissed questions about speculation about running for president or VP. He has demanded focus from the GOP for the here and now. I always admire that.
8. Tim Pawlenty---Why? Well here's my favorite kind of Republican. Someone who tries to expand the Republican base to regular folks who might otherwise vote Democrat on impulse. He's the originator of the phrase "Sam's Club Republican."
7. John McCain---Why? Why did I choose John McCain?! Fact is, I used to strongly dislike this guy. I guess you might say he is the only one of this list who is on here for something besides his conservative credentials. What I like about John McCain is his story. The guy has spent his entire life in public service: the navy, as a POW, and in congress. Yes, I strongly disliked his various sins against the GOP, and his oft-time leftist positionings. But there is no denying: John McCain is an American hero.
6. Sarah Palin---Why? Everybody concentrates on her mostly as a social conservative. The media denounced and attacked for it. Ironically, when she was first picked they were questioning her credentials in that area. But hey, she's the Repub Veep, so what's to like? I mean it's not like she ran against the GOP good ole' boys in Alaska, right? It's not like she resigned her post on a committee in protest of ethics violations, right? It's not like she had executive experience from being a mayor and governor right? It's not like she gained an inside view into fiscal and environmental issues from serving on various boards and committees or by having to balance a state budget right? I mean this lady is evil!
5. Mike Pence---Why? Because Mike Pence has stood against the tidal wave of me-too-ism in the House. Even when stalwarts Coburn in the senate and Cantor in the house were for the bailout, Pence stood against it.
4. Michael Steele---Why? Well, I like Steele for his contributions. He donated the phrase, "drill, baby, drill." But also his senate candidacy in 2006 represented the hideous tactics of leftism. When Democrat Harold Ford jr. ran against Republican Bob Corker in my home state of Tennessee, the liberal media was all over the race and ready to label TN voters as racist if they did not shoo-in their candidate. Sure enough, when the election was over, accusations of racism were front and center. Mr. Ford graciously pooh pooh-ed those accusations and graciously accepted his defeat. Meanwhile, nobody was crying racism over the losses of Lynn Swann, Ken Blackwell, or Michael Steele. In addition to this, I think Mr. Steele's personality will help the GOP, especially as head of the RNC. (Plus: he guest-hosted for Hugh Hewitt, and you can't help but like him).
3. Mitt Romney---Why? Because Romney represents the best parts of conservatism: leadership, innovation, and self-sufficiency. He led the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics out of a debt-hole and did the same with Massachussetts in later years. A lot of people disliked his healthcare plan in MA, but what they don't realize is that his mandate did not require state government to pay for people's healthcare. Only that they were required to obtain it. This SAVED the state's healthcare program a lot of money. Just in case nobody realized this, there was been a different governor of the state since then, named Deval Patrick. Did you guess? He's a Democrat.
2. Hugh Hewitt---Why? Because Hugh Hewitt presents not just his views, but those of REAL experts. A lot of talk show hosts hire their uncle's counsin to come on the show and opine on the war on terror. But Hugh Hewitt gets only the best, even when he disagrees with them on the subject discussed, as in the case of Robin Wright. Hugh realizes that not all the experts are conservatives. In addition to that, his callers tend to be sane and are, as the late Dean Barnett said, "high-end news gatherers." Also notable is Hugh's diverse lineup of subjects: small businesses, music, movies, Shakespeare and literature, religion---and of course politics. How can you go wrong with Hugh Hewitt?
1. George Bush---Simple. Iraq sucess. My #1 issue.
10. Dinesh D'Souza----Why? Because as a conservative/Republican Mr. D'Souza has done more than anyone to re-ignite the debate between atheists and theists. Not only that, but he's been kicking butt! In addition to that, I admire Mr. D'Souza's independent thinking when it comes to the issue of why Muslims dislike western culture. In the war between D'Souza and Victor Davis Hanson, I agree with many points of Hanson's, but find many others to be naive and wishful thinking. I'm in D'Souza's camp.
9. Haley Barbour---Why? If anyone has bothered to track Mr. Barbour's comments this election cycle there is a consistency of focus from the Mississippi guv. He has consistently dismissed questions about speculation about running for president or VP. He has demanded focus from the GOP for the here and now. I always admire that.
8. Tim Pawlenty---Why? Well here's my favorite kind of Republican. Someone who tries to expand the Republican base to regular folks who might otherwise vote Democrat on impulse. He's the originator of the phrase "Sam's Club Republican."
7. John McCain---Why? Why did I choose John McCain?! Fact is, I used to strongly dislike this guy. I guess you might say he is the only one of this list who is on here for something besides his conservative credentials. What I like about John McCain is his story. The guy has spent his entire life in public service: the navy, as a POW, and in congress. Yes, I strongly disliked his various sins against the GOP, and his oft-time leftist positionings. But there is no denying: John McCain is an American hero.
6. Sarah Palin---Why? Everybody concentrates on her mostly as a social conservative. The media denounced and attacked for it. Ironically, when she was first picked they were questioning her credentials in that area. But hey, she's the Repub Veep, so what's to like? I mean it's not like she ran against the GOP good ole' boys in Alaska, right? It's not like she resigned her post on a committee in protest of ethics violations, right? It's not like she had executive experience from being a mayor and governor right? It's not like she gained an inside view into fiscal and environmental issues from serving on various boards and committees or by having to balance a state budget right? I mean this lady is evil!
5. Mike Pence---Why? Because Mike Pence has stood against the tidal wave of me-too-ism in the House. Even when stalwarts Coburn in the senate and Cantor in the house were for the bailout, Pence stood against it.
4. Michael Steele---Why? Well, I like Steele for his contributions. He donated the phrase, "drill, baby, drill." But also his senate candidacy in 2006 represented the hideous tactics of leftism. When Democrat Harold Ford jr. ran against Republican Bob Corker in my home state of Tennessee, the liberal media was all over the race and ready to label TN voters as racist if they did not shoo-in their candidate. Sure enough, when the election was over, accusations of racism were front and center. Mr. Ford graciously pooh pooh-ed those accusations and graciously accepted his defeat. Meanwhile, nobody was crying racism over the losses of Lynn Swann, Ken Blackwell, or Michael Steele. In addition to this, I think Mr. Steele's personality will help the GOP, especially as head of the RNC. (Plus: he guest-hosted for Hugh Hewitt, and you can't help but like him).
3. Mitt Romney---Why? Because Romney represents the best parts of conservatism: leadership, innovation, and self-sufficiency. He led the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics out of a debt-hole and did the same with Massachussetts in later years. A lot of people disliked his healthcare plan in MA, but what they don't realize is that his mandate did not require state government to pay for people's healthcare. Only that they were required to obtain it. This SAVED the state's healthcare program a lot of money. Just in case nobody realized this, there was been a different governor of the state since then, named Deval Patrick. Did you guess? He's a Democrat.
2. Hugh Hewitt---Why? Because Hugh Hewitt presents not just his views, but those of REAL experts. A lot of talk show hosts hire their uncle's counsin to come on the show and opine on the war on terror. But Hugh Hewitt gets only the best, even when he disagrees with them on the subject discussed, as in the case of Robin Wright. Hugh realizes that not all the experts are conservatives. In addition to that, his callers tend to be sane and are, as the late Dean Barnett said, "high-end news gatherers." Also notable is Hugh's diverse lineup of subjects: small businesses, music, movies, Shakespeare and literature, religion---and of course politics. How can you go wrong with Hugh Hewitt?
1. George Bush---Simple. Iraq sucess. My #1 issue.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
GOP lineup
I don't want to do the silly pre-2012 analysis about who will and who will not run for the GOP in 2012. But it is interesting to consider which GOP names are strongest after this election cycle. I think we all agree that Bobby Jindal, Sarah Palin are future candidates. But some of my other favorites are:
1. Haley Barbour, governor of Mississippi. This guy has had a very successful governorship, and his comments on keeping your eye on the present and 2010 are very telling, I think.
2. Tim Pawlenty. Yes, he was a big player this past year, mostly because his name was bandied as a possible VP choice. He is also a voice that wants to spread conservatism beyond "the base." What he calls "Sam's Club Republicanism," he said on Hugh Hewitt's show, was essentially a different term for "Reagan Democrats."
3. Eric Cantor. He's the most interesting congressman to watch on the GOP House leadership.
1. Haley Barbour, governor of Mississippi. This guy has had a very successful governorship, and his comments on keeping your eye on the present and 2010 are very telling, I think.
2. Tim Pawlenty. Yes, he was a big player this past year, mostly because his name was bandied as a possible VP choice. He is also a voice that wants to spread conservatism beyond "the base." What he calls "Sam's Club Republicanism," he said on Hugh Hewitt's show, was essentially a different term for "Reagan Democrats."
3. Eric Cantor. He's the most interesting congressman to watch on the GOP House leadership.
Mitt says NO to the big 3
The New York Times has published an op-ed by Mitt Romney in which he opines that a governmental bailout for General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler would destroy the auto industry (not right away, he notes).
Here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/opinion/19romney.html?_r=2
I have not opined about the Big 3's problems on this blog, though I have elsewhere. Suffice it to say, I agreed with Governor Romney before I even knew he held this position. In fact, when he campaigned in Michigan, it seemed he would have been pro-bailout. Is there an irreconcilable disconnect between his position then and his position now? I'll investigate more later...
Here:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/opinion/19romney.html?_r=2
I have not opined about the Big 3's problems on this blog, though I have elsewhere. Suffice it to say, I agreed with Governor Romney before I even knew he held this position. In fact, when he campaigned in Michigan, it seemed he would have been pro-bailout. Is there an irreconcilable disconnect between his position then and his position now? I'll investigate more later...
Monday, November 17, 2008
Next time: things NOT to do
Now that the election is over, the dust is settling, and people are rejoicing, complaining, or looking ahead...it is time to look back at some of our (GOP) mistakes during this cycle.
1) Nominated a legislator instead of an executive.
2) Had a long primary that created unnecessary factions within the GOP voting bloc.
3) Our campaign message was always on the defensive about our platform, with too much explaining. We were also too offensive towards the opposition, with too much explanation. History shows (for better or worse) that the person who wins is always the optimistic candidate. Obama ignored most of the jabs taken against him, and he spent zero time denouncing people on his side who did/said stupid stuff. Why? Because doing so only helps connect the dots from candidate to badstuff. McCain on the other hand spent a good deal of time discussing/worrying about his image as a good guy, and the more he denounced John Hagee, Bill Cunningham, et al, the less it helped him. Why? Because nobody believes a politician trying to distance himself from things percieved as slimy. It's easier often to just ignore it, as Obama did.
4) Allowed Obama to steal the "middle" position. Obama is the most left-wing senator in the senate. That's a record. So was McCain's record of being a REAL centrist. But nobody cares about all that "complicated" stuff if it doesn't jive with what they hear the candidate saying. Obama's phony tax-cut promises made McCain look weak and lukewarm.
5) NEVER NEVER NEVER underestimate your opponent's debating skills. A few bad stump speeches, a couple thousands ums and uhs? All that can change when the debates commence. The Republicans and commentators and John McCain were fooled, which was exactly what the Dems needed us to be as they prepped Obama for some of the most skillful, calm, and level-headed (not to mention disingenuous and dishonest) debate performances ever.
6) Sarah Palin was great, and she helped the ticket with voters who might otherwise have stayed home. In many ways the attacks against her were predictable, but sometimes we gave in to the attacks by responding in the wrong way. 1. Don't mess around with accusing your opponents of sexism. It doesn't work on the Dems. 2. Don't jump at every opportunity to "expose" the meanness of the other side. It might have done more damage to Obama with his "lipstick on a pig" comment if the McCain campaign had ignored it, or laughed at it.
1) Nominated a legislator instead of an executive.
2) Had a long primary that created unnecessary factions within the GOP voting bloc.
3) Our campaign message was always on the defensive about our platform, with too much explaining. We were also too offensive towards the opposition, with too much explanation. History shows (for better or worse) that the person who wins is always the optimistic candidate. Obama ignored most of the jabs taken against him, and he spent zero time denouncing people on his side who did/said stupid stuff. Why? Because doing so only helps connect the dots from candidate to badstuff. McCain on the other hand spent a good deal of time discussing/worrying about his image as a good guy, and the more he denounced John Hagee, Bill Cunningham, et al, the less it helped him. Why? Because nobody believes a politician trying to distance himself from things percieved as slimy. It's easier often to just ignore it, as Obama did.
4) Allowed Obama to steal the "middle" position. Obama is the most left-wing senator in the senate. That's a record. So was McCain's record of being a REAL centrist. But nobody cares about all that "complicated" stuff if it doesn't jive with what they hear the candidate saying. Obama's phony tax-cut promises made McCain look weak and lukewarm.
5) NEVER NEVER NEVER underestimate your opponent's debating skills. A few bad stump speeches, a couple thousands ums and uhs? All that can change when the debates commence. The Republicans and commentators and John McCain were fooled, which was exactly what the Dems needed us to be as they prepped Obama for some of the most skillful, calm, and level-headed (not to mention disingenuous and dishonest) debate performances ever.
6) Sarah Palin was great, and she helped the ticket with voters who might otherwise have stayed home. In many ways the attacks against her were predictable, but sometimes we gave in to the attacks by responding in the wrong way. 1. Don't mess around with accusing your opponents of sexism. It doesn't work on the Dems. 2. Don't jump at every opportunity to "expose" the meanness of the other side. It might have done more damage to Obama with his "lipstick on a pig" comment if the McCain campaign had ignored it, or laughed at it.
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