tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14687597647024921232024-03-13T23:28:10.397-07:00MittWatchA Blog For Mitt Romney NewsBadgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-60320292228350969832008-12-02T09:00:00.000-08:002008-12-02T09:02:32.365-08:00Condi and the QueenCondi Rice exhibited her pianistic abilities in a private performance for Queen Elizabeth II. She played Brahms.<br /><br />Here: http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=081201224605.z1mwenki&show_article=1Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-74213315942682592002008-11-26T13:13:00.000-08:002008-11-26T13:19:14.981-08:00George W. Bush Is A Hero Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8XJtI-wCWZQ/SS29BY-livI/AAAAAAAAABQ/9uDMvyw8rEw/s1600-h/BushThanksgiving.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 103px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_8XJtI-wCWZQ/SS29BY-livI/AAAAAAAAABQ/9uDMvyw8rEw/s200/BushThanksgiving.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273078570303195890" /></a><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">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.</span>Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-18254091711144289322008-11-26T12:57:00.001-08:002008-11-26T13:10:25.469-08:00Hey guys, It's OK to be pro-War nowOk, 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.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />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.Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-32228788566937717762008-11-25T14:06:00.001-08:002008-11-25T14:11:35.783-08:00Palin-Romney-Huckabee 2012Let'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.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Here:</span> <a href="http://www.gallup.com/poll/112252/GOP-Faithful-Like-Palin-Romney-Huckabee-2012.aspx">http://www.gallup.com/poll/112252/GOP-Faithful-Like-Palin-Romney-Huckabee-2012.aspx</a>Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-72910218813645130602008-11-23T21:08:00.000-08:002008-11-23T21:31:31.288-08:00Batman---The Dark Knight---as you've never seen him before<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8XJtI-wCWZQ/SSo8LfnOKVI/AAAAAAAAABI/4tKXFjXQg98/s1600-h/batman-the-joker.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 133px; height: 200px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_8XJtI-wCWZQ/SSo8LfnOKVI/AAAAAAAAABI/4tKXFjXQg98/s200/batman-the-joker.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272092481952819538" /></a><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />Here are some of the best The Dark Knight spoofs on YouTube:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1.</span> First, a kiddie-version of the trailer. This both genuinely funny and weird. Pure enjoyment.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Here:</span> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy673zWHUOw&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xy673zWHUOw&feature=related</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2.</span> 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.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Here: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StWZDqqBfJo">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StWZDqqBfJo</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3.</span> And this is one of the BEST. A Toy Story version!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Here:</span> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QFWBFIEuig">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QFWBFIEuig</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">4.</span> A pretty good spoof by high-school kids, with a slightly different twist on the trailer here and there.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Here: </span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sYBqhOEdRQ&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sYBqhOEdRQ&feature=related</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">5.</span> Perhaps funniest of all this Interrogation Scene re-do, in which Batman's breathy/raspy way of saying things leads to some confusion...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Here:</span> <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2yv8aT0UFc&feature=related">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2yv8aT0UFc&feature=related</a>Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-21245633969618371312008-11-23T19:52:00.000-08:002008-11-23T20:17:46.744-08:00Mitt News Nov.23rd, 2008<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8XJtI-wCWZQ/SSopWTN99vI/AAAAAAAAABA/3cASnUO4dtM/s1600-h/romney2012_080207_mn.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_8XJtI-wCWZQ/SSopWTN99vI/AAAAAAAAABA/3cASnUO4dtM/s320/romney2012_080207_mn.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5272071776883308274" /></a><br /><br />A website promoting Romney for a 2012 Presidential run:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">1. Here:</span> <a href="http://mittromneyrevolution.com/">http://mittromneyrevolution.com/</a><br />-----------------------<br />If you didn't already catch the news, Mitt was in Georgia (the US state) campaigning for Senator Saxby Chambliss.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">2. Here:</span> <a href="http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/11/mitt_romney_campaigning_in_geo.html">http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/11/mitt_romney_campaigning_in_geo.html</a><br />------------------------<br />I'll bet you didn't know Mitt Romney had a flickr page...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3. </span> <a href="Here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mittromney">Here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mittromney</a><br />------------------------<br />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.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">4. Here: </span> <a href="http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002990434">http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002990434</a><br />------------------------<br />General Motors responds (quite well, in my opinion) to Romney's NYT editorial some days ago...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">5. Here:</span> <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/opinion/l21gm.html?_r=1&ref=opinion">http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/21/opinion/l21gm.html?_r=1&ref=opinion</a><br />-------------------------<br />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<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">6. Here:</span> <a href="http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/2008/11/mitt_takes_the_high_road.aspx">http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/arkansasblog/2008/11/mitt_takes_the_high_road.aspx</a>Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-44864719833831891682008-11-22T18:50:00.000-08:002008-11-22T20:50:50.019-08:00My Top Ten LEAST Favorite Conservatives/RepublicansFirst 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.<br /><br />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<br />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.<br /><br />9. Peggy and (K.) Parker, the Palin-Bashing Sisters---and Christopher Buckley too!<br />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!<br />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.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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...Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-83652257354009755692008-11-21T16:03:00.000-08:002008-11-21T16:59:47.649-08:00My Top Ten Favorite Conservatives/RepublicansThere 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:<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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!<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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).<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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?<br /><br />1. George Bush---Simple. Iraq sucess. My #1 issue.Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-91075069163889089752008-11-19T12:13:00.000-08:002008-11-19T12:21:39.688-08:00GOP lineupI 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:<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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."<br /><br />3. Eric Cantor. He's the most interesting congressman to watch on the GOP House leadership.Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-23888179364273099842008-11-19T08:39:00.000-08:002008-11-19T08:40:36.208-08:00UPDATED THOUGHTIs Romney vying to be tapped as manager of one of the Big 3?Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-23340465846895581152008-11-19T08:22:00.000-08:002008-11-19T08:27:53.643-08:00Mitt says NO to the big 3The 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).<br /><br />Here:<br />http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/19/opinion/19romney.html?_r=2<br /><br />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...Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-85279234138905842032008-11-17T10:43:00.000-08:002008-11-17T11:00:45.889-08:00Next time: things NOT to doNow 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.<br /><br />1) Nominated a legislator instead of an executive.<br /><br />2) Had a long primary that created unnecessary factions within the GOP voting bloc.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-50545932634950758602008-09-08T09:37:00.000-07:002008-09-08T09:46:05.433-07:00Sarah Palin FactsNOTE TO PALINFACTS.COM: please feel free to post these if you find them!!!<br /><br /><br />1) When Chris Matthews hears Obama speak, he feels a tingle going up his leg. When Chris Matthews hears Sarah Palin speak, he feels a tinkle going down his leg.<br /><br />2) That man on MSNBC is not the real Keith Olbermann. The real Keith Olbermann shriveled up and died the moment Sarah Palin came into being.<br /><br />3) Father, Son, Holy Spirit, and Sarah Palin.<br /><br />4) The Catholic Church was right. The earth is the center of the universe. But only because Sarah Palin is on it.<br /><br />5) Joan of Arc, Mary Queen of Scots, and Mother Teresa are fictional characters based on Sarah Palin.<br /><br />6) Princess Leia and Sarah Palin are one and the same.<br /><br />7) Calling Sarah Palin a "hockey mom" is putting it lightly. She invented hockey.<br /><br />8) The caribou in Alaska are voting for McCain-Palin. Their lives depend on her being out of Alaska.<br /><br />9) Chuck Norris is afraid of Sarah Palin.Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-90678160892528184062008-09-03T22:52:00.000-07:002008-09-03T22:55:29.380-07:00Jonah Goldberg's great lineOver at National Review's The Corner blog, Jonah Goldberg has a simply hilarious line:<br /><br />"She was put on this earth to do two things: kill caribou and kick butt. She's all out of caribou." ( ...http://corner.nationalreview.com/...)<br /><br />Another great Sarah Palin Fact! ... http://www.palinfacts.com/Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-61176848768454097812008-09-01T10:58:00.000-07:002008-09-01T11:00:48.054-07:00Gerard Baker: Palin vs. ObamaA great column by Gerard Baker (of The Times of London), contrasting Sarah Palin's achievments to Barack Obama's.<br /><br /><br />[-------""Sarah Palin vs. Barack Obama<br />By Gerard Baker<br />Democrats, between sniggers of derision and snorts of disgust, contend that Sarah Palin, John McCain's vice-presidential pick is ridiculously unqualified to be president.<br /><br />It's a reasonable objection on its face except for this small objection: it surely needs to be weighed against the Democrats' claim that their own candidate for president is self-evidently ready to assume the role of most powerful person on the planet.<br /><br />At first blush, here's what we know about the relative experience of the two candidates. Both are in their mid-forties and have held statewide elective office for less than four years. Both have admitted to taking illegal drugs in their youth.<br /><br /> <br />So much for the similarities. How about the differences?<br /><br />Political experience<br /><br />Obama: Worked his way to the top by cultivating, pandering to and stroking the most powerful interest groups in the all-pervasive Chicago political machine, ensuring his views were aligned with the power brokers there.<br /><br />Palin: Worked her way to the top by challenging, attacking and actively undermining the Republican party establishment in her native Alaska. She ran against incumbent Republicans as a candidate willing and able to clean the Augean Stables of her state's government.<br /><br />Political Biography<br /><br />Obama: A classic, if unusually talented, greasy-pole climber. Held a succession of jobs that constitute the standard route to the top in his party's internal politics: "community organizer", law professor, state senator.<br /><br />Palin:A woman with a wide range of interests in a well-variegated life. Held a succession of jobs - sports journalist, commercial fisherwoman, state oil and gas commissioner, before entering local politics. A resume that suggests something other than burning political ambition from the cradle but rather the sort of experience that enables her to understand the concerns of most Americans..<br /><br /><br />Political history<br /><br />Obama: Elected to statewide office only after a disastrous first run for a congressional seat and after his Republican opponent was exposed in a sexual scandal. Won seat eventually in contest against a candidate who didn't even live in the state.<br /><br /><br />Palin: Elected to statewide office by challenging a long-serving Republican incumbent governor despite intense opposition from the party.<br /><br /><br />Appeal<br /><br /><br />Obama: A very attractive speaker whose celebrity has been compared to that of Britney Spears and who sends thrills up Chris Matthews' leg<br /><br />Palin: A very attractive woman, much better-looking than Britney Spears who speaks rather well too. She sends thrills up the leg of Rush Limbaugh (and me).<br /><br /><br />Executive experience<br /><br />Obama: Makes executive decisions every day that affect the lives of his campaign staff and a vast crowd of traveling journalists<br /><br />Palin:Makes executive decisions every day that affect the lives of 500,000 people in her state, and that impact crucial issues of national economic interest such as the supply and cost of energy to the United States.<br /><br />Religious influences<br /><br />Obama: Regards people who "cling" to religion and guns as "bitter" . Spent 20 years being mentored and led spiritually by a man who proclaimed "God damn America" from his pulpit. Mysteriously, this mentor completely disappeared from public sight about four months ago.<br /><br />Palin: Head of her high school Fellowship of Christian Athletes and for many years a member of the Assemblies of God congregation whose preachers have never been known to accuse the United States of deliberately spreading the AIDS virus. They remain in full public sight and can be seen every Sunday in churches across Alaska. A proud gun owner who has been known to cling only to the carcasses of dead caribou felled by her own aim.<br /><br /><br />Record of bipartisan achievement<br /><br />Obama: Speaks movingly of the bipartisanship needed to end the destructive politics of "Red America" and "Blue America", but votes in the Senate as a down-the-line Democrat, with one of the most liberal voting records in congress.<br /><br /><br />Palin: Ridiculed by liberals such as John Kerry as a crazed, barely human, Dick Cheney-type conservative but worked wit Democrats in the state legislature to secure landmark anti-corruption legislation.<br /><br />Former state Rep. Ethan Berkowitz - a Democrat - said. "Gov. Palin has made her name fighting corruption within her own party, and I was honored when she stepped across party lines and asked me to co-author her ethics white paper."<br /><br /><br />On Human Life<br /><br />Obama: Devoutly pro-choice. Voted against a bill in the Illinois state senate that would have required doctors to save the lives of babies who survived abortion procedures. The implication of this position is that babies born prematurely during abortions would be left alone, unnourished and unmedicated, until they died.<br /><br />Palin: Devoutly pro-life. Exercised the choice proclaimed by liberals to bring to full term a baby that had been diagnosed in utero with Down Syndrome.<br /><br />Now it's true there are other crucial differences. Sen Obama has appeared on Meet The Press every other week for the last four years. He has been the subject of hundreds of adoring articles in papers and newsweeklies and TV shows and has written two Emmy-award winning books.<br /><br />Gov Palin has never appeared on Meet the Press, never been on the cover of Newsweek. She presumably feels that, as a mother of five children married to a snowmobile champion, who also happens to be the first woman and the youngest person ever to be elected governor of her state, she has not really done enough yet to merit an autobiography.<br /><br />Then again, I'm willing to bet that if she had authored The Grapes of Wrath, sung like Edith Piaf and composed La Traviata , she still wouldn't have won an Emmy.<br /><br />Fortunately, it will be up to the American people and not their self-appointed leaders in Hollywood and New York to determine who really has the better experience to be president.""------]<br /><br />THE LINKS IS AFTER THE JUMP:<br /><br />http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/sarah_palin_vs_barack_obama.html<br /><br />http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/sarah_palin_vs_barack_obama.html<br /><br />http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/09/sarah_palin_vs_barack_obama.htmlBadgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-12139967966888418702008-08-29T12:08:00.000-07:002008-08-29T12:10:46.042-07:00Coming post on pros and cons of Sarah PalinNeedless to say, I am pumped by the pick of AK Gov. Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate. And there are a lot of good things she brings, which I will explore. But there are also some issues--legitimate ones--that the Dems have already brought up. The same ones that concerned many of us when her name was mentioned.<br /><br />More on this later, folks...Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-8806086544587630712008-08-29T07:54:00.000-07:002008-08-29T07:55:43.539-07:00ConfirmedSarah Palin IS McCain's running-mate, the AP says.<br /><br />http://townhall.com/news/politics-elections/2008/08/29/mccain_said_to_choose_alaska_gov_as_running_mateBadgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-30745616681705266372008-08-29T07:39:00.000-07:002008-08-29T07:44:43.780-07:00Sarah Palin!!!Wow. Just wow.<br /><br />I'm quite stunned. This is quite unexpected. I know her name was brought up last December. I remember hearing it brought up by a caller on The Hugh Hewitt Show. This is a good pick, but not without it's problems. But I'll leave those alone for right now. <br /><br />Bill Kristol is the one who confirmed Joe Biden was Obama's pick, so we have no reason yet to doubt this source:<br /><br />http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-31562574994017811992008-08-28T10:23:00.000-07:002008-08-28T10:25:45.072-07:00Prediction: RomneyMy prediction is that by tomorrow morning, or even later this evening, Romney will be revealed as the Veep choice for John McCain. It just makes too much sense for him to br the VP. And the fact that a "unity" tour is planned, which will include McCain with Huckabee and Romney making up?<br /><br />Of course we could be very surprised....Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-77886508627190783912008-08-26T18:43:00.000-07:002008-08-26T18:44:59.524-07:00No ContestSo far my poll for McCain's Secretary of State has been a near no-contest win for John Bolton. I think he's great, but I'm surprised there were no votes at all for John Ashcroft!<br /><br />Though undoubtedly I need to expand my poll-viewership...Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-65877687596170956192008-08-26T18:09:00.000-07:002008-08-26T18:12:32.440-07:00Sarah Palin<a href="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/2801000033_2575d66d10.jpg?v=0"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/2801000033_2575d66d10.jpg?v=0" border="0" alt="" /></a>Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-73916887559128975762008-08-26T16:20:00.000-07:002008-08-26T16:49:12.177-07:00Four Possibilities for McCainI've broken this down real simple.<br /><br />1] Lieberman/Ridge. If chosen, will be meant to showcase his maverick streak. He'll be making Obama look like a wimp, though a moderate. If Lieberman is chosen, it will signal McCain's dedication to "bipartisanship." This is a dangerous game to play. McCain DOES NOT want his ticket to be "more or less" the same as Obama's on being moderate. Obama/Biden is of course VERY left-wing, but there's only so much the media is going to admit and therefore only so much that swing voters will know about them. If the media picked up the tack that "Well, both tickets are moderate...But Obama is the better of them." Like I said, dangerous to play that game.<br /><br />2) Romney/Pawlenty. By choosing either of these guys, McCain is playing the swing-state game. Romney carries a lot of positives. Mid-west voters love Romney, and Michigan also goes into play. I'd also submit that Minnesota is in play with Romney. Afterall, he won the state in the primaries. But the negative is that Evangelical christians, who largely supported Huckabee in the primaries, will be turned off by his selection. The upside of Romney is that he's vetted, he can debate the hell out of Biden, he has money for campaigning (it may not look good, but what the heck?), and he was the runner-up in primary votes. Pawlenty is safer choice. Despite his more left-leaning views on Global Warming ("cimate change"), and few lesser things, he has the charm to lull swing voters to like him. He's young, down-to-earth, and is sufficiently a good debater.<br /><br />Romney Downside: Huckabee supporters/evangelicals. Primary history with McCain, can be used to Democrats advantage.<br />Pawlenty Downside: Lukewarm-conservative on many issues. Perhaps will not match-up well with Biden's mouth-running-contest.<br /><br />3) Palin/Hutchison/Fiorina. Choosing a woman VP may steal a very good portion of former Hillary supporters who voted on the grounds that it was time to put a woman in the White House. My feelings on this are mixed. On one hand we Republicans can't wait until we feel sincere enough to choose a woman (or minority) to lead us. Nor should we be afraid of our sincerity being questioned by the Democrats for doing so; after all they do it all the time. On the other hand, we want fully-qualified women and minorities just as we want fully-qualified white males. It's a matter of experience and judgement. Kay Bailey Hutchison is the that woman. But, her downside is that she's a boring person. Very. Sarah Palin has only been governor for about a year or so, and Carly Fiorina has a spotty background in leading Hewlett-Packard. So when considering a woman, we have to take our chances.<br /><br />4) Jindal/Steele/JC Watts. This boat carries some of the same problems as the one above. There's the "sincerity" problem again, and the experience problem. Jindal has only been governor for a short time. Michael Steele is a GREAT guy and I love him, but he has lost a major election for senate, and his experience as Lt. Governor is not suficient. JC Watts would be a great pick, on the other hand. In many ways, he's the best pick McCain has. But he seems to be totally passed over. Perhaps insiders know something we don't?Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-85405299471825269502008-08-25T17:17:00.000-07:002008-08-25T17:23:59.199-07:00Orson Scott Card on Solzhenitsyn, Bush, and AmericaSome of this may be re-hash of what we already know, but it's great to know that one of my favorite Sci-Fi writers agrees with me on the issue of Foreign Policy and America's liberal elites.<br /><br />The link is here....<br /><br />http://www.ornery.org/cgi-bin/printer_friendly.cgi?page=/essays/warwatch/2008-08-10-1.html<br /><br />The best:<br /><br />["They thrill at causes like saving Darfur, saving the desaparecidos of Argentina, saving just about everybody. The problem is that all this "saving" can only be done by the use of or the threat of America's overwhelming military force. All the "negotiations" they call for to solve such problems are absurd if there is no credible threat of force behind them."]<br /><br />["The whole world would love to have our prosperity. But the whole world does not admire our moral emptiness, our hedonism, the stupidity with which we destroy our core institutions in the name of transient fads, our undependability, and the cowardice of those who vote for war and then undercut their own troops so they can appear "peace-loving" at election time."]<br /><br />["Alexandr Solzhenitsyn died last week. For the last thirty years of his life he was almost unheard-of. He was dismissed by our media elite as a has-been, a grumpy old man who dared to criticize them as scathingly as he criticized the Communists. They declared him No Longer Interesting."]<br /><br />["Just as Americans who speak the truth to the elitists who want to be our overlords are dismissed as cranks, fanatics, madmen. Supposed defenders of liberty want to pass laws that would destroy their opponents on talk radio. Supposed defenders of tolerance seek to silence any who would express their religious views as part of our political conversation. Unsupported assertions are taken as facts by people who claim to be intellectuals. The edicts of judges, unfounded in law, are worshiped, while they treat democratically enacted laws with contempt. They want to have their way without a breath of dissent; they refuse to admit that anyone who disagrees with them might know something useful."]<br /><br />READ THE WHOLE THING!Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-3856318685863044212008-08-25T17:08:00.000-07:002008-08-25T17:10:32.266-07:00Those good 'ole days of atheistic Democrats, gone?I see that the Democratic Convention has opened with prayer. Congratulations on gettin' relijun, my friends. Question: are you praying to God or Obama?Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1468759764702492123.post-48967491236561191322008-08-25T15:02:00.000-07:002008-08-25T16:03:17.998-07:0010 Ways Biden MIGHT Help Obama (aka 10 Ways Obama Hoped Biden Might Help Him)Ok, so enough of the "Biden won't help Obama" talk. While I largely agree with that, and have stated it myself, it is also true that Obama isn't an idiot. This is a guy who RUNS on political calculation, because that's all he has. So why Biden? There have to be logical, cynical, political reasons. <br /><br />However, these are merely my intuition based on my observance of Obama's campaign. Thus, the word "might" in title of this post.<br /><br />In no particular order...<br /><br />1) Obama is African-American. Biden is White, with a Irish/Welsh-Catholic family background. Obama figures that he needs to go with a white male VP to assure voters (whom he percieves as racist voters, of course) that he isn't going to pull any punches by selecting a minority or a female and turn this country into a minority-presidents-only-bonanza (which is probably what Obama thinks these types of voters think.)<br /><br />2) Biden knows Washington DC workings. He's been there a long time: 36 years. So while it does run counter to his message of being "new" and his intention to do things differently, he still needs a key to the city. This is a practical consideration. Biden is his key. And to be fair to Obama, Hillary hasn't been there as long. Furthermore, even though Bill Clinton was president and would be extremely helpful, Obama and he do not seem to get along. So Obama goes with a different manifestation of the Clinton Years: Biden.<br /><br />3) Joe Biden has a son in the military. While it is uncomfortable and often controversial to bring up this sort of thing in politics, it is nevertheless a consideration that voters take into account. John McCain has a son (or sons?) in Iraq, and all of his supporters know it, but keep it to a whisper. What Biden's son does for Obama is neutralize any possibility for a voter to reason, "Hmm. John McCain walks the walk, because he has a son over in Iraq and still believes we need to win the war, while Obama and [VP] don't."<br /><br />4) Biden is Catholic. This wasn't a very good reason to pick Biden considering that Kerry was such a failure with the Catholic vote, but it's a reason nonetheless. I'm sure it passed through the minds of the Obama staff when considering Biden.<br /><br />5) Biden voted for the war. Aha! you may say, but doesn't this run counter to his message (again?!) ? It does indeed. But think of it like this: Biden voted for the war, he now opposes the war, and he's not only a talker because he has a son in the military who is going to Iraq*." And this connnects to the following reason...<br /><br />[ * NOTE: and God Bless Joe Biden's son for his service, and God keep him safe and all the men and women serving there.]<br /><br />6) Biden is percieved as a foreign policy wonk. Yes, it's true that Biden is a fool on FP, nevertheless he knows the issues involved and has served on senate committees dealing with foreign policy. And most importantly: whoever McCain chooses as his own VP, Obama hopes to catch him weak in discussing foreign policy with Joe Biden.<br /><br />7) Biden is close to Hillary...close enough. I don't know why this would work, but Obama still wants to reach out to Hillary Supporters who are mad about him trying to (purportedly) sever the Clinton Arm off the Democratic Party. It's not working (duh), but you Biden is what came closest while qualifying with the above reasons, as well as with these last three...<br /><br />8) Biden is percieved as moderate (enough). While Biden is clearly pro-Abortion, he has not always been. He did however vote to ban partial-birth abortion. Whose vote you can find here....<br /><br />http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=108&session=1&vote=00402<br /><br />...Also, Biden vote for the Iraq War, and is in many cases hawkish. Enough so that it would comfort moderatet voters who see FP as their prime voting issue.<br /><br />9) Biden off-sets the "Obama is too young" argument. Now, I don't think there is a problem with Obama's age ( he is 47), I think the problem is with his lack of achievements, lack of good judgement, and the creepy cult of personality he has created. But people who see him on TV (and the same is true of me) are going to see "inexperienced," "too young" written all over his face. With Biden at the one VP depate this Fall, Obama has a chance to show voters that he knows where to look for wisdom: in someone older than he. As Republicans, we understand the comical elements of that reasoning, but nevertheless...<br /><br />10) Biden is going to be an attack dog against all those Evil Republicans Who Dare Question The Sincerity And Patriotism Of THE ONE. And in Biden, Obama has found someone who is very capable of saying very bluntly foolish things. I'm sure Biden will spare nothing in attacking John McCain and Republicans as racists, homophobes, sexists etc.<br /><br />And that wraps up my 10 Reasons Biden was picked. However, I do have one runner-up....<br /><br />11) Biden is a walking commercial for why hair plugs work. And I admit, while the little cow lick at his nape is ridiculous-looking, he looks a heck of a lot better than he was bald.<br /><br />Also NOTE: Some of the reasons Obama might choose Biden that he percieves as strengths are also weaknesses. For instance: Biden may be a Clinton-Era Democrat, but who is going to notice? What they'll notice is that Biden has said "things" about Obama, and has priased McCain often.Badgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01594692705268411945noreply@blogger.com0