Roger’s Rules

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October 15th, 2008 5:34 am

“Are you for Obama because he is pro-life or because he thinks we should stay in Iraq and finish the job?”

They say an informed electorate is a bulwark of democracy. How are we doing on that score? Well, a colleague of the talk show host Howard Stern traveled up to Harlem to canvas some folks about their choice for President. It is not surprising that most said they supported Obama. Statistics I’ve seen predict that Obama will get somewhere north of 95 percent of the black vote. But why? Judging from the responses of the men and women in Harlem, it doesn’t have a lot do with his policies. Stern’s colleague took several of McCain’s policies–staying the course in Iraq, being pro-life, setting limits to stem-cell research, even choosing Sarah Palin as his VP–and attributed them to Obama. No problem! As one respondent put, it’s very important to stay in Iraq and finish the job: he was really with Obama on that. He was with him, too, on being pro-life!

Question: “And if he [Obama] wins, would you have any problem with Sarah Palin being Vice-President?”

Answer: “No I wouldn’t. Not at all.”

It’s a revelatory if depressing little performance. Listen to it here.

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40 Comments

1. Fausta’s Blog » Blog Archive » Listen to Betsy, John:

[...] cult of personality is such that Howard Stern, of all people, illustrated the blind support for Obama in this exchange (h/t [...]

Oct 15, 2008 - 6:09 am 2. David Thomson:

These blacks are clearly racists—and are supporting Barack Obama primarily because of the color of his skin. Can you imagine the MSP (main street propagandists) response if red neck hillbillies made similar remarks on why they favor the election of John McCain?

Oct 15, 2008 - 9:07 am 3. Toads:

This hilarious picture explains what the left-wing voter is really about. Look at Michelle Obama’s picture!

Oct 15, 2008 - 11:59 am 4. solidstate:

Fascinating, though I can’t say I’m surprised. When I ask the Obama supporters I know for their reasons, I get the least substantial replies: “He’ll improve our image abroad” (never mind that most of Europe’s leaders are now far to Obama’s right); “We need to engage in diplomacy” (when the U.S. is diplomacy-mad already). A few are honest enough to say it’s as much about his racial heritage as anything else, though they seem to find that an honorable reason for their vote all by itself.

These people, very few of whom I would classify as far left, clearly like the _idea_ of Obama more than anything specific about him or his policies. Understandably, since what few specifics we can count on could appeal only to those in redistributionist and grievance-obsessed circles. Bush fatigue I can understand — but voting in a purely reactionary way? Not so much.

I’m afraid this underinformed (or at least emotion-dependent) elecorate and their fellow travelers in the press are going to get the president they deserve. Of course, they’re going to get him for the rest of us, too.

Oct 15, 2008 - 12:19 pm 5. Toads:

Howard Stern is a racist for asking black Obama supporters questions that reveal something they don’t know.

Oct 15, 2008 - 12:20 pm 6. Dan Tana:

The Republic died when women were given the right to vote.

Oct 15, 2008 - 12:26 pm 7. BJ:

Well, don’t knock Harlemites too much – there are plenty of buffoons on our side as well. Remember the golden age of Reagan when the government ran Wal-Mart, the car companies and Wall Street?

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1008/Voting_for_Obama_anyway.html

Oct 15, 2008 - 12:29 pm 8. BarryD:

Lots of people vote for people who seem to resemble them, or resonate with them. That’s part of what representative government is about. One would hope that voters would see something a little deeper than skin color, but when that’s a proxy for culture and life experiences, I suppose it might not even be all that shallow — nor “racist”, either. (Of course, Obama’s culture and life experiences have little or no real connection with those of most African-Americans, but that doesn’t make them any more “racist” than anyone else, for erroneously assuming that such a connection exists. Uninformed, sure, but racist, no.)

What disturbs me about the Howard Stern piece is something else, though.

What disturbs me is that these people, who at least claim they will vote, have NO IDEA AT ALL about who or what they’re voting for! I mean, really, they have NO CLUE.

How many of the electorate will vote with essentially no basis?

It’s a fair guess that most “undecided” voters fit in this category. Well-informed voters who have a particular philosophy have long since decided where they fall (apart from the sliver of third-party types who may be very well-informed, but haven’t decided whether to vote for Bob Barr or Ralph Nader in protest, or to vote for the lesser evil among the two serious candidates).

That suggests that “swing” voters tend to be, on the whole, imbeciles.

Ultimately, our President will be chosen by imbeciles, whoever wins.

That scares me.

Oct 15, 2008 - 12:31 pm 9. Old School Conservative:

“How are we doing on that score?”

Failing. Miserably.

Oct 15, 2008 - 12:34 pm 10. Mwalimu Daudi:

We have a trained public, not an informed public. One of the most frustrating things I encounter in daily life is the number of otherwise intelligent people who blandly accept what the MSM tells them.

Forget independent media, which in any event will soon be unavailable (thanks to the Messiah). If one engages in a little bit of critical thinking one could easily find many examples where the MSM contradicted itself to the point tht its credibility should be questioned – and merely by using the “news” that comes from the MSM itself.

Case 1: Iraq. The MSM has told us that Iraq was unwinable, that it was the greatest foreign policy disaster since, well, ever. Daily the MSM gloated about the mounting US casualties and how unstoppable the “insurgents” were. Now Iraq has completely dropped out of MSM coverage. Why?

Case 2: The banking meltdown. Was it not the MSM that shrieked that the economy was collapsing and promised us that the massive bailout bill pushed by Bush and the Democrats would fix things? Why is the market still tanking?

Case 3: Oil prices. Was it really just a few months ago that the MSM daily told us $200-a-barrel oil was both inevitable and permanent, and how that was bad for the economy? Now the MSM tells us falling oil prices are bad for the economy. Heads I win – tails you lose!

Case 4: Terrorism. The Official MSM Narrative (TM) is that we are less safe because of the Iraq War. Yet how many terrorist attacks have been successfully launched on American soil since 9/11?

Case 5: Politics. Saturday Night Live can mock Sarah Palin and even imply that her daughter is pregnant because of an incestuous relationship with her father. The Left can engage in assassination fantasies about George Bush and Richard Cheney. Hate sites on the Internet like DailyKos and Huffington Post are an open sewer of vile language and insane conspiracy theories. Yet if someone boos the Messiah at a political rally or (horror of horrors!) dares to speak His middle name, then the MSM assures us that we are teetering on the brink of a bloody right-wing theocratic takeover of America.

These are just a few examples where a short stroll down Memory Lane would be enough to discredit the MSM in the eyes of those who watch and read nothing else. But it does not. Why is that? Is going along with the crowd and letting other do the thinking that important?

Oct 15, 2008 - 12:34 pm 11. Old School Conservative:

Harlem was once (1950’s era) the shining jewel of educated black culture. How sad.

Oct 15, 2008 - 12:35 pm 12. Chuck Pelto:

TO: Roger Kimball
RE: So….

They say an informed electorate is a bulwark of democracy. How are we doing on that score? — Roger Kimball

Why do you think the so-called ‘liberals’ have been struggling so hard and so long to gain control of (1) the vaunted American public education system and (2) the so-called ‘major media’?

Anyone getting a ‘clue’ here?

Regards,

Chuck(le)
[The devil is in the details. And so is The Law of the Land. Hence, so many Lawyers in Congress.]

Oct 15, 2008 - 12:36 pm 13. joe:

but will they actually vote? doubtful.

Oct 15, 2008 - 12:47 pm 14. ny nick:

I wonder if the folks in the bible belt are any better informed. Somehow I doubt it.

Oct 15, 2008 - 12:50 pm 15. Toads:

“Bush fatigue I can understand — but voting in a purely reactionary way? Not so much.”

Sadly, this has happened often during world history.

Fatigue with the Weimar Republic’s high inflation and unemployment induced the frustrated German public to vote in Hitler.

Frustration with the Shah of Iran caused the Ayatollah Khomeini to come in with popular support. This problem is still unresolved to this day.

The Chinese revolution brought in Mao Tse-Tung, and the deaths of 50 million Chinese.

The Bolshevik revolution overthrew the Tsar and brought in Communism, and hence the USSR.

Disapproval with Nixon and Ford brought in Carter. Fortunately, we recovered with only some damage.

We are at the brink of such a moment…….

Oct 15, 2008 - 1:28 pm 16. RPD:

This was amusing, but I doubt it indicates very much. In large part, Democrat/Republican loyalties tend to be more tribal than about specific policies.

I would bet you would get similar results by do ing the same basic thing in a red part of the country.

Oct 15, 2008 - 1:54 pm 17. Trouble:

solidstate:
I’m afraid that what we’re seeing in ‘08 _is_ purely a reactionary vote. Why else would the approval rating for Congress be hovering somewhere south of 12% – with Democrats poised to extend their current majorities, even in view of the facts that $4 gas, the mortgage crash, and the banking crash _all_ have occurred since they took over?

Enjoy the win, Dems, and congratulations on capitalizing (heh heh heh) on the public mood. I wouldn’t get too comfortable if I were you.

Oct 15, 2008 - 2:06 pm 18. How to Defeat Barack Obama:

It’s clear that the public is badly misinformed about BHO, and a good part of that is because of the MSM lying and misleading for him.

Unfortunately, those who could fill the gap aren’t doing their job. See my name’s link for the details on one way to completely cut the MSM out of the equation and show millions of people that BHO isn’t qualified.

In a nutshell:

1. Go to a BHO appearance.
2. Ask him a tough question or call him on his lies to his face.
3. Upload video of his response to Youtube.

If someone asks BHO a really tough question and he has trouble with it, it’s going to get millions of views. And, all of that will have been done without any involvement by the MSM.

Oct 15, 2008 - 2:15 pm 19. Banjo:

So blacks are racists. Who knew?

Oct 15, 2008 - 2:22 pm 20. Lupo:

I don’t have anything particularly insightful to say, but consider the image of Roger Kimball wearing a smoking jacket and rakish bow tie, snifter of 40 year old brandy in hand listening to the Howard Stern show.

Oct 15, 2008 - 2:44 pm 21. edsel mccain:

BJ These people are democrats. One said he voted for kerry, another said she loved bill and hillary and they’re all voting for obama.
By throwing in a few mixed references of reagan, bush, and guns, politico obfuscates like the pros they are. Politico is ex washpost writers, they kind of side with obama also, but if they admitted it, it would be as someone in an article from an unnamed state saying something about someone from an unnamed source.

Oct 15, 2008 - 3:21 pm 22. Fetter:

I wonder how Mr. Stern’s questions would be answered by whites in, say, Dothan, Alabama?

Oct 15, 2008 - 3:27 pm 23. Mike_K:

Toads, I think Jeri Ryan is the person we have to thank for Senator Obama. If she had not accused her ex-husband, Jack, of some weird sexual stuff in a child custody fight, we would have Senator Ryan and State Senator Obama. I would drum her out of the right wing corps.

Oct 15, 2008 - 3:56 pm 24. heather:

so, look at it this way: the uninformed people want to vote for one of their own, someone they aspire to be like: Obama!! And since they are ‘well educated’ in the modern sense, they feel no need to ask any questions about anything. It looks like the USA will get a president just like them!!! Yayy!

(there’s a lot of schadenfreude in me, thinking of Obama attempting to deal with the real world problems coming up. But. Maybe he will just ignore it all and slip slid his way to 2012??)

Oct 15, 2008 - 4:27 pm 25. edsel mccain:

Informed electorate? How about those dumbasses in the republican party who chose a nominee who sponsored some of the worst legislation in american history with some of the most left wing democrats, hmmm? maybe this is why mr maverick can’t put away a marxist muslim with zero experience at anything and such a resume of blatant anti-american associations in post 9/11 america, amazing, isn’t it, at least the rino’s are happy.

Oct 15, 2008 - 4:38 pm 26. Tom G.:

You’re all racists, but let’s move on please?…funny comment Lupo. I briefed Albright several times and marvelled at: 1) her visage and 2) her “insights”. After that I swore off DNC chicas. Too conflicted.

Oct 15, 2008 - 4:41 pm 27. Toads:

Mike_K,

Perhaps. It is always strange how something so small can create a spiraling chain reaction that becomes much larger.

Think about Nader in 2000. Without Nader, we would have Gore.

Without one word, ‘macaca’, we might have George Allen.

Oct 15, 2008 - 5:34 pm 28. Roger Godby:

“Mars Attacks!” has become reality: the intergalactic sign of the donut, the Big Zero. All understand and eventually submit, helpless, though they know it will result in their eventual doom.

Oct 15, 2008 - 8:21 pm 29. David Thomson:

“I wonder how Mr. Stern’s questions would be answered by whites in, say, Dothan, Alabama?”

The whites who normally vote Republican in any part of the country are usually quite knowledgeable about politics. It is the Democratic Party that has a monopoly on the stupid vote. Much is made of the fact that it has a abundance of supporters who possess advance degrees behind their name. This cannot be denied. Conveniently overlooked, however, are the hugh numbers of Democrats who are dumber than a door nail.

Oct 15, 2008 - 11:07 pm 30. el gordo:

David Thomson –

Which is exactly why the Dems are against ID requirements and for same day registration and mail-in ballots.

They know anyone who is too stupid to register properly or too lazy to move his behind to the next polling station will end up supporting a Democrat.

Oct 16, 2008 - 11:09 am 31. fiona:

Please! Most of those Democrat advanced degrees are in EDUCATION – you know the TEACHERS of the dumber than doornails.

Oct 16, 2008 - 12:59 pm 32. Heather:

Don’t blame Jeri Ryan–she had the divorce records sealed to protect her children and did nothing wrong. The Chicago Machine for leaking those records to the press to get Jim Ryan off the ballot to pave the way for Obama.

(although occasionally I curse Mike Ditka for refusing the GOP nomination; I like and respect Alan Keyes, but people woulda voted for Ditka…)

Oct 17, 2008 - 8:11 am 33. ehunter:

A few are asking will these people vote…
silly people, they will vote 73 times each.

Oct 17, 2008 - 8:14 am 34. Tom G.:

Oh, & Fetter, I lived in Dothan, Alabama in the 70s (learned to drive a T-Bid there) and I’d confidently bet “Dothanites” would acquit themselves hands down – does that make me a rascist squared? ouch…

Oct 17, 2008 - 7:30 pm 35. Tom G.:

Bid=Bird

Oct 17, 2008 - 7:31 pm 36. ehunter:

People..you need to focus on what will stop Obama. Lamenting the stupidity of the electorate wont do it. Defend the Constitution.
Obama is NOT A NATURAL BORN CITIZEN. Defend the Constitution. Demand that he produce his birth certificate…the one posted on the web is NOT a birth certificate (ie. the medical document) its a bureaucratic form filled out many days after the birth. AND ITS BEEN PHOTOSHOPPED.

Oct 18, 2008 - 5:15 am 37. VOTING FOR KODOS:

I don’t like this kind of thing, because it’s inherently unfair– it’s taking uninformed people and showing them up to be stupid, rather than taking the best the opposition has and thinking about what they say. Bill Maher’s new movie applies the same methodology to religion, and because he showed up silly and uninformed religious people, rather than engaging with serious religious thinkers, he provides very little light.

Oct 18, 2008 - 12:33 pm 38. ehunter:

And what Obama has to say is precisely to make
these people the source of his decisions.
Remember he says is decisions ” will come from bottom up not the top down”. Translated that means Obama will pander to these ignoramuses not lead them. Obama isnt a leader, he is
a celebrity, a man riding on the fatuousness of the people Stern just revealed to you.

Oct 19, 2008 - 12:15 am 39. Roy M:

Question: “And if he [Obama] wins, would you have any problem with Sarah Palin being Vice-President?”

Answer: “No I wouldn’t. Not at all.”

Thats just a simple statement of fact, isn’t it?

Oct 23, 2008 - 1:58 pm 40. pooba:

it just goes to show you how racist the black community really is…I dont think America is ready to turn socialist…..Remember, socialism, communism, and fascism, Nazism…all the same..Spread the wealth???I think not..BARACK IS A S O C I A L I S T HE SAID SO HIMSELF TO JOE THE PLUMBER…socialist want to destroy our Constitution…
anyways, get out and vote either way..
GOD BLESS AMERICA…

Nov 4, 2008 - 2:08 pm