83 Comments

1. Doug "ZaMoose" Stewart:

Well, seeing as it’s gotten pretty bad even outside of the constraints of Hollywood (stolen laptops, invasions of Bush campaign headquarters, shots fired at campaign headquarters in TN, swastikas burned on Bush supporters’ front lawns, etc.) it’s easy to see why some may feel a bit of trepidation at revealing that they’re Bush supporters these days.

Oct 6, 2004 - 1:07 pm 2. RightWingDuck:

Funny, I live in Pasadena but refuse to put a Bush/Cheney sticker on my car – I know for sure it would be vandalized.

So I blog anonymously and crack wise.

Sigh.

If my coworkers only knew…

Oct 6, 2004 - 1:10 pm 3. lindenen:

I’d love to see a Democratic bastion like California go Republican this year just for the shocked faces and the usual “B-but no one I know voted for him” comments.

Also, as the lone Bush voter in my family, I’ve given up on convincing my mother but how do you convince a brother who won’t vote for Bush because he’s mad at Bush for not nuking Saudi Arabia? I’m dead serious when I say “mad at Bush for not nuking Saudi Arabia”.

Oct 6, 2004 - 1:28 pm 4. syn:

I am an actress in NYC and what I wouldn’t give to have a non-confrontational conversation those in my profession who also support Bush and understand the nature of this war.

Oct 6, 2004 - 1:30 pm 5. David Thomson:

Isnít this hysterically funny? The left always argue that the conservatives are the establishment which must be feared. Itís a courageous act to defy those supposedly in power. If so, why do so many Republican inclined voters feel that they must hide their true beliefs? I have also not heard of even one instance where a Republican violated the rights of a Democrat. The opposite is definitely not the case. How many Democrat headquarters have been shot at? Iím trying to be fair. Are there any examples that I might be unaware of?

Oct 6, 2004 - 1:31 pm 6. Charlie (Colorado):

Per Drudge, another GOP HQ has been trashed by protestors, this time in Wisconsin.

I’m rapidly getting to think that someone should remind them we righties tend to be armed….

Oct 6, 2004 - 1:35 pm 7. lindenen:

David Thomson, there was some weird rumor that a woman in Alabama (I think) was fired for having a Kerry bumper sticker on his car, but that’s all I’ve heard. As far as I know, this is a rumor at best.

Oct 6, 2004 - 1:36 pm 8. PW:

All those shooting incidents at Republican campaign headquarters put a whole new light on Democratic anti-gun zeal. I guess they just want to make sure those Republicans can’t shoot back.

Oct 6, 2004 - 1:37 pm 9. David Thomson:

Oh my goodness, I literally visited the Drudgereport after posting my comments a few minutes ago. And what did I find? Another instance of Democrats violating the rights of Republicans. This time in Wisconsin:

http://www.wisgop.org/view.phtml?func=ch&lg=&id=83

Is this becoming an out of control epidemic? I have never heard of such activity in previous elections during my adult lifetime? What in hell is going on?

Oct 6, 2004 - 1:38 pm 10. Lola:

Just found out that there’ve been three incidents in the county right next to mine, in Ellicot City. A late night fire burning down signs on a homeowner’s property and sign destruction alongst Rt. 40. Cops did a stakeout along rt. 40 and arrested the guy who was using power tools to cut down the signs. Info at Kerry Spot on the National Review site. There’s a large sign that’s been posted up at the Bowie Airport next to rt. 50. Since I drive on this highway on a regular basid, glance that way everytime to see that the sign is still up.

Oct 6, 2004 - 1:48 pm 11. Charlie (Colorado):

The Kerry Spot collects some of these and has a good suggestion of how to react.

Oct 6, 2004 - 1:49 pm 12. lindenen:

I think we can count on left wing terrorism after the election if Bush wins. Actually, we’ll probably get left-wing terrorism anyway.

Oct 6, 2004 - 1:50 pm 13. David Thomson:

We have Bush/Cheney bumper sticker on both our cars. I also placed a yard sign in front of our house. Our residence is located in a middle class area of Houston, Texas which is racially and ethnically mixed. And we never experience any problems whatsoever. We havenít even gotten any dirty looks. Are we just lucky? And no, my slim middle aged body should not frighten anyone. I do not remind anybody of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Are some areas of the country more dangerous than others?

Oct 6, 2004 - 2:00 pm 14. Terrye:

Where I live there is not a problem so far. We have them outnumbered. Those Kerry supporters maybe mouthy, but they are not all that brave.

I think it is stupid as hell. How small minded do you have to be to not allow a person that basic courtesy?

Just think in Iraq and Afghanistan people have to dodge bullets for this right and it seems that some of the Democrats want it to be the same way here.

Oct 6, 2004 - 2:06 pm 15. Charlie (Colorado):

Well, David, I have a suspicion that Houston is a little less one-sided, but I’d also point out that my remark about “armed right wingers” might also apply.

Oct 6, 2004 - 2:08 pm 16. Terrye:

David:

This is Indiana. Our Senators are Evan Bayh and Richard Lugar.

People don’t act like that here. At least I have never encountered it. It would be considered very weird.

Oct 6, 2004 - 2:09 pm 17. Jamie Irons:

David Thomson (at 2:00 PM)

You asked:

Are some areas of the country more dangerous than others?

I don’t know about danger, but in this other thread I recounted some of my own experiences, such as they are, in the Bay Area (relevant part of comment starts with “Terrye”).

To me this is all very painful. And I think it exasperates me especially, because I see the opposition as, I am sorry, largely based on stupidity.

I can’t condemn the stupidity too harshly, however, as I myself was guilty of it till 9/11/2001.

Jamie Irons

Oct 6, 2004 - 2:12 pm 18. Mark Poling:

Sadly Jamie I see it as equal parts stupidity and fear. It’s easier to blame Bush for the fear they feel because it’s easier to deal with Bush than the real source of the fear.

If some Saudi princeling flies a minicopter with an Iranian thermonuclear device over Times Square, the surviving chattering classes will blame Bush and not the Jihadist culture that proved on 9/11 that such a thing could happen.

The appeal of appeasement is that it gives the illusion of control. Never underestimate the strength of that illusion.

Oct 6, 2004 - 2:27 pm 19. Coisty:

“I’d love to see a Democratic bastion like California go Republican”

From what I hear Bush’s pro-illegal alien policy has sunk him there with white Californians – the demographic Republicans need to come out in full force to win there. I laughed when the most recent poll of Hispanics showed his support decreasing since announcing the virtual amnesty. Pandering to those not likely to ever support you while insulting a significant part of your base is a bizarre way to win re-election.

I find the below list of Hollywood/celebrity Republicans somewhat suspect. But here it is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Republican_celebrities

It seems as though conservative parties in all societies do better with athletes than with actors and musicians. Maybe something to do with sport being an extreme meritocracy?

Oct 6, 2004 - 2:35 pm 20. Charlie (Colorado):

The appeal of appeasement is that it gives the illusion of control. Never underestimate the strength of that illusion.

Mark, I suspect you’ve said something deep here.

Oct 6, 2004 - 2:38 pm 21. Jim in Texas:

I think it is important to round the terrorists up now before the election so we can be assured of a peaceful election and…

Oh wait, I’m sorry, I thought we were referring to Iraq.

Oct 6, 2004 - 2:51 pm 22. Mark Poling:

Back to “Liberal” intimidation tactics, I see their growth as being a direct result of recasting terrorists as insurgents and terrorist acts as legitimate means of protest. Words have power; an through words the left-leaning media may be grooming some pretty monstrous offspring.

I wonder if they know it?

Oct 6, 2004 - 2:58 pm 23. Terrye:

coisty:

I don’t think it is amnesty. The horse is out of that barn. I think the program he spoke of is designed to help keep track of people.

Democrats control that state, many of them are white and they think Bush did not go far enough to include the immigrants.

Sometimes the hardest place to be on an issue is in the middle.

Oct 6, 2004 - 3:01 pm 24. Jamie Irons:

Mark Poling

Thanks for your last two comments — excellent.

And I agree with Charlie that your interpretation of the psychological meaning and force of appeasement is profound.

Jamie Irons

Oct 6, 2004 - 3:05 pm 25. Coisty:

Furthermore acting is a profession mostly about emotion rather than reason.

Dick Armey has pointed out people on the left tend to put more faith in anecdotal information than in-depth analysis of (often inconvenient) facts. Wishful thinking about human nature and, in some cases, a denial of it in favour of the nurture argument, causes leftists to misunderstand the motives of our enemies. Also the tenacity with which they cling to their pseudo-utopian illusion leads them to lash out angrily at those realists who burden them with the harsh truth about their naive worldview.

Oct 6, 2004 - 3:10 pm 26. Jamie Irons:

syn (1:30 PM)

I am an actress in NYC and what I wouldn’t give to have a non-confrontational conversation those in my profession who also support Bush and understand the nature of this war.

Wow! And I complained about being in the belly of the beast in northern California…

Jamie Irons

Oct 6, 2004 - 3:11 pm 27. Skookumchuk:

Mark Poling:

Very, very well said. One of the best comments in a long time.

And upon reflection it may be incorrect to assume that appeasement of Islamofascism will always come from the left. Appeasement of the monsters is a universal human instinct and we will always have to deal with this tendency in what promises to be a very long century.

But at least we can start the new century out right.

Oct 6, 2004 - 3:19 pm 28. Coisty:

Terrye – “I don’t think it is amnesty. The horse is out of that barn. I think the program he spoke of is designed to help keep track of people.”

It is an amnesty in all but name that caused an even greater rush to the border. If the US can reverse Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait then protect it for 12 years it could certainly protect its own border. It could also deport significant numbers of these illegal aliens and put pressure on Mexico to stop encouraging the exodus of its poorest people.

“Democrats control that state, many of them are white and they think Bush did not go far enough to include the immigrants”

Yes, but the kinds of whites who normally vote for the Democrats are upper-middle class poseur types who like exhibiting their moral superiority to the rest of society. They are firmly in the Democratic corner. It is the GOP that depends on the white, mostly middle-class, voters whose quality of life suffers most due to mass invasion that’s taking place.

I’m afraid the US still hasn’t learned the lessons from the first WTC attack in 1993. Mark Steyn wrote an excellent article on this subject for the Chicago Sun-Times earlier in the year.

Oct 6, 2004 - 3:28 pm 29. thedragonflies:

I think the best cure for this anti-conservative bigotry is the same way bigotry is always cured – by exposing the bigoted to facts that do not fit with their erroneous assumptions.

I relish giving thoughtful, sensitive, well reasoned, caring reasons for supporting Bush. The liberals in Marin County, near San Francisco, are often stunned to hear things that make sense coming out of the mouth of someone supporting Bush. It short circuits things in their brain. To them, conservatives are racist, stupid, rednecks or religious fanatics. Reason doesnít affect all of them, but it does give some of them pause.

Oct 6, 2004 - 3:29 pm 30. chuck:

Mark Poling:

Sadly Jamie I see it as equal parts stupidity and fear. It’s easier to blame Bush for the fear they feel because it’s easier to deal with Bush than the real source of the fear.

Dunno, Mark, I think it’s stranger than that. There were bizarre episodes of mass hysteria back in late medieval times, the Salem witch trials, the sudden turn of civilized Germany into a barbarian regime. I don’t think it’s rational, or even simply some psychological sublimation. I think we are in the presence of a genuine human behavior type that shows up seldom enough that it isn’t blessed with it’s own name. Sort of the Giant Squid of syndromes.

As another example, look at the cult of the suicide bomber in Palestine. Do you suppose these folks came to a rational decision after serious study of the situation? Course, the BBC says so and believes in the cycle of violence, but the BBC is staffed with nitwits. It’s some variety of crowd behaviour.

Oct 6, 2004 - 3:34 pm 31. Katherine:

Thedragonflies,

At least in my case it was useless giving ìthoughtful, sensitive, well reasoned, caring reasons for supporting Bush to the liberalsî in Bay Area.

I was yelled at and insulted on the spot. And ìmy friendsî are not eager to keep up with me anymore.

I guess contact with a Bush supporter would pollute the shades of their abodes.

PS. I can post only when I use Explorer. TypeKey does not like Safari one bit.

Oct 6, 2004 - 3:39 pm 32. Charlie (Colorado):

Coisty, the problem is that I don’t think it is a closeable border. Not when the US/Mexico border is, what, 2200 miles long, and the US/Canada border is something like 3400. Not when the Garcias in Laredo TX are marrying into the Vegas in Nuevo Laredo, and computer programmers expect to be able to live in Arizona but work for Samsonite in Mexico.

And not when Raul Gomez can be born, live and die in El Paso and not be in a noticably different culture than the one a thousand yards to the south.

Might as well have your throne carried out and command the tide to retreat.

Oct 6, 2004 - 3:41 pm 33. Charlie (Colorado):

Katherine, have you got cookies enabled?

Oct 6, 2004 - 3:42 pm 34. Jamie Irons:

Charlie

Katherine, have you got cookies enabled?

Mmmm. Cookies!

//Homer Simpson

Jamie Irons

Oct 6, 2004 - 3:49 pm 35. Jamie Irons:

Katherine

At least in my case it was useless giving “thoughtful, sensitive, well reasoned, caring reasons for supporting Bush to the liberals” in Bay Area.

I was yelled at and insulted on the spot. And “my friends” are not eager to keep up with me anymore.

You and I could form “North Bay Former Liberals for Bush.”

After we get everybody signed up, I have a nice closet we could meet in.

Jamie Irons

Oct 6, 2004 - 3:51 pm 36. DC:

This is the second blog I’ve read today about closet conservatives. Shades of “don’t ask, don’t tell”!

If you’re interested, check out “Moxie” and her October 4th post – you’re not alone out there on the left coast…courage!

http://moxie.nu/blog.php

Oct 6, 2004 - 3:56 pm 37. WichitaBoy:

chuck,

I absolutely agree with you.

I think what we’re seeing is akin to a hurricane.

A hurricane is a vortex circling a singularity in the atmospheric manifold which is a side-effect of the transference of heat energy from one part of the globe to another. They occur in the autumn when the northern hemisphere cools.

I suspect what we’re seeing is something similar occurring in the social manifold as the power and position of both the Democratic party and the ideals of the Sixties begin to wane. It seems to be the autumn of the new left. Social energy is transferring out to other areas and generating a few social hurricanes in the process.

Oct 6, 2004 - 3:56 pm 38. Jamie Irons:

WichitaBoy

A hurricane is a vortex circling a singularity in the atmospheric manifold…

When I look over my life these days, I have to admit, I definitely kinda feel like one o’ them vortices circling a singularity in some kind of manifold…

Probably explains this persistent vertiginous sensation…

Jamie Irons

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:04 pm 39. Mark Poling:

Terrye, I missed your response in an earlier thread, so I’m posting my answer here:

DamesForDubya.com is up and running, but I don’t have your email address to get in touch with you.

Go to There’s Nothing Like a Dame to see who’s on board now. To email me directly:

Mark Poling

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:08 pm 40. Rick Ballard:

Jamie,

Probably explains this persistent vertiginous sensation…

Breathing into a bag may be safer than self medication.

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:10 pm 41. Mark Poling:

For god’s sake don’t ever let Moxie and DennisThePeasant get together.

On second thought…

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:14 pm 42. Jamie Irons:

Rick

Breathing into a bag may be safer than self medication.

Sure, it’s safer.

But how much fun is it?

Jamie Irons

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:14 pm 43. chuck:

When I look over my life these days, I have to admit, I definitely kinda feel like one o’ them vortices circling a singularity in some kind of manifold…

Heh. I was thinking more of a school of fish that flashes and turns as one, yet this would be hard to see in an individual fish. But I admit your image is far more graphic…I keep waiting for the sound of the tank refilling.

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:18 pm 44. Terrye:

Mark:

Thank you. I will check it out.

Coisty:

We can’t very well line the border with armed men and shoot Mexican families. If we build a wall, they tunnel.

Like it or not this is a reality and we need to learn to come up with a system that works. Hopefully this will make the situation on the Mexican border more like the one with Canada. Far from perfect but I don;t see the US closing that border either. In truth I am just as worried about some Jihadi on Canadian welfare than I am someone coming up from Mexico.

They have resources the average Latino immigrant can’t imagine.

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:36 pm 45. Katherine:

Jamie,

How about a crawl space instead of a closet? I keep my wine there (quite a lot of it, too). Our chapter may be small, but at least we will be happy (at least until wine runs out).

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:40 pm 46. Katherine:

Charlie,

Cookies: Yes.

I think what I need is an upgrade.

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:43 pm 47. Dishman:

I can relate on the SF area. I’ve had a couple people (co-worker and former mentor) scream in my face. Going along with what others have said here, there seems to be a disturbing pattern of socially acceptable psychosis.

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:47 pm 48. Katherine:

ìBreathing into a bag may be safer than self medication.

Sure, it’s safer.

But how much fun is it?î

Jamie, I would not forgo the fun part for anything. But donít tell Charlie on meÖ

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:47 pm 49. DennisThePeasant:

Mark Poling-

Went to Moxie’s site…

Hubba Hubba.

But alas, I’m a happily married man, so it cannot be.

Besides, if I ever free up, I’m heading to Terrye’s with some lime jello and an indecent proposal.

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:51 pm 50. ed:

In all seriousness, can someone tell me what Bush has done, after Afghanistan, to deal with Al Qaeda?

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:56 pm 51. Rick Ballard:

DtP,

You’ve forgotten band or blade already? I thought you were commenting less due to chafing.

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:57 pm 52. ed:

Specifically Al Qaeda.

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:57 pm 53. Terrye:

Dennis:

You dog you.

I will be waiting with a bottle of Hershey’s chocolate and some hand cuffs.

Hey, I thought Ohio was in the bag. I see on rcp average that it is going in the maybe column.

And Florida might too. Who is this ARG anyway? It seems in all their polls Kerry does just a little better than the other guy.

hummmmmmmm

Oct 6, 2004 - 4:57 pm 54. Katherine:

Ed,

Killed lots and lots of them?

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:02 pm 55. vnjagvet:

Here’s another who agrees with Marks pithy posts. The fear of reality and desire to cling to liberal shibboleths is so desparate that many want to believe that Edwards “won” last night’s debate.

In contrast, even the MSM propolpundits (Bwokaw [sic],Russert, Matthews, Brian Williams, et al) were not so far in the tank that they would allow us to think them deluded. Some pride in the “pro” part of their credentials still evident there, methinks.

But Kedwards’ gang will push this sophist BS until the Bush Cheney team effectively stops it. By the looks of today’s speech, http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A11390-2004Oct6?language=printer

an effective unraveling has begun.

This is one of the Blogosphere’s oases. I hope we will be the harbingers of a November victory.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:08 pm 56. Jamie Irons:

Dennis

Besides, if I ever free up, I’m heading to Terrye’s with some lime jello and an indecent proposal.

OK. I’m not going to get into the spirit of this again. I got in trouble one time too many.

Katherine

A crawl space and wine!?

You had me at “crawl space”…

You’re on!

Jamie Irons

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:09 pm 57. ed:

No. Seriously. I’m looking for a reason to vote for Bush here. What has he done about Al Qaeda after Afghanistan. If he has killed lots and lots of them as you say, give me specifics. You mean in Iraq? Where? I know Pakistan has killed and arrested quite a few. I know Germany has done the same. The latest I read is that the US will be letting the vast majority of Guantanimo inmates are going to be freed (hit and run has the link). What exactly has Bush done and why should he be taken more seriously about Al Qaeda than Kerry.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:11 pm 58. Rick Ballard:

Terrye,

ARG weights agains 2000 turnout numbers in party identification. If you follow their polls you will find that, amazingly enough, their current results replicate 2000 election results to a great extent. They are generally off by the margin of error in favor of the Dems simply because they are using an outmoded model.

Gallup and Pew are still the gold standard in methodology.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:11 pm 59. chuck:

ed,

Well, there is the horn of Africa, Yemen, Algeria, Pakistan, and the Philipines. There is stuff going on in all those places if you care to look. There is cooperation with the various security services in Europe, although this is not advertized. There are bases in Central Asia, the government was changed in Georgia so something could be done about the Pankisi Gorge, and I assume there is growing cooperation with Russia. I suspect some sort of arrangements are also being worked out with India and some progress is being made in Kashmir.

Then there is Iraq and Iran. I think that the flypaper strategy in Iraq was never planned as such, but it has developed. The energies of many groups are now directed there and there is intelligence to be gathered. Iran is slowly being isolated and the Europeans are being nudged into line. On top of this we are out of Saudi Arabia and don’t need to get caught up in their developing domestic conflict.

So yes, I think a lot is going on. Of course, if you rely on the MSM to spoon feed you the information you won’t have a clue.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:12 pm 60. Terrye:

ed:

In all seriousness can you tell me anything that Democrats did to deal with AlQaida other than ignore their existence? I read in the 9/11 Commission report that AlQaida took root in 1992. Think how much easier it would have been to deal with then. But Kerry was too busy with other things to notice. Like cutting funding for the CIA. And with disastrous results. But Democrats are not to be held accountable for intelligence failures. We only hold responsible people accountable. The Dems just bluster and threaten and blame. Why most Democrats don’t even know what the Iraqi Liberation Act is, much less that a Democrat wrote it. BTW note that is the liberation act, not containment act.

The Bush people have killed a lot of the terrorists, especially the leaders, for one thing. They have cut off a lot of funding for another. They have along with a lot of other people from a lot of other countries worked to bust up the infrastructure that helped maintain the AlQaida network. We are not working alone in this. They have destroyed thousands of training camps.

They have taken the battle to them disuading them from the notion engendered by Clinton that Americans are soft and will not fight back. Haven’t seen much of Osama lately. Haven’t heard him talk about our soft underbelly for awhile.

BTW I have zero faith in Kerry’s ability to do any better. Most of the people I know who plan to vote for him think Alqaida is a front for the Bushie plan to take over the world anyway.

How can you fight a war on terror when you don’t even believe there is such a thing?

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:15 pm 61. Jamie Irons:

vnjagvet

You put elegantly exactly what I was thinking, but couldn’t quite express, last night, when I read on on Kerry Spot on NRO (scroll down a bit to “The Bush Campaign Must Be Happy…”

Great post, as usual!

Jamie Irons

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:18 pm 62. Rick Ballard:

chuck,

Not just the horn. All across the Saharan band to include Mali, Chad, Mauritania, Niger, Kenya, Ethiopia and Eritrea. Additional clandestine work is being done in Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia.

Asking for info concerning clandestine work in order to support a decision concerning a voting choice is low troll work. Waste time responding if you wish but ed doesn’t have the necessary elementary tools to be particularly engaging.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:23 pm 63. chuck:

Ed,

to continue. All of those things are not being directly done by Bush, he sets the direction and the rest is carried out by the DOD, CIA, and State Department. I would guess that delicate cases are passed on up the line for him to make decisions on.

Where I think he is in better shape than Kerry is twofold. First, he has a good, close knit team. I *like* Condi, Rummy, Cheney, Wolfowitz, Powell, and the rest. I don’t see this sort of team on Kerry’s side. In fact, I see little loyalty to Kerry, but a lot of oportunist around him who want to get back into power. Second, I just don’t trust Kerry to have any drive or conviction in pursueing the goal. I don’t even think he *has* a long term goal, but that is just my impression. For these reasons I prefer Bush to Kerry.

On top of that, I am simply disenchanted with the Democratic party, and feel that it has moved so far left that I have been stranded. I don’t want these folks coming to power.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:24 pm 64. Katherine:

Ed,

I suggest StrategyPage for a daily read. Gives a lot of information on what we are doing ìout thereî that is entirely absent from MSM.

I gave up on our journalists long time ago. I am interested in news reporting, not pontifications of not-so-clever secular priests.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:24 pm 65. Rick Ballard:

Terrye,

All I can add to your summary is a reminder that Kerry’s current campaign plans are dependent upon a terror attack occuring prior to the election and that he has made speeches inviting those attacks.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:28 pm 66. insatty:

I must leave the protection of the “orange curtain” once or twice a week when I drive from Orange County to Westwood/Beverly Hills or Downtown LA with my Bush-Cheney sticker. Immediately after crossing the county border, I start getting the cold stares and middle fingers.

But that doesn’t depress me as much as seeing the MSM-driven Kerry poll climb since the first debate. If W doesn’t beat Kerry on Friday, the MSM will ensure a Kerry victory. RealClearPolitics has W below 270 electors for the first time since the Repub convention. It’s crunch time and my stomach is churning.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:31 pm 67. Holly:

David:

I’m in Houston as well – middle class, ethnically mixed neighborhood (Willowbend area, to be specific.) The yards in our neighborhood have what looks like an even mix of Bush/Kerry signs and I’ve heard nothing around town about either camp defacing the other’s signs or banners or bumper stickers. Are Houstonians just better behaved? Or is it that Houston has a rough balance of Democrats and Republicans? Or that many of us are armed? In areas like S.F., Ann Arbor, NYC, etc., the presence of Republicans is viewed as a sign of contagion, so maybe that’s why the majority feels safe in violent confrontation?

My mother was one of the hysterical Clinton-haters in the nineties (she refused to discuss the fact that I voted for him twice, but she never turned her back on me!), and even she never went as far as the Bush haters are going today.

I’m going with the one-of-those-mysterious-mass-hysteria-outbreaks theory. The Democratic party seems to be having a protracted nervous breakdown. Or as a commenter on another blog said – it’s not that I don’t trust the Democrats, it’s just that I think they’re f’ing crazy. And I’m speaking as a registered Democrat.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:32 pm 68. Bostonian:

Terrye:

How can you fight a war on terror when you don’t even believe there is such a thing?

You’ve hit the nail on the head. I won’t say all Democrats feel this way, but certainly a strong core of them believe, with all their hearts, that nobody is really trying to kill us, except for maybe a few misguided souls whom nobody has tried to reach. So if nobody is really trying to kill us, what is Bush doing? Clearly he must have some secret purpose of his own… and very quickly this line of thinking degenerates into a brand of paranoia that truly astonishes me.

In the last half year, I have often wondered whether things have always been this crazy or whether this is a recent development.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:33 pm 69. ed:

Thanks, but “works well with others” wasn’t what I was looking for. I plan on voting for Kerry because I believe Bush hasn’t done enough in fighting Al Qaeda and I don’t feel safe. I get offended when people like Terrye and Mr. Simon here don’t take that concern seriously. I feel let down by this administration.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:36 pm 70. chuck:

Ah ed,

You disengenuous little troll. Why don’t you come out and *support* your position like we did? Do you have any idea how obvious, cheap, and dumb you look?

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:40 pm 71. Roberts:

Nah, Ed’s got a good plan. He thinks Bush hasn’t done enough, so he’ll vote for the man who’ll do less.

Brilliant!

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:45 pm 72. Rick Ballard:

I feel extraordinarily let down by an educational system that produces people who think that a man who can’t stand up to Howard Dean will stand up to al Queada. A man who on one day pronounces his ability to solicit troops from “European allies” and on the next day acknowledges that France and Germany will not be among those “allies”. Perhaps he’s counting on the crack Luxembourgers but we will never know because he’s keeping his “plan” in the secret compartment in his briefcase next to his “magic hat”.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:45 pm 73. David Thomson:

ìSecond, I just don’t trust Kerry to have any drive or conviction in pursueing the goal. I don’t even think he *has* a long term goal…î

Many of John Kerryís supporters also feel this way. A left winger e-mailed Jonah Goldberg and stated the following:

ìBut we all know he (John Kerry) did not REALLY support the war, and we all know it would NEVER have happened on his watch.î

http://www.nationalreview.com/thecorner/04_10_03_corner-archive.asp#041696

Read the whole letter. It will make you want to puke. I long ago concluded that the Kerry campaign is doing a fabulous job convincing people on both sides of many issues that he is really their guy. One thing John Kerry does not want discussed: there is no way that he can satisfy both Joe Liebermanís faction and that of Howard Dean. Somebody will be immediately marginalized the very first day of John Kerryís possible inauguration. Who will it be? Who is being played for a sucker?

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:49 pm 74. Terrye:

ed:

I tell you what. Go check out Monsoor Ijaz. He is a Pakistani American with a PhD who has spent much of his life on this issue. He has worked with both the Clinton and Bush administrations on this subject.

He also seems to think we are making some headway.

But what does he know? I am sure he is not nearly as up to date on all this as Kerry and his side kick.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:50 pm 75. Jamie Irons:

Call me a fire-breathing Neo-Con if you must, but I feel offended when people post passive-aggressive nonsense, and simulated feelings of grievance that they “haven’t been protected enough” and “feel let down by this administration.”

Of course, if Mr. Bush had dropped a bag of Daisy Cutter hammers on Mr. Bin Laden, and had displayed Mr. Bin Laden’s neatly catalogued and labelled remains on the White House Lawn for certain aggrieved parties to view at their leisure, some other sort of grievance and let down would have been forthcoming…

Jamie Irons

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:50 pm 76. chuck:

Well, ed got his honeymoon here and blew it. Has he been here before? Anyway, I am a big believer in the tit-for-tat strategy in the prisoner’s dilemma game.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:50 pm 77. Terrye:

insatty:

Yes. I hope Bush does better and by better I mean I hope he does not try to be nice. You know what they say about nice guys.

Go check out TradeSports.com for the electoral college map. It will make you feel better.

Oct 6, 2004 - 5:55 pm 78. Katherine:

You absolutely right, ed. Kerry will take care of us and make all the nasty terrorists disappear.

Would that be before or after he provides nuclear material to Iran?

Would that be before or after he cuts and run from Iraq?

Would that be before or after he cuts funding from developing bunker-busters?

But I am not worried. John Kerry promised me that next time we get attacked he would respond forcefully. I donít know exactly what he means by that but he mentioned that he might call a Summit and appeal to the UN.

So should he win this election all I need to do is make sure that will not be in an area that Mr. Terrorist chooses as a target. I may also consider liquidating all of my assets and turning them into gold sovereigns. Buying Hazmat suits, Geiger counter, iodine tablets, and other survival items may also be in order.

I may even line my crawl space with lead sheet, would be a shame to get all that wine spoiled.

Oct 6, 2004 - 6:00 pm 79. flenser:

ed

Let’s try this out on you.

We are at war with Islamic terrorists and with the states that sponsor and support them. By and large these are Arab and Islamic states. They have been waging an undeclared war on us, using terrorists as their proxies, for decades, and the time has come for us to show them the error of their ways. The nature of how this war will be fought will vary from country to country. In some cases it will entail full-scale military invasion and overthrow of governments. In other cases it will consist of economic sanctions or diplomatic pressure. In still other cases it may mean surgical strikes to take out the military assets of the countries in question. The means may vary, but the goal will be the same; to dissuade these countries from waging war on us at no cost to themselves.

Al Queda is not the problem. It is only a symptom of the problem. Are we clear now?

Oct 6, 2004 - 6:01 pm 80. Jamie Irons:

flenser

Again I really like your “statement of purpose,” or perhaps “mission statement” on the War Against Islamic Fascism.

I’m going to commit its essence to memory.

Jamie Irons

Oct 6, 2004 - 6:08 pm 81. nadadoc:

Jamie et al, I think I win the prize for living in the belly of the beast, Santa Cruz Ca. My overt bravery went as far as putting a “9/11/01 We will never forget” bumper sticker on my car. Believe me, in this town just that much makes a statement, but I think it would be beyond even “them” to defile my car or me for that.

Oct 6, 2004 - 6:08 pm 82. SomeJoe:

I’m also in NYC, also in a creative field, also voted for Gore last time and also don’t know anyone else who has admitted to supporting Bush. I suspect a few people, but I’m just not willing to risk social pariah status over something I’m not obligated to divulge. It pisses me off because it seems like cowardice on my part, but I’m realistic about this and don’t want bigotry towards my beliefs to affect my family.

I’m in the East Village, I know of five communist bookstores within ten minutes of my apartment. Yet, on 13th St & 1st Ave some brave, comedically-gifted neighbor made a covert Bush ‘04 sign, spelled out with dozens of blue anti-war/Bush stickers.

Diversity of opinion is alive and well in NYC, it’s just flying below the radar.

Oct 6, 2004 - 6:08 pm 83. Charlie (Colorado):

For god’s sake don’t ever let Moxie and DennisThePeasant get together.

Are you kidding? We should breed’em.

Dennis: re: “Hubba Hubba” — I agree completely. I write Moxie every couple of months and propose marriage.

She seems to feel that the fact we’ve never met is an impedimant, whereas I suspect it’s my only chance.

Oct 6, 2004 - 6:21 pm

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