It Doesn’t Compute
Everyone knows that by and large the black and Hispanic communities are not in block voting sympathetic to gay marriage much less overt homosexuality. Living at ground zero of the illegal immigration influx, I see such attitudes voiced openly and unashamedly
Here in California what was the ‘No on Prop 8′ gay lobby thinking, when the Obama registration drives in California brought in thousands of new voters–that they were really all UC Santa Cruz undergrads or absent-minded professors who forgot to register? Did they really think all those evil white Mormons and Church of Christ throngs in California would overwhelm them at the polls? In truth, each new Obama minority voter registered was a de facto vote against gay marriage.
There is a strange phenomenon that occurs when someone damns the abstract Right by ignoring the far more concrete Right in his own midst. I saw that in the 1970s when pampered leftists in college would damn Nixon’s Middle America, and then go back home to enjoy the largess of their wealthy conservative parents. If Bill Ayers were really a revolutionary, would he not have burned down his father’s estate rather than have bombed a public facility for the general use? Or might he have given all his inheritance to Chicago community organizers? And if gays want gay marriage, I suggest they put their Obama buttons back on, and come to Fresno, LA, San Jose and began re-canvassing the neighborhoods with gay teach-ins and bilingual seminars on gender tolerance, or perhaps enlisting rap singers to stop the ‘fag’ lyrics and instead start offering tunes that celebrate diversity and gay tolerance.
On a personal level, I was always struck how Ronald Reagan Jr., or Christopher Buckley or the daughter of George Wallace sometimes chided, or even lashed out at conservatives by evoking memories of their own far-right parents in support of their centrism or liberal views. Excuse me? Ronald Reagan as California governor was often a firebrand who courted confrontation; William F. Buckley opposed civil rights legislation; and George Wallace stood in the door to block racial integration. The point? Before lamenting the illiberalism of the present conservative movement and reinterpreting their namesakes’ legacies, they should really cool the rhetoric against those who were not nearly as right-wing as their own sires and instead perhaps write an essay criticizing their own parents for helping to foster the very landscape they now find in part odious.
The Problem with identity politics and coalitions
They are unrestrained. Once one runs on the notion that he is a hyphenated American, there is no end to it. Obama had not been elected one minute, and immediately the Moveon.org people claimed their anti-war due. Then wily Bill Richardson was on TV bragging that the Hispanics in the southwest had won him the election, and that they needed to be rewarded. The gay community will think federal support for gay marriage is a dividend of their support as well. Ditto women, unions, radical environmentalists, etc. The list is endless once one appeals to the tribe and the single-issue voter rather than to shared ideas and values.
Like it or not, Obama, at a time of soaring deficits and debt, has promised the entitlement industry even more. In a recessionary cycle of shrinking sales and red ink, he has promised the unions everything. At a time of multiracial complexity, the African-American community, at margins of 95% support at the polls, has claimed him as their own. The claims are indeed many, but the reciprocity by needs will be few. Even the media will want their due, claiming (rightly) they too elected him. Endlessly each group elbows another faction.
Wealth and Poverty
For much of my early life as a farmer I never netted over $10,000. As a professor for 20 years as CSUF, in comparison to farming, I thought the pay was very good—I started in 1985 at $23,500 and thought I was in heaven when I reached after 15 years $60,000 , especially compared to raisin income and plum returns.
Although I do better now, I have no envy or anger at those who make big money. Here are a couple of considerations about the current furor over the Obama tax hikes that, with income and payroll combined with state and Medicare, could put some incomes in the 65% tax bite. First, it is their money, not mine. I long ago realized that an academic enjoys all sorts of perks, summers off, sabbaticals, free time that higher-paid CEOs or doctors and lawyers do not. Each person to some degree has some free will about the sort of work, sacrifice, and unpleasantness necessary to endure to alter his income.
Second, after 50 some years of living in the central valley of California, I conclude that a lot of the precursors for low income, not all, but a lot, is brought about through so-called ‘lifestyle’ choices–the use of drugs, breaking the law, alcohol usage, the desire even to have more than 3-4 children, divorce, the inability or unwillingness to finish high school– as well as injury and illness. It is politically-incorrect to list sloth and laziness, but such traits also contribute to impoverishment.
Third, this is the 21st century, not the 19th. Those who makes $40,0000 or $80,000 or $1,000,000 per year all pretty much have hot water for their showers. Their tap water doesn’t sicken them, and they watch about the same TV shows and mostly have cell phones. Mass consumerism, easy credit, and technology have blurred the distinctions between wealth and poverty. That I buy a Wal-Mart sweat suit to ride a bike in the winter for $20 does not mean that I am any colder than the Manhattan exec who buys one with a designer label version for $150 at a boutique on Park Avenue. His $20 million-dollar penthouse apartment is no warmer or cooler than my Selma farmhouse. As far as the private jet, the yacht, the 5 homes, I’d prefer to fly commercial, rent a kayak, and have trouble enough keeping two toilets running and the hot water heater from silting up without worrying about either 50 of them or a staff of 5 to oversee them all.
So the advantages of wealth are more of a status thing and free choices of recreation or more leisure time than a vast difference in material conditions. For all the talk of the uninsured, one can buy catastrophic health insurance for $200-300 a month. And at the local rural health clinics in my area, many people, a year or two after arriving from the third word in Oaxaca, find good dental care, prenatal attention and major medical treatment pretty much free, something, for example, unheard of in rural Mexico.
Fourth, I realize, however, that human nature being what it is, that when we confiscate someone’s income (and that is what a 50% plus rate begins to do), we destroy initiative that in the long run enriches us all; while at the same time creating inefficient agencies that redistribute the money that often has the effect to discourage self-reliance on the other end of the spectrum. This is not the 1930s when there were few government safety nets, but a time of complex entitlements from unemployment insurance, welfare, disability insurance, social security, Medicare, Medicaid, income tax credits, low income tax deductions, subsidized housing, health care, and food stamps (On Thursday at the Selma Food 4 less, the four people ahead of me all had prepaid country food stamp credit cards, and their carts had, I would wager, more expensive foods than did my own). The question now is whether to enlarge these entities by tapping 5% of the population to pay even more, and whether a reluctance to agree is either rightly considered selfish or unpatriotic (I am paraphrasing Obama and Biden).
Look to California
We will soon have the highest sales taxes in the country. Our income tax rate is among the very highest. Our property is assessed at astronomical and overinflated values. And we Californians in return get substandard schools, pot-holed and crowded freeways, antiquated rail, crowded and therapeutic universities, and broke hospitals. Millions over the past three decades with degrees flee to tax-free Oregon or Nevada, but millions more come replace them from impoverished and depressed areas . The state is unrecognizable from my youth in the 1960s. We were given ideal weather, rich soil, mountains and sea, oil and minerals, timber, ports and bays, lakes and rivers, and our forefathers built industries in the silicon valley, agricultural in the valley, defense and tourism in LA–and we have essentially squandered it.
Things add up.
I flew yesterday from California to Florida. All the beverages (including water!) were for pay only. No complimentary snacks. No movies either as of November 1 it was announced. An extra bag was charged to be checked in. When one reads of the spikes in oil prices and the tremendous transference of wealth abroad both in energy costs and consumer imports from China, one in insidious ways can now see the results as a sort of an accustomed trivial affluence starts to crumble and crack.
An Obama dividend?
Many are frustrated by Obama’s apparent lack of knowledge, and the slick way in which his rhetoric masks his ignorance–and the complete infatuation of the media. But surely this could work abroad?
Imagine: Obama might say that he wants hope and change and so wishes to withdraw 40,000 troops from Europe to stop our unilateral and hegemonic presence on foreign soil. A German PM or the Spanish and Greek socialists would not say much of anything, as the Euro public and press are still mesmerized from the Victory Column nonsense. And so the foreign press praises to the skies how Obama just took the US, in neo-isolationist fashion, out of Europe.
He’s Back
Rev. Wright was on television, subdued and playing the victim of the “snippets” card, as if those infamous Hannety-played out-takes had done in him. He was forgetting, of course, that despite the Wright venom that aired, Barack Obama was OK with that: in his famous post-Wright KKKofA / GD America speech, Obama promised that he could no more disown Rev. Wright than the black community and his own grandmother. No, what did in the Right Reverend was the National Press Club performance. And it was not even his repeated racist views there that did it. The rub was the foolish arrogance of insulting the national press in their nerve center in DC. Had he simply made nice to the assembled reporters rather than insulting them, his racist views would not have mattered that much (they hadn’t in the past). They can forgive a black militant, but not one who mocks them openly.
The first President-elect Obama Press conference. Suggestions
1) call on 1 opposition press person at least 1 time
2) Don’t talk more about hypo-allergenic puppies more than the state of the world
3) Don’t make cheap cuts about an aged former first lady that would better apply to Hillary Clinton
4) Use the teleprompter more
Bring back the WPA?
The hysteria of this boomer generation never ceases to amaze. During the 1970s and 1980s we went through 7%+ periods of unemployment. The Great Depression saw spikes of 25% and more. Yet we go over 6% and suddenly CNN is blaring about the need to restore massive public works projectes, and the government hiring of millions.
The Mea Culpa Press
Scanning various media today and doing a few radio interviews, I was struck how they have all simply taken conservative pre-election claims that we didn’t know who the stealth candidate Obama was, given his blank slate , and now agreed–but in worry that they don’t know whether he will come through on their own agendas. Indeed conservatives are more likely to wait and see, as liberals worry out loud “now what?”
In fact, listening to the widely-circulated interview of Newsweek editors worrying about Obama’s contortions (”this creature” and “creepy”) is damning proof that they are really no longer journalists. For months most assured us that worries about the plastic Obama were illiberal, then they got what they wanted and now confess to us what they themselves knew all along, that there could be no there there:
So is the elite media worried Obama will prove a centrist rather than a liberal?
Or a black nationalist rather than a hope and change healer?
Or that they have been so stung that they utterly lost their reputations for credibility they are now scrambling to restore a shred of them?
Or do they wish to be a day ahead of the curve and now somehow fill the void created by the departure of the anti-Christ George Bush and be on the cutting-edge of slicing Obama?
Or are they such sad creatures of the day, that they simply babble, then re-babble as the hourly perceptions change?
Like many, I wrote some pre-election essays with titles like ‘The Obama Enigma’ and ‘The Blank Slate’ and got the usual tons of hate mail that most now get from the organized Obama electronic minutemen, but is the media party line really now to be “We also knew all that then, but can only say it now”?
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129 Comments
1. vb:Re. Obama Dividend: German Foreign Minister Steinmeier announced today that he will visit Iraq to show his support for Obama. Said support was already evident during Obama’s little Berlin stage show. Steinmeier is a buddy of Gazprom Gerd Schroeder, and both share Putin’s vision of a multipolar world order. It should be noted that Steinmeier will oppose Chancellor Merkel in next year’s election, and he obviously hopes to cling to Obama’s coat tails. It’s a bit like the principled Herr Schroeder refusing to support the Iraq war at a major campaign speech and before any UN action on the subject. I am not sure that Steinmeier would reject the anti-American, anticapitalist, pseudopacifist Left party as a coalition partner next year. That would make thing fun for the US.
I just hope that Obama is aware of the latest German polls: 67% view America more favorably since the election, but 69% don’t want German troops in Afghanistan. Hope and change are fine; active help is something else.
Chancellor Merkel has shown a statesmanlike reaction to the election.
Nov 8, 2008 - 3:37 pm 2. cfbleachers:The Mea Culpa Press
Indeed. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.
Don’t believe a word of it. They delivered a full term cipher and now want a partial birth abortion? Uhhhhh…no. No buyer’s remorse, no refunds or returns, all sales final.
You bought it, you break it…you own it. Damning proof they are “no longer” journalists. I keep going back the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, and I can’t find one that they have kept. Not one.
Perhaps President-elect Obama will govern from the center, perhaps he will make brilliant strategies and execute flawless tactics here and abroad. We don’t know, and we can’t know. Because the entrenched media stole our information stream and then dammed it and damned us.
EVERY vote that wasn’t for McCain/Palin, was a VUI moving violation. Voting under the influence. That swerving we see now, is the aftermath, the hangover. Strap on a seatbelt, we are in for a ride, we don’t know where we are going and we are coming upon a fork in the road.
Nov 8, 2008 - 5:14 pm 3. Michael Lonie:There should be a big market in a couple of years for bumper stickers saying “Don’t blame me, I voted for Sarah.” By 2012 we may well be wondering how Obama ever got in, so few people will admit voting for him.
As protectionism drives them out of the American market I hope the Euros will recall that that is the change they wanted: no more Bush and those ghastly Republicans. And the Dems’ cries of “multilateralism” and “UN” are just desperate attempts to get somebody, anybody, to take over America’s responsibilities in the world. When the Euros have to pony up to defend themselves, instead of relying on the US, the howls will be loud.
They should cherish Bush for the little remaining while they have him. He will turn out to have been the most internationalist, multilateralist President of the US for the next fifty years.
You Euros wanted Obama and the Dems, you’re going to get them.
Nov 8, 2008 - 10:15 pm 4. Arthur:I am hoping to see more decency in our political discourse, and with each other. If the media can do the same that would be lovely. It is the TV that is the worse. Is fox news considered journalism? Keith Olberman? bill o’reilly? shawn hannity? On both the right wing and the left TV and radio hosts and stations there is horrible behavior and screaming and shouting and lies and distortions that are really a contemptuous attack on the audience, let alone anyone unfortunate enough to sit for such abuse as a “guest” on such programs. Even the programs that are not completely awful delve into the stupid, the completely forgetful and trivial, and pundits for each side blabbing on with no attempt at dialog. even the basic news on network or cable i find to be wanting in so many ways, the right wing bias is pretty evident, or at least I would cal it, bias of the status quo to avoid ideology, because in effect the democrats and republicans are at the same table on underlining assumptions. the news bias it is reflective of the ownership and advertising interests. during the whole past few months of economic disaster their has been the most timid reaction on the news to question the great inequality and disparities we have seen over the past 17 years, subprime loans, and the change in laws beginning in 1999 and lack of regulations and understanding, and the price of oil and the weak dollar, and our private debt as well as federal debt, and trade deficit . A good deal of the news or whatever opinion of left or right it would seem to me deals with excruciatingly trivial matters that only obfuscate what is important.
As President, I think Obama should do the things he ran on and was elected to do. That might worry some republicans, but it should also relieve some as well. pragmatism seems to be the word of today, its just about what works, and what helps the country. If either party tries to stick to ideology just for the sake of ideology when it is not helping and is against the wishes of the public that is going to be a losing bet.
right now the economy is so serious a matter that i think we can all agree that we can find a way to work together on this life or death issue.
on foreign policy i have a feeling republicans will be pleasantly surprised at how tough and smart Obama is, and I think his statement about Iran has to stop enriching and stop supporting terrorist is a good starting indication. the problem is that we should like to get out of these battles and it is very difficult to do so. I think it right for us though to be humble in fact and not have the sort of idiot arrogance that rushes in with intensity into areas where we should be careful to tread even with the purist of motives. and i think we should be honest and admit when it some to the region our hands have not been perfectly clean,. and there has been ripples from those mistakes that we feel today and in part of the reason for the problems and engagements we have their today. I think that has to inform our policies, it doesn’t have to be controlling, but we have to not make the mistakes of the past again. And we need alternative energy, for the economy, and security.
I want to say it is impressive how serious Obama is taking the challenge and moving at good speed to hit the ground prepared when he takes office. Also a big ovation for President Bush and his determination to make this the smoothest transition ever. I know some would either belittle the notion or take a cheap shot, but I am really impressed at the President doing this for the country.
Nov 8, 2008 - 11:13 pm 5. David Thomson:Many of Barack Obama’s yuppie supporters are hoping that he is a liar. These graduates of the “best” Ivy League universities, however, don’t care if the Anointed One is lying about being against free trade to the blue collar yahoos of Ohio—but he is not supposed to lie to them! What if he really does mean what he said to the unwashed masses? Oh my God, could he really be that crazy? Might Obama truly be a disciple of Saul Alinsky?
Nov 9, 2008 - 1:24 am 6. Eddie Murphy as President?:In some ways, I suspect Barack Obama has patterned himself after Eddie Murphy. He’s exactly the right age to have been influenced by films like “48 HRS,” “BEVERLY HILLS COP” and “TRADING PLACES.” Barack, like Eddie, races along on a series of winks, nods, fast talking and outrageous lies… All for the right reasons, of course.
But at a certain point, right at the start of the third act, Eddie is called on his magical bullsh*t and tested. Will the alliances he’s made hold up? Does Eddie have the toughness to back up his playful boasts? Can he out-shoot the bad guys and save the girl? Man, I hope so!
Nov 9, 2008 - 3:26 am 7. RJ:It’s the individual versus the crowd.
Obama won by using “crowd” dynamics; now he has to control them as a leader. But has he ever been a leader in anything he has attempted? Look to those other great leaders, Reid, Pelosi, Dodd, Frank…oh God the list goes on and on within the Democratic party world!
I don’t think so, not even in his family.
So, it’s on the job training for him! Kinda like a federal work study program. On the government teat he goes for learning…again!
Ha, and you people thought things had changed for the underprivileged?
Note the smart ass comment using Mrs. Reagan as bait. Note the hiring of Rahm Emanual as Chief of Staff. Note the different comments about his conversations with Poland’s leader on missile defense.
Our little community organizer (crowd behavior leader) must now play a real game.
Would you promote your children to enter our military system and defend Obama’s decisions with his or her life?
Kinda like placing your money where your mouth is, only this is a flesh and blood sport we’re playing!
Maybe all these fellow citizens who are losing their daily jobs might want to consider the military option…right after the requirements are lessened.
If I were George Bush, just for chuckles, I would authorize any military solution for the killing of Osama Bin Laden prior to January 20th, 2009! Put a game changer on the table forcing Obama to contemplate how a leader adjusts his views when real change you can believe in occurs!
Ah…the Rules of Engagement! Maybe some day American citizens will learn how those early rules during this war on terror were really ropes that tied our military’s hands behind their backs…just maybe!
Till then let’s argue gays, stem cell research, global warming, energy, and of course bail out tax dollars for those who are fools or thieves!
Narcissism rules! Whoops, I need to put down the mirror and go to work!
I wonder what the view is like from Alaska?
Nov 9, 2008 - 5:56 am 8. Pajamas Media » The Media Mea Culpa on Obama:[...] Read the entire story here. [...]
Nov 9, 2008 - 6:16 am 9. KActon:Mr. Hanson, Your writing is so spot on, intelligent and thought-provoking that I look forward to reading your work whenever it’s available. Thank you. I’m not conservative but I am independent and your writing always has a historical bend to it that makes me think.
Nov 9, 2008 - 6:46 am 10. Ivanhoe:President Hosanna and the hallelujah chorus are a tragedy to be sure, but only slightly less tragic than the political system as a whole. For those of us who found no mainstream conservative candidate to vote for, and polling data gathered after the election confirms there were a lot of us, this election was between slightly different versions of the same dysfunctional “more government is better” mindset. After all, with staggering amounts of bipartisan debt, unsustainable increases in Medicare, two off-budget wars, the vile Patriot Act, and now the nationalization of the financial industry just who was there to vote for? It was an argument about who started the fire and who threw, and will throw, the most gasoline on it.
Nov 9, 2008 - 6:55 am 11. misanthropicus:The Republicans will form a circular firing squad and hopefully whoever is left standing will reform an actual conservative party and be ready when the Marxists assuming power now inevitably fail. Then perhaps the Republicans can stand on something and stop trying to “out-Democrat the Democrats”. Some good places to start would be to drastically cut federal spending, pass a balanced budget amendment, initiate an end to fiat currency, eliminate most of the departments beyond Defense and Treasury, and give notice to the world that we are getting out of the global policing business. Europe and Asia have, at least rumor has it, recovered from WWII and can take care of themselves.
Libertarianism is far from dead, and given that our estimated 8 to 12% of the electorate can still swing elections, perhaps conservative ideas will be revisited. And when true conservatives like the quirky Ron Paul, who tells you for over a decade that we are headed for a financial train wreck, speaks, perhaps the supposedly conservative leaders will listen.
It may be way too late for that. Something ugly this way comes as the financial apocalypse continues to deepen, brought on by decades of bipartisan stupidity, greed and influence peddling, with encouragement from the “something for nothing” Marxism that infects most of the population.
Time to bring the troops home; we might need them here?
Media biased? I am shocked, shocked!
Anyway, I used to spend about $15 weekly on LA Times and NY Times, airport time adding a hefty $20 per trip, average $40 every two weeks) – end of October, I and a few friends decided to stop buying both papers and, upon the latest reports, we are doing fine, miss NOTHING, and we don’t get aggrieved anymore about the base fraudulence of our news & comments sources.
It is impossible to counter the insidiousness and perversity of media by letters, reminders, protests, etc. The people who go to journalism schools or who get hired by papers are invariably of chronical liberal/ lefty inclinations, and will always do what they done so far – inflict their convictions as reality presentation under the color of authority.
However, it is a good way to work towards their destruction by limiting their oxygen, i.e. money – my $15/$40 is not much, yet combined with other people’s withdrawal, it certainly will put a dent on the papers’ revenues, which will limit hiring, lead to firing, therefore deter other creeps to pursue careers in this domain.
Last week I sincerely rejoiced the LA Times “en masse” firings – I might sound mean, but yes, there is such a thing as collective guilt (isn’t this an essential tenet of the liberal ideology?), and any and all who work for a liberal outfit is, at least an acquiescent enabler, so they deserve the soup line.
Take my advice and do the same – it’s absurd to spend your dollars in activities clearly detrimental to your, and the larger group’s well-being. Don’t buy mainstream papers like LAT, NYT or WaPo, and when in airport don’t buy glossies – they’re all corrupt, and hey! you save some trees!
Nov 9, 2008 - 6:56 am 12. SAF:Do it, it’s painless, and you’ll be amazed that you will miss NOTHING – SIMPLY NOTHING. You can use your dollars for much better purposes than feeding a cancer.
While it is naive to think the MSM did not play an important role in the election of Obama I argued with many people who voted for him about his past. They new the stories and dismissed them because they had made up their minds about republican rule and McCain. I had one friend admit to me when I pointed out he was a socialist that “so what I am a socialist too.”
The press will continue to help him going forward. Only a blatant and clear screw up on his part will make it to the front page of the NYT for example. For now his followers ascribe any possible fault of Obama to hearsay. Eventually it will be actions and fact.
It will be interesting to see what they say and do when he blows it.
Nov 9, 2008 - 7:09 am 13. misanthropicus:#11/Liberal media bias/addition:
Reviewing the thread, and also remembering some other pertinent facts:
They never learn, they never forget – the action of media, now remorsefully biting their lip, acknowledging their shortcomings IS GROSSLY INSINCERE. It’s just triangulation, revisited – they did it, they are not ashamed of it, they have no intention to change their ways, they will do it again.
Nov 9, 2008 - 7:20 am 14. Gary Ogletree:Liberals and lefties are iredeemable, their ideology is not an acquired set of beliefs but the expression of a temperament and (flawed) psychology; what we’re assisting now is just them wanting to get again their selling space – but they will be back at their agenda at the first opportunity.
Proof: look at the coverage of the post Prop. #8 activities – now what do you want more? Two elections showing the same majority are not enough? The present, 52% vs. 47% is not a convincing majority? Want more lawsuits?
I don’t know why “gay people” have such an emotional need to replace “civil union” with the word “marriage.” But they need to realize they are greatly outnumbered by “straight” people who refuse to have the word “marriage” taken away from them. It’s been a long time since being gay was a big deal in the USA. This is one of the least homophobic countries on the planet. In all areas of civil rights we’re not all that far from “the promised land” of Rev. King. Nearly powerless women and gays in places like Iran and Saudi Arabia could use some of that activism on their behalf to counter serious and deadly persecution.
Nov 9, 2008 - 7:27 am 15. Peterargus:I found it ironic in the Charlie Rose interview with the Newsweek journalist they admitted there was a tape of Obama preparing for a debate. If I read between the lines of the spin the tape wasn’t a positive portrayal of candidate Obama. I don’t recall viewing that tape. Was that another piece of information culled out for voter protection from making completely informed decision?
Nov 9, 2008 - 7:32 am 16. RJ:Notice to Employers:
Have your people, your trusted people, those who are critical for your very survival, create two lists. One for employees who voted Obama, another for those who did not. Use these lists as filters if the economy comes to your business in a negative way forcing you to cut down on personnel.
You know who goes out the door first!
Also, under the cover of this economic gloom and doom you can seek revenge for those in your organization who hurt your profits.
Bloodletting has begun! Place the wagons in a circle, women and children duck down!
Get a copy of Wilhelm Reich’s “Listen, Little Man!” ISBN 0-374-50401-6 for some evening reading and fun entertainment.
Then again, go to Rev. Wright’s church and get spiritual! Or watch “Godfather, Part 1″ and wait till Clemenza tells Mikey that every now and then wars are good for cleaning out the organization.
Maybe join Todd Palin up there in Alaska for a little snow machine racing this winter…you know the place where people learn about real teamwork for survival!
Nov 9, 2008 - 7:47 am 17. Broadsword:During the media-propoganda campaign, His Inflatedness was heckled by blacks, “What did you do about this? What about that?” His Inflatedness answered, (and this is an exact quote), “I was the first to talk about that”. (It was, I believe, the ‘Jena 6′.) It seemed he equated talking and doing. Other phrases are convoluted: “Obama will call on citizens of all ages to serve America, by setting a goal that all middle school and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year and by developing a plan so that all college students who conduct 100 hours of community service receive a universal and fully refundable tax credit ensuring that the first $4,000 of their college education is completely free.” “Will call on…all ages… to serve…by setting a goal that…students do… service…and by developing a plan so that all…who conduct…service receive…credit ensuring that…$4000…is…free.” Got that? He will call on people to serve by setting a goal. How many times in the ‘campaign’ did we hear The Inflated One say, “Well, what I meant to say was…”, or “Well, what I mean is that…”? To me, Democrats either always are telling us what they meant by what they said, or afterwards always know what should have been done. What issue unequivocally stands out from the ‘campaign’ of Hope & Change except those two words? Everything is contingent, weaselly, slippery and convoluted. He didn’t say, “95% will get a tax cut”, but “95% will not see their taxes go up.” These are not the same thing. He says he will “End the war in Iraq responsibly”. Does this mean winning, quitting, leaving, staying until some unknown whatsoever? Who knows? It’s not the same as his earlier, “I’ll get the troops out in sixteen months.” Two last things. He will talk to any foreign thug but wouldn’t go on Fox news. Such courage. And reporters from three newspapers who endorsed McCain were put off the Obama One plane. Is he afraid of criticism? Conflict? What was it was said about President Bush, he surrounded himself with people who agreed with him? I think Obama will avoid conflict by playing his only strong suit, talking about it. I think he will get rolled by people in his own party. I think factions in his own party clump together and play him off other clumps. I don’t think he has the character to stand fast to a position. It will be off the bus, under the bus, and “What I’ve said about that is…”
Nov 9, 2008 - 8:01 am 18. mk:Israel is probably gonna do some bombing pretty soon. I kind of wonder how President Elect HopenChange will react to the Israelis not playing the “everything’s different” game that all the other world leaders are playing.
Nov 9, 2008 - 8:13 am 19. Ron Kean:Because nothing has changed. A leader has been elected. That’s it. The world is still the tough, cruel place full of psychotic leaders and terrible people.
So good luck, President-Elect Hopenchange. You’re gonna need it.
Media bias aside, blogs mooch off of it. Where would RealClearPolitics be without the mainstream media? Blogs bite the hand that feeds it. Blogs may kill their own golden goose.
The election reminds me of someone waking up in the morning after a wild night out, looking at someone beside him and wondering who she really is and what will happen next.
Arthur — The election doesn’t change the fact that all we know for sure about the President elect is the ideology of his mentors, allies, and wife. Everything else is still hidden> Everything is about hope>
Obama must make a reply to SCOTUS December first> We know that for sure>
Nov 9, 2008 - 8:15 am 20. Connect the Dots:I let my subscription to the local fishwrap (The Columbus Dispatch) and I’m feeling free as a bird! Woo hoo!
During the election I had to turn off the Leftmedia (even Fox) because they were so in love with the Commander in Thief. I stopped reading the news and just did the puzzle and read the comics before I realized I can get those free online.
Eff ‘em. I hope they’re all literally out of business by 2012, or that the masses have moved to online news sources. With widespread broadband the lazy poplace can get their soundbytes and video snippets online now.
Nov 9, 2008 - 8:27 am 21. TLM:VDH,
Your depiction of “poverty” is quite apt, and timely. In the NYT today (free online at RCP), Thomas Friedman proffers the myth that Obama was raised in poverty. Spending a few years in an Indonesian village, being raised by a mother with an advanced graduate degree before going off to a succession of private schools and colleges hardly conjures up a vision of childhood deprivation. No matter. For the media, the redefinition of rich/middle class/poor continues apace. They have their rationale, and like their kowtowing obeisance to Obama’s campaign, it’s a financial as well as political one. They bank their future on providing entertainment dressed up as news for a society facing economic hard times. As we collectively get “poorer”, they offer us poverty of the mind as a salve.
I agree with cfbleachers that, having damned professionalism, the MSM seeks to dam the information stream. Good. You can’t defy gravity, or the American people, for ever. Let the media act as Obama’s hagiographers. Let Pelosi and Reid make a play for the return of the Fairness Doctrine. Let the MSM further expose their bias, and their financial interests, by supporting such an obvious restriction on free speech. More people will simply abandon the media and look for expression of their political beliefs elsewhere. Eight years of Bush Derangement Syndrome capped off by a financial collapse and the most energizing election in decades. But, how many votes did McCain/Palin get? Someone should tell the MSM those people are still here and they’re not going away. And the waters will find their way home to the sea through more suitable outlets.
Nov 9, 2008 - 8:56 am 22. M A Andrews:Misanthropicus; You make a good point about our left wing media.
Nov 9, 2008 - 9:09 am 23. tgs:Here in L.A. we can’t wait for the L.A. Times to go under, with its
massive debt and plunging circulation it’s loved by illegal alien advocates
and scorned by the rest of Los Angeles!
all I can say is
Sam Zell …..Save Yourself!
Everyone is moving to the real L.A. paper for the TRUTH… THE L.A. WEEKLY
It constantly amazes me that in all the millions of words expended in the discussions about Americas problems there are very, very few about what can be the real solution for these problems and that is simply to turn them over to God. We would do well to remember that our Founding Fathers relied on and gave thanks to God for leading them through the darkest hours of the Revolution to victory. Modern America must again understand that with God all things are possible and that God wants only good for man. So, let’s pray to God as our forefathers did and ask him to bless America and the world with his perfect peace, his perfect harmony , his perfect freedom , his perfect prosperity and his perfect love. Frankly, this will have a far greater positive effect than the millions of words and thoughts expended in analyzing our problems. This is not to say that discussion isn’t good and needed, but that positive prayer is necessary for success.
Nov 9, 2008 - 9:36 am 24. The Historian:IMPORTANT ELECTION REFLECTIONS
These are the results of this election that need to be noted and remembered:
http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2008/11/interesting-ele ction-reflections.html
Nov 9, 2008 - 10:21 am 25. Ms Attitude:Friday evening I left a comment on an ABCnews.com article regarding the Senate race in Georgia. A previous comment stated that Chambliss was a Cracker. I responded by stating that I took as much offense to Cracker as someone else would take to the unspoken N word (note: I did not spell it out). My comment was deleted by ABC but the Cracker comment was left. Will there be some sort of Czar of Communications that will police everything we post on the interenet in this new administration? Will I have a knock on my door by the “civilian military” to punish me for speaking my mind? I wonder and I’m a little scared!
Nov 9, 2008 - 10:59 am 26. Marc Malone:Really good postings everyone. It’s amazing how smoothly the conversation flows when there are no trolls posting. Good insights.
Nov 9, 2008 - 11:02 am 27. David Thomson:“By 2012 we may well be wondering how Obama ever got in, so few people will admit voting for him.”
I am utterly convinced that Barack Obama is a shallow and poorly read man. He is simply another Chauncey Gardner. Obama has nowhere near the intellectual depth to “triangulate” like Bill Clinton. He will constantly put his foot into his mouth. The most recent awkward situation with Polish President Lech Kaczynski is just the beginning. And this will inevitably lead to racial strife. Many blacks will wrong conclude that Obama’s growing unpopularity will be due to racism.
Nov 9, 2008 - 11:03 am 28. tpitman:“You Euros wanted Obama and the Dems, you’re going to get them.”
or as we used to say in printing when someone just HAD to have something in a hurry . . .
you wanted it real bad, you’ll get it real bad.
Nov 9, 2008 - 11:26 am 29. Mike:AN OBAMA DIVIDEND
Good point! I have been arguing for getting all of our troops out of Europe since Clinton got elected. It is the one of two things I hope the left wing “leader” and the Democratic Congress get done. Too bad neither Clinton nor Bush had the guts to do it. The other is raising trade barriers on the Europeans. Let them take care of themselves. We have protected them for too long.
Hope you liberals pay lots of taxes because I am waiting for all the free stuff Obama promised me.
Nov 9, 2008 - 11:29 am 30. George Clarke:Nature abhors a vacuum. The nature of political power politics really abhors a vacuum. As the now all powerful Democratic Congress and White House pull back from the world and cut 25% from the American Defense Budget, the big question is what POWER will step forward to fill that vacuum. It won’t be pretty, and judging by recent wars, hundreds of thousands now living, or maybe millions, may die early and violent deaths. Will those who mourned 3000 American Deaths in Iraq over three years, describing it as a blood bath, that only liberated 50 Million people use the same calculus of agony as Millions more now go into the Endless Night of oppression? What will President Obama do? What WILL President Obama do? I am sure the necessary or optional courses of action available to him have not yet crossed his mind, or the mind of anyone close to him. I may know little, but Obama strikes me as closer to a Chamberlain or Benes than a Churchill. Ere four years we will know.
Nov 9, 2008 - 11:31 am 31. fred:My pessimism about the next four years is directly proportional to the evidence of stupidity in our overall voting population. I saw absolutely no evidence to suggest that the journalism profession rises above it all and will manage to rise above it all going forward. Over 70% of single females voted for Obama, which some analysts suggest is the demographic that put him over the top. We need to look at the reasons why this happened, since it will provide clues to what is happening across our culture and its institutions.
I’d be curious to know what would have happened even had the Big Media properly vetted Obama how that huge demographic would have voted. We would only have clues about this if we had some hard information about the WHY of the vote from the single female population. How these women vote will say volumes about what our future is likely to be. Therefore, if the next four years are fraught with crisis and maybe even a catastrophe will these same ladies still vote for Obama, or a candidate who is similarly positioned on the spectrum.
A VERY interesting dynamic would be made manifest if the truly tragic should ever happen in our future: if an ever-drifting Leftward government should cross major Constitutional trip wires and internal rebellion and civil war were to ensue. With most of the men deciding to side with rebellion and most of the women siding with the status-quo. The divide within families could be very bitter indeed.
Nov 9, 2008 - 11:49 am 32. Bruce:I’m one of those Americans who are “the evil” small business owner making more than $250K per year, that Obama will target with tax hikes.I am also like most people who when they have a bad experience at a restaurant, never say anything but will never come back to the place ever again. If Obama ups the taxes on me and my small business, I am not going to go into an outrage like the far left. I will simply lay off a few of my 10 employees, and reduce wages and benefits for the others. I will not have additional funds to invest back into my business, as the money I would have spent on computers, supplies, etc will go back to the Gov’t.
Nov 9, 2008 - 12:15 pm 33. frank Miller:Let the venting run its course. Then sit back, enjoy the Obama show, and remember how to laugh.
FM
Nov 9, 2008 - 12:24 pm 34. Ms Attitude:Bruce: I don’t think that Obama knows much about small businesses in America. The tax hike and the possibility of mandatory health insurance will cause many small businesses to fail. The result: higher unemployment or higher prices. I’m a firm believer that if you have made sacrifices and busted your backside and you now make more than $250k (or is it a lower amount now?) then, congratulations, you earned it and deserve it! You should be used as an example of the American dream not someone that is “evil”!
Nov 9, 2008 - 12:52 pm 35. ajacksonian:The admirable thing about the old ‘yellow press’ of the 19th century is that they told you what their bias was. Clearly, openly, they put their role of advocate up front so that one could judge their reporting with respect to their bias. That is *honest* reporting within context of an individual who knows and admits their bias or that of a publication that does so.
The current media do not have that decent honesty to say: ‘Yes we are advocates of a position, party or candidate and here are the positions we have…’
For all the awfulness of Matthews, he at least had the honesty to do that. The rest of them? It is bad news when one of the worst of reporters gets a high mark for making his personal bias open and known. If they would all do that, put it on their bios and let the public know that they are, indeed, biased in their reporting, I would have little to no qualms about it. It is the dishonesty and lack of ethics in *not* stating that bias and misleading your readers and viewers that I find detestable.
Please, give us the honest yellow journalists of yesteryear: our current crop can’t hold a candle to their ethics and values in that venue of simple, plain honesty of advocacy.
Nov 9, 2008 - 1:06 pm 36. Bob:I think the fun will start when reality sinks in. Sit back is right – soon Obama will have to actually make decisions and then defend them! That’s going to be good theator. Look for more international support for our efforts in Iraq now that all the heavy lifting is done (The Europeans are mostly cowards). It will also be fun to watch the brown nosed Media bend over backwards to make Obama’s decisions look great. That’s front row seats and will give us a good laugh as the USA drifts into socialism and 3rd world status. All while starry eyed Americans are brainwashed into thinking they are now better off than they would have been under a free market system. Yeah a real belly laugh.
Nov 9, 2008 - 1:09 pm 37. Slveryder:As an addendum to the comments about what they Eurocrats are going to do now that Obama has ‘officially’ become the Chosen One, it has taken precisely 5 days for the British press to go from worship to worry. It’s just a little blurb but you should check this out.
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/govt-facing-battle-with-obama-14048586.html
And considering the amount of harassment I have dealt with from pinheads who think Obama will fix everything, I say it couldn’t happen to a better bunch of chumps. I’m all for isolationism(well, not really but it’s better than attacking people with a neutered leader)! At least, if it’s on our terms.
Nov 9, 2008 - 2:13 pm 38. TLM:frank Miller:
I’m looking forward to watching that Obama show. It will be interesting to see if he is a true blue Leftist, a pragmatist or an egotist. Probably a combination of the above. He won’t have to make any revolutionary moves to assuage his Leftist inclinations. Wall Street and George Bush did that for him. Initially, he will likely be pragmatic, i.e. cautious, re foreign policy. He’ll follow Petraeus’ policy in Iraq and call it his own. He won’t do anything overt in Pakistan. Afghanistan will smolder on as he exhorts the Europeans to “soldier on” there, whatever that term means to the Europeans. All in all, regardless of what Obama said during the campaign, he’ll adopt Alinsky’s proclivity for incrementalism when it comes to foreign policy, especially where the military is involved. No one elected him to be bold in this respect. And everyone’s going to be girding their loins, waiting for the “big challenge”.
Like all Democratic presidents before him, he’ll indulge his egotism in the realm of domestic policy. He’ll feel our pain and want to use the government to make us feel better, and feel better about ourselves. Hence, his National Service Corps, or whatever he calls it. Basically, volunteers for Obamerica.
Actually, I think we aging boomers could play a vital role in this endeavor. We should all donate one Saturday a month to help “rebuild” America. Start with the college kids who also volunteer. Show them what a hard days work looks like. Help them understand the nuances of propaganda and indoctrination. Cajole them to return their pizza and beer money to mommy & and daddy who are surely going through hard times themselves. Encourage them to see that no matter how hard you try to help some people, it’s often like pissing in the wind. And subtly plant the question of who they’re doing this for.
Nov 9, 2008 - 2:20 pm 39. Dan:I like you Professor.
But I don’t like your worldly take on the role of homosexualism in our society.
The Bible is clear on the subject.
Human experience is likewise clear, indicating that open homoism and public acceptance thereof, is the antechamber to outright decadence.
The United States, nay, the larger West would be better served were homosexualism to reenter the closet, and stay therefore for the duration, {the duration being existence itself}.
I’m not saying lock ‘em up. I’m suggesting rather a sophisticated declination of observing their presence, their slight presence, amongst us.
Which means no talk shows.
No movies extolling them.
No affectation that their activity is “normal,” healthy or desirable.
One thing more Professor, just because islam denounces their behavior and attitudes, doesn’t mean that we should embrace it.
Nov 9, 2008 - 2:24 pm 40. Paul M Hupf:Professor Hanson:
Nov 9, 2008 - 2:26 pm 41. misanthropicus:As usual, well said. Thank you. Please continue to express your views.
RE #36/Bob: [...] I think the fun will start when reality sinks in. Sit back is right – soon Obama will have to actually make decisions and then defend them! [...]”
Bob, I agree, but I’ll add here something which hasn’t been commented upon enough yet: “It’s my staff who didn’t do it right…; It’s my staff who …; it’s my staff who…; they didn’t update me…; I wasn’t timely informed…’ etc.”
Nov 9, 2008 - 2:55 pm 42. nick:There is a certain pattern in this type of deflecting responsibilities – I’d expect more of it.
It’s amazing how smoothly the conversation flows when there are no trolls posting. Good insights.
he means “when there is noone showing how bloody stupid and ignorant Marc malone is”
show me the quote “free” stuff,
you cant you moronic LIARS!
not intellectual? you are so funny
http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2008/06/8695_obamas_intellec.html
Nov 9, 2008 - 3:06 pm 43. Robert Winkler Burke:Re: “Office of the President Elect” sign Obama used in front of his podium at his first news conference.
If ever there was a sign of weakness, this might be it. Imaging being a fly on the wall in the Kremlin, or cave in some no-man’s terrorist land, or some other foreign capitol and listen to leaders discuss Obama’s psychological need for such a sign. Then Obama anounced changes he would do, only to retract and say Bush is still President. Then make a joke about seances that would offend two dead Presidents, and for which he had to apologize by phone to one living widow of a past President. My guess, we would hear leadings saying they believe weakness of character drove our President elect to show the sign and make the inane comments he did. They’d say in effect, “We’ve got a real amature here, comrades, brethren, amigos!” And that, my friends, is not a good sign.
Nov 9, 2008 - 3:10 pm 44. Bill:Bush presides over the great redistribution of wealth in the history of the nation with war time tax cuts biased heavily towards the wealthiest of American’s, now Obama’s concern for the long declining middle class standard of living and tax fairness meets with cries of foul. It’s ok, line up at your nearest mega-mart for the cheap Chinese made stuff that isn’t so cheap anymore. Who cares about the quality much less safety of this stuff? Worry more about your 401k than your neighbor’s job.
No mention here of massive taxpayer bailouts for the Corporate elite. Privatize profits, socialize gains. The bills are coming due, someone is going to have to pay them. It’s quite remarkable, fight wars we don’t need to fight with the other guys money and with his families blood, sweat and tears not ours.
The Swift boats are circling, the axes are grinding and the torches are ready to light. No mind that an Obama failure means the whole country collapses. Does anyone put the interests of America first anymore? Bush had his window of opportunity after 9/11 how about giving Obama and America a chance?
Nov 9, 2008 - 3:34 pm 45. always right:After the government bailout on automakers (read “Detroit”), the next industry with their palms out would be these NYT, LAT, etc.
The only way to ensure all the “right” news get out, don’t you know!
Nov 9, 2008 - 3:52 pm 46. The Wide Awake Cafe » The Coming Days of “Always winter and never Christmas”:[...] The fact that so little is known about Barack Obama is of course, due to the lack of curiosity of that very same media. [...]
Nov 9, 2008 - 4:14 pm 47. Cat:One good thing came out of this. I stopped watching T.V. and the horrible media. I stopped buying the newspaper especially the NOT YET TRUE(New York Times). I am not giving my money to the left Holly Wood. In other words I am reading more. Of course not the books on the egocentric Obama, all he wrote were two books about himself. I do listen to the conservative radio on the weekdays. One thing I can say is that I have realized that I do not need the media and I would love to see what their future will be.So far it doesn’t look bright and with time it should start looking darker.
Nov 9, 2008 - 4:35 pm 48. Susan:The fun will really start when the One takes a week to make a decision because he has to poll every one of his trusted advisors – and they are legion –
The fun will be really fun when he realizes he has to MAKE a decision – a yes or no decision – can he do it? I think not.
I know what is coming and it terrifies me, but I will enjoy being able to remind my dem friends that they could not give me even one of the One’s accomplishments.
I bet after a 1-2 years, they will be able to list MANY of his accomplishments!
Nov 9, 2008 - 4:55 pm 49. Flyingright:CFBleachers-
DITTO! Well said! People voted for an image and nothing more. We don’t know what he will do, but if his history is prelude I’m not feeling real warm and fuzzy at the moment. Too many Americans are completely clueless about what made this country great and thus here we are, having elected the most leftist, inexperienced candidate in the history of our nation.
People are already lobbying for a national day for Obama and he hasn’t even been sworn in yet! Unreal.
Nov 9, 2008 - 5:12 pm 50. DF:Rescumlicans,
You lost!
You lost in congress and the excecutive branch. You lost in state governments and local government elections.
Obama won 51% of the popular vote and McCain won 48%.
America breathed a collective sigh of relief. The world rejoiced. King Bush the II tucks his tail between his legs and awaits his trial for war crimes. Rove and Cheney should take the money they stole from the American people and hide. They are all scum and anyone who voted with them or the Nazi lap dog McCain is scum. Good triumphed over evil. The world is celebrating the greatest victory ever for the people. Just watch the news. The entire world hates you and so does 51% of the registered voters. I’m sure those that didn’t vote hate you too.
How does it feel to be in the minority? How does it feel to be scared? How does it feel to be hated? You are in the minority. You are hated. If you aren’t scared then you are stupid. But, what can we, the normal good people expect from morons who would support Sarah-I’m-a-moron-Palin. Yeah, she’s an expert on foreign relations because Russia is close to Alaska. So, govenors of New Mexico, Arizona and Texas are experts too because they live next door to Mexico. Didn’t she go to a faith healing? Do you republican dipshits still believe in alchemy?
Good will continue to triumph over evil as it has done throughout history: The signing of the Magna Carta, Martin Luther’s edicts nailed to the church door, The French Revolution, Ghandi’s Liberation of India, The Civil Rights Movement; The dismantling of the Right-wing fascists that are the Republican Party in 2008.
God Bless America.
Nov 9, 2008 - 6:07 pm 51. Peter:Toronto calling: If it really is true that the man is an empty suit, he will be driven in office chiefly by expediency. As a Dem in dangerous times, wouldn’t expediency require acting like a hardass in foreign policy to allay fears you’re a pushover (ref. JFK)? I’d bet on Teheran turning to glass way faster under Omama than McCain.
Nov 9, 2008 - 6:11 pm 52. Jack the Drywall finisher:DF,
Your comments are so on the money. Everyone where I live hates Bush and anyone who supported McCain. Finally, good, honest, hardworking people will get a fair break. No more tax breaks for the wealthy. Free-market economy ends with $700billion borrowed dollars our children will have to pay back to give rich bastards “golden parachutes.”
Nov 9, 2008 - 6:11 pm 53. fred:I nominate “DF” to be an undersecretary at the new Department of State Propaganda. He writes rousing speeches. This is a guy Oobonga should take notice of.
Nov 9, 2008 - 7:24 pm 54. Marc Malone:fred – Regarding the single female vote, it was actually discussed a couple months ago in another thread.
Some women on a talk show saw him as an Alpha Male, and so, found him very attractive. There’s the problem right there. They don’t know any more what an Alpha Male is. Obama is a Beta Male: nonconfrontational; people pleaser. Alpha Males are no longer PC, so if you are one, you have to hide your candle under a basket. So, celebrity masquerades as Alpha.
Any civil revolt by white men will be when the Alphas get fed up. At that point, fred, what women think will simply not matter. There’s a reason that the FBI thinks the right-wingers pose the greatest threat. They do. If ever they get finally riled, they will show how civil disobedience is done right. Stem to stern. Heads on pikes.
Nov 9, 2008 - 7:35 pm 55. Jenn M.:Hey DF (#50), if everything you said is true, why didn’t all the heroes voting for Obama sanction Gay Marriage? Even Obama disavows Gay Marriage! As VDH suggested, are all these new Democrats also Homophobes? Do you welcome them to your party? Sounds like you have some internal “Hate” issues to sort before you start the “War Crime” trials. Hah!
Nov 9, 2008 - 8:15 pm 56. john west:As long as we’re picking our sins, my personal choice IS sloth. Some run around on their spouses, some drink to excess, some gamble. Me? I’m just lazy, I know it and I fight it everyday. Sloth has one advantage, it can be disguised as paitence…and patience, as you know is a virtue.
Nov 9, 2008 - 8:15 pm 57. Rob:It’s maddening to see all these “journalists” now stating that “gee, Maybe Obama wasn’t really vetted after all”, after they Lewinsky’d him across the finish line…I refer to them as “born again” journalists, now trying in vain to salvage some shred of credibility and integrity. Now that he’s won, they’re once again the cynical, hard-boiled journalists…I’m not buying it.
Nov 9, 2008 - 9:05 pm 58. gippergal:Not for one minute do I believe that the poor, misunderstood mainstream media was held hostage by the admittedly devious liberal illuminati.
Look, they’re realizing that they completely overstepped their bounds, they’re trying to play the amnesia card – “where are we, what just happened, we don’t know what came over us” – because their credibility as professionals is shot to pieces, much like Wall Street.
If there was sincere remorse, they would dig into Biden and Obama now as hungrily as they did into Palin and McCain (and Joe the Plumber) then.
I am not giving them a free pass.
Nov 9, 2008 - 9:41 pm 59. Bill:No matter which candidate/party loses its much easier to blame the media than it is to take a hard look at what the voters were really thinking. We get this teeth gnashing about the press after every election. It is actually much easier than ever to seek the truth with the broad spectrum of journalism and opinion the internet presents us. All we need is an open mind and a willingness look beyond talk radio and the news blogs like drudge or buzzflash. Most of the time we believe only what we want to believe and only look to sources that confirm our preconceptions. The point about Prop 8 and California is a very interesting one. We don’t necessarily fit into neat, predictable categories like “liberal” and “conservative”. I don’t care about political spin, I want the truth.
The democrats will have to be careful with the outgoing administration. Any appearance of vindictiveness will not go over well and will do nothing to promote unity in the country. Nancy Pelosi is the one to watch. Gerald Ford was hated by some for pardoning Nixon but in the end he saved the country as his own expense by putting the whole mess behind us. The new President and Congress must graciously leave the past behind and move us forward.
Nov 9, 2008 - 9:46 pm 60. Tonto (USA):All BS aside,I’m taking bets right now as to WHEN “the one” figures out that “his mouth has overloaded his ass”. Everybody with a brain knows what a disaster he’s walking into, but I don’t think he does, nor do the libtards and welfare hopefuls that elected him. Absolutely amazing how stupid those people are!!!!
Nov 9, 2008 - 9:53 pm 61. mac:DF,
So you’re the “the normal good people” eh? After a hate-filled spiel like you just wrote? Sounds more like Joe Goebbels to me.
Nov 9, 2008 - 10:23 pm 62. Rachel Peepers:You lefties merit nothing but contempt because you’re truly contemptible.
“Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it.”
Tonight I had dinner with four people in my family. All of whom admitted they voted for Barack Obama.
I, however, voted for change.
For an even higher tech, stronger military. Far best in the world. Not the one Obama is setting up to face a Cuban Missile Crisis kind of confrontation once Barack has dismantled our missile defense and neglected our armed forces.
I voted for change.
I want a House Financial Services Committee that warns the public when something that could bring down our financial system is headed our way.
I voted for change.
I want a mainstream media that, until it admits how bias it’s been, until we have a congressional investigation into why it happened, and whose to blame, until the mainstream media promises to be a fair and impartial press, I believe they should be stripped of their constitutional protections until it again deserves them. Pure and simple, it shouldn’t have them.
I voted for change.
I want supreme court vacancies to be filled without the litmus test of whether they’ll uphold Roe v Wade.
I voted for change.
I want our budget balanced.
I voted for change.
I want Congress to work like they’re part of the same team. And limit partisan views and actions to when it honestly make sense to be partisan.
I voted for change.
I sincerely believe the country that set a ten year target for getting a man to the moon, can do the same to end our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.
My point obvioiusly is this. You didn’t have to vote for Barack Obamal to vote for change.
If Barack fails America over the next four years, I will do everything I can to be part of the loyal opposition.
Personally, I greatly admire many of the qualities of the man. So we disagree on politics.
But when it comes to politics, if Barack screws things up, I’ll shout it from the rooftops if I have to until he changes his ways. Or until I’m too hoarse to speak.
Just for the record, I personally and professionally detest, hapless Harry Reid, Rahm the bomb Emmanuel and Nancy Palosi. To me, they’re the emodiment of vile hate-america-first pukes. I hate the idea of Barack, who’s obviously high influenceable, working so closely with them.
Inauguration Day not only is January 20th, it’s also the first day of on the job training for our new President, Barack Obama, commander and chief.
Incidentally, have you ever flown in a military jet and been asked if you want to find out how she handles? Well, that paper bag at 3 o’clock hardly ever goes unused. Kind of reminds me of the ride that I reckon this country is in for.
Paper or plastic?
Nov 9, 2008 - 11:50 pm 63. Rachel Peepers:Arthur,
I hate to say it, but it’s late and I’m running out of patience.
Reading your stuff is painful. It’s just awful. Semi-literate. It’s like you learned english in a third world country and you’ve had a fifth of gin.
I hate to hurt your feelings, but, buddy, try to think a little more before you write. And read your stuff to yourself out loud.
I know I should encourage people to state their views even if they’re not well stated.
But, I’m fried. My husband says I should golf my way into the sunset, and maybe he’s right. I just thought Obama was so wrong for this country at this time in our history.
Nov 10, 2008 - 12:03 am 64. flicka47:Rachel
Great article,as usual!
Nov 10, 2008 - 12:31 am 65. Reaganite:One little note about our military forces in Europe. I think it was at Stratfor that I read back in August or September that the US forces were down to less than 35,000 troops based there,and that it was no longer going to be a “command”,but more like a quick strike force.
So W beat the 0 to removing our forces from Europe!
I’ve personally seen the slums Obama left behind in the south side of Chicago. His Daley incubated political style has vaulted him to the top. Democrats in Chicago are the worst form of villany. Just look at the scandal with Blagovich/Rezco. Obama has an association with this. Oh, I’ve heard it all before. Obama couldn’t fight the machine in Chicago, that’s why he didn’t do anything for the people. Then he outed personal info against Ryan to get his senate seat. I wish Ditka would have run against him. (or better yet, knock some sense into him.) He did nothing for the people of Illinois. Now, he has run a campaign where he criticized a war hero for physically being unable to use a typewriter due to injury in service of his country. Obama must be exposed for what he really is. I have never read any part of the Declaration of Independence; or Constitution that declares certain groups are more deserving than others or worse than others. It isn’t written that you have a right to property, success and happiness; yet have a right to PURSUE it! By acknowledging that some segments of society will be burdened more, isn’t Obama acknowledging that the receivers of the benefits are inadaquate. Well, Why are they inadaquate?
Obama, will make slaves of all of us. He will usher in “The United States of Mediocrity.” He is a thief and a liar as judged by his actions to gain power. He will accomplish nothing. He has no experience. What does America expect to happen. Will he snap his fingers and make Putin dissapear? Will he change lead into gold and make our financial crisis go away? Better yet, maybe he’ll use the force to find out the secret location of Bin Laden? This is going to be a hard lesson for the American people to learn. Watch as Obama’s evil empire crumbles into rubble.
Nov 10, 2008 - 4:38 am 66. Mark:Like I told all my Obama voting co-workers: Congrats, He won.
Now he has to govern. He, and his party, are fresh out of excuses.
Don’t screw it up. We McCain voters will be right there to point out every one.
2 days later, we have our first indicator: Obama is going to screw things up from the get go.
Nov 10, 2008 - 4:55 am 67. Commentary » Blog Archive » Flotsam and Jetsam:[...] Victor Davis Hanson makes suggestions after watching the President Elect’s first presser: “1) call on 1 opposition press person at least 1 time 2) Don’t talk more about hypo-allergenic puppies more than the state of the world 3) Don’t make cheap cuts about an aged former first lady that would better apply to Hillary Clinton 4) Use the teleprompter more.”The Union Leader needles John Boehner – now he says he’s for less government? [...]
Nov 10, 2008 - 5:37 am 68. steve:Hopefully our new President elect will be a resounding success. If he is not we will survive – a little bruised perhaps but the world will not end. We have made it through Woodrow Wilson, FDR, and Jimmy Carter, we will make it through this as well.
Nov 10, 2008 - 5:40 am 69. Ken Besig:There will be institutions that will not survive: MSM as we knew it, Detroit and others – they will be replaced by something that hopefully works better.
I hope that the Grand Old Party takes this opportunity to reinvigorate both its ideas and the articulation/communication of them. I would hope that it would use the likes of a Thomas Sowell, Mark Perry, VDH, mark Steyn etc. in helping to craft straighforward sensible philosophies and messages that people can understand and identify with – and then live up to these. If it does not I fear that we will become like the Conservatives in the UK – IE not a viable alternative that has kept Labour in power for too long.
The lessons of 2006 went largely unlearned. We will see if there is a new awakening now. I would like to be optimistic but as yet see little or no evidence of our even starting to get our act together.
As a Boomer who was going to retire December 31, but has decided to work another couple of years “just in case,” I seriously hope we make some progress soon.
Dr. Hanson you are correctly and deeply worried about the probable impact of the Obama victory on the American and thus the global economy, as are those of us who live outside America.
Nov 10, 2008 - 7:02 am 70. AnninCA:However, those of us who live outside America are much more worried about the probable impact of Obama’s victory on the rogue regimes, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, and Russia, who now know that America has a leader who will never confront them, and at worst will maybe issue a “strongly worded” press release.
Obama’s victory has made the world a much, much more dangerous place.
The press won’t ever know Obama, since he now is protected by prescripted press conferences. Washington press conferences have never been truly enlightening, but the method most liked today by presidents is truly nothing short of drama. It has nothing to do with journalism. Obama made it imminently clear when he booted out journalists from papers which did not endorse him that he’ll not take any questions that aren’t right off the talking points memo.
Nov 10, 2008 - 8:55 am 71. michael_Dallas:From what I can see in the media so far, we should just skip this term, re-elect him to a second now, jump to the end of that and put his O-ness on Mt. Rushmore. If there is a Presidential Hall of Fame, let’s put him in there now too.
Seriously though, this ridiculous spin that his is going to govern from the center — why would anyone think that? Everything points to a very left-wing agenda.
And change? How is bringing a bunch of Clinton and Carter re-treads back changing the Washington culture?
Fortunately, one thing we can count on is that world events will upset the most careful media spin, and will do so quickly. Obama can, and did, fool most of the people most of the time so far. But he isn’t fooling the global Bad Guys at all.
Nov 10, 2008 - 9:28 am 72. Nick B:Listen, VDH,
Thanks for doing what you do. Really. Now that I read talk of an Obama holiday — he has yet to do much of anything besides get elected — I’m worried that my country has lost its sense of reality.
Can we all get over the hero worship and get back to work?
Nov 10, 2008 - 9:36 am 73. SteveMDFP:Ken Besig wrote:
“However, those of us who live outside America are much more worried about the probable impact of Obama’s victory on the rogue regimes, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela, and Russia, who now know that America has a leader who will never confront them, and at worst will maybe issue a “strongly worded” press release.
Obama’s victory has made the world a much, much more dangerous place.”
Hardly. Do you seriously think the world would be a more secure place with a president who had joked “bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran”? Or argued for threatening N. Korea? Or seemed to urge direct US troop engagement against Russia in Georgia?
How many Iraq-like quagmires do you want the US committed to?
Taking a tough, military line against adversaries is, indeed, sometimes necessary. But every such engagement saps resources, will, lives, and financial vigor our of our society.
It is utterly irrational for the US to be spending almost 50% of the world’s total defense outlay.
The Libertarian wing of the Republican party should be listened to more closely. George Washington got it right, the US should avoid foreign entanglements.
Nov 10, 2008 - 9:49 am 74. Laura:As a partisan outsider (I am a Canadian), I watched this election very carefully. I made note of who supported McCain and who Obama. I made note of each man’s academic and political past, their comments pertaining to their country and countrymen and their individual views on how the nation should be run. I was amazed at the vast differences between these two men who were running for the same job. It struck me that at times, Obama was unable, or unwilling to answer controversial questions posed to him. I thought him arrogant, often rude and patronizing, and avoided the issues regarding links to his dubious friends and acquaintances like the plague. He spoke one way to blacks and another to other ethnic groups. I am worried for the American people. I live under Socialist rule and let me tell you, it ain’t pretty. However, the mob has spoken and elected him to lead you. May G-d bless all of you.
Nov 10, 2008 - 9:54 am 75. sean sarto:Don’t worry kids, they’ll promise you a war when things get better..Remember Okie?…keep ya starved down horny ta buisness..throw ya a few scraps ta make ya feel loved enough ta defend it…then butcher,boil an get ya buried back down inta that great black pool of mess’ neath the surface of all this poo…then, drill ya back up as liquid, pump ya inta an ‘ engine somwheres…fer a nice little country visit…or fer some other sucker ta get his tail quick inta his office of whatever..get laid…make his earthly, investment..an’ go about the same ole ordinary, buisness of…baby, you a rich man now(Hey, Buddy, what da ya mean by that?)…keep ya busy enough so as not ta take such a hard look at it…because you might figure out some sense enough ta quit it… Maybe they’ll make a movie when it’s all over…Murder Inc., right?
Nov 10, 2008 - 10:26 am 76. fiebinator:Know thy enemy….yer born to it…
Torturing the great communicator:
It’s mourning in America …
Nov 10, 2008 - 10:40 am 77. Cornhead:How Obama did it: He’s Barack Obama playing Denzel Washington playing JFK.
The smile and selling of Obama by David Geffen has given us the most inexperienced, overconfident and liberal President in American history.
Look out.
Nov 10, 2008 - 11:55 am 78. PA:Dan,
I truly fail to understand people who think the way you do. You dislike Dr. Hanson’s “worldly take on the role of homosexualism [sic] in our society”? Why? Because he didn’t come out and say what you did, essentially ‘F*** them fags’? You of course dressed your message up with a few high-sounding words and phrases such as “I’m suggesting rather a sophisticated declination of observing [sic] their presence, their slight presence, amongst us,” etc. However there is nothing sophisticated about either that sentence or the ideas which it attempts to convey. Equally, your ‘understanding’ of the human experience, the West, and the Bible is just as ’sophisticated’–that is to say, not at all.
Particularly concerning the latter, why do people who think the way you do constantly evoke the Bible to support their bigoted, fear-driven views? If one is a Christian, isn’t the message that we are all equal before the eyes of God; that we are all God’s children? Let me get this straight: If one is born a particular way–homosexual–they should be isolated, ignored, and denied basic legal–perhaps even human–rights? That’s Christian? What if your child were born homosexual? Or, I get it, your child wouldn’t be born homosexual because homosexuality is a choice–a sinful choice. Better yet, homoseuality is Satan’s handy-work and therefore homosexuals are the Devil’s minions which, as you alluded to in your comment, leads to “outright decadence” and therefore the downfall of society (”Human experience is likewise clear, indicating that open homoism [sic] and public acceptance thereof, is the antechamber to outright decadence). One question: Was this lifted directly from the pages of Mein Kampf or is it truly your own thinking? So sad . . .
Marriage, to me, isn’t about gender but about commitment. If a man wants to commit himself to another man, or a woman to a woman, I don’t understand it–I am not homosexual–but I don’t see a problem with allowing it. Can you–or anyone who agrees with you–please explain to me the danger in this? Actually, I would prefer someone who’s thoughtful and articulate to explain to me the dangers of letting homosexuals marry, not you as your position and level of ’sophisticated’ thought is already clear. I welcome any other forum members however since I would really like to hear a clear articulation of this idea.
Homosexuals and homosexuality can’t be wished away–unless you believe it to be a choice which there is little, if any, support for. Therefore, as is the case with heterosexuals, marriage is a means of committing oneself to another and abstaining from promiscuity. If the goal is to galvanize our social fiber, shouldn’t everyone–one consenting adult and another consenting adult–be able to exercise this, mind you, Constitutional right to commitment (there is nothing in the California constitution which states that equal rights apply only to heterosexuals)? In what way does denying people this right improve anything?
Nov 10, 2008 - 12:24 pm 79. Mark Rinzel:Please be careful of this pathological desire to see Obama fail. It is not patriotism. It is merely bitter pettiness, something the Left was guilty of in the early days of Bush II.
Nov 10, 2008 - 1:06 pm 80. ET:As for the “Old Media”, that once-sober and judicious publication, The Economist, which “Wholeheartedly” endorsed Obama has, now that he’s been elected, begun to adopt the “He has a lot of work to do, and a lot to prove” tone, apparently to come across as not having lost their heads completely in the Obama swoon. Look for plenty more such “Analysis” in the coming months, and especially after the inauguration!
Nov 10, 2008 - 1:20 pm 81. Therese:I don’t buy this media mea culpa stuff. Screw them! They have screwed the country by becoming a cheerleading section for Obama.
I have cancelled my left-leaning local newspaper subscription. I also have stopped watching CNN, CBS, MSNBC, NBC, and ABC. I don’t plan to buy any of the left-wing newsweeklies like Time and Newsweek.
If everyone who voted for McCain/Palin stops buying and watching left-leaning news, we can make these guys really pay for being jacka$$ses.
Nov 10, 2008 - 2:39 pm 82. TLM:Ready to be ruled? I guess that’s how Obama’s transition team leader interprets the will of the people expressed on 4 Nov. See Tom Brokaw’s interview on FTN yesterday. The political equivalent of a Freudian slip, perhaps. One wonders if she were speaking for herself only. Maybe Joe Biden will clarify this for us. Gird your loins!
Nov 10, 2008 - 3:27 pm 83. ThunderBob:That’s the trouble with NPR- the public broadcasting crowd never got it’s head out of the neighborhood of make-believe.
One could make the strange correlation here; the legacy of the USA as the bible, the media plays God, and right now we’re somewhere in the book of Romans…
hey buddy, got any spare change America needs?
Nov 10, 2008 - 3:37 pm 84. Jack Marcotte:Essential vdh
What happens when voters no longer understand the meaning of words due to the limited education system that has treated them as idiots and of course produces same at every level of education.
The answer: A Fabian socialist and flim flam artist wins the Presidency.
Nov 10, 2008 - 3:42 pm 85. E:Maybe somehow, this whole Obama thing will work out for the better. That’d be nice, right?
Nov 10, 2008 - 3:54 pm 86. bear:DF You don’t represent yourself very well. You sound like a seriously deranged human being.
Nov 10, 2008 - 4:02 pm 87. DF:Ahh!
Talking about how great our military is, thumping your chests because you can’t use you tiny little minds.
Finger pointing and swift-boating, will you rescumlicans ever learn.
You are in the minority!!! You are not wanted. All your lies and tricks didn’t work this election, the people finally took control of their government. You neo-nazis aren’t wanted anymore and it’s fun to watch you squirm like the lying worms you are and support.
Bush lied to you. There wasn’t any yellow-cake uranium, there wasn’t any aluminum tubes, there weren’t any weapons of mass-destruction; and there wasn’t any connection to Al-qaeda, because Al-qaeda was a threat to Hussein. King Bush the 1st installed Saddam into power to destabalize Khomenie regime. He gave Saddam money, weapons, along with chemical and biological weapons to attack Iran. King Bush the 1st armed Al-Qaeda with 200 stinger missiles, training, money and weaponary to fight the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in the 70’s. He aided a terrorist group, the UN had labeled Al-qaeda, dangerous militants, in the 70’s when he gave them weapons and money.
So, dummies, let’ talk about who associates with terrorists. Let’s talk about who aided rogue nations. You people are so stupid and ill-informed.
Didn’t Rupert Murdick say after we invade Iraq, that gasoline would be 25 cents a gallon? Now, will come your denials of this. He said it. Rupert Murdick said that. Where’s the 25 cent gas, dummies. You got lied to again.
Ollie North is a patriot. He took cocaine and sold it to buy weapons from Iran to give to right-wing radicals in Nicarauga.
He sold drugs.
He bought illegal arms.
He sold illegal arms.
He armed a group that was labeled by the UN as a dangerous militant coalition.
He went against the will of the people and committed an act of treason against the will of congress.
The dottering old Alzeimer-ridden jackass of a president pardoned him and did not follow his sworn oath to uphold the constitution or his position.
This is your party? This is what you are proud of?
Shall we talk of Nixon?
I’ll bet you oxygen thieves don’t even know what socialism is. King Bush the II was one of the worst socialists in the history of our country. McCain voted with him over 90% of the time. Obama wants to end tax breaks for the wealthy and give tax breaks to the middle class. After all, we work enough for the rich, they just mismanage investment firms and car companies and ask our children to pay back $700 billion in loans to give CEO’s golden parachutes. Is this the free-market economy you speak of? If it was really a free-market economy, then we wouldn’t privatize gain and socialize debt. Tell me how we have a free-market economy when the government has to bail out mismanaged companies? That’s not a free-market.
This particular article is sickening. There are no facts in it at all. It’s all just opinion, poorly stated and poorly thought out. The author clearly sees that Obama has a broad appeal, but then insults him for it. I’m to tell you that elitist, rascist, homophobic, anti-semitic, moronic liars are now out of style. You are in the minority and are hated. In a sense the author has a point. Obama does not appeal to those types of people. Which means you people don’t appeal to the rest of us or the world.
Nov 10, 2008 - 7:51 pm 88. DF:God Bless America!
#55 Jenn(I can only assume the M stands for Moron.) Right-wing homophobes from Utah were protesting and sending money into California. You know, Utah. Where there is a religion by John Smith. He went into the woods and found magic golden tablets given to Native peoples by Jesus. You know, that very credible religious group that makes their constituents wear magic underwear. Didn’t John Smith have to read the tablets with magic rocks and then the tablets dissapeared leaving him as the only person on earth with this magical knowledge. Heheheheheheheheheahahahahahahahahaeheheheahahahehehahehheahehaehahhahe!!!!!!!!!!
Nov 10, 2008 - 7:59 pm 89. NumberNine:Are you stupid!?!?@@!?!@??@!?@?
Arthur #4: “…but I am really impressed at the President doing this for the country.”
Arthur, you may not be reading follow-ups to this post but I have to reply.
You say you are impressed with Pres. Bush for his handling of Pres.-elect Obama’s transition. I interpret this as you meaning you are surprised. I am not. This is President Bush, gracious and hospitable. He didn’t get that when he assumed office.
Nov 10, 2008 - 8:07 pm 90. NumberNine:Mark Rinzel #79: “…something the Left was guilty of in the early days of Bush II.”
Mark, I agree with your sentiments, however, you say “in the early days”. Don’t you mean for the last eight years?
Like I said, I do agree with your sentiments. A failed Obama Presidency is a failed America.
Nov 10, 2008 - 8:12 pm 91. DF:Oxygen thieves!
Listen closely!
Go to Wikipedia. Type in Socialism. Read what it says, for those of you that can read.
After you read it, come back here and tell me what the definition is.
Then tell me you are against fire departments, police stations, roads, the Armed forces, ambulance service, social security, student grants, public financing for the arts, parks, national forests,schools,mass transit,food pantries,historical sites, prisons, drug rehabs,etc….. All of those aforementioned institutions are forms of government socialism. If you read the definition, then you have to agree with socialism in many forms. I am not trying to convince you to become socialist, I am trying to tell you we have it now.
If you actually read the definition of socialism, you will see that it is not the same as communism. You morons will also see that communism, socialism and capitalism are economic systems. Military dictatorships, democracies, republics(which is what we have), and monarchies are governments. Communism and socialism are not the opposite of a democracy. Militaristic fascists are. I am not trying to convince you to become communists or socialists. I am trying to convince you that capitalism is not democracy. Hitler’s Germany expericened tremendous capitalistic growth. That was facist government with a capitalist economy. We have a plutocratic, oligargic, republic with a capitalistic with socialist overtones economy.
Nov 10, 2008 - 8:21 pm 92. fred:When Obama gets inaguarated, we will lose the oligarchy.
It must have been, on one level, difficult for President Bush to be gracious to his successor, that long-legged mack daddy, given how the entire campaign of the victor was mostly devoted towards attacking and mocking our Commander in Chief and his policies. I think I would have managed to be polite, but certainly wooden in my hospitality.
The Left will get its payback some day for the vicious savaging it did to this President. I certainly will not resort to the miasma of conspiratorial slander and accusation that they resorted to, but facts and truth will more than adequately suffice.
Nov 10, 2008 - 8:56 pm 93. Tee:On voting for Obama. I have a feeling many men will remember how, during a crazy college night, got drunk and had a “one night stand.” It seemed like fun at the time, however the cold sober reality came back the next morning.
Nov 10, 2008 - 9:11 pm 94. aloysiusmiller:The Charlie Rose clip was funny. It looked like Evan Thomas was ashamed of being caught in the act of something noxious.
Nov 10, 2008 - 10:16 pm 95. DEK:DF….it’s not that you are tedious, predictable– simply boring; it’s that you are juvenile in your name-calling, your unquestioning fanboy allegiance, and all the other hysterical, unthinking claptrap that accompanies the usual rant from ultra-liberal kneejerk posters. Undoubtedly your eternal reward will be, not 72 virgins, but being a cell mate with an obnoxious Al Franken, tendentious John Kerry,and 70 others of equal merit.
I’m disgusted with myself for taking the time to post this, but I feel somehow better.
Nov 10, 2008 - 11:37 pm 96. Roger Godby:DF is a funny guy. Keep the political hits going, man. I’ve got a loaded bong and I’m not afraid to use it.
Nov 10, 2008 - 11:52 pm 97. RJ:DF:
Were your ancestors members of the “loco focos” political group? I like your style!
After you have finished your coffee I want you to take point…and you will be on point the entire week!
Got a letter to give someone?
Nov 11, 2008 - 5:18 am 98. DF:Fred,
The whole country and our children are getting “payback” because King Bush the II has saddled us with a 700 billion borrowed debt. He has quagmired us in 2 wars. The whole world hates him and therefore us. Unemployment is the highest it’s been for 30 years and we have been in a recession for 4 years. Housing construction is down and homelessness is up. Over 3000 young Americans died so companies like Haliburton, which is owned in part by Cheney who is now worth 46 billion dollars could turn a profit. 1 million Iraqi CIVILIANS are casualties of war. That’s a whole new generation of terrorists that are the 1 million’s friends and families. Thanks Bush, thanks alot. King Bush the II has the lowest approval rating in the history of the presidency. He squandered the surplus left to him by the previous cabinet and added 1.7 trillion to it. He gave incentives to big business to outsource to other countries and tax credits to the rich. Under King Bush the II small businesses have declined for the past 8 years. Where do morons think large businesses come from? Where is Osama Bin Laden? Where are the weapons of Mass Destruction? What “facts and truth will more than adequately suffice?” He vetoed stem cell research. Stem cell research would help eliminate many genetic diseases and disorders. We have the technology to extract the stem cells and not harm the fetus, What is a matter with dopes? Why would you possibly be against it now? Millions of children are dying everyday because of Bush!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You idiots would have voted for Palin? FOX news reported that she didn’t even know that Africa was a continent, she thought it was a country. This was on FOX news!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do you not watch FOX news? Fred, you are an idiot.
Nov 11, 2008 - 5:19 am 99. DF:Bush and Cheney supported water-boarding and other forms of torture. They transported prisoners to Egypt so that country could torture them. It is against the geneva convention and UN guidelines to use torture or assist in it. They did this to Iraqi combantants, other soldiers. The Patriot Act has robbed us of our basic civil liberties. This president isn’t leaving soon enough. How much money does he have to steal from us and how many of us have to die before you zealots realize what joke he and your party are.
Nov 11, 2008 - 5:25 am 100. goffredo:DF
Nov 11, 2008 - 5:47 am 101. Left, Right and Centered » Identity Politics:I fear you have lost all sense of reality and proportions. Your attempt to distinguish economic systems from forms of governments is too artificial. There might have been a form of capitalism in nazi germany but it is also true that in communist countries there was/is no democracy.
[...] Here [...]
Nov 11, 2008 - 10:44 am 102. Arthur:NumberNine: I am impressed by the commitment Bush has shown to the transition, I mean it is a compliment, I have been quite dissatisfied with much of his governance over his terms, but when he or anyone does things I think worthy of praise i don’t hesitate to say so.
Nov 11, 2008 - 11:11 am 103. Ron Kean:you tiny little minds
rescumlicans
You neo-nazis
lying worms
So, dummies
thieves
elitist, rascist, homophobic, anti-semitic, moronic liars
You morons
DF
Nov 11, 2008 - 11:39 am 104. Jessica:This kind of behavior above says more about you than any point you make in your paragraphs. It also shows why you would never use your real name like the professor, or me, or others who are honest about honest feelings and hope to be able to express ourselves without hiding.
It is unfortunate that Mr. Hanson, whose writings I admire tremendously, is one of those conservatives who does not understand the health insurance problem in this country. He writes:
“For all the talk of the uninsured, one can buy catastrophic health insurance for $200-300 a month.”
Most likely a single person can, at least in some states. But even if a person can afford that monthly sum, what is he getting? A $5000 deductible (per year), and then only 80/20 coverage up to $10,000? (That’s what my husband and I get for close to $600 per month for the two of us.) Where will that person get the money to pay for doctor visits, cancer screening tests, ER visits, the dentist, or prescriptions–costs that are not covered, at all, by catastrophic plans? If he becomes seriously ill or injured, where will he get the initial $5000 and then the subsequent $1000? Catastrophic plans actually discourage prevention and early detection, because they do not reimburse for tests. One example: In my state a mammogram, not covered under our plan–it goes toward the deductible–costs $700. My mother died of the disease, so it would be dangerous and stupid for me to skip the yearly exam. I don’t have the cash.
I wish the conservatives would wake up to reality on this issue. I know universal health care doesn’t work. I don’t know what will–but that’s what I want my elected leaders to figure out, with the help of really smart conservative pundits. The Republican Party has handed the Democrats an issue on a silver platter.
Nov 11, 2008 - 1:10 pm 105. aloysiusmiller:Please don’t blame DF. It is all his mother’s fault.
Nov 11, 2008 - 3:10 pm 106. DF:My name is David Fennell.
Not that it matters, the only thing that matters is that the epitaphs I have chosen I back up with historical fact, Professor!!!!!!!
By the way, I have two degrees, One in history and the other in geography, with minors in psyche and sociology. Choke on that slapnuts!
Nov 11, 2008 - 4:25 pm 107. DF:Jessica,
Good points one and all. Keep them coming, because the one thing the neo-nazis fear the most is the truth.
Sincerely,
Nov 11, 2008 - 4:26 pm 108. DF:DAVE FENNELL
Goffredo,
They didn’t use a FORM of capitalism, they used the free-market economy. Just to clarify, I am not saying capitalists are Nazis. I am making it clear capitalism is not democracy, because it is not a governmental system. Socialism and communism are not governmental systems and therefore are not diametrically opposed to democratic or republic systems of political management. I fear you have lost all sense of dignity and integrity, but that what I expect from rescumlicans. Do you understand idiot? Communism and Socialism are not forms of government!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sincerely,
Nov 11, 2008 - 4:32 pm 109. DF:DAVE FENNELL
King Bush the II is the biggest socialist to hit this country. If you supported him then you support socialism.
Nov 11, 2008 - 4:34 pm 110. felix:DF, you have spent enough time here to be a community organizer.
Nov 11, 2008 - 8:36 pm 111. myth buster:I respect your view to a point, but not much more than that.
DF, you asked how we feel. How does it feel to be hated? Same as always, we’ve been hated for eight years at least. How does it feel to be losers? I feel cheated, not in the sense that I think the election was stolen, but in the sense that the guy who deserved to be the nominee didn’t get the nomination. Honestly, I didn’t even vote for McCain; I voted for Palin!
I will say this much, though. I have never heard of a more evil man running for President than Barack Obama. Near as I can tell, that man’s soul is black to the core, and I’m not talking about African bloodlines. He is a bald faced liar, an egomaniac, and so heartless as to deny health care to critically injured babies.
Nov 11, 2008 - 9:10 pm 112. DEK:DF….please calm yourself. Many here are deeply concerned for your well-being. It’s obvious that your obsessive use of the excalmation point (”!”) indicates a phallic disfunctionality manifesting itself in your thinking and self-expression.
I suggest a long, soothing sea cruise with conservative thinkers such at the one featuring Dr. Hanson et. al. I am convinced we can beat this thing and salvage some degree of sane life for you.
Nov 11, 2008 - 10:48 pm 113. goffredo:Dear Dave Fennell
you have lost decency various posts ago. Calling me an idiot is uncalled for as it is useless you hysterically insist on trying to shove down our throats the simplistic proposition that “socialism and communism are not forms of government” and childish that you use a long string of exclamation marks (13 is my eyes don’t fail me) as if they made your propostion more true. I can imagine you in a verbal debate. You would be screaming your head off. To behave this way is completely useless. You are clearly dysfunctional.
You are also ignornant of history and philosophy (needed to clarify, to make proper arguements and to make proper distinctions or similitudes and generalizations.)
Real communism is a totalitarian system (as was nazism) and totalitarian systems do not leave anything out of their world views. As an economic system communism considered/considers government and governance as the main way to implement its ideology. (Or maybe is it the other way around: communism is primarily an ideology and economics and government are the real world ways to implement the world view.)
Economic systems, forms of government and governance are not independent. In totalitarian systems it is quite foolish on your part to insist they are separate concepts as you naively and danergously miss out on what totalitarianism is. That is a very serious mistake.
The debate about socialism is more subtle. But you are not a subtle type and indeed I expect from you just another childish and hysterical response.
Nov 12, 2008 - 3:39 am 114. Bruce:DF, There you go again………………
Nov 12, 2008 - 7:30 am 115. Paul:VDH, I hope you are enjoying your National Review Cruise in the Caribbean. I know I would if I were you. Give strong consideration as to not coming back to our country until our country can get it’s head out of our socialist/collective butts. As you are a wealth creator, I think the time has come for an Atlas Shrugged/John Galt radio broadcast from you and KJL via the cruise ship!
Nov 12, 2008 - 10:35 am 116. Ron Kean:DF
That you have degrees (if you do) is evidence that our schools need reform.
Nov 12, 2008 - 11:06 am 117. MisterH:DF wrote:
“Not that it matters, the only thing that matters is that the epitaphs I have chosen I back up with historical fact, Professor!!!!!!!
Epitaphs??? Based on your feeble grasp of our language and common usage, I do pray that even with all your degrees you are not now nor will ever pursue a career in teaching.
DF wrote:
“By the way, I have two degrees, One in history and the other in geography, with minors in psyche and sociology. Choke on that slapnuts!”
I can translate that sentence: What you mean to say is, “I have two degrees but I still live with parents and they’re getting tired of my shiftelssness, but dammit, Blockbuster Video won’t give me more than part-time hours.”
Have a great day!
Nov 12, 2008 - 1:02 pm 118. sean sarto:Ya know TLM,
Nov 13, 2008 - 9:12 am 119. Tracy:The Democrats(all those Wil Rogers/Harry Truman/Bill Clinton/Woody Guthrie /Bob Dylan/Bruce Springsteen white token cartoons) are gonna use Gas revenues apparently, seein’ the sudden way prices are droppin’…ta give Obama a credit line, ta act grandiose in the way the republic adores itself then hates themselves later for it (”Girls gone wild” Snoop Dog!..kinda like the way Madonna’s adoptee gets a windfall by bein’ useless African alone(”useless” at least by his own parents standards..yeah, yeah, sure his daddy wanted the little boy “jest ta have a better life”..it’s queen ant who’s got ‘em all by the balls an’ is probin’ fer sugar hills ta plunder…At least Elia Gonzalez, that Cuban kid’s father, really did get his kid back…I wonder if it worked out…but it’ sbest ta leave them to their peace to it, it’s none of my buisness an’ it never should be)…But that’s what my instincts tell me why Moma Condi sat by George W. all through the dark night, ta reassure him what yer ilk were doin’ was in the nation’s best interests, cooin’ “wouldn’t want ta start a race war” an’ discredit Abe Lincoln…(George the 1st showed Americans was scared of betrayin’ that legacy with the African after the !992 LA riots…an’ they saw the value in that an’ re-exploited it by jest hangin’ back an’ steadily harrasin’ an’ intimidatin, increasin’ their numbers within the system, makin’ sure ta always evoke the “oppresed minority” bunk when needed ..then probe, punch an’ run…No, they don’t want all out war…(they would’ve aimed at more essential targets in NYC ta send that message) they want steady acclimation and appropriations…keep the wellfare system up an’ runnin’..ta provide them the means of the “Long March” ta domination)…..it is a “show” to them, that’s the real crime…it’s wrong ta be it. “When the unreal becomes real, the real ceases to be real”…There’s no truth to that, but this place sure makes it easy fer a phony, even a fake is real…hey mutt, who’s yer daddy..turtle egg? Chinese Democracy….Tiger Woodys…What’s an Indian bead worth these days? Russia, it’s yer call…You want, an African Czar someday? Or are ya afraid ta start a “race war”?
Give the man (Obama) a chance. You reactionaries are Neurotic Central. He could turn out to be just the President we needed.
Nov 13, 2008 - 4:24 pm 120. goffredo:Obama is my President so of course I will give him a chance. More than that. As I live in Europe I will most surely end up defending him against the standard anti-american sentiment that will inevitably represent itself once the infatuation passes and people get down to business. I hope Obama turns out to be a good president. What is sure, in my mind, is that McCain would have been a great president.
Nov 14, 2008 - 2:21 am 121. DF:Goffredo or from now on I will just start calling you idiot, because it’s patently obvious you are one. You own a computer, ergo, you have access to Wikipedia and then try to respond that economic systems and systems of government are one in the same. You desperately need to take a civics course or at the very least, just look up the terms on your computer.
Rescumlicans, you don’t like it when someone labels someone else? Waaah! It doesn’t seem to bother you when it works for your favor: Joe the plumber, Obama’s a terrorist, Obama’s a socialist, Liberal media, etc…. You people are so stupid. It’s Ok for you to use slurs and name calling but when someone else uses your tactics it’s wrong. Cry me a river.
Nov 14, 2008 - 4:43 am 122. DF:Bruce,
Nice use of the Reagan quip. I actually am laughing out loud.
Nov 14, 2008 - 4:45 am 123. DF:Goffredo,
I want you to specifically list McCain’s policies that would have made him a great leader in context to the political environment he would have faced at home and abroad. Then state how these polices would benefit the American people. He already lacks character according to your party’s family value’s rule. Didn’t he cheat on his old wife for his new rich trophy wife? You never put down what the definition of socialism was. Please enlighten me. What is socialism? Or, do you think it is a form of governmental rule? If you live in Europe, is that like Sarah Palin thinking Africa is a country?
Nov 14, 2008 - 4:54 am 124. Paul:People stop talking to DF. DF is a child, not to be taken seriously. Any further commentary directed toward DF (or about DF) will only encourgage additional nonsense from DF.
Everyone please shun.
Nov 14, 2008 - 8:26 am 125. goffredo:DF you are so idiotic that I am enjoying your blasts. Keep it up. Shows us again and again how deranged you are. We are having a ball.
Nov 14, 2008 - 8:28 am 126. Paul:Jessica,
You wish that Conservatives would wake up to the reality of the issue with healthcare? Well here is some reality Jessica, a 25 year old isn’t getting cancer screens. If he or she is even on ANY, he or she isn’t going to be on more than one or two drug prescriptions (at most.) He or she will almost never see the doctor, but he or she will be asked to pay a full monthy health insurance premium of which he or she will rarely make a claim. He or she pays a full premium so that a 55 year old person (who may be on 5 or more drug prescriptions, sees the doctor every other week, and is constantly screened for Cancer) gets to pay almost the same monthly premium.
That is reality Jessica.
The reality is, when our country was growing in population (you know when we had kids not just old people like in the 50s and 60s) demographics and mathematics protected us from these health insurance realities. Premiums were low (took a much tinyer percentage of our overall monthly incomes) because older people were such a smaller percentage of our overall population. So insurance companies could get away with smaller premiums because the majority of the people who paid these smaller premiums never made a claim. And, people died younger.
Now, people are living much longer. It is not unheard of for a retired person to live 30+ years after the last day they worked for a paycheck. But they still need money and healthcare to live.
The healthcare reality Jessica is the same reality that always existed, responsibility. Whose responsibility is it to care for and medicate old people? Is it their own responsibility or is the the responsibility of government (which means, the responsibility of the taxpayer?) You want to solve this problem, then we need to identify where the responsibility should ultimately lie.
Nov 14, 2008 - 11:22 am 127. CityDude:It’s about a mile from Diamond Heights (an increasingly gay neighborhood) or Noe Valley (a very gay neighborhood) to the remaining Latino enclaves in the Mission. And yet, it’s as if the two are on different planets when it comes to mentality. The only thing I can conclude is that most of the militant gays asking for burned down churches are stark raving mad. How they fail to understand the morays and folkways of those living literally cheek by jowl with them cannot be otherwise explained.
BTW – I predicted this. I told my wife about a week before the election, Prop 8 will pass, and it will be blacks and Latinos who pass it.
Nov 14, 2008 - 7:17 pm 128. Christian bloggers on Proposition 8 Persecution | blogs4God:[...] Davis Hanson comments on our ‘Upside Down World‘: Here in California what was the ‘No on Prop 8′ gay lobby thinking, when the Obama [...]
Nov 17, 2008 - 12:33 pm 129. Pat J:Hey DF? How do you keep a bunch of idiots in suspense?
Nov 18, 2008 - 8:21 am