Reconciliation
I wish President-elect Obama well, and hope that even his critics can concede that he waged a successful and often brilliant (if not shrewdly stealthy) campaign.
It seems to me that conservatives have a golden opportunity to offer criticism and advice in a manner that many liberals did not during the last eight years. By that I mean I hope there are no conservative versions of the Nicholson Baker Knopf-published ‘novel’ Checkpoint, the creepy documentary by Gerald Range, the attempt to name a sewer plant after an American President, or the celebrity outbursts that we have witnessed with the tired refrain of Hitler/Nazi Bush—that all have cheapened political discourse. When I hear a partisan insider like Paul Begala urging at the 11th hour that we now rally around lame-duck Bush in his last few days, I detect a sense of apprehension that no Democrats would wish conservatives to treat Obama as they did Bush for eight years.
In the future, criticism should be offered in unified pro-American tones, rather than anti-Obama screeds. When disagreements arise, they should be couched in a sense of regret rather than ebullition. There should be no conservative counterparts of Bill Maher, Michael Moore, or Al Franken.
That said, read on.
Be Careful of what you wish for…
Note the Iraqis immediately rushing to say Obama surely won’t pull out of the Iraq prematurely. Note secondly that just recently they were grandstanding that we had to leave. I had noted earlier a Zen-like possibility with an Obama victory: those who counted on Bush-Hitler to both defend them and be a big target for their cheap anti-Americanism, might not like going it alone as equal “partners” in the much praised “multilateral” fashion.
Obama may just say “We are right behind you when you deal with Russia, Iran, North Korea, China, etc.” Note again, as Europe goes wild over Obama, the subtext is, “This would never happen here.” After all, we Amis have had African-American secretaries-of-state for eight years (well over a quarter-century ago Andrew Young was UN ambassador)—and still no Turkish-German Foreign Minister or Congolese-French Prime Minister? In some sense, Obama will bring welcome moral clarity to foreign relations, because if he really is a multilateralist, current opportunistic foreign dependencies will be forced to weigh in on multilateralism.
On the Taboo of Race
The landmark consequences of electing the first African-American President dominated the news cycle for the last 24-hours. But just as importantly, we have forgotten that we have chosen the most hard left candidate since Henry Wallace assumed the Vice Presidency, in a transparent fashion without fraud or deception. That marks a landmark shift in American attitudes, like it or not. And no one reported on that anomaly, or on the fact that Obama was the first northern liberal to be elected since JFK—or even the first senator to make it since JFK (and LBJ via the Vice Presidency).
On matters of race, at some point the country will evolve beyond the current narrative of the last day that runs something like—‘You redeemed yourself by voting for Barack, and now we can all say we are truly Americans’. The problem with that understandable sentiment is a number of its corollaries: ‘Unless you support European socialist solutions offered by a charismatic African-American candidate, then you confirm America as a quasi-racist nation.’ And this thought: African-Americans voted for a black candidate at a 95% rate; Hispanics at perhaps 75%; yet the country was judged as free of racial tribalism on the basis of whether whites voted for a black candidate far to the left of any Democratic nominee during the last three decades in pluralities greater than they did for past white Democratic candidates like Gore or Kerry. And they did!
It will be interesting when the first Hispanic candidate wins to see whether Mexican-American citizens en masse reaffirm the country to be finally fulfilling its promise—and what would be the reaction of African-Americans and Asians to such ethnic solidarity.
This solidarity may be a natural reaction, but something is still puzzling about hours of television showing African-American ecstasy based on apparent racial pride rather than glee that someone of Obama’s views was elected—all often editorialized by teary-eyed objective journalists. A person from Mars who watched this post-election celebration, might study the popular reaction to the Obama victory and become puzzled: “Aren’t people now saying pretty much what Michelle Obama said twice, and to great criticism, during the campaign: that the emergence of Barack Obama was occasion for many to have pride in their country for the first time?”
Be careful Barack
When off the teleprompter, natural exuberance takes over. The day before the election, Obama was praising his late grandmother and I heard him say that his grandmother, born in 1922, had witnessed both world wars (including 1914-1918?). In his acceptance speech, Obama mentioned that he might not achieve all his aims in “one term”—so we are talking about dynasties of two terms before even assuming office? We remember likewise he kept saying we are only going back to the Clinton tax hikes (up to 40% on top brackets), while omitting the 15.3% FICA and Medicare taxes once the caps are to be eliminated. And we remember that he kept saying he was going to pay for (a trillion dollars worth of) entitlements in large part by “ending that war” (which even by his figures was running at about $100 billion or so now a year (we would need to be in Iraq another 10 years to waste enough that would have gone to new social programs?))
Second Stimulus
After running up the annual deficit to a near half-a-trillion dollars in stimuli rebates and bailouts, now we are to send checks out again for subsidies for food, housing, and power? And how to pay for it? And the consequences of looking for others to channel money to be redistributed? At some point, there should be some overarching exegesis to explain all this. Something like: ‘Compensation is arbitrary and not based on either fairness or logic. So government is necessary to make the needed corrections and to redistribute in the way a flawed market cannot.’ At least then we could learn the logic involved.
Internal Struggles
We are going to witness a gargantuan struggle among the Obama camp in the next 90 days. On the one hand, the following argument will be advanced:
“Look, Barack, we have a historical opportunity with the Congress, the honeymoon, voter momentum, and your communicative brilliance. Carpe diem!”
“Liberals will never have such a window again, so let’s move full blast with Axlerod, Emanuel, and the Chicago Boys before they know what hit them: make lots of hard-left appointments for agency heads, executive branch controllers and cabinet posts; restore the fairness doctrine and get talk radio out of the picture as it was pre-1987; empower unions with an end to secret elections; move on de facto amnesty and keep the borders porous, given how the continually replenished illegal alien community, with periodic amnesties, evolves into Democratic constituencies in key states; go for BOTH tax increases on income up to 40% and ending the FICA caps so you can get another 15.3%. That way we can pay for some of these new programs. Try to create a national health care system akin to Canada’s. Don’t just go for the agenda, but for structural changes that will make it almost impossible for conservatives to win again. Now with incumbency, restore campaign financing in all its manifestations, lest some Republican gets smart and emulates our money-raising strategies. And while we are at it, why not call in Cheney, Rumsfeld and the Bush neocons and charge them with war crimes for Guantanamo and water-boarding?”
Realists will counter:
“Wait! LBJ, Nixon, and others all blew their mandates. Festina lente (‘make haste slowly’). Remember the Clintonian 1993-4 debacle with gays in the military, Hillarycare, Les Aspen at Defense (cf. his no armor in Somalia decision), Travelgate, etc, so we don’t need more hubris that means calling in another Dick Morris and triangulation to save the Obama presidency. Either raise income tax or lift FICA caps, but don’t do both unless you want to gut, not shear, the sheep. Throw the loonies looking for jobs under the bus where they can join Ayers, Wright, Khalidi, etc. Adopt the Petraeus withdrawal plan, but claim it was really the “Obama” plan all along. Turn over the cabinet to Larry Summers and Robert Rubin types and a few Republican-lites like Chuck Hagel.”
So we will see who wins—or whether Obama votes “present,” and the sides go to and fro, back and forth ad nauseam. Beware, we will hear soon a Reaganesque “Let Obama be Obama!”—if we knew exactly what that would mean?
Sarah Palin
There was something bothersome about the treatment of Sarah Palin. Her final campaign appearances and interviews showed calm, poise and competence. Her charm galvanized the base. And yet the hard Left on day one reduced her to a Neanderthal creationist. The DC-NY Republican grandees demonized her as a cancerous bimbo who spoke in a patois and represented a culture that was an anathema. Now after heroic campaign work, she returns to Alaska with leaks that she was a diva, appeared in a bathrobe, and threw things, as failed strategists grasp at scapegoats for their lapses. I hope she completes her term, runs for Senate, and comes back to DC to haunt her critics. Long after 2008, we shall remember that an Atlantic Mazagine blogger for days on end trafficked in rumors that her own daughter delivered her mother’s Down Syndrome child. That smear says it all.
Good/Bad John McCain
Let me understand the current media analysis of John McCain: 2000—“Old” John McCain runs against the more conservative George Bush and loses, so he’s declared principled and good; mid-2008—“new” John McCain runs against a messianic Barack Obama and could win, so he’s ruthless, quasi-racist, and bad; late 2008—“new-old” John McCain loses against Obama and makes a typically gracious speech, so suddenly he’s the new ‘old’ John McCain again?
Creepy People
We, of course, wish to be liked abroad. But there are reasons why in many cases we are not. That is, many governments welcome authoritarians. They prefer tribal, religious, and racial chauvinism compared to our diverse plurality. They like class hierarchies and resent our mobility. They prefer statism, are anti-democratic, and have contempt for consumer capitalism. So why would we wish governments currently composed of radical Palestinians, Iranians, Venezuelans, North Koreans, Syrians, or Russians to like or admire us? While we would wish not to gratuitously excite their ire, their empathy toward us should make us worried not relieved. Who cares whether the royal House of Saud is happy over the election, or those in the Iranian parliament or the activists of Hezbollah?
Campaign casualties
1. No one will again trust the media to report objectively a general election. Turn on NBC or CNN or read the front page of the NY Times, and you will expect an editorial for the more liberal candidate without pretense of objectivity.
2. Public financing is over as a bipartisan tradition. The Democrats may try to resurrect it, once as incumbents they see advantages in limiting fund raising, but no one will ever again believe the mantra of big money + big politics = sleaze
3. Colin Powell. Now a tragic figure. His endorsement of Obama came too late to appear principled (at a time of Obama’s soaring ratings rather than, say, in mid-September when McCain was ahead). And when he had nicer public things to say of the crooked Ted Stevens than he did the principled hero John McCain, one remembered that his former subordinate Mr. Armitage once apparently knew that Mr. Libby had been charged with a crime that was not a crime, and if it were, Mr. Armitage himself had privately admitted that he was the culpable party. Surely Armitage should have been fired or at least reprimanded by Mr. Powell.
4. Obamacons. The timing and rationale for conservatives jumping for Obama became suspect not because of their decision per se, but because it came late, and was often without an explanation of why Obama’s tax or spending plan, or foreign policy, or proposed new entitlements were superior to John McCain’s.
They will be orphaned since there are too many more liberal in line ahead of them to enjoy Obama’s graces, and they burned their bridges with their former conservative supporters. Had any of them simply said in March, “I am for Obama since I think he is a superior candidate to Clinton, Giuliani, Romney and McCain because his preference for a European-model is to be welcomed”, I think they would seem mavericks and issue-orientated thinkers rather than opportunistic.
5. Beltway Republicans. When the conservative party spends wildly, runs up deficits and justifies them by citing percentages of GDP rather than apologies for trillions borrowed, gives us the likes of the criminally-minded such as Cunningham, Abramoff, and Stevens, the morally dubious like Craig and Foley, and the sycophantic like a Scott McClellan or FEMA’s “Brownie” and the other incompents in high-profile administration jobs, then don’t they naturally lose?
Fiscal restraint.
The promises of bailouts and fiscal reprieves from the two candidates were like two Roman emperors outbidding each other for the services of the Praetorian Guard in order to become coronated. Not a word where the borrowing would ultimately come from, how it would be paid back, or how the indebted incurred their obligations in the first place.
As a self-interested columnist, I would hope Obama reassumes his natural hard-left position of his 1996-2005 period that would provide both plentiful column topics and prove counterproductive to his I fear scary agenda. But as an American, I surely hope he doesn’t, and so wish him personally well, and success as a possible centrist commander-in-chief that advances American interests.
Interesting times…
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230 Comments
1. Pajamas Media » How to Criticize Our Next President:[...] the entire story here [...]
Nov 6, 2008 - 2:53 am 2. Chuck Pelto:TO: Victor Davis Hanson, et al.
RE: The Proper Approach
Agreed. We should not behave as the denizens of the Left have behaved these last 8 years.
Your approach is the model of Christian ethics.
They HATE that.
Regards,
Chuck(le)
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:00 am 3. Jeff Minick:P.S. Interesting times, indeed.
Bravo, Mr. Hanson. I especially admired your advice that we react toward the Democrats from a pro-American stance (though when asked yesterday by my sister, an Obama supporter, how I felt about the election, I replied that I hoped Republicans would extend to Obama the same respect Democrats had shown to President Bush.
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:11 am 4. Huston Fan:Good essay.
A brand new VDH essay, especially after a major event, is a real treat. It was a solid round-up and pulled events together with real clarity. The treatment of Palin, by the media and amazingly, McCain’s own “strategists,” was rancid.
As John Huston once said to Errol Flynn in defense of an actress, “That’s a lie! And only a son of a bitch would repeat it if it were true!” Huston then gave Flynn a terrible beating. McCain should confront these staffers and do the same.
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:36 am 5. jdg:The vicious gossip attacks by the McCain campaign on Governor Sarah Palin were pathetic. Governor Palin did not lose the election. McCain did.
The Country Club Republicans gave us a trillion dollar increase in Federal spending in eight years under Bush. They triangulated and refashioned themselves as “compassionate” conservatives, which meant out-liberaling the liberals. You can see where it got them.
But their abject failure will open the door for Governor Palin to run for President in 2012 and transform the Republican party into a party of lunch bucket plumbers and farmers and waitresses and bookkeepers, the kind of people who shop in Wal-Mart and don’t feel the need to apologize for it.
Nov 6, 2008 - 4:09 am 6. African Moonbat:A very good essay. I especially applaud “There should be no conservative counterparts of Bill Maher, Michael Moore, or Al Franken”.
The treatment of Sarah Palin is a disgrace! What happened to the saying “After the election, we bury the hatchet and not each other”?
Nov 6, 2008 - 4:17 am 7. Spinoneone:Outstanding! Of course McCain’s staff is beating up on Palin. After all, she, not they, represents the real future of the Republican party. Personally, I think we should found another centrist-right party and invite the paleo, neo, and other “cons” to join as junior partners if they want. Hummmmm…. Freedom and independence for Americans first.
Nov 6, 2008 - 4:32 am 8. vivo:The Bush cadre was worth criticizing and impeaching. Rabid right-wingers will never be appeased. We hope that the new administration will fulfill some of its promises after planning and gathering support.
We can feel the World breathing some fresh air.
All the constructive criticism given to the Bush administration was rejected and their pedantic thinking reflects in our sorry situation. It’s time for change!!
Nov 6, 2008 - 4:51 am 9. Anton:I think that as conservatives we need to get our house in order. If we are to oppose the incoming regime’s policies we need to point to a better alternative not just stamp our feet and pout. Offering a better path and principled resistance is the only honorable way to go. Obama has made more promises than eight years and a five-fold increase in Federal spending could ever cover, his own side (especially the hard-lefters) will soon be disappointed, lets us offer him a safe-haven in the Center.
Nov 6, 2008 - 5:46 am 10. SAF:As I told a friend yesterday, I hope he is so impressive as President that I want to donate to him in 2012, I just don’t see it happening.
There was an OP ED piece in the WSJ yesterday by a former Kerry campaign staffer decrying the outrageously bad treatment of GWB. While it said all the right things i found it somewhat disingenuous coming out a day after Obama won. But I think he made valid points that the treatment of Bush aided and abetted our enemies. The overt point of the article was we treated Bush badly but I think the subtext was the rational that we need to treat Obama better.
And with this I totally agree. While there was plenty to criticize in what GWB did the way it was done by the left helped damage the country. Basically they put GWB ahead of Ben Laden as public enemy number one. Even though I didn’t vote for him Obama will soon be my president and I for one will put country ahead of tearing him down just because he is a democrat.
The criticism of the last 8 years may have helped defeat the republicans but it did a lot of damage to the country. Hopefully the angry right will be less damaging than the angry left was.
Nov 6, 2008 - 5:50 am 11. Broadsword:Can we scream and posture if the sea levels don’t begin to recede by mid-December?
Nov 6, 2008 - 5:50 am 12. Hugo Williams:“we have chosen the most hard left candidate since Henry Wallace assumed the Vice Presidency, in a transparent fashion without fraud or deception. That marks a landmark shift in American attitudes, like it or not.”
This election tells us nothing about the electroate’s attitude towards the hard left. See the ballot initiatives for a picture of no change in American attitudes.
Americans did not vote for a hard left candidate precisely because the hard left candidate and his water carriers did a superb job in covering, deflecting and obfuscating exactly that issue. The electorate does not know what a hard left candidate is.
They may find out
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122593259568103473.html?mod=article-outset-box
They may find out.
Nov 6, 2008 - 6:06 am 13. African Moonbat:Further, what will Bill Mayer and Michael Moore do for a living now that they have nothing to complain about? They should be gratefull to Bush. He made them rich. Franken might still end up in the Senate.
Nov 6, 2008 - 6:08 am 14. Juke:“Let’s not imitate the left, and use unified pro-American tones — not angry deranged screeds. — Victor Davis Hanson”
In case you guys havent noticed….it worked. They have control of the entire government. Not only that, but the people they elected are terrified that they will get the same treatment if they dont follow through on their promises.
This idea of Conservatives being “above it all” is simply suicide for our side. Its sends the message that we dont really believe our values are worth fighting for.
Nov 6, 2008 - 6:28 am 15. cedarhill:If someone can name one thing conservatives will support under Obama, please do so. I think just naming the Democrat brand “marxist” and then educating the populace in what that means will be sufficient.
At the moment, Palin is the best hope. If not her then we need to pick a standard bearer under 50 that will be the heart of the “new” conservatives.
We can dutifully acknowledge Powell, McCain, and all the other RHINOs and moderates and bi-partisans but we must, now, become at least as partisan as our opponents. All that other stuff is just manure heaped on top of aged manure.
Nov 6, 2008 - 6:28 am 16. RJ:If memory does not fail me, did the Romans use statues as a way to honor its most favored citizens? Wasn’t there a whole status related to this practice? Much like funerals?
I don’t recall seeing any articles of those who were friends of Obama since years gone by, nor college professors who taught him. Even that proud American Bill Ayers choose not to offer up his thoughts on Obama.
But all Americans were offered the chance to paint their picture of Obama, the true and real gift a narcissist gives to those upon whom he focuses.
I think he has provided us with enough clues to suggest who he is and where he would like to go. He is not my candidate, nor was McCain, the guy who lived out his final play of a man in prison and being tortured.
Tacitus gives us insights here, as does Shakespeare. God, history is wonderful!
I’ll know what Obama is made of the first time he gets bitched slapped!
Nov 6, 2008 - 6:33 am 17. David Thomson:“….and hope that even his critics can concede that he waged a successful and often brilliant (if not shrewdly stealthy) campaign.”
Barack Obama essentially ran a criminal enterprise. We already know that campaign bosses, possibly even the candidate himself, ordered the default security settings turned off on the internet website to allow millions of dollars in illegal contributions. When will the U.S. Justice Department begin an investigation? When will Obama be ordered to testify under oath to the authorities? Looking at the evidence available at this very moment—the odds are minimally 50/50 that the newly elected president should be sent to prison. Does anybody truly disagree with my analysis? If so, I would like for them to point out the logical flaws in my argument.
Nov 6, 2008 - 6:38 am 18. L Nettles:My reaction to the election.
I have never so much wanted to be wrong about someone, since my daughter got married.
Nov 6, 2008 - 6:41 am 19. Jay:I agree, let’s not imitate the Angry Left. If you really want to annoy your enemies, forgive them.
Nov 6, 2008 - 6:41 am 20. ~Paules:I agree with the good professor. We must demonstrate a higher morality as we stand in opposition . . . the loyal opposition.
Nov 6, 2008 - 6:46 am 21. foutsc:“In the future, criticism should be offered in unified pro-American tones, rather than anti-Obama screeds. When disagreements arise, they should be couched in a sense of regret rather than ebullition. There should be no conservative counterparts of Bill Maher, Michael Moore, or Al Franken.”
Yes, yes, yes! Amen! We can show those poop throwing monkeys on the left how real patriotic Americans support the president when he is right and respectfully oppose him when we disagree.
Thanks, VDH. You’re a light in the fog, as always
– Nietzsche is Dead
Nov 6, 2008 - 6:56 am 22. John Griffin:Dear VDH,
Nov 6, 2008 - 6:57 am 23. DancingBunny:I have always found your columns a breath of fresh air, well thought out and grounded in historical perspective. The Beltway Republican heirarchy must go the sooner the better and let us jetison “Compassionate Conservatism” as well. No more ear marks, if a Republican wants to ear mark – let them become a Democrat. Let’s all treat the new President with respect not like the Dems treated Bush. Let us critcize with proper respect to the office if not the man or the programs. Let the Leftist have enough rope to hang themselves. One Question – What is this Civilian Security Force Obama keeps speaking about? The civilian security forces I recall from history were called Black shirts, Brown shirts, Red Guards etc. etc. WE must be vigilant against any organization like this under the sole control of the Executive.
Griff
“There should be no conservative counterparts of Bill Maher, Michael Moore, or Al Franken”.
Impossible anyway. That would require a sense of humor, which GOP supporters are genetically incapable of possessing.
Nov 6, 2008 - 7:04 am 24. Fred Beloit:Perhaps it was always so with major elections, the almost complete abandonment of logic and reason in preference for gaffs and slogans. To read Thucydides is to read a hundred or more carefully reasoned speeches by leaders, military and civilian. (But perhaps Thucydides provided what should have been said, not what actually was said.) Tuesday, it seems “hope” and “change” won all of the empty arguments, along with mountains of moola of course. What a waste of energy and assets. Our own potlatch.
Nov 6, 2008 - 7:12 am 25. GOPer:http://www.answers.com/topic/potlatch
Great post.
Our criticism should not sink to the mud-slinging which has so dominated the campaign.
Plus, the way to approach criticism is not by clinging to minutiae as is so often the case.
Some of the things that are said by Democrats are downright shameful.
Unless we step above that level, we will never get the presidency back.
Counteracting the negative effect of the last eight years will be tough.
Killing off the bias that has pervaded the campaign will be our mission.
Standing firm to our principles our goal.
Cohesion should be the message
Nov 6, 2008 - 7:13 am 26. Ryan:On-target, on-point, on-time.
Clear, concise and never resorting to low-brow tactics.
Key to it all, NEVER ACT LIKE A DEMOCRAT!!!
We just witnessed history. Except for the small majority who have been following the SIPP index since last July, this candidates rise to power comes as quite the surpise. The Internet Consulting Firm, Spartan Internet Consulting, put together a complex formula monitoring each candidates online market share. They predicted Obama to win based on his overwheming lead in this area over a year ago.
Nov 6, 2008 - 7:32 am 27. Ursa Major:Thank you,VDH, for your usual cool, collected and SANE assessment of the situation Conservatives face. As for Sarah Palin, she was the single brightest point of light among the four principals who were running. I, too, hope she gets to the US Senate.
Nov 6, 2008 - 7:40 am 28. Robert Hurley:I love the comments about Sarah Palin. I don’t think the Democrats have to do anything, the Republicans involved in McCain’s campaign will end up destroying her:
“NEWSWEEK has also learned that Palin’s shopping spree at high-end department stores was more extensive than previously reported. While publicly supporting Palin, McCain’s top advisers privately fumed at what they regarded as her outrageous profligacy. One senior aide said that Nicolle Wallace had told Palin to buy three suits for the convention and hire a stylist. But instead, the vice presidential nominee began buying for herself and her family–clothes and accessories from top stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus. According to two knowledgeable sources, a vast majority of the clothes were bought by a wealthy donor, who was shocked when he got the bill. Palin also used low-level staffers to buy some of the clothes on their credit cards. The McCain campaign found out last week when the aides sought reimbursement. One aide estimated that she spent “tens of thousands” more than the reported $150,000, and that $20,000 to $40,000 went to buy clothes for her husband. Some articles of clothing have apparently been lost. An angry aide characterized the shopping spree as “Wasilla hillbillies looting Neiman Marcus from coast to coast,” and said the truth will eventually come out when the Republican Party audits its books.
Nov 6, 2008 - 7:43 am 29. lgkick:Comparing Obama to Bush is not fair. First of all Bush ‘won’ the 2000 election narrowly. There are many people who think that the republicans stole the 2000 election in Florida. Obama’s victory was flawless! Bush took office with half of americans doubting that the he won an honest election. That by itself made many americans bitter. In other words, the democrats in 2000 had a reason to complain about Bush from day one. You don’t have a similar excuse. Most of the country supported Bush after 9/11 and it was only after he screwed up in all fronts that people could not take it anymore. The MSM, comedians, lefties, and everybody else had every right to mock and ridicule Bush and co. You don’t have the same right with regards to Obama… not now. You better wait and see how the guy performs and then if he is as incompetent as Bush (and who could be more incompetent than him?), then you have the right to scream that MSM is bias.
Nov 6, 2008 - 7:48 am 30. Bilgeman:VDH:
Whether it be as a tragedy or as a farce, history DOES repeat itself.
I await with interest just whom becomes “unpersons” in the upcoming political Obama Purges.
I would have written “Night of the Long Knives”, but I take your reasonableness to heart, and frankly, that term would be more at home at DU or Daily Kos.
(Shout out to “the Cunnel”, we shared a cell at the Ministry of Love, once…then we were cured…at least I was, I’m still not sure about him).
Nov 6, 2008 - 7:56 am 31. Cornhead:Today Pres.-elect Obama gets his first national security briefing.
His thoughts?
“This is serious stuff. What do I know about the military? That wasn’t taught at Harvard, Columbia or Chicago. I’m in *way* over my head.”
Nov 6, 2008 - 8:03 am 32. Morgan:What an absolute pleasure to read your musings, Dr. Hanson.
Sarah Palin has a bright future, but timing is important. If not 2012, maybe 2016, maybe even later. Remember, Reagan gave his “Time for Choosing” speech in 1964.
I would like to see an inclusive Republican Party, committed to strong defense, fiscal responsibility, rule of law, and religious tolerance. Let’s bring the security hawks, libertarians, and values voters together. Palin has the ability to do it, and to communicate the philosophy of conservatism to the masses, especially during these “interesting times” ahead.
I think the future lies with Palin, Jindal, and Cantor. Look to Gingrich for wisdom.
Nov 6, 2008 - 8:13 am 33. Tertium Quid:Great piece.
Nov 6, 2008 - 8:16 am 34. shocked:This sort of nonsense is why Republicans lost in the first place.
Go ahead. Bring a wet noodle to a gun fight. See how far it gets us in 2010 and 2012. They started a whole new brand of politics in this one and we better learn quickly that the “respect and dignity” approach is drowned out by illegal campaign donations, 416 tractor trailers full of illegal voters going state to state and thousands upon thousands of liberal mouthpieces who can out shout you any day of the week without worrying about making a point. This is Chicago-style politics.
It’s a different ball game and this “let’s be good little conservatives” nonsense isn’t going to cut it. You better buck up and get ready to play the game on the same level or not play at all. We will never return to normal discourse in this country, simply because that’s the way the democrats want it. They win the shouting matches, we win the logical discussions. Why on EARTH would they want to return to quiet discourse?
Please.
Nov 6, 2008 - 8:19 am 35. Robert Winkler Burke:Living as I do in a fly-over state, Nevada, I thought that yesterday I would visit some gun stores in my home town of Reno. Surprisingly, they were not busy. I asked the owner of the store, Why?
He said, “This is not like when Clinton was elected. Then I did a lot of business. Now people do not have money to buy anything.” I looked around at a half dozen men standing by the counter, nodding their heads in agreement.
Then the store-owner said, “Not only that Robert, but we don’t practice much either because the cost of ammunition is so high.” More nodding heads.
Now, granted, guns and ammo is the first fear-thought amongst conservative red-neck types.
But the most erudite among us conservatives must pause to think, hell, people really are short on cash out there, and what does that mean for the future? What’s really going on?
Nov 6, 2008 - 8:33 am 36. Lori:Great column. Wanted to note that Obama wasn’t speaking about his grandmother who saw all of these changing occuring in our country, he was speaking about a 106 year old woman who voted for him, Ann Nixon Cooper
Nov 6, 2008 - 8:36 am 37. The Historian:WHO IS PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA?
We have a President-elect but do we have even the remotest idea as to how he will govern:
http://greensrealworld.blogspot.com/2008/11/who-is-president-elect-obama.html
Nov 6, 2008 - 8:51 am 38. Valerie:You’ve got potential allies, and some of them are at the Washington Post. Eugene Robin wrote a telling little essay titled “Morning in America” for today’s Washington Post. In it, he admits that he voted for Barak Obama, the symbol, and not the man, or for his policies. Right around the time Mr. Obama was nominated, he also characterized the Democratic candidate as being thinly qualified, and now that the election is over, he has announced that he will feel perfectly comfortable opposing appointments and policies that he judges to be unwise.
Mr. Robinson is on to something. At bottom, this race was about the color of Obama’s skin, or more precisely, the failure of both of our political parties to field enough candidates that aren’t protestant white men. This was a protest vote against two parties that have only managed to choose a woman or a black candidate every thirty years, or so. Sarah Palin was only the SECOND female vice-presidential nominee, and Barack Obama was the first black presidential nominee. Obviously, American voters viewed that history as a disgrace, and they were prepared to drive that point home in the only manner available to them.
The thing about American voters is, once a point has been made or a problem has been solved, they’re done with it, and they turn to other things. The next thing up is going to be either the economy or Russia or both, and they aren’t wedded to anything Obama or his campaign might have said in the past. They are going to look for good solutions, and they will not care who comes up with the better ideas, so long as the ideas are generated and implemented.
A graceful performance now by Republicans and Conservatives will be remembered, and could serve as the foundation for future, positive election results.
Nov 6, 2008 - 9:04 am 39. SeanLA:Jeff #3 I agree with the latter part of your comment, your comment to your sister.
Huston Fan: McCain is no John Huston. His talk of fighting only turned to surrender and complimenting his opponent whos people trashed his choice for VP, never once did her defend her, himself or his ideas. John Huston was a mans man.
McCain will confront no one.
Its funny how the dems knew that, I read an article on hufpo about how POW’s and hostages are quick to appease and compromise, because they know what will happen otherwise, is that what all his `across the aisle’ stuff was about? really a fear of conflict, of torture?
Nov 6, 2008 - 9:11 am 40. rocketeer:No offense is meant to the well intentioned article by Victor Davis Hansen, but this is why we lose. I would obviously like to behave like gentlemen and Christians, but we’re in a battle here and we need to start acting like it. McCain was a gentlemen, he consistently proved that he could reach across the isle and attempt to reach a truly bipartisan compromise with these people. That is why he failed. We need to understand that we are dealing with an enemy that is intractable, that wakes up everyday thinking about how they can stick the knife in our backs, that believes that we are not just different from them, but that we are evil and must be silenced and destroyed. We have got to start fighting back, or we might as well just sit in the corner and take the beating. You guys decide.
Nov 6, 2008 - 9:18 am 41. AnninCA:I can’t imagine that admonishing people to be more reasonable will do anything to mitigate the current atmosphere that floods the internet, whether it is the left or right wing blogosphere. The vile comments drove me to vote for McCain. The vile comments now push me back to ? as to any party affiliation.
It seems to me that this is the public’s problem, not the problem of the politicians.
Nov 6, 2008 - 9:19 am 42. Doris:Bitch slap Barry-O the first mistake he makes.
Nov 6, 2008 - 9:26 am 43. NYLiberal:2012 it will get ugly again, clean house of all RINO’s.
Obama-Mugabe win on the fantasy of “Change.” Yet, one of his first announced appointments was Rahm Emanuel, the extremely partisan Karl Rove of the ultra left wingers. Emanuel as Chief of Staff makes sense, however, he and Obama-Mugabe both work for the same pimps in the Chicago machine. The instructions from Ayers and Wright (and the others) can go to Emauel, giving Obama-Mugabe deniability.
Nov 6, 2008 - 9:37 am 44. Todd:But, in the spirit of “turn the other check,” I plan to give Obama-Mugabe the same level of respect that San Franciscans gave President Bush, at least at the start and until he demonstrates his laziness and total lack of experience with, understanding of and inability to cope with a key national issue.
But, watch him, watch him carefully. As the pressure mounts, he will smoke more and more and, eventually, revert to his reliance on drugs. The media will cover for him until they can’t.
18. L Nettles:
My reaction to the election.
I have never so much wanted to be wrong about someone, since my daughter got married.
Perfect.
Nov 6, 2008 - 9:43 am 45. Tailgunner:There’s that ‘moral equivalence’ argument again.
Conservatives could not, at their worst, be as vicious and despicable as the left is as a matter of course.
Yes, I believe that Obama has the potential of becoming a socialist despot. But my belief is based on my knowledge of collectivism and of human nature.
Obama has concealed his socialist convictions when in ‘flyover country’ but has unashamedly boasted of his contempt for average Americans and the Constitution, and his plans to ‘bankrupt’ coal-fired power plants and force electricity rates to ’skyrocket’, in liberal sanctuaries like San Francisco and Chicago.
Obama can only realize his dreams by stealing money from the productive. But they will not stand still and allow Obama to rob them. Even now they are moving capital overseas, planning layoffs and considering factory closures and relocations.
When Obama takes office there will be no ‘rich’ to plunder. Then he will turn to the lower and middle classes…the same people who hoped to share in the loot…and they will be made to pay for all Obama’s promises.
Watch for many of the 40% of Americans who now pay no taxes to find themselves back on the tax rolls, courtesy of the One.
And I apologize in advance to Mr. Hanson….but I’m going to laugh my *** off.
Nov 6, 2008 - 10:01 am 46. RV:I still cannot get my head around the fact that people still want a Palin run in 2012. As a former member of the republican party, I can find no understanding in this. Sarah Palin has the power to energize her base, that is true. But I cannot understand the reasons for wanting someone so uneducated, so unwilling to preapre, as a nominee for president. I can’t. Africa is a country? Seriously?!?! Being educated has nothing to do with elitism. Nothing! There are plenty of republicans, much more qualified, with a greater understanding of how the world works, and basic geography skills, that would make a far better choice for president in 2012. Heck, there were several female republicans that were a far better choice as McCains VP several months ago!
Far too many middle class republicans are treating education as a disease. Just look at the Couric interview of Palin. Many, many high ranking republicans would have had no problem at all with those questions had they been in the seat. Palin, as a VP candidate, should have performed much, much better. But too many people were ready to make excuses for her. There should have been no reason for those excuses, because she SHOULD have done what the other VP candidates would have been able to do easily. Give intelligent, well-thought out answers.
I did not vote for McCain this election, perhaps without Palin I might have. I did not vote Obama either, for various other reasons. I voted Barr, not because his policy positions are that much better than the other candidates, but because we really, really need a viable third party in this country.
Nov 6, 2008 - 10:07 am 47. Roman Poet Terence:Atlantic Magazine blogger is crying in his sombrero over Prop. 8 and no doubt will support the George Court’s overturning the majority vote. Meanwhile, Carpetbagger Al couldn’t even win like the others in the Rama Sweep. As for their making nice, as Galbraith wrote in The Triumph, “Piss on your Peace.”
Nov 6, 2008 - 10:10 am 48. Dodgeblogium » What went wrong…:[...] weighs in about how things went so badly [...]
Nov 6, 2008 - 10:20 am 49. jane:While the article sounds reasonable, I am inclined to agree more with 34shocked.
The Left has succeeded partially based on their constant screed about the Bush administration – that it is the source of all things bad, that it is evil, stupid, deserves to be impeached, etc. Add to that the drumbeat about Bible thumpers, neo-cons, liars, cheat, etc.
Playing nice & taking the high road may mkae you feel more righteous but it doesn’t work in politics if you are competing with people who play by no rules. The Demos want to pretend that they desire to be above all masty politics but in truth they’ve just gotten better at it.
I agree that we don’t need to sink to the same level as those with BDS but there is a vast space between that and playinng nice.
Nov 6, 2008 - 10:27 am 50. always right:In the future, criticism should be offered in unified pro-American tones, rather than anti-Obama screeds. When disagreements arise, they should be couched in a sense of regret rather than ebullition.
Depends. On a few things, I will wait to see how post-partisan the Obama admin and Congress behave.
Nov 6, 2008 - 10:33 am 51. Lawrence:VDH,
Do you ever get tired of being brilliant? What’s it going to take for you to run?
Best,
Lawrence
Nov 6, 2008 - 10:42 am 52. Achillea:“in a transparent fashion without fraud or deception.”
bwahahahaha
Now on to serious business. The reality is Obama is just another affirmative action hire and lefties like lgkick had better hope and pray that he manages to /rise/ to President Bush’s level of competence (which was and remains light years above, say, Carter). The mindless screechings of late-night comedians and their lemmings does not a mandate make. The stock market just plummeted 500 points and it’s only going to get worse as the smart makers go Galt. Welcome to reality, sucker.
Nov 6, 2008 - 10:48 am 53. Achillea:Oh, and I don’t think you need to worry about the right behaving like the left has these past 8 years, Dr. Hanson. Conservatives have far too much class.
Nov 6, 2008 - 10:58 am 54. notutopia:Agree, CUT OUT the mud slinging.
Nov 6, 2008 - 11:00 am 55. RiverC:It’s now time to stay steadfast to uncovering just Who this president is for America. Watch, listen, and learn as he makes his most crucial appointments and who he surrounds himself with.
It will speak louder than any summation we can imagine. Since, our imaginations is what bought
him this presidency.
The center of the zigsaw puzzle finally being pushed into place.
I for one will continue to do what I always do: Try to seek the truth and speak of it. No amount of bipartisan – or partisan – posturing is a substitute. If that makes me unpopular at parties – then so be it.
As for this ‘Obama is my president…’
Hogwash. Obama is the president of the country in which I live and am citizen in. I never called Bush my president, and neither will I call Obama my president. I didn’t vote for him, and I will make sure that if people are whitewashing what happens with him, I will point out the fallacy if I am able.
If I defended Bush at all it was because I thought he was a good man – though a crappy Prez. I do not think the same of Obama.
Besides, as a Christian, we dwell in a nation but we are not of it. Even I, who am a child of the American Revolution on one side and the great-great-grandson of a Cherokee on the other side am keenly aware of this. We dedicate ourselves not to ‘our president’ and some polity that we can not see, but firstly and foremost to the America we can see. The strength of our nation was in its communities, which are now all but wasted away prostrating to this national god.
For our national players we should not offer accommodation, but instead constructive criticism. If there is something I regret about these years previous it was that I was too easy on the right end of the spectrum in the hopes that they would develop some promise and fortitude and show forth the principles we started this thing with.
Socialism has been with us for some time. Thank you, despite this, Victor, for your cogent analysis. I am free to disagree with you about the President-Elect. One thing is to be sure, I will not go about libeling or slandering him just because I think of him as a bad man. I just hope I don’t end up like old Hamilton for it.
Nov 6, 2008 - 11:10 am 56. Arlan Andrews, Sr.:Sarah Palin, as Governor, has the authority to appoint the next Senator, should Stevens be kicked out.
In that way she can get to DC very soon and carry on the fight.
Nov 6, 2008 - 11:13 am 57. Gregory Durand:Professor Hansen remains at the top of my “A” list, only just behind Dr. Thomas Sowell. That list of daily reads has become a lot shorter now, with many that I formerly respected consigned to “B” and “C” lists.
Nov 6, 2008 - 11:16 am 58. A. Nonymous:While I agree with most of the above column, I cannot join the chorus of congratulations to our next president. I do not believe in aiding, abetting, or condoning the many evil and criminal campaign practices that led to this debacle. To offer congratulations to the winner here will only reinforce their “the ends justify the means” immorality.
#31 Cornhead–
Nov 6, 2008 - 11:44 am 59. Ron Kean:Obama’s got it wrong. He’s not “in *way* over (his) head. It’s just above his pay grade! I’d LOL, but it’s not funny…
” When disagreements arise, they should be couched in a sense of regret rather than ebullition. There should be no conservative counterparts of Bill Maher, Michael Moore, or Al Franken.
Great to have you back Professor. It’s been a long two days. Always sage advice.
“no one reported on that anomaly” No one reported on much of Obama’s life.
Crazies are still bashing Palin. The future is her’s. Gibson and Curic are of the past.
McCain is the classic nice guy finishing last. We gave money. We tried. He tried. I hope I have that kind of fight in me when I’m his age.
Phillip J. Berg is still bubbling underneath and a conflagration may yet erupt. Obama has to make a decision by December 1st. You can’t just say ‘present’ to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Nov 6, 2008 - 11:48 am 60. sofasleeper:“So we will see who wins—or whether Obama votes ‘present,’ and the sides go to and fro, back and forth ad nauseam. ”
I admire your restraint. I would have written “and the sides go to and fro in the earth, and up and down in it.”
I agree that we should be principled and restrained in our criticisms of the new administration. However, I believe this because I believe it is better to die with honor. I will be civilized and restrained because being civilized and restrained is the right thing to do, not because we are going to win any victories that way. What’s the point of winning if the price is becoming like our enemies? Haven’t Bush and the Republicans in Congress just shown us how well that works out?
I also hope we will come to our senses enough to remember that it is minor parties that seek ideological purity, while major parties seek to build consensus. I told a lot of people before thie election that I was going to re-register as an Independent once it was over, because I was so sore about how Romney was treated by many evangelicals. (Not all — I thank the many exceptions.) Seeing the Democratic control of almost all public institutions and branches of government, I’m rethinking that. I don’t think we can afford that kind of childish self-indulgence right now. Romney needs to be in our tent. The evangelicals need to be in our tent. We need to get Chris Buckley back in our tent, if we can. We need to get Colin Powell back in our tent, if he can be persuaded to come to himself. This requires identifying common ground, not looking for blemishes.
Conservatism isn’t an ideology; it’s the rejection of ideology. Burke said it first but Kirk repeated it and Jonah Goldberg seems to recognize it. The common ground we will find isn’t going to be some bright new ideology; it’s going to be our principled stand against the ideology of the liberals. It’s our permanent handicap that we cannot offer Utopia, in the manner of the Progressives, since we know Utopia is not possible in this world. We have to take advantage of the liberal’s own permanent handicap, which is that their program is contrary to the permanent order of things. Or, in more modern jargon, it’s out of touch with the ultimate reality of what man is.
Nov 6, 2008 - 11:49 am 61. AM:While I agree with the estimable VDH’s prescription that Republicans/conservatives should behave better than the left has for the past eight years, there is only one problem with that: despicable behavior works. The constant drumbeat of “liar”, “warmonger”, “incompetent”, and everything else slowly eroded the confidence of the American people in George W. His policy of staying above the fray and not responding is the morally, but maybe not tactically, correct response. By the time the financial crisis of October erupted, there was absolutely no reservoir of political capital for him to draw on. Make no mistake: especially in politics, nice guys finish last.
Nov 6, 2008 - 11:52 am 62. Wahine:I must admit I had trouble getting beyond the first paragraph of this article. David Thomson seems to have a better grasp on reality.
At best, we will cross our fingers that the “old man” is no longer and that a “new man” will now lead us with integrity. I don’t know about other Christians, but I’ve been taught that the old ways are not shed without confession and repentance.
If we think being too liberal and “scarey” in a first term might temper his behavior, hasn’t he learned there’s really no need to worry? Never underestimate charm and fat-pocket friends far and near. He hasn’t. Throw in some “NUTTY ways” for good measure. All that should be enough to secure a second term.
Maybe even a third and fourth if he works it just right. After all, let’s be realistic, you might be able to change America in one term or two, but the world? That’ll take a few more.
With fawning fools on the one hand and a properly polite public on the other, he should do just fine.
Nov 6, 2008 - 11:58 am 63. Troy Riser:Oh, gee, look at all of this equanimity in defeat–the honorable defeat sought by John McCain and a defeat brought about, at least in part, by an unfairly and blatantly biased mainstream media deliberately engaged in character assassination and voter suppression and–as someone else here has pointed out–millions upon millions of dollars of illegal online and foreign contributions, an arrangement knowingly engineered by the Obama campaign. Unlike the Florida recount vote-stealing conspiracies of the Left, these are facts. These are proven. I am only a private citizen and can only speak for myself, but I will not support the President-elect in anything, at all, ever–which won’t be difficult given the man is a Marxist socialist Chicago machine politician surrounded by cronies and connections who make Harding’s Ohio Gang look like a Boy Scout troop. So you go ahead and play nice. Not me. I say oppose. I say resist. I say speak out and against. Give them nothing.
Nov 6, 2008 - 12:00 pm 64. vinny:I drive to work in NY. For the last several days I see numerous cars with license plates from North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia. These cars are carying people came from NY to vote in those states. I am through playing a nice guy. McCain played nice and fair. His staff restrained Palin from being effective. To hell with the high road. This election was not a fair election and this Obama deserves no admiration for such methods. There is a huge underlying problem that we as Americans must face. When there is no accountability, our society collapses. The people who engaged in voter fraud must be brought to justice. How large a factor this fraud played needs to be examined. And you are right about the media; they will happily keep us in the dark.
Nov 6, 2008 - 12:06 pm 65. Donna V.:I agree with what some of the other posters. As vile as the Dems tactics are, the truth is – they work.
I won’t stoop to the deranged namecalling that has poisoned the left over the past 8 years. But when any criticism of Obama is portrayed as a racially-motivated “smear,” what can we do?
The left will find any questioning of The One offensive. They will continue to blame Bush for the poor economy 2 and 3 and 4 years from now.
I agree with the poster who said we’ve been bringing a wet noodle to a gunfight.
Nov 6, 2008 - 12:10 pm 66. RickS:To RV:
The “Africa is a country” thing comes from the mouths of disgruntled government-job-wannabes whose toil was all for naught and who are looking for a scapegoat for their own ineptness. I wouldn’t bet the farm on its authenticity.
Just remember, you now have a president that said, on tape, that America is composed of 57 states.
Nov 6, 2008 - 12:11 pm 67. Irene NYC:“But just as importantly, we have forgotten that we have chosen the most hard left candidate since Henry Wallace assumed the Vice Presidency, in a transparent fashion without fraud or deception.”
You’re the most intelligent political commentator that I know of, Dr. Hanson. But this idea that there was no fraud or deception in Obama’s election is unworthy of you. Surely you must know that millions of dollars (possibly tens or even hundreds of millions) were illegally raised by Obama from foreigners or people who evaded the legal limit by submitting funds under fictious names because the Obama campaign deliberately disabled security checks. And surely you saw reports on Hamas and other terrorist groups campaigning for Obama from outside of the US.
And I will only note in passing that ACORN’s status as a 501(c)(3) corporation prohibited it by law from campaigning for a political candidate – something we all know it ignored.
I think, actually, that this was the most corrupt political campaign and election in United States history. Anybody else have another take on this?
Nov 6, 2008 - 12:15 pm 68. Irene NYC:“But just as importantly, we have forgotten that we have chosen the most hard left candidate since Henry Wallace assumed the Vice Presidency, in a transparent fashion without fraud or deception.”
Nov 6, 2008 - 12:33 pm 69. Bill Vogel:One other point. Isn’t it also fraudulent and deceptive when our major media outlets hide important information about Obama’s candidacy and past actions prior to an election? I seriously question whether most Americans understood that Obama was “the most hard left candidate since Henry Wallace” because Obama’s leftist history and record were grossly misrepresented, glossed over or hidden from the American public by the MSM. Caveat Emptor and all that, I guess.
Ok. Can we end this farce once and for all? Obama is bi-racial as is Tiger Woods. Since when is white + black = black? I guess when it comes to affirmative action ie Columbia and Harvard.
Nov 6, 2008 - 12:35 pm 70. ET:Well, it’s the ultimate triumph of style over substance – once the media and the international elite is done congratulating itself over the newly-enlightened and racially tolerant America, will there be any reduction in the “Oppression Studies” departments, any acknowledgement that America may just not be the bastion of white-male racism we have been lectured about ad infinitum? It’s doubtful, to say the least.
I couldn’t agree more that the news media is dead, at least in its once-ideal of disinterested reporting, “Speaking truth to power”, and whatever other labels they believe themselves to possess, but have in fact cast aside in their ferocious dedication to getting Obama elected – but don’t look for them to go quietly, as they will no doubt start putting out more “Tough” analyses of Obama’s proposals, just to “Prove” how independent they are. They’ll still be puff pieces, but their pastry shells will be ever-so-slightly toasted.
Nov 6, 2008 - 12:38 pm 71. nick:without 3rd party Al would have won
at least Joe the Plumber has been discredited!
and Palin shown to be an right wing kook.
Nov 6, 2008 - 12:51 pm 72. TG Poll:Amen R.V. Sarah Palin could be a very high profile 3rd party candidate but I don’t see her getting enough electoral votes to win as a republican candidate. The higher the population density, the less likely she is to get the vote. The republicans right now only have only one urban congressional seat and that is a problem. McCain thought he could play defense with her and grab PA but instead he lost VA, and NC. I appreciate VDH’s whole yeoman farmer, Jeffersonian take on politics but if you want to get electoral votes and money, eventually you need to get votes from moderates, libertarians, etc. She could grow over the next four years but for right now her stock is trading low.
Nov 6, 2008 - 12:54 pm 73. Frank Denman:Regarding Sarah Palin education issues:
Nov 6, 2008 - 12:54 pm 74. Sullihan:There is simply not enough real information to make a negative assessment. There hasn’t been enough time even since she was nominated. We’re giving her an IQ test, in effect, based on a few press releases, and some dubious. At this point, there is no need to hurry such an evaluation. Which person running for office in either party in the last 40 years has not ever said weird stuff? This is just not a basis for evaluation.
I think you confuse John F. Kennedy with his brothers. JFK was much more of a centrist than the President-elect.
By the way, for what its worth, Obama is the first Democrat from the upper Mid-West ever elected.
Midwestern Democrats have been nominated 11 times before without winning once — (Mondale (1984), McGovern (1972), Humphrey (1968), Stevenson (1956 and 1952), Cox of Ohio (1920), Bryan (1908, 1900, 1896), Stephen Douglas (1860), and Lewis Cass of Michigan (1848).
(I don’t count Harry Truman because he, considered Missouri a border state with a southern perspective. He always stressed how his family identified with the South during (and after) the Civil War).
Nov 6, 2008 - 12:57 pm 75. Tantor:Hanson’s point is well put that we conservatives should not mirror the the vicious behavior of the Feral Left. First, our ideas are better and we should exploit that advantage through reason rather than rhetoric. Second, the angry Left has more enthusiasm for the shouting. It wears most conservatives out, being an exercise in futility.
Obama won this election through duplicity. He will probably spend the next year unpacking the radical positions he kept hidden in the attic while posing as a moderate on the front porch. He is likely to govern in such an extreme fashion that his projects will be rejected by the people. After a year his policies will begin to pinch and he will be put on the defensive the rest of his term.
Obama has surrounded himself with America-bashing radicals all his life. Many of them will follow him into government only to be discovered doing all manner of foolish and offputting radical things. We will gleefully bash them like pinyatas. Obama will waste no time throwing them under the bus the minute they become embarassments. That’s going to be awfully demoralizing for the true believers in the Obama movement. Heh.
We will always have Biden to kick around, too. Biden is like a salesman who got wildly lucky through no fault of his own and has retired to the country club to spout halfwitted gibberish to the members. He only needs an orange wig and floppy shoes to be a real clown. We can always count on him to say the wrong thing in moments of crisis or to scramble reality in comic ways.
We hardly need criticize the Obama administration at all since the seeds of its defeats are sown with his overwhelming victory. Obama’s radical programs will be delivered by a political movement that has no brakes. We can count on them to go too quick, too fast, too far and drive right into the ditch with every radical’s hands on the wheel steering left.
Nov 6, 2008 - 1:01 pm 76. nick:vinny are you that stupid?
Nov 6, 2008 - 1:01 pm 77. Robert Hurley:or are you Palin
During next four years, it is going to be fun reading all the nuts here going crazy!
Nov 6, 2008 - 1:01 pm 78. Joejoe Dancer:Basing opinion on the Couric interview of Palin is absurd. Educate yourself using more than a flat-screen every now and then. Please, read a full transcript of the interview then write back. The editing that was done to make her appear in a poor light is downright criminal. Katie C’s ratings are gutter low for good reason.
Nov 6, 2008 - 1:06 pm 79. Chad Woodburn:We indeed need to “speak the truth in love” (to use the Biblical phrase). But we must also beware of the false idea that if we criticize, then we are no different from those that criticized us. For, that is just as flawed as the view that says that if we use violence against anyone (such as criminals), then we are no different from them. No, the difference is not to be found in the use of force, but in the status of the recipient: Is he innocent or is he guilty and deserving of it? So also, we should not blush at using harsh criticism of the other side. The issue is not the harshness of the evaluation, but the truthfulness and merit of it.
The most important ingredient in giving valuable criticism (beside truth), is the purpose of it: to correct and point the way for the future. If all it consists of is trashing the person and what he did, then we have failed. But when we point out the error of their way, and then give a prescription of how to make it right and what should be done, then we are very likely speaking the truth in love.
Nov 6, 2008 - 1:18 pm 80. John Costello:Arlan,
Nov 6, 2008 - 1:20 pm 81. Gears and Springs · Жизнь в оппозиции:After the former governopr appointed his own daughter to the senate Alaskans changed the law and there must now be a special election in sixty days. They in fact changed the law twice, once by the legislature and once by referendum, and the two new laws are not quite the same and no one knows which one they will have to follow.
[...] на эту тему, Victor Davis Hanson: In the future, criticism should be offered in unified pro-American tones, rather than anti-Obama [...]
Nov 6, 2008 - 1:25 pm 82. bear:Unfortunately tit for tat is the only approach that will get any traction for the Repubs. It’s just the way it is. Psych 101.
Nov 6, 2008 - 1:25 pm 83. Anthony:I think the Obamacon and much of the Obama movement can be seen under David Brooks’s “bobo” theory. This is the rise to political power of the creative class, and they are angry that they have been kept out since JFK died.
Nov 6, 2008 - 1:27 pm 84. EvilDave:Being nice, is being stupid.
Nov 6, 2008 - 1:29 pm 85. TheAngryCapitalist:We need to wake up and realize we are in a cold civil war.
VDH is truely a national treasure.
http://www.hostileopposition.blogspot.com
Nov 6, 2008 - 1:32 pm 86. Two Sober Looks Into the Future « NotHemingway:[...] 6, 2008 by NotHemingway Leave it to Stratfor and Victor Davis Hanson to put thinks into perspective for the road ahead. Kind of a salve for conservatives, I [...]
Nov 6, 2008 - 1:38 pm 87. whaaat?:Re: 23.DancingBunny
Nov 6, 2008 - 1:45 pm 88. Right Angles » Blog Archive » NOW they tell us, continued:Bill Maher, Michael Moore and Al Franken are not funny. They have a certain sickenss that their fans have chosen to call humor
[...] VDH thinks he knows why libs and lefties are now urging people to “unite” behind President Bush: When I [...]
Nov 6, 2008 - 1:59 pm 89. Steve:in a transparent fashion without fraud or deception. That marks a landmark shift in American attitudes, like it or not. And no one reported on that anomaly,
It’s the lack of transparency, regarding Senator Obama’s legislative record and the positions he’s promulgated, that causes me to question whether there has been a landmark shift in American attitudes towards Progressivism. Frankly I don’t think that the majority of people who’d voted for him have a clear idea of his provenance. This is largely due to efforts by the National Press to conceal these facts, but also Obama’s own efforts to deny or reframe them.
Let’s give it a few years before we call the country for socialism.
Nov 6, 2008 - 1:59 pm 90. Wahine:#79 Chad offers wise counsel. But there is another consideration.
There are some for whom truth, especially about themselves, will be rejected. They fear it because they think they cannot survive it: to accept anything other than their carefully constructed self-image is death.
So man cannot do a thing to awaken him. Hopefully, we can, however, open the eyes of others. The narcissist is to be recognized for whom he is: a wounded, unhealthy soul. And, sometimes, a dangerous one; into whose hands power should not be given.
Nov 6, 2008 - 2:01 pm 91. Viacalx:When raising children, examples must be made for them to learn. On the larger issues, time sensitive,sanctions (aka spanking, etc)are required. Not calm logic.
So I take exception with the gentle, nuanced response to The One and his mob. They need to feel the same treatment + 50% that was afforded Bush. Otherwise they’ll just keep on keepin on with the same old tactics.
It wasn’t kissy face that won the Cold War. It was nukes keeping the other side honest. No difference here.
The honeymoon’s over. Time to start tearing him down and paralyzing the leftists about to completely take over the Federal government. Looks like Wall Street has already begun.
Nov 6, 2008 - 2:12 pm 92. Troy Riser:To those who don’t believe Sarah Palin is electable in urban areas: ignore TV pundits, columnists, and sound bites and watch one of her unedited stump speeches captured during the election campaign. Review her record as AK governor and mayor of Wasilla. She is a natural: bright, charming, charismatic, and fast on her feet. The only reason the MSM has attacked her so virulently is because she has been (correctly) assessed as the greatest threat to The One. No other potential Republican candidate–not Romney, not Jindal, not Guiliani–none of them–can beat Obama four years from now even if West Virginian coal miners made destitute by Obama’s policies are living lives out of ‘The Grapes of Wrath’ and Russian troops are camped out in the Warsaw suburbs. The MSM is committed to the narrative, and the narrative says not only does Obama win, but he shall be our bestest president evah no matter how grim the reality or how harsh the truth. The only way to beat this media advantage is to have a Reagan-like candidate who can get through and around the media and to the voters. Another thing, too: Energy is going to be THE biggest issue four years from now, barring another terrorist attack or a Kerry- and Biden-inspired foreign policy debacle. Energy is Palin’s strength.
Nov 6, 2008 - 2:19 pm 93. Steve Bock:“There should be no conservative counterparts of Bill Maher, Michael Moore, or Al Franken”.
I assume you’ve heard of O’Reilly, Hannity, Coulter, Malkin, and Limbaugh?
The right has dominated the screeching pundit class for years. The only difference is that the lefty screechers try to be funny as well.
PS You forgot to mention John Stewart and Steven Colbert.
Nov 6, 2008 - 2:21 pm 94. nick:in co springs 10,000 came to see palin
home of focus on family, compassion, new life church, navigators, broadmoor
in pueblo 10K came to seem Obama in town 1/3 size of co springs
Palin can NOT win mainstream voters with her right wing religion.
Nov 6, 2008 - 2:28 pm 95. Fantom:Sorry, I disagree. We need to be just as ruthless and vicious as the left. Anyone up for smores cooked over B.O. effigies at a Million Conservative march?
Nov 6, 2008 - 2:30 pm 96. Mark Maps:Palin would not be foolish enough to appoint herself to the Senate. She is an executive, with extreme executive talent.
A bimbo diva does not negotiate a $40 billion international pipeline deal within 18 months of taking office, a deal that had been floundering for nearly 20 years before she took office.
You won’t find a single competent executive in the Senate. She is politically aware enough to know the application of her tremendous skills lie elsewhere.
Whether she runs for president in 2012 or 2016 only time will tell, but I’ll bet next year’s paycheck on the fact she will not go anywhere near the Senate.
Nov 6, 2008 - 2:39 pm 97. Damien:I think GOPer (comment 25) punked you all big time.
Nov 6, 2008 - 2:51 pm 98. phil kennedy:Calm down Hanson. Your man may not have won, but the Democrats are also a party of big business and special interests. Don’t sweat the small stuff — poor people will still be screwed. That should make you happy.
Nov 6, 2008 - 2:58 pm 99. Toomuch:Sarah Palin is a creationist, and thus cannot be considered intelligent by any standard.
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:01 pm 100. TexasTurkey:I don’t feel any need to be gracious to someone who hates me and has been mouthing his hate for my ideas in the vilest and most pornographic manner for the last 8 years. Attempting to be noble by looking past the loutish behaviour of the radical left and pledging to unite for the sake of the country is not unity, it is being complacent and not questioning.
We have a President Elect and his fellow travellers who have lied, obfuscated, cheated, gamed the system and made plain what they think of the the productive segment of our society. I do not feel any reason to offer him my bended knee as my chosen leader. I did not vote for him, because he does not speak to/for me and has shown all evidence of working against my best interests. Worse, he has engaged in the vilest form of personal destruction (Joe Plumber to Trig Palin) against citizenry that stood up to ask him about his policies and ideological leanings.
I will accord him the same amount of respect his people showed my guy the last 8 years.
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:10 pm 101. Dave Surls:“Let’s not imitate the left…”
Well, I’m certainly not planning on having 3/4 of my brain removed.
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:11 pm 102. mike s:Mr. Hanson is right. The hate of the last 8 years shouldn’t continue, for the simple reason that it is not good for the country. I hope Republicans are better in opposition than the Democrats have been. I live in a blue part of a blue state, and I can tell you there is noting enlightening about vicious bumper stickers and intellectually lazy snide comments (Bush lied, for example). They make people look like idiots and degrade public debate.
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:13 pm 103. Bailey Yankee:As for Steve Bock, Coulter should take a long walk off a short pier, but the rest of the conservative list is hardly Mooresque. OK – O’Reilly is an idiot, but Limbaugh, Hannity and Malkin are smart but hard-hitting. I think Stewart and Colbert were left off BECAUSE they are different than Maher, Moore and Franken, who are all blabbermouth jerks full of hate – just like Coulter.
I am afraid what I learned in this election is “Nice Guys Finish Last.”
Conservatives are the nice guys. I suppose as long as we don’t mind losing again and again, we can continue to let them lie about us to their hearts content while we take it quietly, turning the other cheek.
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:17 pm 104. willis:“I think we should found another centrist-right party and invite the paleo, neo, and other “cons” to join as junior partners if they want.”
You already have such a party. Its called the Republican party. All you have to do is run some decent candidates and the electorate will beat a path to your door. Please, no more Trent Lotts and other such greedy, useless hacks.
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:18 pm 105. Marina:SOUTH PARK has made fun on Obama (and McCain, “equal opportunity”) in their last episode and lost ALL their commercials, even in the previous episodes online (www.southparkstudios.com). Here it comes…
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:19 pm 106. JWnTX:“It seems to me that conservatives have a golden opportunity to offer criticism and advice in a manner that many liberals did not during the last eight years. By that I mean I hope there are no conservative versions of the Nicholson Baker Knopf-published ‘novel’ Checkpoint, the creepy documentary by Gerald Range, the attempt to name a sewer plant after an American President, or the celebrity outbursts that we have witnessed with the tired refrain of Hitler/Nazi Bush—that all have cheapened political discourse. When I hear a partisan insider like Paul Begala urging at the 11th hour that we now rally around lame-duck Bush in his last few days, I detect a sense of apprehension that no Democrats would wish conservatives to treat Obama as they did Bush for eight years.”
Unfortunately, I don’t believe liberals have any capacity for recognizing grace and honest debate. Any reticence on the part of conservatives will be viewed as a sign of weakness and a sign that their candidate was superior to Bush because he didn’t inspire the same hatred and animosity in the opposition.
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:20 pm 107. Agoraphobic Plumber:Here’s a scary thought. What if Obama actually did turn out to be a demonstrably crooked Chitown machine pol? And what if he tried those kinds of tricks at the national level? And what if one or more of them was caught out and deemed to be “high crimes and misdemeanors”, and he was impeached and convicted?
Hello, president Biden.
[shiver]
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:27 pm 108. Scott:NAH NAH NAH NAH…NOT GOD BLESS HUSSEIN OSAMA….GOD D*&% HUSEEIN OSAMA. I will actively work to undermine everything this marxist tries to do to destroy my country. Conservatives need to understand they have to FIGHT for their ideals…not just march toward the libs in straight lines while they snipe us from the trees. It might be different if there wasn’t so much evidence that both BO and his wife absolutely hate our country. That’s why they want to change everything. I will fight fire with fire, thank you.
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:35 pm 109. darren:“There should be no conservative counterparts of Bill Maher, Michael Moore, or Al Franken”.
WRONG!
Attack, Attack, Attack – it worked for them. Enough of this “we’re better than them, and above all of that” garbage.
We have GOT to get in the game, or they will keep winning.
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:37 pm 110. Anonymous:My two cents:
1) When was telling the truth about someone shilling? A lot of right wing blogs were shilled as fear mongers for just bringing up the truth about Ayers, Wright, Farrakhan, et al (or for that matter, about Doodad Pro and Good Will). I’m all for being vigilant. Bring up his past ties. If we can prove it true, than the truth is our defense. Anything less is weak. According to the Libs, Limbaugh is just as much a shill as Michael Moore, which is total BS. I’m all for being civil, but backing down is not my Modus Operendi.
2)You say a lot about what to do VDH, and I commend you for that. My question is, what’s the right thing TO do?
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:39 pm 111. Anonymous:BTW Sullihan, I don’t consider Chicago as part of the upper midwest.
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:41 pm 112. Ari:To add my two cents:
Republicans were playing defense this time around. I think that McCain’s message, while good, was not coherent to a lot of people. I view Obama’s win as made up of a referendum of Bush and choosing what they consider the anti-Bush.
Obama (i) wants to ‘talk’ and ‘listen’ to the international community. This is the same group of people that hate and loathe America and yet stick out their hands when they need help. The same people that lament that America acts as world police but implore us to do something when they need a cop. A strong US has no place in a UN dominated world.
(ii) He wants to introduce European-style socialism (albeit in a slow fashion)The attack the rich mentality is the bread and butter of the Dems. Look forward to everyone joining lower middle class and a nice glass ceiling placed right at the cusp of success. The idea is that while you can’t fail, you can’t really succeed either and
(iii) he’s black. This therefore is an opportunity to right the wrongs of ‘racist America. As an aside, black academics (whom I watched on Al-Jazeera, where the angry left feel they can say anything, have already stressed that this changes very little, America is still racist.) The mere image of the youthful and articulate black man opposed to the elder white man represented some kind of imagined watershed in American politics. The ‘old boys’ club is finally defeated.
Conservatism needs to reorganize and adapt to the new situation in the world and in the country. Real solutions that stick to our ideals will win the day. First time to get gains will be in 2010 in Congress. Republicans wont really have ammo to arm themselves with until the Obama administration takes over. However we have to be ready to be a strong opposition where need be and work together when it is to our goals.
The Obama administration already has the perfect cover line for the next four years anyway: Domestic issues? Bush’s fault International issues? Bush made such a mess, I did what I could. Economy? Bushes failed policies have created such a huge disaster. This all leads to ‘I need another four years to really get going’.
My personal feeling is that Obama 2008-2012, pretty centrist and no far reaching agenda. Just laying the groundwork for 2012 when the true colors show. I just see no way he can implement the hard left agenda in a mere 4 years. He’s even said himself it will take 10-13 years.
Anyway, rambled on a tad too much…
Nov 6, 2008 - 3:50 pm 113. Dotconnector:Did Obama run a brilliant campaign?
It is easy to look brilliant when you are never questioned or pushed. Never asked hard questions for which any answer creates a dilema.
The man may start to look brilliant when he finally has to make decisions instead of voting ‘present.’ When he has to answer hard questions and not thrill everyone.
For the sake of the country, I hope he looks brilliant. But I think more likely he will look like a human politician. I’ll give him credit for brilliant when he is tested and I see it.
Nov 6, 2008 - 4:08 pm 114. el polacko:mccain is a nice guy who tried his darndest to take the high road and he lost.
Nov 6, 2008 - 4:08 pm 115. Trouble:while i don’t want to hear the same kind of vile commentary from the right that we have endured through this election, and for the last eight years, from the left, being too quiet and polite will be perceived as having been brought into barack’s irresistable fold.
i’ve talked to many who voted for barack but are not ‘into politics’ and, therefore, are still unaware of most of the criticisms of him since the MSM brushed them aside as evidence of racism and did no reporting that might potentially harm their candidate. it’s important that we see to it that our views reach others than those who live on political blogs. it’s not necessary to be vicious, but barack should have been knocked off his pedestal long before his greek columns went up.
We should aim for force, not stridence, and pick at the warps in the leftist weave (there are many) until the whole thing unravels.
75Tantor is right. For instance: if a proposed ‘carbon tax’ takes effect, we’re going to have $6 gas, unaffordable electricity, and half the country saying, “B-b-but… this isn’t what we voted for!” This is what is known as a teachable moment. It sucks that we have to go through this, but, sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do.
Nov 6, 2008 - 4:12 pm 116. sofasleeper:Steve,
You should be grateful, then, that many of us had condemned Coulter and Malkin. I’m not familiar with Hannity, I haven’t watched much Limbaugh, and I don’t consider O’Reilly a conservative.
Nov 6, 2008 - 4:35 pm 117. Cheesehead:Steve Bock:
I completely agree. One of the main reasons the GOP lost is becuase they were hyper-partisan screeching nuts.
The best thing the GOP could do right now is abandon Rush/Coulter/Hannity/Malkin and the rest of the group that makes thier money by keeping the country divided and it’s government dysfunctional. These people do not care about America, they care about making tons of money.
Nov 6, 2008 - 4:50 pm 118. Andrew L.:“and comes back to DC to haunt her critics”
As a moderate Republican, I don’t want Sarah Palin anywhere near D.C. She didn’t sink the 2008 GOP campaign (it was already D.O.A., with myriad culprits), but she sure isn’t part of our party’s future–not if we want a future.
Count me among those tired of the “pit bull” politics and shrill small-mindedness that has dragged down the GOP for about 10 years now.
Nov 6, 2008 - 4:55 pm 119. Randall:Achillea:
Oh, and I don’t think you need to worry about the right behaving like the left has these past 8 years, Dr. Hanson. Conservatives have far too much class.
Oh my goodness, Conservatives like Limbaugh, O’Reilly, Savage and Boortz? These people invented hate media. The left has a long way to go to catch up to this bunch.
Too bad John McCain felt the need to pander to the “agents of intolerance” crowd when he flip flopped with Palin. She might find redemption in the frontier state of Alaska but not with mainstream America.
Nov 6, 2008 - 5:00 pm 120. Southern Appeal » TIME TO MOVE FORWARD:[...] recommend the following articles to my fellow conservatives: One by Victor Davis Hanson and one by Jeffery Shapiro. PermaLink | | Trackback/Pingback [...]
Nov 6, 2008 - 5:06 pm 121. The Day After | D.C. Thornton:[...] Victor Davis Hanson writes: It seems to me that conservatives have a golden opportunity to offer criticism and advice in a manner that many liberals did not during the last eight years. By that I mean I hope there are no conservative versions of the Nicholson Baker Knopf-published ‘novel’ Checkpoint, the creepy documentary by Gerald Range, the attempt to name a sewer plant after an American President, or the celebrity outbursts that we have witnessed with the tired refrain of Hitler/Nazi Bush—that all have cheapened political discourse. When I hear a partisan insider like Paul Begala urging at the 11th hour that we now rally around lame-duck Bush in his last few days, I detect a sense of apprehension that no Democrats would wish conservatives to treat Obama as they did Bush for eight years. [...]
Nov 6, 2008 - 5:15 pm 122. mrkwong:First off, I’m watching Obama’s cabinet appointments with trepidation. I’m not really worried about State or Defense or Treasury. It’s Justice, EPA, Energy, Interior, and DOT that will regulate and litigate us into carbon-free submission.
As for Sarah Palin, only fools would make judgments about her intelligence or ability based on press reports and the babble of failed campaign hacks with axes to grind.
Nov 6, 2008 - 5:16 pm 123. Mark Maps:“Moderate Republicans” have been a deathly sickness for the Republican party for the past ten years. Please take your moderation elsewhere; we need none of it here. Moderation is for kindergarteners.
We will be purging you and your kind, or the party will simply become the Democrat-lite shadow of its former self.
Nov 6, 2008 - 5:47 pm 124. AgingMom:If “Chimpy” was a good enough nickname for George W. Bush, then “Chimpy, Jr.” is a good enough nickname for Barack Hussein Obama, Jr. It’s all in good fun!
Nov 6, 2008 - 6:06 pm 125. Donna V.:I hope she completes her term, runs for Senate, and comes back to DC to haunt her critics
I think she would be better off gaining more experience as governor of Alaska, while studying foreign affairs.
Palin has had her baptism by fire. She was smeared and insulted relentlessly for 2 months and held up with remarkable grace and humor. 4 years from now, she’ll handle Gibson and Couric a lot better.
If the economy continues to worsen during Obama’s term (and sadly, I believe it will) the Dems will not be able to play “It’s all Bush’s fault” forever. This was not the year of the outsider – it was the year of the DC insiders. When is the last time 2 Senators faced off in a Presidential race? Four years from now, a successful, experienced governor who really is a DC outsider but not an unknown might be very appealing.
1976 was not Reagan’s year – but ‘80 was. (And that Eureka College grad was also portrayed as a fool by the media). 2008 wasn’t Palin’s year – but 2012 may be.
Nov 6, 2008 - 6:07 pm 126. AlexinCT:The left plays for keeps. They employ scorched earth tactics. They lie and manipulate. They want to win. Heck, I have a feeling that most of them would kill half the population of this country, if it would help them remake this country in their image. We seem to think we can use manners, reason, and logic to appeal to them. It is not a coincidence that they suddenly are saying Bush got a rough deal: they are trying to play precisely to people that think if we are civil to them the favor will be returned. I swear they must be laughing their ass off every time they hear some conservative say we should not stoop to their level.
Ask yourself one simple question: what would they be saying/doing had McCain been the winner? Do you believe they would be telling us that they where ready to put the Bush drama behind them and give him a fair chance, or working hard to ratchet their insane hatred even higher and bring him down? After 8 years of nothing but hatred you don’t suddenly decide to work with the other side either. Not even after you have won and are calling the shots. Think about that.
Nov 6, 2008 - 6:09 pm 127. DaveinPhoenix:The Republican Party has been a kinder and more considerate; gentler party for (at least) all of the Bush years. And we’ve gotten our butts kicked. You can’t be nice to terrorists, and you can’t be nice to a party that is trying to eliminate you from the face of the Earth. Do we want to win and change socialist policy, or do we want to be nice ? Take your pick…
Nov 6, 2008 - 6:40 pm 128. TheOldMan:Obama deserves the same respect and support that the Democrats, liberals, and MSM showed to President Bush.
Nov 6, 2008 - 7:30 pm 129. Blogger In A Strange Land » Blog Archive » A Question for the Socialists:[...] Victor Davis Hanson says it well. It’s a fair question: “After running up the annual deficit to a near half-a-trillion dollars in stimuli rebates and bailouts, now we are to send checks out again for subsidies for food, housing, and power? And how to pay for it? And the consequences of looking for others to channel money to be redistributed? At some point, there should be some overarching exegesis to explain all this. Something like: ‘Compensation is arbitrary and not based on either fairness or logic. So government is necessary to make the needed corrections and to redistribute in the way a flawed market cannot.’ At least then we could learn the logic involved.” [...]
Nov 6, 2008 - 7:54 pm 130. Kent G. Budge:“Moderation is for kindergarteners.”
Moderation is for minor parties that don’t care if they stay that way.
Nov 6, 2008 - 8:12 pm 131. Kent G. Budge:I said that wrong. Moderation is for parties that mean to be major parties.
Nov 6, 2008 - 8:13 pm 132. bluejacket:The GOP has been creeping to the left for over ten years, and John McCain, even though not as hard left as Obama, makes a better Democrat than a Republican.
This election was a huge message to the Republicans: “We want a real conservative”
Remeber that the great Ronald Reagan rose to the presidency after the failed antics of a leftist president, and in four years, the pendulum will swing all the way back to the right as everyone again, will get real tired of the liberals, really fast.
Nov 6, 2008 - 8:42 pm 133. Becky:By that I mean I hope there are no conservative versions of the Nicholson Baker Knopf-published ‘novel’ Checkpoint, the creepy documentary by Gerald Range, the attempt to name a sewer plant after an American President, or the celebrity outbursts that we have witnessed with the tired refrain of Hitler/Nazi Bush—that all have cheapened political discourse.
It is driving me crazy that I keep seeing advice like this. Since when do conservatives need to be reminded to be meek and mild and turn the other cheek? That’s all we ever do.
Any conservative who breaks this rule is immediately set-upon by other conservatives.
We congratulate ourselves on not being like the freaks on the left, but those freaks on the left get results.
So aren’t we proud? We’re so well-behaved. And we can feel so superior to our new overlords.
Nov 6, 2008 - 8:48 pm 134. Horace Wells:Oh Jeez, now we get some faux intellectual spin on the same dreck the smaller minds posted earlier. The Professor has no lost his job as court intellectual, now maybe he can help Hucakabee on his Fox “News” show.
Nov 6, 2008 - 8:54 pm 135. Horace Wells:Way to go about slamming Obama about saying his grandma lived through two world wars, that must be proof he is a revolutionar Marxist. Meanwhile you toss what little credibiity you have left defending a small mind who thinks Africa is a country and the Flinstones is documentary.
Blogger In A Strange Land » Blog Archive » A Question for the Socialists:
Nov 6, 2008 - 8:58 pm 136. myth buster:And who helped drop a half a trillion in Iraq and other large plans like Rx drugs? Small minds, small topics!
We should attack, attack, attack, but attack the policies, not the people. Never resort to the logical fallacy that is the ad hominem attack. The only thing we are ever to say against our opponents personally are: 1. When they lie, call them liars and demonstrate publicly exactly where they lied, and 2. Blast them for things they embrace (ie Obama said he wants to “spread the wealth,” thus Obama is a Marxist).
Nov 6, 2008 - 8:59 pm 137. George Best:We Republicans have turned into a bunch of pansies. I am amazed that my conservative commentators who I admire such as VDH, Prager, and Medved et al have decided that wee must continue to act nice despite the lies and horrid treatment by the left against our people and beliefs.
My conservative beliefs may not be the majority in this country, but I will never be a psuedo conservative like McCain whose goal is to kiss the ass of his Democratic counterparts. These people are the enemy of our country and we have just elected a man who has no respect for the truth and who is a black racist.
We need to continue to speak out about this guy and who he is. While electing a Democrat is never a good thing, to elect a man like this with little or no commentary about who he is and what he believes is amazing. Have we finally bowed down to the media in this country.
We must continue to fight and stand up for what is right. If our beliefs cannot win elections in this ever changing country whose idiot population increases by the minute, then fine, ill buy my big house in Montana and live my life. I will not change my beliefs.
VDH and fellow commentators, we need you to speak the truth. This does not require us to be buffoons like Michael Moore whose lies cannot be counted. Just speak the total truth about Obama and what he is and does and how it destroys working people and gives free handouts to deadbeats, most of which are black.
Just curious, but why is Obama the first african-american candidate. Hes half white. Are we so desperate to make up for slavery and white guilt that we want him to be black when he is not. The dude is white too.
Does that mean that they will not be considered americans and stop with this affirmative action and african american labels.
I could write a book im so sick and seeing these ass kissing comments by conservatives makes me want to puke.
Nov 6, 2008 - 9:00 pm 138. Voltimand:David Thomson said:
“Barack Obama essentially ran a criminal enterprise. We already know that campaign bosses, possibly even the candidate himself, ordered the default security settings turned off on the internet website to allow millions of dollars in illegal contributions. When will the U.S. Justice Department begin an investigation? When will Obama be ordered to testify under oath to the authorities? Looking at the evidence available at this very moment—the odds are minimally 50/50 that the newly elected president should be sent to prison. Does anybody truly disagree with my analysis? If so, I would like for them to point out the logical flaws in my argument.”
I’m surprised no one in this thread has so far picked up his point and dealt with his questions. Not only is there the matter of illegal contributions but also the Obama campaign’s links with ACORN. There are apparently no calls for investigation of voting irregularities because the election results were so lopsided. But what difference does that make? If there were illegalities committed by people in any way connected with the Obama campaign, they need to be pursued and if necessary responded to.
I can’t believe that respondents on this thread–including Mr. Hanson himself–have in essence dropped these issues down the memory hole. Obama’s campaign people have opened themselves up to the charge that they have no respect for the rule of law. If this can be substantiated, what are we doing maundering on about how we are going to deal with Obama’s promised policies? The guy’s arguably a criminal, and I don’t give a hoot for a criminal’s “policies” as long as criminal charges can be justifiably lodged against him.
Nov 6, 2008 - 9:08 pm 139. Lim:I’m not an American but in my opinion, Obama and his co-ideologues are dangerous for the security of the world. Unfortunately, most liberals think islamic terrorism is a criminal issue. I fear the war against islamic imperialism will suffer a setback under Obama’s watch. Let’s hope all the good work President Bush has done isn’t reversed unwisely and that not too many people die because of Obama’s foolish foreign policies before the next president comes on board.
I think one of the things that needs to be done before the next elections (2010 &2012) is to eliminate the unfair advantage that Democrats have due to the overwhelmingly high numbers of journalists being Democrats. Conservatives must find a way to neutralize the power of the left-leaning mainstream media.
The MSM was already losing their credibility. You need to keep hammering on their credibility until they finally lose it all. I believe they had seen the writing on the wall and were in the tank for Obama as a last ditch gamble to kill new media before they lost it all. Mark my words, one of the first things on the agenda of the next administration is to quash free speech from the right side of the political spectrum. You must fight hard to keep the press free.
If you don’t incapacitate the MSM, you will never get your country back. These MSM liberals are dangerous because they truly believe in their mission and for them the end justifies the means.
You need to get back a fair and balanced press which will actually work to check the natural human tendency of leaders to be corrupted by power and sadly, this current batch in the MSM isn’t.
Nov 6, 2008 - 9:13 pm 140. Tennwriter:Many people say that conservatives lost, and they need to get ready to hit hard and low.
1. RINOism lost. Corruption lost. Moderate Republicanism lost. Maverickism lost. Conservatism wasn’t even in the game.
2. Hit hard, sure. Low–no way. We’re the victors of the conservative wave. We’ve suffered a setback, but I want to inherit a nice country once we finish destroying the Democrats.
Be a Happy Warrior Conservative. State your plan with humor and grace and complete boldness. Don’t be afraid of the Left, and feel free to giggle at the insanities that they attack you with.
Tell the truth in love. Sometimes that will be very harsh. But descending into the pit of madness is not the way to beat them.
We can win with honey while they coerce with vinegar. All that honey has to do is show its able to protect its own, and honey wins every time against vinegar.
And plus, its way better for the heart than freaking out.
Do right, and the Right will win.
Nov 6, 2008 - 9:30 pm 141. Mongo:We reason with the reasonable. Bullies and thugs have no such faculties; they understand only money and force. We must be prepared to fight on all three fronts. There is a time to be a gentleman, and a time to man up and defeat evil…
Nov 6, 2008 - 9:36 pm 142. Roger Dean:Mr. Hanson councils civility. How totally CLUELESS can one be?
PLEASE stop the pleas for politeness and civility!!!
God how these statements must make the THUGS on Obama’s team laugh.
If we do not resist this deeply deceptive man (Obama), we are doomed.
On behalf of Obama’s THUGS, I thank Mr. Hanson for advising his party to
roll over quietly as it is destroyed, and state that the GOP’s polite cooperation in its own
destruction will be much appreciated.
Keep up the good work, Vic! With your help, we’ll wreck the party in no time!
“There should be no conservative counterparts of Bill Maher, Michael Moore, or Al Franken.”
GOO GOD, NO! We wouldn’t want to WIN, would we? Much better to lose and be “polite,” right?
And if that means I lose my job and my family starves, well, so what.
We’ll die “politely,” and get pie in heaven!
Nov 6, 2008 - 9:59 pm 143. MugWump:Better adopt a more revolutionary spirit if you plan to go toe to toe with the leaches, lechers, led by lewds like Dean, Moore, Soros and etc.
I can only vote against Democrat. And, I have to hold my nose to vote Republican because they are not much better.
The only revolution possible to save even a little bacon for the earners and lovers of individual freedom is radical states’ rights and throwing off the yoke of the big city fascist mentality that will use power to steal your last hard-earned dime and spit on your last cherished belief.
Nov 6, 2008 - 10:11 pm 144. TLM:VDH,
I would agree with not adopting the tactics of the Left, especially their screeching insanity when it comes to discussing the opposition. Missing from the above comments is a recognition of the Democrat’s proclivity to use the same irrational tactics on each other. Past defeats in 2000 and 2004 allowed the Left’s anger to grow unchecked (bolstered by Republican incompetence) and focused on “Them”. They became unified in their desire to destroy the Republicans. With a “righteous wind” at their backs, they finished off their mortally wounded adversary. However, tensions remain within this party of disparate coalitions.
One party rule might really bring this out. With his decisive win, Obama owes a lot of people a lot of favors. And now they all feel empowered (remember his words: this is their victory, not his). If he can’t deliver the goods, expect Party discipline to falter quickly. Like a woman scorned or kids fighting over the biggest piece of the cake: Let the shouting begin.
What was it Nietzsche said? “In times of peace, a warlike people set upon themselves”. The Democrats war with the Republicans is over for now. Let’s see if they can manage to keep the peace within their own Party.
Nov 6, 2008 - 10:17 pm 145. Eli:I agree with VDHs suggestions. I have one too: for the last 8 years, it bothered me that President Bush’s enemies would always refer to him as Bush, as though uttering the title President would be too repectful. I propose that as we critique President Obama’s policies, we refer to him respectfully as PRESIDENT Obama. Unless he sullies the office with tawdriness like President Clinton, we owe him, and the position he holds, our respect.
Nov 6, 2008 - 10:59 pm 146. Mendincope:If “Chimpy” was a good enough nickname for George W. Bush, then “Chimpy, Jr.” is a good enough nickname for Barack Hussein Obama, Jr.
We need a derogatory nickname, but Chimpy Jr isn’t nearly descriptive or insulting enough. The One, The Messiah and The Dear Leader are in common use already, Monkey Boy is making the rounds. I’d submit Big Brother, The Golden Child, Alfred E. Obama, Comrade Barak.
My pick is Barack Uh… Obama
Nov 7, 2008 - 12:00 am 147. Consul-At-Arms:Sen. McCain’s concession speech certainly set the right tone, as did Pres. Bush’s congratulatory phone call. We should all stay that classy.
Political discourse in America, not that it was ever “beanbag,” has certainly coarsened of late. But that perspective is probably inaccurate; certainly there was no shortage of nasty politicking aimed at, for instance, Pres. Lincoln, by his opponents. I may be dreaming of a golden age that never really was. Also, with the proliferation of alternative and nontraditional media, there are fewer and fewer editors with any real “gatekeeping” clout, certainly none to restrain the pajamaheddin. I suppose the best some of us can do is to attempt to set a good example.
Perhaps if I do, both of my readers will do the same at their web logs.
I’ve quoted you and linked to you here: http://consul-at-arms.blogspot.com/2008/11/re-day-after.html
Nov 7, 2008 - 12:11 am 148. SeanLA:18. L Nettles
Nov 7, 2008 - 12:41 am 149. Bill Bradley:So how did the marriage work out?
So.
Having trashed Obama for months as a Manchurian candidate, and trashing him here as a socialist and Communist fellow traveler a la Henry Wallace, you say you want to be respectfully opposed.
Too late.
Nov 7, 2008 - 12:44 am 150. Bill Bradley:Hmm. Didn’t work. Shockingly.
Well, you will be hearing more.
Nov 7, 2008 - 12:46 am 151. Random Thoughts » How do we handle defeat?:[...] Victor Davis Hansen ponders on exactly that fact: …something is still puzzling about hours of television showing African-American ecstasy based on apparent racial pride rather than glee that someone of Obama’s views was elected—all often editorialized by teary-eyed objective journalists. A person from Mars who watched this post-election celebration, might study the popular reaction to the Obama victory and become puzzled: “Aren’t people now saying pretty much what Michelle Obama said twice, and to great criticism, during the campaign: that the emergence of Barack Obama was occasion for many to have pride in their country for the first time?” [...]
Nov 7, 2008 - 1:01 am 152. Anti-0:To the leftists I see posting their hateful ad hominems and smears against Sarah Palin and Republican pundits here: repent and believe, or you shall all perish. Otherwise, see you in Hell, traitors. It’s people like you who’ve polluted the internet with your lies and hate and treason and turned it into a soul-sucking moral wasteland just as you did to the other media. No one in the afterlife is going to miss you or these charming traits of yours you’ve just illustrated for us, I can promise you that.
To fellow American conservatives and Christians who’ve posted here: might I point out that actions continue to speak louder than words? Indeed, we should not waste time in obscenity-laced shouting matches with our enemies. Instead, any of us who own stocks should sell them and help the stock market continue its slide into oblivion. We should make silent runs on the banks and withdraw all our money to hide and/or spend on gold or other trade goods. Without this money, banks will collapse, taking leftists’ accounts with them.
People at retirement age who’ve been staying in business should officially retire now. (If you feel the need to stay active, try converting what you do in your business into a hobby.) When our government of grand thieves attempts more bailouts or any kind of spending for that matter, do what you can to appropriate any money it does pay out for yourself, even if you’ve already got lots of money. Remember, this money was stolen from you in the first place, so you’re just taking back what’s rightfully yours. Whatever you can’t keep or use for yourself, share with poorer conservatives and Christians around you who aren’t in such privileged positions.
Any of us who employ known leftists should start drawing up lists of them and be sure to downsize them first when the economic contractions come. (If the laws in your area or your employment contracts prevent you from doing this, consider “quitting while ahead” and simply closing shop altogether, which may be the prudent option in the long run anyway.) Be remarkably unhelpful to their careers in any other way you can; whatever flaws they have (as all people do), now is a good time to reveal them in full detail to any other business that contacts you asking whether they will be good hires. Assure them–wholly truthfully–that they will not.
Be sure to spread any pain that arises from leftist policies to these leftists at every opportunity: where there are shortages, produce and hoard what you can and share only with fellow patriots. If you happen to be in any position of authority at a power company of any kind, for instance, do what you can to ensure that neighborhoods that voted heavily for 0bama are always the first to receive rolling blackouts and brownouts and the last to regain power. Drive those pagan environment worshipers back out to their supposedly beloved natural environment to practice what they preach.
Most importantly, when giving charity, see to it that these 0bama voters get your charity only if they repent of their wicked ways; otherwise, as stated, give only to less fortunate fellow Christians and conservatives. In short, anything we do with our money, goods, and services should be calculated to deprive our enemies of these things wherever possible and keep them to ourselves. Going without these things will, as with the wastrel Jesus told us about in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, serve as a “silent lesson” to them that may yet bring these fair-weather socialists and ignoramuses to their senses. The lesson that everything their false Messiah does for them brings them only more pain should be reinforced at every opportunity as much as possible.
As for your fellow patriots, continue to support them where you can. Some of you have asked where and how we can find another Reagan to lead us out of this socialistic wilderness. The answer is simple: if a strong conservative can count on you to stand behind him when he represents you, and at the same time not have your knives out seeking opportunities to stab him in the back, he will serve you as your leader. Otherwise, he will not. The way some people styling themselves “conservative” and “Christian” have treated President Bush–Lew Rockwell and all the vile columnists at his vile website come to mind–is every bit as reprehensible as the way our sworn enemies have treated him, and should be punished accordingly. The same goes for bashers of Palin and anyone else who’s a decent conservative and Christian. Don’t hesitate to direct leftist attention to these backstabbing scum whenever the left comes looking for someone to harm; these enemies of our enemies are still our enemies, and should be treated to mutual enemies’ wrath as the proper reward for their treachery.
Finally, to any believers heeding the Biblical command to pray for our enemies: pray specifically that they may come to repentance. In furthering this end, pray also that their evil schemes may fail so that they may see the error of their ways. Feel free to go into detail with God about these schemes, but only in silent prayer; if you pray about such things aloud, other Christians may be under the impression that you are merely denouncing your enemies to them, not really speaking to God. Then, as prayer and practical action always mix well, go out and do your part to foil their evil schemes, and may God help you.
Nov 7, 2008 - 2:42 am 153. Red Neck:I almost don’t want to say this lest it stir up any more hornets via trolls here, but even the dimwitted Dems are already thinking of this. There are still enough Republicans in the new Senate that they can filibuster almost anything — assuming that the “nuclear option” isn’t pulled. (This can be triggered only at the start of a new Congress, so maybe if we tiptoe enough, the nuke won’t happen and then we’re home free to filibuster the whole farging Obama agenda. But again, with “kill our opponents with knives” Emanuel being the second cheese, he’ll likely demand it of the new senate. Tactics, tactics.)
Nov 7, 2008 - 5:10 am 154. Hal:To Valerie:
Sorry, madam. My family will never read Washington Post again. I will stay with New York Post. We conservatives in our county will never read WAPO and NYT again.
Those people you quoted will always be unreliable in our time of need. We learned our lessons well.
They need us only during non-election season. They will trash us during election season because of their liberal bias.
But thanks for the offer.
Nov 7, 2008 - 5:41 am 155. Hal:VDH:
We are the minority now. Minorities don’t thrive with politeness, coutesy and bipartisanship.
Minorities always fight for their right and for what they think is right for them!
We will not be silenced! Fellow conservatives, we will fight til we undress Obama and and make the people realize who he really is… a Socialist, Black Liberation Theologist!
To the democrats…
NO REST FOR THE WICKED!
Nov 7, 2008 - 5:46 am 156. Hal:To Horace Wells:
“Meanwhile you toss what little credibiity you have left defending a small mind who thinks Africa is a country and the Flinstones is documentary.”
Thanks for your reference and admitting that you always listen and believe in gossips such as the above. That makes you “Big Mind” ready to explode.
Now go and enjoy your Obama!
Nov 7, 2008 - 5:56 am 157. Ron Kean:Lim
Good point. The Fairness Doctrine would only work if right wing conservatives would equally determine the headlines on newspapers and the content on the TV nightly news.
Especially MSNBC!
Nov 7, 2008 - 6:05 am 158. Applying the golden rule to political discourse — Cranach: The Blog of Veith:[...] Victor Davis Hanson urges that conservatives NOT do to the new liberal regime what the liberals did when the conservatives were in power: It seems to me that conservatives have a golden opportunity to offer criticism and advice in a manner that many liberals did not during the last eight years. By that I mean I hope there are no conservative versions of the Nicholson Baker Knopf-published ‘novel’ Checkpoint, the creepy documentary by Gerald Range, the attempt to name a sewer plant after an American President, or the celebrity outbursts that we have witnessed with the tired refrain of Hitler/Nazi Bush—that all have cheapened political discourse. When I hear a partisan insider like Paul Begala urging at the 11th hour that we now rally around lame-duck Bush in his last few days, I detect a sense of apprehension that no Democrats would wish conservatives to treat Obama as they did Bush for eight years. [...]
Nov 7, 2008 - 6:19 am 159. david:An admirable sentiment to treat Obama better than they treated Bush, but this is like the independent counsel law. Dems love to use it to bash Republicans. Until it is turned on them, they’ll just do it again the next time they are out of power.
Nov 7, 2008 - 6:37 am 160. Free In Idaho! » Blog Archive » Post Game Commentary:[...] a little blue pill commercial? Then head over to PJM and check out Victor Davis Hanson’s The Day After. Just a taste We are going to witness a gargantuan struggle among the Obama camp in the next 90 [...]
Nov 7, 2008 - 7:15 am 161. Obama in My House: « Riggword Weblog:[...] recommend the following articles to my fellow conservatives: One by Victor Davis Hanson and one by Jeffery Shapiro. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Obama pulls at our [...]
Nov 7, 2008 - 7:18 am 162. Joe Deegan:I think Governor Palin should avoid the Senate at all Costs and remain the Governor of Alaska, because it is an executive position rather than legislative.
Nov 7, 2008 - 9:37 am 163. Vinaigrette Girl:She should as often as possible go to speak on behalf of like minded candidates in Republican Primaries and in General Elections. The smaller the election, the more her appearance will likely sway the result and the more the Republican elected official will be devoted to her. If she can spare the time from her duties in Alaska and a conservative Republican is running for Dog Catcher anywhere in America, she should go speak for him or her.
This will build Republican finances and increase the number of elected conservative Republicans. She will be the leader of the Party in fact.
She should work to make all Republican state primaries closed so the Democrats can’t pick our candidate for us.
The fact that she admires Margaret Thatcher and is most often described by those who know her as “Determined” make her gives me great confidence in her. She has also been thoroughly vetted by the MSM
The fact that she was the only person in the campaign clearly stating the conservative Republican position on important issues and that she does it so well makes her our best choice for 2012.
Joe
“Yes, yes, yes! Amen! We can show those poop throwing monkeys on the left …”
Well, that’s graceful. So is this: “a Socialist, Black Liberation Theologist!”
andthis:
“Be sure to spread any pain that arises from leftist policies to these leftists at every opportunity: where there are shortages, produce and hoard what you can and share only with fellow patriots. If you happen to be in any position of authority at a power company of any kind, for instance, do what you can to ensure that neighborhoods that voted heavily for 0bama are always the first to receive rolling blackouts and brownouts and the last to regain power. Drive those pagan environment worshipers back out to their supposedly beloved natural environment to practice what they preach.”
Fail.
Nov 7, 2008 - 9:39 am 164. AnninCA:The fairness doctrine is so clearly nothing more than political power garnering.
If Pelosi thought there was no sexism, that pretty much says it all about the ability to determine what is biased coverage.
Nov 7, 2008 - 10:07 am 165. Larry Ice:Victor,
There is one point I’d like to ad:
John McCain
He lost the election.
They won the war.
Mission Accomplished.
John McCain’s presence on the national stage this past year ensured that the surrenderCrats in congress couldn’t continue to try to push through their withdrawal timetables and cut the funding for the war effort. They knew that they would provide John McCain’s effort with a huge billy club with which to whack their candidate, ulimately resulting in their loss of power.
It was a suicide mission, flying into Hurricane Obama, but it was performed with courage and grace under fire. John McCain is a patriot and a hero who provided the political air cover that our armed forces needed in order to complete their mission on the ground. The most important issue for our country these past 4 years, victory in Iraq, has been accomplished. And there’s not a single thing that the Democrats can do about it now without committing political suicide. I’m sure the Democrats be taking credit for this victory before the inauguration.
Nov 7, 2008 - 10:27 am 166. Jean:Good article, but for the record, we French had a black Senate chairman during the 60’s (Gaston Monnerville) plus some African ministers during the IVth Republic (Houphouet-Boigny, later president of Ivory Coast, Leopold Sedar Senghor, later president of Senegal). We currently have two Arab ministers and we had other ministers and parlementarians from non European ethnic background.
Nov 7, 2008 - 10:30 am 167. Sadly, No! » From 48 To 52: “Dorp Dead”*:It is embarrassing to have to say it. We French are not particularly racist. Some people are, most are not. What is irritating is to have to prove it all the time, which you cannot anyway.
You Americans seem to have the same sort of problem. I didn’t need Obama’s election to learn that Americans are generally not racist. But people are always suspected of being racist, so they sometimes need to prove they are not, for instance by electing a black president.
Good luck to him and to you. I was for McCain, but Obama’s election may be an opportunity to free yourselves of this permanent and undeserved suspiscion.
[...] Shorter Sir Victor Davis Pericles Thucydides von Goethe von Clausewitz “Not Me” Hanson the Red, OBE, VC, DSM-IV, MC5, PU, EIEIO, XYZ-PDQ, 124C41, OU812, THX1138, Last King of Scotland and Protector of Cockaigne and Llareggub: The Day After [...]
Nov 7, 2008 - 10:42 am 168. Lynn:Thank you for convincing me not to wish for the total failure of the next President of the United States as did the MSM and the die-hard democrats did for the last eight years.
Nov 7, 2008 - 10:50 am 169. frank Miller:VDH–
I concur. All I can add is that SOUTH PARK and, particularly, William Kristol’s WEEKLY STANDARD have shown us another way to respond: with good-natured, smiling, scathing humor.
FM
Nov 7, 2008 - 11:02 am 170. John T:“we have chosen the most hard left candidate since Henry Wallace assumed the Vice Presidency, in a transparent fashion without fraud or deception.”
Wasn’t Obama’s 2 to 1 fund raising advantage largely driven by pre-paid credit card donations which were anonymous due to AVS being disabled? How is this not fraud? How much of Obama’s $700 million raised was from PRC, Iran, Russia, etc. but undetected?
Nov 7, 2008 - 11:09 am 171. Grondo:Yes – conservatives need to offer substantive alternatives to liberal policies, rather than just to whine and smear (as in the Clinton years).
However, I might suggest they avoid proposing further tax-cuts for the upper brackets, or removing all regulations from financial markets, or waging pre-emptive wars, or legalizing torture methods in interrogations, or indefinite detentions without charges, or domestic surveillance or data-mining, as these all have been thoroughly rejected by the majority of the populace.
Oh, wait… that really doesn’t leave you anything, does it? Sorry!
Nov 7, 2008 - 11:16 am 172. Hanson: The Day After | Jack’s Newswatch:[...] [Continue reading] [...]
Nov 7, 2008 - 11:20 am 173. Traditionalist:Toomuch: “Sarah Palin is a creationist, and thus cannot be considered intelligent by any standard.”
Now isn’t attacking someone based on religious beliefs that do no harm to you or anyone else rather childish?
Nov 7, 2008 - 12:01 pm 174. Dave Surls:“or waging pre-emptive wars”
You mean pre-emptive wars like the one Slick Willie waged on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia?
I don’t see the Republicans waging any pre-emptive wars (not at that moment, anyway), so what’s your point?
Nov 7, 2008 - 12:17 pm 175. Oceanfrog:Point 1: there is no substitute for ideas. We won the Congress in 1994 because we had powerful ideas and carried through with them. We lost the Congress in 2006 because we had betrayed those ideas, publicly, in every possible way. The Dems’ weakness is that they have no new ideas, just repackaged old ideas, good timing, white guilt, and fatigue with a Republican Party establishment that has led the movement astray. Task 1 is to discover and develop the policy ideas for the future that capture the imagination of the American people.
Point 2: all this talk about self-restraint and polite criticism is absolute BS! In the absence of ideas the Dems have consistently and repeatedly chosen vicious personal attacks (most recent exhibit, Joe/Plumber), and they are as hypocritical (most recent exhibit, Rangel’s tax evasion) as they are contemptuous about it (”New” Dem Mascot = Olberman). Wise up! Look at what happened to McCain on campaign finance: McCain fights nobly and thanklessly for decades to purge money from our system, and the press deliberately give BO a pass for destroying all those efforts (and lying about it too). Yet McCain keeps his principles to the end and goes down with the ship. Oh, bravo (golf clapping)! The recent past is littered with examples of Dems violating the rules of engagement–remember Bork and Thomas confirmation hearings? They will not learn responsibility for their actions unless it is beaten into them.
Nov 7, 2008 - 12:23 pm 176. ChooseTheHero.com » Blog Archive » The Honeymooner:[...] Obamas bringing a dog to the White House while Bush’s dog Barney bites a Reuters reporter. Victor Davis Hanson: “When I hear a partisan insider like Paul Begala urging at the 11th hour that we now rally [...]
Nov 7, 2008 - 12:33 pm 177. Chris:If there is one thing we can all agree on, how odd is it that Silvio Berlusconi called Barack “tall, handsome and tanned.”
He’s now one of Barack’s top Evri connections. Check it out – http://www.evri.com/person/barack-obama-0×16f69.html
Nov 7, 2008 - 1:08 pm 178. libarbarian:You academic work is much better than your political punditry.
Nov 7, 2008 - 1:11 pm 179. Geoff:Well said. We need to refortify the GOP, cultivate a new class of leadership (Jindal-esque, let’s say), and get back to the central themes of personal responsibility, limited government and states’ rights. We need to emphasize this country’s heroic past and nurture the heroes of the party’s future. We need to emphasize the right to personal worship and adult choices, but not promise to legislate those choices. It’ll be tough with all the slurs thrown at us by the rampant, radical shriekers … but that’s what we get for not corralling Hollywood’s bases instincts, for not insisting our teachers shape up and our schools teach this country’s true history, not the “my-two-mommies” version.
Nov 7, 2008 - 1:25 pm 180. Jamey:“messianic”
Mr Hanson, you forfeit the right to comment seriously on this matter. Apologies, but that’s a childish pronouncement.
“Late 2008—“new-old” John McCain loses against Obama and makes a typically gracious speech, so suddenly he’s the new ‘old’ John McCain again?”
No. There were MILLIONS of us who saw McCain for what he was, an unprincipled, undisciplined, at times unserious careerist. Do not mistake people in 2000 considering McCain the lesser of two evils, or sympathy for how he was savaged by Karl Rove’s shocktroops in that same election for an overall change of mind on the matter of McCain’s substance as a man and public servant.
Elections have consequences, Mr. Hanson. You’d do well to blunt your attacks and engage those who supported Obama in a conciliatory fashion, maybe even with a bit of humility.
Nov 7, 2008 - 1:39 pm 181. Traditionalist:Redneck no.150: True, they might try to drop that bomb, but then the Republicans can do the same thing the Democrats threatened when Frist threatened the Nuclear Option a few years ago…just shut down the Senate! True, it’s not very productive,but it would certainly be an opportunity to show what level the new majority is threatening to stoop to. (In all fairness, the same level we were willing to stoop to in 05)
Nov 7, 2008 - 1:41 pm 182. Claire Solt:As you said, Tactics, Tactics
During the Clinton admin we arrested, convicted, and jailed fourteen of these crooks. Now we can eliminate some more. But Republicans must stop this hang dog naval gazing and defend themselves and brag on their accomplishments.
Nov 7, 2008 - 2:29 pm 183. Roger Dean:This is beyond belief. While we argue over how polite we should be to the other side, the other side is making savage plans to utterly destroy us. Mr. Hanson’s says our last gasp should be, “Please, old chap, I’d rather if you didn’t destroy me, thank you….UUuurgh!” Then the sound of “polite” silence. It’s the end of the world as we know it, and Mr. Hanson feels fine. Tea, anyone?
Nov 7, 2008 - 3:03 pm 184. Steynian 281 « Free Canuckistan!:[...] PJMEDIA: The Rightosphere Copes With Defeat; How to Criticize Our Next President …. [...]
Nov 7, 2008 - 3:09 pm 185. Wagathon Wisdom:Emerson would laugh at the Left’s mocking and derision of American traditions; after the death of the self-reliant individual–and until the rise of the next and the next–all that the Left wishes to tear down–the ageless sustaining principals of morality and common decency–is all that protects the creative individual from the plunderer. The sustaining principals are all that protect a just society with hopes for world peace, from a society of self-destructive and self-defeating haters. The just and reasoned individualist is all that stands in the way of Leftist ideology, which has proven to be sower of worlds of graves.
“Society is a wave. The wave moves onward, but the water of which it is composed does not. The same particle does not rise from the valley to the ridge. Its unity is only phenomenal. The persons who make up a nation to-day, next year die, and their experience with them.” (Emerson)
Why does the Left hate George Bush? Because … his being draws back the curtain on the inhumanity of their thoughts and beliefs, which are an obturation to individual freedom and self-reliance.
“He is a great average man; one who, to the best thinking, adds a proportion and equality in his faculties, so that men see in him their own dreams and glimpses made available and made to pass for what they are. A great common-sense is his warrant and qualification to be the world’s interpreter. He has reason, as all the philosophic and poetic class have: but he has also what they have not,- this strong solving sense to reconcile his poetry with the appearances of the world, and build a bridge from the streets of cities to the Atlantis. (Emerson)
The Left thinks little of George Bush. That’s Ok. “A great man is always willing to be little.” (Emerson)
Bush has only done what the left has long feared to do. Be enthusiastic about standing up for America with his whole heart.
The Republican party is dead; and, they probably will blame Bush for that. Frankly, I have a just a little more hope that the young people who voted voted for the B&B Railroad will come to their senses than anything Boomers will ever do to set things right again–the Boomers are actually the first Ponzi generation and guess what? The chickens are coming home to roost!
Nov 7, 2008 - 3:47 pm 186. Fred:I respectfully disagree with the author. We need to give the Democrats a taste of exactly what they’ve given us for the past eight years. America elected a completely unqualified candidate, with a glee that borders on cultish devotion. We need to point out each and every mistake Barack Obama makes, loudly.
Nov 7, 2008 - 3:54 pm 187. Guess I'm a socialist:I love Fox News and I love Rush Limbaugh, because they are pro-American and so am I. But when I stopped looking into the tube and started looking around my mobile home I noticed things aren’t quite right. I found myself saying “Yeah, let that guy keep every dime he earns!” “Yeah, trickle down!”, “Yeah, Reaganomics!” “Yeah, 2+2=5!”
Nov 7, 2008 - 4:11 pm 188. Common Socialist:I will never, and I do mean never, make over $250,000 a year. Even if I land that supervisor position at my shop I will be making $17.50 an hour. Someone making 250k is making over $20,000 dollars a month! Let’s say I lease two of the nicest cars on the lot with full insurance (2,500 a month) then rent the absolutely nicest house in my neighborhood 10+ bedrooms (look on craigslist, the biggest mansions are only like 7-8 grand per month) So now I’ve got ten grand per month, per month!, to send the brats to Ivy leagues and buy yachts. Watch some of these TV shows with 16 year-old kids complaining over the silver Range Rover they get for their birthdays, when they specifically said they wanted the black one. That’s not the kid of a “work non-stop overtime” fireman making 100k, or the hard working pharmacist making 130k or even the highly skilled surgeon making near 200k. It’s the guy who has zero concept of the type of money he is making.
This is what their money goes towards, not the opening of another little business that will hopefully trickle down on us peons. I say tax ‘em at 65% so I can buy a big screen and a case of Bud.
Common Socialist. First of all you are talking about 250k if you pay ZERO taxes. Secondly this is America. You have the same chance to make 250k as I do. If there are no 250k jobs where you are you should go where the jobs are. If I stayed in my sleepy little home town I would be making $17.50/hr as well. In America everyone is afforded the SAME EXACT CHANCE and SAME EXACT DREAM. It is up to the individual to capitalize on it. If you choose not to or do not want to, why should the ones that do be punished. You are right. That is socialism and you are a socialist (sorry to hear that). My final point with all due respect, the person paying you 17.50/hr most likely is one of those 250k people and without him would you have a mobile home to live in? This is your chance. Use your life to better yourself so the people that come after you in your family will have it better than you. That is life in America. That is what my dad did, that what his dad did and the father before him. Most all ended up dieing in coal mine accidents at age 40 or younger, but because of them I have the chance to live to be 100. I also have the chance to earn 250k and I deserve to keep it (if I can make it).
Nov 7, 2008 - 7:26 pm 189. David:Fred, If you think that it was just the left who gave Bush a hard time, your crazy. I believe that Bush has a 25% approval rating, but about 48% voted for mccain. This means that almost half of the people voting for mccain disapproved of Bush. I would guess that their vote shows they are republican leaning and I know more than 25% of America is republican. I’ll let your logic show that their is a huge number of conservatives who disapproved of Bush as well.
Nov 7, 2008 - 7:52 pm 190. felix:Oh, Republican here responding to the poster in Nevada speaking about the gun shop
“Now, granted, guns and ammo is the first fear-thought amongst conservative red-neck types.”
Hey, I am one of those red-neck types that have read how governments disarm the people, then herd them on trains and tell them they will be taken care of. It raises alarms when Obama talks about a “Civilian Security Force”….is that some form of armed thugs that can falsely accuse some one of subversion in order to disarm them? We already have Security forces…our police and state police. Just more for us red-necks to see through the socialist facade the Democrats push.
Nov 7, 2008 - 8:45 pm 191. Jerry:How about FOX get into the paper media as alternative to MSM? I’d subscribe. I think it would be fun to watch MSM newspapers implode when they lose half their readers
Nov 7, 2008 - 8:56 pm 192. bobby b:The President of The United States is, of course, my president. Just as I respect our Constitution, and our country, and most deeply the democratic and individualist principles which informed and determined the course of the development of the United States of America, I also have respect for The Presidency, that ultimate of executive offices defined and established within, and empowered solely by, our Constitution.
The Presidency of The United States represents the embodiment of a system of government designed by those men who worked together so long ago to form the perfect vehicle through which we – each one of us individually – need never cede to any other, nor to all others, sovereignty over ourselves. Not only did they free us from the tyranny of the tyrant, they ensured that we need never fear the yoke of the tyranny of the Majority.
But respect for the constitutional office doesn’t require blind and uninformed respect for the office holder. Indeed, it may be that the very respect that we give to that office as a consequence of its noble origin makes it impossible for us to respect an individual holder of that office.
When the office-holder professes a philosophy of hatred for many of the core theses found within the Constitution, then our respect for the office – derived as it must be from a respect for the principles set out in our Constitution – mandates disrespect for the office-holder.
When the office-holder only holds that office because he was able to subvert the democratic theory – the theory that an accurately-informed electorate can make good, self-serving choices – by misleading much of the electorate concerning his vision for society, he cannot claim the respect due the office simply because his deception worked.
When the office-holder’s cohorts – with his direct participation and exhortation – undermined and attacked the previous, duly-elected, government in uniquely dishonest, dishonorable, vile, and hateful ways throughout its entire eight-year pendancy – showing that his own feelings of respect for The Presidency qua The Presidency pale beside his personal ambition – that he takes the oath of office, promising that he will, “to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States” only as long as that Constitution serves him – then he has violated the essence of the philosophy represented in our Constitution, and so espect for him necessarily implies disrespect for our Constitution.
So no, sorry, I won’t be quietly and apologetically and respectfully laying down and rolling over for whatever hidden agenda and philosophies Mr. O might ultimately settle upon in his new role as a president, nor will I seek to shelter the feelings of self-worth and love and acceptance of those shrews who decided that I belonged to “the party of hairy-backed swamp developers and corporate shills, faith-based economists, fundamentalist bullies with Bibles, Christians of convenience, freelance racists, misanthropic frat boys, shrieking midgets of AM radio, tax cheats, nihilists in golf pants, brownshirts in pinstripes, sweatshop tycoons, hacks, fakirs, aggressive dorks, Lamborghini libertarians, people who believe Neil Armstrong’s moonwalk was filmed in Roswell, New Mexico, little honkers out to diminish the rest of us, Newt’s evil spawn and their Etch-A-Sketch president, a dull and rigid man suspicious of the free flow of information and of secular institutions, whose philosophy is a jumble of badly sutured body parts trying to walk.” They’ll get my contempt, at least until I get over my society’s traditional polite reserve.
Nov 7, 2008 - 9:13 pm 193. harry stone:A Marxist has just been elected POTUS. The America we know and love is at a crossroads. The left will fight to make this a fascist nation. I am sure many Germans thought Hitler and the Nazis would tone down their message and govern in a sensible manner once they came to power. We all know how that turned out.
You are in fantasyland if you do not think the left is not going to continue its all out assault on conservatives and the values and principles on which America was founded. The game has changed. It seems the last people two who will figure this out will be McCain and VDH.
For the last 8 years the current POTUS has been vilified by the democrats and that message was carried worldwide by the propagandists of the M$M. Tuesday demonstrated just how effective they were.
The single biggest mistake President Bush made was not to fight back, to stay above the fight. Clinton did fight back and remained in office when he should have been in jail. Obama will do everything in his power to silence any opposition to his administration. The faulty assumption made is somehow the American people are going to find this out. They will not because M$M will continue to be both partisans and lackeys of the left.
Nov 7, 2008 - 9:22 pm 194. texastickled:Great article. I promise that I will treat the new President with as much respect as the Liberals treated my President.
Nov 7, 2008 - 9:26 pm 195. bobby b:“I say tax ‘em at 65% so I can buy a big screen and a case of Bud.”
– - -
And the slime who cuts your screen and opens your window and takes your big screen for himself ‘cuz he wants one (but leaves the Bud – blech!) sounds just as noble as you sound.
If what you typed truly is the motivation and rationalization for taking other people’s money through taxation – if “paying my share” simply means that you buy your TV with the money I earned – then there is absolutely no moral basis for any expectation that I won’t lie, cheat and steal to keep my money from you.
Nov 7, 2008 - 9:33 pm 196. fred:A part of me agrees with VDH on the way we should criticize Pres. Obama and his people when we sense they are wrong. Taking the high road…
But seeing how the Left has utterly savaged President Bush and given our enemies aid and comfort, a part of me feels no urgent need for restraint. And it goes way beyond how President Bush was treated by these monsters. They have blood on their hands. They fed blood drops to the sharks in enemy territory and gave succor to an enemy that daily was on the ropes, thanks to our wonderful troops in combat.
I don’t feel to charitably towards them. In the end, as I go about my life I know that in conversation and correspondence I will find a way to balance these two extremes.
Nov 7, 2008 - 11:04 pm 197. Donna V.:I know surgeons who make $250,000. I do not. I don’t make close to that. Is that terribly unfair? Should I seethe with jealousy and resentment because they have bigger houses and drive Ferraris?
Well, they went to school for quite a long time. College, med school, internship and residency – surgical specialists are in their early 30’s when they enter a practice. And then there are the 2 a.m. calls. No physician making $250,000 a year works only 40 hours a week. Add the malpractice insurance, paying or renting expensive medical equipment, and staff salaries. A lot of money flows in and a lot of money flows out.
I’d sure like a surgeon’s income. I wouldn’t want their hours, their responsibilities, or the amount of studying and work they had to do before they began pulling in the bucks.
If there are no 250k jobs where you are you should go where the jobs are. If I stayed in my sleepy little home town I would be making $17.50/hr as well.
Well, some people like sleepy little home towns. Nothing wrong with that. I know a fellow who moved his family from Chicago back to his hometown in western Wisconsin where he made much less money, just because he never felt at home in the city and felt a small town was a better place to have and raise kids. Less income and less stress was an acceptable trade-off for him. For others, it wouldn’t be.
In a free country, adults judge what’s more important to them. Some are “A-types,” very driven by success and money and others are “B-types” who place a higher premium on having more free time to spend with their families and friends and hobbies.
Their lives don’t revolve around their careers and they don’t want to bust their butts working to run a business or a medical practice or climbing up a corporate ladder.
I don’t think being one way or the other says anything about your morally or intellectually. I’ve known very well-educated people who are not that ambitious and very hard-driving, successful people without a college diploma.
But then you live with whatever you have chosen. What isn’t fair is to choose the laid back, unambitious path but then feel angry and bitter because others are making so much more money.
(Yes, I realize that doesn’t describe the trust fund brats you see on shows like “sweet 16.” I’m a conservative and they make me grit my teeth. Many successful people, especially those who worked their way up, feel the need to spoil and pamper their children. Admittedly, those trust fund brats are tough to take, but their parents have the right to do what they want with that money.
It’s their money. It isn’t yours or mine and it shouldn’t be the government’s.
Nov 7, 2008 - 11:06 pm 198. biff:Some people were branded racist for not supporting Mr Obama. I wonder if a person is likewise a racist for not supporting Mr McCain? Is failure to support a white candidate as nasty and serious as failing to support a black candidate or is it viewed as not important?
Nov 7, 2008 - 11:32 pm 199. kabud:Obama election proved to the world that we have a real democracy for anyone to rise up
It is the best possible moral victory for USA in its history
Lets hope Obama understands the mission
Nov 7, 2008 - 11:51 pm 200. usfrog:“let’s not be like mud-slining democrats”. Well, are we allowed to sling our down-to-earth opinions ?
Support Obama now that he’s President-elect ? For everything I don’t agree with ? Let him get on with “hope” and “change” ? Hmmm, that’s what they did in Germany in the 30’s and we all know how that ended.
Yes, I agree with David Thomson (17), we’d better stop him quickly BEORE he does much more of this. And, yes RJ(16), I do think he’s a narcissist. “A brilliant campaign”? No, an illusion of a brilliant campaign. He bluffes his way through scores of situations, lying unendlessly, stating one thing and its opposite depending on the crowd… a typical con-man pulling the wool over the sheeple’s eyes…
Everything will be fine as long as he gets his way, but beware, but these people have low tolerance to frustration.
I know, I know, I’ve been mud-slinging…sorry, can’t help sayin’ what I think.
Nov 8, 2008 - 5:17 am 201. Amy:I wrote a blog piece the morning after the election. I’m with VDH. I don’t think we increase our stature by acting the way the left did for 8 years. For 8 years we have proclaimed we are better than that, and now it’s time to prove it. With that said, we need to put real conservatism out in the forefront today. What has been peddled by Republicans in the Senate and Congress is “Conservatism-in-name-only”, and that’s why we sit on the outside looking in. With all the talk of change, it may be time that we support some change of our own, yes?
Nov 8, 2008 - 6:22 am 202. RJ:Let me see…first we get Rahm Emanuel for White House Chief of Staff, then we get a snide comment using Nancy Reagan as a joke.
New tone? Reach across the aisle? Work together? United?
“He put a spell on me!”
Yes, he most certainly did…fool!
Nov 8, 2008 - 7:18 am 203. kevinOH:seanLA spewed “McCain will confront no one.
Its funny how the dems knew that, I read an article on hufpo about how POW’s and hostages are quick to appease and compromise, because they know what will happen otherwise, is that what all his `across the aisle’ stuff was about? really a fear of conflict, of torture?”
you try to make it sound like John McCain is/was an appeaser. you couldn’t be more wrong, especially as a POW. the enemy wanted him to leave when they offered him a chance. he refused on principle. they hated that. he knew they would hate that. you and your ilk would not have lasted 5 minutes in a VN POW camp. (I might not have lasted much longer). But John McCain did not just serve out 5.5 years in a POW camp. John McCain spent 5.5 years RESISTING the enemy. your messiah won…learn some facts….grow up.
Nov 8, 2008 - 8:13 am 204. clamflats:VDH loves to lecture the troops.
“There should be no conservative counterparts of Bill Maher, Michael Moore, or Al Franken.”
Why the hell not? These folks, along with Jon Stewart and ColdBeer, used stinging sarcasm and relentless fingerpointing to unite liberals and more importantly dumb-down and trivialize Mr.Bush.
OK, Red Eye is not the greatest example of political humor – weirdly infantile (unicorn pictures?) and a strange mix of homo-erotic and homophobic and women as objects humor but its a start.
And Mr. Hanson counsels against humor then says something like “I hope she completes her term, runs for Senate, and comes back to DC to haunt her critics.” in the same article.
Nov 8, 2008 - 11:40 am 205. Dennis:Bush deserves all the criticism he’s gotten and more. How can you blame liberals for how he’s been treated when 3/4ths of the country disapproves of the job he’s doing? Are 3/4ths of the country liberals? Of course not.
Nov 8, 2008 - 12:09 pm 206. MarksMom:Vote for a symbol and you’ll get a thin-skinned, angry narcissist. You have been warned.
Just wait until the honeymoon is over, folks, and just sit back and let the liberals give each other the “Bush and Palin” treatment.
Nov 8, 2008 - 1:37 pm 207. E.B:lgkick:
In other words, the democrats in 2000 had a reason to complain about Bush from day one. You don’t have a similar excuse. Most of the country supported Bush after 9/11 and it was only after he screwed up in all fronts that people could not take it anymore. The MSM, comedians, lefties, and everybody else had every right to mock and ridicule Bush and co. You don’t have the same right with regards to Obama… not now. You better wait and see how the guy performs and then if he is as incompetent as Bush (and who could be more incompetent than him?), then you have the right to scream that MSM is bias.
Obama is a socialist, he made it clear from his voting record and his many statements(”Spread the wealth around”. How he will preform is no mystery. Personally I don’t think he will institutionalize socialism any more than a a typical NeoCon, but every law the passes – unconstitutionally of course – every piece of legislation he supports, it will be to further his Socialist/Marxist ideology..it is a given.
Nov 8, 2008 - 3:07 pm 208. Master Cranky Hucklebubble:Dr. Hanson,
A very fruitful post (as the number of comments testify!).
I do agree with your point that civility of discourse (such as your own) is the only way to make lasting converts to conservative principles. On the other hand, I am increasingly inclined to believe that some people are just plain happy being thugs and that nothing short of divine intervention would convince them of a better way of living. In that sense, I can understand all those who are threatening to go John Galt if the government oversteps its constitutional bounds.
As for regrouping: I am wondering if Social Conservatives, Fiscal Conservatives, Classical Liberals, and Libertarians can all write a big long “Christmas Wishlist of Things to do” for the Republican Party and then draw something of a Venn Diagram to find out where lies the common ground. If we can focus upon achieving that and only that for starters it would provide some focus and (perhaps) passion to the undisciplined and dispirited party that we have today.
As for the Obamacons: (This is what I really wanted to get off my chest) With the exception of one columnist/author, I was neither surprised nor dismayed when they jumped ship. I don’t demand ideoligical purity or even consistancy from my intellectual champions but integrity. I was very discouraged when I realized that one of my favorite columnists is just a pen for hire, prostituting his/her purple prose to the highest bidder. They have a right to write what they please and I will exercise my right to withold my hard-earned money from subsidizing their literary drivel.
You are always a breath of fresh air Dr. H.!
Nov 8, 2008 - 4:07 pm 209. scott:“So why would we wish governments currently composed of radical Palestinians, Iranians, Venezuelans, North Koreans, Syrians, or Russians to like or admire us?”
Um,so they don’t feel compelled to fly airplanes into large buildings?Because fostering repect is preferable to the usual seething hatred directed at America?
Nov 8, 2008 - 9:19 pm 210. E.B:mike s:
As for Steve Bock, Coulter should take a long walk off a short pier, but the rest of the
conservative list is hardly Mooresque. OK – O’Reilly is an idiot, but Limbaugh, Hannity and
Malkin are smart but hard-hitting. I think Stewart and Colbert were left off BECAUSE they
are different than Maher, Moore and Franken, who are all blabbermouth jerks full of
hate – just like Coulter.
It’s common knowledge that Limbaugh, Hannity and Malkin are propagandist. If those three were merely hard hitting they wouldn’t wear red shirts for the Republican party and they certainly wouldn’t have defended every aspect of Bush’s presidency, be honest with yourself.
Nov 8, 2008 - 10:13 pm 211. Emma:The one bright spot in this whole thing was the fun of being all whiny and hysterical like a Democrat. And now you take THAT away. Thanks a lot.
Nov 9, 2008 - 4:55 am 212. legalr:Of course we all hope our country succeeds and prospers. That’s a given. Some of us hope our country remains true to its founding principles; others do not and want to change it.
Obama has won the election and will be the president; as such he is entitled to the respect that belongs to the office. He was not my choice and he won’t be my president.
Nov 9, 2008 - 6:55 am 213. pHbalancedNeoCon:“This idea of Conservatives being “above it all” is simply suicide for our side. Its sends the message that we dont really believe our values are worth fighting for.”–JUKE
I agree with Juke 100%. After all, our side’s bashing of Clinton led to Republican majorities and the White House. Sorry, but politics isn’t patty-cakes: if we are not prepared to be as vitriolic as the left has been for the last 8 years, we will lose again in 2010 and 2012. But I’m not too worried; we are already on stage 3 of grief resolution (bargaining)..very soon we will be at stage 5 (acceptance)…whereupon we can begin seriously plotting our inevitable return to power…see you in the trenches
Nov 9, 2008 - 11:42 am 214. Marc Malone:Appeasement. That’s what you’re espousing, Mr. Davis. The Marxists take few prisoners, and those end up in the worst gulags.
This is just like the stupid Obama positions of “tough, direct diplomacy”. Yeah, that’ll work!
This is a tug-of-war. When you reach out to the other side, you have to pull harder than he does to get him to move toward your side. That’s why McCain’s bills were always so leftist… and disastrous. They pulled him to their side, because they have no intention of reaching across the aisle. They saw McCain as a useful idiot, which is why the press liked him so much. When he became a threat, well, suddenly he’s no longer their favored son.
People, it’s time to break out the billy clubs, saps, and long knives. That’s all the savages on the left understand. To communicate with people, you must first speak their language. Do some kneecapping until the electorate is so sick of it, both sides will be forced to stop. Blood must be shed in copious quantities for that to happen. Only then can reason come into play, which the right will then win.
The idea that the electorate will remember how nice you were and appreciate it is nonsense. McCain WAS nice, eschewing the Wright issue. He was instrumental in turning the war around. Did people remember or care. No. Enough. We’re in a war. We don’t have to use poisoned arrows, but we do have to use arrows!
Nov 9, 2008 - 12:18 pm 215. nick:“she lived through two World Wars”
afer
meaning “she lived through World War 2″
DUH!
Nov 9, 2008 - 1:05 pm 216. nick:and marc malone is a blithering idiot
besides endorsing VIOLENCE
we have shields and as many arrows.
Nov 9, 2008 - 1:07 pm 217. felix:And nick just remember, that poison you possess.Not on the many arrows you have , but in what you intend.
Nov 9, 2008 - 5:49 pm 218. deguello:One word Hanson you wimp! Mercilessly!
Nov 10, 2008 - 11:20 am 219. deguello:Marc Malone is right:There’s no appeasing Stalinists. The democrat party has degenerated into a castroite,anti-freedom,thuggery and iscommitted to turning the nation into an obscene hybrid of nanny-state,and gulag. At some point, violence will come,and it will be started?provoked by the left(remember waco?. At that point, what will YOU do? Having already lived in Cuba,I know what my personal answer will be.
Nov 10, 2008 - 11:30 am 220. deguello:Nick: You are a liberal.and by definition a coward, you have a police force whose members hate your guts, and will abandon you to yoour own pathetic devices;same for the armed forces. Shields.and arrows! from a liberal no less, How ludicrous!
Nov 10, 2008 - 11:33 am 221. deguello:Hey poltroon! I mean Hanson! How about we start naming abortion mills, condom distribution centers, welfare offices, and methadone clinics after Obama?What are you doing writing about the Spartans? It’s surreal;like an alcoholic writing about the Volstead act!
Nov 10, 2008 - 11:37 am 222. Troy Riser:To E.B. up there. It is unfair to call Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Malkin, and Sean Hannity ‘propagandists’ since all of them are admitted and unabashed conservative pundits who promote an unapologetically conservative agenda, which means they’re generally in agreement with and supportive of Republican politicians–albeit not always and not exclusively, since Republican politicians often say and do things counter to conservatism. Limbaugh, Malkin, and Hannity would be propagandists, however, if they claimed an objective viewpoint while surreptiously doing all they could to promote a given candidate or issue. You know, like Newsweek, NYT, LAT, WaPo, NBC, ABC, CBS, PBS, AP, Reuters…
Nov 10, 2008 - 12:49 pm 223. Barrett:I’ve read remarks about being the “loyal opposition” and to avoid what would essentially be the Borking of Obama.
First, what does loyal opposition mean? Loyal to what? My view, until proven otherwise by actions and not words, is that I will be loyal to America and the Constitution. I have no loyalty to Obama. I am not a cult follower (nor would I be if a conservative was elected President).
Obama is a narcissist, who has openly stated he sees the Constitution as flawed. He wants a civilian security force that is funded as well as the army. What for? To crush dissent? Obama has not said. A quick history lesson will tell you that this is not the stuff of free societies. He raised more money (more than $600 million) than anyone in the history of Presidential campaigns in part by disabling credit card security. We have no idea where the money came from. We don’t know where he was born, who paid for his education, what his grades were…. We don’t know much about him at all.
What we do know is that he has made all kinds of statements from “spread the wealth around” to calling for refundable tax credits to punishing the few in the media that had the nerve to ask a few tough questions by eliminating access. What we do know is Obama has close relationships with repugnant characters like Wright, Rezko, Ayers and Pfleger. And there is more than I can catalog here now. All of that makes me uncomfortable.
Obama should be called out for every dumb policy decision he makes whether it is in a speech, by Executive Order, the appointment of liberal judges or by signing legislation submitted by what I expect will be an insane Reid-Pelosi Congress.
Be prepared to be pummeled when demanding that the Constitution is upheld. I do not think it is going to be pretty. Anyone who opposes Obama or the left will be vilified.
In case you haven’t figured it out, we are playing with the political thugs from Chicago. Conservatives can spin it down the high road, if that virtue means something. I am not saying that conservatives should lie or be unethical. Let’s leave that as part of the SOP for the Democrats. But you can get beaten up pretty good if you are not willing to defend yourself or take the fight to the bully. Rahm doesn’t plan on taking prisoners.
Nov 10, 2008 - 10:45 pm 224. nemesis443:I will give President-elect Obama the necessary respect and hope his election will benefit America, not hurt it. That said, I will do no such thing for the democrat Congress and the bds nuts! I will treat them with the contempt and scorn they have rightly earned! If someone comes up to me and says we should work together when I know for a fact they called Bush Hitler or a war criminal I will tell them f— off! As for the Congress, they no longer have Bush to hide behind. People will soon understand why this is the lowest rated Congress ever! Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, James Moran, Barney Frank, Chris “Countrywide” Dodd, they are are all corrupt scum and the voters will soon come to regret putting all that power in their hands.
Nov 10, 2008 - 10:50 pm 225. Jerry:Are you kidding? Bush and his cronies ran this country into the ground. America is worse off than it was 8 years ago. Criticism from the Left and from any other rational-minded human beings is totally valid and you people re-elected the fool in 2004 and wanted more of the same incompetence a week ago.
Judging from many of the comments here, you people don’t get it and probably never will. Obama was right, you do take pride in ignorance.
Nov 11, 2008 - 10:26 pm 226. Paul_Unalaska:Jerry,
Your, “Obama was right..”. has me thinking back to the town hall meeting in Mel Brook’s, ‘Blazing Saddles’. “Howard Johnson is right..”. No dog at you. Honest.
Many people, including myself are concerned with the future of our country. We’ve a right to be. Sen. Obama speaks of leadership. A leader will do, say or approach items even as his/her suboordinates wouldn’t favor. Sen. Obama voted ‘Present’ 130 + times in Senate on difficult bills. 97% of the time his voting was for the Democratic angle. To me, personally, it’s unethical for a President to have this type of record and be considered a ‘leader.’
There’s a caveat of other issues but you get my point. Like many, I had to pick up his books and opposing view’s books as well to get a glimpse of the man, Sen. Obama. Why? For no one was forthcoming to speak of (Sen. Obama) or willing to ask these questions (media). His ‘hope’ and ‘change’ rhetoric is similiar to that of inspirational speaker Tony Robbins. The difference is Mr. Robbins has applied his concept, which he’s molded after decades of use and kinking to successfully flourish for those interested parties. Sen. Obama will be applying his never before used techniques to 300 + million people of the strongest nation on earth. That’s quite a Herculean task. Hence the foreboding vibe..
Nov 12, 2008 - 7:06 pm 227. frank Miller:VDH–
You remain, as ever, a repository of sanity.
As a Catholic and a determined Zionist. I must ask you to answer the Iranian’s mad goal of genocide.
I know you’ve addressed this before, but it bears repeating.
FM
Nov 14, 2008 - 2:52 pm 228. James:True comedy. Thanks.
I particularly enjoyed the statement that pretends the nonexistence of Rush Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, Bill O’Reilly, James Dobson, …
Nov 16, 2008 - 6:30 pm 229. patruped:bun biped:rău /:[...] un articol foarte bun, desi un pic cam lungut si cu citeva referinte despre care nu prea am idee: The Day After Victor Davishanson November 6th, 2008 2:48 am Reconciliation I wish President-elect Obama well, [...]
Nov 18, 2008 - 3:06 am 230. стАрик:А вы не пробывали зарабатывать в интернете?
Dec 3, 2008 - 3:50 am