Patterico's Pontifications

9/21/2008

Flashback: Sullivan Praises Judgment of Presidential Candidate in Picking Fresh, Youthful, Uplifting, Positive (But Inexperienced) VP Candidate with Broad Grin

Filed under: 2008 Election,Buffoons,General — Patterico @ 10:59 pm



Hot Air Headlines has Sullivan’s praise for this VP candidate:

THE RIGHT CHOICE: Well, this is just what I had hoped for – and it’s easily the best choice available to Kerry, who now passes his first presidential judgment test. Edwards is uplifting, while Kerry is a downer; he can touch the Democrats’ heart, not just their minds and their wallets; he’s fresh and youthful in a way that will only contrast sharply with Cheney; he can speak – and we need more in politics who have his kind of rhetorical skill; he’s positive, which is important in a rancid political atmosphere. Substantively, I don’t like his background among the trial lawyers, nor his protectionism. But I’ve come to think of him as a decent man, who shied from the easy snarl in the primaries, and who believes in this country’s promise in ways that some on the left have lost touch with. He’s the anti-bitterness candidate. And his presence will change the dynamic. The trouble with Bush’s and Cheney’s fundamental position – you cannot trust anyone else to wage this war – is that it must inevitably conjure fear and danger. Americans also like broad grins and happy futures. Edwards will give them plenty.

Me, I like Sarah Palin’s broad grin better than John Edwards’s. But then, I’m not Rielle Hunter or Andrew Sullivan.

31 Responses to “Flashback: Sullivan Praises Judgment of Presidential Candidate in Picking Fresh, Youthful, Uplifting, Positive (But Inexperienced) VP Candidate with Broad Grin”

  1. The one most obvious pathology I have seen from partisan Left types is two fold: (i) a complete lack of humor, and (ii) an odd projection of their own faults onto others.

    This leads inexorably to the kind of feckless hypocrisy of Our Mr. Sullivan.

    Eric Blair (2708f4)

  2. Maybe so, Eric, but it’s also supremely ironic and knee-slappingly funny.

    DRJ (0754ed)

  3. Sullivan had other reasons to like Edwards, which don’t carry over to Palin. Besides the obvious, I don’t think he even likes women as people.

    Kevin Murphy (0b2493)

  4. DRJ, always nice to hear from you. I would normally agree with your comment, but I worry. Objectively, Excitable Andy is a parody of himself (a curse of Greek mythic proportions).

    The problem is that so many people just seem to ignore the hypocrisy. And I don’t mean exaggerations that are common to all politicians. I mean the flat out contradictions I see today.

    I keep hearing on campus how Obama is going to bring the troops home immediately, as a justification for voting for him. Yet when I bring up Obama’s statements, on record, regarding invading nuclear-capable Pakistan, I get shrugs and comments about political necessity. Huh?

    My fear is that this “I Want a Democrat at All Costs,” coupled with Republicans not feeling McCain is conservative enough, will result in an Obama win.

    Why, just the other day I was told that Obama was going to nominate moderate Supreme Court Justices, if elected as President. Based on what? Not his confirmation record!

    So folks like Sullivan can do a wild geometrically complex limbo regarding their prior statements. It ought to be amusing. But a LOT of voters seem to feel as Sullivan does: consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, to partially quote Emerson.

    I’m pretty worried. So many folks on the Right are pushing for an ideological purity that does not exist, while so many on the Left are just voting the party. Hopefully the enthusiasm that Palin brings to the ticket will lessen that double barreled threat.

    Eric Blair (2708f4)

  5. No offense Patt, but maybe you should ignore Sullivan like most do. Your constant posts about him only fill his normally missing links with traffic.

    Use his name, but don’t add to his traffic. He is but what he is.

    TC (f398ed)

  6. I just watched Sullivan’s anti-Palin rant on Bill Maher’s show. It was incredible, in a sad sad way. He starts out with “McCain isn’t a true conservative, Bush isn’t a true conservative, and Palin is just like Bush”; you know, his usual “I didn’t abandon conservatism — they did,” routine. But, of course, he couldn’t contain himself to just that line of attack, as he proceeded to spit venom on her qualifications; implying during the course of his spew that Alaska might as well be named North Podunkia. And in relation to the subject of this thread, he called Palin [quote] “The least qualified candidate for Vice President, ever.” Then, as if that were not enough, he began to sing the praises of the Messiah. The throw-a-brick-at-the-screen moment came when he actually referred to what he does on his blog as “reporting”.

    If he really means it about sticking to conservative principles, then there’s no way he could actually support Obama’s policies. Based on what I saw, I think his agenda is to punish the GOP into reconnecting with those principles that he thinks they’ve abandoned. And THAT basically puts him in the same boat as the fringers. I believe he even mentioned Ron Paul favorably at one point.

    To his credit, Sully did do ONE thing right — challenging Maher’s dismissive attitude toward the political views religious people have on non-religious issues.

    Icy Truth (b40a74)

  7. Good points, It’s ridiculous and a blow to your credibility to make an unjustified position change just because it helps your team…

    Joe (c0e4f8)

  8. As Palin is to Edwards, so the entire conservative movement is to Rielle Hunter.

    Don’t flatter yourself.

    Leviticus (41975c)

  9. Leviticus – Palin is way out of Edwards’ league. Edwards never did a damn thing during his tenure in the Senate.

    Well, that’s not exactly true. He did do someone.

    Apogee (366e8b)

  10. 9. Look at the experience angle and measure what Palin has accomplished vs. the likes of Edwards, Obama and someone such as Gov. Tim Kaine of Va. How much time did the Breck Girl have in Senate before being dem nominee for VP? And Dilbert’s boss-lookalike Kaine was elected governor in 2005 and was also a mayor, like Palin. Does anyone think the media would have excoriated Kaine and gone ballistic delving into his public and private life had Obama tapped him for VP? Ok, I get it that some women loathe Palin for ideological reasons and she doesn’t have foreign policy experience. What sort of executive or foreign policy experience does B. Hussein possess running in the top spot? Leviticus is another Obama apologist who can’t handle the truth and will bend over backwards to justify dem talking points. Words vs. Deeds- when has Obama worked with GOP or gone against either the Daley machine of Senate dems? Why has Obama managed to be no. 2 on list of funds received from Freddie and Frannie, despite short time in Senate? Community activist/organizer for ACORN says it all. I’m told Obama has worked in Chicago with many truly wonderful people. Just who are these wonderful people? Where are the people from his past endeavors as a youth and in schools? Empty, incompetent suit is more apropos description. And his election will have a HEALING effect on the country? Who comes up with that horseshit?

    madmax333 (0c6cfc)

  11. “Leviticus is another Obama apologist who can’t handle the truth and will bend over backwards to justify dem talking points.”

    – madmax333

    Yes, that’s what I am. Your powers of observation are stellar.

    Leviticus (ab6dbd)

  12. Leviticus, the entire conservative movement is not the father of Sarah Palin’s illegitimate child. Bad metaphor.

    Pablo (99243e)

  13. Oh, and the entire conservative movement is not in hiding either.

    Pablo (99243e)

  14. I don’t have to be an Obama apologist to think that you guys are tools.

    Leviticus (ab6dbd)

  15. “Oh, and the entire conservative movement is not in hiding either.”

    – Pablo

    Not yet.

    Leviticus (ab6dbd)

  16. Oh, snap.

    Pablo (99243e)

  17. I don’t have to be an Obama apologist to think that you guys are tools.

    No, but it sure is an interesting coincidence.

    Jim Treacher (592cb4)

  18. besides channeling dead kids in court and winning a (one) Senate term and then sleeping with someone other than his cancer-stricken wife; exactly what did Silky Pony do levit?

    Lord Nazh (ce25e3)

  19. Andy’s, like Snark Morford’s, worldview centers around what is shove up his backside.

    Paul Atreides (0f949e)

  20. the father of Sarah Palin’s illegitimate child.

    WTF ???

    Maybe that was a misstatement ?

    Leviticus is not worthy of reply. Mental masturbation is a solitary pleasure. Leave him to it.

    Mike K (2cf494)

  21. No, Mike. I’m saying that an Edwards/Hunter type situation does not exist with Palin as a player. I am not suggesting that she has an illegitimate child, unlike Edwards and Hunter, rather I’m pointing out that she doesn’t.

    Leviticus can be worthy of engagement. He’s not Levi or alphie. This is just not one of his better moments.

    Pablo (99243e)

  22. #4, Eric fears that Dem partisanship combined with “Republicans not feeling McCain is conservative enough, will result in an Obama win.”

    So do I. The lengths and depths of Dem’s near religious adherence to their unqualified candidate is often on display here. See above for the jejune version. Also easily observed is their underhanded attempts to smear the GOP team.

    Dems seem oblivious to the consequences of exposing themselves to the voters as viscious hate mongers. They contend with each other to display the irrational hatreds and low-brow smears which animate and motivate their misbehavior. It shows how far out of touch they are and how quickly they descend to the gutter. And they don’t give a damn who’s watching. Such is the Siren’s mesmerizing call.

    On the other hand, McCain was doing well, quite well until he started talking about comprehensive immigration reform again. If he doesn’t clearly distinguish between boarder security as the top priority (fence first), and all other immigration issues a distant second, his support among Conservatives will largely evaporate. They’ll still vote, against Obama, but the enthusiasm will vanish along with his chances to win the election.

    Ropelight (b9f273)

  23. My point, Pablo, is that conservatives in this country have fallen as hard for Palin as Edwards ever did for Rielle Hunter (probably). In the context of Patterico’s closing jab, I felt the analogy appropriate.

    Leviticus (ab6dbd)

  24. Leviticus – conservatives in this country have fallen as hard for Palin as Edwards ever did for Rielle Hunter

    Edwards fell for Hunter because he’s a scumbag narcissist who was feeding his own ego.

    Conservatives are excited about Palin because she has actually done the things we’d like to see happen in DC, namely taking on her own party as well as the Democrats and working against corruption. There’s no guarantee that she will be successful or even survive what will most likely be an onslaught of territorial protection by entrenched crooks, but it’s a start.

    Your equation of the two is ludicrous.

    Come on, Leviticus, you’re smarter than this.

    Apogee (366e8b)

  25. Andrew Sullivan lost all credibility a long time ago. Now we need to get to the real issues, like why the Democrats blocked efforts to rein in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

    tyree (0ef814)

  26. Uh… Edwards was a US Senator. Palin was mayor of Moose-Dung Alaska 99989. I know it’s hard to see, but there is a difference.

    Jack (c4b55b)

  27. Right. Palin had responsibilities.

    Pablo (99243e)

  28. My point, Pablo, is that conservatives in this country have fallen as hard for Palin as Edwards ever did for Rielle Hunter (probably).

    You’d think that he’d claim his child then.

    Pablo (99243e)

  29. Palin was mayor of Moose-Dung Alaska 99989. I know it’s hard to see…

    What’s not hard to see is how the left is consistently terrified of recognizing her as a Governor.

    Apogee (366e8b)

  30. Pablo – Edwards will never publicly recognize being the father of Rielle’s daughter (even though everyone including me thinks its his kid) as 1) Edwards is stilling lying to Elizabeth about the affair & kid, and 2) Edwards wants to have a public speaking life starting after the November election (a place in Obama’s administration)

    Marilyn (a32f47)

  31. “You’d think that he’d claim his child then.”

    – Pablo

    Oh, I’m sorry: did someone prove that John Edwards was the father of Rielle Hunter’s child while I wasn’t looking? Has the Enquirer moved from sniffing sheets to analyzing them?

    Leviticus (ab6dbd)


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