The ideologue’s fairy tale
[Posted by Karl]
After rounding up blogger opinion on the campaign season’s “dumb distraction derby,” Jim Geraghty draws upon a “fairy tale liberals tell themselves” he first recounted in 2010:
The fairy tale is that Americans, deep down, really agree with liberals on all of these issues and would heartily embrace their agenda if only these side issues, scandals, and manufactured distractions would just get out of the way.
Geraghty noted that Dems were playing the politics of distraction in 2010. The midterm elections did not end well for them. Pres. Obama seems bent on trying it in a nationwide campaign for 2012. The good news is that independents tend to base their vote more on the economy than partisans do. The bad news is that voters often care less about issues than they do about a candidate’s character, broadly defined. This is why Team Obama is fueling media coverage of the supposed likeability gap between Obama and Romney, stories about how the candidates treat (or eat) dogs, and so on. And this is ultimately why it’s probably a good thing if some on the right fight those battles, while Romney and the GOP focus on the economy. The right does not want to buy into the inverse of the liberal fairy tale.
On the other hand, the fact that the 7%-10% of voters who end up deciding elections are almost by definition not swayed by ideology does not lessen the importance of making the case for smaller government, economic freedom and personal responsibility. As Jonah Goldberg points out in The Tyranny of Cliches, one of the fundamental cliches of the progressive left is pragmatism, i.e., that they are simply doing “what works.” It is also one of the progressive left’s fundamental falsehoods.
The past century has been one in which progressives have put forth the idea that Soviet communism is what works, that Eurofascism is what works, that Maoism is what works, and that Eurosocialism is what works. The actual history of the past century is one in which Eurofascism was defeated in WWII, Soviet communism was defeated in the Cold War, Maoism has degenerated into a fascism and crony capitalism that only Tom Friedman finds attractive, and Eurosocialism is taking its own road to the dustbin of history. To be sure, voters in the UK and France are resisting, the Germans less so. But fiscal realities will continue to intrude, regardless of which governments they elect. They will eventually figure out what the OECD and IMF already have about the solution to their problems: spending less is the answer.
Voters in America — even the non-ideological, low-information voters — will end up absorbing these lessons as they move through life. The right should not adopt pragmatism as its own cliche, but the decay of 20th century progressivism will continue to push the electoral mainstream rightward.
–Karl
Ding!
Karl (6f7ecd) — 5/6/2012 @ 9:36 amanother fundamental cliche is that the candidate with the most optimistic vision wins
that’s why the humdrum life of deeply dependent Julia is such a gift I think
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 5/6/2012 @ 10:09 amThe past century has been one in which progressives have put forth the idea that Soviet communism is what works,
Very few people actually did. I think Lincoln Stephens. Two things really stopped tags really stopped that – a total lack of real contact with people inside the Soviet Union – and some knowledge of what was really going on (slave labor camps, persecution of religion) and then some very public things: absurd propaganda, confessions by leading Communist in Moscow show trials that they were all secretly plotting all along with foreign powers, and then the Nazi-Soviet pact in August 1939 and propaganda reversal, and then the invasion of the Soviet Union and propaganda reversal again.
that Eurofascism is what works,
I think that was more by conservatives. But too much cruelty and injustice was known.
that Maoism is what works,
Claims were made only for China, though. And really it was that they were good people etc. This never became a majority opinion.
and that Eurosocialism is what works.
Only with regard to one thing.It was (and is) said, all modern countries have national health insurance.
The thing that took was not any one of those things. It was that the New Deal worked. Harry S Truman’s 1948 campaign was partially based on the idea the Republicans were going to take it all away.
By 1952 this had become accepted.The New Deal was not challenged – even the very high marginal tax rates. President Kennedy later proposed reducing them and the top rate on earned income went down to 50%, Reagan later promoted tax rate reduction even more.
In 1976 the idea that Democrats were better at he economy was crucial in electing Jimmy Carter, in 1980 the fact that people were NOT better off than they were four years before, was crucial in electing Ronald Reagan.
Sin that time Democrats have mostly run on heir inheritance.
Sammy Finkelman (0dadb5) — 5/6/2012 @ 10:09 amI wish you were right Karl, but I am not so sure. There is a reason that the Bill Ayers, Angela Davis’s and many other leftiests go into education: to influence the young and pull the country to the left. As far as I know there is no conservative counter weight other than homeschooling.
Ipso Fatso (7434b9) — 5/6/2012 @ 10:10 amObama sounds like he is running scared – Romney like he doesn’t really have to give any reasons he would be better – Senator Marco Rubio on Face the Nation was asked about that and proposed three:
1) People are afraid to start or expand businesses because of the huge deficits which they are afraid means huge tax increases. (I suppose under Romney there would be either no deficits because of the economic growth bestowed by the confidence fairy or no tax increases at any rate, and he thinks nobody wants to make money if more of it will be taxed in the future – they’d rather get 1% interest from a multi-year Certificate of deposit)
2) People are afraid to start or expand businesses because Obamacare means they have no idea what health insurance will cost – how much it would actually cost to employ a worker.(they can’t reduce staff later?)
3) Something about regulation.
Sammy Finkelman (0dadb5) — 5/6/2012 @ 10:25 amThe truth is, as the stock market shows, people are just simply discounting the idea that taxes will go up Jan 2013.
Sammy Finkelman (0dadb5) — 5/6/2012 @ 10:27 amhttp://dailycaller.com/2012/05/06/scrapped-snl-skit-mocks-obama-for-taking-credit-over-bin-laden-killing/
narciso (8d0f34) — 5/6/2012 @ 10:33 amAnd yet another illustration of the concept;
http://twitchy.com/2012/05/04/scared-new-york-times-claims-taking-back-narratives-is-gop-crowdsourcing/
narciso (8d0f34) — 5/6/2012 @ 10:37 amAnd the local variant;
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2012/05/06/LA-Times-Islamist-moderate
narciso (8d0f34) — 5/6/2012 @ 10:57 amThere’s a lot of scary talk about income taxes going up substantially in 2013, but I don’t think enough attention is being paid to the painful impact on their property taxes that many voters are feeling right now, or will soon feel. Those of us who own property or homes are seeing the results of the disastrous Obama economy square in the details of our tax bills, which are arriving in mail boxes across the country– and causing major heart palpitations. The properties are often assessed at less value because of the real estate crash. But that doesn’t matter, because the multipliers that are being applied to enable counties and municipalities to cover their shortfalls and pension payments are out of sight– and causing the tax payment demands to go way up.
Renters, too are going to see an uptick in their next contracts due to the landlords’ higher tax costs.
Nothing says to voters, “we need smaller and more accountable government” like crushing, demoralizing, unappealable tax bills do.
elissa (c1b1bb) — 5/6/2012 @ 11:11 amSammy Finkelman (3),
I recommend Goldberg’s Liberal Fascism, which catalogs the degree to which progressives cheered this stuff. Chapter one begins with the lyrics to an early vesrion (ahem) of Cole Porter’s “You’re The Top”:
Karl (6f7ecd) — 5/6/2012 @ 11:44 amIpso (4),
Liberal professors can try to brainwash kids year after year. It won’t stop governments from running out of money (a development that will not end well for liberal academics, I might add).
Karl (6f7ecd) — 5/6/2012 @ 11:45 amActive and responsible citizenship requires energy and is not easy.
The Statists know this and are certain of their inevitable victory. Given their mendacious dumbing down of our educational system and their constant drumbeat of relativism, I say they are correct.
However, they gonna lose this time.
Ed from SFV (a7215d) — 5/6/2012 @ 11:52 amIf the Left believed their own bullsh*t, they wouldn’t try to silence those who aren’t buying it. They don’t have the 1) courage of their convictions, 2) any tolerance of dissent, or 3) the ability to understand that results should trump good intentions.
Colonel Haiku (bf42d7) — 5/6/2012 @ 12:03 pmbrainwashed idiots
Cult of Personality
bow to Il Numbnutz
https://p.twimg.com/AsLXTQ8CEAIDVSw.jpg
Colonel Haiku (bf42d7) — 5/6/2012 @ 12:15 pm“In 1976 the idea that Democrats were better at he economy was crucial in electing Jimmy Carter”
Sammy – Interesting view. Carter came out of the Democrat Convention with a 33% lead over Ford and squandered it, making it a very tight election. My memories are different.
daleyrocks (bf33e9) — 5/6/2012 @ 12:29 pmspeaking of peanuts
Colonel Haiku (bf42d7) — 5/6/2012 @ 12:34 pmGeorge “Goober” Lindsey has passed
moment of silence
Watching my recording of Marco Rubio with Chris Wallace this morning… a very strong, smart young man. We would be blessed with him as a VP and, one day, our President.
Colonel Haiku (bf42d7) — 5/6/2012 @ 12:36 pmLiberal professors can try to brainwash kids year after year. It won’t stop governments from running out of money (a development that will not end well for liberal academics, I might add).
What is the tipping point then? We’re watching France and Greece facing elections with the candidates who want more government dependence and provision in the lead (Sarkozy may already be out), and the more fiscally conservative candidates drowned out by the populace who *demand* more from their government, while continuing to maintain pensions & entitlements.
And here we are with a crew that believes a form of Euro socialism is what will fix the mess and we’ve seen them model after them to some degree; and yet they are clueless about the cautionary tale playing about across the pond. So what makes you think running out of money will even make a difference? (The government has *already* run out of money, but I suppose as long as their are millionaires to tap into, we’re good to go)…
Dana (4eca6e) — 5/6/2012 @ 12:42 pmSammy,
Some of the things you write are naive.
For instance, in response to Marco Rubio’s points, you ask if employers couldn’t just hire additional employees now, but then decide to drop them in the future if it turns out the “mandated” health insurance demands become too big a burden upon the employer to continue to carry those employees on the payroll.
Here’s something that a lot of lefties don’t grasp….and that is most positions that employers pay health insurance policies for as part of a compensation package are positions that require capital investments on the part of the employer, whether its additional inventory, expansion of infrastructure, cost of training or bonding, or even having to hire ADDITIONAL support staff FOR that initial new hire. Also, there are even more expenditures, such as increased advertising costs, or even purchasing a desk, a phone plan, a computer, office supplies, or a company vehicle, et al, that the employer must provide.
In other words, yeah, with a stock boy at the local convenience store, you could hire him this week, then decide at the end of the summer you can no longer afford him, or that there just isn’t a need for his services anymore, so you terminate the position without too much fanfare or cost.
But it’s not that simple when it comes to a more skilled position that carries health insurance coverage.
See, you’re merely thinking of the cost to the employer as it appears on the payroll, whereas the employer has additional (often invisible or subterranean) costs that are thrown at him when hiring a new employee.
Also, “regulation” is not merely some abstract term that we conservatives use when protesting the encroachment of the nanny state. Regulation adds real world costs to the overhead, and those costs often get passed on to consumers.
Elephant Stone (0ae97d) — 5/6/2012 @ 12:48 pmAll of the Goober ones die young
Icy (8d0fcc) — 5/6/2012 @ 12:56 pmhey, icy!
Colonel Haiku (bf42d7) — 5/6/2012 @ 12:59 pmSammy,
Some of the things you write are naive.
— Our Sammy is an equivocating intentionalist . . . kinda like a devil’s advocate for the imaginary (“On the surface it looks like person X did action Y, but what if person X really intended to do action Z and it only appears that he did action Y on purpose?”)
Icy (8d0fcc) — 5/6/2012 @ 1:01 pm“the decay of 20th century progressivism will continue to push the electoral mainstream rightward.”
Much faster, please.
In WI this week, conversation is all Walker all the time. A real choice makes for committed voters.
gary gulrud (676e68) — 5/6/2012 @ 1:29 pm12. Departments that lose money are closing shop today. Next year, tenured staff that do so, will follow.
gary gulrud (676e68) — 5/6/2012 @ 1:32 pmGeorge “Goober” Lindsey, R.I.P.
I’ll always remember the episode where he did his Cary Grant impersonation.
Elephant Stone (0ae97d) — 5/6/2012 @ 1:40 pmDana,
The tipping point gets dictated in the markets. Hollande may defeat the slightly-less-bad Sarkozy easily today. Labour may have won local elections big a few days ago. But as Thatcher observed, eventually, you run out of Other People’s Money, just as Greece has. It’s sad that the more denial there is up front, the worse it will be later. But that’s often the case in world history.
Karl (6f7ecd) — 5/6/2012 @ 1:58 pmAs opposed to America’s love affair with conservative values which forced them into the “smear, fear, and queer” tactic to re-elect Bush…
tye (65392d) — 5/6/2012 @ 2:13 pmif you have tactics what rhyme with each other you can deliver upwards of 40% better r.o.i. is my understanding
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 5/6/2012 @ 2:21 pmSpeaking of Goobers ^^^ . . .
Icy (8d0fcc) — 5/6/2012 @ 2:21 pmi know what you meaned
happyfeet (3c92a1) — 5/6/2012 @ 2:21 pmMeant for tye-die, of course.
Icy (8d0fcc) — 5/6/2012 @ 2:22 pmDana–To your earlier point about the tipping point I just read through the comments on the NYT website related to Ross Douthat’s “Julia” column. The piece was a featured article link on RealClearPolitics this morning. The mostly hostile-to-Douthat posts affirming both the commenters’ full acceptance and defense of fictionalized Julia and her cradle to grave government overseen socialized life-style were alarming. It is all just very very depressing, I think.
elissa (1b6c36) — 5/6/2012 @ 2:29 pmFunny, elissa, I was plowing through them. Wow. This, to me, epitomizes the irrationality of the left – with regards to, well, just about everything,
(Sigh) I voted for Obama once and will again…I mean consider the alternative… but “Julia” is a depressing figure and offers a revealing window into the mind of hardcore liberals who really believe that cradle to grave State subsidies is all that stands between a civilized society and a return to some kind of Darwinian jungle. Who is designing this stuff? How out of touch are they? Don’t they realize they just confirmed every imaginable Republican talking point in the book? Can anyone spell d-e-p-e-n-d-e-n-c-y? (If not let’s blame it on cuts in public school spending.)
Dana (4eca6e) — 5/6/2012 @ 2:37 pmExactly, Dana. That particular comment really reminded me of the famous “I don’t care. Obama is awesome” cartoon.
elissa (1b6c36) — 5/6/2012 @ 2:46 pmAs opposed to America’s love affair with conservative values which forced them into the “smear, fear, and queer” tactic to re-elect Bush…
Comment by tye — 5/6/2012 @ 2:13 pm
Another of tye’s lies.
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/6/2012 @ 3:05 pmIt is a lie? You were not paying attention during that election cycle. It’s okay. I was and I will correct you; it is true.
tye (65392d) — 5/6/2012 @ 3:37 pmSmear is how Obama got into the Senate, fear over the ransomed families of servicemen, or social security recipients risk of losing benefits is the way he wins argument, the Luigi Vercotti way.
narciso (8d0f34) — 5/6/2012 @ 3:40 pmSo if an opponent uses the strategy it is bad? Doesn’t seem fair…
tye (65392d) — 5/6/2012 @ 3:50 pmAs opposed to America’s love affair with conservative values which forced them into the “smear, fear, and queer” tactic to re-elect Bush…
Probably taken from an OpEd in an Alternative Lifestyle Weekly, not from any ad produced by the RNC.
But, that is expected from bubble-dwellers.
AD-RtR/OS! (e63a95) — 5/6/2012 @ 4:22 pmtye, failed attempt at correction.
Of course, the idea that anyone could “smear” the Kerry/Edwards ticket shows that it is you, tye, who were not paying attention.
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/6/2012 @ 4:43 pmMy argument is not a defense of Edwards. You are conveniently forgetting the actual “smears” against Kerry contrived by the Bush supporters. I wouldn’t expect anything less from the wing nuts. Not surprising.
tye (65392d) — 5/6/2012 @ 4:53 pmI’m curious what “contrived smears” against Kerry tye is referring to.
elissa (1b6c36) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:02 pmI expect they are “seared” into tye’s memory…
Gazzer (233779) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:04 pmOh, surely tye does not hold that the military men Kerry “served” with are all Bush supporters and liars who came together years later to contrive “smears” against him.
elissa (1b6c36) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:12 pmTye was supporting a Massachusetts billionaire (John F. Kerry 2004) for President, a number of years before we all were (Mitt Romney 2012).
In other words, Tye was for Massachusetts billionaires for Presdent before he was against them !
Elephant Stone (0ae97d) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:17 pm#45-yes.
tye (65392d) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:20 pm“tye” is not very good at this.
JD (d4dd44) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:22 pmtye, Kerry wasn’t “smeared”. After attempting to trade on his Vietnam experience, fellow Vietnam veterans reminded America of Kerry’s actual actions – like undermining US policy vis a vis Vietnam.
Meanwhile, we still see trolls here smearing Dick Cheney with false claims of profiting from the Iraq War.
And prior to that, we even had Democratic partisans actually forging documents to “smear” George W. Bush.
So the reality, tye, is that your claim remains false.
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:25 pmHe thought he was just coming into the ‘Argument
narciso (8d0f34) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:25 pmclinic, and just settles for abuse, but it’s hard
to tell exactly what kind of troll.
tye, tye.tye, that has all been so throughly vetted and researched and Kerry has been proved to be such a liar and poseur. “Christmas in Cambodia” and all. You really should try to keep up so you don’t embarrass yourself on blogs.
elissa (1b6c36) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:28 pmA crazy number of bloggers are AWOL, have you noticed? Another one of those Sooper Sekrit conferences I guess.
SarahW (b0e533) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:31 pmSo Cheney had no ties to the company given no bid contracts during the war? Oops… I thought he did. I guess everybody who worked there and everybody else in the universe was mistaken.
tye (65392d) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:33 pmtye, the claim that Cheney profited from the Iraq War is a lie. One you evidently are happy to repeat, thereby showing that you are a lying hypocrite.
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:35 pmOh, and the lie that Dick Cheney profited from the war did not merely come from Kerry supporters, it came from the Kerry/Edwards campaign itself.
And even the partisan “factcheck.org” admitted that Kerry/Edwards campaign ad was a lie.
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:37 pmtye, we
Colonel Haiku (2a9f3e) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:41 pmhardlyreally knew ya…You would be surprised how much obfuscation happens day to day, not really;
ttp://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/05/analysis_spinning_ir.php
narciso (8d0f34) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:46 pmSo his friends profited from the war. Just as despicable. I’m sure there was kick-back. You need to be less trusting of your party’s slimey war criminal leaders.
tye (65392d) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:47 pmJust more abuse, it seems;
http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/11/3/150518.shtml
narciso (8d0f34) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:51 pmI don’t care if Michael Moore owned Halliburton stocks. I’m not here defending Michael Moore.
tye (65392d) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:52 pm“Liberalism is the last refuge of
Colonel Haiku (2a9f3e) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:53 pmscoundrelsvermin.”______________________________________________
(Sigh) I voted for Obama once and will again…I mean consider the alternative… but “Julia” is a depressing figure and offers a revealing window into the mind of hardcore liberals…
I’ll give that liberal some credit for at least recognizing how ridiculous and foolish — and extreme (and “hardcore”) — Obama’s composite girlfriend is. It would have been worse if the poster to the NYT forum instead said “‘Julia’ is merely projecting the fears of women in a chauvinistic society where the social safety net is so fragile and not generous enough—and the Republicans will force women like ‘Julia’ to have babies they don’t want!”
Or: “Obama’s enemies have unfairly made ‘Julia’ sound like a dope and unkindly forced the president to admit something about her that was best left personal and private. It’s no one’s business but his own!”
Regrettably, I suspect far too many on the left really are thinking and responding in that manner, and anything short of Obama exposing himself in public, physically beating his kids and wife, and then slapping Hillary on the face, will not deter them from pulling the lever for him in November.
Mark (dd3927) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:53 pmIt’s funny how principled opposition to the war, really wasn’t the point
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/oct/10/france.iraq
narciso (8d0f34) — 5/6/2012 @ 5:56 pmWhat I think is funny is that tye’s assignment here tonight seems to be to re-litigate the 2004 presidential election. What’s that about?
elissa (1b6c36) — 5/6/2012 @ 6:18 pmI think tye (aka TD) is creating what
Bill AyresBarack Obama would refer to as “composite history” for the purpose ofdramatic licensedistracting from the truth about Obama’s first term.They don’t want to talk about what’s presently going on in Syria, Egypt, Libya, North Korea, China, or Iran…they want to talk about
the Maldivesthe Falkland Islands and…what happened forty years ago in Vietnam !Ok, tye (aka TD), what’s next on your list of conversational topics…birth control, student loans, or Ann Romney’s resume ? I don’t get why you lefties stopped bringing up the topic of dogs !
Elephant Stone (0ae97d) — 5/6/2012 @ 6:19 pm“tye” is a caricature of a leftist.
JD (318f81) — 5/6/2012 @ 6:19 pmIs there a difference between the lowly Chtauri minion, (troll) Loki, (nutrooter) and MSM
narciso (8d0f34) — 5/6/2012 @ 6:22 pmjournalist or Dem policy advisor (Thanos) I’m using the Avenger template for shorthand.
Many Libertarians believe that if the MSM would stop indoctrinating folks in statist dogma that their views would be a majority, too. Sadly, this isn’t true either.
Kevin M (bf8ad7) — 5/6/2012 @ 6:22 pmIMHO, about 30% of voters are convinced by whatever argument they heard last.
Kevin M (bf8ad7) — 5/6/2012 @ 6:24 pmI agree with what Kevin M just said. Oh, wait…
Gazzer (233779) — 5/6/2012 @ 6:55 pmI know I sound like a broken record, but “indoctrination” …? The real words are “history” and “culture”. What we started learning the minute we started breathing.
nk (875f57) — 5/6/2012 @ 6:59 pmhttp://hotair.com/archives/2012/05/06/incompetence-haste-costs-us-80-million-and-consulate-in-northern-afghanistan/
narciso (8d0f34) — 5/6/2012 @ 7:09 pmtye spews: “So his friends profited from the war. Just as despicable. I’m sure there was kick-back. You need to be less trusting of your party’s slimey war criminal leaders.”
Lies and slander are all you have, tye. Factcheck confirmed that not only did Cheney not profit from the Iraq War but he cost himself millions of dollars in his efforts to ensure no conflict of interest of any kind – far beyond the legal requirements.
You are despicable, slandering scum. And you bother to make claims about the Bush supporters “smearing” Kerry? With that befouled mouth of yours?
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/6/2012 @ 7:21 pm…..put forth the idea that Soviet communism is what works,
Very few people actually did. ….
Oh come on. Under Carter we were starting to think that they would totally overcome us. This was accepted universally on the left and in the highest level of government.
Reagan punctured the balloon with his jokes about communism but they still believe it in American universities.
Its hard to get an automobile in the soviet union. They are owned mainly by elite bureaucrats. It takes an average of 10 years to get a car. 1 out of 7 families owned automobiles. You have to go through a major process and put the money out in advance. so this man did this and the dealer said “okay in 10 years come get your car.”
Red (7b5f67) — 5/6/2012 @ 7:34 pm“Morning or afternoon?” The man replied.
“well what difference does it make?” Said the dealer.
“The plumber is coming in the morning.”
====Smear is how Obama got into the Senate
Beyond smear, he got his poodles in the Chicago Tribune to get sealed divorce records unsealed. Nice.
Red (7b5f67) — 5/6/2012 @ 7:38 pmWell I was using shorthand, with Ryan and Hull,
narciso (8d0f34) — 5/6/2012 @ 7:42 pmAh, the ideologue’s fairy tale.
Dustin (330eed) — 5/6/2012 @ 7:56 pmDustin, Dick Cheney’s term as vice president cost him millions of dollars and an immeasurable amount of his health, and the piece of crap tye writes that.
Despicable slime.
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/6/2012 @ 8:00 pmAs I pointed out in th other links, there were many players all through out Europe, that were deeply tied to the Baathist clique, from Total and Pasqua
narciso (8d0f34) — 5/6/2012 @ 8:03 pmto Zhirinovsky and GazProm.
Indeed, sir.
Personally, I think he was a huge asset as a leader behind the scenes who had great loyalty. His different approach to discussing issues since the Bush administration ends probably is a reflection of the distance he had from the WH’s PR efforts the entire time. Part of being a team asset in the times he was there was carrying a tremendous burden. No serious person wouldn’t have felt the stress.
I realize you’re correct about his avoidance of impropriety (or the appearance of any), but I don’t even want to dignify that smear with a response.
I wish I could have Dick Cheney on the ballot for President (Even though I realize the man’s health is not great).
Dustin (330eed) — 5/6/2012 @ 8:08 pmIndeed, Dustin, I was not a huge fan of Dick Cheney ( although I applauded the announcement of his being the choice for VP before the convention in 2000 because it signaled that George W. Bush intended an administration of adults in contrast to the juvenility of the Clinton admin ) before but over the last decade I’ve come to greatly admire the man.
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/6/2012 @ 8:14 pmWhat aer they smoking over there;
http://www.businessinsider.com/what-everybody-is-getting-wrong-about-francois-hollande-the-next-president-of-france-2012-5
narciso (8d0f34) — 5/6/2012 @ 8:31 pmhttp://weaselzippers.us/2012/05/06/report-secret-u-s-program-releasing-high-level-taliban-detainees-if-they-promise-not-to-return-to-battlefield/
narciso (8d0f34) — 5/6/2012 @ 8:38 pmElephant- I’m not sure why you believe that everyone who disagrees with your skewed reality must fit into a neat little box, but you should change that. There’s a whole wide world out there… explore it. I’m not the only person who knows Cheney is dirty.
tye (65392d) — 5/7/2012 @ 3:06 amWe get it, tye. To people like you with limited stores of usable knowledge Communism, totalitarian governments and euro socialism feel like warm snuggy safety nets rather than the poison to humankind they were and are. The entire arc of deadly 2oth century history never happened. The Russian and Chinese “mental hospitals” just provided healthcare. The gulags were only set up by the governments there to create jobs in the workers’ paradise. Millions did not starve to death because of ideology misfires and graft. The Greeks are lying back and enjoying their current situation. Obama is awesome. Kerry is awesome. Cheney is….look! a squirrel.
Please quit trying to highjack this thread because the subject of it threatens your own worldview and because the topic that it explores threatens to derail the one’s re-election.
elissa (93bf0f) — 5/7/2012 @ 5:07 amHe does illustrate the point unintentionally,
narciso (8d0f34) — 5/7/2012 @ 5:17 amPutting words into the mouths of ones political opponents is beneath the educated person, Elissa.
tye (65392d) — 5/7/2012 @ 6:54 amtye, you are not the only person who claims Cheney is dirty but can’t prove it. We have a name for such people: slanderers.
SPQR (26be8b) — 5/7/2012 @ 6:55 amNothing is below “tye”
JD (d4dd44) — 5/7/2012 @ 7:05 amPolitical opponent? Bwhahahaha! What regime do you belong to, tye?
Tailface Warren (721840) — 5/7/2012 @ 7:14 amtye (aka TD),
I’m about to make a stunning revelation….
You have changed my mind about a public policy. You have made me see the light about the issue of “free birth control.”
After reading so many of your posts, I now recognize it is the duty of Uncle Sam to see that every liberal in America not only receives “free birth control,” but, that every liberal in America actually USES their “free birth control.”
Please.
I beg of you. Use the “free birth control.”
I am on the phone now, arranging to have a dump truck deliver a ton of “free birth control” to the Los Angeles chapter of Code Pink—all at my personal expense.
Elephant Stone (0ae97d) — 5/7/2012 @ 7:39 amGreetings:
For me, the problem isn’t the fairy tales that “liberals” (Wouldn’t progressives be more exact?) tell themselves, it’s the ones that they apparently haven’t heard at all.
It used to be that I thought that they completely missed out on “Chicken Little” (anything that effect me negatively is a catastrophe) and “The Princess and the Pea” (no problem is fixed until I say it’s fixed).
Lately though, since other people’s wealth redistribution has morphed into “social justice”, I’m beginning to think that they missed out on “The Grasshopper and the Ant” also.
11B40 (614db2) — 5/7/2012 @ 9:59 am