Posted by Richard on September 7, 2008
Some right-wing pundits have compared Sarah Palin to Ronald Reagan, while others have poo-poohed that comparison. I think it's a simplistic comparison and there are significant differences. But I think it's an apt comparison in one significant respect.
Like Ronald Reagan, Sarah Palin is poised to be a transformational figure.
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Posted by Richard on September 7, 2008
You think Bill Whittle was just blowing smoke? Check out some of these (posts and comments):
Hillary Clinton Forum (Click this one if you're only going to click one, and just keep reading!)
Watch this and tell me it won't sway some Democratic and independent women:
And if you have time, read some of the 176+ comments!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: clinton, feminism, gop, palin, politics, republicans | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Richard on September 6, 2008
Bill Whittle (bold emphasis added):
Sarah Palin is the anti-Obama: not a victim, not a poser, not riding a wave but rather swimming upstream — and most of all, not having run for president her entire life. She is the first politician I have ever seen — and I include Ronnie in this, God bless him — who strikes everyone who sees her as an actual, real, ordinary person. …
… I think the magic of Sarah Palin speaks to a belief that so many of us share: the sense that we personally know five people in our immediate circle who would make a better president than the menagerie of candidates the major parties routinely offer. …
Can I get an "Amen"?
I’ve seen post after post on Hillary forums about how much they love Sarah, how they are energized and lifted out of depression by her (and the sight of an actual Roll Call made some of them weep). They gush about how she reminds them of their hero, how tough and savvy and unafraid she is. And I have seen these women, hard-core, feminist Democrats for 30 years and more, sit in slack-jawed amazement at Palin and at how fiercely Republicans — Republicans! — are defending her, backing her, and cheering her to the rafters. These Clinton supporters say they don’t know what to think any more: The Republicans are behaving like Democrats and the Democrats are behaving like Republicans!
If you think that’s an insult, you’ve got it exactly backwards. That is not only a huge compliment from these abandoned, centrist Democrats who bemoan the loss of their party to the radicals, it is an early rumbling of a tectonic shift in American politics which we are only dimly beginning to grasp. Who are the real feminists? A significant portion of our former hard-core opposition is now rethinking in a fundamental way who it is that actually does what their former allies only talk about.
That, my long-suffering and now giddy and sleepless friends — that is the smell of victory. That is conservatism with a future. And we started on that path not by nominating a Democrat-lite, but the polar opposite. The nomination of a woman with perfect conservative credentials is causing some significant number of Democrats to re-examine everything they believe. I say: Welcome Home. Welcome to the party of individual achievement, regardless of race or gender.
Whittle was won over by McCain, too, and you should read his reasons. For the first time, Whittle, a Republican, believes "we deserve to win more than they deserve to lose." Read. The. Whole. Thing.
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Posted by Richard on September 4, 2008
Last night, Sarah Palin brought me to my feet. Tonight, I stayed planted in my comfy chair. I've heard McCain's speech described as "workmanlike" several times already, and I suspect that will be the consensus assessment. It emphasizes that McCain has made a big mistake by agreeing to meet Obama strictly in the moderated set-piece type of debate, rather than insisting on at least some of the more free-wheeling "town hall" meetings he originally proposed (and Obama originally agreed to). McCain is much better in that forum than reading from a teleprompter.
The Palin phenomenon is still the story of this convention. By far the loudest applause during Cindy McCain's speech and just about the loudest in John McCain's were for their remarks about Sarah Palin.
Content-wise, I heard a few things I liked — some good, solid free-market, free-trade. low-tax rhetoric, the candid talk about Republicans having abandoned their principles and lost their way, and that terrific bit about education being the civil rights battle of this century.
But there was plenty that left me cold. I was reminded, as I listened to him, of something Bob Bidinotto wrote yesterday (emphasis added):
… My enthusiasm for Palin is that she arguably moves McCain to the right on economics and limited government, which is something that desperately needs to happen to his campaign and — if he wins — to his governing agenda. The convention's banner slogans of "Service" and "Country First" are the GOP's way of creating a comfort zone for McCain's morality of altruism and self-sacrificial duty. At Reason Online, Matt Welch reminds us in an outstanding column that in McCain, we aren't getting a champion of individualism, but an adversary: a champion of "national greatness" progressivism. Self-sacrifice to the nation is at the heart of such a political outlook.
I therefore need to reiterate emphatically that my only reason for supporting the McCain ticket — especially now that Palin is aboard — is that national-greatness progressivism represents a far-less-damaging and more mixed alternative to the utterly destructive, anti-American, left-Wilsonian "progressivism" of Obama. This is especially the case on the paramount issues of national security and energy production. Sadly, in this political environment, stopping Obama requires us to sign on to a philosophically chaotic and often damaging Republican candidate. The Palin pick indicates that free-market, limited-government influences at least will have a seat at the table in a McCain administration, tending to blunt his worst inclinations.
By the way, Bidinotto has posted a ton of outstanding stuff this week, mostly about Palin. Just go to his main page and start reading. Be sure to follow his link to David Harsanyi's The Libertarian Case for Palin.
UPDATE: I thought Cindy McCain's speech was rather pedestrian, and I was in and out of the room during it. But I just heard something from a talking head that puts her speech into perspective: she's never done this before!
Apparently, her speech writer wanted to see some other speeches she's given in order to get a sense of what would be appropriate for her. There aren't any. This was her debut. In front of thousands in the hall and millions on TV, she was doing this for the first time! That it was merely pedestrian and not embarrassing is something of a triumph.
I also just saw a clip of Scott Palin speaking. I'm not sure, but I think they said he was introducing Cindy McCain. Anyway, he was great — down to earth, relaxed, and funny. Like his wife, he seemed so damned genuine. The kind of guy you'd like to go drinking with and listen to his stories about fishing.
I've looked for the text or a video, but no luck. If someone knows where to find it, please post a link.
One bit that struck me (paraphrased and not all that exact) went something like this: "When Sarah talks about making a difference and cleaning up corruption and changing things …<pause for effect>… it's best to just get out of the way."
UPDATE2: You know, "I'd rather lose an election than see my country lose a war" is still one of the great statements of all time. And it's even better when you're subsequently proven right.
UPDATE3: I liked this a lot: "I know how to work with leaders who share our dreams of a safer, freer, and more prosperous world … and how to stand up to those who don't."
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: gop, mccain, palin, politics, republicans | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Richard on September 4, 2008
Wow. Just wow. Last week, I was impressed by Barack Obama's speech. He's a fine orator and it was elegant rhetoric. Tonight, I was blown away by Sarah Palin. No, she wasn't an elegant orator. She was something better. She was poised, strong, smart, charismatic, funny — and genuine.
If you missed it, the video is here.
My favorite line (out of many great ones): "I guess a small-town mayor is sort of like a community organizer, except that you have actual responsibilities."
I have an idea for John McCain's nomination acceptance speech tomorrow night. It goes something like this:
My friends, some people have tried to make an issue of my age. I submit that the examples of Ronald Reagan and my 92-year-old mother, who's here with us tonight, demonstrate that I'm not. I'm strong and healthy and ready to serve as your president.
But by the time we meet again to select a presidential nominee, I will have served my country for almost 60 years. I think that's enough. I will have earned the right to retire.
Four years from now, I plan to ask you to accept Vice President Sarah Palin as your candidate for President. <thunderous applause>
I can see the ticket now:
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: gop, palin, politics, republicans | 5 Comments »
Posted by Richard on September 3, 2008
So I'm sitting here enjoying an adult beverage and watching the talking heads analyze tonight's RNC speeches on Fox News, and some liberal talking head says that it's ironic that Lieberman, whom Republicans were so adamantly opposed to as a VP choice, got such a warm reception. And my reaction is, "No, it's not ironic! It's exactly in character!"
See, I'm one of those people that many of those RNC delegates would have serious policy differences with. But I know from experience that they'd describe me as wrong, but not evil.
And that's how the Republicans I know — and I suspect, the ones at the convention — are different from their Democratic counterparts. They might view someone as wrong on policy issues, but not judge them as evil.
They don't want Lieberman as the veep (too many policy differences), but they're ready and willing to embrace him as a McCain supporter. Because they don't condemn him as evil. Just wrong on some issues. He's more than welcome to be part of their campaign. Because he's not evil.
The Democrats I know think that anyone who opposes them on, say, environmental issues must want to poison the air and water. Anyone who opposes them on Iraq or treatment of detainees must want to torture and kill people. They're convinced that anyone who disagrees with them is evil. Bushitler! Halliburton! Cheney! Fascism! Theocracy!
The reason that I, as a libertarian, am much more comfortable among Republicans than Democrats is because they're much more tolerant and less judgmental. Really.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: evil, lieberman, politics, tolerance | 5 Comments »
Posted by Richard on September 3, 2008
Sen. Joseph Lieberman addressing the RNC:
I'm here to support John McCain because country matters more than party.
I'm here tonight because John McCain is the best choice to bring our country together and lead our country forward.
I'm here because John McCain's whole life testifies to a great truth: being a Democrat or a Republican is important.
But it is not more important than being an American.
Both presidential candidates this year talk about changing the culture of Washington, about breaking through the partisan gridlock and special interests that are poisoning our politics.
But only one of them has actually done it.
Only one leader has shown the courage and the capability to rise above the smallness of our politics to get big things done for our country and our people.
And that leader is John McCain!
…
Senator Obama is a gifted and eloquent young man who can do great things for our country in the years ahead. But eloquence is no substitute for a record – not in these tough times.
In the Senate he has not reached across party lines to get anything significant done, nor has he been willing to take on powerful interest groups in the Democratic party.
Contrast that to John McCain's record, or the record of the last Democratic president, Bill Clinton, who stood up to some of those same Democratic interest groups and worked with Republicans to get important things done like welfare reform, free trade agreements and a balanced budget.
Governor Sarah Palin, like John McCain, is a reformer who has taken on the special interests and reached across party lines. She is a leader we can count on to help John shake up Washington.
That's why the McCain-Palin ticket is the real ticket for change this year.
Read. The. Whole. Thing.
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Posted by Richard on September 3, 2008
Long-time readers may recall that I'm a Fred Thompson fan, and I was looking forward to hearing his RNC speech tonight. It took a bit of looking to find a broadcast. The local PBS station carried it live. During applause breaks, I channel-flipped a bit, and ABC carried at least part of it delayed a bit.
I don't think CBS and NBC aired any of it. They were too busy offering their "analyses" and asking random delegates what they thought of the "troubling revelations" about Sarah Palin. Apparently, the text was available in advance (the Financial Times of London has it), so I suspect that they decided it wouldn't help the campaign for which they're in the tank to let the TV audience hear great red-meat stuff like this:
To deal with these challenges the Democrats present a history making nominee for president.
History making in that he is the most liberal, most inexperienced nominee to ever run for President. Apparently they believe that he would match up well with the history making, Democrat controlled Congress. History making because it’s the least accomplished and most unpopular Congress in our nation’s history.
Or this bit, which I especially enjoyed (quotes in original and used to show emphasis):
We need a President who understands that you don’t make citizens prosperous by making Washington richer, and you don’t lift an economic downturn by imposing one of the largest tax increases in American history.
Now our opponents tell you not to worry about their tax increases.
They tell you they are not going to tax your family.
No, they’re just going to tax ”businesses”! So unless you buy something from a ”business”, like groceries or clothes or gasoline … or unless you get a paycheck from a big or a small ”business”, don’t worry … it’s not going to affect you.
They say they are not going to take any water out of your side of the bucket, just the ”other” side of the bucket! That’s their idea of tax reform.
Go read the whole thing, and just imagine his gruff, folksy delivery in your mind.
Yeah, I like Fred.
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: fred thompson, gop, politics, republicans, taxes | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Richard on September 2, 2008
The National Taxpayers Union has a deal for you: take their pledge to not vote for tax hikers, and they'll send you a free bumper sticker declaring where you stand on taxes.
That's it on the left. I can't wait to get mine. How about you? Click the image and sign up!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: elections, politics, taxes | Leave a Comment »
Posted by Richard on September 1, 2008
Those of you who pay attention to my TTLB Ecosystem ranking (see right sidebar) may be wondering how I went from a Large Mammal to a Wiggly Worm in such short order. Well, the ecosystem rankings have gone all to hell. The rankings are currently filled with dead sites you've never heard of and 403 Forbidden pages from Blogspot. I searched for my blog and couldn't find it. I searched for Instapundit and couldn't find that either!
I don't know if this is a temporary problem, or if N.Z. Bear has simply abandoned the project, or if it's something else. If anyone has a clue, let me know.
UPDATE (9/2): Well, the ecosystem seems to be back to normal, so I suppose it was just a temporary problem with the MySQL database as Jed suggested in the comments. But the Ubercarnival and Hot Topics still aren't working, which is a shame.
Anyway, the dead blogs and 403s are gone, the bigwigs like Daily Kos, Instapundit, and Michelle Malkin are back where they belong, and I'm back to my "rightful" place in the lower half of the Large Mammals contingent. I wouldn't mind going back to Maurauding Marsupial, really, because I like this picture of one of those:
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged: blogging, ecosystem | 2 Comments »
