INANE CELEBRITY WORSHIP |
When will celebrity worship in this country end? When will Americans realize there are far more important things to consider?
Artwork by Michael Ramirez — Courtesy of IBD Editorials
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A Woman? Sure! — A Black Man? Sure! — A Mormon? H*** No!January 23rd, 2008 | 9 Comments | Posted in 2008, Barack Obama, Bigotry, Cartoon, Catholics, Christians, Corruption, Culture, Evangelicals, Faith, Hillary Clinton, Humor, IBD Editorial, LDS, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Netroots, Op/Ed, The Mormon Issue
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Some pictures are worth more than a thousand words!
Is it not true that, as Americans, just about every person alive who can vote would not hesitate one second (so they say) to vote for a black man or a woman for President? That this country has progressed over the decades to the point where racial bigotry and gender discrimination are considered relics of the past? We know that both forms of bigotry still exist, but to a much smaller degree than in years past. And yet, religious intolerance, one of the great evils that drove people to found this nation, is still the most conspicuous, insidious, and unspeakable forms of bigotry that pervades this nation!
If you don’t believe me, get a copy of ARTICLE VI — The Movie and tell me I am wrong.
There are still millions in this great nation who are religious bigots beyond comprehension — sorry to say.
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Artwork by Michael Ramirez — Courtesy of IBD Editorials
Considering Mitt? Roe v. Wade and the Real RomneyJanuary 23rd, 2008 | No Comments | Posted in 3-legged stool, Abortion, Ann Marie Curling, Character, Children, Coalition, Compassion, Conservatism, Conservative, Culture, Death, Education, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, F. Thompson, Family Values, Florida, Fred Thompson, Future, Gay Marriage, Governor, Health Care, Honesty, Marriage, Marriage Amendment, Media Bias, Mitt Romney, Morality, Murder, Pro-life, Romniac, Values, Women
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For fellow conservatives considering Mitt for the first time, it’s important to understand Mitt’s staunch support of the pro-life platform. The media has tried to downplay and negate Mitt’s position on this. They’ve managed to stick a big old post-it note on Mitt’s forehead labelled “Flip Flopper” in permanent ink. They’ve asserted that he lacks conviction. They’re wrong. As Governor, Mitt consistently stuck to conservative principles. On abortion, marriage, health care, economy and other important issues, Mitt consistenly made conservative decisions. For a great summary on Mitt’s real record, see Ann Marie’s post back in November 2007.
On Monday, the 35th anniversay of Roe v. Wade, Mitt once again committed to overturning this decision:
After 35 years of Roe v. Wade, we are again reminded why this decision should be overturned,” Romney said in a statement provided to LifeNews.com.
“We recognize the worth and dignity of every person, a fact that is ingrained in our hearts and etched in our national purpose,” Romney added. “Unelected judges should not be the final arbiters on these important decisions which define who we are as a people.”
Recently, Romney told Nevada voters that he wanted the high court to overturn the infamous decision allowing virtually unlimited abortions.
“I am pro-life, and I would welcome a time when the people of America concluded that abortion was wrong, but that’s not where America is, and that’s why I believe that the next right step for America is for the court to overturn Roe v. Wade,” he said then.
“That would return to the states and to the elected representatives of the people the ability to set their own laws related to abortion,” he said.
“Today, as Americans from across this country participate in the annual March for Life, my thoughts are with all those whose dedication and compassionate concern have done so much to educate and assist others in creating a genuine culture of life,” he said.
The last phrase is a very telling remark. As he does with so many issues, Mitt is able to look at the broader implications and ramifications of following a certain path. When he discusses his decision to become politically pro-life, Mitt often states that as Governor he realized that the effects of Roe v. Wade weren’t just limited to abortion. They extended to issues like embryonic stem cell research and teenage pregnancy, and to the very basic fabric of our culture. The question, “Are we a culture of life, or of death,” has strong ramifications for our children, their education, their government, their health, their society and their future. Mitt understood (and has helped me understand) that the issue of abortion isn’t solely about choice or murder or rights - it’s about the kind of culture, society and country we are creating (or destroying) for the next generation.
If you are unsure about Mitt’s conviction on this or other social issues such as marriage, please DO NOT believe the picture the media has painted. Please take a few minutes to visit Mitt’s site where he discusses his belief in “promoting a culture of life,” or visit the Encyclopedia Mittanica, where you can scroll down and find Mitt’s answers to just about any question, all neatly alphabetized according to issue.
Warning: if you take a few minutes to do this - to objectively look at Mitt’s platform and record, you WILL find he is a true Reagan conservative, and you WILL most likely want to join, sign up, contribute, campaign for, blog and in all other ways become a Mitt supporter! Let us know when you do - we’d love to hear your story!
This Hurts Her FeelingsJanuary 9th, 2008 | 2 Comments | Posted in 2008, Analysis, Commentary, and Editorials, Cartoons, Culture, Democrats, Ethics, Hillary Clinton, Humor, IBD Editorial
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Artwork by Michael Ramirez — Courtesy of IBD Editorials
~ Vic
Those who follow this blog know that I hold in high esteem the journalism of The Wall Street Journal. In fact, I believe it is the finest newspaper in America. But after reading two articles yesterday in the Op/Ed pages, I just about concluded that it belongs with the MSM!
I am disgusted with the media’s continued repeating of false information! Are they just lazy? What happened to honest, diligent research?
In these two articles in the Journal, they repeat as fact that Governor Romney somehow supported gay marriage. THAT IS TOTALLY, COMPLETELY, AND CATEGORICALLY FALSE! It is not some partial truth — it is altogether false! I am sick of their overall lazy writing.
Here are the two articles and cited excerpts (see truth at bottom of this post):
Who can forget Mitt Romney listening in seeming amazement, a few weeks ago, as Tim Russert pressed him to explain certain extraordinary (if politically convenient) turnabout stands he’d taken on gay marriage . . .
They include people like Bonnie (who preferred not to use her last name), an accountant who turned out in frigid temperatures to support Rudy Giuliani at an event in Salem, N.H., and who demonstrated a critical knowledge of Mr. Romney’s record: “[He] allowed gay marriages in Mass[achusetts].”
FACTS SUMMARY: Fact #1: The State of Massachusetts Supreme Court ruled that the state’s constitution permits gay marriage. That ruling came when Governor Romney was governor. Governor Romney was against the Court making new law and has been against gay marriage his entire career. Governor Romney did not sign this into law; the Court did! Fact #2: Had Governor Romney not taken action, gay couples living outside Massachusetts could have traveled to Massachusetts to get married and their marriage contract would by law have to be accepted as legally valid in the other states. Governor Romney took action, with huge opposition and political capital, to enact laws to prevent Massachusetts becoming the “Las Vegas” of gay marriage. He succeeded!
Now, read this awesome post by David French, a lawyer and outstanding researcher (co-founder with his wife, Nancy French, of Evangelicals for Mitt) — [David was recently deployed to Iraq, 12 miles from Iran]. This post was written by David almost exactly one year ago. Click here and be sure to click through the links he provides:
~ Vic
Governor Romney Needs YOUR Help to Win a National Campaign — PLEASE CONTRIBUTE NOW, HERE
Great Romney Speeches: CPAC 2007December 31st, 2007 | No Comments | Posted in 2007, 2008, Campaign Appearances, Conservatism, Conservative, Culture, Foreign Policy, Freedom, Immigration, Marriage, Mitt Romney, Pro-life, Speeches, Transcripts
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I’ve pointed out Romney’s comprehensive policy statement “Strategy for a Stronger America” in previous posts.
One of the nice things about this document is that it provides the text to a number of Romney’s major speeches. I spent some time reading the text of these speeches and was struck by how powerful and well thought out they are. They are worth reading.
Below is the text of the speech Romney delivered at the 2007 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC).
“The mainstream media is surprised that we’re here. They wrote our obituary last fall. Course, they’ve written our obituary before: after Watergate, after the 82 midterm elections, after Iran-contra, and after Bill Clinton’s election. The truth is that their wishful thinking reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated. In fact, I predict that we’ll be around a lot longer than . . . say, newspapers.
“No, conservatism is alive and well. And it is needed more than ever. America faces a new generation of challenges, critical challenges. Today is similar in many respects to what we faced as a nation 30 years ago, looking at the menacing face of communism.
“In fact, 30 years ago, in this very conference, one man stood up and told America what was needed. It was conservatism, a new coalition of conservatives that would lead to a brighter future for the nation. Ronald Reagan said this: ‘What I envision is not simply a melding together of the two branches of American conservatism into a temporary uneasy alliance, but the creation of a new, lasting majority.’ And here is where he said that this conservative alliance would lead: ‘I have seen the conservative future, and it works.’
Huckabee contemplates suicide for “guys who spent tens of millions of dollars and aren’t further ahead”December 28th, 2007 | 12 Comments | Posted in 2007, 2008, Aberrant, Character, Christians, Common Sense Issues, Culture, Disappointment, Disgust, Evangelicals, Gaffe, Iowa, MSNBC, Mike Huckabee, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Morality, Religion, Suicide, Transcripts, Video, YouTube
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I was disgusted when I saw the video below. How long will Huckabee get a pass on this kind of language? Who wants their President talking this way? Last time I checked, suicide is at best morally ambiguous and at worst a mortal sin. How can a “Christian leader” talk so lightly about such a tragic act that takes over 30,000 lives per year (and another 24,000-750,000 attempted suicides) in the United States and leaves a massive wake of devastation?
“…and the point is, with limited resources, if you look at where we are, even in the national polls, we’ve spent a nickel to the hundred dollar bill of some of these guys. It’s not that I’m depressed thinking where we are, heck, I’m pretty encouraged. If I were some of these guys who spent tens of millions of dollars and weren’t any further ahead, I’d have to be sitting in a warm tub of water with some razor blades in both hands at this point saying how much money does one have to spend uh, you know, to get on track?“
First, let’s set aside that he gets his math wrong by two orders of magnitude (he meant to say a nickel for every dollar unless he believes that Romney has spent $654M in Iowa). Those kinds of gaffes are par for the course for Huckabee.
What is he saying here? Is he saying that Romney should be depressed and commit suicide? Is he saying that if he were in Romney’s place he would be committing suicide? That seems more likely. In that case, what does it say about the moral fiber and character of Romney vs. Huckabee that Mitt is nowhere near considering suicide given that’s where Huckabee would have ended up were their situations reversed? Do we really want someone so unstable and suicidal as our next POTUS?
Huckabee fans, before you accuse me of being willfully literal in my interpretation of Huckabee’s comments, let me assure you that what I think Huck is really saying is that he feels really good about his position in Iowa and that Mitt should feel really bad.
I just object to the way he’s saying it. It is crass, mean spirited, and unbefitting a public office holder, much less a “Christian Leader.”
I sent emails to the American Association of Suicidology (AAS) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) letting them know about Mike Huckabee’s disgusting and trivializing remarks about suicide. These are leading suicide prevention and issue advocacy organizations.
If you feel similarly, you can email the AAS at info@suicidology.org and the AFSP’s Public Relations Manager, Wylie Tene at wtene@afsp.org.
UPDATE: Apparently, this story first broke back in October. And, it’s not the first time he’s done it, and he’s been called on it in the past. “Razor blades in a bathtub” is a regular part of Huckabee’s repertoire.
Implication? He must actually think that this line is funny and continues to use it despite being made aware that it can be taken the wrong way!
Much has been made of the feud between Huck and Rush. Pundits wondered if Rush was going to have an impact since he’s on vacation between now and the Iowa Caucuses on 1/3.
Read into it what you will, but the entire left column of his homepage today features the following stories:
- Rush responds to Gov. Huckabee
- Huckabee campaign chairman Ed Rollins trashes Rush instead of debating conservatism
- Governor Huckabee forces attack El Rushbo
- Callers reacto to Huckabee attacks on Rush
- Democrats want Mike Huckabee
- Identity politics and the Hucksters
- Gov. Huckabee sounds like Perot
Quoting the ancient general and warfare theorist, Sun Tzu, “Ouch…that’s going to leave a mark.” (just kidding…about the Sun Tzu part, I think it was Don Corleone)
Contrast this with what else Rush has featured on his website today:
- Mitt Romney’s Inspiring Speech (with links to the video and the text)
Recall that after the 1st debate, Rush called Romney “Reaganesque.” The high praise from El Rushbo keeps on coming. Rush has steadfastly clarified that he does not endorse in the primaries, but with “non-endorsements” like these, who needs endorsements?!
Complete transcript from Rush after the jump…
As we approach the primary voting season, there are more and more new folks finding their way to our humble blog. The information I found on this blog was extremely helpful to me as I assessed the various candidates in search of “the One.” As such, I thought it would be fitting for me to share why I am a staunch supporter of Governor Mitt Romney in his run for the White House.
In a nutshell, Mitt Romney is the only “full-spectrum” Conservative who can rally the support of all three wings of the Reagan coalition, namely, Social, Economic, and Foreign Policy Conservatives.
For a full treatment of Mitt Romney’s positions, I would refer you to his comprehensive policy book “Vision for a Strong America.” Let me summarize here, however, the highlights across the major issues:
• Foreign Policy
o War against Islamic Fascism: We are engaged in a multi-front war which will require using all of our military, economic, and diplomatic might to win; we must defeat the terrorists and those who aid and abet them as well as help the Muslim people enter the 21st century (click here and here)
o Iraq and Afghanistan: The surge is working and we must do what it takes to help Iraq and Afghanistan become stable democratic allies in the war on Islamic Fascism and support our troops (click here and here)
o Iran: Iran must not be allowed to become a nuclear state; diplomacy and economic sanctions are critical, but may not be enough; the military option must remain on the table (click here)
o Military: Need to increase defense spending to a minimum of 4% of GDP to make sure our armed forces have the equipment they need in the field and the support the need back home; the best ally of peace is a strong America (click here and here)
• Economic Policy
o Taxes: We need to keep the Bush tax cuts permanent, eliminate the Death Tax, and cut taxes on capital gains, dividends, and interest to zero for the Middle Class (click here, and here)
o Spending: We need to restrain Federal spending and close the deficit; will veto any budget where non-defense discretionary spending growth exceeds inflation minus 1%; Need to give the President a line-item veto; Strong track record of financial management from Massachusetts where he closed a $3B deficit and turned it into a $1B surplus without raising taxes; carry out a comprehensive review of government spending to increase efficiency and effectiveness (click here and here)
o Entitlements reform: Maintain benefits for current Seniors, but institute fundamental reforms combining slowing the rate of increase for benefits based on income, extending the retirement age, individual retirement accounts, and no tax increases (click here)
o Healthcare: Mitt Romney is the only candidate on either side of the aisle who implemented a universal health care plan; He covered all of the citizens of Massachusetts using market-based insurance without raising taxes; Governor Romney advocates a Federalist state-by-state approach to make health insurance more affordable for everyone (click here)
o Globalization: Continue to trade around the world but make sure we negotiate level playing fields in foreign markets and upgrade American competitiveness through investments in education and innovation (click here and here)
• Culture and Values
o Illegal immigration: Control the border first and turn of the “magnets” that attract illegal immigrants by implementing an employment verification system, no special path for illegal immigrants to become citizens (i.e. no amnesty), no sanctuary cities, increased enforcement by local police agencies (click here, here, and here)
o Traditional marriage: In favor of amending the constitution to keep marriage defined as between a man and a woman; fought the Massachusetts Supreme Court to prevent the state from becoming a destination for same-sex couples looking for marriage licenses (click here and here and here)
o Life: Much has been made of Governor Romney’s switch from being Pro-Abortion to Pro-Life; This is a critical issue for me; I have heard many times why he made this change, and I believe him; I believe that Mitt Romney will fight for the rights of the unborn and be a great leader in supporting Life (click here, here, and here)
The choice of a nominee and President, however, is not strictly a “right-brained” decision based on policy statements and positions. There needs to be something inspirational about a candidate whether it’s the way that they speak to a crowd, interact one on one, or something about their personal story that sets them apart.
Experiencing Mitt through articles and videos really helped seal the deal for me. Below, I have listed some of what I would consider the best of the best articles and videos that helped me come to the decision to support Mitt actively. I’m sure I’m missing some great material, but there is a lot down below. I would encourage you to click through as much of this as you can, and if you have a favorite that wasn’t listed, please leave a link in the comments!
Key videos, speeches, appearances, and articles:
• Articles
o Romney to the Rescue (Newsmax) – Great overview of Mitt Romney
o National Review’s endorsement of Mitt Romney
o The House that Mitt Built (Private Equity International) – Behind the scenes view of how Mitt ran Bain Capital and his leadership style
o The Making of Mitt Romney (Boston Globe) – Reasonably balanced biography of each of the major phases of Mitt’s life starting from his youth through today
o Consultant in Chief (Wall Street Journal) – Interview of Mitt where he talks about how he would fix the Federal Government
o For Romney & Company, Campaign is all Business (NY Times) – How Mitt runs his campaign and what it would mean for his Presidency
o Evangelicals for Mitt statement of support
o Mark DeMoss on why Evangelicals should support Mitt
o Ann Romney Opens Up (People Magazine) – Great interview with Ann; she would be a fantastic First Lady!
• Speeches
o “Faith in America” – Seminal address on the role of religious faith and liberty in our nation
o Address to the Value Voters Summit – Seminal address on culture and value issues
o Iowa Straw Poll victory speech
o Highlights from the Republican debates (click 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th)
o Speech at CPAC 2007 – One of Mitt’s first major addresses to the leading grassroots gathering of Conservatives; one of his best speeches in my opinion
o Presidential Campaign Announcement – Mitt announcing that he’s running and why he’s running
• Campaign videos
o Biographical overview video of Mitt Romney (click part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII)
o “Path to Victory” webcast – Mitt and Meg Whitman (CEO of eBay) discussing the 2007 campaign and discussing the plan for 2008
o Retrospective of Governor Romney’s campaign in 2007
o Online “Ask Mitt Anything” – For those of us who don’t live in an early primary state, Mitt held an online town hall meeting which provides a really good overview of his key positions
o Christmas 2006 – Behind the scenes look at the Romney family and how they made the decision together that Mitt should run for President; cynics have criticized this video as contrived, but I love the fact that he has held his family together while achieving such exceptional success; you can’t fake this stuff
• Media appearances
o Mitt on Jim Cramer of CNBC’s Mad Money – Great interview by Jim Cramer where he calls Mitt the “Best businessman in America”
o Mitt on ABC News talking about Ann – Great interview of Mitt where he discusses what he loves so much about Ann
o Mitt on Meet the Press – Tim Russert throws everything he’s got plus the kitchen sink at Mitt who proceeds to address each point in a clear, classy, and compelling way
• My favorite TV spots
o “Searched” – Compelling true story of how Mitt Romney shut down Bain Capital and moved all the employees to NYC to search for and find the daughter of one of his partners
o “Choice: Judgment” – Striking contrast ad highlighting Mike Huckabee’s 1,033 pardons and clemencies (more than 2x his three predecessors) vs. zero from Mitt Romney
o “Choice: The Record” – Ad contrasting Mitt’s record on illegal immigration vs. Mike Huckabee’s record of supporting tax payer funded scholarships and in-state tuition for illegal immigrants
o “Not Politically Correct” – Mitt’s record supporting life, English immersion education, and traditional marriage
o “Experience Matters” – Ad highlighting the lack of real world, executive experience on the part of Hillary Clinton (and equally applicable to the other Democrats)
o “Ready for Action” – Summary of Governor Romney’s stump speech in 60 seconds; user-generated ad based on a contest that was run back in September
o “Our Home” – Some precious footage of Mitt playing with his children and grandchildren; focuses on the importance of strengthening our families
o “Leadership” and “Energy” – I just love the images of Mitt jogging through the backwoods and the focus on his track record in business; I think he’s the only politician I’ve seen jogging where it looked like he was actually in shape…not just a photo op
o “Ocean” – Ad lamenting the degradation of our culture and Mitt’s thoughts on how he would like to address it; as a parent this one really resonated with me
o “Tested, Proven” – One of his early ads highlighting his track record in Massachusetts
o “I Like Vetoes” – Ad highlights his track record of vetoing excessive spending; no doubt in my mind that he’ll control spending after seeing this ad and other times when he has addressed this topic
Finally, it is one thing to support Mitt with your vote, but I’d like to ask you to consider supporting Mitt in a more active way. Like many of you, I had always followed politics, but never became active in politics (other than voting) until this year in support of Governor Romney.
This year is different. First, this is arguably the most consequential election in over twenty years. The challenges and issues that will be faced by our next President will have far reaching ramifications for our children and grandchildren.
Additionally, we face a set of candidates on the Republican side who represent vastly different positions and perspectives, some of whom threaten to tear asunder the Reagan coalition that has served us so well. Whether it is the socially liberal and sanctuary city defending Rudy Giuliani, the divisive, theocratic, soft on crime and illegal immigration, and fiscally populist Mike Huckabee, or the McCain Feingold, “Gang of 14”, and pro-Amnesty John McCain, there are clear differences in the way that each of these individuals would take the Republican Party.
If you’ve found this persuasive, please do whatever you can to support Mitt Romney’s candidacy. If you’re from Iowa, please caucus for Mitt (get more information here). Winning Iowa is job one between now and January 3.
If you are not from Iowa, please stay informed by checking in here at Elect Romney in 2008 every day. Make a donation to help Mitt win the media air war. Put on a bumper sticker or put up a yard sign (get them here). And most importantly, talk with your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors about why you’re supporting Mitt Romney! Personal testimonials from trusted individuals are by far the most effective ways to gain more supporters for Mitt!
If you still have questions or remain unconvinced, leave a comment and we’ll do our best to answer your question. Or better yet, if you are also a Mitt supporter, leave a comment telling us why! Thank you for reading!
Huck Knows More About Jamie Lynn Spears than he does the NIE Report |
As this —–>Post from SLOG states, Mr. Huckabee sure does seem to know quite a bit about Jamie Lynn Spears, it’s too bad that he doesn’t have as much care and concern about International Relations. Maybe if he spent less time reading about her, he might know more about him.
Faith In America |
Thanks to Steve Swint of “Dry Fly Politics” for the heads up on this early transcript of Mitt Romney’s historic speech today.
Based upon this brief excerpt, Gov. Romney is about to hit the home run we have all been looking for.
“There are some who may feel that religion is not a matter to be seriously considered in the context of the weighty threats that face us. If so, they are at odds with the nation’s founders, for they, when our nation faced its greatest peril, sought the blessings of the Creator. And further, they discovered the essential connection between the survival of a free land and the protection of religious freedom. In John Adam’s words: ‘We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion… Our constitution was made for a moral and religious people.’”
“Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom. Freedom opens the windows of the soul so that man can discover his most profound beliefs and commune with God. Freedom and religion endure together, or perish alone.
“It is important to recognize that while differences in theology exist between the churches in America, we share a common creed of moral convictions. And where the affairs of our nation are concerned, it’s usually a sound rule to focus on the latter – on the great moral principles that urge us all on a common course. Whether it was the cause of abolition, or civil rights, or the right to life itself, no movement of conscience can succeed in America that cannot speak to the convictions of religious people.“We separate church and state affairs in this country, and for good reason. No religion should dictate to the state nor should the state interfere with the free practice of religion. But in recent years, the notion of the separation of church and state has been taken by some well beyond its original meaning. They seek to remove from the public domain any acknowledgment of God. Religion is seen as merely a private affair with no place in public life. It is as if they are intent on establishing a new religion in America – the religion of secularism. They are wrong.“The founders proscribed the establishment of a state religion, but they did not countenance the elimination of religion from the public square. We are a nation ‘Under God’ and in God, we do indeed trust. “We should acknowledge the Creator as did the founders – in ceremony and word. He should remain on our currency, in our pledge, in the teaching of our history, and during the holiday season, nativity scenes and menorahs should be welcome in our public places. Our greatness would not long endure without judges who respect the foundation of faith upon which our constitution rests. I will take care to separate the affairs of government from any religion, but I will not separate us from ‘the God who gave us liberty.’”
~~John Cronin~~
In my adult life, I have tried very hard to reserve the use of the word outstanding for those rare, truly amazing situations. Forgive me for not truncating this post. This is one of those Op/Ed pieces that is nothing short of outstanding. Is there any doubt why President Reagan chose Peggy Noonan to be among his talented speech writers?
Click here to read Noonan’s column at the online source:
[emphasis is mine]
I will never forget that breathtaking moment when, in the CNN/YouTube debate earlier this fall, the woman from Ohio held up a picture and said, “Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Obama, Mr. Edwards, this is a human fetus. Given a few more months, it will be a baby you could hold in your arms. You all say you’re ‘for the children.’ I would ask you to look America in the eye and tell us how you can support laws to end this life. Thank you.”
They were momentarily nonplussed, then awkwardly struggled to answer, to regain lost high ground. One of them, John Edwards I think, finally criticizing the woman for being “manipulative,” using “hot images” and indulging in “the politics of personal destruction.” The woman then stood in the audience for her follow up. “I beg your pardon, but the literal politics of personal destruction–of destroying a person–is what you stand for.”
Oh, I wish I weren’t about to say, “Wait, that didn’t happen.” For of course it did not. Who of our media masters would allow a question so piercing on such a painful and politically incorrect subject?
I thought of this the other night when citizens who turned out to be partisans for Mrs. Clinton, Mr. Obama and Mr. Edwards asked the Republicans, in debate, would Jesus support the death penalty, do you believe every word of the Bible, and what does the Confederate flag mean to you?
It was a good debate, feisty and revealing. It’s not bad that the questions had a certain spin, and played on stereotypes of the GOP. It’s just bad that it doesn’t quite happen at Democratic debates. Somehow, there, an obscure restraint sets in on the part of news producers. Too bad. Running for most powerful person in the world is, among other things, an act of startling presumption. They all should be grilled, everyone, both sides. Winter voting approaches; may many chestnuts be roasted on an open fire.
In New York I find more and more people who think this week’s political scandal, Rudy Giuliani and the cost and means of payment of his visits to the Hamptons, following so closely the indictment of his former police commissioner, will fatally damage his candidacy. I don’t know. The specifics on both stories aside, I’m not sure scandal is what it used to be.
Two things are true in the modern media environment, and they collide with each other and may tend to cancel each other out. One is that a scandal makes its way around the world and into the bloodstream right away and with full force, through the Internet and cable. The other is that a lot of scandals have made their way around the world and into the bloodstream in the past 10 years. Immediacy and broad knowledge collide with sheer glut. Everyone has heard so much about so many. At some point, don’t voters start to see all of public life as one big polluted river? And if they do, don’t they stop saying things like “That’s a busted tire floating by” and “That’s an old shoe”? If they’re familiar with the principle, as Thoreau said, don’t they become less attentive to its numerous applications?
Add to that the fact that in the past decade, concurrent with the rise of new media, the Clintons perfected a new method of scandal management that starts with “These are lies spread by a partisan conspiracy,” proceeds to “That’s old news,” and ends a few years later, when detailed books come out, with “That’s rehash for cash.” This strategy is not a constructive contribution to our political culture, but it has worked in the new environment. They’ll teach it in political science media management courses in the future.
Mrs. Clinton is acting as if she’s scared. She insists to Katie Couric that she’s the next president–”It will be me”–and she’s back to using the language of aggression — there’s been a lot of “beat,” as in they’ve been trying to “beat me.” In the first 60 seconds of her Couric interview she used some variation on the word “attack” five times. If Mitt Romney talked like this, they’d be asking who put the Red Bull in his milkshake.
She continues her political kleptomania in terms of themes from the 1988 presidential campaign, which seems to preoccupy her. A few months ago she was saying she was born in the middle of America in the middle of the century, which is what George H.W. Bush said of Dan Quayle. She proceeded to call herself famous but unknown, which is what was said of Mr. Bush at the time. Now she calls herself ready from day one to be president. Old Bush’s tag line in his ‘88 commercials was “Ready on day one to be a great president.”
This is the first time she’s faced a real threat, in Barack Obama, and it’s left me thinking about how being The Inevitable is a high-risk game. You can get far being the inevitable choice. A lot of people will believe it and support you, especially the weak, and the pragmatic. They give you early support and early money. Others see the endorsements and contributions. Another level of giver and supporter kicks in. It starts to show in the national polls. Everyone knows you’re inevitable.
But there are two problems with this strategy. One is that your support is by definition broad but shallow. You have a lot of people, but they won’t crawl over broken glass for you. When I talk to Hillary supporters they mostly enact a facsimile of what they think passion is, and are reduced to a dulled aggression. “We’re gonna win.”
The second part of the inevitability problem is that once you seem no longer inevitable–once the polls stop rising or start to fall, once that air is out of the balloon and the thing that made everyone fall in line is gone–well, what do you do? If the main argument of your candidacy is you’re inevitable and suddenly you’re evitable, where does that leave you? What does it leave you with? Mere hunger. Insistence: “It will be me.”
And anger at this nobody who wasn’t even in the Senate when you took the big votes, this cream puff who was a functionary in Chicago when you were getting your head beaten in by Ken Starr. What does Mrs. Clinton do when she’s feeling angry? What has she done in the past? Goodness, this won’t be pretty.
Inevitable is a good game to play until it doesn’t work anymore. A while back I was speaking to a Democrat who supports Mrs. Clinton, and I mentioned in passing that Obama might win the nomination. “Nothing is written.” The Clinton supporter said, “Well I would love to support Obama if that happens.” It was a standard thing to say, and yet the Clintonite said it awful quick.
In any case, there’s something that comes like relief, like a boost, when politics turns out to be surprising, when the inevitable gets evitable, when the machine is slowed. It reminds you who really runs the place, that for all our mess it still comes down to the person in the precinct walking to the caucus site on ground that crunches from the cold. Here’s to surprise. It’s a great antidote to cynicism.
Ms. Noonan is a contributing editor of The Wall Street Journal and author of “John Paul the Great: Remembering a Spiritual Father” (Penguin, 2005), which you can order from the OpinionJournal bookstore. Her column appears Fridays on OpinionJournal.com.
Three to five times a week someone laments to me that Governor Romney is not being mentioned as much as other candidates in the media and somehow I am glad. He is on point with his strategy and working tirelessly to win all the early states. Let the talking heads opine all they want about the flavor of the month and to contribute to Ms. Clinton’s inevitability. She, along with the other Democrat candidates, will continue to use the presumptuous words, “When I am President . . . “ while Governor Romney uses the words at campaign stumps and other events, “If I am elected President by the people . . . ” Character does matter.
~ Vic
Please Help Mitt Get His Message Out —-> MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
“The way to succeed is never quit. That’s it. But really be humble about it.”
— Alex Haley, American author (1921-1992)
You know how we often hear the term “the liberal elite” which connotes some ivory tower intellectual superiority? It might only be I who thinks such a term is rather an oxymoron. This great article on discoveries in stem cell research reminds me of the same liberal forces of the last two decades that have argued that ending life in the womb is “a right” while at the same time suing drunk drivers that cause accidents resulting in the death of a fetus.
This entire Wall Street Journal Op/Ed piece is outstanding and is a must-read for any conservative. Link —–> Trading Places — Will the secular left soon attack the religious right for being pro-science? — BY JOSEPH BOTTUM
Or, maybe, the argument is just beginning, for this news turns on its head everything in what the nation’s newspapers have delivered to us as a story of blinkered pro-lifers vs. courageous scientists.
The people who turn out actually to have believed in the power of science are the pro-lifers–the ones who said that a moral roadblock is not, in point of fact, an outrageous hindrance, for scientists will always find another, less-objectionable way to achieve their goals. President Bush’s refusal of federal funding for new embryonic stem cell lines didn’t halt major stem-cell advances, any more than the prohibition against life-threatening research on human subjects, such as the infamous Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis in the Negro Male, stopped the advance of medical treatments.
For those who attacked the pro-lifers in the name of science, however, things look a little different. As Maureen L. Condic explained to First Thigns readers this year in her careful survey, “What We Know About Embryonic Stem Cells,” the promises of medical breakthroughs were massively overblown by the media.
But there were reasons for all the hype. I have long suspected that science, in the context of the editorial page of the New York Times, was simply a stalking-horse for something else. In fact, for two something-elses: a chance to discredit America’s religious believers, and an opportunity to put yet another hedge around the legalization of abortion. After all, if our very health depends on the death of embryos, and we live in a culture that routinely destroys early human life in the laboratory, no grounds could exist for objecting to abortion.
With these purposes now severed by the Japanese de-differentiation technique, which way will it break?
The answer is, quite possibly, toward a rejection of science by the mainstream press. Since the 1960s, abortion has skewed American politics in strange and unnatural ways, and the cloning debates are no exception. Recently John Tierney of the New York Times had a long article called “Are Scientists Playing God? It Depends on Your Religion.” It’s a little unfortunately timed, given the news from England about Mr. Wilmut’s change of heart, but the theme is that American Christians and European post-Christians are unlike the Chinese, Koreans and other Easterners with no history of opposition to science.
The whole idea seems more than a little peculiar, when one reflects on the birthplaces of modern science. And yet, Mr. Tierney sees something that is, from his perspective, genuinely hard to explain: The left in America and Europe supports destructive embryonic research, while it increasingly rejects genetically modified “Frankenfoods.”
Shake loose from the narrative of antiscience fundamentalists and pro-science liberals, however, and a different story starts to be visible. Abortion skewed the political discussion of all this, pinning the left to a defense of science it doesn’t actually hold. The more natural line is agitation against Frankenfoods and all genetic modification, particularly given the environmentalism to which the campaign against global warming is tying the left.
Narratives about positions on public policy are like enormous steamships: It takes a long time to turn them around. But if the news of stem-cell breakthroughs prove accurate, we may well see over the next few years a gradual reversal in news stories and editorials. Watch for it, now that abortion is out of the equation: much less hype about all the miracle cures that stem cells will bring us, more suspicion about the cancers and genetic pollution that may result, and just about the same amount of bashing of religious believers–this time for their ignorant support of science.
Oh, the wonder of the fluid logic of the elite liberal mind!
~ Vic
Please Help Mitt Get His Message Out —->MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
“The liar’s punishment is not in the least that he is not believed, but that he cannot believe anyone else.”
— George Bernard Shaw, Anglo-Irish dramatist and wit (1856-1950)
Huckabee is “angling to be Giuliani’s running mate”November 27th, 2007 | 10 Comments | Posted in 2008, Abortion, Competitors, Culture, Mike Huckabee, Rudolph Giuliani, Rudy Giuliani, Values
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From ABC’s Political Radar blog:
Huckabee Pumps Rudy in Rudy-Romney Fight
November 26, 2007 10:18 AMABC News’ Kevin Chupka and Teddy Davis Report: Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee waded into the Rudy-Romney fight on Monday by saying that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is going to have to learn to “take one upside the head” because former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani is “an experienced fighter” who “knows how to do it.”
Huckabee also accused “Mitt” of going after “Rudy” more than “Rudy went after Mitt.”
Huckabee’s comments, which he made on a conference call with reporters, may once again fuel speculation that he is angling to be Giuliani’s running mate.
But they also reflect Huckabee’s assessment that it is Romney, who leads in Iowa and has positioned himself as a social conservative, rather than Giuliani, who is the more immediate obstacle to Huckabee’s presidential ambitions.
Over the weekend, Giuliani and Romney traded jabs over taxes, crime, immigration, abortion, and ethical standards. The sparring prompted Huckabee to say that he thanked God on Thanksgiving that he was “slicing the turkey” while his GOP rivals were “slicing each other.”
Exit question: If Huckabee really cared about social conservative issues, why would he risk a Giuliani Presidency? Why not go for the sure thing for values issues and angle to be Mitt’s running mate?
Could it be that Huck thinks that Rudy’s going to be the nominee and is putting the pursuit of power over his principles? Hmmm….
THREE OUTSTANDING OPINIONSNovember 16th, 2007 | 3 Comments | Posted in Analysis, Commentary, and Editorials, Culture, Democrats, Early Primary States, Ethics, |