I posted some congratulatory comments offered to our new president last week. Yesterday, I began looking at more critical reaction. That survey concludes today.
To be clear, the point is not to be crabby for the sake of being crabby. The fact is, 48 percent of the country voted for the other guy, and a goodly number of them will have real differences with Obama's Administration.
I figure if he can start talking about Executive Orders before Veteran's Day, we can start stiffening our necks.
Have a good one!
John Derbyshire of National Review Online admits being sour - What won this election was the packaging skills of David Axelrod, the swooning complicity of the media, the ruthless opportunism of Barack Obama, and the unprincipled thuggishness of his supporters. What lost this election was the cloth-eared cluelessness of George W. Bush, the timid squeamishness of John McCain, and the deep lack of interest in conservative principles among Republican primary voters.
Sour? You bet I’m sour. Where was conservatism in this election? Where was restraint in government? Where was national sovereignty? Where was liberty? Where was self-support? And where are those things now? Where are they headed this next four years? Down the toilet, that’s where. Pah!
David Kahane, by way of Kathryn Jean Lopez of NRO - We got this the old-fashioned way: we earned it. The other side took the fight to us, and we never took the fight to the other side, except coyly and obliquely. That's not a mistake we should make the next time. "Honorable campaigns" are for losers. Next time, call 'em as they really are, not as you wish to see 'em.
Where was Bush? Once again, and right to the bitter end, he let his passion for "loyalty" supersede what was strategically right for the party, not to mention what was best for the country. I think his reputation has nowhere to go but down; yes, he got one big thing right, but he got everything else wrong. Enough of this family in our country's politics!
Peter Kirsanow, also from NRO, and also the whole thing is worth reading - Obama will get the most lavish and extended honeymoon in history. Every time he walks to the podium without falling down will be trumpeted as the greatest accomplishment since MacArthur returned to the Philippines. It will be the natural tendency of Republicans to join in the praise, and worse, to try to be "bipartisan" when it comes to legislation that is manifestly bad for the country and abhorrent to conservative principles. This tendency will be magnified by the Republicans' fear that any opposition to Obama's policies will be portrayed as motivated by racism rather than principle.
Senator McCain is an American hero, a remarkable man. I can think of few I respect more. But he's likely to be the first to be leading the charge toward bipartisanship. This would be a mistake of galactic proportions. This must be resisted.
It's all well and good for Republicans to congratulate Obama today, and on Inauguration Day. The GOP shouldn't oppose merely for the sake of opposition. But if they were paying any attention to what Obama, Pelosi, Reid, Rangel, Schumer, etc, have been saying over the last year, they should realize that on the major issues of the day, liberals are determined to take the nation down a hard left path that will, in the words of Obama, "fundamentally transform" America.
Let the buyer beware.
Showing posts with label '08 election. Show all posts
Showing posts with label '08 election. Show all posts
11.10.2008
131. Obama, Obama, Obama, Part One
I can't help it.
The president-elect's name reminds me of Mufasa, the name of the dad lion from The Lion King. And I always think of the part where the hyenas are scaring each other by saying Mufasa's name. The one says, "Do it again!" And the reply is, "Mufasa, Mufasa, Mufasa!"
That story had a happy ending. After a lot of pain and death and stuff.
Here's some more observations from the election's aftermath -
Scott Johnson, Powerline - Despite his thoroughgoing liberalism, Obama did not run as a liberal. Liberals can run successfully for president under camouflage donned for the occasion. The camouflage will be accorded respect and deference by the press like that accorded the Emperor's new clothes.
Bill Dyer writing at Hugh Hewitt wrote a great article which should be read in it's entirety. A portion - I pray that you may acquire wisdom — wisdom beyond your tender years, your thin experience, and your inconsequential legislative achievements — wisdom as a public servant in office, rather, that is at least commensurate with the skill you've shown as a campaigner, which has been a genuine marvel. I pray for your health, because, with due respect, I regard the prospect of your Vice President-elect having to step into your shoes with genuine panic. Let's hope that he can continue to be Crazy Uncle Joe, less of a danger to the nation as Vice President than as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Mary Katharine Ham, Weekly Standard Blog - I do not know who he is. I do not know which Obama will show up in Washington, D.C. to govern. My good feelings for him have diminished considerably throughout the campaign, as I've become increasingly convinced that his post-partisan, post-racial pitch was naught but a political pose.
I'll close for now. There will be a concluding wrap-up tomorrow.
Sweet dreams.
The president-elect's name reminds me of Mufasa, the name of the dad lion from The Lion King. And I always think of the part where the hyenas are scaring each other by saying Mufasa's name. The one says, "Do it again!" And the reply is, "Mufasa, Mufasa, Mufasa!"
That story had a happy ending. After a lot of pain and death and stuff.
Here's some more observations from the election's aftermath -
Scott Johnson, Powerline - Despite his thoroughgoing liberalism, Obama did not run as a liberal. Liberals can run successfully for president under camouflage donned for the occasion. The camouflage will be accorded respect and deference by the press like that accorded the Emperor's new clothes.
Bill Dyer writing at Hugh Hewitt wrote a great article which should be read in it's entirety. A portion - I pray that you may acquire wisdom — wisdom beyond your tender years, your thin experience, and your inconsequential legislative achievements — wisdom as a public servant in office, rather, that is at least commensurate with the skill you've shown as a campaigner, which has been a genuine marvel. I pray for your health, because, with due respect, I regard the prospect of your Vice President-elect having to step into your shoes with genuine panic. Let's hope that he can continue to be Crazy Uncle Joe, less of a danger to the nation as Vice President than as chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Mary Katharine Ham, Weekly Standard Blog - I do not know who he is. I do not know which Obama will show up in Washington, D.C. to govern. My good feelings for him have diminished considerably throughout the campaign, as I've become increasingly convinced that his post-partisan, post-racial pitch was naught but a political pose.
I'll close for now. There will be a concluding wrap-up tomorrow.
Sweet dreams.
11.09.2008
130. Election Coverage, Dave Barry Style
Well, I read this the other day and I laughed for over a minute non-stop. I showed it to my son, who was home this weekend, and I cracked up again while he did the same. Maybe it's just me, but I think this is hilarious.
It is written by the brilliantly funny Dave Barry and if you are not reading him, you should be. When I grow up I want to be Dave Barry. Or James Lileks.
Anyway, enjoy -
In analyzing the results of Tuesday's historic election, the question we must ask ourselves, first and foremost, is: what the heck were the results of Tuesday's historic election?
I personally don't know. The Miami Herald made me send in this analysis before the election was actually over, so that it could be printed in a timely manner. This is part of the newspaper industry's crafty plan to defeat this ''Internet'' thing that has the youngsters so excited.
Anyway, my election analysis, based on weeks of reading political blogs, listening to talk radio and watching campaign ads on television, is that one of the following things is true:
• Barack Obama is our next president, which is very bad because he is a naive untested wealth-spreading terrorist-befriending ultraliberal socialist communist who will suddenly reveal his secret Muslim identity by riding to his inauguration on a camel shouting ''Death to Israel!'' (I mean Obama will be shouting this, not the camel) after which he will wreck the economy by sending Joe the Plumber to Guantánamo and taxing away all the income of anybody who makes over $137.50 per year and giving it to bloated government agencies that will deliberately set it on fire.
• Or, John McCain is our next president, which is very bad because he is a 287-year-old out-of-touch multiple-house-owning fascist who will rape the environment and build nuclear power plants inside elementary schools and reinstate slavery and create tax loopholes that benefit only people who own three or more personal helicopters, after which he will declare war on the entire United Nations and then keel over dead and leave us with commander-in-chief Sarah ''Flash Card'' Palin.
• Or, Ralph Nader is our next president, which is very bad because it means there has been a successful Klingon invasion.
Read the whole article.
It is written by the brilliantly funny Dave Barry and if you are not reading him, you should be. When I grow up I want to be Dave Barry. Or James Lileks.
Anyway, enjoy -
In analyzing the results of Tuesday's historic election, the question we must ask ourselves, first and foremost, is: what the heck were the results of Tuesday's historic election?
I personally don't know. The Miami Herald made me send in this analysis before the election was actually over, so that it could be printed in a timely manner. This is part of the newspaper industry's crafty plan to defeat this ''Internet'' thing that has the youngsters so excited.
Anyway, my election analysis, based on weeks of reading political blogs, listening to talk radio and watching campaign ads on television, is that one of the following things is true:
• Barack Obama is our next president, which is very bad because he is a naive untested wealth-spreading terrorist-befriending ultraliberal socialist communist who will suddenly reveal his secret Muslim identity by riding to his inauguration on a camel shouting ''Death to Israel!'' (I mean Obama will be shouting this, not the camel) after which he will wreck the economy by sending Joe the Plumber to Guantánamo and taxing away all the income of anybody who makes over $137.50 per year and giving it to bloated government agencies that will deliberately set it on fire.
• Or, John McCain is our next president, which is very bad because he is a 287-year-old out-of-touch multiple-house-owning fascist who will rape the environment and build nuclear power plants inside elementary schools and reinstate slavery and create tax loopholes that benefit only people who own three or more personal helicopters, after which he will declare war on the entire United Nations and then keel over dead and leave us with commander-in-chief Sarah ''Flash Card'' Palin.
• Or, Ralph Nader is our next president, which is very bad because it means there has been a successful Klingon invasion.
Read the whole article.
11.06.2008
129. Obama On The Mountain
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., August 28, 1963.
I was nine years old when King was killed in Memphis, April 1968. Anyone who remembers those years remembers the turbulence that bedeviled our country because of tension over the war in Vietnam and over issues of equality and justice for black Americans.
I think it was easier for those my age to lay down prejudice than it was for our elders. Indeed, some of us were so young we had not fully taken it up. However it must be said, prejudice or racism, is sin. It's a heart problem and anyone of any national origin is perfectly capable of despising anyone else for the most petty issue, including the color of one's skin. We must constantly guard our hearts against this kind of hatred and ask God for grace to offer others.
And though the USA is not perfect by any stretch, she has come a long way. The ground upon which we find ourselves standing today was probably unimaginable when I was a boy, though, King's Dream may have conjured it. We have elected a black man president of the United States. It is no small feat for Barack Obama, a man with whom I have many honest disagreements, as far as I can tell, and he is to be sincerely congratulated.
There will be time to review the election (in another post) and to cast a critical eye toward a thoroughly liberal government. For now, however, consider what has been accomplished.
Obama's race was an asset to his candidacy at every step of the way. Americans want to prove their racial good will. A black candidate whose race is incidental to his campaign and whose political skills are manifest is able to take advantage of a great moral yearning that lies deep within the American psyche. Shelby Steele, who has eloquently explored this theme in reference to Obama, refers to it as "the idealism that race is but a negligible human difference." - Scott Johnson of Powerline
It is an extraordinary thing, an achievement that will be recognized a hundred years hence, that Barack Obama has won the White House. Even those of us who opposed him, and who will no doubt be opposed to many of his policy objectives over the next four years, must pause and say congratulations on an improbable, amazing rise. Every American ought to pray for wisdom and judgment for President-elect Obama, for his safety and the safety of his country, and for the continued prosperity and greatness of America. - Hugh Hewitt of Townhall
You will be my president too, and while I am filled with trepidation, I congratulate you as sincerely as I am able, and I wish the very best for you and our great country. - Bill Dyer of Townhall
His race and his middle name, long touted as obstacles to Obama's ascendence, were not obstacles to the American people. Racism and xenophobia were background buzz in a clean campaign, existing largely in liberals' nightmares rather than in real life. It is a testament to both candidates and the American electorate that, even if the wrong man was elected, he was elected for right reasons. - Mary Katharine Ham of Weekly Standard Blog
Do you find it as interesting as I do that, come this January, we will celebrate King on one day and inagurate Obama on the next?
I was nine years old when King was killed in Memphis, April 1968. Anyone who remembers those years remembers the turbulence that bedeviled our country because of tension over the war in Vietnam and over issues of equality and justice for black Americans.
I think it was easier for those my age to lay down prejudice than it was for our elders. Indeed, some of us were so young we had not fully taken it up. However it must be said, prejudice or racism, is sin. It's a heart problem and anyone of any national origin is perfectly capable of despising anyone else for the most petty issue, including the color of one's skin. We must constantly guard our hearts against this kind of hatred and ask God for grace to offer others.
And though the USA is not perfect by any stretch, she has come a long way. The ground upon which we find ourselves standing today was probably unimaginable when I was a boy, though, King's Dream may have conjured it. We have elected a black man president of the United States. It is no small feat for Barack Obama, a man with whom I have many honest disagreements, as far as I can tell, and he is to be sincerely congratulated.
There will be time to review the election (in another post) and to cast a critical eye toward a thoroughly liberal government. For now, however, consider what has been accomplished.
Obama's race was an asset to his candidacy at every step of the way. Americans want to prove their racial good will. A black candidate whose race is incidental to his campaign and whose political skills are manifest is able to take advantage of a great moral yearning that lies deep within the American psyche. Shelby Steele, who has eloquently explored this theme in reference to Obama, refers to it as "the idealism that race is but a negligible human difference." - Scott Johnson of Powerline
It is an extraordinary thing, an achievement that will be recognized a hundred years hence, that Barack Obama has won the White House. Even those of us who opposed him, and who will no doubt be opposed to many of his policy objectives over the next four years, must pause and say congratulations on an improbable, amazing rise. Every American ought to pray for wisdom and judgment for President-elect Obama, for his safety and the safety of his country, and for the continued prosperity and greatness of America. - Hugh Hewitt of Townhall
You will be my president too, and while I am filled with trepidation, I congratulate you as sincerely as I am able, and I wish the very best for you and our great country. - Bill Dyer of Townhall
His race and his middle name, long touted as obstacles to Obama's ascendence, were not obstacles to the American people. Racism and xenophobia were background buzz in a clean campaign, existing largely in liberals' nightmares rather than in real life. It is a testament to both candidates and the American electorate that, even if the wrong man was elected, he was elected for right reasons. - Mary Katharine Ham of Weekly Standard Blog
Do you find it as interesting as I do that, come this January, we will celebrate King on one day and inagurate Obama on the next?
10.30.2008
127. Obama Is An Empty Suit With No Clothes On
I’ve been thinking all along that people would, eventually, see the truth about Obama.
They would see him as too liberal. A thug up to his elbows in corrupt, Chicago-style political practices. Facilitating ACORN voter fraud, which is Community Organizing in action. He's wrong on Israel, the Palestinians, Iraq, Iran, Russia, and Venezuela. He's a tax increaser, a wealth redistributor. An empty suit with no serious accomplishments to show for his 47 years. And I had faith that there would be time enough for all the junk to come out and Americans would reject this terribly flawed candidate resoundingly.
Now I am not so sure. And I wonder if Americans can’t see all this because they can’t see it. While conservatives went drowsily about their business in the eighties and nineties, even with majorities at times, the progressives were busy in the neighborhoods, the schools, the churches, the arts, the city councils, the think tanks, the county governments and the state legislatures. And now many Americans have learned to not see. They will not see the difference between right and wrong, up or down, left or right. Or, maybe more devastatingly, they might argue there’s really not much of a difference. And that the only thing that’s really wrong is insisting that there are things that are absolutely and always right.
We freedom loving Americans may dodge this bullet if the polls reflect an actual move to McCain. But if the culture, from kindergarten to statehouse, has determined not to see, then the future is grim indeed.
I wonder, will there be any free places left on Earth?
Less grimly, McCain is confident concerning Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Michael Barone is predicting that there will not be 60 Donkey senators. That is very good news.
They would see him as too liberal. A thug up to his elbows in corrupt, Chicago-style political practices. Facilitating ACORN voter fraud, which is Community Organizing in action. He's wrong on Israel, the Palestinians, Iraq, Iran, Russia, and Venezuela. He's a tax increaser, a wealth redistributor. An empty suit with no serious accomplishments to show for his 47 years. And I had faith that there would be time enough for all the junk to come out and Americans would reject this terribly flawed candidate resoundingly.
Now I am not so sure. And I wonder if Americans can’t see all this because they can’t see it. While conservatives went drowsily about their business in the eighties and nineties, even with majorities at times, the progressives were busy in the neighborhoods, the schools, the churches, the arts, the city councils, the think tanks, the county governments and the state legislatures. And now many Americans have learned to not see. They will not see the difference between right and wrong, up or down, left or right. Or, maybe more devastatingly, they might argue there’s really not much of a difference. And that the only thing that’s really wrong is insisting that there are things that are absolutely and always right.
We freedom loving Americans may dodge this bullet if the polls reflect an actual move to McCain. But if the culture, from kindergarten to statehouse, has determined not to see, then the future is grim indeed.
I wonder, will there be any free places left on Earth?
Less grimly, McCain is confident concerning Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Michael Barone is predicting that there will not be 60 Donkey senators. That is very good news.
10.15.2008
120. Piper Twice
About a month ago a new I-35 bridge opened in Minneapolis replacing the one which collapsed last year, as I'm sure you recall. John Piper, a pastor there and a great benefit to me and the church at large throught his writing and preaching, posted on the Desiring God blog about the event.
Among other things, Piper wrote, "If the bridge had collapsed at midnight and 13 people had died, the media would have been (rightly) filled with amazement that only 13 people had died, and officials would have been expressing relieved gratitude that the bridge did not collapse at rush hour. For if it had, surely hundreds would have died. But the fact is, there was heavy traffic on the bridge at 6:05 PM when the bridge went down and still only 13 people died. This is simply astonishing. It could not be said out loud last year because even the pain of 13 lost (and 145 injured) is not to be minimized. But now it must be said. Whatever reasons God had for not holding up the bridge at rush hour, he was merciful to spare hundreds of lives. For that we should thank him."
There is more to the article and all of it is God-centered, which Piper is always so eager for us to see and feel. Read it all here.
And while we are at it, here's an article from Piper on "Tethered Preaching" that I found to be a refreshment. You can read all of it at this link, but for now, here's a taste, "The Bible tethers us to reality. We are not free to think and speak whatever might enter our minds or what might be pleasing to any given audience—except God. By personal calling and Scripture, I am bound to the word of God and to the preaching of what the Bible says. There are few things that burden me more or refresh me more than saying what I see in the Bible. I love to see what God says in the Bible. I love to savor it. And I love to say it."
Finally, one more thing before I quit.
You have probably noticed an absence of political talk here. I admit I am weary of it and, frankly, disheartened. All outward appearances indicate that Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States. This makes me very sad. I mourn for our country that it would so readily throw over freedom for this charismatic man.
I saw the Soviet Union. I can see Cuba. I can see Venezuela. I can see the People's Republic of China. I want nothing to do with socialism. And that's why I want nothing to do with Obama. I prefer the freedoms of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
I have been meaning to write about Providence for many days now. I think it would be timely in view of the upcoming election. But I think what I have to say will be long enough to merit mutltiple posts, so it's not ready yet.
In the meantime, we must do all we can and part of that is prayer. Please pray with me that God would allow us to remain free a while longer.
Among other things, Piper wrote, "If the bridge had collapsed at midnight and 13 people had died, the media would have been (rightly) filled with amazement that only 13 people had died, and officials would have been expressing relieved gratitude that the bridge did not collapse at rush hour. For if it had, surely hundreds would have died. But the fact is, there was heavy traffic on the bridge at 6:05 PM when the bridge went down and still only 13 people died. This is simply astonishing. It could not be said out loud last year because even the pain of 13 lost (and 145 injured) is not to be minimized. But now it must be said. Whatever reasons God had for not holding up the bridge at rush hour, he was merciful to spare hundreds of lives. For that we should thank him."
There is more to the article and all of it is God-centered, which Piper is always so eager for us to see and feel. Read it all here.
And while we are at it, here's an article from Piper on "Tethered Preaching" that I found to be a refreshment. You can read all of it at this link, but for now, here's a taste, "The Bible tethers us to reality. We are not free to think and speak whatever might enter our minds or what might be pleasing to any given audience—except God. By personal calling and Scripture, I am bound to the word of God and to the preaching of what the Bible says. There are few things that burden me more or refresh me more than saying what I see in the Bible. I love to see what God says in the Bible. I love to savor it. And I love to say it."
Finally, one more thing before I quit.
You have probably noticed an absence of political talk here. I admit I am weary of it and, frankly, disheartened. All outward appearances indicate that Barack Obama will be the next president of the United States. This makes me very sad. I mourn for our country that it would so readily throw over freedom for this charismatic man.
I saw the Soviet Union. I can see Cuba. I can see Venezuela. I can see the People's Republic of China. I want nothing to do with socialism. And that's why I want nothing to do with Obama. I prefer the freedoms of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
I have been meaning to write about Providence for many days now. I think it would be timely in view of the upcoming election. But I think what I have to say will be long enough to merit mutltiple posts, so it's not ready yet.
In the meantime, we must do all we can and part of that is prayer. Please pray with me that God would allow us to remain free a while longer.
9.11.2008
113. 9-11 Plus Seven
We all know what today is and it is certain that you have seen and heard reminders of various kinds throughout the day. I have nothing special to add.But, let's not forget. Let's not forget What or When or Who. And, remembering, let us fight to preserve our Liberty. Let's fight Tyrants and spread Liberty abroad.
Today's anniversary casts a shadow over some of what I had in mind as I sat to write. But some of it is appropriate. I won't be maudlin nor emotionally manipulative. However, in Remembering, we see the choices we face in November in a different light, just as the Novembers of '02, '04, and '06 were rightly seen differently from elections past.
You must read this article from Powerline. Among other things, it quotes Diana West saying, "'We appear to have decided to remember 9/11 as something akin to a natural disaster that came and went rather than as a part of a diffuse but discernable push to advance the law of Islam." Moreover, Diana contends that one "effect of 9/11 has been, on balance, an accelerated campaign of accommodation of Islam's law in the West.'"
If you are like me, you want to live in a free America, not an Islamic one. If we are to remain free, there is going to have to come a point where we throw the fanatics' tea into the harbor.
Who, you may ask yourself, is more likely to throw the tea into the harbor, should it become necessary? The Democrat or the Republican? This article has an idea and here is a bit of it: "We will listen closely in the debates to what Sens. Obama and McCain say about Islamic terror. To vote for Sen. Obama is to also vote for a Democratic Party that consumed most of the political system's available oxygen for seven years fighting a U.S. president harder than they did the perpetrators of September 11. Political struggle is ever with us, but given the realities that 9/11 revealed (as did the terror bombings in Europe), the relentless scale of the Democratic opposition to the Bush administration's antiterror policies is hard to square."
Any vote for ANY Democrat is a vote to strengthen the party and it positions. And of late, the Donkeys' prevailing attribute is to fight Republicans harder than the terrorists. Would they really rather lose a war than lose an election? This is unconscionable.
9.10.2008
112. Talkin' Baseball
OK, this time we mean it. The baseball team that shall remain nameless is in St. Louis this week for three games and the Cardinals really need this series to stay alive in the playoff hunt. The Cards have not had much success against the @*!$ this season. But it is time for St. Louis to fish or cut bait. And I had feared that a bait-cutting festival would ensue.
However, results are mixed so far, with St. Louis winning Tuesday night in dramatic fashion, but tonight's Cardinal rally fell short. We gotta win tomorrow, that's all.
Incidentally, there will be no logos from the team that shall not be named posted on this blog. Granted, the logo has a classic look and, under different circumstances, it would be displayed.
But you gotta draw the line some where.
On a baseball related note, one writer is proposing two wild card teams in each league for the playoffs and I actually like the idea.
Basically, I hate the Wild Card. I will not spill a lot a ink over why, but it boils down to a couple of things. Briefly, I think you should actually win something to advance. There's a reason they play 162 games and a season that long usually grinds things pretty fine. You know who the first place teams are and who they are not. The other thing is that any team can win 4 games in 9 days in October and this is borne out by that fact that one third of the World Series Champs since inception of the Wild Card have been, in fact, teams that could not win their division during the year. Wild Cards.
But, get a load of this idea. ". . . there is a way to restore full meaning to the 162-game schedule, and give teams a significant incentive to win their division rather than be happy just to make the playoffs. Tom Hirdt of the Elias Sports Bureau has suggested that instead of one wild-card team in each league, there should be two – and that these two teams should face each other in a one-game playoff to determine who moves on to the divisional series."
There's more - "Under this new structure, winning your division is of paramount importance. You’ll do anything you can to stay out of that one-game win-or-go-home situation. Late-season games against your division rivals become vital and electric." (emphasis mine)
I like it. I hope it comes about. Write your congressman.
Better yet, call Sarah Palin.
How can you measure the effect of Palin on the election?
The other day my wife, who typically would ask me, "OK, who are we voting for?" on the day before an election day, is all fired up to go pull the lever for McCain/Palin. My wife is very intelligent, but generally uninterested in politics.
But that was then and this is now.
And after watching and hearing the relentless, uninformed, mindless, partisan and biased attacks lobbed Palin's way and enabled by mainstream media that has abandoned all pretense concerning fairness, my bride remarked, "I miss Tim Russert."
We all do.
However, results are mixed so far, with St. Louis winning Tuesday night in dramatic fashion, but tonight's Cardinal rally fell short. We gotta win tomorrow, that's all.
Incidentally, there will be no logos from the team that shall not be named posted on this blog. Granted, the logo has a classic look and, under different circumstances, it would be displayed.
But you gotta draw the line some where.
On a baseball related note, one writer is proposing two wild card teams in each league for the playoffs and I actually like the idea.
Basically, I hate the Wild Card. I will not spill a lot a ink over why, but it boils down to a couple of things. Briefly, I think you should actually win something to advance. There's a reason they play 162 games and a season that long usually grinds things pretty fine. You know who the first place teams are and who they are not. The other thing is that any team can win 4 games in 9 days in October and this is borne out by that fact that one third of the World Series Champs since inception of the Wild Card have been, in fact, teams that could not win their division during the year. Wild Cards.
But, get a load of this idea. ". . . there is a way to restore full meaning to the 162-game schedule, and give teams a significant incentive to win their division rather than be happy just to make the playoffs. Tom Hirdt of the Elias Sports Bureau has suggested that instead of one wild-card team in each league, there should be two – and that these two teams should face each other in a one-game playoff to determine who moves on to the divisional series."
There's more - "Under this new structure, winning your division is of paramount importance. You’ll do anything you can to stay out of that one-game win-or-go-home situation. Late-season games against your division rivals become vital and electric." (emphasis mine)
I like it. I hope it comes about. Write your congressman.
Better yet, call Sarah Palin.
How can you measure the effect of Palin on the election?
The other day my wife, who typically would ask me, "OK, who are we voting for?" on the day before an election day, is all fired up to go pull the lever for McCain/Palin. My wife is very intelligent, but generally uninterested in politics.
But that was then and this is now.
And after watching and hearing the relentless, uninformed, mindless, partisan and biased attacks lobbed Palin's way and enabled by mainstream media that has abandoned all pretense concerning fairness, my bride remarked, "I miss Tim Russert."
We all do.
9.07.2008
111. Sunday Afternoon
Here comes McCain-Palin. Polls out today show McCain-Palin leading Obama-Biden by 3 or 4 points depending on the poll, one shows it essentially even. More good news - the data does not include results from the entirety of the RNC.
McCain is the real deal, a man of accomplishment and courage. Obama is a pretender, a man of two memoirs at age 47 and adept at reading a telepromter. John McCain is a classic, old book you love to read over and over. Obama is a Blackberry with your favorite chapter from the story. The Blackberry you carry in your briefcase. The book is carried in your heart.
It's not going to be close.
Incidentally, Democrats, I don't think you'll be too pleased with what happens to your Congress this fall, either. Just sayin'.
Enough politics for today.
I'm reading Ezekiel right now and I am really struck by the language God uses to describe Israel. He says they've been an unfaithful wife and have gone whoring. God says they learned all this in Egypt.
When they got to the promised land, they took up with the Assyrians and the Chaldeans (Babylonians). Israel, north and south, lusted after the gods of these lands and worshipped them, despising the one true God whose mighty acts on their behalf they saw.
And God judges them and look who the instruments of His wrath are. The Assyrians and the Babylonians. Yes, the ones Samaria and Judah desired, betrayed God for, became their conquerors. What a striking image!
Friends, let's always watch our hearts and never esteem any thing or any one above God our Treasure.
McCain is the real deal, a man of accomplishment and courage. Obama is a pretender, a man of two memoirs at age 47 and adept at reading a telepromter. John McCain is a classic, old book you love to read over and over. Obama is a Blackberry with your favorite chapter from the story. The Blackberry you carry in your briefcase. The book is carried in your heart.
It's not going to be close.
Incidentally, Democrats, I don't think you'll be too pleased with what happens to your Congress this fall, either. Just sayin'.
Enough politics for today.
I'm reading Ezekiel right now and I am really struck by the language God uses to describe Israel. He says they've been an unfaithful wife and have gone whoring. God says they learned all this in Egypt.
When they got to the promised land, they took up with the Assyrians and the Chaldeans (Babylonians). Israel, north and south, lusted after the gods of these lands and worshipped them, despising the one true God whose mighty acts on their behalf they saw.
And God judges them and look who the instruments of His wrath are. The Assyrians and the Babylonians. Yes, the ones Samaria and Judah desired, betrayed God for, became their conquerors. What a striking image!
Friends, let's always watch our hearts and never esteem any thing or any one above God our Treasure.
8.30.2008
110. Your Comments
I thought I would cull the comments here at Central Standard and write about them. We are an interactive blog!
Cousin Bob from Poppy's Front Porch comments on Politics. Concerning McCain's VP selection. He said, "I hope you're right, (about Romney) and we should know today. I also wonder if it might be some "dark horse" that we haven't heard discussed yet."
Well! It was a Dark Horse selection and perhaps the cousin had some inside info from his neck of the woods in KC? After all, Obama was there the other day. Or was it St. Louis?
Friend Ryan wrote about the veep selection also. He said, "I love the fact that the McCain camp is floating these ads during the commercial breaks at the democrats' conclave. That's being proactive...hopefully he'll pick a decent VP. I hope he stays away from an unknown figure and goes with Huckabee (my personal choice) or Romney. I think Romney could be a negative over the next couple of months in the campaign...they'll exploit his wealth."
Sorry, Ryan, this didn't go at all like you preferred regarding an unknown or Huckabee.
One of the things Ryan sort of got at in his comment was the potential for someone dragging down the ticket. Frankly, even though I prefered Romney in the process, none of the known names provided much 'juice' to the ticket, in my mind. But Sarah Palin does. I think McCain hit it out of the park by choosing her.
Bob also opined on the Mo governor's race, saying he'll vote Hulsoff, but fears it's an uphill battle. I agree. I think "uphill battle" is the BEST Hulsoff could hope for against Jay Nixon.
Finally, Bob again on the Logo Farming that graces the right side of the blog. "So, who are / were the Whalers, anyway? Neat logo, I saw the W shaped like a tail fin...and it took me a while to notice the negative white space could be an H. My favorite might be the Brooklyn Dodgers with the bat at an angle, causing the words around the circular logo to be displaced a bit."
Right on, Bob! The Hartford (the white space is indeed an 'H') Whalers were in the old World Hockey Association and joined the NHL in 1979, along with a few others from the WHA. In 1997 the Whalers moved to North Carolina and became the Hurricanes. They later won a Stanley Cup there. The Whalers have a nearly cult-like following of fans longing, much like Brooklyn baseball fans, for the days when "the Whale" still skated in Hartford. Check out the earliest Whalers Logo.
And that Brooklyn logo is also one of my favorites. I like the same things you do, but the feature I like best is the Bridge.
'Til next time.
Cousin Bob from Poppy's Front Porch comments on Politics. Concerning McCain's VP selection. He said, "I hope you're right, (about Romney) and we should know today. I also wonder if it might be some "dark horse" that we haven't heard discussed yet."
Well! It was a Dark Horse selection and perhaps the cousin had some inside info from his neck of the woods in KC? After all, Obama was there the other day. Or was it St. Louis?
Friend Ryan wrote about the veep selection also. He said, "I love the fact that the McCain camp is floating these ads during the commercial breaks at the democrats' conclave. That's being proactive...hopefully he'll pick a decent VP. I hope he stays away from an unknown figure and goes with Huckabee (my personal choice) or Romney. I think Romney could be a negative over the next couple of months in the campaign...they'll exploit his wealth."
Sorry, Ryan, this didn't go at all like you preferred regarding an unknown or Huckabee.
One of the things Ryan sort of got at in his comment was the potential for someone dragging down the ticket. Frankly, even though I prefered Romney in the process, none of the known names provided much 'juice' to the ticket, in my mind. But Sarah Palin does. I think McCain hit it out of the park by choosing her.
Bob also opined on the Mo governor's race, saying he'll vote Hulsoff, but fears it's an uphill battle. I agree. I think "uphill battle" is the BEST Hulsoff could hope for against Jay Nixon.
Finally, Bob again on the Logo Farming that graces the right side of the blog. "So, who are / were the Whalers, anyway? Neat logo, I saw the W shaped like a tail fin...and it took me a while to notice the negative white space could be an H. My favorite might be the Brooklyn Dodgers with the bat at an angle, causing the words around the circular logo to be displaced a bit."
Right on, Bob! The Hartford (the white space is indeed an 'H') Whalers were in the old World Hockey Association and joined the NHL in 1979, along with a few others from the WHA. In 1997 the Whalers moved to North Carolina and became the Hurricanes. They later won a Stanley Cup there. The Whalers have a nearly cult-like following of fans longing, much like Brooklyn baseball fans, for the days when "the Whale" still skated in Hartford. Check out the earliest Whalers Logo.
And that Brooklyn logo is also one of my favorites. I like the same things you do, but the feature I like best is the Bridge.
'Til next time.
8.29.2008
108. My Guess Was Wrong
Barring a Tom Eagleton-like breakdown, Mitt Romney will not be Vice President of the United States any time soon. My guess was wrong.
The next vice president with either be Joe Biden or Sarah Palin. I will bet dollars to donuts it will be Palin. I don't bet, of course.
I saw the announcement today from Dayton, Ohio and Palin is terrific. That seems to be the consensus of the blog world also or, at least, the portion of it that I bother with. Conseratives are stoked, by and large.
I think poll-watching will be fun over the next two weeks or so. By Sunday we should have all the Obama convention results in the poll. Whatever bounce he's going to get will be there. After that, it's all about how much the GOP can chip away. I am optimistic.
The Cardinals Toast Quotient is approaching critical levels. They are competing, they're playing hard, but they don't have the horses. The Cubs are beginning to pull away and St. Louis just can't seem to pick up ground on Milwaukee in the Wild Card race.
But, don't quit looking at them. Prince Albert is leading the National League in batting and may just bring home a batting title. He'll get lots of votes for MVP, but being out of the playoffs will depress his vote total.
I have to say that I thought we'd see more from the Royals this year, though they had a nice early portion of the season. I don't know what to say as I don't follow as closely there. I think the GM and the manager are solid. Probably a lack of horsepower in KC, too.
Mizzou starts tomorrow. I can hardly wait to see how good they will be. The National Title is the goal. Oh my! Are these the Missouri Tigers we are talking about?
The next vice president with either be Joe Biden or Sarah Palin. I will bet dollars to donuts it will be Palin. I don't bet, of course.
I saw the announcement today from Dayton, Ohio and Palin is terrific. That seems to be the consensus of the blog world also or, at least, the portion of it that I bother with. Conseratives are stoked, by and large.
I think poll-watching will be fun over the next two weeks or so. By Sunday we should have all the Obama convention results in the poll. Whatever bounce he's going to get will be there. After that, it's all about how much the GOP can chip away. I am optimistic.
The Cardinals Toast Quotient is approaching critical levels. They are competing, they're playing hard, but they don't have the horses. The Cubs are beginning to pull away and St. Louis just can't seem to pick up ground on Milwaukee in the Wild Card race.
But, don't quit looking at them. Prince Albert is leading the National League in batting and may just bring home a batting title. He'll get lots of votes for MVP, but being out of the playoffs will depress his vote total.
I have to say that I thought we'd see more from the Royals this year, though they had a nice early portion of the season. I don't know what to say as I don't follow as closely there. I think the GM and the manager are solid. Probably a lack of horsepower in KC, too.
Mizzou starts tomorrow. I can hardly wait to see how good they will be. The National Title is the goal. Oh my! Are these the Missouri Tigers we are talking about?
107. My Guess
I posted earlier that I thought Romney would be a strong choice. I think it will be Romney.
Romney's strength is the economy and this is where the Democrats will hit McCain. Plus, Romney gives McCain a shot at Michigan and that state is in play right now.
I know Pawlenty's schedule has been cleared, but I wonder if that's not a diversionary tactic on the part of General McCain.
Of course I could be wrong - I'm rarely right about these things.
But I think it's Romney.
Romney's strength is the economy and this is where the Democrats will hit McCain. Plus, Romney gives McCain a shot at Michigan and that state is in play right now.
I know Pawlenty's schedule has been cleared, but I wonder if that's not a diversionary tactic on the part of General McCain.
Of course I could be wrong - I'm rarely right about these things.
But I think it's Romney.
8.25.2008
106. Donkeys In Denver, Tigers In St. Louis
I have already written that I think McCain's timing for his VP selection is very good. He'll probably, though I haven't heard, get it out in time for the evening newscasts so it will be the last big story before the weekend, when news is typically slower. After a week of Democratic hot air, McCain will have the last, succinct word. Beautiful.
This article hits just the right notes concerning how to pick a VP I think. Here’s some quotes - "Vice presidential nominees can hurt the top of the ticket. They can lose the one debate when the country is watching. They can disappoint key parts of the base and send them to the sidelines. They can make gaffes on the trail and thus feed the hostile MSM with storylines."
"But the most they can help is in a handful of states and on three crucial occasions --when they are announced, when they speak to the convention and when they debate."
"The only one of the rumored possible veeps who will almost certainly help in key states and on those three crucial dates is Romney, though Pawlenty is a likely assist across all categories as well. Senators Lieberman and Hutchison, Secretary Ridge, former Congressman Portman etc --they all raise worries about these four factors."
"Senator McCain is even going into the conventions, which very few observers thought would be the case. There is no reason for going long at this point, and every reason to allow Obama to keep beating himself."
I say just hit it long and straight and right down the middle.
Romney.
I have Obama fatigue and the Democratic National Convention is as good a time as any to get away from politics because nothing of interest will happen there. So this is the ideal time to write about Mizzou football.
This promises to be an exciting year, one very different from previous years. In the past I would get the schedule and try to figure out how many victories were there in the schedule. And, basically, you would hope for about 8 wins. Enough to be respectable and competitive. And often it would take two or three years to get 8 wins.
This year is way different and I gotta say I’m not used to it. The Tigers are being mentioned as National Champ contenders and typically those kinds of teams have a chance to run the table, i.e., win all their games. Yikes! The very thought of Missouri having the kind of football team that could win all its games, and therefore be Big 12 champs, and be in the race for the National Title is mind-boggling.
What it means is that beating Illinois this Saturday at the Jones Dome in St. Louis is as important as beating everyone in the conference and winning the conference title game. We must win every game.
Wow. The air is thin up here!
This article hits just the right notes concerning how to pick a VP I think. Here’s some quotes - "Vice presidential nominees can hurt the top of the ticket. They can lose the one debate when the country is watching. They can disappoint key parts of the base and send them to the sidelines. They can make gaffes on the trail and thus feed the hostile MSM with storylines."
"But the most they can help is in a handful of states and on three crucial occasions --when they are announced, when they speak to the convention and when they debate."
"The only one of the rumored possible veeps who will almost certainly help in key states and on those three crucial dates is Romney, though Pawlenty is a likely assist across all categories as well. Senators Lieberman and Hutchison, Secretary Ridge, former Congressman Portman etc --they all raise worries about these four factors."
"Senator McCain is even going into the conventions, which very few observers thought would be the case. There is no reason for going long at this point, and every reason to allow Obama to keep beating himself."
I say just hit it long and straight and right down the middle.
Romney.
I have Obama fatigue and the Democratic National Convention is as good a time as any to get away from politics because nothing of interest will happen there. So this is the ideal time to write about Mizzou football.
This promises to be an exciting year, one very different from previous years. In the past I would get the schedule and try to figure out how many victories were there in the schedule. And, basically, you would hope for about 8 wins. Enough to be respectable and competitive. And often it would take two or three years to get 8 wins.
This year is way different and I gotta say I’m not used to it. The Tigers are being mentioned as National Champ contenders and typically those kinds of teams have a chance to run the table, i.e., win all their games. Yikes! The very thought of Missouri having the kind of football team that could win all its games, and therefore be Big 12 champs, and be in the race for the National Title is mind-boggling.
What it means is that beating Illinois this Saturday at the Jones Dome in St. Louis is as important as beating everyone in the conference and winning the conference title game. We must win every game.
Wow. The air is thin up here!
8.23.2008
8.22.2008
104. Just When You Think You Are Done
You know I thought I was finished for the day after that long post (#103).
But I went and checked Powerline and found this: According to the Associated Press, the University of Illinois Chicago has now agreed to make public its records relating to the Annenberg Challenge, an organization founded by former terrorist Bill Ayers and headed by his friend Barack Obama. The records will be made available to the public on Tuesday.
The donor of the records is still unknown, and there is no way to know whether they have been "scrubbed" of information harmful to Obama since Stanley Kurtz first tried to look at them. No doubt we'll learn more starting Wednesday.
OK, stop me if you've heard this before:
Yes, you may see the files.
No, you can't see the files.
(Time passes)
OK, now you can see the files.
Oh, that's not all the files? Sorry, we'll get back to you. (This part hasn't happened in this case. Yet.)
Had enough? Vote Republican.
But I went and checked Powerline and found this: According to the Associated Press, the University of Illinois Chicago has now agreed to make public its records relating to the Annenberg Challenge, an organization founded by former terrorist Bill Ayers and headed by his friend Barack Obama. The records will be made available to the public on Tuesday.
The donor of the records is still unknown, and there is no way to know whether they have been "scrubbed" of information harmful to Obama since Stanley Kurtz first tried to look at them. No doubt we'll learn more starting Wednesday.
OK, stop me if you've heard this before:
Yes, you may see the files.
No, you can't see the files.
(Time passes)
OK, now you can see the files.
Oh, that's not all the files? Sorry, we'll get back to you. (This part hasn't happened in this case. Yet.)
Had enough? Vote Republican.
103. Taxes and Houses and Veeps, Oh My
Who will be Barack Obama's running mate? The world wants to know. Well, CNN and MSNBC want to know. Personally, I can wait.
Usually, the top of the ticket is the big dog, the head honcho leading the nation into the new - whatever. Well, consider this. Obama is the least qualified person ever to be nominated by a major party for president. And in a few hours, he will probably pick someone who does not outshine him.
Just let that sink in for a moment.
There is a danger in writing about Obama in the way I do. It is that I will be perceived as a negative, grouchy, crabby old man. Crotchety, even. Anti-whippersnapper.
I realize that. But I realize this, as well. I think the argument can be made that we live in the most perilous time since the end of the Cold War. OK, I understand that is not a large chunk of history. Nevertheless, I think it's a valid assessment. So, who then should we pick for president? Barney Fife or Marshall Dillon? The Disorderly Orderly or Dirty Harry? C'mon. It's not even close.
I write about Obama the way I do because two things are abundantly clear to me - 1) there are a handful of very dangerous and/or highly critical international conflicts, or near-conflicts, around the world, and, 2) every one of them demands more than teleprompter speeches and a victory lap through Europe. And that is all Obama's got. That is all he's got.
The world is more dangerous than that. We can not afford to give the keys of state to a guy that hasn't even completed Driver's Ed.
Well, what are others saying? Lots. If you are trying to keep up with the Obama news, it's tough. And I'm not even talking about all the "homer" coverage he gets from the mainstream media. Let's see if I can give you a taste and then maybe we'll talk about some fun stuff.
Back a few weeks ago, when Obama was on his Resume Safari to Europe, John McCain began running some ads that really took Obama to task. That was when the "Celebrity" ads came out. And I thought then that it was brilliant. Obama was on tour, on a schedule and basically working from a script. In other words, he was a bit pinned down and less able to respond to what was happening here due to, again his schedule, and the time zones. And that's when McCain started punching - when Obama couldn't do anything about it. It was very smart, I thought.
It also struck me as being strategic in the military sense. And for heaven's sake, John McCain is nothing if not military. And you know what? I think the campaign has been going that way ever since. There has been a precision and incisiveness to what McCain is doing. And I think Obama has been in the position of having to respond to whatever McCain dictates. And I think the poll numbers reflect that.
Well, here's someone who has taken the latest flap over houses and turned it into a military campaign and it's hilarious. I also think it confirms my thinking. But, of course I would think that.
Here are a couple of more thoughts to ponder. The Dems National Convention is this coming week, but how does the week end? With McCain announcing his running mate on Friday. Sure it won't get the foaming-at-the-mouth coverage that we've seen for the last two days, but it will be the capstone of the week. The timing is brilliant. Again.
And then I saw an article just a few hours ago where the McCain camp said it's expecting Obama to get a 15-point bounce from the Convention. That would be huge. But here's the deal. If he gets it, OK, that's what we expect. If he doesn't, then something must be wrong because he didn't have the bounce we expected.
I think McCain is playing Obama and the media masterfully. And better still, I don't think they know it. It's against the Liberal Code to think anyone could best them.
Here the guys at Powerline echo the "unprepared" theme. Here's a quote: "... one of the many problems with being a leftist is that it leads you to say lots of stupid things. Today, the Obama gaffe machine went into overdrive. By November, I suspect that most voters will have heard enough to know that Barack Obama is unqualified to be a middle-manager in a well-run company, let alone President of the United States."
You should read it all.
Same song, another verse. This one is particularly witty and I wish I had written it. Back in junior high, one of the dangers we had to face was getting "pantsed" during gym class. Getting pantsed meant that, unbeknownst to the victim, someone snuck up behind him and yanked the victim's gym shorts down around his knees and then the perpetrator would run off. That is getting pantsed. In this article, Obama gets pantsed. Here's a quote - “With all due respect, Sen. Obama, being president is above your pay grade. And the voters are starting to figure that out.”
As we all learned in "The Untouchables" there is something called 'the Chicago way'. Except in the movie it was a good thing. From the article - “Democrats don't like it when you say that Barack Obama won his first election in 1996 by throwing all of his opponents off the ballot on technicalities.
More - “Mr. Obama has never stood up against Chicago's corruption problem because his donors and allies are Chicago's corruption problem. Mr. Obama is not the reformer he now claims to be. The real man is the one they know in Chicago -- the one who won his first election by depriving voters of a choice.”
Hold on to your wallet. Obama likes to raise taxes according to this piece. And this one, too. Here's George Will - "This senator, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, is going to get a huge, complex industry to produce, and is going to get a million consumers to buy, (hybrid) cars. How? Almost certainly by federal financial incentives for both — billions of dollars of tax subsidies for automakers, and billions more to bribe customers to buy these cars they otherwise would spurn."
I know! Let's raise taxes to entice people to buy cars they do not want! Brilliant!
Have you Obama fatigue yet? I hope so. The more, the merrier.
Did you know Seahawks can run? Well, some of them do and after I read this article I was ready to hit the trail. Here's what they said about the run - "I really look at this as kind of a metaphor on life," Pattison said. "You want to stop and you want to quit, but that's the easy thing to do."
"This isn't about climbing Tiger Mountain specifically, since there are higher peaks with longer trails. And it isn't about time, since Pattison will still be running the trail this winter when the weather turns cold, the trail gets sloppy and the times can get downright glacial.
Running the Cable Line trail is more about dedication.”
My daughter and son-in-law honeymooned in Seattle last summer and they would like to go back there some time. Peter, you need to find this trail and run it. In fact, take me along and I'll run it, too. Or I will try. Or I'll hold your camera, or something.
Man, that was a long post. I'm glad it's Friday.
Usually, the top of the ticket is the big dog, the head honcho leading the nation into the new - whatever. Well, consider this. Obama is the least qualified person ever to be nominated by a major party for president. And in a few hours, he will probably pick someone who does not outshine him.
Just let that sink in for a moment.
There is a danger in writing about Obama in the way I do. It is that I will be perceived as a negative, grouchy, crabby old man. Crotchety, even. Anti-whippersnapper.
I realize that. But I realize this, as well. I think the argument can be made that we live in the most perilous time since the end of the Cold War. OK, I understand that is not a large chunk of history. Nevertheless, I think it's a valid assessment. So, who then should we pick for president? Barney Fife or Marshall Dillon? The Disorderly Orderly or Dirty Harry? C'mon. It's not even close.
I write about Obama the way I do because two things are abundantly clear to me - 1) there are a handful of very dangerous and/or highly critical international conflicts, or near-conflicts, around the world, and, 2) every one of them demands more than teleprompter speeches and a victory lap through Europe. And that is all Obama's got. That is all he's got.
The world is more dangerous than that. We can not afford to give the keys of state to a guy that hasn't even completed Driver's Ed.
Well, what are others saying? Lots. If you are trying to keep up with the Obama news, it's tough. And I'm not even talking about all the "homer" coverage he gets from the mainstream media. Let's see if I can give you a taste and then maybe we'll talk about some fun stuff.
Back a few weeks ago, when Obama was on his Resume Safari to Europe, John McCain began running some ads that really took Obama to task. That was when the "Celebrity" ads came out. And I thought then that it was brilliant. Obama was on tour, on a schedule and basically working from a script. In other words, he was a bit pinned down and less able to respond to what was happening here due to, again his schedule, and the time zones. And that's when McCain started punching - when Obama couldn't do anything about it. It was very smart, I thought.
It also struck me as being strategic in the military sense. And for heaven's sake, John McCain is nothing if not military. And you know what? I think the campaign has been going that way ever since. There has been a precision and incisiveness to what McCain is doing. And I think Obama has been in the position of having to respond to whatever McCain dictates. And I think the poll numbers reflect that.
Well, here's someone who has taken the latest flap over houses and turned it into a military campaign and it's hilarious. I also think it confirms my thinking. But, of course I would think that.
Here are a couple of more thoughts to ponder. The Dems National Convention is this coming week, but how does the week end? With McCain announcing his running mate on Friday. Sure it won't get the foaming-at-the-mouth coverage that we've seen for the last two days, but it will be the capstone of the week. The timing is brilliant. Again.
And then I saw an article just a few hours ago where the McCain camp said it's expecting Obama to get a 15-point bounce from the Convention. That would be huge. But here's the deal. If he gets it, OK, that's what we expect. If he doesn't, then something must be wrong because he didn't have the bounce we expected.
I think McCain is playing Obama and the media masterfully. And better still, I don't think they know it. It's against the Liberal Code to think anyone could best them.
Here the guys at Powerline echo the "unprepared" theme. Here's a quote: "... one of the many problems with being a leftist is that it leads you to say lots of stupid things. Today, the Obama gaffe machine went into overdrive. By November, I suspect that most voters will have heard enough to know that Barack Obama is unqualified to be a middle-manager in a well-run company, let alone President of the United States."
You should read it all.
Same song, another verse. This one is particularly witty and I wish I had written it. Back in junior high, one of the dangers we had to face was getting "pantsed" during gym class. Getting pantsed meant that, unbeknownst to the victim, someone snuck up behind him and yanked the victim's gym shorts down around his knees and then the perpetrator would run off. That is getting pantsed. In this article, Obama gets pantsed. Here's a quote - “With all due respect, Sen. Obama, being president is above your pay grade. And the voters are starting to figure that out.”
As we all learned in "The Untouchables" there is something called 'the Chicago way'. Except in the movie it was a good thing. From the article - “Democrats don't like it when you say that Barack Obama won his first election in 1996 by throwing all of his opponents off the ballot on technicalities.
More - “Mr. Obama has never stood up against Chicago's corruption problem because his donors and allies are Chicago's corruption problem. Mr. Obama is not the reformer he now claims to be. The real man is the one they know in Chicago -- the one who won his first election by depriving voters of a choice.”
Hold on to your wallet. Obama likes to raise taxes according to this piece. And this one, too. Here's George Will - "This senator, who has never run so much as a Dairy Queen, is going to get a huge, complex industry to produce, and is going to get a million consumers to buy, (hybrid) cars. How? Almost certainly by federal financial incentives for both — billions of dollars of tax subsidies for automakers, and billions more to bribe customers to buy these cars they otherwise would spurn."
I know! Let's raise taxes to entice people to buy cars they do not want! Brilliant!
Have you Obama fatigue yet? I hope so. The more, the merrier.
Did you know Seahawks can run? Well, some of them do and after I read this article I was ready to hit the trail. Here's what they said about the run - "I really look at this as kind of a metaphor on life," Pattison said. "You want to stop and you want to quit, but that's the easy thing to do."
"This isn't about climbing Tiger Mountain specifically, since there are higher peaks with longer trails. And it isn't about time, since Pattison will still be running the trail this winter when the weather turns cold, the trail gets sloppy and the times can get downright glacial.
Running the Cable Line trail is more about dedication.”
My daughter and son-in-law honeymooned in Seattle last summer and they would like to go back there some time. Peter, you need to find this trail and run it. In fact, take me along and I'll run it, too. Or I will try. Or I'll hold your camera, or something.
Man, that was a long post. I'm glad it's Friday.
8.20.2008
Wednesday the 101st
According to the dashboard of Blogger, I have made 100 posts at "Central Standard". Some sort celebration should be in order, I suppose. But I just had a birthday and maybe celebrations should be strung out if possible. Or not. In any case, welcome to number 101.
I have Olympic spirit, yes I do. I have Olympic spirit, how 'bout you? I was at the park across the street yesterday, walking on the trail when I met a young boy riding his bike. He appeared to me to be in the 6-8 year-old-range. I smiled and nodded as we passed each other and I noted he was of Asian heritage. My next thought was, "OK, kid! You and me, on the rings, right now! Let's go!
Me on the rings, that's good. Imagine what a potato would do swaying at the end of two strands of dental floss - that's what I would look like.
What will Hillary do? Nobody has written this, but I get the creepy feeling that Obama has let the fox into the hen house by letting Clinton's name be put into nomination at the Democratic Convention. I know they said there would be safeguards and there is no way she would garner enough votes at the convention. Still. Obama's dropping like a rock in the polls. If things continue, he'll lose the election handily.
The Clintons do not suffer fools or defeats easily. Is it just me or does anyone else think she's working some of the delegates over? Is it just me or is anyone else not going to be surprised if things go down differently than expected during the rollcall? Will Hillary just stand by and let the Democrat be defeated in November? Or maybe she'll try to get on the ticket. She would only be a heartbeat away from the Presidency.
One measly heartbeat.
I have Olympic spirit, yes I do. I have Olympic spirit, how 'bout you? I was at the park across the street yesterday, walking on the trail when I met a young boy riding his bike. He appeared to me to be in the 6-8 year-old-range. I smiled and nodded as we passed each other and I noted he was of Asian heritage. My next thought was, "OK, kid! You and me, on the rings, right now! Let's go!
Me on the rings, that's good. Imagine what a potato would do swaying at the end of two strands of dental floss - that's what I would look like.
What will Hillary do? Nobody has written this, but I get the creepy feeling that Obama has let the fox into the hen house by letting Clinton's name be put into nomination at the Democratic Convention. I know they said there would be safeguards and there is no way she would garner enough votes at the convention. Still. Obama's dropping like a rock in the polls. If things continue, he'll lose the election handily.
The Clintons do not suffer fools or defeats easily. Is it just me or does anyone else think she's working some of the delegates over? Is it just me or is anyone else not going to be surprised if things go down differently than expected during the rollcall? Will Hillary just stand by and let the Democrat be defeated in November? Or maybe she'll try to get on the ticket. She would only be a heartbeat away from the Presidency.
One measly heartbeat.
8.19.2008
Two Scoop Tuesday
Politics, you say? Certainly! One scoop, or two? Two it is! No, no! My thoughts are still just a penny.
Georgia is on our minds. I believe it is important to stand with our ally and help them defend themselves from invasion. This from a Hugh Hewitt post a few days ago:
And, as late as today, there is no clear indication that Russia is pulling out of Georgia.
There is much more to post, but I am out of time.
Until next time, so long.
Georgia is on our minds. I believe it is important to stand with our ally and help them defend themselves from invasion. This from a Hugh Hewitt post a few days ago:
“The U.S. needs to rush relief to Georgia and to continue the blunt condemnationAnd then there was this. I tried to find a quote to pull from this article which posted at Powerline, but the whole thing needs to be read. These are dangerous times we live in, probably more dangerous than 9/11. Look at the list of ‘hot spots’ : Iraq, Iran, Georgia, Israel, Afghanistan, North Korea, China come to my mind and undoubtedly there are more. How about Venezuela and Cuba? All of these trouble spots are skirmishes in a wider world war and it is the same war we have been fighting for ages and why wars will never cease until Christ returns. It is the war wherein free peoples defend their right to be free against the powers that would enslave, dominate, even obliterate them. Even more scary is the possibility that I may have understated the case and that far too many of the free people are asleep at the wheel.
of the Russians. It has taken the weekend for the MSM to figure out that Russia
is attempting to turn an ill-advised effort by Georgia to reassert control over
its land into a strategic thrust against the West, but the butchery and the
bombing has clarified the picture. Russia is killing many innocent
civilians far from the area where Georgia attempted --rightfully if not
prudently-- to move its forces. That's the bottom line.”
And, as late as today, there is no clear indication that Russia is pulling out of Georgia.
There is much more to post, but I am out of time.
Until next time, so long.
3.18.2008
Stuff I See
It is raining to beat the band here in the Ozarks. I sincerely hope there is a band that deserves a good beating. Rush comes to mind. Anyway, as for the rain, the weather guessers are suggesting we will get upwards of 7 to 9 inches over a couple of days. There is water standing, or spilling, everywhere.
I know that vengence is the Lord's. However, I cannot help but feel just a wee bit of glee reading this story. Some of those infamous Nigerian scammers are getting their comeuppance, and in kind, which is especially satisfying.
Will someone explain to me how a woman who was married to Paul McCartney for, what, about 17 minutes, deserves 49 million bucks? Please, I'm not mitigating the mess they've made, the broken marriage or the responsiblility of the father to support his child. But something seems way out of whack with this decision.
Everyone is all abuzz concerning Obama's speech today. From what I can tell, he is standing by his pastor and blaming racism for the problem and suggests the answer is more government. Hmm - this is the agent of change? His speech has been hailed in some quarters and panned in others. A portion:
I am hopeful there are days when Rev. Wright preaches Bible and gives voice to the gospel in church. But this business of anger and bitterness being voiced in the pulpit is tragic. Anger and bitterness are not emotions which are exclusively the domain of any particular people group. We all are tempted to be angry and bitter at times and it is sin to be renounced. It is what the gospel would save us from. Any of us.
I know that vengence is the Lord's. However, I cannot help but feel just a wee bit of glee reading this story. Some of those infamous Nigerian scammers are getting their comeuppance, and in kind, which is especially satisfying.
Will someone explain to me how a woman who was married to Paul McCartney for, what, about 17 minutes, deserves 49 million bucks? Please, I'm not mitigating the mess they've made, the broken marriage or the responsiblility of the father to support his child. But something seems way out of whack with this decision.
Everyone is all abuzz concerning Obama's speech today. From what I can tell, he is standing by his pastor and blaming racism for the problem and suggests the answer is more government. Hmm - this is the agent of change? His speech has been hailed in some quarters and panned in others. A portion:
For the men and women of Reverend Wright’s
generation, the memories of humiliation and doubt and fear have not gone away; nor has the anger and the bitterness of those years. That anger may not get expressed in public, in front of white co-workers or white friends. But it does find voice in the barbershop or around the kitchen table. . . .And occasionally it finds voice in the church on Sunday morning, in the pulpit and in the pews.
I am hopeful there are days when Rev. Wright preaches Bible and gives voice to the gospel in church. But this business of anger and bitterness being voiced in the pulpit is tragic. Anger and bitterness are not emotions which are exclusively the domain of any particular people group. We all are tempted to be angry and bitter at times and it is sin to be renounced. It is what the gospel would save us from. Any of us.
2.17.2008
Yes, We Can. But We Better Not.
He's a brilliant speaker. Apparently, that's all there is. What he does say plainly about Iraq and immigration would make us less safe, in my view.
He has potential, perhaps. But right now, he makes Jimmy Carter look like Winston Churchill.
He has potential, perhaps. But right now, he makes Jimmy Carter look like Winston Churchill.
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