Comments Posted By John
Displaying 41 To 50 Of 120 Comments
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO OBAMA'S 'WELL OILED MACHINE?'
Bush 43 had one major problem with his transition team, and that was Linda Chavez's nanny kerfuffle, which was a holdover from the Clinton transition problems with their AG selections.
But the Bush team had to vet their nominees with far more scrutiny than Obama did, because they knew the big media outlets weren't going to shirk their duties to investigate any conflict-of-interest, tax or any other problems. Having gone pretty much for the past 24 months with only minor criticism either from the few conservative reporters or from those backing Hillary in the primaries, the Obama team was tone-deaf to how nominating tax evaders would look at a time when the government is handing out tax $$$ like free Lotto tickets.
Comment Posted By John On 4.02.2009 @ 09:17
First time browser... long time... er not so much. So with a name like rightwing nuthouse I expected more nuttery from the author. That was a thoughtful, well written essay, well done.
But you do get some serious wingnuts in the comments section, but I imagine the wingnuts must migrate to your site like moths to a flame hoping to hear someone ape the talking points they live by, and not finding that, I guess they must decide to shave their heads and hold little klan rallies of one in their parents' basement, breathlessly tapping away at their keyboards with two fingers.
cool site, I'll put it on the shortlist for now.
Thanks...I think. It might interest you to know I get more racist liberals for some reason than conservatives, although I can't deny I receive a fair share of righty loons.
ed.
Comment Posted By John On 21.01.2009 @ 23:09
Funnyman:
Animal and plant Husbandry are also examples of evolution, albeit coaxed by farmers and ranchers.
Does that mean that nature or man 'taking advantage' of random changes is the only way that species change? Can there be a built in guidance system that facilitates adaptation and tries out valid gene codes?
I have to admit I dont actually know what ID is so I don't know if that is the meaning of ID or not.
Comment Posted By john On 26.12.2008 @ 12:54
Modern biology - at least the science and not philosophy, is not based on evolutionary theory. When looking at the structure of the cell or the molecular structure of proteins, one doesn't need to posit anything about how these complex structures "must" have the potential to change into completely different structures "just because".
Darwinian theory adds nothing to the table when it comes to studying life right now. For that matter, neither does ID or "creationism" except for one theoretical little detail: the PRESUMPTION that an Intelligent desiger/God would "of course" create intelligible things, i.e. "scienceable" things rather than ultimately incomprehensible things completely open to change based on pure chance.
Comment Posted By John On 26.12.2008 @ 10:59
I do not share the new president's world view, but that does not make him a bad person, or me an idiot.
Over the past many years, there have been several liberals and several conservatives elected as president. None of them, with maybe the exception of Carter, really stayed in their mold. All were ultimately pulled into the center where they had to govern from. I suspect that Obama will also end up governing from the center.
Remember, he had the most "points" that is why he is the president. However, the popular vote was almost evenly split and Congress itself, though two parties, is made up of many different ideological factions. Obama, in order to get things done has to deal will all these factions, plus keep the American people "happy".
An old saying "love is blind, marriage is an eye opener" can just as easily apply to this "marriage" of an avowed liberal who promised all but the moon to everyone, and now has to figure out how to deliver the goods.
Comment Posted By John On 7.11.2008 @ 03:17
Rick I'm afraid a lot of far right conservatives are going to have to face reality in several areas and stop chanting these absurds slogans like socialism, communism, the end of freedom et al. All this despite the fact we've seen a Republican govt effectively large parts of the banking and insurance industries and provide bailouts for the car industry. I've got news for you folks. Small govt is a mirage. The federal budget is around $3trillion, add another $1.5trillion for state budgets and you have total govt spending of around $4.5trillion. This is so far beyond the budgets of any sovereign state in the world, social democratic or communist, as to make the notion of small US govt totally ridiculous. Big govt is a fact, it's all about how you manage it efficiently and cost effectively. And the fact is that over the past eight years Republicans have made a complete pigs ears of it.
Comment Posted By John On 3.11.2008 @ 15:17
Rick, as far as using the Kos model to promote a rebirth of the conservative movement in the wake of a major defeat on Tuesday -- step back and ask yourself, in the wake of all the hatred that has spewed forth from the Kos site and from Markos himself, as well as from other similar sites on the left, do you really think a similar community on the right, with right-wing versions of some of the postings about an Obama Administration that we've seen about Bush, Cheney, et al over the past eight years would be given the same free pass by the media that the Kos Kids got?
I think the template used by the netroots would not translate very well on the right as I say in my post. But online communities are about the only way I know of that you can build a movement. My concern was that the independence of conservatives would make such a thing very problematic.
Imagine having more than a half million conservatives you can go to in one place and ask for money for a candidate? That's what the left has and I think it might be something we should seek to emulate.
ed.
Comment Posted By John On 30.10.2008 @ 15:42
IN DEFENSE OF PEGGY NOONAN (AND OTHER CONSERVATIVE APOSTATES)
I can't believe I just read this post.
There are aspects of both ideologies that I like, so I don't vote by party, but I'm probably more left than right.
I've always enjoyed the opinions of those like Will and Brooks, primarily because they discuss ideology in a logical way. I don't necessarily agree with their conclusions, but at least I can understand them.
This election cycle I visited many right-wing blogs to get some discussion going. Many wouldn't let me even post because I was questioning something about McCain. Of those who let me post, responses to my message was simply to dismiss what I stated.
It concerns me that the anti-intellectual bias seems to be rising and that the only things worth expressing are filled with vehemence against "the other side". That anyone who lives in a urban environment, is educated and has a religious belief that is not that of a christian fundamentalist is a liberal anti-American.
So it was good to read something thoughtful, but I don't agree with this:
"Obama is an elitist because he has demonstrated a belief that he is in a special class of Americans and that he shares this high status with the monied, the powerful, and other liberals who actually believe that the rest of us are sheep..."
How does Obama manifest this perception in you?
Comment Posted By John On 25.10.2008 @ 16:47
TIME TO FORGET MCCAIN AND FIGHT FOR THE FILIBUSTER IN THE SENATE
Basically Rick your analysis of both McCain's debate performance and the Republican predicament are on the money. McCain's performance the other night was fairly dire, the split screen images showing his agitation and tics was brutal. The invocations from some of "Joe the Plumber" are risible, Joe has turned out to be a phony, someone who doesn't earn anywhere near $250k a year, doesn't have a plumbers license, and has fiddled his taxes. As for Palin words fail me, if the GOP think she's the future we're out of power for 25 years. It's hard to tell at this point whether this will turn into a blowout or a narrower victory. I'm deeply suspicious of these national polls because of the ability to play with screens in pursuit of the message the media want to present, that's media of left and right btw. The state polls seem to be showing a decisive move in Obama's direction, and it's hard to argue when we're having to defend NC and FL that things don't look anything other than gloomy. Overall therefore, I lean to the blowout theory because believe me there is huge anger out there against Bush and the Republicans who are perceived to have created this huge mess. And there no getting away from the responsibility he and the party bear for one of the most disastrous periods of govt in US history. And this is without the impact of the younger vote, African Americans and Hispanics who I do think are all going to vote this year in numbers that are going to amaze the chattering classes. So in truth I don't know what the solution is because if McCain goes down the rest of the ticket goes down with him. I suppose this is an argument for dancing with who brung you but at this stage in the game Rick it doesn't really seem realistic to dump McCain.
Comment Posted By John On 17.10.2008 @ 08:28
@jbinaz 9:52 am
>> my take on it is that Obama wins and in 3 years, we’re in a malaise like during the Jimmy Carter era.
Are you serious?? Compared to the present state of the nation compliments of 8 years of republican leadership, a little Carter Malaise would be a big step up right about now.
Comment Posted By John On 16.10.2008 @ 14:38
