Comments Posted By michael reynolds
Displaying 691 To 700 Of 839 Comments
The Democrats are more superficially united because we've been out of power for so long. And because we sense an opportunity. There's nothing like blood in the water to focus one's attention. But also because we have fewer cultural differences internally.
(Don't assume this internal peace will last. I'll vote for Obama, but I'm not voting for Markos.)
In immediate political terms you guys need to help form a new gang of 14. You need enough of a center that you can work with moderate Dems and apply the occasional brake. Otherwise you end up as obstructionists which means you'll share blame if nothing gets done but get no credit for things that go well.
Longer term you have big problems resolving the differences between the Money, Bombs, and Jesus wings of the GOP. Money and Bombs Republicans get along fairly well usually, but the Jesus wing is a problem in terms of unity. It's cultural, not just ideological. And that cultural difference is deeper between Money and Jesus wings of the GOP than between Kossacks and moderates like myself.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 30.10.2008 @ 09:08
Whenever I have "Obama's gonna lose!" vapors I look to the McCain camp. We may not be sure we're going to win, but man they sure are sure they're going to lose.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 29.10.2008 @ 15:04
WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MODERATE?
Well, this is disturbing. I agree with every one of your "I believes" with the sole exception of strict constructionism, (depending on the definitions involved.)
Plus I kind of like the Burker King Whopper. No tomatoes. Tomatoes are for socialists.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 28.10.2008 @ 08:12
OBAMA: THE NEW LEFT TRIUMPHANT
It is the 3,000 other jobs the president gets to fill that will trouble us. That’s where if there is any radicalism in him, we will see it manifested in how he fills out the bureaucracy.
You may have a point there. Especially at Justice and Education. I guess we'll see.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 27.10.2008 @ 10:25
Obama was attracted to Wright, Pfleger, Ayers and the rest initially because of his flirtation with radicalism as a way to change the economic and social structure of the United States. It was why he became a community organizer. Changing the country one neighborhood at a time is straight out of the New Left playbook.
Nonsense.
If Obama is to be judged solely by the politics of a portion of his "associates" from years past, then shouldn't he logically be judged by his current associations? Warren Buffet, Robert Rubin, Paul Volcker? Why cherrypick? Why do some associates count and others don't?
Obama does what he does for ambition, not radicalism. He used Rev. Wright to get ahead, to establish a place in Chicago politics.
But this is becoming a pointless debate. In a month or so Obama will begin to announce his cabinet. I offered to bet you a while back that you'd come around to recognizing that Obama is not radical but ruthless. You essentially conceded that point in an earlier post.
So I'll bet you this: Obama's cabinet will be a lot closer to Rubin and nowhere near Ayers politically. And then we'll have some actual data and we'll begin to see whether you're right.
You are correct about the cabinet.
It is the 3,000 other jobs the president gets to fill that will trouble us. That's where if there is any radicalism in him, we will see it manifested in how he fills out the bureaucracy.
It's how Reagan conducted his revolution in 1980 and I believe Obama will do the same.
ed.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 27.10.2008 @ 09:41
RELUCTANTLY - COMMENTS OPEN AGAIN
Nagarajan:
I don't think the Democratic party is about to lose its mind. I think Obama will appoint a cabinet of very respectable, very moderate technocrats.
Then he'll moderate his stated economic views -- your party has bankrupted the country so we'll be busy hauling ourselves out of the ditch Mr. Bush and your borrow-and-spend party has driven us into.
He's right on diplomacy, he's right on Pakistan/Afghanistan, and he's right that we need national health insurance. He'll govern as a moderate democrat with a team composed of the best people he can find. I'll bet you right now there are at least two GOP cabinet members. (I'd like to see him keep Gates at DoD.)
I do expect I'll pay more taxes. But 90% of you won't, so while I appreciate your deep concern for my tax rates I'm going to go right on earning as much as I can. Another few percentage points will do nothing to diminish my greed.
Colin Powell, Warren Buffet, Paul Volcker and Robert Rubin are with Obama -- really doesn't sound to me like Obama is planning on growing a mustache and turning into Joe Stalin.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 26.10.2008 @ 13:05
Nagarajan:
You seem angry at the prospect of a 40 Rep Senate. It's not my party's fault that your party has decided to commit suicide.
As for me, I'll do what I always do: express my opinion and cast my vote. Occasionally write a check.
But we have a two party system. A yin and a yang. The job of Democrats is to push for more inclusion and a bigger safety net. Sometimes our silly little ways work out pretty well. We championed civil rights, women's rights and gay rights. We were right on all three, as most Republicans now acknowledge. Remember when we liberal Democrats pushed to open more military jobs to women? You want to undo that? No, not so much?
The point of a two party system is to allow for a push and pull. I don't want the GOP dead because what a functional GOP does needs doing. We're not enemies. We're fellow Americans living in a state of dynamic tension, both sides trying to do what's best for the United States of America, the country both sides love. When you guys pull on your end of the rope and we pull on ours we make things happen. When either party loses its freaking mind (Democrats circa McGovern, let's say, or Republicans the last 8 years) we get nowhere.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 25.10.2008 @ 17:22
I have really come to value this blog. I need to believe in the basic decency, integrity and common sense of Republicans. Republicans seem to be slightly crazy at the moment. More crazy is coming. There will be some bloody daggers before we're done. (And yes, I'll be munching popcorn and enjoying the show.)
But when this election is over, and after the tell-all/blame-all books are written, we still need a functioning GOP. It's a two party system. As a moderate Democrat I rely on the GOP to rein in my party. Barney Frank wants to cut military spending by 25%. We need the GOP to yell when that kind of nonsense starts.
Free people, free markets, strong defense, skepticism about government, caution in foreign policy and a decent respect for the value of tradition. (Not that it's my place as a Dem to design the GOP menu.) That's what we need as Americans from the Republican party. We need a new WFB. We need a GOP reformation.
This blog is an example of what I hope for from a new and reconstituted GOP, and I hope Moran ends up with a (suitably large) place at the table as the GOP moves forward and comes back smart, strong and ready for trouble.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 25.10.2008 @ 14:25
Ummmmmmm . . . Hi.
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 25.10.2008 @ 13:20
THE MORAL COWARDICE OF SARAH PALIN
Rick:
Comment Posted By michael reynolds On 27.10.2008 @ 03:52
If you keep these comments open sooner or later your head's going to explode. There are two possible scenarios: 1) Cantaloupe with a firecracker inside. 2) Daffy Duck. If the latter, you'll be okay, though singed and temporarily denuded of feathers.
