Posted on 04/17/2008 9:29:41 AM PDT by The_Republican
The journalist’s job is to make politicians uncomfortable, to explore evasions, contradictions and vulnerabilities. Almost every question tonight did that. The candidates each looked foolish at times, but that’s their own fault.
We may not like it, but issues like Jeremiah Wright, flag lapels and the Tuzla airport will be important in the fall. Remember how George H.W. Bush toured flag factories to expose Michael Dukakis.
Second, Obama and Clinton were completely irresponsible. As the first President Bush discovered, it is simply irresponsible statesmanship (and stupid politics) to make blanket pledges to win votes. Both candidates did that on vital issues.
Both promised to not raise taxes on those making less than $200,000 or $250,000 a year. Returning the rich to their Clinton-era tax rates will yield, at best, $40 billion a year in revenue. It’s impossible to fund a health care plan, let alone anything else, with that kind of money.
The consequences are clear: if elected they will have to break their pledge, and thus destroy their credibility, or run a minimalist administration.
The second pledge was just as bad. Nobody knows what the situation in Iraq will be like.
To pledge an automatic withdrawal is just insane. A mature politician would’ve been honest and said: I fully intend to withdraw, but I want to know what the reality is at that moment.
The third point concerns electability. The Democrats have a problem. All the signs point to a big Democratic year, and I still wouldn’t bet against Obama winning the White House, but his background as a Hyde Park liberal is going to continue to dog him.
(Excerpt) Read more at campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com ...
I don’t remember Dole EVER being liked.
I also don’t remember Dole EVER leading in ANY poll against Clinton.
I don’t remember a MINUTE of 1996 when I thought we had a chance to win the White House.
About a year to ten months from the Polls, Klinton was dealing with depression and low polls.
Morris told him to triangulate and claim credit for Blance budget and make up Job numbers that weren’t real and say that over and over.
Then they made Dole look like senile, hateful, wife abuser.
I remember.
Rush is taunting them. I'm sure that the notion has already been batted around in Super-delegate circles, especially since Bittergate. But their hands are tied. If the nomination is taken away from Obama, for any reason, the '08 Dem convention will make '68 look like a tea party.
Dole was old, tottering, and ineffectual.
His need to resign the senate was based on his inability to look effectual in that senate leadership position. The democrats had a lot to do with that, but it was still his failure.
Then he fell of a stage.
And the media showed it over and over again.
And there was no hope for a comeback after that.
Not that there was much hope for a comeback before that.
There was a time when it looked like someone could beat Clinton. By the time Dole was our nominee, I don’t think it looked like Dole was the person who could do it.
He's grown on me. His crotchetyness has become very appealing, especially when compared against Mr. Slick. Let's face it, what sane human wouldn't prefer a crotchety survivor of the Hanoi Hilton to a smug Harvard Law grad?
Ummm. Did you watch the debate?
GIBSON: All right. You have, however, said you would favor an increase in the capital gains tax. As a matter of fact, you said on CNBC, and I quote, "I certainly would not go above what existed under Bill Clinton," which was 28 percent. It's now 15 percent. That's almost a doubling, if you went to 28 percent.
But actually, Bill Clinton, in 1997, signed legislation that dropped the capital gains tax to 20 percent.
OBAMA: Right.
GIBSON: And George Bush has taken it down to 15 percent.
OBAMA: Right.
GIBSON: And in each instance, when the rate dropped, revenues from the tax increased; the government took in more money. And in the 1980s, when the tax was increased to 28 percent, the revenues went down.
So why raise it at all, especially given the fact that 100 million people in this country own stock and would be affected?
OBAMA: Well, Charlie, what I've said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness....
Not bad for for a dottering old fool who wears glasses like I do.
All true. McCain is way better candidate than Dole but bit older. It would be harder for them to tear him down as they have in the past builty him up for their own purposes. However, the crew that Klintons have assembled is more than capable of it, especially if McCain doesn’t fight back and calls them for what they are.
McCain would beat Obama for sure. Hildabeast on the other hand......I would bet against it.
Its not a sure thing as Limbaugh spouted today. He has been predicting Hildabeasts’ down fall for two decades now, and he will be predicting it right before she takes oat of office. The very FIRST pesonal investigation that she would launch is against Limbaugh. She won’t spare him.
Rush is calling it the “Doomsday Option.”
Good insight. The MSM can't seem to resist covering demands-for-apologies.
So why raise it at all, especially given the fact that 100 million people in this country own stock and would be affected?
OBAMA: Well, Charlie, what I've said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness....
Great find! If that exchange doesn't prove he's a Marxist, nothing does.
Hehehe... Right now, it's looking to me like all three options are "Doomsday Options."
That old fool made odumbo look like a stuttering buffoon
op chaos will be the swift boat victory of this election and odumbo/hillary cannot handle the truth
I will concede this point. Assuming Limbaugh had any effect in helping win Texas, the way they accused each other of being TERRORIST SYMPATHIZERS yesterday, would not have happenned.
No that’s NOT a typo. Obama and Hildabeast accused each other of being tied to Terrorists. That would not have happenned if Hillary didn’t stay in this race.
HOWEVER, if Hildabeast ends up taking oath of office, I would NEVER EVER forgive Limbaugh. He and Sean and Ann and Laura and Greata, RESCUED Hillary. Fox News Channel saved Hillary. If Hildabeast is the next President then Operation-Chaos is CHAOS and beginning of death for Conservatives.
Limbauh will pay a price. Should pay a price. I won’t even have to do anything. Hildabeast would take care of him for me.
The dhims ARE BAD.
The debate last night just dropped their facade.
McCain does have a likable side. Did you see the short appearance he made on David Letterman? Although McCain can't read the teleprompter well, he did deliver some funny lines. I know, it was all written for him, but McCain does have an unexpected comic side. It seems genuine. WATCH IT HERE All we ever hear about is his legendary temper and his back-stabbing tendencies--which are of course there. He does have a likable side though.
With all the hubbub about patriotism, loyalty to country, etc, McCain has the others beaten hands down. While Hillary was working for a commie at a Berkeley law firm, while Obama was sitting at the feet of a commie mentor in Hawaii, McCain was having his bones broken by real, practicing Stalinists. Whatever else we think of McCain, we can honor him for his sacrifices.
Stange--the "sympathy vote" might actually break for the crotchety old Republican nominee this time. In comparison with the other two candidates, he's the likable one in this bizzaro political season.
Dream scenario:
Dhims fracture irretrievably at their convention, McCain wins 08 with a strong Repub surge in the Congress that throttles McCains liberal streak. Alito/Scalia/Thomas clones get appointed to the SC.
2012, an actual conservative party emerges as the 2nd party, but on the GOP’s right flank.
That is very fair
Although it doesn't look good for the Congress right now, we could get a few conservatives in where it might otherwise be hopeless. As for the Senate, we'll probably have to wait till at least 2010. The important thing is to reconstitute conservatism at the local and state levels as much as possible.
It does look like there's some minor realignment going on. The Reagan coalition has dissolved, the dinosaur Dems have no drawing power, and the country is feeling tired. The one true thing in Obama's campaign is the way he discovered a desire for change. It's definitely there. Remember the VOTE DIFFERENT AD? Obama tapped into this desire and capitalized on it. It has brought this otherwise empty, feckless, inexperienced whippersnapper to the threshold of the nomination.
We can position ourselves for future wins though, if we don't get too demoralized. There are a lot of "worm-tongue" conservatives out there who think that all is lost. We need to do what is in our power to do and not get too depressed about the big presidential picture.
And although McCain has said he doesn't want Alitos, he has said he's O.K. with Roberts-style justices. McCain will have to be watched closely and we'll have to fight for what we want. I'm O.K. with that. We did it with Bush, so we're practiced now. With either dim candidate there's not a snowball's from the outset.
We will have to lock horns with a McCain admin in an immigration style revolt probably once a year. Nevertheless, we won that fight. We'll have no chance with the other side in charge.
And what the heh--his economic plan sounds good. McCain at least knows that he doesn't know economics and has gotten sensible people to advise him (former Senator Phil Gramm for example). On immigration, of course, it's another story.
I didn't know that senior went to China to tour factories...
Regards,
GtG
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