Posted on 08/19/2008 4:43:34 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
In April of 2007, former CBS News reporter and six-time Emmy Award winner Bernard Goldberg's book, entitled "Crazies to the Left of Me, Wimps to the Right: How One Side Lost Its Mind and the Other Lost Its Nerve," was released. The book became an instant bestseller, and although its title was conjured up over a year ago, its premise is becoming increasingly apparent in this year's presidential election.
On the Democratic side, in the wake of one of the longest and most vicious primary battles in recent electoral history, Goldberg's argument has seemingly been substantiated. The contest between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama was much more than a historic first in terms of a woman and an African American vying for the nomination of a major political party; rather, it signified a battle between the moderate wing of the party which generally supported Clinton, and the radical fringe of the party, which has grown in alarming numbers since 2000, and overwhelmingly supported Obama.
After her election to the Senate in 2000, Clinton was one of the most powerful Democrats in the Senate, and it was no secret that the former First Lady was preparing for her own White House run. After she declined to challenge President Bush's successful re-election campaign in 2004, when she could have easily won the Democratic nomination, it was a foregone conclusion that she would be the party's nominee in 2008.
In late 2007 the Republicans were gearing up for the race of the century, facing not only a staggering decline in popularity but the almost certain reality that their opponent would be the same woman that they have villianized for the past 15 years.
Earlier this year, however, it became apparent that seismic changes had occurred within the Democratic Party. Since President Bush's election in 2000, the party has moved farther and farther to the left, as the voices of mainstream Democrats have been drowned out by the radical fringe ideologies of newly formed organizations such as MoveOn.org and popular, outspoken blogs such as DailyKos. Conventional wisdom would dictate that a former First Lady turned Senator from New York would have little to no problem defeating a candidate just three years removed from the Illinois state legislature.
However, the political landscape has changed drastically in recent years. Eight years ago Joe Lieberman was the Democratic Vice Presidential candidate. Today, he is an Independent as well as an ardent supporter of John McCain. In a 2004 Time Magazine article entitled "Obama's Ascent," written just after his election to the United States Senate, Amanda Ripley praised Obama and spoke highly of his rise to the Senate, adding that, "Democrats debate whether he should run for president in 2012 or 2016." Not long ago, it seems that even those on the left would have conceded that the Illinois Senator would be grossly unqualified for the presidency in 2008. But it appears that Democrats have replaced common sense with extremism in selecting a candidate who makes Hillary Clinton seem moderate in comparison.
In contrast, and likely in the face of political reality, the Republicans seem to be going the opposite direction in this year's election. With President Bush's approval ratings falling toward the end of his term, the GOP has made a concerted effort to distance this year's candidates away from the president. And while the conservative base would have preferred Mitt Romney or Fred Thompson as the Republican presidential candidate this year, the eventual winner was a politically centrist John McCain. Since he wrapped up the GOP nomination back in March, however, McCain's campaign has been plagued by the lack of both sufficient media coverage and a message that effectively resonates with voters. Last month, on the same day Barack Obama spoke before hundreds of thousands of adoring spectators in Berlin, we saw McCain in the aisle of a grocery store in Pennsylvania. Any time images of Obama and McCain are juxtaposed on television, it isn't difficult to determine who comes out on top. McCain seems frail and uninspired when compared to an articulate and much younger politician.
With the loss of even more seats in the House and Senate a seemingly foregone conclusion for the Republicans this year, one would think that the GOP would put forth their best effort in the presidential race. However, Republican fundraising figures are down across the board, and Obama is predicted to outspend McCain three-to-one by November.
An Obama administration coupled with a supportive Democratic Congress would result in unforeseen changes for all Americans, and the Republicans don't seem to be putting up much of a fight. With only 11 weeks remaining until Election Day, Bernard Goldberg's year-old theory unfortunately appears to be correct.
Some people are intelligent and others are skooled.
It’s a shame that we have a candidate whose best thing going for him is the fact that he’s not Obambi.
When the choice is for me to support a socialist Republican or a communist Democrat, I refuse to do either.
When conservatives decided GWB wasn't conservative enough, we cut our own noses off. Now, we might get lucky enough to have McCain President with the looniest congress of all time to work with. Obamby with the same congress is too scary to imagine.
Voting RINOS out of congress and handing it to the Democrats worked out real well too. I've really enjoyed the $3.80 gasoline.
When we’re both in line at the Robert C. Byrd Memorial reeducation camp for breakfast gruel before our first work detail, remind me how that “sticking to your guns” worked out for you, okay?
As others have observed, it take Obama to make McCain look good.
Succinct, and solid.
As a Veteran, I have never forgotten that "There is no expiration date on our oath to protect America from all enemies, foreign and domestic!"
Someone did a good job raising him.
How are you protecting America by refusing to vote for McCain, thus handing the government to the Rats on a silver platter?
Answer: you’re not.
If people who take your approach would simply admit that they know very well that, by not voting for McCain, they make it much more likely that Obambi will be elected, and that (for whatever reason) they are okay with that, that at least would be a needed expression of personal responsibility for the impact of one’s vote or nonvote.
if you'd run your spell checker, you'd know that's "skewled."
Well, you start with the fact that he is in Texas. . . . .
I have no influence in what direction the Republican Party goes. The fact that they have chosen to follow the Progressives line of thinking makes them responsible for the possibility that Obama could become the elected candidate, not me.
If you find their behavior objectionable then I suggest that you contact the executives in charge. I realize it is easier to try to blame a man with principles, but this time that line of action isn’t going to be effective.
This author can be reached at jgoddard@smu.edu if any of you wish to acknowledge his fine work.
Or as Rush would say, attended skrewl.
btt
I always will agree that conservatives/Republicans don’t typically fight well enough but this article does not reflect reality. McCain if anything is NOT running as a centrist and even with the outrageous disparity of coverage McCain does not appear frail in comparison to Obama. He did not appear frail at Sturgis, he did not appear frail in confronting Russian aggression, the did not appear frail at the SaddleBack church.
This article sounds like it was written from someone who is stuck in the middle of a liberal bastion somewhere.
Also the House Republicans and Senate are doing an excellent job with the Energy issue something that has united the House and Senate against the Democrats and look to give them a black eye. I don’t see anyone aggressively running away from President Bush or Iraq. The conventional wisdom is usually wrong, as it was in 2004. Bush lost ground in 2006 because the wild spending of Republicans and the capitulation to Democrats caught up to him. You can’t piss off you base by calling them bigots and sexist and expect them to feel all warm and fuzzy about you while you call traitorous Democrats patriots.
That said I do think we do need to do more. I know locally I’ve seen more involvement as people are starting to actually like McCain for a change. McCain’s excellent performance at Saddleback and over the past few weeks has really started to shift opinions. This kid is right the GOP needs to be even more aggressive.
What I find disheartening is how we can’t seem to provide the same level of support to try to win races that are tough like here in VA. We have a lying cheating liberal running and a solid conservative who epitomizes conservatism cutting taxes and signing tons of Pro-Life legislation and he is having trouble fighting the lies of Mark Warner because he doesn’t have the dollars.
Jim Gilmore has been on the ground all over this state making his case and the media is trying to shut him out. Trying to lift up Warner to the Senate. The same thing is happening in New Mexico. Also there are other places where the candidates are not independently wealthy and have real jobs. Again everyone says they want more people who aren’t politicians, aren’t obsessed with power and when they show up for duty they are left empty handed. Fred Thompson was one of those. Everyone called but when they got what they asked for it wasn’t jazzy enough or slick enough.
Well I’m going to fight here in VA and encourage others to fight. I know the difference between liberal and conservative. John McCain wasn’t my first choice but I’m not going to be a parrot for the media that hates all conservatives in accepting their premises. Obama was never so much better than McCain and McCain was far under estimated.
We have enough purveyors of doom without having conservative and libertarian savants like Alan Keyes, Bob Barr, and Ron Paul offer advice on how to win when they have proven without a doubt that they are not very good at it. I am not so insane with anger and bitterness that I’d call good men who may disagree only a small bit the enemy while leaving the door open to send America into the hands of another liberal who will leave us open to attack and place our military men and women not just in danger of death on the battle field but of dishonor at home.
It is bad enough that one party in this country has seen fit to divide us and attack our military and try to drag America down to defeat. I’ll not leave lady liberty to be raped so I can rush to her rescue and sooth her wounds as many of these so called conservatives would have us do! I’m also not going the route that insane conservatives who peddle kook devices and phony medical cures along with their news material and say “vote none of the above”. Yes vote none of above? Well we know who that is a vote for. They should stop attacking McCain and start boosting some of the conservative Senate and House candidates but no they want Jesus to deliver them victory. Well Jesus isn’t a branch of the federal government and he isn’t going to send us a victory check in the mailbox if we pray hard enough.
Sorry 2ndD I’m just a bit fed up.
It’s always someone else’s fault.
Right.
Your inference that I am not principled and you are is churlish and without any foundation in fact at all.
Further, I never claimed you were unprincipled. I merely pointed out that the factual conclusion that one’s refusal to vote for McCain will, in fact, make it much easier for Obambi to get elected.
You may disagree with that conclusion. Fine. But that statement of a factual conclusion is quite different than your self-defensive and self-aggrandizing whine that I am “blaming a man with principles.”
As I said, just one time I would really like to hear someone refusing to vote for one candidate acknowledging that their refusal helps the other guy get elected. And that they not only know that, they are okay with that because the reasons for their refusal are principles.
That I could respect.
But instead all the Refusniks will say is “It’s not my fault,” “I wash my hands of the whole process because it didn’t go my way,” “On Game Day, I quit.”
Forgive me if I’ve been a little short here, but, frankly, this Refusnik refrain has been sung in every election, yet the lesson is never learned by some.
Even if one’s refusal is based on “principle,” that’s irrelevant to the fact that one’s act has certain effects on the election and, therefore, on the nation.
If you don’t want to vote for McCain, knock yourself out. But at least acknowledge you are not helping in any way to stop Obambi from getting elected.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.