Sen. Hagel Is At It Again

Omaha World Herald ^ | August 30, 2004 | Jake Thompson

[CFC__VRWC]

3.) Hagel's as much of a media addict as McCain is, and he knows that if he switches, Chrissy Matthews and his friends won't be calling him any more to come on their shows to provide the "GOP perspective."

[NYCVirago]

This Rino thinks he's viable for 2008. Well, he has no chance of getting my vote. I have an Anbody But Hagel attitude for 2008.

Same here. He's worse than McCain when it comes to bashing Republicans.

[labard1]

Why can't Nebraska do better than Hagel and his ilk? Is there something in the Nebraska water?

[miloklancy]

I've been trying to figure that one out all my life. I have lived in Nebraska all my life and that spans twenty eight years. In my estimation the state GOP is pathetic and there is just a pretty shallow pool of talent here. Believe it or not, Sen. Hagel actually showed promise when he first came to the Senate in 1996, but I think his previous career as a lobbyist in nearby Virginia made him just another D.C. insider. When he first ran for the Senate he had hardly lived in the state for the last two decades. Also another culprit with respect to the pathetic state of politicians in Nebraska is the rampant populism that exists in this state.

[labard1]

All the agricultural areas of the country had strains of populism, but Nebraska seems to have something else going on. Is there still a particularly large German presence? That could explain a pacifist strain.

[eleni121]

Before he runs for anything else, he needs to do something about his name, Hagel...much too close to Hegel.

[labard1]

I just read your home page. Don't you want to update it on Hagel?

[miloklancy]

I think one of the reasons Nebraska is particularly a bastion of populism, may have to do with the fact that three time Presidential election loser William Jennings Bryan hailed from here. Ethnically Nebraska has all sorts of folks. Many Germans, Germans from Russia, as well as Czechs and the like. Also thanks for alerting me to my outdated profile, it has been changed. Hagel disappoints me greatly, because he actually hails from a town in the Nebraska Sandhills called Ainsworth, which is just 40 miles or so from my hometown of Valentine. He has turned his back on people out there by not supporting the President.

[sinclair]

"Sen. Chuck Hagel is at it again, trying to be all things to all people in his bid for the Presidency in 2008."

Well, I now have a Sen. Chuck Hagel file on my comp. That's so in 2007 I will be able to remind you and me what a wimp this guy is. I don't want a wimp trying to protect me from Islamists.

[labard1]

Re your home page, it's none of my business, and feel free to tell me to bug off, but Conservatives and Republicans would be lost without the Christian evangelicals -- I mean this in a political and not spiritual sense. Even if you disagree with evangelicals' social agendas, the long term best way to win elections is to show maximum tolerance for your allies so long as they do you no serious harm. The most wonderful of political theories are worthless if they can't ultimately win elections. My personal experience is that the evangelicals are salt of the earth folks, and despite the fact that I sometimes find myself more libertarian on certain social issues, I love the fruits produced by American evangelicals.

[shhrubbery!]

Ethnically Nebraska has all sorts of folks. Many Germans, Germans from Russia, as well as Czechs and the like

Don't forget Swedes. Plenty of them.

Iowa and Minnesota (and Nebraska and the Dakotas to a lesser degree) have significant Farmer/Labor/populist influence in their electoral choices.

I blame that partly on the Swedish/Norwegian ancestry of a large percentage of their populations. Those of German/Czech/Catholic ancestry strike me as generally more conservative.

My own Swedish grandparents were conservative; but there were many who turned Red, particularly those who came of age during the Depression.

And btw: IT'S TIME TO CHUCK CHUCK.

[miloklancy]

I respect these folks too, but don't share their spirituality and do appreciate it when they show up to voting both to support conservatives.

[labard1]

I wouldn't think of telling you how to live your life-- that's your business. But what benefit do you derive from proclaiming that you are not religious? You have every right to do so, but publicizing it may make you less effective in converting others to your political views-- particularly in an area like Nebraska.

That's not to imply that you are wrong, just to argue that you never want voluntarily to undertake a handicap that's not necessary. Leading an ethical and effective life is tough enough. Handicapping yourself further just makes things tougher. Most Americans are religious, and that's part of what makes the USA the wonderful country that it is.

[miloklancy]

I don't think your spirituality should be seen as a handicap. Those who may be shallow of mind and spirit may think so. And I'm not implying you are. But it is an asset to let people know where you stand and one thing most Nebraskans appreciate (unless you are Ben Nelson or Chuck Hagel) is being frank and honest about your perspective. And the non-religious and the religious should respect one another. Granted this is no easy undertaking, because these differences challenge the individuals world view. The founding fathers did not envision the freedom of religion to entail that you have a religion. The freedom of expression in terms of religion in America was born out of the blood spilled in the English Civil War and philosophers such as John Locke. Reaching an understanding and respectfully disagreeing is in my view what being an American is about. The Democrats may preach toleration, but they hippocrites of the highest order where this is concerned. As Republicans we must strive to do better than they.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

I'm an Iowa activist and I can guarantee you this man will get no where. I also will not support any pro-abort, pro-homosexual and I think the only way they will get into the top three in Iowa is for conservatives to split the votes and I doubt that will happen.

[labard1]

You're a bright young person with your head screwed on right, and I wish you nothing but the best.

During college I was active on a variety of issues opposed by local religious leaders-- my most vivid memories are of efforts against the (Bible belt) county where I attended college from going dry. We wets won because we kept the issues very narrowly focused. We would have lost if we could have been painted as anti-religion in any broad way. Maybe the world has changed in this regard. I'm doubtful, but it's your life. Good luck.