Mon. March 19, 2012:
Gentle Readers: From a spotty computer in some sunny Ft. Myers gated development's lobby, one has to make a few overdue Observations about the state of the world beyond Ft. Myers.
1. The anti-Palin HBO film Game Change, whatever its partisan flaws, had a couple outstanding points about our beloved USA. By far the most valuable was the line from Woody Harrelson's character, in helping prepare Sarah for her debate vs. Joe Biden: "How many answers will she have to be ready for, and how many minutes will her portion of the debate fill? Roughly 25 answers to study, ultimately to fill 45 minutes of Palin talk? Any person can be made to memorize such answers, to fill up those 45 minutes."
Can there be such a thing as too much democracy?
Herein lies a fundamental flaw in our democratic republic.
Safe to say, this was not what conservatives' esteemed Framers of 1787 had in mind.
2. Game Change got another thing right: John McCain at least wants to be a better citizen than politician.
But it must be just as impossible to do this, as it is to be a normal civilian after someone has tried to kill you once you put on the uniform of any military in the world -- including the military of our beloved United States of America. Through World War II, if not McCain's Korean War, our troops were the cowboys in white hats, and did not seem to commit atrocities. But the sad truth is, military combat taints soldiers the world over, and our boys are not immune. German novelist Erich Maria Remarque made that clear in the 1920's, for those paying attention. In 2001-2012, for every 500 American soldiers who hugged & heroically tried to protect an Afghani or Iraqi child, there was probably 1 who thought nothing of urinating on a local's body, or burning a local's Koran, or shooting & burning 16 local sleeping innocents in their beds.
And now, the same genuinely decent Citizen McCain who tried to put a stop to Sarah Palin's fear-mongering nonsense about Obama being an "Arab," is currently arguing on "Meet the Press" that surges & more tours are essential in that graveyard of empires -- Afghanistan. The brave & fundamentally honorable citizen of Game Change reverts to just another Republican politician vs. Obama's war strategy toward the 2012 Election. Is this what the 1787 Framers expected?
3. Obama & his strategists are doing a stunningly lousy job of defending their actions/inactions about
"delaying" [and why not be clear on this, too: not totally killing!] the Keystone Pipeline, and about frightening rises in gas prices.
If Keystone drilling & fracking are so dangerous to nearby aquifers & visible rivers, Make The Case. Evidence is apparently plentiful, but we receive none of it from Obama's team. Why not show footage of the horrendous damage fracking has done to certain Michigan rivers? At the very least, run an endless loop of disastrous oil spills like Exxon Valdez & BP in the Gulf! The consequences were real, still around, and shocking.
That might give pause, to at least a few independent drill-baby voters.
And what about a clear, simple presentation of how little any president can do about gas prices, at any time? Over 75% of such prices get determined by worldwide demand, right? And another 20% by commodity speculators? [If these figures are incorrect, then the White House should be correcting them; if they are correct, Why In Hell aren't we being told about them?]
Is Obama tired of being president? Is he throwing the election? Even if not, what good will he do even if re-elected? He has to be able to clean up such messes -- with "dogged" resolve if not intelligence. At least Romney got out of the car and hosed it down, along with Seamus.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Australia's Guy Rundle, on USA's Republican Primaries
Thu. March 8, 2012:
http://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/135f04b82dfc42c4
Still, any Democrat who thinks the General in November will be a slam-dunk is in for the Big Chill.
By November, Romney's super PACs will be going full-bore vs. Obama's super PACs.
If Auzzie observers -- and other horrified global onlookers -- tune in to our spectacle, they will wonder how we ever won The War.
Obama's limp economy, high gas prices, nixing the Keystone Pipeline, appeasing & apologizing foreign policy, stomping on the "freedom of religion" clause of the 1st Amendment -- these will be problems for a country who still thinks he is not One Of Us.
Believe it or not, "Hardball's" Chris Matthews had the most hopeful line for Obama's reelection chances:
Romney's campaign reminds you of the story about that luxury high-priced, beautifully labeled dog food.
"Trouble is, the dog don't like it, plain & simple, and walks away."
http://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#inbox/135f04b82dfc42c4
Still, any Democrat who thinks the General in November will be a slam-dunk is in for the Big Chill.
By November, Romney's super PACs will be going full-bore vs. Obama's super PACs.
If Auzzie observers -- and other horrified global onlookers -- tune in to our spectacle, they will wonder how we ever won The War.
Obama's limp economy, high gas prices, nixing the Keystone Pipeline, appeasing & apologizing foreign policy, stomping on the "freedom of religion" clause of the 1st Amendment -- these will be problems for a country who still thinks he is not One Of Us.
Believe it or not, "Hardball's" Chris Matthews had the most hopeful line for Obama's reelection chances:
Romney's campaign reminds you of the story about that luxury high-priced, beautifully labeled dog food.
"Trouble is, the dog don't like it, plain & simple, and walks away."
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Note to Mitt: Presidential Is as Presidential Does
Wed. March 7, 2012:
From the Best Advisor a Bloggist Ever Had:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
From the Best Advisor a Bloggist Ever Had:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Mute for Mitt: Michigan as Romney Clincher
Sun. March 4, 2012:
Love him or hate him -- or, as in most cases, neither one! -- we shall look back on Mitt's Feb. 28 narrow win in Michigan as the primary that won him the nomination. Disappointed vultures within both parties, and especially within the media, had to fly away. Their prey escaped.
For Obama voters, be somewhat afraid: Romney will prove by far the hardest among the 7 Republican Dwarves to defeat in the General.
Still, perhaps Michgan will prove to be an Obama blessing in disguise. If Santorum had won just 2 more delegates from Michigan, Republican establishment bigwigs might have forced a Chris Christie to enter the race and accept the nomination. And judging from Gov. Christie's virtuoso performance last Sunday on "Face the Nation," he would be a huge worry for Obama. Christie may be the most glib, quick-witted, spontaneously brilliant political talker of the age -- arguably even sharper than that champion bullbleeper Bill Clinton, and at least as dangerous a bully & demagogue. Jeb Bush or Mitch Daniels? Not so much, but at least they don't appear to suffer Mitt's ham-mittedness.
But it's all mute for Mitt, who is home free now. And he has Rick Santorum to thank.
Michigan was Santorum's to win, but as Republican closer, Santorum gave up 5 runs in the 9th inning.
Lest anyone forget: Mitt will have won this 2012 Republican nomination without the force of a single compelling idea -- other than, "I may be able to outspend & out-organize even Barack Obama, just as I've done to Pawlenty, Bachmann, Perry, that other Mormon, Gingrich, Santorum, and Paul."
Love him or hate him -- or, as in most cases, neither one! -- we shall look back on Mitt's Feb. 28 narrow win in Michigan as the primary that won him the nomination. Disappointed vultures within both parties, and especially within the media, had to fly away. Their prey escaped.
For Obama voters, be somewhat afraid: Romney will prove by far the hardest among the 7 Republican Dwarves to defeat in the General.
Still, perhaps Michgan will prove to be an Obama blessing in disguise. If Santorum had won just 2 more delegates from Michigan, Republican establishment bigwigs might have forced a Chris Christie to enter the race and accept the nomination. And judging from Gov. Christie's virtuoso performance last Sunday on "Face the Nation," he would be a huge worry for Obama. Christie may be the most glib, quick-witted, spontaneously brilliant political talker of the age -- arguably even sharper than that champion bullbleeper Bill Clinton, and at least as dangerous a bully & demagogue. Jeb Bush or Mitch Daniels? Not so much, but at least they don't appear to suffer Mitt's ham-mittedness.
But it's all mute for Mitt, who is home free now. And he has Rick Santorum to thank.
Michigan was Santorum's to win, but as Republican closer, Santorum gave up 5 runs in the 9th inning.
Lest anyone forget: Mitt will have won this 2012 Republican nomination without the force of a single compelling idea -- other than, "I may be able to outspend & out-organize even Barack Obama, just as I've done to Pawlenty, Bachmann, Perry, that other Mormon, Gingrich, Santorum, and Paul."
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