Here They Go Again

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  • Posted By: Idaho Ed @ 09/22/2008 12:28:45 PM

    Enter Your Comment Let's see........hmmm coward. How about that cut and run in Iraq O? Leave the Iraqis in a mess. Just leave with a timetable set for the world to know. Contrary to your assertions, the dem party embraces everything I said. Stand up as a dem and say your are against partical birth abortion and see what happens to you. Go back and read the leftist articles after the latest Supreme Court gun decision. One leftist comment was "It is to bad that the framers and authors of the 2nd amendment got that wrong". Senator Obama is a Michael Moore, George Soros socialist. There, do we need to be any more specifice than that?

    • Posted By: Young Hickory @ 09/22/2008 1:15:03 PM

      Funny how I hear the term liberal from a man whose state senator is a bath room prowling homosexual and socialist from a man who presumably supports McCain who supports Bush's socialist takeover of the financial sector to the tune of one billion of taxpayer dollars.

  • Posted By: vstillwell @ 09/22/2008 12:48:18 PM

    We are a center-right country at our own peril. The results are obvious. Go McPain '08. Geesh.

  • Posted By: figato24 @ 09/22/2008 12:35:10 PM

    You had me right up until the end. I agree this is a center-right country at heart, you built that case well. Then you make a wildly inaccurate statement suggesting that "un-bridled" capitalism has not provided for the general good. If you don't think we're far better off now than we were 10,20 or 40 years ago, despite current turmoil, then you are falling into the same "here they go again," as in your own title. As the onion continues to peel we see it was the very existence of the GSE's that provided for what essentially became a centrally planned housing economy that was not subject to the same market conditions of a truly capitalist system. When those GSE's collapsed under their own weight so did the artificial market they were propping up leading to a collision of capitalism and central planning.

    The reality of this will become clear when the solution will be the wiping out of artificial centrally planned markets in our country that cannot sustain themselves and are causing run-away prices and debt. The next implosion will be either health care, education, or social security. In each case, you have massive government spending that competes with the business of private companies and crippling the free hand of capitalism. At the root of capitalism is the fact that free markets will naturally burst before they become catastrophic. But when you distort that natural process with the guarantee of federal backing then things get ugly; those bubbles inflate far beyond their natural bursting point, which leads to a systemic breakdown.

  • Posted By: keep1600 @ 09/22/2008 12:33:38 PM

    Kevin Hassett of Bloomberg has deftly explained how this mega mortgage mess can be pinned on the economic policies of the Democrats. See it at www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=aSKSoiNbnQY0 .Essentially, the economic break down began with the sub-prime lending of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, and when the warning signs arose, Democrats blocked all efforts to fix the problems. McCain and the Republicans need to make hay about this on this info quick to shift the poll-changing momentum away from Obama.

  • Posted By: prophet831 @ 09/22/2008 12:23:08 PM


    I think it is funny that people argue religion back and forth and say things like God hates gays, or God hates abortion doctors when the fact of the matter is God doesn't hate anything. How can He? When one looks at the textual displays within the Bible, if one takes them into account, one will realize that God acts through humanity more often that he announces himself by a show of power.

    In response to this article, however, I do feel that a new era of politics has to emerge because more and more people are growing up ignorant of what is going on in the world around them. More importantly, the people who do know what is going on don't vote because they feel their vote doesn't count against the waves of mindless Bible thumping (not to insult those who read the Bible rather than follow their pastor to the voting booth) voters. Rovean politics perfect the art of character assasination - much as McCain said during his first campaign against Bush. The Democrats, in order to win, must simply act as if they are rising above the political BS and speak to the people about their concerns - empathize with the voter. Clinton was a genius for beating Bush in his first election by doing just that. He said he wasn't going to play 'dirty politics,' but rather focus on what the country needs to have happen during the next few years. Obama is starting to get the picture - I just hope his campaign advisors get with the drift sooner than later.

  • Posted By: cowen123456 @ 09/21/2008 7:15:46 PM

    Center right is correct! and the Dems will continue to loose until they accept this.

    Until dems accept that Gore didn't loose because of judges and Kerry didn't loose because of Rove and Obama's ultimate failure in Nov will not be because of Race then the democratic party is in a lot of trouble. All of these elections were lost by the Dems by voters not buying their culture war, their anti-american views and their glass half empty doom elitist message. This is a center right country and until Dems recognize that, the Mccain of the world will continue to defy history and logic to win because of having stand by the people and not talk down to the people!

    • Posted By: TheVigil @ 09/22/2008 12:23:01 PM

      We are not attempting to have a "culture war". We want the center right to stop legislating our personal lives. I find the mental twist of those that attempt to legislate social norms across the board while claiming that to stop doing so is a "culture war" to be truly remarkable. You're the only ones trying to wage a culture war. We don't care if you stop living the way you do - we just want you to accord us the same privilege.

  • Posted By: Idaho Ed @ 09/22/2008 11:15:45 AM

    Enter Your Comment
    What is also missed in your article is the extent to which many in the country find the secular progressive left to be morally bankrupt. They either hate religion or think people of faith are stupid. They despise the 2nd Amendment apparently believing that it is okay for the government to tell you that you can't have a handgun in your home to defend against the intruder who may desire to rape your wife and daughters and kill your family. Although the right to bear arms is express, leftist securlar progressives nuance the issue to absurdities. (Of course they will not do so with any amendment that supports the leftist agenda.) Partial birth abortion is an abomination. It is used to abort downs syndrome children; the exact kind of child Sara Palin kept and fetus' who have birth defects. The leftist secularists openly practice and defend infanticide. Of course Obama openly embraces all of the above. Abstinance education is scoffed at. Sexual restraint to stem the tide of STD's and aides is mocked. And.......you wonder why O is not ahead or farther ahead. There is also this little thing about having an energy policy, no drill, that will eventually drive gas prices back to $5.00.

    • Posted By: TheVigil @ 09/22/2008 11:44:21 AM

      Another angry, intolerant, scared mischaracterizer, huh?

      You're a coward. Quit trying to scare people.

      • Posted By: bhop @ 09/22/2008 12:18:22 PM

        Here's the liberal view of your arguments, you'll see they make sense:
        -Morally bankrupt: Both Dems and the GOP have sex scandals, other scandals. Democratic ones happen to involve women rather than other men... but besides that it happens with both parties.
        -Liberals/Democrats don't hate religion. I'm not religious but I believe religion is a great force of good in many people's lives.
        -I believe the world would be safer if only law enforcement had the guns. Why should we give people the ability to easily access a weapon that can kill so haphazardly? Of course I'm talking about guns made for killing people, if you live in the countryside it's entirely legitimate to own rifles for hunting and whatnot.
        -Bringing a child into the world that is tortured by their inevitable disability seems much crueler than ending their life before they are born.
        -Abstinence education simply doesn't work. People will have sex. By not teaching people to use condoms, that is when teenage pregnancy and STD's are spread. Just because you teach someone to be safe while having sex does not mean you're encouraging them to do it. Look at how well Palin's abstinence education worked for her daughter...
        -Drilling for oil on the Gulf Coast or in Alaska is not a long-term or even a short-term solution. Even after we get the whole operation up and running in what would be a few years, the oil production would still be extremely minimal compared to what we consume now. It would not make a significant difference in prices. Scientists and engineers agree on this. McCain is lying to the people about it as a solution. Obama opposed drilling because it's a waste of money and time, but he was forced to start supporting it to comply with the lies McCain planted in people's heads...

        This is just my point of view on why the popular conservative views you stated are wrong. My opinions are backed by facts and aren't skewed by lies or partisanship.

      • Posted By: TheVigil @ 09/22/2008 11:57:13 AM

        "Of course Obama openly embraces all of the above."

        Too ignorant and emotionally based to respect the facts, eh?

    • Posted By: Cdale Jim @ 09/22/2008 12:07:24 PM

      You think the left is morally bankrupt? You're mistaken, it is the right that is morally bankrupt. We have seen too many pseudo-conservative pseudo-Christians focus on hatred and division for too long. Did Jesus act self-righteous about gay relationships? NO! He was too busy trying to tell his followers to love one another, turn the other cheek, and work for peace. All I see from the right are a bunch of self-righteous hypocrites who never show love for their common man because their too busy judging everyone. What have they done to make the world better? Absolutely nothing. The so-called "Christian Right" has been nothing more than an evil blight on our nation's history.

  • Posted By: LCDR_USN1 @ 09/22/2008 5:09:02 AM

    Why is fear instilled in every Republican campaign since WWII? Because it works. The so-called "center-right" majority of the electorate are gullible or ignorant enough to believe every smear and distorted ad that they end up voting on emotion and rarely on the issues. The comments here are perfect example of this. These neo-con nuts spew their hate of Obama without a reliable independent source cited (right-wing blogs don't count) and offer nothing to counter the proven lies and deception from McPalin or Bush. Factcheck alone has been working overtime trying to keep up with the McPalin fairytale. Shoot, Tucker Bounds makes Bagdad Bob sound like Gandhi! And yet there are those republican elitists who will eat this up and call everyone not of red meat "unpatriotic." Their myopia justifies their ignorance and their belief that the last 8 years were nothing short of the failures of the "angry left." And oh wait, the current economic crisis is all Obama's fault! That muslim baby killer! Case closed. I'm sold on McCain then! Where can I sign up for his 9/11 commission on economic fundamentals, Spanish-Russian relations, ignoring subpoenas, and "how to find bin laden for dummies?" I will simply ignore the countless non-partisan university factcheck sources crediting Obama's sincerity while debunking McCain's and cast those off as typical liberal - oh excuse me- communist propaganda attacking the very fiber of our great evangelist gun-toting, reason-fearing way of life! Drill baby drill.

    • Posted By: TheVigil @ 09/22/2008 12:07:59 PM

      A brave soul you are. That's a true roast.

      It's hard for me to believe how much of the country is still ruled by fear and dislike of those who are different.

  • Posted By: gommy goomy @ 09/22/2008 9:19:49 AM

    Good article, except for the last paragraph. Carter did not "join them", as you say, to win. This was the Watergate Aftermath, election. And he BARELY won THAT. The Democrats LOSE, because they are NOT Democrats. They are SOCIALISTS, MARXISTS, and FSCISTIC when challenged. They NEVER give a straight answer when asked a straight question. And EVERYTHING is the other guys' fault. They BLAME THIS COUNTRY for EVERYTHING. They DESPISE our ARMED FORCES, undermining them, at every turn. They have nothing but CONTEMPT for the BELIEFS and VALUES of regular Americans; GOD, COUNTRY, HETEROSEXUAL MARRAIGE, prefering to throw their lot in with the FREAKS of Society. They fight for the right of FELONS to get the vote, for Gods' sake. For gays to wed, and for ILLEGALS to reap the benefits of ACTUAL CITIZENS. THAT'S why they LOSE. Every time. Except this time. This time we're all RACISTS. Just ask Frank Rich.

    • Posted By: TheVigil @ 09/22/2008 12:04:19 PM

      To me, you're the freak.

  • Posted By: tma-sierrahills @ 09/22/2008 10:46:41 AM

    Liberal Democratic Utopianism

    A core problem with today's liberalism (I've been there) is that it is essentially utopian. Hence we can "save the environment" and ???become energy independent??? while continuing never-ending mass legal and illegal immigration. Forget politics, this is mathematically not possible.*

    *With all due respect to them all, Bush, McCain, Obama and Biden tend to be equally nutty on this topic (Palin pretty much has no record on this).
    - - -
    Stop the madness:
    (1) Border enforcement
    (2) Immigration moratorium

    • Posted By: TheVigil @ 09/22/2008 12:00:47 PM

      Quit acting like you're the only child of immigrants to have a shot at the prosperity in this country. Every wave of immigrants that gets here has either themselves or their eventual children start to propose "we got here first now let's close the borders".

      Just like the Irish, the Germans, the Chinese, the Japanese, the British and all the other nationalities tha make up our nation and arrived here dirt-poor to face withering, angry, violent persecution, the Latinos will be okay in my book and I will continue to fight for their right to immigrate and work here. Why not go chisel the inscription off the Statue of Liberty while you're at it?

  • Posted By: jvinat @ 09/22/2008 11:01:04 AM

    You're close, but I don't think you give the GOP enough credit. The GOP usually has to battle two fronts; the Dems and the main-stream media. One is just as powerful as the other. And, it's happening again this year. The media is pushing hard on "Obama the news event", ignoring "Obama the candidate". Look for the media to push harder in the remaining weeks; they have too much to loose.

    The Dems main problem is; they're out of touch with the majority of Americans. That is why; the GOP generally picks the right candidate, the Dems the wrong one. Dems usually over-estimate any national movement to the "Left". You notice this in their talking points, policies, and in their writings. The Dems are always looking for an opportunity to empower a far-left candidate, they're always envisioning a new, "New Deal".

    But, Socialism only gains power when a country is in dire conditions or extreme denial. Here???s a clue to the Dems, despite theirs and the media???s best efforts, this is still the greatest nation in the world, with; the greatest standard of living (people die trying to come here to be poor), the greatest form of governance (Democracy, plus Capitalism with appropriate government oversight), the greatest military, and the greatest citizens. We are not ready to give up on all of that.

    Presidential elections usually come down to one question; can the silent majority see past the media???s influence, and make an informed decision on what is right for the country? It???s a shame it has to work that way, but that???s the way it works.


    The problem with the Dems boils down to; they're out of touch with majority of Americans. The GOP generally pick the right canidate, the Dems the wrong one. The Dems usually over-estimate any movement to the "Left". You notice this in their talking points, policies, and in their writings. The Dems are always looking to empower a far-left canidiate, they're always envisioning a new, "New Deal". They always under-estimate the ability of citizens to see-through the proganda of the media, and Dems.

    • Posted By: TheVigil @ 09/22/2008 11:54:58 AM

      Yes, frequently we would like to believe that the country has become less susceptible to the politics of fear, that the power of the silent majority has diminished, and that people are less afraid of foreigners. I tend to agree with the article. One of the biggest oversights in liberal thinking is the presumption that other people think they do. I've fallen into this a lot of the time myself, and I understand it because my personal opinion is that a lot of the center-right positions in this country are emotionally based, fear-driven, and irrational. But they do persist.

      Democrats are not Socialists. They just believe in somewhat more government than Republicans do. I personally wouldn't believe in any of it if the free market adequately took care of the human suffering in our society, but it doesn't. One of the biggest tactics used against the Dems is this kind of mischaracterization, and the nation - frequently uneducated and full of fear - buys into it like we all did the subprime mortgages.

      At any rate, your "dire conditions" have hit the fan.

      http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/20/washington/19cnd-cong.html

      So it will be interesting to see how this election turns out.

  • Posted By: woohoo @ 09/22/2008 11:37:47 AM

    i agree with idaho ed. the saddleback forum did wonders for mccain and no one wanted to admit it. there are few people who believe in gay marriage, partial birth abortion, the unrestricted welfare system, the 'free press' which just connotates the media has a free pass to put on whatever they want. And most americans do not believe God is the enemy.

    • Posted By: TheVigil @ 09/22/2008 11:43:15 AM

      Yet somehow there are many who believe that the liberal side of this country shouldn't be mischaracterized so badly, that "partial-birth" abortion isn't the issue that defines us despite what a lot of hatemonger fundamentalists need to say, that DO support gay marriage because we're not bigoted, and believe in our own right to have any beliefs about God that we so choose.

  • Posted By: JonnyFive28 @ 09/22/2008 10:49:27 AM

    Does anyone remember the ENRON loophole? And does anyone remember that Phil Gramm helped write it, or that his wife worked on the board of Enron? Much of the current meltdown can be traced to the Enron loophole, and the mindset that created it. The stock market was well-regulated, so some folks wanted a way to place bets on markets without that regulation. What they couldn't do legally here went through English banks. Now ask yourself if we need regulation, and if the Repubs are likely to provide it. Supporting the Free Market doesn't mean you have to also support unfair and destructive business practices. Not to mention the whole $3million severence packages of some CEOs when they leave a failing company. We can't force Corporations to be ethical, but we can provide BASIC protections so that the 'little guy' doesn't get destroyed when all he/she does is come to work everyday to support his/her family. The lessons of ENRON are more extensive than just Accounting practices.

  • Posted By: tttvance @ 09/22/2008 10:47:18 AM

    Anything you have written loses credibility when you wrote, "George H.W. Bush won the White House not because of the tawdry Willie Horton ad but because he convinced the country he was the only candidate ready to be president in an unknown post-cold-war world." A basic history lesson: 1988 was NOT a "post-cold-war world." If you don't know that pretty important fact then what do you really know?

  • Posted By: tttvance @ 09/22/2008 10:46:50 AM

    Anything you have written loses credibility when you wrote, "George H.W. Bush won the White House not because of the tawdry Willie Horton ad but because he convinced the country he was the only candidate ready to be president in an unknown post-cold-war world." A basic history lesson: 1988 was NOT a "post-cold-war world." If you don't know that pretty important fact then what do you really know?

  • Posted By: Florida Rez @ 09/22/2008 10:37:13 AM

    Vote for McCain/Palin and show the media they can NOT elect our officials for us. Show them we as voters have the intelligence to see beyond their attempts to manipulate us with their unabashed special treatement for their candidate.

    Vote McCain - a proven man of strength and honor who will fight for his country.

  • Posted By: philpy @ 09/22/2008 10:10:21 AM

    It's amazing how facts and results does do not compute to a Democrat/liberal/progressive. Although are military may be tired, worn-out, and beleagered, their efforts have kept us safer than anyone imagined since 9-11. There is dispute over whether or not middle-class folk's wages have increased, but total compensation has increased if you include benefits, and if one can move out of whatever "class" one is inthrough hard work and playing by the rules, which is the reality in America, than things are as they should be. The current financial and housing crisis is not a result of "unbridled capitalism." The government required lenders to give loans to people who otherwise wouldn't qualify and implicitly backed lenders like Fannie and Freddie, resulting in risks taken that otherwise would not have been. It's been said facts are like Kryptonite to a Democrat. This article is exhibit A.

  • Posted By: Da Future @ 09/22/2008 7:25:48 AM

    If a $700 billion dollar bailout for Wall Street, 4000 lives lost for a war of bad choice, over 1800 lives lost after Katrina due to poor emergency management, 6.1% unemployment rate, and a deficit over 11 trillion is not Chernobyl....then please tell me what is?

    Republican rule has been a disaster on the order of Hiroshima.

    • Posted By: xcept4allothers @ 09/22/2008 8:42:24 AM

      Both parties are to blame for the many ills cited here. Our biggest problems stem from unfunded liabilities SS & Medicare, Democrat programs that both parties are afraid to touch. The new Wall Street crisis points directly back to Democrats forcing banks to lend to poor people who could not afford homeownership. Although Bush and McCain pushed for new regulations, they did not push hard enough.

      • Posted By: Young Hickory @ 09/22/2008 10:06:21 AM

        The question is not who is to blame. This article is about who is conservative. The clear distinction here is that no one in government is following conservative principles. Only the Republicans even claim to be conservative despite their obvious track record to the contrary. That is why they win elections. It is not because of their actions but because they say what people want to hear. Pay attention to what they do and not what they say.

    • Posted By: daven80 @ 09/22/2008 9:40:18 AM

      Interestingly enough if you look at those "stats" you would find that the country was much better off two years ago before the Dems took control of congress. Two years of Dem-led congress and look at the numbers now.

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