’08 Observations

Posted on April 11, 2007 by nuke

Yesterday’s very disappointing performance by Newt Gingrich at the much-hyped global warming debate with John Kerry has managed to extinguish whatever flame of hope still flickering for his possible run for the ’08 nomination. Newt has been a favorite of conservatives since the ’94 Contract With America. His ability to effectively communicate the ideas of modern conservatism is the one thing that has been sorely lacking with the current Administration.

Fred Thompson’s flirtation with running has reached the point that for him to be able to seriously challenge for the nomination, he’s got to make a decision very soon. The front-loaded primary season will make the battle for campaign dollars over the summer a heated one. If Fred is going to get in, he needs to stop playing hard-to-get, and get in with both feet.

The current trio of front-runners has failed to capture the imagination of the conservative majority in the Party. That’s just a fact. But, if as Rummy says, “You go to war with the army that you have,” then the current trio may indeed be the ones that we ultimately have. And, if that’s the case, then I cast my lot with John McCain.

But, it’s more than just a choice ‘by default.’  Of the three, one candidate has consistently staked out the conservative position more often than the others.  McCain.

I have a problem with his campaign finance bill, with his stand on illegal immigration, and a couple of other issues that have more to do with a gut feeling rather than a well-thought out stance on an issue.  So, I’ll leave those things unstated for the present.  None of the differences that I have on the two major issues changes my overall opinion that McCain is my choice for the nomination, and ultimately for President of the United States.

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Filed under: conservatism, Election 2008, News and politics

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66 Responses

  1. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:00 am said:

    If McCain can stay financially viable through the campaign. I know many people are hoping that Fred Thompson will enter the campaign and are sitting on their wallets and not donating to any Republican candidate, but the revelation that he has lymphoma may change people’s perception of him as a candidate, I don’t know.

  2. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:03 am said:

    As you know, I was never thrilled with the idea of Newt Gingrich as a candidate so I didn’t watch the performance. I am startled to hear that he performed badly, though.

  3. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 11:42 am said:

    I only heard a few comments about Newt’s performance yesterday, and how cozy he seemed with Jacque Francois. Sad.
    As for Fred Thompson, looks like he is out. Cancer.
    *sigh*

  4. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 12:59 pm said:

    Unfortunately, I am not able to catch John McCain’s speech today on the war. If anybody heard it or heard about through talk radio, I’d like to hear a review.

  5. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 3:10 pm said:

    McCain argues that the only way to eliminate, for instance, what he considers special tax benefits for corporate and other interests is to adopt so-called campaign-finance reform.
    —
    McCain has received much applause from the mainstream media for his efforts, despite the Constitution’s explicit prohibition against any legislative designs on free speech.
    —
    McCain also has rejected entirely Reagan’s tax-cutting philosophy — and adopted Bill Clinton’s class-warfare rhetoric — by characterizing Texas Republican Gov. George W. Bush’s proposal for across-the-board tax-rate reductions as benefiting the wealthy.
    —
    McCain believes the federal bureaucracy should play a much larger role in managing and regulating America’s health-care system, a position Reagan opposed throughout his presidency.
    —
    McCain supported the imposition of massive new taxes on the tobacco industry.
    —
    McCain has not assumed the mantle of Reagan. He is, instead, carrying the banner of Nelson Rockefeller.

    Beware McCain’s Bid for Reagan’s Mantle.

    It just so happens that in each of these cases—detention, interrogation, and intelligence gathering—McCain has adopted the litigation agenda of some of the most radical antiwar activists, including the ACLU. If Mona Charen decides to update her book Useful Idiots, she might want to add a new chapter.
    John McCain, Weak On Defense.

    But the second argument about the impotence of the Senate Republicans is worth some discussion, too. The fact is that this Gang of 14 moderates, led by Senator John McCain, did make it much more difficult for the president to win an ideological battle over a Supreme Court nominee.

    McCain’s Blunder.

    Liberal New Republic writer Jonathan Chait writes in today’s Los Angeles Times that “In addition to shepherding campaign finance reform through Congress — against the administration’s efforts to kill it quietly — [John McCain] co-sponsored a patients’ bill of rights with John Edwards (D-N.C.) and Ted Kennedy (D-Mass.); co-sponsored with Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) a measure to allow the importation of generic prescription drugs; co-sponsored with John Kerry legislation to raise auto emissions standards; and co-sponsored legislation with Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) to close the “gun-show loophole” and reduce greenhouse gas emissions in compliance with the Kyoto accords. On all these things he sided with Democrats against the White House and virtually every Republican.”

    The McCain We Know.
    In light of all these matters, and a few others, like his becoming unhinged during the 2000 campaign, I could never support McCain.

  6. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 4:02 pm said:

    I listened to Fred Thompson on Sean Hannity a short time ago when I made a BBQ and sweet tea run (grin). He sure ’nuff sounded like a Presidential candidate to me.

  7. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 5:31 pm said:

    Fred Thompson is capable of communicating his message clearly. What we do not know is how effective as President he would be as we don’t have any examples illustrating his governing ability like we do for Mitt Romney, Rudy Giuliana, and Mike Huckabee. Even so, my personal opinion would be to rate his competence at far above those of other unknown quantities such as Democratic candidates Obama, Edwards, and Clinton.

  8. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 6:30 pm said:

    Well, he announced this a.m. he has lymphoma. I don’t know ’boutchu’, but that is not the kind of thing one deals with while putting in the work to run for POTUS.

  9. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 8:30 pm said:

    He’s had it for @ 3 years, and is in remission. It’s the indolent kind of lymphoma.

  10. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 8:45 pm said:

    I didn’t know it was that detected that long ago.
    Indolent..smindolent. Not a reassuring condition for potential voters.

  11. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 8:46 pm said:

    SouthPark alert, in fifteen minutes.

  12. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 9:00 pm said:

    I was watching Hannity and Colmes agree with Ann Coulter that the fairness doctrine was bad, bad, bad.

  13. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 9:13 pm said:

    Even pencil neck agreed?
    /whoda thunkit

  14. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 9:22 pm said:

    Ohmygawd, it’s the 300! I may have to pick SwampMan off the floor and check him for ruptures.

  15. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 9:22 pm said:

    Oh Man!
    SP is spoofing the movie 300.

  16. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 9:31 pm said:

    Well….no doubt THIS will cause a lively discussion in the shop classes tomorrow.

  17. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 9:35 pm said:

    So the SMan got a few chuckles out of it, did he?

  18. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 9:36 pm said:

    Uh…is the search box in the top right new, or am I not being very observant?

  19. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 9:41 pm said:

    He said it was funny as hell tonight, and was threatening to discuss it in class tomorrow. I *know* that it will be a topic of discussion amongst the students who are big fans of the 300.

  20. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 9:43 pm said:

    Dang, I dunno! I’ve been checking out the Elvis pics and not looking at the search function.

  21. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 9:56 pm said:

    Did you see the link the other night, when we were discussing Xerxes, that Stefania posted over at American Thinker?
    The Ancient Persian Empire.

  22. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 9:56 pm said:

    Uhh…he might want to overlook the “scissor” action.

  23. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 10:01 pm said:

    Nah,I missed it. I question the Esther’s husband bit; don’t think there is sufficient evidence for that.

  24. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 10:03 pm said:

    I particularly liked the Mexicans. Yes, I hope he does NOT discuss the scissoring bit, but you would not believe what his students discuss in class.

  25. nuke, on April 11, 2007 at 10:05 pm said:

    I rearranged the side bar, ’cause I got tired of having to look for the search bar every time I wanted to search the site for a previous post. So, I put it at the top so I could find it.

  26. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 10:09 pm said:

    #23-Actually, it appears that Esther was indeed married to Xerxes, as I added some links for your perusal the other night, on the Letter thread.

    #25-Oh, okay then.
    ??You mean we had a search box all along, but you only moved it??
    /dang

  27. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 10:11 pm said:

    #24-Henh, no I probably would believe what they discuss.
    As for the moral of the episode, I guess it is too never ask a Mexican to write an essay if you want a book report.

  28. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 10:17 pm said:

    So does this mean that things are as good as they are ever gonna get under Hugo? Then what happens?
    Chavez Blows Venezuela’s Fortune.

  29. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 10:24 pm said:

    Dang!
    Interesting statement by the National Center for Public Policy Research on the Duke case, as posted over at Gateway Pundit.

  30. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 10:28 pm said:

    Well, we knew THAT was going to happen very quickly once he quit putting money into maintenance and fired the skilled workers and managers. Mexico’s oil company is fairly moribund as well.

  31. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 10:35 pm said:

    I’ve been following the Duke dismissal today when I had the opportunity. It is a shame that those young men and their families have had to suffer through this and still owe multimillion dollar legal fees.

  32. nuke, on April 11, 2007 at 10:39 pm said:

    Nite y’all

  33. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 10:50 pm said:

    Night nuke.
    As for the large legal tabs they have run up, I have a strong belief, after listening to Judge Napolitano on Fox, that they will recoup their expenses, and then some, by the time they are done.

  34. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 10:57 pm said:

    G’night, Nuke. N2L, I didn’t hear Judge Napolitano on Fox, but I agree.

  35. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 10:58 pm said:

    Is the weather good out your way? A Yankee friend just E-mailed me about how much snow she has on the ground, and I feel a little guilty because I E-mailed her back about how the lightning bugs were out in the pasture tonight putting on quite a light show.

    /Morse code for me love you long time, no doubt.

  36. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 11:02 pm said:

    Yeah, that morse code has been the ruination of many a young man bug.
    Weather here was glorious today. Low 70′s, sunny, dry. Most beautiful.
    I got home in time to catch some of the Astro’s game in Chicago, but it was snowed out.

  37. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 11:03 pm said:

    Henh…Sam Kinison’s first television appearance.
    /henh

  38. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:07 pm said:

    DAMN! I was hoping some liquid sunshine would be in our (near) future.

  39. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 11:08 pm said:

    There is in ours, by Friday.

  40. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:14 pm said:

    Sam Kinison was great!

    /Of course, my attitude is a little different about marriage, seeing as how I’m perfect and all.

  41. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:15 pm said:

    Hope I didn’t wander off too long…since SwampMan is asleep, I was out in the office doing the AAAAAAAAGGGHHH sound effects along with Sam.

  42. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 11:19 pm said:

    Nobody could do the primal scream thingie, like ol’Sam.

  43. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:20 pm said:

    SwampMan would probably beg to differ on that.

  45. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 11:21 pm said:

    You woke him up?

  46. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:21 pm said:

    I really enjoyed his character in Caddyshack.

    /No intellectual movies for me.

  47. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:22 pm said:

    No, but he has heard it before.

  48. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:25 pm said:

    That IS a good link! I’ll need to bookmark it as well whenever some peabrain wants to point out that *all* scientists (regardless of their area of specialty) are in “agreement” over global warming without bothering to research it for themselves. Because Al Gore and the UN said so.

  49. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 11:28 pm said:

    I saw a program about the day Sam was killed in the car wreck. Except for the a$$hole that killed him, running around telling everybody he was the one that killed Sam Kinnison, it was a very good, and moving program.
    The people there, said as Sam was dieing, he started talking, saying “I don’t want to go…I’m not ready…oh..oh..okay, I’m ready now.”

  50. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 11:29 pm said:

    There’s a video link in the story, and will check it out later.
    I’ve never actually screamed in my life, other than trying to for funnsies, and can’t quite do it. I’m a baritone, and it just don’t work.

  51. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:31 pm said:

    For real? Kinda scary/eerie/creepy. If his momma had passed, I would expect she was standing there telling him “I’m gonna count to three! One…two….”

  52. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:33 pm said:

    I tell you what, it hurts the throat.

  53. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 11:37 pm said:

    That’s what the witnesses said. They said he was very calm about it.

    I’ll bet it do.

  54. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:43 pm said:

    Odd, that, since he made his living being frenetic.

  55. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:44 pm said:

    Well, when that dark angel shows up for ME (or, um, maybe another representative from another power), I’ll be kicking and screaming and yelling “You’ll never take me alive! No, wait, let me rephrase that….”

  56. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 11:45 pm said:

    Well, they were there, and we weren’t.
    As is often the case, his persona was crafted for the stage.
    He had been a minister, in his earlier life.

    About ready to shut down.
    A little traveling music.

  57. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:49 pm said:

    I should have known! He does the minister bit really well.

  58. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 11:49 pm said:

    Henh.
    Me? I’ll probably say “what took you a$$holes so long, traffic?”

  59. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:50 pm said:

    That is nice, but it ain’t exactly a lullabye! G’night, then, N2L.

  61. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:53 pm said:

    Aw, man, you shouldn’t be pi$$ing off your guides to the next life.

    /Which I need to try to keep in mind if I have the opportunity to get some licks in before they get a good hold on me.

  62. no2liberals, on April 11, 2007 at 11:53 pm said:

    I said traveling music, not a lullaby.
    As for Sam, his appearance on Married With Children, as the ghost of Christmas, was awesome.
    /night

  64. SwampWoman, on April 11, 2007 at 11:59 pm said:

    ‘Night.

  65. SwampWoman, on April 12, 2007 at 12:04 am said:

    Heh. If sumpin’ had aholt of me, I wouldn’t be singin’ about it, but animatedly tryin’ to whack it upside the head with something hard.

  66. no2liberals, on April 12, 2007 at 10:28 am said:

    Henh.
    But if that sumpin’ is the grim reaper, you would be singing sumpin’s got aholt of me.
    I would be sayin’, “they kil’t Swampie…the bastids!”

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