During the height of the Lewinsky scandal Speaker Newt Gingrich wrote that “the American presidency is viewed worldwide as a rough equivalent of the Jerry Springer show.” That was over thirteen years ago. A lot has changed since then. Apparently so has the attitudes of conservative voters. South Carolina looks set to give Gingrich a victory today in their state primary. The outcome isn’t likely to stop Romney from winning the nomination, but it says a lot about how much the GOP has changed since the Lewinsky days. Being a debate showman is a lot more important than moral character.
This week was the perfect storm for the Gingrich campaign. Such is the disdain for the mainstream press by the average GOP voter that they rallied around Gingrich when his ex-wife launched a scathing attack against the former Speaker of the House. The South Carolina crowd cheered when Gingrich summoned his best angry response at the most obvious question in the world.
Was it really that shocking that CNN’s John King asked a question about the biggest campaign story at the time? Such is the disdain for President Obama that Republican voters a hungry for a candidate to stick it to the President. That’s never going to happen in the current presidential debate format and it’s causing people to overlook how bad it would be if Gingrich won the nomination.
Gingrich’s response to King’s question correctly pointed out that no one is perfect. President Clinton said as much thirteen years ago. Everyone has dirty laundry of some kind, but Gingrich has over thirty years of dirty laundry, ethics violations, and high profile meltdowns. Shouldn’t GOP voters be concerned about character?
Wouldn’t a Gingrich administration be the very definition of the Jerry Springer show? The GOP rallied around Herman Cain when his sexual harassment allegations surfaced, but it eventually killed his campaign. The big loser this week is Rick Santorum. Gingrich’s surge will eventually end and Romney will win the nomination. Republicans need to realize that every time dirt surfaces on a GOP politician it’s not part of some elaborate left wing conspiracy.
Last night’s CNN Tea Party Debate was a lively affair. This was by far the best debate so far. Wolf Blitzer did a good job of moving the debate forward and there were some great questions. The one issue is that at least two people should be gone. Jon Huntsman and Rick Santorum have no business being on the stage or in the race.
Overall it was a good night for Michele Bachmann and Mitt Romney. Bachmann really nailed Perry on the HVC vaccination business in Texas. It’s Perry versus the world right now and everyone was piling on about this issue. I don’t mean to dismiss it. Perry made a mistake, but there are other issues that are much more important. I don’t see how it cripples him when RomneyCare exists.
Whatever ground Bachmann gained last night has been squandered after the debate. She claimed that the vaccination causes “mental retardation.” The comment is stupid for a variety of different reasons and completely unnecessary.
So where are we?
There are two major players right now. I don’t think Bachmann can get back in the race. She went for Perry’s throat last night, but her weakness is lack of experience and the fact she puts her foot in mouth.
Mitt Romney has RomneyCare. It reeks and I can’t see how he gets the nomination. Rick Perry has some issues with illegal immigration in Texas. No candidate is perfect. If it’s a choice between RomneyCare and a candidate who is soft on illegal immigration I think Perry wins. Right now, there’s no consensus position on illegal immigration. As long as that continues it is a wedge issue. Everyone hates ObamaCare.
Eventually the financial reckoning will come and our leaders could have prevented it.
The current debt ceiling debate is one of the most depressing episodes I can remember. Well, ObamaCare comes to mind. Democrats are suddenly consumed with the fear of default. Consider me unimpressed. Democrats didn’t care about the debt when they passed an $800 billion stimulus. The economy wasn’t improved, but the Democrats got their pork. They didn’t care when they shoved ObamaCare down the nation’s throat with every sleazy legislative maneuver they could muster.
CNN has published two op-ed pieces by John Avlon in the past week where he blames the GOP for the current problem. Why is it that Democrats are never responsible for any partisanship? I don’t think Avlon has thought about it very much. A few weeks ago the GOP passed a debt ceiling bill and the Senate, led by Democratic Senator Harry Reid, tabled it. In other words, they killed it. Reid never offered a bill of his own. Now the GOP is attempting to pass a compromised version of the bill and Senator Reid is threatening to kill it and Obama is threatening to veto it.
Speaker Boehner’s new bill offers $22 billion in savings this year, and $917 billion over 10 years. Please note that those are billions, not trillions, which is the actual term used to describe how far in debt we are. Is it surprising that the new members of Congress are reluctant to get on board? The freshmen members of Congress were elected to right the ship, not to ignore the iceberg. The Democrats are refusing to adopt a bill that barely covers the stimulus money we spent two years ago. The nation has $114 trillion in unfunded liabilities. Saving just shy of a trillion dollars over a decade is chump change.
Political posturing is nothing new. It happens every year. It happens around every election. What kills me about this issue is that we’re supposed to be believe the GOP’s plan is “extreme.” It doesn’t actually cut anything. No one in Washington is talking about real cuts. These are reductions in the rate of growth. How am I supposed to believe liberals are serious about fiscal restraint when they characterize the opposition’s ”non-cuts” as extreme? What would Democrats call me? I believe the entire federal government should be reduced by 20% across the board.
So many Americans are fed up with politicians of every kind. They complain about lobbyists, corporate money, corruption, and the lack of term limits. Americans like to feel like they have no power because it absolves them of guilt. Americans are to blame for this mess. Americans continue to elect corrupt politicians. Americans continue to remain ignorant about economics. Americans are addicted to unsustainable government handouts. We the People are the problem.
The GOP members of the House are being raked over the coals for endorsing a plan that doesn’t cut anything. How are we ever going to cut anything if this is the status quo?
One of the most annoying aspects of this debt ceiling debate has been President Obama’s obsession with raising taxes. Obama isn’t even honest about it. He calls it’s the “balanced approach.” It’s balanced kind of like how a Five Guys bacon cheeseburger is part of a “balanced approach” to breakfast. Even people on CNN are starting to notice how out of touch the President is on taxes.
The most amazing part is there are a lot of people who think raising taxes on people making over $250,000 is a great idea. The nation is faced with an investor crisis. Higher income people are afraid of this administration. They are willing to sit on their money and wait until he’s out of office. Obama is the most anti-business president in my lifetime. Raising taxes now will only make the economy worse. Too many people in this country have no understanding about economics. Sadly, one them is living in the White House.
Let the Distancing Begin: One of the complaints about Texas Governor Rick Perry is that he’s too close to Bush. Conveniently enough the New York Times and CBS is running a story that discusses a rift between the two camps. Well, isn’t that special? Hmm… maybe there’s something to all that Bilderberg stuff.
We Don’t Need No Stinking Empirical Facts: The brilliant Thomas Sowell has a great article up at Townhall entitled “Politics Versus Reality.” Sowell discusses the ever increasing problem or uninformed political discourse. How do you debate an opponent that wishes to remain willfully ignorant?
The same preference for talking points, and the same lack of interest in digging into the facts about realities, prevails today in discussions of whether to have a government-controlled medical system.
Since there are various countries, such as Canada and Britain, that have the kind of government-controlled medical systems that some Americans advocate, you might think that there would be great interest in the quality of medical care in these countries.
The data are readily available as to how many weeks or months people have to wait to see a primary care physician in such countries, and how many additional weeks or months they have to wait after they are referred to a surgeon or other specialist. There are data on how often their governments allow patients to receive the latest pharmaceutical drugs, as compared to how often Americans use such advanced medications.
But supporters of government medical care show virtually no interest in such realities. Their big talking point is that the life expectancy in the United States is not as long as in those other countries. End of discussion, as far as they are concerned.
When it comes to health care liberals are brain-dead. Their arguments are tired cliches. It’s almost impossible to break through the misinformation. Heath care as an entitlement is a religion and the libertarian position is the infidel.
Casey Anthony: I haven’t kept up with this story and I can’t even muster up a reason why anyone should care. Apparently a jury of her peers acquitted her. That’s all I need to know. Now FOX News can get back to covering something that’s actually important.
Government Intervention: The shocking conclusion from CNN is that the housing market won’t recover until it hits bottom. Of course it won’t reach bottom as long as the Federal Government keeps intervening in the market.
"The Jetsons or The Flintstones?"
Last night’s Republican presidential debate on CNN was perhaps the most substantive debate I’ve seen in awhile, despite CNN’s lack of maturity. The candidates mainly stuck to the issues and were pointedly averse to using their time to attack each other. In my book, that’s a good thing, particularly this early in the cycle. I want to know where they stand and their ideological philosophy, not how they perceive their rivals’ weaknesses. That can come later as we move closer to primary season.
What’s frustrating about these debates, particularly when they’re hosted by CNN, is how much time is wasted on frivolity. John King, who moderated the debate, did a lot better than Anderson Cooper (the king of frivolity) when Anderson moderated it in the last election cycle.
King constantly reminded the candidates that time was of the essence, yet he took precious time to ask a silly round of “this and that” questions: American Idol or Dancing with the Stars, for instance. Okay, if you insist on doing “this and that,” how about something more substantive, such as “Jefferson or Adams,” or “Israel or Palestine,” or “Keynes or Hayek” or “cash or credit”?
The candidates were mostly on message, though I tire of the time-wasting preambles used mainly by Tim Pawlenty and Rick Santorum to establish their bonafides as men of the people. “My father worked in a mill. We’re a union family. I come from a working class background. My grandfather was black, my mother is Hispanic and my sister is a handicapped Native American lesbian teacher. I ran away from home at the age of 13, fought with Andrew Jackson, opposed Jackson as a Congressman and died defending liberty in the Alamo.” Just answer the question!
Similarly, we’re forced to suffer through the patriotic preambles whenever a member of the audience who asks a question is connected to the military in some way: “Let me first say that I honor your sacrifice, a sacrifice that guarantees our precious freedoms, blah blah blah.” Once again, just answer the question! Time is ticking away!
CNN has published an op-ed by Michael Wolraich entitled “Republicans’ Medicare blunder.” Wolraich doesn’t really make any new points. It’s just another juvenile analysis of the political risks associated with reforming Medicare. I call it juvenile because I’m tired of hearing about tax breaks for the rich as if the problem would be solved by raising taxes. Only an uninformed moron would keep using that talking point, yet here is CNN giving an idiot a platform to spread ignorance.
But Medicare belongs to all Americans. Most of us who do not have it now are counting on its support in our old age. When Republicans proposed to cut Medicare while reducing taxes for the rich, they expressed intent to take something away from us and give it to the other guy. And so, the Republican budget proposal is already a dead plan walking.
I’m not counting on Medicare. It’s fiscally impossible for that program to exist when I’m 64. When will “progressives” realize that we can’t tax our way out of this? Half the nation doesn’t pay taxes already. No amount of tax increase on the rich is going to cover our entitlements.
The period of scoring political points is over. The real blunder is that people like Michael Wolraich are more concerned with saving the idea of Medicare than dealing with fiscal reality. The days of debating with deranged entitlement drones is over. Liberal Democrats simply don’t get it. Until they come up with a logical plan for reigning in these entitlements the American public should ignore them. If the press wasn’t full of Democrats they would challenge shallow people like Wolraich. Unfunded liabilities per American taxpayer is now over 1 million dollars. This is a real crisis and no one on the left seems to be taking it seriously.
The left pulled together every ounce of its faux outrage when it learned that Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. contributed $1 million to the Republican Governors Association. I wonder how they feel about the fact that 88 percent of 2008 contributions by TV network execs, writers and reporters went to Obama and Democrats?
The Democratic total of $1,020,816 was given by 1,160 employees of the three major broadcast television networks, with an average contribution of $880.
By contrast, only 193 of the employees contributed to Republican candidates and campaign committees, for a total of $142,863. The average Republican contribution was $744.
This is hardly a shocking revelation to anyone who pays attention to the news on any network beside FOX. Most journalists lean left and despite their best efforts to remain objective their coverage tilts left. That’s why the Washington Post is so desperate for a race riot or anything they can cover that’s damaging to conservatives. I wonder how much these agents of change give to charity in comparison? Hmmm…
Textbook Economics: The idiots were warned. We tried to tell them raising the minimum wage was pointless. It doesn’t help the poor. It only devastates young people who are trying to get jobs. It should be no surprise that youth unemployment has hit a record high. I hope all those “progressives” feel better. The only thing they accomplished is helping unions. Milton Friedman talked about this very issue decades ago. Friedman is gone, but he’s still right.
Content-neutral: Two months ago students from the Young America’s Foundation were told to shut up when they started an impromptu version of the National Anthem at the Lincoln Memorial. Evidently the harsh rhetoric of our nation’s National Anthem is offensive to someone. This is another great moment for our United States Park Police.
He’s No Saint: CNN has an article by Ed Henry on the late Senator Ted Stevens who passed away in an airplane crash earlier this week. The headline of the article is “Stevens was no saint but his word was his bond.” Fair enough, but where was this kind of somber analysis of the late Senator Ted Kennedy? If Stevens wasn’t a saint what was Kennedy? Or did Stevens get drunk, drive off the road, and flee the scene with someone drowning in the car as well?
I’m headed up to Atlanta tomorrow to watch the Braves in the post-Chipper era. The Braves third baseman injured himself on a throw to first base a couple of days ago. His ACL requires surgery so it’s possible this is the end of the road for Chipper. We’ll catch two games against the Dodgers and drive back on Sunday.
“The jaws of power are always open to devour, and her arm is always stretched out, if possible, to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking, and writing.”
John Adams
Ever since people started reporting on and analyzing the news on the Internet and other new media outside the traditional media outlets, the traditional media has been going through its own version of the Kubler-Ross Five Stages of Grief…
Denial… “This can’t be happening.”
Anger… “Who the hell do these pajama-clad people think they are?”
Bargaining… “Okay. We hate you, so we’ll start doing the same thing.”
Depression… “Our business model sucks and we’re going out of business.”
Acceptance… “Everything will be okay since I can get a federal bailout and have the feds regulate and harass my competition out of business, all in the name of some nebulous public good!”
Fake but accurate: When traditional "journalists" are sure something's true but have no evidence, it's time to go to Kinko's! Image from michellemalkin.com.
Whenever a high-profile blogger gets it wrong, jumps the gun or takes something out of context, the traditional media launches into “I-told-you-so” mode, most recently and notably with the Breitbart/Shirley Sherrod fiasco. However, when one of their own does it, there’s nothing to see (Rathergate).
The traditional media would like nothing better than to consolidate their power in such a way that everyone but the traditional media is held accountable for their actions. I think they call it “accountability journalism,” or what I like to call “baby talk.”
This begs the question: who fact-checks the fact-checkers? Who holds those who wield the sword of accountability accountable? What the traditional media desire is a monopoly on accountability, which is convenient for a demonstrably biased group advancing specific political and ideological agendas. As “gatekeepers” they will ensure the unwashed masses stay outside the gates. Safely inside the gates, the gatekeepers can do whatever the hell they want. Who needs transparency when the gatekeepers are so ethically and morally pure?
Was Breitbart held accountable for posting an out-of-context video? Certainly. Now that the entire video is out and people can see it for themselves they can make their own judgment about it without a monopolistic “accountability” filter designed to tell them what to think.
Fake but accurate: Filmed from multiple angles with hundreds of cell phone cameras recording at the same moment, not one person has come forth with evidence that Tea Partiers screamed racial epithets at black Congressmen who purposely walked the gauntlet to incite the racism that supposedly infuses the Tea Party movement. The accusation may be fake, but the traditional media decided it was accurate so there was no need to verify the veracity of the claims. Now that's accountability journalism!
By the same token, when the media reported with absolute certainty that the N-word was hurled more than a dozen times at black legislators purposely running the Tea Party gauntlet on Capitol Hill, the blogosphere cast serious doubt on this assertion. The traditional media’s reaction? Ignore the evidence and mindlessly repeat a lie since it fits their worldview and narrative.
The traditional media believes the Tea Party is racist, primarily because the Tea Party opposes the first black president’s agenda. In the traditional media narrative, opposition to Obama equals racism. So if A=B is true, then naturally the stuff we make up, C, is true, even if it really didn’t happen.
Rathergate was based on the same thinking. Dan Rather and his colleagues at CBS believed that George W. Bush was a nincompoop and a shirker so they didn’t waste any time double-checking the documents sent to them by a dubious source that helped prove the point. When the documents were shown to be obvious forgeries, Rather and the traditional media circled the wagons. Their final defense? Fake but accurate! I don’t know about you, but I prefer news that’s genuine and accurate.
So, while the traditional media whines and moans about the lack of accountability in the blogosphere, talk radio and Fox News, we’re actually living in a time of hyper-accountability. You can’t publish, post or air anything without someone somewhere holding you to account.
There are obvious drawbacks to this Wild West information age, such as the ease of defamation, but that’s a trade-off I’m willing to make. Information is power, and once concentrated in too few hands it is dangerous.
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