This Eric Earling post from today reminded me of this laugher he posted up on the night of the Pennsylvania primary:
This may be hard news for the netrooters, the urban liberals, and the idealistic youth whose collective undergarments have frequently been moistened in the throws of Obama-mania. But, it is what it is. The county-by-county maps of Ohio and Pennsylvania look awfully similar: islands of urban, Obama liberalism, surrounded by a sea of working class support.
Does anyone think that trend will be reversed in Indiana, West Virginia, and Kentucky? Does anyone think Obama isn’t going to consequently have significant problems in key portions of the Rust Belt come this fall? With states like Minnesota, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and even perhaps Pennsylvania on the table in November, is that really path Democrats want to go down?
I responded in comments:
In the end, they’ll vote for a pile of dogshit before they’ll vote for a rich Republican from Arizona
Earling’s foolish optimism that somehow Obama wouldn’t be palatable to working-class folks in the upper midwest shows how we ended up with a campaign desperately trying to focus its attention on the plight of a Toledo plumber who mistakenly believes his taxes will go up under Obama. The true believers in the McCain camp are still convinced that those who support Obama are simply brainwashed by the “liberal media” successfully covering up Obama’s various disqualifiers. At every turn, they’re convinced that the latest thing is the thing that turns the tide and “wakes America up” to what they think this election is really about. This is why they’ve just finished trying to coronate an unlicensed plumber who owes back taxes and doesn’t appear to be very good at economics. As Earling concludes:
It’s not over, but McCain needs help.
He’s right. It’s not over. We need to finish what we started here and make sure Obama wins this thing. But the help McCain needs is for his insane, racist supporters to stop motivating so many of us to kick every Republican out of public office on the 4th.
You know, I’ve always believed that the “loyal opposition” was a fundamental element of a functioning democracy. Of course, a fundamental characteristic of what we need from the loyal opposition is the capacity to reason, to deal with facts, to offer fair prognoses of where current difficulties are headed. The Republican Party is no longer the loyal opposition. Rather, we have this Palinesque nuttiness that calls urban areas (she does not understand that is where most voters live) un-American, and that considers intellectual achievement to be terroristic. The Democratic Party could use a smart opposition. All gain by dichotomies. There ain’t no loyal opposition at the moment, just a bunch of racist, drooling fools that call themselves Rossi-ites, or Republicans, or whatever they are.
@1
Yeah, I’m expecting to see a more sensible opposition party grow out of Ron Paul’s movement and the libertarian ideas that led them to be so out in front of other Republicans on the Iraq War. Some of Ron Paul’s followers are pretty crazy too, but I actually think it’s unfair to paint all of them with that brush. I think they’ll form a more rational opposition party than what we have today.
The Joe The Plumber thing cracks me up. McCain’s still using it, even though its already been shown that “Joe” would get a tax cut, not an increase under Obama.
Why doesn’t Obama openly disclose all of his campaign contributors as John McCain has done?
It would go a long way towards building some credibility with average Americans that don’t eat Russian Caviar at the Waldorf Astoria.
McCain thinks I should vote for him because he’ll give me a $5,000 tax credit to go out and purchase insurance on the “free market”. His plan has at least 2 problems.
1. I’d actually be paying more ($200-$300) for insurance under McCain’s plan.
2. We’re already buying our insurance through the “free market.” We’re just doing it though work* where we can get a good deal because there are 80 or so of us buying in.
4
I don’t eat Russian caviar at the Waldorf Astoria, though John McCain and his wife likely have. That is not the point, however. Obama is a leader. McCain is not. I wouldn’t follow McCain into the buffet line at an all-night restaurant. I’d follow Obama into war, and I have to tell you, that is the place where I would most reluctantly go.
re 4: You only have John McCain’s word that he’s disclosed all of his contributors. And McCain’s a Republican. And all Republicans lie.
Why won’t you admit that all Republicans are liars?
“average Americans that don’t eat Russian Caviar at the Waldorf Astoria”.
Or that own eleven houses, 13 cars, and wear three hundred thousand dollar outfits for an evening out?
You mean “real” Merikuns?
@2
Nope.
These next two weeks are going to show America what the Republican party has devolved to. I do not expect them to work with the Democrats at all. They will seek to obstruct, and work toward gaining more power in 2010. The race baiting has just started, and will not end when the election does. The evolution of the Republican Party into a nationalist socialist ideology happened under junior Bush. The Republicans charted this course right after 9/11, with their nationalistic screed that was meant to support Bush, by psychologically making Bush a troop. Remember the flightsuit?
If we had won in Iraq in 2005, we would be at war in Iran right now.
The key will be if Obama can herd all the cats in the Democratically controlled Congress. If he can produce sound legislation, the Republicans will become a minority party well into the future. Which is what they deserve.
Ron Paul is batshit crazy. There is simply not enough gold on earth to support a gold standard, even if you wanted to. And no economist worth his salt wants to. And what is gold anyway, but people’s historical perception as a metal that is precious? Gold’s value is all in what people’s economic fears makes them run to it in a time of perceived economic crisis. It is therefore destabilizing and inherently inflationary. All historical precedent confirms this.
I’ve got to get some sleep. But the Republican wing nuts jumped the shark today by claiming Powell’s support of Obama is based on their shared genetic ancestry. The man is a Republican institution, and the right wing is treating him like a used kotex.
Even I do not see the fun in that.
Why do free marketers worry about competing with government health insurance. According to their ideology, there’s no way government could provide a better product.
Why won’t John McCain explain why the government health insurance that he uses isn’t good enough for the rest of us. I don’t want McCain to suffer any longer under this insurance. Let’s all chip in and buy him some good coverage — from the ‘free market’!
I saw Bob Barr on TV tonight and he was actually saying some sensible stuff. The world has turned upside down.
Lee @ 2
Ron Paul, Bob Barr, and Libertarians do have something to say. Most of their more sensible ideas, however, are already part of the general mainstream of what those of us in the Democratic Party believe–stay the hell out of foreign entanglements if at all possible and, here in the homeland, protect civil liberties. The Republican Party, to again become a noble opponent, must get back to its roots of fiscal sensibility. No deficit spending, no taking expenditures off-line, and, for God’s sake, let’s be moderate about things. Anybody know any Republicans like that anymore?
sheets
@4 Why doesn’t Rossi testify instead of fighting the subpoena? That would go a long way to restore voters’ confidence that he isn’t involved in an illegal scheme with the BIAW.
@10 “Why do free marketers worry about competing with government health insurance. According to their ideology, there’s no way government could provide a better product.”
Because in their guts they know private health insurance is a fraud. They take your premiums but when you get sick they claim your condition isn’t covered or the treatment is “experimental” (even though it works and has been around for 50 years). This is called “stealing” and it was a hanging offense under the English kings.
My wife and I pay about $1600 a month out of pocket for our health insurance. McCain can take his piddly-ass tax credit and put it where the sun don’t shine.
We belong to what was the model for all the HMO’s that followed, and we like it. Now hardly any employers offer it because it’s so good it’s priced itself out of the market.
The whole American medical-care system needs to be done over from scratch.
@16 That sounds high. The average seems to be around $10,000 to $12,000 a year for a couple.
This is all starting to feel like 2004 revisited. We were already up to our eyeballs in an unpopular, senseless war, people were seeing their jobs shipped offshore left and right, and the Democrats should have been able to nominate a sash weight and get him or her elected. Instead, the Rove noise machine stirred up enough fervor among the beer-belly patriots to provide cover for massive, automated election fraud in several carefully targeted key states. We have no guarantee that it isn’t going to happen again.
Earling’s pompous, smug tone in suggesting his self-perceived keen insights regarding voters are not only original thoughts, but ones we should all stand up and take notice of, are contradicted time after time by the realities his political ideology, and frankly his aspirations as a pundit, have blinded him to.
Lee spews:
” Some of Ron Paul’s followers are pretty crazy too.”
As if the O-blah-blah crazies aren’t??
Yesterday afternoon, I went to a college campus and asked approx. 30 students who they were voting for, why and how their candidate would accomplish the goals they support. Simple Questions.
Only 3 went nuts when I asked them specifically HOW Obama would make their lives better….and stormed away, one calling me a McCain Nazi.
2 of these “students” believed Obama would “cancel our student loans”!
When I pressed them on HOW Obama would create the jobs & salaries they desired…more than half responded by taxing wealthy people and corporations more. When I asked who they would like to work for, it was split between Government and Business. The future government workers ALL said Obama was going to create a lot more government jobs & raise salaries for teachers etc.
I asked all the future business workers how Businesses/Corporations would be able to create more jobs if taxes were raised. That proved to be a bit of a stumper.
Most of kids for Obama were adamant about CHANGE. I pointed out there was GOOD change & BAD change…which also stumped a couple.
Interesting conversations, no one talked about goat fornication.
The 10 who are voting for McCain across the Board think Obama is a Socialist, way too Liberal way too inexperienced. A couple even pointed to the recent Biden statement.
busdrivermike spews:
Actually mike, the American people have a very clear picture of what the Democrats & Nutroots are all about based on your lies & horrific comments about Sarah Palin…and the NY Times waaaaay over the top article about Cindy McCain.
Here’s the way it works Mike. Once the majority of American people feel overtaxed or overregulated, they will put Conservatives back in office, just like the European countries have done. Once the American people get tired of paying for handouts to illegals & lazy asses, they will unite to throw out dreamers like Obama.
When I talked to those college kids yesterday, it was clear they had HIGH, HIGH hopes for Obama and specific things he must do to satisfy them. Watch Obama…he will immediately lower those hopes & expectations with Kennedy like speeches about “ask not what your Country can do for you”, personal sacrifice, tough times, blame Bush etc. etc.
These young people will quickly become disillusioned if Obama doesn’t meet the HIGH HOPES he created during this campaign.
ArfFart spews:
My wife and I pay about $1600 a month out of pocket for our health insurance.
AF–
I agree with Rog, that seems extraordinarily high for someone with no dependents.
Are you 50??
Check with AARP.
Do you or your wife belong to any Associations??
Have you looked at taking a higher deductible?
If you & your wife are paying $1600/month for health insurance, you are getting SCREWED ROYAL!! But I must also add, it’s your own fault for not shopping.
Hey, why not join Group Death!!
The only reason it could possibly be that high is if you lost or quit a job, your COBRA ran out and you or your wife had some pre-existing condition that caused you to go to a substandard carrier.
Who insures you AF??
@4:
I believe the law is that you disclose information on contributors who donate $250 or more. Just like all the other candidates, Obama has followed the law.
You all might take a break from beating up on Eric to take a look at his most Recent Post today about Tony Williams, Slade’s former Chief of Staff and Tony’s special son, Joshua, that was 1st told in this 1999 Op-Ed by Tony:
http://community.seattletimes......ug=2983239
Powerful stuff. For you unbelievers, rest assured that God was speaking to us thru Tony in that Op-Ed.
The link to Eric’s Post about Tony can be found at:
http://blog.usefulwork.com/cgi.....y_id=11834
It’s reassuring to know that even Joel Connelly has a heart!
@1: Seems to me that the Democrats should be a more loyal opposition to the Republicans, if it were only possible.
Though never a Republican, in the early 1990s I was considered much more of an independent than now. That was further up in the spiral that has slowly transformed the Republican party into the bizarre fringe group we know today.
Obama is actually a moderate. He’s probably more socially conservative than Clinton was, and certainly less liberal on healthcare than Hillary Clinton. As the Republicans point out, he has voted with his party in the Senate 80% of the time, and this shows what a moderate or mild conservative Obama is.
This is what it takes to get a Democrat elected president (if he does get elected) in a country the Republicans have ruined financially, with its young people impoverished and dying in an unnecessary war the Republicans started. Not only this, but Obama is running against a weak, uncharismatic, and mentally unstable Republican and an amateur sidekick who can’t answer a simple question. Almost everything McCain/Palin say is at odds with the truth, or, if not, with what they said before.
Why this election was ever a contest should concern us a great deal. How is it that the Republican narrative (now so reduced to “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing”) has so dominated political discourse?
“however. Obama is a leader. McCain is not”
Tis an amazing statement – to be kind. Obama supports have NEVER answered the question “So name me 3 things Obama has accomplished” and yet they call him a leader? He is a CARPETBAGGER, a slick talker in expensice suits, a puppet placed by people in the shadows with money who have ILLEGALLY supported him into the position he now holds.
His campaign REFUSES to release his records, including tax records, medical records, school records and even a simple LEGAL birth certificate, yet have tons of lawyers to jump on the opposite at a moments notice.
Well, to rephrase the statement made at the beginning of this blog, voting for Obama IS voting for a pile of fecal matter!