The American Spectator

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Waiting for Good Oil

9.19.08 @ 12:01AM

(Page 5 of 5)

The first objection is that it anticipates (as attorneys are apt to say) facts not in evidence. Mr. Zierak points to a few historical instances and then points out what would have happened or not happened had 1.) Nixon not got a second term as President 2.) Ford won in 1976 and 3.) Bush I won re-election in 1992. But this isn't historical analysis. It's nothing more than a parlor game of playing "what would have been if..." One could just as easily make the argument that if the self-righteous scalp hunters truly would have thought for what was best for the country they would have dropped their chase to "get" Nixon. That would have changed the whole chain of what was to come and I say the world would have been a lot better for it -- my money says that at the very least the term "boat people" would never have become common parlance. Proof? None.

Looking forward, Mr. Zierak predicts that upon election McCain would become the modern version of Herbert Hoover and Hoover's economic interventionism. Except for consulting with the witch of Endor, how are we supposed to understand where this prediction comes from? Why is Mr. Zierak so certain McCain is Hoover under the flesh? I will say McCain isn't my idea of a free-market Conservative. But is has to be pointed out that the future is not "McCain or nothing." There is this creature out there named Obama and we can be fairly confident about what he wants to do. What is certain is that none of us know what is coming down the road for this economy. What is clear to me is that I'd rather put my chips on McCain rather than on Obama.

The second objection is that, in spite of our expectations, nothing is inevitable. The defeat of President Ford by Carter and then the debacle that followed did not make Reagan President much less bring him out from the shadows. Reagan's quest began in the 1960's. He worked hard long before Ford or Carter themselves were even a speck on the attention of the American public. Yet most counted him out during the 1980 primaries. Then they didn't believe Republicans would in the end give Reagan nomination -- especially with such swell guys like John Anderson. Then they were sure Carter would be renewing his magazine subscriptions for the White House come December 1980. The fact was that Reagan was not a shoe-in. The tides were against him -- even among fellow Republicans. No laws of history carried Reagan into office. He had to fight for it. At several points, Reagan's political career came close to being over with the obituaries already written.

In the same way, there is no law of history that means a Conservative champion will emerge during an Obama administration nor that such a champion will necessarily win the election. Nothing is inevitable. If anything, the "future" is against us. Like or not (and I don't), we have to play the cards we got. We can't hope for better cards to play someday -- they may never come. Indeed, the entire game may change.
-- Mike Dooley

A generation ago Ronald Reagan ended the "Cold War" with Russia after 40 years. Now we are in the middle of the culture wars started in the '60s led by the secular humanist against the "God-fearing" citizens who have taken a beating up until now. But a new Shock and Awe strategy has been unleashed by the Conservatives. It is led by a new general riding out of the west toting a gun like Annie Oakley and looking like Miss America and has thrown the left right off of the bus. The possible destruction of liberalism is the reason for the vial uproar from Hollywood and the news media at the moment. The real face of the anything goes agenda is showing and it is really ugly. Maybe they will give up and leave for France but don't hold your breath, hold your pocketbooks and Bible.
-- Jared Harold
Naples, Florida

Letter to the Editor

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