Reader Mail
The Worst Is Yet to Come
Make way for the Obamalinsky Administration. Too white right. Blaming McLame. Plus more.
(Page 2 of 4)
HOW DOES IT FEEL?
Re: Philip Klein's
The Future of the Right:
I could not help but laugh at your description of "two-dozen conservative leaders" meeting at a rural retreat in Virginia.
Here we have a group of white guys and at least one white woman getting together to bemoan their fate, to commiserate on how the American people let themselves be led astray by shifty-eyed liberals.
These people need to get out more, see more people, and learn what is happening in this country. They have a bizarre and limited notion of what is the "real America."
Do you think the Republican convention was a mirror of the real America? The sight of that sea of white faces staring up at John McCain sent a message that no amount of campaign spin could correct.
Regardless of how elegant their philosophy or the correctness of
their views, until Conservatives learn the values of
inclusiveness, diversity, and empathy they will forever wander in
the political wilderness.
-- Ed Morrow
FAULTY INTELLIGENCE
Re: William Tucker's Strategy
for 2012:
Affluent, educated voters chose Obama because he appeared to be the more intelligent candidate? I am not sure exactly how William Tucker believes Obama demonstrated this intelligence since he was very careful not to articulate specifics on any issue. Perhaps Tucker considers a slick advertising campaign promoting a product, in this case the brand of Hope and Change united with a glib spokesman in the person of Barack Obama, a demonstration of intelligence. It is more than likely the particular demographic Tucker concerns himself with voted for Obama because our colleges along with the mainstream media teach and promote left-wing political philosophy. Thirty years of indoctrination have born fruit. This is amplified by the fact that these are the very people to whom the trappings and appearance of intelligence are of greater importance than original thought. Therefore they will adopt and parrot those ideas that have been designated intelligent by the cultural elite. The media has been telling that us that Republicans are dumb since Ronald Reagan won the nomination in 1980 and nobody wants to appear lowbrow or greedy at a Westchester County cocktail party. The New York Times informs us that conservatives are both. While it is awkward for one to fit into a conversation that they hold a Master's Degree from Princeton without seeming to be a swell head, one can demonstrate their intelligence and worldliness to other sophisticates by repeating what Bill Moyers was saying last night or expounding on whatever Maureen Dowd had on her mind this week. That way the entire party can bask in the warm glow of superiority over the oafish masses.
By the standards of our college professors and television news
editors, a Republican can never be intelligent. As long as we
have a culture and media that trumpets left wing political
philosophy as sophisticated and intelligent, the Republicans
could run a ticket of a newly discovered Plato and a second
Einstein and it would not make a bit of difference. They too
would be deconstructed as a couple of dumbbells to be snickered
at by new elite.
-- Peter F. Killie
Ridgefield, Conservative
"SO DOES THIS MEAN the conservative cause is lost? Not at all. It simply means that conservatives are going to have to stop appealing to the frustrations of the inarticulate and start making a more intelligent case. The Democratic alliance that has won this election is bound to stumble over its own contradictions."
You must be joking. These educated professionals whom you would like to appeal are among the least likely to be persuaded by articulate arguments or to be concerned about the inherent contradictions of liberalism. For instance, the very same people who champion solar and wind power are also opposed to the construction of the transmission lines necessary to harness that power. With millions of new electric cars do any of them see increased demands on the electric grid? Even if they do, do they support the construction of new power plants? Fat chance. "La la la la LA, I can't hear you..."
I know this because I work among a great many people like this. They may be brilliant and grounded in their own fields, but their "education" insulates them from considering reasoned political arguments. They are the enlightened class. They already have the Truth. They are much more likely to be dismissive of alternative viewpoints. They see the holders of alternative viewpoints as uneducated simpletons. Their faith cannot be challenged.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (23) | Leave a comment
Leave a Comment
More Articles From Reader Mail
http://spectator.org/archives/2008/11/07/the-worst-is-yet-to-come
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
Current Issue
- Useless Wonks
- Evolve or Die
- The Continuing Crisis
- Digital Subscription (Save 78%)
- Buy a single issue (Save 50%)
- Send Spectator as a gift
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
Appleby| 11.7.08 @ 6:33AM
Its the end of the world as we know it -- which has happened to me at least 6 times during my adult life and each time I have survived it. This time will be harder and I suspect it will take less time for the hoi polloi to discover, in the words of Malcolm X *ya been had.* And as we who have lived long enough can attest, when the hoi polloi discover that they WILL have to pay their mortgage, food, gas and other bills and they are STILL unemployed, fat and ignorant, the retribution will be swift and deadly.
The Chosen One will have more to fear from his own than from Whitey -- we will know we are getting just what he promised us; they will realize he is giving them nothing but excuses, is not inviting them to the White House (which will not be renamed the African-American House) and is in fact *Acting White* -- and anybody who remembers the Watts Riots, the Rodney King Riots, or if you live in Atlanta the Freaknik ... well, there was a book called The Fire Next Time and you better get a fire extinguisher.
frost| 11.7.08 @ 8:17AM
Love those Pabulum Puke words/solutions! Words like "inclusiveness" and "diversity" -- and "empathy?" Spare us, Mr. Morrow...
Better, words like cajones, guts, Guiliani, strength, and maybe Palin.
As long as the "right" is saddled with inept "leaders" like Dubya, Bush-the-Elder, McCain (and his Rick Davis blame-game advisors), the California clown-congressman who pandered by proposing a ban on the Morning After pill -- or the others who wanted to ban Internet Wagering, 'n thought they were "watching out for us'ns..."
Face it, gang, we're in mighty serious trouble, and those words like "inclusiveness," "diversity" and "empathy" make me wanna throw up.....
IMKessel| 11.7.08 @ 12:09PM
Mr. Morrow,
Ideas do not come in colors. Conservative principles have been carried forth by people of great thought and understanding. Their countenance is not the issue, though many people outside of the Libertarian/Conservative circles certainly feel a compelling need to point out issues of skin tone. Could be a case of the kettle calling the kettle black -- if that is still allowed.
Marc Jeric| 11.7.08 @ 1:07PM
The fault is in us, as the Bard said. Bush with his "compassionate conservatism" and "ownership society" has been a proverbial wimp. He left some 6,000 Clinton appointees (including 53 District Attorneys and the CIA Director) to continue working in the government, to undermine his aims (you remember how that disbarred felon Clinton fired all the District Attorneys?). He did not mention 550 tons of enriched uranium found in Iraq that were transported to Canada; that would have put the end to the far-left cry "he lied, soldiers died" and to the lies of Wilson/Plame debacle. He advanced the socialist programs by allowing subprime mortgage financial crisis and compounding it with his one trillion buyout plan. Then came the "maverick" McCain with his "my friends" BS that made me cringe every time I heard it. Bush I was a wimp, Bush II is a wimp, and McCain would have been another.
ThinkTank| 11.7.08 @ 1:35PM
Ha ha!
Spectator readers are just so cute with their apocalyptic visions of National Socialism and prison camps for conservatives.
Yep - it's all a big conspiracy. Obama the anti-Christ will be coming to load you into cattle cars any day now. Keep on believing it
P. Aaron| 11.7.08 @ 2:02PM
Hey ThinkTank; Obama ain't the 'anti-Christ. (I am sure he'd like to think he's at that paygrade) Obama represents the party that is against individual liberty. Y'know, those 'God-Given' ones outlined in the Constitution...that old white guy document.
The 'One' will stay out of it, but his allies will do the dirty work of making the dissenter's life miserable.
ThinkTank| 11.7.08 @ 2:23PM
He's against individual liberty - how? Oh yeah, he proposes raising taxes on the rich.
Folks - you're facing a ONE TRILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT THIS YEAR! Are there any REAL fiscal conservatives left in your country?
Get real - if you want to balance the budget, it's gonna require tax increases in addition to spending cuts.
Get serious about your country's future. It's not a game
Red Neck| 11.7.08 @ 3:42PM
Brains in a Tank:
For starters, Obama could give some thought to the Laffer curve, if he wants the Treasury to be remunerated more robustly. But he might need a Republican to explain it to him. If he just wants it to LOOK like he's spreading the wealth, he'll do as well to punitively tax Joe the Plumber.
Red Neck| 11.7.08 @ 3:53PM
BinT:
Oh, and one trap of offering such a big bail out in the first place is now that everyone in sight of that honey pot is coming to Uncle Sam with their hands held out. With the place simply lousy with Democrats will they be able to say no? Recall that Obama actually twisted the arms of the black caucus, who didn't want to give that much dough to "the Man."
frost| 11.7.08 @ 4:51PM
Water under the bridge, almost, the Dubya Debacle -- Mr. Jeric was not only "right," but 100% correct. I've used the word "betrayed" about both Bushes; their so-called "Compassionate Conservatism" has been appropriately termed Liberal Lite. Never expected much from Bush-the-Elder, but NEVER have I been as disappointed as with Dubya!
ThinkTank| 11.7.08 @ 6:16PM
Take a page from Canada - the place most of you call a 'socialist paradise'.
Our feds have run a SURPLUS budget for 14 consecutive years.
Your government has been recklessly cutting taxes and running record deficts - and that was DURING the good times! How bad you think it's gonna be now?
I'm a Canadian and a strong and proud conservative - but a fiscal conservative. You all seem to have forgotten the most important tenent of the movement.
DJ| 11.7.08 @ 6:35PM
ThinkTank said :
"Ha ha!
Spectator readers are just so cute with their apocalyptic visions of National Socialism and prison camps for conservatives.
Yep - it's all a big conspiracy. Obama the anti-Christ will be coming to load you into cattle cars any day now. Keep on believing it "
I'm not worried about it, they can try to come get me. I'm a libertarian I've been preparing for a totalitarian government for years! :)
DJ| 11.7.08 @ 6:44PM
ThinkTank | 11.7.08 @ 1:23PM
He's against individual liberty - how? Oh yeah, he proposes raising taxes on the rich.
Folks - you're facing a ONE TRILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT THIS YEAR! Are there any REAL fiscal conservatives left in your country?
Get real - if you want to balance the budget, it's gonna require tax increases in addition to spending cuts.
Get serious about your country's future. It's not a game "
Obama is against indvidual liberty, he voted for a FISA law that violates the 4th amendment. He wants Americans to undertake against their will "community service" projects. Some guy named Adolf back in the 1930's was a big fan of "community service"
Ron Paul proposed a federal budget that would eliminate the personal income tax for everyone. Don't tell me we need tax hikes. Eliminate the IRS, DEA, FBI, CIA, Dept of Education, NASA, Homeland Security, all of the Foriegn Aid, The Iraq War, "Green" energy subsidies and put a stop to any and all future stimulus/bailouts and you will see the debt paid off in no time flat.
DJ| 11.7.08 @ 6:47PM
How silly of me, in the heat of my rant I forgot to propose abolishing medicaid, medicare and social security.
ThinkTank| 11.7.08 @ 7:00PM
DJ - I'm somewhat of a libertarian myself... but look what happens when Wall Street bloodsuckers run the show without government oversight?
You can't be serious about this list. America is already falling behind in education, and you're advocating privatizing schools?
No more intelligence community? That will help when the next 9/11 strikes.
You missed the most obvious department to cut back though. I'm speaking of course of the Defence Department.
You know their budget for 2009 is $650 BILLION, right? And look what they're asking for: high-tech weapons like the F-35. Meanwhile, the enemy is fighting you with a $10 rocket launcher...
ruth| 11.8.08 @ 3:01AM
We have enough native born ass-hats to deal with, do we have to listen to foreign ones, too? The government (Dodd, Frank) bullied banks into making bad low-income loans, it was the liberals' social engineering that started this mess; they needed the oversight. Public schools are failing, as you stated, why shouldn't private schooling be added to the mix? We won in Iraq and haven't been attacked since 9/11, may be this time it will be your turn to feel the heat. Mind your own business.
Theresa| 11.8.08 @ 7:20AM
Think Tank:
Get real - if you want to balance the budget, it's gonna require tax increases in addition to spending cuts.
-------------
With the new President Elect we will get half of this done - raise taxes. He will not cut spending. Yeah he may redistribute spending but not cut spending. Well maybe just maybe we can pull out of this in four years without facing a depression. Why don't they say those words anymore I have heard the word depression since he won the election
Theresa| 11.8.08 @ 7:24AM
The reason McCain lost this election:
BAILOUT
The reason Obama won the election:
MESSIAH
The reason we will all pay for both of these:
NEITHER ONE WILL BE PROVEN TO BE TRUE
DJ| 11.8.08 @ 12:02PM
ThinkTank :
Of course the defenSe (i know you canucks spell it with a C i'm just having some fun with you.) budget needs to be slashed. I sort of assumed that went without saying. You can take 120 billion a year off that by stopping Iraq. Getting our troops out of Germany, Japan, Korea and Cuba will save countless more billions of dollars.
Military Intelligence and counter terrorism can be handled by the military. All the CIA does is meddle in the affairs of foreign nations. That's why the world doesn't care for us too much.
Where I live in Broward county florida the gov spends aprox 10,000 dollars per kid per year on public schools. Private schools provide a superior education for about 5 - 6,000 per kid.
We can take care of our defecit within a few years if we tighten up and eliminate the bull crap our government spends money on.
DJ| 11.8.08 @ 12:02PM
ThinkTank :
Of course the defenSe (i know you canucks spell it with a C i'm just having some fun with you.) budget needs to be slashed. I sort of assumed that went without saying. You can take 120 billion a year off that by stopping Iraq. Getting our troops out of Germany, Japan, Korea and Cuba will save countless more billions of dollars.
Military Intelligence and counter terrorism can be handled by the military. All the CIA does is meddle in the affairs of foreign nations. That's why the world doesn't care for us too much.
Where I live in Broward county florida the gov spends aprox 10,000 dollars per kid per year on public schools. Private schools provide a superior education for about 5 - 6,000 per kid.
We can take care of our defecit within a few years if we tighten up and eliminate the bull crap our government spends money on.
Thomas| 11.9.08 @ 12:55PM
DJ,
I applaud your Libertarian ideals. And while we can certainly phase out many Federal bureaucracies, there are valid reasons for keeping some of them. The CIA, with proper oversight provides a second source of intelligence reports for the President. It is wise not to rely upon a single source of intelligence when making decisions, Verification is a must. As for recalling all military forces from around the world, that might have been advisable in 1830, but it is hardly a valid solution in a world where a man can move halfway around the world in 17 hours. Social service agencies are fair game, however.
As for Think Tank, pay him no mind. He is a proud citizen of a once great country, the People's Republic of Canadastan. He should be careful, though. Canadians may have to pay true market value for their drugs when the U.S. consumer no longer subsidizes Canadian meds.
Ed Morrow| 11.11.08 @ 2:00PM
I was just contacted by a friend who asked me about a post by “Ed Morrow” on this site. Since I am also an “Ed Morrow,” who has advocated conservatism elsewhere online, he was surprised at its contention that conservatives don’t know the value of “inclusiveness, diversity and empathy.” He feared I might have contracted Christopher Buckley-itis or Peggy Noonan Syndrome. The post remarked negatively on the “sea of white faces” at the Republican convention. This oblique insistence that anyone who didn’t vote for Obama is a racist is itself a glaring example of racial divisiveness. While there are kooks in every corner of politics, legitimate conservatives base their acceptance on ideology, not skin color. Any ethnic group is welcome if they share conservative views. If you believe otherwise, please identify a conservative non-white who has been barred from conservative circles because of their race. On the other side, liberals love identifying themselves with virtue while demonizing anyone who diverges from their way of thinking, using race- or sex-based tactics they would bitterly decry if used by conservatives. Ask Michelle Malkin how vile Asian stereotypes have been used to attack her. Ask Walter Williams or Thomas Sowell or Clarence Thomas how many times they’ve been called “Uncle Tom.” In addition to race-based attacks there was plenty of sexism in the attacks on Sarah Palin’s appearance, "Caribou Barbie" intellect, and wardrobe (Obama spent twice as much in a single hour on TV ads and no one asked how much his suits cost) or the criticism of her daughter’s pregnancy or Palin’s decision to keep Trig or even her choice to have a career outside the home. For that matter, ask Hillary Clinton if she thinks sexism was used by the Obamites to attack her. There was precious little “inclusiveness, diversity and empathy” in any of this—just a lot of sanctimonious hypocrisy.
A different, conservative Ed Morrow