-
New World Order?
March 1, 2012 | 74 comments
-
The Last Republican?
February 3, 2012 | 382 comments
-
National Patronizing Radio
October 22, 2010 | 126 comments
-
Good News
September 24, 2010 | 39 comments
-
A Referendum, Not an Election
September 14, 2010 | 75 comments
Eminentoes
Wade and Nancy
Evidently one of them wasn’t born to lose.
It was a devastating loss. A wipeout. Even, a “shellacking.” The Cowboys got mauled in Green Bay, 45-7, and as they say, it wasn’t even that close. The Cowboys couldn’t run, couldn’t pass, couldn’t stop the run, couldn’t stop the pass, and when that game plan failed, they got creative. Because the Dallas coaches had used up all their timeouts, when the Packers recovered what was ruled a fumble — but judging by the replay clearly was not — they could not even challenge the call. This blunder resulted in another Packer touchdown that was an outright gift.
The game ended late Sunday night but by halftime, fans were wondering just how soon Head Coach Wade Philips would be out of a job. Would he even be allowed to fly home with the team or would owner Jerry Jones give him a ticket on the next Greyhound and tell him that somebody would clean out his office and send the stuff over to his house. Which, by the way, if it is anywhere in Texas, Wade, old buddy, you ought to think about selling.
The more moderate view was that Wade might make it through Monday. Some even thought he might still be coaching the Cowboys next weekend, in New York, against the Giants and possibly in the last game of the year, when Dallas plays the Eagles, in Philadelphia.
Jones had, after all, said repeatedly that he was opposed to changing coaches in mid-season. But it went without saying that he was also opposed to having his team undressed on national television, and Mr. Jones is a proud man. By late Monday, he had made his move and Wade Phillips was moving on.
Once the Cowboys had played themselves out of the post season, denying Jones the thrill of having his own team appear in his own stadium in the Super Bowl, it was a lock that Wade Phillips would not be Head Coach of the Dallas Cowboys next season. By then, even his supporters — assuming he had any — were not so delusional as to believe that Phillips would get another chance. None were arguing that he coached real good but communicated real bad and that he should fight back against being canned by saying things like: “Our work is far from finished.” And, “We have no intention of allowing our great achievements to be rolled back.”
Those, of course, are the words of Nancy Pelosi whose team got thumped, last Tuesday, as badly as the Cowboys did on Sunday night. And her team doesn’t get a rematch for another for two years.
Still, she wants to stay on as Head Coach or, in this case, as Minority Leader. The job of Speaker, which she currently holds, goes over to the other side in January. Right now, it looks as though she will accomplish her goal, which could only happen in Washington and is part of the reason her team lost in the first place. Because it plays in Washington, where this kind of thing can — and does — happen all the time. Remember the CIA boss who said something about how WMD in Iraq was a “slam dunk” and got a medal when he retired?
Of course, Ms. Pelosi will suffer a loss of status and perks. Her new office will, presumably, be less grand than the one she currently occupies. And she and her family will no longer be flown on military aircraft between her place of business, Washington, and the jurisdiction, San Francisco, that she represents in Congress. (Here are two more clues to the defeat her team suffered — the special treatment and the fact that the broad interior of the country is something she looks down on, literally, and seldom experiences in the flesh.)
Rejection is galling. So is defeat. (They aren’t always the same.) And for someone accustomed to round-the-clock sycophancy, it is especially difficult to accept either and almost impossible to endure the idea of both. So, of course, in Ms. Pelosi’s view, the voters had not defeated her party and/or rejected its message. They simply hadn’t understood.
It is hard to let go and the grander the ambition and the more royal the office, the harder it is. Hard to imagine that Wade Phillips entertains notions of a comeback with the Cowboys. Or another head coaching job. But the political world is the scene of frequent attempts at a second act. The stereotype in America is Harold Stassen, who became a clown. But there was also Eugene McCarthy, who couldn’t get over the moment when he had driven Lyndon Johnson from the White House and how close he had come (in his own mind, anyway) to moving in, himself. So he ran, again and again, losing a little more of his dignity every time.
Maybe Ms. Pelosi can pull it off. The pundits are reminding us that other House Speakers have. No reason the fortunes of her party could not be reversed, and dramatically, in the next election. We live in exceedingly volatile times.
Since she probably has more supporters among her team’s fans than Wade Phillips does among his, she’ll probably bring it off and become the new Minority Leader, in January. No doubt, those fans — and Ms. Pelosi, herself — see visions of voters in 2012 turning out in droves and shouting, on their way to the polls, “How ‘bout them Democrats.”
Letter to the Editor View all comments (24) | Leave a comment
More Articles by Geoffrey Norman
More Articles From Eminentoes
http://spectator.org/archives/2010/11/09/wade-and-nancy
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
Booger | 11.9.10 @ 6:12AM
From the desk of Nancy Pelosi:
My Dear Fellow Democratic Congresspeople,
While I realize our ranks are slightly diminished, I believe it is important that we not make too much of the little setback we just experienced. Yes, I know that many of our good friends will not be back with us for the upcoming Congress, but we must learn to make the best of a bad situation. Whatever else happens, it's most important that we stick together.
Now I hear that some of you have been promising not to vote for me for Speaker of the House. Well, I think I can let that one slide this time, since we all know that none of us are going to be Speaker anyway, so I forgive you. I know it's only natural to be a little bitter over having to give up control over some of these committees, but really, it's only temporary. That's the important thing to remember. After all, if great leaders gave up every time they had a setback, they wouldn't be great leaders, now would they?
Think of the great V. I. Lenin. Why, he had to go into exile in a whole different nation, yet he eventually managed to get back into Russia and move the progressive cause forward. If he could be so brave and stalwart, why can't we? And if the Bolsheviks could keep Lenin as their leader even after his exile, why can't you keep me? After all, none of us have been kicked out of the country or anything like that.
Think of Chairman Mao, and his exile after being defeated in 1927? Did he give up? Absolutely not! He came back stronger than ever. And do you know why? Because he was willing to do whatever it took to get back to power, that's why. How many of you wafflers and blue dogs out there right now can say that about yourselves? Are you willing to go to the same lengths the great progressive heroes Lenin and Mao were to get back to power? If not, then you had better get out of my way, because I know I'm willing to do WHATEVER it takes. So get on the bandwagon now, why you still have the chance.
I can tell you right now we'll be back in two years. There will be no stopping me in 2012. Obama is going to storm back just like Clinton did in '96. We lost a ton of seats in 1946, we got even more back in 1948. Trust me, I've been around long enough to know what the Republicans will do. They'll find some boring, gray suit like Bob Dole to put up against Obama. Good grief, knowing the Republicans they might REALLY put Dole up again; it would be just the sort of thing they're apt to do. You never know with that bunch.
At any rate, Obama will storm back in 2012, and he'll carry us back into the majority on his coattails. We just have to stick together. We have to remember we're a team. No, we're really more like a family. A big, happy family. And big sister is watching you. She's making a list and checking it twice, if you know what I mean. So let's cut this talk about not voting for me for speaker, or my retirement, or that funny little thing you put together where I was hung in effigy, beheaded, burned and had my ashes scattered to the four winds. Okay, I can take a joke, but don't you think that was just a little over the top?
So here's what we'll do. We'll let bygones be bygones and look to the future. I can see 2012 from here, and it's beautiful. The Republicans will screw up. They always do. It's in their DNA. So just remember to vote for me as our party leader, and I'll keep marching us forward to victory.
Sincerely,
Once and Future Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi
P.S. The Democratic Party is the True "America's Team"
http://beautifulletters-bls.blogspot.com/
Carol| 11.9.10 @ 6:39AM
In the next 2 years it is so important to teach the young people in this country the downfall of America is what you get when you hand the ball over to what you thought was the cool black guy.
Can we survive until then? Maybe not. (WATCH GLENN BECK TODAY AT 5:00 EST TO LEARN EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT OBAMA'S PUPPETMASTER - GEORGE SOROS).
I hope the GOP has the cajones to impeach Obama. He has the Senate to keep him around but his butt will be on line.
Oh, and they need to cut his off allowance. I'm sick and tired of him badmouthing my county.
Nancy, enjoy flying coach.
Beboper| 11.12.10 @ 4:30AM
I can't wait for the stories of people laughing at her and making unkind remarks about her demoted status. If Madam Pelosi is rejected as minority leader, I can't see her staying on - the humiliation would be unbearable for such an arrogant, power-monger such as her. However, in her bid for continued leadership, I'd bet she has more support in the GOP than her own party.
Appleby| 11.9.10 @ 6:58AM
Its more likely that the Republicans, especially the new ones, will keep both Zero and Pelosi around as horrible examples of what happens when you turn the country over to hippie scum. Plus now that they have no power, we can make fun of them openly. I personally think it is best to keep Zero outside the country as much as possible in the next two years, save for campaign appearances for anybody who will still invite him to show up, and then make his speeches part of the curriculum that teaches children and liberals critical thinking. *What would happen if everyone did that?* *If you said that to me, what would happen?* *Why did Obama say OUR enemies when speaking to people who did not have anything in common with him? Compare this with Davros when he spoke to the Daleks as WE, and remind us of what happened when the Daleks took control and proved to have another opinion.* *What is another name for Redistributing The Wealth? Does Obama mean sports stars who make $12,000 per minute should Redistribute Their Wealth? What about Matt Damon, Tom Cruise and those people who make the SAW movies?* *What is a teleprompter? Which is more useful at Ground Zero two weeks after the Muslims destroyed the World Trade Centre -- a teleprompter or a bullhorn?* *Is the word Bullhorn sexist, racist or homophobic? Why isnt it a Cowhorn?*
The possibilities are endless. Are the MST3K guys still around? Could we put them in an auditorium and screen Obama speeches for them and see what they might say?
By all means keep these clowns around. They will be valuable lessons for the rest of the country and may be the only funny people left.
JP| 11.9.10 @ 7:07AM
The difference between Wade and Nancy is that Nancy scored about a half dozen touchdowns. So what if she and her fellow Dems lost thier jobs? The way things are goiing, the Dems could be back in business in a few years. ObamaCare, $3 trillion of new debt (which is being used to argue against any type of tax cut extension), and financial reform will be with us long after Pelosi is retired.
I'd say her gains far outnumber her short term loses. And comparisons with the Cowboys is rather trite. Wade Phillips was never successfull. He didn't meet any goals. On the other hand, you've got to hand it to Pelois and Obama. They took thier once in a lifetime majorities and ran with the ball.
GB| 11.9.10 @ 9:29AM
The difference between Wade and Nancy? Easy, Wade has absolutely no effect on my life and in truth on any life except that of the Cowboys. Nancy on the other hand has a ruinous effect on millions in the USA.
ES2| 11.9.10 @ 4:51PM
@JP - your twist on the analogy is incorrect. Pelosi's half dozen "accomplishments" weren't touchdowns, they were merely failed PLAYS within the political game. Hence the loss of the game and her eventual ouster as coach. "So what if they lost their jobs?" Are you kidding? That's the LOSS!!
Ken (Old Texican)| 11.9.10 @ 7:39AM
Houstonians would let Wade live here.
RustyG| 11.9.10 @ 7:49AM
Wade would be welcomed back here to his old high school town anyday and we'd give him the keys to the city.
Your analogy of Wade to Pelosi only works if Obama was the one selecting all the dems that work for Pelosi. Then you would have Jerry Jones = Obama. Unfortunately the American people can't vote out Jerry Jones so the next Dallas coach will meet the same fate.
Rogue Elephant| 11.9.10 @ 8:04AM
The GOP should be vigorously opposing her run for minority leader to convince Dems they are right in electing her.
Doctor Right| 11.9.10 @ 9:42AM
Obama in the White House.
Reid in the Senate.
Pelosi in the House.
The TRIFECTA for 2012 is in place.
Let's hope the GOP is smart enough to bet on the RIGHT horse.
astorian| 11.9.10 @ 10:42AM
The biggest difference between Nancy Pelosi and Wade Phillips is that Nancy Pelosi actively sought the job she just lost. Wade Phillips, on the other hand, was thrust into a head coaching job he didn’t want, wasn’t seeking, and didn’t know he was the leading contender for.
Normally, an NFL GM/owner hires a man to be head coach and then lets the coach hire his own staff of assistants. Dallas owner Jerry Jones did everything backwards! He hired Phillips as a defensive coordinator and former Cowboy quarterback Jason Garrett as the offensive coordinator, and only THEN started looking for a head coach.
Naturally, no decent candidate for a head coaching position would accept a job in which he didn’t even have the power to choose and hire his own coordinators, so Jones couldn’t find anyone to take the head coaching job. Hence, Jones just gave the head coaching title to Phillips, figuring he could give the title to Garrett (the man he PROBABLY wanted to give the job to all along) later.
Needless to say, Phillips was in a no-win position all along. He had the title of head coach, but he had no real power. Phillips is a decent man and a capable coach, but he COULDN’T command respect in the locker room because he wasn’t really in charge of squat, and every player on the team knew it! Any Cowboy who doesn’t want to listen to the head coach knows that he can go behind the coach’s back to Jerry Jones, and that Jones will probably be on the player’s side.
As long as Jerry Jones is running the show, it’s hard to see why a capable coach with other options (like Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden or Jim Harbaugh) would want to take the Cowboy head coaching job.
Louis Jenkins| 11.9.10 @ 11:12AM
Yeah, coaching the Cowboys is like herding a bunch of cats.
Perusha| 11.9.10 @ 11:37AM
You learn something everyday.
Well, SOME people do!
The sine qua non of staying at least somewhat "with it", IMHO, seems mostly hidden from open consciousness---
the need to UN-learn what has been proven to be wrong by unfolding events.
What do you "know"?
“To know means: to be able to stand in the truth.
Truth is the manifestation of the ‘things that are’.
To know is accordingly the ability to stand in the manifestness of the thing that is, to endure it.
Merely to have information, however abundant, is not to know.
Even if curricula and examination requirements concentrate this information into what is of greatest practical importance, it still does not amount to knowledge.
Even if this information is pruned down to the most indispensable needs, is ‘close to life’, its possession is not knowledge.
The man who possesses such information and has learned a few practical tricks will still be perplexed in the presence of real reality which is always different from what the philistine means by down-to-earth; he will always be a bungler.
Why?
Because he has no knowledge, for to know means
TO BE ABLE TO LEARN”
Heidegger
Well, how can a Pelosi learn from her mistakes, when she doesn't even recognize glaring errors that are blindingly present, such as the overwhelming rejection by Americans of her actions?
Remember, she was Speaker of the HOUSE, just as Obama is President of AMERICA.
That means she was the Speaker for ALL Americans, not just the radical leftist types from black holes (politically!) like San Francisco.
She, as Speaker, is saying---"I don't SPEAK for ALL Americans---f@#k you losers!"
She has trumped "tricky Dick" Nixon.
Call her "Tricky Nancy Pelosi, Bungler Supreme"
Blacque Jacques Shellacque| 11.10.10 @ 3:34AM
Call her "Tricky Nancy Pelosi, Bungler Supreme"
She's probably related to Baghdad Bob somehow.
Oldefarte| 11.9.10 @ 11:57AM
I'm hoping that she becomes elected Democratic/minority leader, since it will represent THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING! What a PIG [thanks to the $millions she's spent of no doubt taxpayers' money on her numerous facelifts/cosmetic surgeries]. She akin to Jack Nicholson's protrayal of the Joker in Batman the movie. Talk about ARROGANCE, this woman makes most of us want to reguritate at the very sight of her. Hellfire, they'll no doubt now be able to balance the federal budget after eliminating the taxpayer costs involving her use of military jets to fly her army of family/friends between DC and Homosexual Land!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beboper| 11.12.10 @ 4:37AM
Come on, OF, quit quibbling. What do you really think of NahnCee?
Oldefarte| 11.9.10 @ 11:59AM
PS, I forgot that the main difference between Wizard-of-Oz Nancy and Wade Phillips, is that he actually has A BRAIN!!!!!!!!!
Old Joe| 11.9.10 @ 12:08PM
A few quick comments on this column:
• Wade was a poor head coach for the short time he served as such here in New Orleans. Way over his head.
• Nancy Pelosi was a very effective Speaker of the House though I disagree with everything she accomplished.
• Wade will make some professional team a darn good defensive coach.
• Everything Nancy did had a negative affect the nation.
• Nothing Wade did hurt anyone but Wade.
• Nancy is the face of the Democrat party we want because she is easy to demonize.
• Comparing the two is like comparing apples and watermelons.
Smitty| 11.9.10 @ 4:59PM
@Old Joe - how can you say Pelosi was an "effective Speaker" on one hand, and everything she did had a negative affect on the other? Isn't effectiveness measured by lasting achievement? Maybe I'm missing the purpose of the Speaker, but effectiveness isn't measured by utilizing a majority to pass unpopular and harmful policies. She's a trainwreck of failure. Same applies to those who claim Obama is a skilled communicator. NO HE'S NOT! He's a disaster. Sorry for the all caps - I just get frustrated hearing good people bestow terms of "great," "effective," etc upon such ultimately destructive people.
Occam's Tool| 11.9.10 @ 6:32PM
Pelosi was effective. So was Stalin. Neither are examples to emulate (obviously, Pelosi is not in the same league with Uncle Joe; this was done for purposes of effect.).
Oldefarte| 11.9.10 @ 1:13PM
Wade was 'over his head' in New Orleans simply because the Saints had NO TALENT [there's a long list of coaches in that city that had similar results]. Wade was just like Bum Daddy....he was/is a good defensive coordinator/coach, not a good head coach. Nancy was NOT an effective Speaker...she was a dictatorial and highly partisaned MORON [whereas as one that is in line to become President, she should have not been so] and she is easy to demonize because of same [and as such a Democrat, she'll be THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING]!!!!!!!!!!
mzk1| 11.12.10 @ 3:23AM
Actually, the minority leader gets a fancier office (or they don't switch). Just before the Republicans spent their decades in the wilderness, they agreed not to bother switching. At that point, the Republicans lost the House for, what was it, 40 years, and they ended up with what used to be the Speaker's office. What they do now, though, I don't know.