John the Lockpick - The American Spectator | USA News and Politics
John the Lockpick
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GET IT ON
Re: Quin Hillyer’s Picking the Lock in the Keystone State:

As a Pennsylvanian born and raised, I want to shout that Quin Hillyer’s prescription for winning Pennsylvania is spot on.

C’mon John, Get it ON!
A. C. Santore
Pennsylvania

What is that attractive, vibrant Conservative doing in that Pennsylvania photo flanked by a Moderate and a Left Wing Liberal? Does she have any unmarried sisters?
David Shoup

MEDIOCRE MEDIA
Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.’s The Shoddiest Coverage Ever:

First of all, you are making two entirely incorrect statements when you refer to today’s media [so called] as the “mainstream media.” Number one, they are no longer mainstream and number two, they are not media. Media implies journalism and journalistic ethics.

We have today organizations such as The Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders [equipped
with pom-poms and short-shorts] as well as other cheerleader squads. What use to be called the mainstream media should now be referred to as The Illinois Senator’s Cheerleaders. The only thing missing are the pom-poms and short-shorts [not that I want to see Ms. Couric in short-shorts]. I cringe at the image. 

Bottom line folks, America no longer has a “mainstream” media.
J. Lawrence
Sandwich, Massachusetts

Has anyone at Spectator heard anything about a lawsuit in the state of Hawaii which Obama was supposed to answer to by October 22, concerning his citizenship status? (speaking of shoddy coverage) It was Martin vs. State of HI or Governor of HI. The plaintiff was seeking an order to have Obama disclose family records and citizenship documentation.

I think it’s highly coincidental that he’s visiting his sick grandmother this week in Hawaii. I am trying to get this to as many news venues as possible so that someone might investigate it.
Heather Mayfield
Albuquerque, New Mexico

CANDIDATE FATALE
Re: Christopher Orlet’s Creepier and Creepier: 

You won’t believe this…and I don’t blame you…but…a few days ago, as I watched a televised segment of an Obama speech, I noted the glazed-over eyes, and the “Stepford wives”-like facial expressions of the audience on the stage behind him…and I thought… this must be what Eric Hoffer was talking about way back when. I didn’t understand what he was saying when I read him then, but I surely do now.

We are in deep trouble, and may the force protect us…and as I’ve pleaded before, don’t send a relative, come Yourself!
Joe Holmes
Cedar Park, Texas

I suspect that for otherwise intelligent and rational people like Hitchens and Buckley, Barack Obama is the beautiful but crazy femme fatale who they know will lead them to ruin, but whom they still cannot resist. Remember the Steely Dan hit, Do It Again? “So you love the little, wild one and she brings you only sorrow. All the time you know she’s smiling, you’ll be on your knees tomorrow.”
Anne T. Stinneford
Chicago, Illinois

IGNORED WARNINGS
Re: George Neumayr’s The Unholy Triumvirate:

“…Expect a crisis within six months should Obama win, promises Joe Biden. Perhaps he is right, but the first one is more likely to be domestic than international. …”

Excellent commentary. I have been telling folks this now for months that the 1st 2 years of an Obama presidency will be the most dangerous. Actually the first 1 ½ years as the 2010 election will be then. The Democrats always, always overreach and this will be no exception. It could be a gun ban or some late night (and hidden) new tax, could be something in their universal health care proposal, or it could just come down to a weak economy. The first real test will be if they hold the house and/or senate in 2010. It really rests with Obama and how he is perceived. Weak like Carter in a dangerous world? He’s toast. Strong like Reagan? Not toast.

The trouble is that a whole swath of the main stream media is 100% in the tank for Obama so we will not get any truthfulness out of them.

I have a gut feeling that the Obama administration will be one wracked with scandal. I don’t know why I feel that way, maybe it’s the ACORN guys, maybe it’s the weirdoes Obama surrounds himself with.

The other feeling I get is that Obama is not stupid and he knows as W did that he will have to fight radical Islam. If he does (and he will have to or cease to have a 2nd term) he will totally piss off his base who want 100% surrender. So it could be that the left turns on him, that his biggest critics come FROM the left and not the right. Can you imagine? For instance, what if the US armed forces experiences a large drop in reenlistments while fighting terror? And what if Obama proposed and Congress puts in the draft? Can you imagine?

Anyway, that’s my take. Great article.
Michael H. Serafin
Hooksett, New Hamsphire

POUPON POWELL
Re: Jeffrey Lord’s What Do You Do With a General?

Kudos once again to Mr. Lord for stating eloquently what we all know to be true. General Powell rose to those stars via political maneuvering and NOT work ethic. A good friend of mine who is a genuine hero (Former general at Delta force) tells me that any star above two is purely political. Perhaps General Powell wants that second term as Secretary of State, so that when President Bush and Generals Petraeus and Odierno win the war, he can claim credit for it. That seems like the most obvious scenario, given that Powell is the quintessential political animal. His current lifestyle, as I understand it is to demand very high speech fees, upfront, and to fly only in private jets. Not bad for a retired “public servant.” It appears, as Rush has stated to be purely racist in nature. Why else would he endorse someone of basically no experience in any venue (other than the great success of the nefarious Acorn!)
Robert Mandraccia, MD
Ft Myers, Florida

 
Brilliant article by Jeffrey Lord:

“OK with the idea that this mindset of Obama’s will be running say, the U.S. Department of Justice?”

Obama has already been filing criminal charges against people who have spoken out against him…Imagine him with all the resources of the DOJ to use against his critics.

This is why I think the American people will not elect Mr. Obama.
C. Baker
Ft.Worth, Texas

SO DO YOU
Re: Peter Ferrara’s Voter Fraud:

Conveniently, your editorial fails to mention a recent book, Loser Take All: Election Fraud and the Subversion of Democracy, by Mark Crispin Miller, a professor of media studies at NYU. Miller’s work has carefully documented widespread efforts within the Republican Party to thwart election results, voter turnout and voter eligibility by both legal and illegal means. While I do not doubt that problems exist throughout the dual party machine, it is at best negligent and at worst deceptive for you to demonize Democrats while pretending that volumes of research (which, unlike the work of many who work for corporate-sponsored “Institutes” like your own, actually circulates in a universe of juried peers) has not documented a sinister effort by some on the right to compromise our Democracy.

So let’s be honest, especially when we’re writing about election honesty. Let’s not pretend that the highly partisan Heritage Foundation is a credible source for anything. Let’s not pretend that you haven’t been paid in the past by lobbyists or by foundations run with corporate dollars to write spin masking as undisputed truth.

I teach my students that a responsible editorialist or essayist always acknowledges the counterargument and casts it in the best light. Likely your college professors chided you, as they did me, for omitting important research withstanding or for straw man arguments. You might dig up some of those essays and refresh yourself on the comments.
Dr. David Callon
St. Louis, Missour

SITE CHECK
Re: Quin Hillyer’s Episcopalian Showdown:

Quin Hillyer strikes a cord that resonates true when he writes, “the conservatives abjure politics within worship whereas the national Episcopal Church seems to believe that politics itself — specifically liberal politics — is a form of worship.”

Too bad this thought appears at the end of the fourth paragraph in Episcopalian Showdown (4/10/2008). Wrong placement for such an important thought. He should have placed it at the beginning of his article.
 
In contrast, Mr. Hillyer does not ring true when he argues, “nothing in the national church seems focused on internal spiritual beliefs …” To support this conclusion, Mr. Hillyer stated that he could not find anything in the site map regarding “creed” or “Nicene creed.” This seems poor support for such an important idea.

Curious, I went to look at the site. I am a long time Episcopalian and confess that this was a first time visit to the site. I went to https://ecusa.anglican.org/ and typed in Nicene Creed.

My goodness! Up popped 123 interesting discussions related to the Nicene Creed. For example, did you know that the Episcopal church teaches that the Holy Spirit emanates from both God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son? I assure you that you can find a lengthy and interesting discussion concerning the Nicene Creed on the national website.
 
My thoughts: I’d like to see better support for the conclusions that Mr. Hillyer draws.
 
And that is one of the things that the American Episcopal church does well — it offers people a rational discussion of robust ideas that relate to God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and how to live our lives.
Cameron S. Jackson
Aptos, California

FOLLOWING UP

Re: Ryan L. Cole’s The Fire This Time:

First, I sent Congressman John Lewis an e-mail asking him to give me the names of the persons who committed those crimes, including the Birmingham church bombing, who said they were inspired by Governor Wallace. The only thing I got back was, “Thank you for your e-mail!” Second, Goldwater was a RINO, just like McCain. When are we going to start realizing that?  
Michael Skaggs
Murray, Kentucky

Oh please. There is nothing there for the media to hate in McCain/McBackstabber and I do not think that they actively hate him. After all, he is no threat to them or their “messiah.”
 
If you want to see who they are really frightened of and hate, look at Sarah. She is the only bright spot to this campaign season. If they hate and fear her that much we will need to save her for 2012. Palin/Jindal for 2012!!!!!
Jeff Seyfert

NOTHING BUT THE BEST

Re: Diane Smith’s letter (under “Studying for Election Day Finals”) in Reader Mail’s The Three-Headed Beast:

Thank you for posting Diane Smith’s letters. Of the top five letters you have ever run, I believe she has written five of them.
— Dan Martin
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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