Quotes of the Month: April 2016

Quotes of the Month: “I have Democrat friends and Republican friends. I get along with almost everyone, but I have never worked with a more miserable son of a bitch in my life.”
“Lucifer in the flesh.”
-John Boehner on Ted Cruz

Stupid Quote of the Month: "It's very close to my heart because I was down there, and I watched our police and our firemen down at 7/11, down at the World Trade Center right after it came down, and I saw the greatest people I've ever seen in action.”
-Donald Trump

And the rest...
"The American people have not just parachuted into the Valley of the Stupid."
-Dan Rather

“I don’t know how you would characterize the gang leaders who got 13-year-old kids hopped up on crack and sent them out on the street to murder other African-American children. Maybe you thought they were good citizens. She didn’t…You are defending the people who kill the people whose lives you say matter!”
-Bill Clinton

""It sounds so good, just shoot every third person on Wall Street and everything will be fine."
-Bill Clinton

"The shame sticks to you like tar."
-Monica Lewinsky

"I hate Ted Cruz, and I think I'll take cyanide if he even got the nomination.”
-Peter King

“Save your prayers for a couple of days.”
-Prince

"This is all about racial politics. I’m a white lady. I’m an easy target."
-Former Mizzou Prof Melissa Click

Quotes of the Month: March 2016

Quote of the Month: ""Today I found myself the subject of an Internet meme. Not for the first time. This one, however, stands out from the rest. In 2010, at the lowest point in my adult life, I was looking everywhere for relief/comfort/distraction. And I turned to food. It could have been anything. Drugs. Alcohol. Sex. But eating became the one thing I could look forward to. Count on to get me through. There were stretches when the highlight of my week was a favorite meal and a new episode of Top Chef. Sometimes that was enough. Had to be. Now, when I see that image of me in my red t-shirt, a rare smile on my face, I am reminded of my struggle. My endurance and my perseverance in the face of all kinds of demons. Some within. Some without," he says, even if the meme's existence initially took his breath away, in a bad way. "The first time I saw this meme pop up in my social media feed, I have to admit, it hurt to breathe. But as with everything in life, I get to assign meaning. And the meaning I assign to this/my image is Strength. Healing. Forgiveness. Of myself and others."
-Wentworth Miller

Stupid Quote of the Month: “There has to be some form of punishment.”
-Donald Trump on women receiving abortions



 
 And the rest...

“Here's what I know. Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud. His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He's playing the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat.”
-Mitt Romney

"Where Else Could Boy Born in Calgary Run for President of United States?'
-Barack Obama on Ted Cruz

"I hate the business, and I didn't want to have anything to do with it."
-Peter Buck

"We're going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business."
-Hillary Clinton

"Libya was a different kind of calculation and we didn't lose a single person.”
-Hillary Clinton

“You reap what you sow.”
-Mitch McConnell

"It's not like western countries. It is very strict and no smoking there."
-American ISIS defector

"If you believe we’ve finally come to the point where we can put the awful legacy of the last eight years behind us.”
-Bill Clinton

"Seriously?"
-Megyn Kelly to Donald Trump

"You're a sniveling coward."
-Ted Cruz to Donald Trump

“She helped create ISIS. I mean, Hillary Clinton could be considered a founding member of ISIS.”
-Rudy Giuliani

Presidential Songs: George W. Bush

George W. Bush did not have an official campaign song. However, on the night of the 2000 election, one clever staffer decided to play "Won't Get Fooled Again" by the Who to represent the defeat of the Clinton order.

Won't Get Fooled Again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp6-wG5LLqE

The Bush 43 Administration proved one of the more controversial in history. Perhaps the most controversial decision of the entire period came in 2003. That year, the United States resumed offensive military operations in Iraq. Although Bush did not have a campaign song for 2004, cynics might have chosen this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVyVIsvQoaE

Presidential Theme Songs: Richard Nixon

In real life: Nixon Now!

A rousing early seventies pop sound. It was so overwhelmingly happy, that over 60% of the country voted for him!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceocNS-toDk

The song that may have best fit his administration: The Theme to the Godfather. In one sense, the end of Part 2 mirrors the end of the Nixon Administration. Michael was all alone after isolating himself. Paranoia led to Michael's lonely existence as it ended the Nixon presidency and left the president alone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvKXt3Surlk

Looking Back: Some 2010 Anniversaries

Happy New Year! The New Year is always a time to look to the future and reminisce about the past. It also provides a time to examine anniversaries of historical events. So, without delay, here are some anniversaries worth noting:

Five Years Ago (2005): Hurricane Katrina wipes out New Orleans. Over 1800 people died when Katrina struck. Government red tape and corruptions kept the levees from being upgraded to withstand a storm of that magnitude. Additionally, local and state officials failed to evacuate citizens in New Orleans resulting in a massive body count. On top of all this, the federal response was slow and incompetent thus demonstrating why government should not be allowed to run anything.

Ten Years Ago (2000): Bush vs. Gore. Gore won the popular vote, but Bush won the electoral college. It all came down to Florida's electoral vote. Gore decided to contest Democratic counties in Florida. During the multiple recounts, Gore made steady progress and cut into Bush’s lead in Florida. In recounts, the person leading the vote usually gains votes. Gore’s progress denotes possible vote fraud which led to protests. The Bush Campaign went to court. After a couple rounds in the Florida Supreme Court, the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court. On a 5-4 vote, they ended the madness in Florida and Bush became president. Gore’s mistake was not requesting a statewide recount at the beginning of this fiasco.

Twenty Years Ago (1990): Iraq invades Kuwait. Saddam Hussein decided to annex Kuwait. Iraq claimed it as a province. Hussein sent feelers to the Bush Administration about the invasion beforehand. The administration failed to warn off Hussein. As a result, Saddam felt he had a free hand and launched the invasion.

Twenty-Five Years Ago (1985): Gorbachev takes command. The Soviet Union buried three leaders during the Reagan Administration. Privately, President Reagan complained that he could not deal with the Soviets if their leaders kept dying. The Communist Party selected Mikhail Gorbachev to lead the country. Gorbachev was young and vigorous as opposed to the walking corpses that previously led the nation. Eventually, the new leader instituted reforms which backfired and helped destroy the USSR.

Fifty Years Ago (1960): Kennedy defeats Nixon. In the closest election anyone could remember, John Kennedy edged Vice-President Richard Nixon for the presidency. The election served as the transition in leadership from the Lost Generation to the G.I. Generation. Additionally, the first debate between Nixon and Kennedy proved the power of television. Radio listeners believed Nixon won the debate. Unfortunately for Nixon, more people saw the debate on television.

Seventy-Five Years Ago (1935): The Dust Bowl. Years of mismanagement of the nation’s farmland came home to roost. The topsoil was destroyed by generations of mismanagement and the great plains literally blew away. People on the east coast watched in amazement as Oklahoma blew into the ocean.

100 Years Ago (1910): Jack Johnson defeats Jim Jeffries. African-American boxer Jack Johnson beat all challengers. Whites demanded former champ Jim Jeffries return from retirement to defeat Johnson. Eventually, Jeffries relented and Johnson won the bout. Race riots broke out all over the country because a black man knocked out a white man in a boxing ring.

150 Years Ago (1860): Lincoln wins! In a bizarre presidential election, Abraham Lincoln defeated three other candidates for the presidency. There were two elections in 1860. In the South, John C. Breckinridge and John Bell squared off. Lincoln was not on the ballot. In the North, Republican Abraham Lincoln and Democrat Stephen Douglas battled. The North had the population and Lincoln won the North. So, Lincoln won the White House and the South left the Union.

200 Years Ago (1810): Macon’s Bill Number 2. Thomas Jefferson destroyed the American economy with his embargo. Congressman Nathaniel Bacon and President James Madison wanted to correct Jefferson’s error. President Jefferson believed Europe needed American goods and he could coerce the British and French into behaving on the high seas through an embargo. The two powers were seizing American ships to stop trade. Bacon’s bill promised to lift the embargo on whatever power promised to stop seizing American ships. Napoleon agreed, the U.S. dropped the embargo on France, and British-American relations suffered eventually leading to war in 1812.
300 Years Ago (1710): The Tuscarora Tribe protest land seizures. In 1710, the Tuscarora Indians sent a protest to the Pennsylvania colonial government. They complained about whites stealing their lands and enslaving their people.400 Years Ago (1610): Jamestown re-supplied. The winter of 1609-1610 was known as “the starving time” in Jamestown. The colonists lacked food and were surrounded by hostile Indians. They resorted to cannibalism. Eventually, the colony was re-supplied and repopulated with new colonists. This saved English North America.

500 Years Ago (1510): Slavery comes to the Americas. In 1510, Spanish King Ferdinand officially opened the New World to African slavery. This began 500 years of racial antagonism between whites and blacks in the Americas.

Presidential Legacies: The Progressives Part 2

William Howard Taft (1909-1912): Theodore Roosevelt stepped down in 1909 with the inauguration of his hand picked successor William Howard Taft. Roosevelt then went on safari. He wanted to give Taft the stage to himself. Shortly thereafter, Roosevelt received disturbing news. Taft was betraying Rooseveltism.

The difference between the two administrations was both negligible and huge. Taft continued his predecessor’s trust busting policies. However, Taft busted all monopolies as opposed to continuing Roosevelt’s policy of attacking those trusts that hurt consumers. Roosevelt only busted "bad" monopolies. Taft continued Roosevelt’s Conservation policies, yet sided with big timber interests in the Ballinger-Pinchot Affair. Roosevelt felt betrayed.

While Roosevelt had a strong foreign policy, Taft’s made America look weak. Taft attempted to help Latin America with Dollar Diplomacy. Unfortunately, the dollars went to dictators and not the people. When Taft attempted to secure arbitration treaties to avoid war between the major powers, the U.S. refused to ratify after Britain and France had done so. Taft even caused the Canadian government to fall. He negotiated a Free Trade agreement with Canada. The U.S. ratified it, but the Canadian flat earth society rejected it and turned their prime minister out of office. Roosevelt was embarrassed by this “Era of Bungled Diplomacy.” As a result, he split with the president and later formed his own party.

The split between Taft and Roosevelt split the Republican Party. The conservative wing adopted Taft, so the president made a hard right turn. In order to disguise himself from Taft and Democrat Woodrow Wilson, TR went leftward. Whether President Roosevelt would have governed moderately as before or as a hard left prog is unknown. Either way, the GOP split elected Woodrow Wilson in 1912.

Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921): Wilson was never a popular president. His administration is still controversial to this day. His idealism and his policies at home never met. He re-segregated federal facilities. Wilson’s Administration witnessed The Palmer Raids which trampled American liberties in a way never seen before or since. The president even invaded Mexico hunting Pancho Villa. The mission failed and the U.S. Army came home empty handed.

On the other hand, Wilson was an idealist. He felt government could help the people. His administration was the first to back labor over management. Wilson regulated the banks, lowered tariffs, and expanded on his two predecessor’s trust busting. When war broke out, Wilson supported national determination and declared war “to make the world safe for democracy.” After the war, Wilson stood up for ethnic minorities and the Germans. He was rebuffed by the Allies. However, his grand vision for a League of Nations came into being--without the United States which refused to sign on.

In many respects, Woodrow Wilson represented a dry run for George W. Bush. Both men had foreign misadventures. Both men could not corral a wanted terrorist. Both men ushered in controversial reforms. Both men advocated spreading Democracy by the sword. Both men waged wars that would become unpopular. Both men were originally elected with less than 50% of the vote. Both men narrowly won re-election as the vote came down to one state. Both men helped drag their party to defeat after their two terms ended. The one major difference between the men was on race. While Bush openly welcomed African-Americans into his administration, Wilson helped further the Jim Crow System.

After twenty years, and a costly world war, the Progressive Era ended. People were sick and tired of the Progressives. Although open to them at first, the Progs overstepped their bounds. The European War, Mexican excursion, Palmer Raids, and “big government” pushed people to their limits. On top of this, there was a Red Scare, race riots, and a flu pandemic that killed 20 million. The government fanned the flames of the Red Scare, the riots were a product of black soldiers returning home in uniform, and the flu occurred as a result of a confluence of events including the unsanitary conditions from the war. In response, the country made a right turn.

Presidential Legacies: The Progressives (1901-1909)

William McKinley’s death ended the Gilded Age. A younger generation took over. No one represented that generation more than Theodore Roosevelt. Roosevelt was young, vigorous, and progressive. The Progressives spent years in the Wilderness. The two major parties finally noticed them in 1892 when James Weaver polled well in the presidential election. In 1896, the Democrats under William Jennings Bryan co-opted the Progressives. Bryan was creamed in 1896 and 1900 and he scared voters into McKinley’s camp. By the mid 1910s, each party had Progressive and Conservative wings. By the 1920s, Progressivism was dead. People despised Progressive President Woodrow Wilson and the Progressives were blamed for World War I, the Palmer Raids, and reforms people did not necessarily want.

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909): Roosevelt was a reformer and a progressive. Despite his own party’s protestations (and Glen Beck for that matter), he was no radical. With the exception of Conservation, Roosevelt steered a middle course between do-nothing conservatives and liberal overreaction. As a result, it can be argued TR was a moderate as president.

When Upton Sinclair published The Jungle, people demanded action against the meat packing industry. While socialists wanted a government takeover, and more conservative elements thought the government had no right regulating business, Roosevelt passed the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act. The government would regulate, but not run these industries. Roosevelt protected the consumer while angering the right and the left.

Likewise, he steered a middle course during the Anthracite Coal Strike. Roosevelt forced a settlement on the owners. However, he steered a middle course during the negotiations. Government had always sided with business, so neutrality was a departure. TR made sure people had coal for the winter. That was his concern.

Roosevelt departed from his middle path with the environment. He believed in conservation. This should not be confused with modern environmentalism. TR wanted to preserve nature for future generations while today’s environmentalists believe that the Earth’s resources are finite and need protecting. Roosevelt did not believe this.

Roosevelt’s legacy consists of more than Consumerism and Conservation. Roosevelt oversaw a burgeoning world power. The Spanish American War made America an imperial power. Roosevelt decided that power brought responsibility. So, he pursued policies some consider controversial. When Japan decimated Russia in a war, Roosevelt mediated the peace. The Treaty of Portsmouth was a middle path agreement ending the war. Both Japan and Russia left New Hampshire unhappy. Roosevelt got the Noble Prize. Shortly thereafter, Roosevelt sent the American fleet to the Far East to intimidate Japan. The Japanese were an expansionist power with their eyes on the Philippines. The Great White Fleet was sent to remind Japan of American Power. Additionally, he issued the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine, better known as The Big Stick Policy, designed to keep Germany out of the New World. However, it allowed American intervention in Latin and South America. Lastly, Roosevelt built the Panama Canal. He overthrew the Panamanian government to get it built. American national interest overrode all other concerns.

Theodore Roosevelt ushered in the Progressive Era. While TR was a reformer, he was not the wide eyed Progressive portrayed by some. Instead, he steered a middle course designed to help Americans. He remained neutral in labor matters and sided with consumers as opposed to big business. When it came to conservation, Roosevelt did not take the middle course. He set aside more land for future generations than any other president. Additionally, his foreign policy was similar to Ronald Reagan’s. National security overwhelmed all other concerns. After leaving the White House, TR ran for president again in 1912. During that campaign, he took a hard left turn.
Whether that left turn was real or an effort to differentiate himself from Taft and Wilson will never be known.

Presidential Legacies: The Next Generation 1825-1849

As the Founders' generation died off, people were leery of the next generation. Could America stay America without the Founding Fathers around to guide them? Here's the next generation of presidents starting literally with the next generation asJohn Quincy Adams takes office.

John Quincy Adams (1825-1829): Adams came into office under a cloud. The 1824 election was thrown to the House of Representatives. Adams won with the help of Henry Clay. Although no candidate won a majority of votes, Adams won less than Andrew Jackson. As a result, Adams felt he could not initiate any major policies since he did not think he had a big enough mandate and faced a very hostile Jacksonian Congress. Adams had no real accomplishments as president. George W. Bush used Adams as the example of what not to do in 2001. Bush decided to go after tax cuts, education reform, and a prescription drug benefit as opposed to sitting around like Adams. President Adams real legacy came after leaving office. Although, he was an accomplished diplomat, negotiated the Treaty of Ghent, the purchase of Florida, and the Monroe Doctrine, Adams should be remembered for his war on slavery. John Quincy Adams was the best ex-president in U.S. history.

Andrew Jackson (1829-1837): Jackson created the modern presidency. His detractors called him "King Andrew." Jackson vetoed more bills than any president to that point. He launched a war on the Bank of the United States and killed it. When South Carolina threatened to leave the union, Jackson threatened to destroy them. He also removed Native Americans from Georgia in violation of a court order. Jackson dramatically expanded executive power like no one before.

Martin Van Buren (1837-1841): Van Buren considered the presidency his reward for years of hard work. He worked his way up and helped form the modern Democratic Party. He maneuvered himself into the Vice Presidency by ingratiating himself with Jackson. Once he moved into the White House, he was as paralyzed by events as Jimmy Carter 140 years later. A major depression, sectional strife, and an inept chief executive marked Van Buren's stewardship. As a result, people began calling him "Martin Van Ruin" with the same contempt people in the 1930s appropriated Herbert Hoover's name for all things poverty.

William Henry Harrison (1841): Harrison ran the first modern presidential campaign complete with songs, spin, modern packaging of candidates, and a catchy slogan "Tippecanoe and Tyler too." Once elected, Harrison gave a ridiculously long speech in bad weather, caught pneumonia, and died one month later.

John Tyler (1841-1845): Virginian John Tyler was added to the 1840 ticket for regional balance. Although Harrison was a Whig, Tyler was a Jacksonian Democrat. This was strange since Whigs and Democrats were opposites on important economic issues. However, no Vice President had ever become President and they were supposed to disappear into a black hole for four years. Harrison's death created a crisis. Who's president? Tyler assumed the office himself and asserted the right of all Vice Presidents to become President when the Chief Executive dies. Additionally, Tyler opposed his new party's programs and began vetoing their legislation. He was evicted from the Whigs and the Democrats refused to have him back. He became a man without a party. The Tyler Years demonstrate the importance of having a president and vice president on the same page ideologically. After leaving office, Tyler supported the Confederacy during the Civil War.

James K. Polk (1845-1849): Polk took the U.S. to War with Mexico. Polk attempted to bully the Mexicans into surrendering California and the American Southwest. They refused and attacked American troops at the Texas border. The United States won the war handily and conquered all or part of California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming. This made up 42% of Mexico at the time.

Media Bias: 1992-2008

By the 1980s, the press dropped the mantle of objectivity and openly aided the Democratic Party. Up until this point, they tended to side with East Coast Elites such as the Roosevelts, Rockefellers, and Kennedys. The Right got tired of being attacked and being muffled, so they fought back using alternative media.

The press began to be challenged by right wing talk radio during the 1990s. They did not like it. The alternative press began to set the agenda. For example, 60 Minutes investigated the Vince Foster suicide in part because of Rush Limbaugh. Right Wing talk also helped elect a Republican Congress in 1994. (This is not to be taken to mean they elected the congress; Clinton blunders and GOP strategy had more to do with it).

While right wing radio concentrated on Clinton and his scandals, the mainstream press downplayed and ignored many Clinton scandals. They’d mention them and then excuse them. Dan Rather actually apologized to Clinton when asking a question on Whitewater. The press love affair with the Clintons would end however after Bill was safely re-elected.

After safely re-elected, the press began to take on Clinton. They were embarrassed and felt they did not need to be in the tank any longer. The Lewinsky Scandal put them over the edge. When pushed about a certain intern, he shook his finger at the press. They did not like that and they went into a feeding frenzy.

Once the press realized Clinton was heading toward impeachment for obstruction of justice, they began to rally to him. Democrats on the hill were very close to marching to the White House and demanding Clinton fall on his sword, and the president was impeached for obstruction of justice, but the press and the Dems managed to frame the debate and deflect the real issue of obstruction of justice. They claimed it was “just sex.” It was not. The cover up led to obstruction. Obstruction of justice was same thing that forced Nixon’s resignation. However, Clinton did not have Nixon’s decency and stayed on. (Had Clinton resigned, Gore would have become president and would have been unbeatable in 2000. In the end, supporting Clinton in 1999 essentially meant supporting Bush in 2000).

Instead, George W. Bush became president. During the 2000 campaign, the press parroted Democratic talking points and openly backed Gore’s demand for multiple recounts. (Gore lost several recounts and still managed to claim he won, but that is another story). Bush became the center of resentment in the press and in the leftbot blogosphere. The press spent eight years misrepresenting much of Bush’s War on Terror and some even openly supported the Arab terrorists. Meanwhile the left discovered blogs. This became a counter to right wing radio and became influential.

By 2008, the press was completely in the tank for the Democrats. First, they supported Hillary, but turned on her when they felt it was safe. They turned to Barack Obama. Obama is a dynamic speaker, but lacked the resume needed for the presidency. That did not matter. They went after their favorite Republican, John McCain, with impunity. The New York Times even published a false story about McCain (and Giuliani as well). The press became a wing of the Democratic Party themselves. Obama was perfect. He was liberal, biracial, and has Eastern credentials. It will be difficult for the GOP to beat Obama in 2012 as he is the incumbent and the media is will campaign for him regardless of his record. (Interestingly, Pew Research reported that Fox News was the only outlet with balanced coverage during the 2008 campaign).

So there we are. The media went from elitists to liberal elites. They originally supported those they felt worthy (i.e. East Coast credentials). During the Vietnam Era, they began going after the GOP and threw objectivity out the window in 1980. By 2008, they dropped the appearance of objectivity altogether and now are as reliable as Pravda was during the Cold War.

Media Bias: 1980-1992

The Media declared open season on Ronald Reagan from the time he won the GOP nomination. They were excited at the chance of bringing down another president, but were also frantic about destroying and discrediting Reaganism. Almost immediately, they were blunted by John Hinkley Jr. Hinkley attempted to assassinate President Reagan. Reagan survived and was able to push through his economic stimulus package. After what they deemed an appropriate waiting period, they pounced.

Throughout Reagan's eight years, the press alternated their portrayal of the president. Sometimes he was a kindly dolt. Other times, Reagan was a criminal mastermind. At the same time, they attempted to demonstrate the failure of Reagan's policies by finding people that fell through the cracks. They'd portray the worst case scenario as the reality for the masses. Their efforts failed and Reagan remained popular. Desperate, in 1987, the press and some Democrats attempted to criminalize policy differences.

When the Iran-Contra Scandal broke, the press did its best to drive Reagan from office. When Oliver North testified before Congress in his marine uniform and Reagan fessed up, the scandal dissipated and Reagan's popularity began to rise. Congress later repealed the Boland Amendment which made almost everything moot. (The amendment was probably unconstitutional to begin with).

After failing to destroy Reagan, they went after Reaganism. The press attacked the Republican nominee, George H.W. Bush and campaigned for Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts. Dukakis was everything the press wanted. He was an eastern elite and an unrepentant liberal. George H.W. Bush was a moderate and an eastern elite himself (more so than Dukakis), but he was Reagan's veep. 1988 would be one of the dirtiest campaigns of all time and the press was partially responsible.

The media accused Bush of wimpiness. Bush responded by engaging in a shouting match with Dan Rather. Then, the Republicans used the media to their advantage. This always drives the press nuts. Negative ads flew every couple of minutes in key states. Dukakis did face a tough question during the debates, but his answer came across as disingenuous. Bush won in 1988 and the press seethed.

The press could not take on George H.W. Bush for much of his first term. Bush was extremely popular until early 1992. The economy slowed and the press intentionally exaggerated the downturn. They took their cue from the Democratic nominee, Bill Clinton. Clinton was not their first choice. Originally, Clinton was seen as a hillbilly good old boy. The press preferred Mario Cuomo of New York. Cuomo should have run, but didn't. The other candidates in the Democratic field included Jerry Brown and Paul Tsongas. The press made fun of Brown. He was from California and they dubbed him "Governor Moonbeam." The press loved Paul Tsongas. He was from Massachusetts and was a cancer survivor. They openly attacked Clinton until he won the nomination. Then, it was all quiet on the western front.

Media images could not be more stark. Bush was old, tired, and out of touch. Clinton was young, vigorous, and hip. When Bush made the mistake of looking at his watch during a debate, the press ran the clip over and over (Michael Dukakis thought it was unfair). When the Iran Contra prosecutor indicted key figures in the scandal days before the election, the press had an orgy. When news that the recession had ended came out days before the election, the press sat on the story until the day after the election.

Prior to 1980, media bias was based on class and status. After Reagan's rise to power and the shift from the Great Society to Reagan's Society, the press shifted. Republicans followed Reagan's lead, and the press ran to the Democrats. Strains in that alliance would appear during Bill Clinton's term as president.

Media Bias: 1963-1980

The press loved Massachusetts aristocrat John Kennedy. When he died and was replaced by a (gasp) Texan, it was yet another politician without the right pedigree. As a Texan, Johnson was another outsider. He was a pretender to the throne and a vulgar man. He had a ranch. LBJ was everything the press hated. They turned on him the first chance they had. The press even printed pictures of LBJ holding his dog up by its ears. It reaffirmed their image of Johnson as a vile and uncultured man. In 1964, the press pulled for the Republican Rockefeller. However, the GOP nominated Barry Goldwater. Goldwater was worse than Johnson, so they went after him with full fury. Goldwater lost and then the press went back to criticizing Johnson. When Georgetown burned during the urban uprisings, someone told LBJ that Georgetown was on fire. Many press insiders lived there. Johnson's responded "I've waited 35 years to hear that!" The press helped drive him from office.

They also helped drive Richard Nixon from office. Had Nixon been an insider, they would have ignored Watergate. But, Nixon defeated good establishment liberals in his run for the house, the senate, and the presidency. He also brought down Alger Hiss. What drove them the craziest was his use of media to get his message across. Whether it was the “Silent Majority” speech or the trip to China, Nixon used the press images for favorable coverage while reporters seethed. The press never forgave him for that.

Nixon’s successor, Gerald Ford, came from Michigan. He even graduated from the University of Michigan. The press accepted him at first, but quickly went after him. Ford pardoned Nixon to get Watergate behind the country. The press began to work to undermine his presidency. They portrayed Ford as dimwitted and clumsy. Press coverage of Gerald Ford can be summed up with the headline: Ford to City: Drop Dead.

The press sided with Ford’s opponent, Jimmy Carter, in 1976. Carter was not Nixon. He was also a feel good story. The press played up Carter and attacked Ford (Ford did help doom himself with a debate gaffe). Carter made some silly mistakes in the press when he admitted he lusted in his eyes, saw a UFO, and by claiming to have been attacked by a killer rabbit (not making this up). Carter’s novelty disappeared quickly. The press enjoyed making Carter’s brother look like a fool. When all was said and done, Carter was another outsider. He was from Georgia. The press hoped he’d be one of them, but he wasn’t. The press did not rally to him until Ronald Reagan became the Republican Nominee.

The New Right scared the press. They were the ultimate outsiders. These Goldwater-ites were everything the press was not. They were not East Coast. They were not Ivy League. They were not Elites. They distrusted government. They distrusted power. They distrusted liberalism. The press pumped the candidacy of George H.W. Bush. Bush failed. Reagan won the GOP nod. They attacked Reagan as dumb, unsophisticated, and simple. They claimed he’d start World War III and civilization would end with a Reagan Presidency. The press went nuts. Then, Reagan won. The Reagan Revolution changed the dynamic. The press changed its tone and went after Republicans and gave Democrats a free ride. The GOP epicenter was no longer the East Coast. It had moved to the heartland while the Democratic epicenter remained elitist. The press sided with the East Coast while the GOP sided with the heartland and the blue collar voter.

Media Bias: 1952-1963

The press loved FDR. He was one of them. Roosevelt was an East Coast elite with an impeccable pedigree. He was exactly the man the media wanted as president. Educated, intelligent, and aristocratic. FDR contrasted strongly with the dour little Engineer from Iowa, Herbert Hoover and the silly little man from Missouri, Harry Truman. Truman did not even go to college. He was out of his depth. Luckily, his two terms were up in 1952.


In 1952, the media were in a quandary. They supported Princeton educated Democratic governor Adlai Stevenson, but they could not attack the Republican candidate Dwight Eisenhower. Ike was a superhero in American minds. Eisenhower was the next George Washington. The press did not see it that way. Eisenhower was another outsider. He was from Kansas and was not seen as an intellectual heavyweight. They also feared Ike would dismantle their precious New Deal. The media had to find a way to attack the outsider and support their candidate, Adlai Stevenson. Stevenson went to Princeton and was an elitist. The throne was rightfully his. They needed an issue to attack Ike.


The media got their issue when Richard Nixon became the GOP Vice-Presidential nominee. To the media, Nixon was everything wrong with American politics. He was from a small town in California. He did not go to an Ivy League school. He was not an elite. On top of this, Nixon defeated leftist elite candidates in his House and Senate elections (Joe Kennedy contributed to Nixon’s campaign for Senate) and had the gall to bring down Alger Hiss. Hiss was a Soviet spy, but he was part of the good old boys network and had the perfect East Coast establishmentarian credentials.


Nixon unwittingly gave them their issue. The press discovered Nixon had a “secret” slush fund. Despite the portrayal, the fund was neither secret nor illegal. Many members of congress and even Democratic nominee Stevenson had one. The Democrats did not push the issue because they did not want to seem like hypocrites. That did not stop the press. Ike was ready to dump Nixon.


Richard Nixon fought back. He used the media to his advantage and gave the now famous “Checkers” speech. In the national address, he gave a complete account of his finances (Pat Nixon was not happy) and defended himself against the charges. The public bombarded Republican HQ with calls to keep that “nice Mr. Nixon” on the ticket. The outsider beat the elite media at their own game and they were not happy. They added that to their list of grievances against this upstart.


Throughout Ike’s two terms, the media convinced themselves he was an idiot. They attacked him for his intelligence (the man who planned D-Day) and his golf game. Nixon fared no better. They were relieved the Republicans accepted the New Deal, but longed for one of their own to be in the White House. The darling of the left elite, Stevenson, returned to lose in 1956 (Robert Kennedy could not stand him and voted for Ike in 1956). In 1960, they’d get the perfect East Coast candidate.


After Nixon’s two terms as VP came to a close, he lost a close election to Kennedy. JFK was another east coast elite and the press loved him. They covered up his personal foibles to the extreme (Ben Bradlee of the Washington Post said JFK’s womanizing would have come to light in the second term had Kennedy not settled down. The press was tiring of it). The Kennedy Years would become known as “Camelot” which hearkened to a mythological time in England. It was a time of magic where anything was possible. In the media’s collective consciousness, Camelot stood in stark contrast to the dour repressive Eisenhower Years. Then, it came to an end. Kennedy’s death brought the Texan LBJ to the White House. The White House fell to another outsider. The press geared for war.

Bush 2008

Struggles continued between Bush and Congress over the War on Terror, Iraqi War, and presidential power. The Congress rightfully outlawed torture. Bush vetoed the bill because it banned water boarding. One definite stain on the Bush Administration is the use of such tactics, euphemistically called “aggressive interrogations.” Information obtained from such tactics is unreliable. Therefore, the use of such is unnecessary.

Bush did win a couple of victories. The wiretap bill passed. This angered the left which complained that it monitored Americans. However, it is a strong tool that can be used to nail bad guys. The left may have helped the terrorists in this battle. Their initial complaints about the monitoring of people in Afghanistan that happened to call America tipped off the terrorists.

In addition to the wiretap bill and water boarding veto, Bush also won the battle on war funding. Democrats threatened to defund the Iraq War. Many on the left begged and pleaded for it. The Democrats were caught in an interesting quandary. They could take money away from American troops in the field or they could anger their base. The troops got their funds thereby ensuring the continuation of the Iraq War. At present, the war is won. So, those that voted for the funding did the right thing.

While Bush was winning his final political victories against the Democrats, the Supreme Court handed him a defeat. The court cancelled Bush Administration guidelines at Gitmo. The detainees could appeal their detentions. Legally, this is probably the correct decision. Practically, it is moot. Obama has promised to close the detention facility.

On the foreign policy front, Russia invaded Georgia. The Russians were looking to flex their muscles and regain super power status. So, they picked a fight with their smaller, weaker neighbor. They used the same logic that Hitler used to invade Austria, Czechoslovakia, and Poland. (For some absurd reason, many on the left argued Georgia was as responsible for the conflict as Russia.) Bush handled the situation as well as could be. American troops began to appear in the region which forced Moscow to back down after their initial war aims were met.

The other major issue in 2008 was the economy. Early in the year, gas prices spiked to over $4 a gallon as a result of speculators. Prices eventually collapsed as a result of the worldwide economic crisis. OPEC has vowed to cut production to raise prices. In the US, there was a lot of talk, but no action by the administration and congress. Bush appeared helpless, Republicans and some Democrats talked about a gas tax break, while the left opined that the timing was wrong for a massive gas price hike.

Obama was one of those in favor of price spikes. He wants to eliminate fossil fuels and move to alternative energies. That is fine, but price spikes hurt people. Despite his support for high gas prices, Obama won the presidency with 52% of the vote. The vote was anti-Bush, but more importantly, John McCain ran a terrible campaign, and the economy collapsed.

As the year ended, Israel launched air strikes on the Palestinians. The Hamas Government had been lobbing rockets into Israel which is an act of war. Israel responded with devastating effect. The Israelis probably felt pressure to retaliate before the new pro-Palestinian American Administration took power. All out war may have begun.

Moving into 2009, Bush is trying to punt where possible to give Obama some latitude in action upon assuming the presidency. Obama will be handling the worst economic situation since Jimmy Carter’s Administration. The situation has the potential of being as bad as the 1930s. Also, Obama will have to deal with Afghanistan and wind down the Iraq War.

Happy New Year!!!

Happy 2009!

Just a quick look back...(it's what I do)...

1 year ago: Hillary Clinton was the certain Democratic nominee for President.

5 years ago: The Boston Red Sox won their first World Series since 1918.

10 years ago: Bill Clinton escaped removal from office after being impeached.

20 years ago: The Bay Area suffered a monster quake that collapsed the Bay Bridge.

25 years ago: Ronald Reagan won a massive re-election victory.

50 years ago: Buddy Holly, Richie Valens, and The Big Bopper are killed in a plane crash.

100 years ago: William Howard Taft becomes president. Theodore Roosevelt goes big game hunting to avoid sharing the spotlight.

150 years ago: John Brown raided Harper's Ferry, Virginia trying to start a slave revolt. It helped lead to the Civil War.

250 years ago: The Seven Years War ends on the battlefield (diplomatically, it would be a few more years)

Bush: 2007

Domestically, 2007 was a near failure. The Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act, but the Immigration Bill Failed. Conservatives attacked the “amnesty bill” and alienated the Hispanic Vote. This helped sow the seeds of defeat in 2008.

Bush fired several US attorneys. Democrats complained. A phony Washington scandal was born.

Overseas, the Surge in Iraq began. The Democrats declared defeat. However, the surge turned the war around and it is basically won. It is Obama’s to wind down or screw up.

Lastly, there was an Agreement with North Korea over nuclear program. We’ll see about where this one leads….

Caroline Kennedy

A lot of people are questioning Caroline Kennedy's qualifications to be a US Senator. However, if Barack Obama can be president, the Caroline Kennedy can be senator.

Bush: 2005

2005 was a political disaster for Bush and a natural disaster for New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina decimated New Orleans. The City was basically destroyed. The Bush Administration got blamed. They were very slow to respond to the crisis. However, the city and state governments were ultimately responsible for the dead. They failed to evacuate those that could not escape. They did not even try. If there was a villain in Katrina, it was Mayor Ray Nagin.

Before Katrina, Bush had blown almost all his political capital on social security reform. His plan went down like Clintoncare in 1994. Democrats attacked it and scared seniors. Seniors refuse to allow any changes to the program. Bush should have sent out trial balloons and then abandoned his reform efforts instead of trying to explain it to people unwilling to listen.

Another blunder was the attempt at putting Harriet Myers on the Supreme Court. She was not qualified and conservatives stood up to Bush. As a result, he placed John Roberts on the court as Chief Justice.

Unlike social security reform, bankruptcy reform passed. The Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Reform Act made it more difficult to declare bankruptcy. Many people were intentionally running up their credit cards and then declaring bankruptcy knowing they’d just get credit again. Then, they’d do it again. This act was designed to stop the abuse.

In the foreign arena, Kyoto went into effect. Wisely, the Bush Administration refused to participate. It did not make much sense to participate. The biggest polluters were exempted from the protocols. Unless something could be done to address China and India, then Kyoto and Kyoto-like agreements make no sense.

In the former Soviet Union, a would be assassin tossed a live grenade at Bush. It did not go off.

While that grenade did not go off, the CIA leak case exploded. This was a Washington scandal. However, Bush was wounded. He had been attacked for over a year for “lying” about WMD, was slow to react to Katrina, and had blown all his political capital on Harriet Myers and Social Security Reform. The press jumped on it as hard as they have ignored the ties between Obama and the Illinois Governor.

Lastly, the Republicans in Congress decided to place themselves into the Terry Shiavo case. House Leader Tom Delay decided that Shiavo’s husband had tried to murder her and wanted to block efforts to end her life. She was in a coma. The government had no business in this affair. However, Delay was a social con. Social cons are simply liberals who are simply arch conservatives on social issues. Delay attempted to use the government to intervene. This hurt the GOP more so than anything Bush did during his first five years in office. Between Katrina, Bush’s blunders, Iraq, and Shiavo, the GOP was on the road to defeat in 2006.

Bush: Year 4 (2004)

The Bush Administration’s good political luck began to change in 2004. Left wing anger and paranoia over all things Bush found focus. They had been angered over Al Gore’s 2000 election defeat, Bush’s popularity, and the Iraq War. They were going over the edge. Michael Moore channeled left wing anger in his fictionalized account of the Iraq War, “Fahrenheit 911.” Bush’s popularity began to take hits as he failed to respond to criticism.

The Administration had it’s only real scandal in 2004. Prisoners in Abu Ghraib had been humiliated, intimidated and tortured. Images of a hooded Iraqi prisoner hooked up to what appeared to be wires made the front pages of magazines and newspapers around the world. This further fueled the expanding Iraqi insurgency.

In Spain, terrorists bombed a train. The attack and deaths frightened the left wing Spanish government into leaving Iraq. The Spanish reaction made the world more dangerous as terrorists now had a victory and a blueprint for further attacks. Spain’s reaction was irresponsible.

The one bright spot was Libya. As a result of diplomatic pressure, and pictures of Saddam Hussein’s arrest, the Libyan government gave up it’s nuclear program. This was Bush’s one major policy victory in 2004.

In November, Bush was re-elected over Senator John Kerry of Massachusetts. The election came down to Ohio. Bush carried it. He carried the nation with 51% of the vote. Bush was the first candidate in 16 years to crack the 50% mark. The final electoral count was 286-252. The Democrats mounted an amazing voter turnout, but it could not top the Social Conservative turnout. The GOP found voters no one knew existed. These voters did not show up for McCain in 2008.

Bush: Year 1

Since his administration is coming to an end, it is a good time to review the last eight years. Instead of doing everything at once, it might be more interesting to review it year by year. His early years were very successful while the second term has had issues. Also, it is sometimes hard to gauge the full impact of a presidency until they have left the scene and been gone awhile. Reagan is now considered great. Nixon is much more sympathetic. Clinton's reputation has gone down the toilet as a result of taking on Obama. Bush's reputation may depend greatly on Obama. If Obama comes off incompetently, then Bush is probably elevated. If Obama comes off as the next FDR, then Bush suffers. Either way, it will probably take a generation (and a lot of declassification) to get a full picture.

2001:

Bush began his term with a nice inaugural address. Most inaugural addresses are forgettable. W's first (and second) were better than most. However, no one outside of historians will remember either of them. Despite the controversy surrounding his presidency, Bush decided to act as though he won in a landslide and his address reflected both that confidence as well as the nature of his election.

Bush had two major issues to deal with right away. First, the economy was in recession. As a result, he pushed for and got his tax cut package. It really can not be underscored how this has helped. 911 really hurt the economy. The tax cuts saved a major economic downturn. It was not until the credit markets collapsed that the economy truly soured. Even then, the tax cuts were seen as positives. Obama has refused to repeal them.

The second issue was the Chinese. They decided to test Bush right away. They captured a spy plane and refused to let the crew go. Eventually, they were released.

Domestically, the first year of the W. Administration witnessed the collapse of Enron. Many blamed this on Bush, but this was something festering for awhile under the previous administration. That administration looked the other way as they received campaign donations and other Enron favors.

The administration also passed No Child Left Behind. For some reason, Bush felt it necessary to push for and support a Ted Kennedy creation. Ironically, teachers blame Republicans for this. Although many thumbed their noses and voted for it, No Child is hard left legislation. It involved federal involvement in local schools. Nothing is more antithetical to conservatives. Preliminary evidence shows No Child might actually be working. However, it is one of those things we will have to wait and see on.

Bush attempted to reach out to African Americans. He placed more people of African descent into positions of power than any administration in history. Powell, Rice, Paige and others filled out the President's brain trust.

Then came 911. Bush's response to 911 was as well as could be expected. He rallied the nation and gave a powerful speech at the site. Afterwards, the administration passed the Patriot Act. It was controversial, but has apparently worked. Despite some complaints, it did not crack down on civil liberties.

911 also brought on the Bush Doctrine. There have been several Bush Doctrines, but this one states the US has the right of Preemption. If there is a threat, the US can take it out. Bush was simply codifying something presidents had used for years. It helped lead to the Iraq Invasion.

Overall, Bush's first year was successful in terms of getting things done. The ultimate result of Bush policies such as Preemption and No Child Left Behind, have yet to be realized.

Best Quotes from Election 2008

“We have to do something about his skinny legs. He has to do squats." -- California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Barack Obama's wimpiness.

"I ain't got time to die." -- Ann Nixon Cooper, 106, of Atlanta, Georgia, on living through the white supremacist south and now witnessing Obama's run.

"You can put lipstick on a pig. It's still a pig." -- Barack Obama in what sounded like an attack on Republican vice-president nominee Sarah Palin.

"What's the difference between a hockey mom and a pitbull? Lipstick." -- Sarah Palin at Republican convention.

"Barack, he's talking down to black people. I want to cut his nuts off." -- Jesse Jackson

"This may be the last day I'm ever involved in a campaign of this kind." -- Bill Clinton

-- the fundamentals of our economy are strong." --John McCain (McCain's "There is no Soviet Domination of Eastern Europe" moment)

“It’s not surprising, then, they get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations. - Obama on people not like him

"Stand up Chuck, let ‘em see ya!" -Joe Biden to wheelchair bound Chuck Graham

"We are the president." - Hillary sounding very much like The Borg