Quotes of the Month: October 2014

Quote of the Month: "We do stories on food stamps, but only to the extent that we prove the cast that they’re needed, without also examining well-established fraud and abuse. We look at unemployment but only to the extent that we present sympathetic characters showing that benefits should be extended rather than examining, also, the escalating cost and instances of fraud. We cover minimum wage but only to the extent that we help make the case for raising it, without giving much due to the other side, which argued it will have the opposite effect than intended."


-Sharyl Attkinson

Stupid Quotes of the Month:

"To be very, very honest with you, the South has not always been the friendliest place for African-Americans," Landrieu said. "It’s been a difficult time for [President Obama] to present himself in a very positive light as a leader. It’s not always been a good place for women to present ourselves. It’s more of a conservative place, so we’ve had to work a little bit harder on that."


-Senator Mary Landrieu

"That is the worst kind of politics. And we are gonna escort whore out the door."


-South Carolina Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate Vincent Sheheen

"It would be wonderful if we were able to give this man all of the power that he needs to pass the things that he needs to pass."


-Gwyneth Paltrow on Obama

　

and the rest...

"Most of our Democrat voters aren't aware there's even an election on November 4."


-Barack Obama

"I think we're looking at a 30-year war."


-Leon Panetta on ISIS

"There is a feeling that the president has given up on the big issues facing this country."


-Leon Panetta

"It's not really about asking for the raise, but knowing and having faith that

the system will actually give you the right raises as you go along."


-Satya Nadella of Microsoft

"This is the beginning of the long goodbye."


-Roger Daltrey on the 50th Anniversary tour

"It sucked."


-Michael Keaton on why he did not do Batman Forever

"Honestly, the whole thing is just showing the beginning signs of fraying around the edges. It’s a little bit old. Last summer there were five or seven different ones out."


-Robert Downey Jr

"Cocaine is terrific if you want to hang out with people you don't know very well and play ping pong all night. It's bad for almost everything else... the day after cocaine is rough."


-Amy Poehler

"Completely. Not only Mitt and I are done, but the kids are done. Done. Done. Done."


-Ann Romney

"It's time to start offending people."


-Chris Christie

"Don't touch my girlfriend."


-A stupid voter to Obama

"He's really batshit crazy."


-James Spader on Ultron

'Don’t let anybody tell you that it’s corporations and businesses that create jobs."


-Hillary Clinton

"Make no mistake, these policies [of mine] are on the ballot, every single one of them."


-Barack Obama

"This administration has been more dangerous to the press than any in American history."


-Susan Page on the Obama Administration

"The thing about Bibi is, he’s a chickenshit."

-The Obama Administration on Israeli P.M. Benjamin Netanyahu

"There are, on occasion, electoral races in which both candidates are of high quality and high integrity and conduct a tough but fair campaign about the issues. Fair-minded voters have a difficult choice, but they can know that, no matter who is elected, they'll be well represented by someone who won't embarrass their community. The election for the House of Representatives seat in the 11th New York Congressional District is nothing like that."


-Staten Island Advance

Congressional Losses for the Party in Power since 1896

Why 1896? I wanted over a century of data. Why 1914 for the Senate? That is when Senators were first elected by popular vote. The data is restricted to elected presidents. If a president served two terms, the figures are for their first midterm. For example: Reagan was elected in 1980, the results are for 1982 only and not 1986.

McKinley (1896): 1898: H: -19

TR: McKinley Assassinated

Taft (1908): 1910: H: -57

Wilson (1912): 1914: S: +5 H: -61

Harding (1920): 1922: S: -6; H: -77

Coolidge: Harding died of a stroke

Hoover (1928): 1930: S: -8 H: -52

FDR (1932): 1934: S: +9 H: +9

Truman: FDR died in office

Eisenhower (1952): 1954: S: -2 H: -18

JFK: (1960): 1962: S: +2 H: -4

LBJ: Kennedy Assassinated

Nixon: (1968): 1970: S: +1; H: -12

Ford: Nixon resigned

Carter (1976): 1978: S: -3 H: -15

Reagan (1980): S: +0; 1982: H: -26

Bush (1988): 1990: S: -1; H: -8

Clinton (1992): 1994: S: -8; H: -54

Bush (2000): 2002: S: +2 ;H: +8

Presidential Legacies: Civil War and Reconstruction

This next grouping is intimately tied to the Civil War and Reconstruction. The war began in 1861 and ended in 1865 consuming Lincoln’s Presidency. Lincoln toyed with Reconstruction in the occupied South. However, he died before being able to start Reconstruction in the South. The Reconstruction issue dominated Johnson’s Presidency and led to his impeachment. In the North, Reconstruction waned as an issue in the Grant Years before ending with the election of Rutherford B. Hayes.

Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865): We know the story. The South left the Union and Lincoln brought them back. Lincoln knew he had the edge, but could not find a general to win the war. They all wanted to be Napoleon. Instead, he got guys like Ambrose Burnside. Eventually, he found Grant and the South was pounded into submission.

While on the way to reunification, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation. Technically, this freed no one, but Lincoln turned the war into a battle against slavery. This undercut the South. They were now the bad guys and the Civil War became a moral war. Lincoln worked on the 13th Amendment to end slavery. He died before it passed.

Andrew Johnson (1865-1869): At first, Johnson appeared to be the right man to punish the South. He talked tough and announced tough policies. Then, he worked to get the Southern states readmitted as quickly as possible with the pre-war status quo. This angered the Republicans. A war between the executive and legislative branches began.

During the 1866 Congressional Elections, Johnson went campaigned against the GOP. Presidential campaigning was unheard of. They were supposed to sit at home and rest on their records while others campaigned. People were suspicious. He compounded his miscalculation by giving the same speech from stop to stop. It was reprinted in the papers. The audience in Cleveland recited the speech as Johnson tried to give it. He melted down. The Republicans won a decisive victory and Johnson was irrelevant.

The Republicans worked to help blacks in the South while Johnson worked to undermine their rights. The two branches of government continued to collide and Johnson was finally impeached. He survived conviction in the Senate. Johnson’s interference in Reconstruction gave a defeated South new life. It helped lead to the Ku Klux Klan, Night Riders, and other paramilitary terror groups in the South. The country remained at war despite the peace at Appomattox. As a result of Johnson’s actions, the South continued to resist and eventually reclaimed the South and instituted Jim Crow. Perhaps if Lincoln had survived, a second Reconstruction in the 1960s would not have been needed.

U.S. Grant (1869-1877): Grant’s Administration avoided Reconstruction where possible to concentrate on economic development. As money flowed from the Feds, a series of scandals rocked the Grant Administration. Grant’s presidency suffered from the most presidential scandals until the Clintons came to town.

While the administration dealt with scandal, it dealt with a destabilizing force in the South. The Klan was running wild. Grant sent in the troops, declared martial law, and crushed the Klan. The KKK would not be a problem again until the 20th century. However, once the economy tanked, and Northerners decided it best to let the South decide their own fate, Grant was powerless to stop Klan-like groups from emerging in Mississippi and spreading throughout the South.

Rutherford B Hayes (1877-1881): Rutherford B. Hayes lost the popular vote in 1876. However, three states had suspicious returns. Without Florida, Louisiana, and South Carolina, Samuel Tilden was one electoral vote short of the presidency. Hayes needed all three states to be president. Democrats worked hard in these states to suppress the vote and stuff the ballot box. Republicans cried foul. Eventually, the two parties cut a deal. Hayes would be president. In return, the military occupation of the South would end. This is a case where the president’s legacy is tied directly to something out of his control. Hayes was a good president and became a hero in Paraguay. However, he is best remembered as Rutherfraud B. Hayes and the Compromise of 1877.

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.

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: 2006

2006 was another poor year for Bush. Although Zarqawi was killed and Saddam executed, Bush continued to suffer setbacks in Iraq. The insurrection continued to grow.

Meanwhile, illegal immigrants and their allies had their own insurrection. In several cities, there were protests and walkouts for illegal aliens’ rights. This angered many and pushed Bush to support immigration reform in 2007.

The courts began to push back as well. The Terrorist Surveillance Program was ruled unconstitutional. This ruling basically gave constitutional rights to terrorists worldwide. The program monitored terrorists’ communications worldwide. Idiots that opposed the program believed that it opened the door to spying on Americans. Of course, we know that did not happen. It was an attempt to bloody Bush some more. Bush did not appeal for whatever reason.

The high court also ruled that military tribunals were a no-no. This reversed a World War II decision allowing such tribunals. The tribunals were controversial as some believed the terrorists would not receive fair trials. This has proven false. However, it the controversy demonstrates the difficulties surrounding the incarceration of multi-national enemy combatants as opposed to soldiers in a national army.

Also pushing back were the Iranians. The fascist government of Iran wants to build a nuclear bomb. Their program is buried deep underground. As a result, it is probably safe from a strike. This problem goes back at least a decade and will continue into the Obama Administration. Obama has promised to drop nukes on Iran should they attack Israel.

Bush had two achievements of note in 2006. First, the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands were named a national monument creating largest marine preserve in US History. Second, Samuel Alito was nominated to the Supreme Court.

In November, the Democrats took over both houses of Congress for the first time since 1994. Bush was a drag. More importantly, the Republicans had been involved in several scandals and stuck their noses into the Shiavo case in 2005. The biggest bomb came at the 11th hour of the election when Rahm Emmanuel released information on the Mark Foley scandal. This turned a Democratic tide into a landslide.

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.

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

Why Obama won...or why McCain lost...

There are four main reasons Obama is now the president-elect. Of these reasons, John McCain could only control one of them.

1. Bush fatigue. People are mad at George W. Bush. They wanted change. Obama did a good job tying Bush to McCain (even though McCain was almost the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 2004). For his part, Bush did nothing to work on his image. Bill Clinton survived impeachment because he spent 6 years working on being liked. If Bush worked half as hard as Clinton at being liked, he'd be in the mid-40s and a non-factor in the election.

2. Obama ran center-right. Obama did a great job running away from his leftist record. He stood for tax cuts, gun rights, and other center-right positions. Which Obama will show up on January 20? Will it be the hard left partisan senator or the center right candidate?

3. McCain was too nice. McCain ran the cleanest, nicest campaign by any presidential contender in a generation. He should have hammered Obama with taxes and Reverend Wright every night throughout the summer. He didn't.

4. The economic meltdown. Before the meltdown, McCain was winning and beginning to pull away. Then came the meltdown. Obama went into witness protection while McCain pushed the rescue package. Ironically, Obama opposed fixing the very thing that caused the meltdown back in 2005 and benefited from the meltdown he helped cause.

If the meltdown does not happen, McCain wins even with the other deficiencies. However, the market crashed and McCain's chances crashed with them. He was like Charlie Brown running to kick the football. The market was Lucy pulling the football away at the last minute...

2008: Historical Paradigm Shift?

Every couple of generations, there is a political earthquake which changes American politics. 2008 could be such a year. The country could shift away from conservatism and toward European leftism. If this happens, it could mean the country will stay in Euro fashion for generations. It all depends on what happens in the presidential election. If people are willing to roll the dice on Obama, then it will probably happen. If they judge him to be too risky because he is not qualified for office or out of fear of a Democratic government, then it will not happen. (Of course Reid and Pelosi have been pretty incompetent, so even with an all-Dem government, the GOP might be gearing for a takeover that could last a century with those clowns in charge).

Here is a list of American Political Eras:

1. 1789-1800: Federalist Era: Pro-industry and national defense. Against the excesses of the French Revolution. (Washington and Adams presidents).

2. 1800-1860: Democratic Era: Pro-southern, pro-slavery, anti-protectionism, anti-big government, pro-agrarian, expansion of white male voting rights.

3. 1860-1932: Republican Era: The first part of the era is characterized by the Civil War. It was pro-northern and pro-African American. The entire era was pro-industry and pro-tariff.

4. 1932-1968: Democratic Era: The New Deal, Great Society, and Cold War Dems dominated.

5. 1969-present: Republican Era: Dominated by Nixon and Reagan. Pro-nationalist foreign policy, low taxes, against big government (except Bush 43), for expansion of civil liberties and democracy around the world.

I Voted For It Before I Voted Against It...

George W Bush had the most successful legislative term since the 1960s. After leading the country through 911, passing several high profile bills, and overthrowing a bloodthirsty dictator in Iraq, Bush was easily renominated. The Democrats had to scramble to pick a nominee.
Early on, Howard Dean led the Democratic field. He was able to direct leftbot rage about the 2000 election and the Iraq War to take the lead. However, he made an error and screamed during one of his speeches and came off like just another left wing nut. The Democrats had no idea whom to turn to. So, for no apparent reason, they chose John Kerry. Kerry came across like Thurston Howell III from Gilligan’s Island and made several gaffes.
The Republicans labeled Kerry a “Massachusetts liberal.” Kerry’s liberal voting record hurt him and made him look like weak. Once Kerry selected pretty boy Senator John Edwards for his running mate, the GOP called them “the ambiguously gay duo.” Again reinforcing Kerry as something less than safe. Additionally, he told a crowd he voted for war funding before voting against it. That finished Kerry. The Bush campaign hammered him. When Kerry went windsurfing, it became an ad about flip flopping.
Kerry’s big advantage was his service in Vietnam. This became a liability when several of his comrades attacked him. During the war, Kerry accused American troops of atrocities and hung out with Hanoi Jane Fonda. Anti-Kerry vets became known as “Swift Boat Veterans” after the vehicle they used in Vietnam. Attacking a candidate with truthful allegations has become known as “Swift boating” by the left. The term is meant to denigrate accusations made against candidates, but in reality the swift boaters simply used Kerry’s words and actions against him.
Despite what many on the left hoped and believed, Kerry had little chance. Bush won. Voters felt Kerry was too liberal and too scary to elect. Bush was a known commodity and had a solid record. Bush’s second term would be rudderless and unsuccessful until his final year in office. Kerry would return to the senate and whine about the 2004 campaign.

Fun in the Florida Sun: The 2000 Election

Al Gore was in a quandary. Does he use Bill Clinton to help his campaign or does he run and hide from the president? Clinton was popular amongst Democrats and was seen as the savior of the party. On the other hand, Republicans and Independents viewed him as a self indulgent man child. After easily defeating Bill Bradley for the Democratic nomination, Gore decided to turn his back on his president.
George W. Bush had problems of his own. He had the pesky John McCain to deal with. After a bitter campaign that left wounds that still exist today, Bush beat “The Straight Talk Express.” Bush campaigned as a “Compassionate Conservative.” The moniker was designed to draw a contrast between himself and the Newt Gingrich wing of the party. The term reinforced his conservative credentials and his reform message. Bush promised to restore dignity to the White House. Meanwhile, Gore was running from Monica’s messy dress. Gore decided to make a hard left. He ran a populist campaign. The Veep bragged he was for the people and not the powerful at the same time Bush promised to lead and make hard decisions as opposed to dodging them. Both campaigns were taking swipes at Clinton.
Each man made interesting choices for Vice President. Gore chose moderate Senator Joe Lieberman from Connecticut. Lieberman was well respected and liked by both sides. Bush selected the then-well respected Dick Cheney for his #2. Cheney served as the Defense Secretary under Bush 41 and had loads of experience. Lieberman would balance Gore’s liberalism while Cheney would balance Bush’s lack of foreign policy and Washington experience.
The two Vice Presidential candidates performed well on the stump and during the debates. Meanwhile, the Presidential debates opened a gash Gore could not patch up. During the first debate, he sighed impatiently whenever Governor Bush spoke. During another debate, Gore wore so much make-up, he looked like a drag queen.
Gore’s populist message combined with his debate performances and occasional delusional gaffe (I took the initiative and created the internet) cost Gore the election, but it was close. Bush held a 5 point lead going into the final weekend when word of a DUI back in the 1970s came out. On election day, Bush won 30 states, but Gore won the popular vote by a smidge. Had Gore run a better campaign, he could have won a triumph similar to George HW Bush’s in 1988. Instead, the election was a draw that came down to Florida.
The media declared Florida for Gore and then retracted when they discovered the panhandle was still voting. Then, they declared for Bush. Then, they undeclared everything. Gore conceded at first. Then, he changed his mind and un-conceded. This led to a recount.
After the recount, Bush won, but the Democrats wanted another one. Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris tried to certify for Bush, but the case ended up in court. The Florida Supreme Court ignored election law and ordered another recount. Bush continually won the recounts being held in Democratic precincts. For some reason, the recounts only occurred in Democratic precincts and not all of Florida. Eventually, the case went to the U.S. Supreme Court. In a 5-4 decision, the Supremes ordered an end to the recount. Bush won and Gore conceded again.
The Democrats could not win in 2000. The Florida Legislature was going to send results for Bush to the US Congress. If the Democrats had cast enough votes for Gore after the fact, the US Congress would have had two sets of returns. The Republicans controlled the House of Representatives and would have certified for Bush. The only reason for the Democrats to contest Florida and demand recounts in Democratic only areas was to injure Bush before he assumed office in the hopes of creating a lame duck. They failed. After the election, Gore would become the world’s savior. John McCain would finally become the GOP nominee for president. Joe Lieberman was expelled from the Democratic Party for making too much sense. Dick Cheney became the most unpopular governmental figure ever...at least until Nancy Pelosi became speaker!

The Boomers Roll Into Washington

The Soviet Union collapsed, Iraq had been expelled from Kuwait, Panama declared war on America and was trounced, and the US economy had slightly slowed down. The incumbent president was George HW Bush. History looks at him more favorably today than in 1992. In 1992, he was the man that went against his "No New Taxes" pledge, oversaw a ballooning deficit, and ignored problems at home. With voter discontent high, Bush was challenged by commentator Pat Buchanan for the Republican nomination. Although Bush defeated Buchanan, the right wing populist had wounded the incumbent President much like Reagan hurt Ford in 1976 and Kennedy hurt Carter in 1980.
The Democratic field was a mess. In 1991, no one wanted to challenge Bush. The President's approval rating was over 90%. The Democratic field narrowed to three. Governor Jerry Brown of California (aka Governor Moonbeam), Massachusetts Senator Paul Tsongas (whom many wondered why he was not a Republican), and Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton. The Arkansas Governor was plagued by stories of womanizing and draft dodging. On top of this, his wife annoyed many people and scared others. The couple talked about a "two for one" deal. Vote for Bill and get Hillary too.
The Governor was accused of a decade long affair with a lounge singer. Clinton went on 60 Minutes and diffused the Gennifer Flowers scandal. Her credibility was hurt when it was revealed she received money for her story. In New Hampshire, Clinton finished second to Paul Tsongas and declared victory. All of a sudden, he was the "comeback kid" and had the momentum. He sailed to victory in the Democratic primaries.
Then came Perot. Businessman and all around strange person Ross Perot decided to attack the deficit and both parties. He never really gave specifics, but he was quick with the one liners and his graphs and charts. At one point, he led both Bush and Clinton in the polls. Then, he pulled out claiming something about a Republican hit squad and his daughter's wedding. To this day, no one is sure what Perot was talking about. For some reason, he re-entered the race, but his momentum, and novelty, was gone. Perot's most amusing mistake was his selection of Admiral James Stockdale as vice president. During the Vice Presidential Debate, he uttered the classic, "who am I? Why am I here?" Senator Gore and Vice President Quayle looked even more stupefied than the two of them normally do.
During the general election, Clinton hit hard. He blamed Bush for "the worst economy in fifty years." (In reality, the worst since Carter). James Carville coined the term "It's the economy stupid!" Clinton had to deal with stories of womanizing and drug use ("I didn't inhale"). The Democrats ran on the economy. Ross Perot ran on the deficit. Bush ran on experience.
The media played a major role in 1992 by contrasting the candidates and attacking the economy. They tended to portray Bush as old and out of touch while showing Clinton as young and vigorous. Also, they withheld good economic news until after the election. They also played up some suspiciously timed Iran-Contra indictments that came right before the election.
Despite this tide, Bush remained even in the polls with Clinton going into election day. However, when the final count was done, Clinton won with 43% of the vote. Ross Perot siphoned votes away from Bush and got Clinton elected.
Four years later, Clinton cruised to the nomination. The Republicans nominated Senator Bob Dole of Kansas. Dole ran a dreadful campaign. At the eleventh hour, he decided to campaign for 24 straight hours to show he was physically fit. Clinton spent the better part of 1995 and 1996 attacking Dole and the Republicans and had created a narrative that was hard to defeat. Additionally, Dole ran out of money prior to the convention and could not fight back adequately. On the other hand, Clinton was a fund raising machine. Clinton won re-election, but Americans were wary of him. He could not break the 50% mark in the popular vote.
George H.W. Bush went into retirement, jumped out of airplanes, and watched his son be elected president in 2000. Bill Clinton ran the most scandal ridden administration ever, was impeached, rebuilt his reputation through charitable work (some done with Bush 41), and then watched it all unravel during the 2008 primaries. Pat Buchanan is now a MSDNC commentator. Paul Tsongas died of cancer. No one is sure what became of Jerry Brown. Bob Dole went on to do Viagra commercials. Ross Perot ran for president in 1996, formed the Reform Party, and then returned to his home planet. Had he not mucked things up in 1992, then no Bill Clinton, no impeachment, no high gas prices, and probably no 911.
Tags: Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Politics, Presidential Election, 1992, 1996

The Massachusetts Miracle Worker!

Thursday, August 7, 2008Subject: The Massachusetts Miracle WorkerTime: 4:54:00 PM EDTAuthor: cicero390 Edit Entry Delete Entry
The Democrats got thumped in 1984. Americans no longer wanted The New Deal or Great Society. So, the Democrats looked for a new kind of Democrat to run. They turned to Mario Cuomo. He said no thanks. They turned to Gary Hart. He got caught with his pants down with Donna Rice. The primaries came down to Al Gore, Dick Gephardt, Jesse Jackson, and Michael Dukakis. Dukakis won six primaries on Super Tuesday to Gore's five and became the front runner. Dukakis gained momentum and became the nominee.
On the Republican side, Vice President Bush began as the front runner, but stumbled early allowing Senator Bob Dole an opening. A negative ad run by the Bush campaign portrayed Dole as a tax raiser. Dole lost his temper and went on TV to tell Bush to "stop lying about my record." Bush won the nomination after that gaffe.
Dukakis led Bush at the outset of the general election. Bush appeared wimpy and wishy washy compared to Reagan. Bush went on TV to attack Dan Rather to gain street cred with the right. Then, his campaign attacked Dukakis as a dangerously out of touch liberal. When Dukakis admitted to being a "card carrying member of the ACLU," the campaign used it.
The Bush campaign's biggest setback was their choice of Vice President. Dan Quayle did not make a good first impression and looked like he belonged at the little kids table when he debated Lloyd Bentsen. When Quayle compared his experience in Congress to John Kennedy's (Quayle-12 years/Kennedy-14 years), Democratic Vice Presidential nominee Bentsen responded, "Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy." (Editor's note: Dan Quayle was more qualified for president than Barack Obama).
The contrast between Bentsen and Quayle was striking. So was the contrast between Dukakis and Bentsen. Some thought the two should reverse their spots on the ticket as Dukakis made more errors. The Massachusetts Governor made a campaign stop and got filmed in a tank. He looked like Snoopy and it became a TV ad.
TV finished Dukakis. While governor, he supported weekend paroles for prisoners. One convicted murderer, Willie Horton, got out and committed armed robbery and rape. Senator Al Gore brought it to America's attention and it became a deadly campaign ad.
Bush-Quayle won in a landslide. George Bush became the first vice-president since Martin Van Buren to win the presidency. He would go on and lead America through it's most successful war in history.

Revolution!!!

Jimmy Carter was a failure. He had the worst presidency since James Buchanan (1857-1861). Inflation and unemployment combined to make the "misery index." The misery index was around 25%. He was challenged by Ted Kennedy for the nomination. This challenge wounded Carter as Reagan's challenge wounded Ford in 1976. On top of this, Carter looked weak as Iran kidnapped 52 Americans and held them for 444 days. They would not be released until Carter left office.
Carter's challenger was the former governor of California. Ronald Reagan had led an insurrection against the Republican establishment. He stood for small government and lower taxes. His personal charisma and message was formidable and Carter knew he was in trouble. As a result, the Democrats attempted to paint Reagan as a warmonger as they did to Barry Goldwater in 1964. They failed. Reagan's charm and Carter's incompetence overcame any misgivings people had. When a rescue mission to free the hostages in Iran crashed in the desert killing the rescuers, Carter was toast. Reagan won in a landslide.
Four years later, Carter's Vice President, Walter Mondale, won the Democratic nomination and promised to raise taxes. Mondale's running mate was the first woman to run on a major party ticket. Unfortunately, Geraldine Ferraro's husband had IRS issues and was rumored to be tied to organized crime. Reagan was personally popular and the economy was the strongest peace time economy in history. Reagan won in the mother of all landslides. He won 49 states. The key moment came during the debates. Reagan looked old and lost in the first debate, but in the second debate, he was on fire. When the age issue arose, Reagan said he would not exploit Mondale's youth and inexperience for political gain. The election ended that night.
Reagan would serve two full terms and is now considered a near-great or even a great president by Republicans and Democrats (albeit begrudgingly) alike. He led a revolution that reverberates to this day and has led at least one imminent liberal historian to dub the era, "The Age of Reagan." Jimmy Carter is still alive, formed Habitat for Humanity, and has recently lost his mind. Walter Mondale is no longer with us.

The Man from Georgia: 1976

The Republican Party was in tatters. Watergate decimated the G.O.P. Although personally honest and likeable, President Ford's pardon of Richard Nixon had amplified voter anger. On top of this, the right wing had decided to make its move. Ronald Reagan launched an insurgency that cut into Ford even further. On top of all this, Ford had been appointed to the Vice-Presidency and ascended to the Oval Office upon Nixon's resignation. So, he was not elected to either of the top two offices.
The Democrats were delighted and looked forward to recapturing the White House. They nominated Jimmy Carter. Carter was a one term governor of Georgia and former peanut farmer. Carter ran as an outsider that would clean up Washington and jumped to a 33 point lead in the polls.
Despite his immense lead, Carter made several mistakes that brought him back to Earth. Carter remained vague on the issues and Ford hammered him for his inexperience. Additionally, Carter's mother gave an interview with Playboy that was less than complimentary to the candidate.
Despite Carter's problems, Ford made the biggest gaffe of all during a debate. In it, he claimed the Soviet Union did not dominate Eastern Europe. Carter responded, "Tell that to the Poles." Ford failed to retract the blunder and it reinforced the media's image of him as dumb. It also brought up visions of a shifty Nixon.
On election day, Carter pulled out a narrow victory 50-48%. The electoral college was 297-240. Carter would go on to be the worst president since James Buchanan. He'd even get attacked by a rabbit. Ford would go golfing. Ronald Reagan would lead a revolution that would redefine the terms of debate in American politics to this day.