Archive for January, 2009
How I Hope President Obama Succeeds
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009A swing voting, independent friend asked me what I hope President Barack Obama accomplishes. Before launching, I would note that, unlike the the hard-core Left four years ago, I do view President Obama as my President. And I do hope he succeeds. It all depends on how you define success that is the key. More than that, though, I don’t harbor desires of a Clintonesque implosion. The last thing the country needs is an administration undone because of personal failings. I have felt that the Left in this country wanted President Bush to be immoral, evil and debased, even if that desire harmed the country to explain their loss. He had to be a deceiver, because the American people couldn’t possibly vote for someone with his ideals.
But that’s just it. I don’t necessarily think that swing voters and independent voters vote issues at all. I think the people deciding our elections vote on personality and authenticity. They may disagree with half the platform of a candidate, and probably do, since they swing. What they look for in a President is trust-worthiness, realness, likability. President Clinton’s moral failings were known before he took office, but he was an intelligent man, dynamic, an able speaker, and he connected with the American people. George W. Bush’s hard-headedness was known before he took office, but he was honest, forthright, quirky, human and he, too, connected with the American people. I knew, for example, that President Bush felt differently than I did about immigration and I chafed at the term “compassionate conservatism” because it implied that conservatives were not, naturally, compassionate–a notion I believe to be patently false. However, I voted for him, not because he matched my ideology perfectly, but because I felt he would do his best and be honest.
In the cases of Al Gore and John F. Kerry and now, Barack Obama, I voted against them because I disagreed with their ideology. In Barack Obama’s case, he seemed to me to be the more likable candidate. I just disagreed with his policy positions. Swing voters saw his personality and connected to his message and voted for him because he resonated with them. I understand that. I respect that. And I respect their freedom to vote the way they desire. And I want them to be right. In this case, I want to be wrong. I want him to be post-partisan. I want him to be respectful and truthful to the opposition. I want him to deal with integrity with the American people and the world.
I also want President Obama to succeed this way:
1. I want a cut in government spending.
2. I want the country to stay safe, i.e. no terrorist attacks, low crime rate.
3. I want terrorists to be rooted out.
4. I want Iraq to have a chance to succeed.
5. I want Afghanistan to be stabilized.
6. I want a balanced budget, not by taxing the productive and innovative, but by reducing the size and scope of the government.
7. I want our economy to be competitive with the worlds economies. That means forgoing egregious taxation.
8. I don’t want tax dollars to go for ethically questionable ends such as abortions, embryonic stem cell research (please note: I’m all for Stem Cell Research), etc. Since abortion is legal, I think it should be something that a person pays for herself.
9. I want President Obama to encourage the stability of families–the building block of society. That means a husband and wife and the children that come from them.
10. I want Social Security to be modified so it will be more realistic and solvent through the Baby Boom years.
11. I want Columbia to be rewarded for their march toward Democracy.
12. I want the UN to be held to account.
Things I don’t mind:
1. I don’t mind infrastructure being a priority. It’s a definite problem in America and needs to be addressed.
2. I don’t mind emphasizing sustainable living and an environmental stewardship.
3. I don’t mind renewed lovey-doveyness with Europe. If President Obama’s persona goes down easier for these people and gives them psychological cover so they can not lose face while re-engaging America, fine. Ditto, the Middle East. Ditto any country, for that matter.
Things I mind:
1. Putting the vague “world’s” needs ahead of America’s interests. I worry that Barack Obama is a globalist and buys into citizen of the world nonsense.
2. Putting America in danger to serve the politically expedient. Shutting Guantanamo might make good political theater but if it puts Americans in harms way, it will be a problem.
3. Expanding the government’s reach and scope to forward personal ends. This was my concern with someone like Mike Huckabee, and frankly, John McCain. If someone is going to expand the government, it damn well better not be a Republican. That it happened to the extent it did under President Bush was upsetting but not unexpected. McCain would have been the same way.
I simply don’t view the government as the big Mama Bear saving everyone from all discontent. If I wanted fat mediocrity, I’d move to France where I’d worry about being Jewish and being safe, but I’d have a long vacation, guaranteed wages and “cheap” health insurance.
The only rights I believe Americans have is to be free to speak and believe and assemble where and how they wish. They have a right to privacy, and not be hassled by the government, and to be protected from enemies, and to be able to create and innovate, and pursue their happiness.
But I’m a conservative-libertarian. That is, my view of the role of government fundamentally differs from President Obama’s. I believe that if he is successful at increasing the government, that the private sector will stagnate, revenue will decline and America will lose its competitive advantage–namely being free.
I want President Obama to succeed. My definition of success is not legalizing gay marriage, legalizing assisted suicide, government funded abortions, birth control and embryonic stem cell research, health care for all, submission to the World Court and the UN tyrants, and government rules and regulations to hector everyone into some individuals definition of goodness.
My concern is that President Obama doesn’t define success the same way I do.
As an aside: I’ll add links later to specific writings that elucidate my view on a given topic.
Cross-posted at RightWingNews
Economy
Tuesday, January 20th, 2009More Government Workers Than Manufacturing
This made me want to cry. Seriously. A bad day in America. H/T @Instapundit
Live Blogging the Inauguration
Tuesday, January 20th, 200911:30 AM EST Daughter Malia, lipreading here, says to dad, “That was a good speech. Good speech.”
11:20 AM EST Money quote from the speech “The question is not whether the government is too big or too small but whether it works.” Uh huh. He used the words “common good”. He gives a shout out to the world, “We (America) are ready to lead once more.” Oh, please. “To the Muslim world we seek a new way forward based on mutual goals and mutual respect.” Gah.
11:11 AM EST Barack Obama’s speech. “Know this America, they [our problems] WILL be met.”
Meanwhile, and I don’t know why this cracks me up, but Glenn Reynolds is a bloggin’ fool, like it’s any other day or something.
11:09 AM EST Barack Obama is stumbling over the oath. So, maybe he is nervous. He’s the 44th President: President Barack Hussein Obama. Listening to Hail to the Chief.
12:05 AM EST Music by John Williams. A sad theme underlying the composition. It’s getting peppier now, but still. YoYo Ma is having a great time. Itzak Perlman is a delight to listen to. Wow. Their hands must be freezing. Here comes the sad theme again. Beginning and ending on a conflicted note?
12:00 AM EST Joe Biden taking the oath of office. So hard to take him seriously.
11:55 AM EST Go Aretha! “My country ’tis of thee” sang with soul. Cool.
11:50 AM EST Diane Feinstein blabbing. Talking about civil rights, “future generations will mark this morning as a time of real and necessary change”.
Here comes Rick Warren. Crowd doesn’t know whether to clap or not. People clapping during the prayer. This prayer seems overwrought. I want it to stop. Ugh.
11:45 AM EST Various descriptions of Obama’s face “smug”, “young”, “confident”, “like he’s suppressing a smile”.
11:43 AM EST Here comes Biden looking cheesy as ever. Crowd is wild. Flag waving. Obama is coming. He’s carrying his head that way, nose up that is so annoying. President Elect Obama is “walking very sober like the weight of the world is on his shoulders” says Juan Williams. I think Brit Hume nails it more accurately when he says that Obama is “supremely confident”. That’s what I see. The man doesn’t know enough to be afraid.
11:40 AM EST Hail to the Chief playing for George W. Bush one last time. Crowd is relatively quiet. Bush is all smiles. Everyone is joyous.
11:30 AM EST Obama kids so adorable. Malia reportedly tells dad,”First African-American president. Better be good.” Juan Williams talking about how good it is for black community to see a black husband and father as leader. Hillary Clinton looks the best of anyone, actually.
Moving trucks at White House. Moving Obamas stuff in. Crowd starting to shout, “Obama! Obama!”
11:22 AM EST Here come the old Prezes. “President Clinton always seems to be searching for the right expression to put on his face”–Brit Hume. George HW and Bill Clinton, buddies. The older Bushes wearing purple scarves. Looking happy and enjoying themselves. In stark contrast is Al Gore who always looks like he’s passing gas.
Here comes Hill-n-Bill. The crowd goes wild. Juan Williams is getting a chill up his spine “wow,” he says, “the American people…these are our guys.”
10:50 AM EST Wow. As good as Ted Kennedy looks, Dick Cheney looks bad. What haven’t we been told about his health condition?
Laura Bush could not have picked a more bland outfit for the inaugural. I wonder if she and Michelle discussed it. Michelle Obama is wearing shimmering gold and Laura Bush wears gray.
Here come President Barack Obama and former President George W. Bush. We are lucky, people, to live in a country that transfers power to gracefully. This is not the norm in most parts of the world.
10:45 EST Ted Kennedy is looking better than he has in ages. Lost weight. I wonder if the tumor has forced him to stop drinking. He looks much, much better. And boy, those Kennedys sure have a look about them. Caroline looks just like Uncle Ted, except skinnier and long hair.
10:10 EST My Co-Blogger John Hawkins talks about the expectations for Obama:
As a matter of fact, that may be underselling expectations a bit because Superman couldn’t possibly achieve what many people seem to believe Barack Obama is going to accomplish in a few short years. He’s going to unite the country, create a post-racial America, get the economy humming, reduce the deficit, fix the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, win the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, get Osama bin Laden, win the war on terror, close Gitmo, keep us safe from terrorism, end global warming, stop Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons, make the world love America, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc., etc. No wonder people compare Obama to Lincoln: if he could actually do everything his supporters seem to believe he will, it would probably make him a better President than Lincoln.
I’m wondering if people really expect all that. I think what people were after in electing Obama was the symbolic satisfaction of having elected Obama. Their job, and his, is done. The next four years will be all about hope. Change? Come on. No one really likes change anyway.
9:58 EST You know what I’m waiting to see? I’m waiting to see Obama salute for the first time. Remember how uncomfortable Clinton was with saluting? Watching the Bushes greet the Obamas. The Obamas look cold. The Bushes are just so gracious. Michelle Obama looks Jackie O today. She looks radiant. Obama looks a bit nervous. Former Pres Bush and President Obama in the White House now.
9:45 EST Ann Althouse says this and it’s worth noting:
8:21: An experiment with biological/chemical weapon goes gruesomely awry for al Qaeda. Yes, laugh all you want and speculate about whether this will make al Qaeda fans think maybe God’s not on their side, but this is a glimpse of what they mean to do to us. George Bush did whatever he did to protect us from those devils, and some people fail to appreciate it when nothing happens. To make this properly part of this inauguration live-blog, do I need to add some message to Obama? I think the message is too obvious to need stating.
9:36 EST I would be remiss if I didn’t include @newsmediajim as a person to follow during the inauguration. He’s a pool cameraman and always has good behind-the-scenes info. Also, David Almacy @Almacy is going to Andrews AFB to say good-bye to President Bush. Also, you might want to follow Greta VanSustern at @Gretawire to get the latest, too. Also, Fausta will be live blogging at RealClearWorld. Check it out.
So far, I know that Ann Althouse and Steve Green (whenever he gets his drunk butt outta bed) will be liveblogging the inauguration.
I will be doing updates throughout the day. Maybe not liveblogging exactly but certainly staying up-to-date. So far, it’s a snoozefest. Maybe I should watch CNN for once in my life in the spirit of butt-kissing adoration. Might as well go all the way. You might also want to consider streaming Strategy Room on Fox. It’s a fun show and if you don’t have access to cable or whatever you can watch it. Also, Joost will be having the inauguration live and that’s on the computer.
As of this writing, just wide vast shots of zillions of joyful people, interspersed with close up shots of freezing, snuggling black people.
Media Admitting Media Bias
Monday, January 19th, 2009So I tell a friend, I sure wish there was one place where all the liberal reporters admit their bias. And voila! He gives me a couple places:
Quoting themselves at Ed Driscoll’s here and at Media Research Center here.
Vodkapundit:
Monday, January 19th, 2009“The media are supposed to ruin candidates.”
The dirt cometh.
Generation “We” Will Make Generation “Me” Seem Altruistic
Monday, January 19th, 2009Just in case you think the world will finally be saved once all the Boomers are pushing up daisies, I have bad news for you: they spawned. The Boomers had kids who call themselves, without irony, “Generation We”.
Here’s their video:
Generation WE: The Movement Begins… from Generation We on Vimeo.
Tiresome, self-congratulatory and preening….wow, they’re so NOT like mom and dad.
A friend told me that this group of young people, who have been extensively focus-grouped and screened, are all about community, environment, family, yada, yada, yada. And I asked her, “What group of 18 year olds don’t spout empty platitudes?” I mean really. That’s what youth is all about–high ideals before you give half your paycheck to people who don’t work. Things tend to change once taxes are paid.
Generation We needs to put a cork in it. Accomplish something and then we’ll talk.
NY Post
Monday, January 19th, 2009Senator Caroline Kennedy
Nepotistic dynasties…now the American way.
