from MUTH'S TRUTHS <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> MUTH'S TRUTHS No Conservative Honeymoon for McCain Posted: 07 Sep 2008 06:32 AM CDT
I recognize that most conservatives are now firmly behind John McCain in his race against “community organizer” Barack Obama - especially after putting Sarah Barracuda on his ticket. But his call in his acceptance speech to use the federal government to provide job training for folks who are out of work - whether through their own fault or not - is a warning shot to starboard. It reminds us, again, that John McCain is a “maverick,” not a movement conservative. About eight years ago, George W. Bush squeaked into the Oval Office running as a “compassionate conservative.” Before the Right caught on, he and his “compassionate” Republicans in Congress gave us the TSA, Homeland Security, No Child Left Behind and Medicare prescription drugs. It was only years too late that conservatives stood up to the Republican president and started saying “No” - most famously, perhaps, when they refused to swallow Harriet Miers for the Supreme Court. I fully understand the desire of most conservatives to rally ‘round McCain from now until November 4th - especially considering the alternative. But I suspect we all better be prepared to say “No” to some things “maverick” John McCain is going to want to do from Day One. Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us twice, shame on us. Downplaying Palin’s Expectations Posted: 07 Sep 2008 06:30 AM CDT Politics is about perception. Let’s say you’re holding an event in which you expect 75,000 people to show up. If 50,000 people show up, that’s still a huge success…but not if you told everyone you expected 75,000. In that case, you’ve performed below expectations and the press will write that your event was a flop. On the other hand, if you say you expect 75,000 and 84,000 show up, you will have EXCEEDED expectations and the press will write about what a wonderful event you had. Ditto speeches and debates. Generally speaking, the public and the mainstream media really weren’t expecting much from Gov. Sarah Palin at the GOP convention. She then went ahead and delivered a boffo speech which everyone (except the Left) thought was terrific. She exceeded relatively low expectations and therefore the speech was deemed wildly successful. I point this out to conservatives because many on the Right are now predicting that Gov. Palin, despite the fact that she’s only been on the national campaign trail for a little over a week, is going to clean Democrat vice presidential candidate Joe Biden’s clock in their debate next month. Folks, by doing so you are setting expectations WAY too high. Sure, I think it’s certainly possible that Gov. Palin will dust her opponent in the face-to-face, but let’s not sell Sen. Joe Biden short. As a senator for the better part of three decades, he knows federal issues better than Palin - and let’s face it, talking in circles and appearing knowledgeable is what Joe Biden does best. Palin will be playing on Joey B’s home court. If conservatives start predicting that Gov. Palin is going to kick his butt and then “only” duels him to a draw, the perception will be that she performed under expectations and “lost.” All I’m saying is let’s not make it any harder on Sister Sarah than it already will be. Under the circumstances it should be considered a terrific victory if she merely holds her own and doesn’t make any major gaffes. That’s a reasonable expectation for a state/local elected official going into a debate on federal issues against an incumbent U.S. senator who has been debating federal issues since Woodstock and hot pants (ask your mom). And then if she DOES clean his clock, she will have wildly exceeded expectations and we’ll be swearing her in next January. Paslov’s Dog Posted: 06 Sep 2008 11:44 AM CDT News Flash: The sun rose in the east today. In unrelated news, former Nevada state school superintendent Eugene Paslov inked another absurd letter-to-the-editor, published in the Reno Gazette-Journal this morning, in which he lends support to a proposed tax increase to dump more hard-earned tax dollars into the state’s mediocre public school system. “I have spent 45 years in various aspects of public education,” Paslov tells us, without, unbelievably, even a hint of embarrassment - adding that he believes “improvements can best be made by those responsible for education. They won’t be able to improve without necessary funds.” It’s veteran education “professionals” such as Paslov who have destroyed public education over the last, say, 45 years or so in the first place - abandoning the basics of reading’, writin’, and ‘rithmetic for educational fads such as “new” math, whole language and an absurd focus on self-esteem. The notion that the people who have screwed up education are the people best able to fix it, or that throwing more good money after bad is the solution, is a salivating dog that just won’t hunt. Dr. Paslov might want to consider the wisdom of an old classroom lesson which advises that it’s better to keep one’s mouth closed and be thought a fool than to write ridiculous letters-to-the-editor and remove all doubt. <snip> You are subscribed to email updates from MUTH'S TRUTHS To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now.Email Delivery powered by FeedBurner Inbox too full? Subscribe to the feed version of MUTH'S TRUTHS in a feed reader. If you prefer to unsubscribe via postal mail, write to: MUTH'S TRUTHS, c/o FeedBurner, 20 W Kinzie, 9th Floor, Chicago IL USA 60610 The only thing worse than Waco is the ongoing cover-up. http://www.documentarywire.com/waco-the-big-lie/ http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4298137966377572665 http://www.myspace.com/bdsda http://www.movie-forumz.org/showthread.php?t=35645&highlight=waco
