tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9194369.post711305221860548877..comments2023-03-26T01:08:27.768-07:00Comments on Last Left Turn Before Hooterville: 'Inspiration', 'Cult of Personality' A Crock? Tell It To St. Ronnie!Alicia Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14458700009032102949noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9194369.post-75585935781271033002008-03-03T12:16:00.000-08:002008-03-03T12:16:00.000-08:00I agree completely - the Reagan comparison (minus ...I agree completely - the Reagan comparison (minus the conservative politics) is totally apt. Reagan won with his upbeat optimism. Clinton can't win by running against Hope!Mauigirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15529827915262851910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9194369.post-22166676614646436872008-02-27T19:07:00.000-08:002008-02-27T19:07:00.000-08:00Comrade Kevin:As I think I am the ONLY leftist mal...Comrade Kevin:<BR/><BR/>As I think I am the ONLY leftist male Clinton supporter on the telegraph wire, I assume your remark is directed at me.<BR/><BR/>I don't think those Whites who support Obama are either sexists or guilt-ridden liberals. I don't think those support Clinton are racists. I am POSITIVE I have never written anything of the kind. I don't care for Obama at all but my beef with him has to do with his (lack of) political views and his annoying assumption that he's above all criticism.<BR/><BR/>This is a campaign, Kevin. They are both trying to WIN. Both of these campaigns are spending enormous amounts of money studying everything and trying to get an edge on the other. Welcome to the NFL. You could have said "try again" to Obama when his schtick was to play on the amorophous dislike of Clinton in the electorate ("oh,she's likable ENOUGH..."). What's the big deal here? Clinton's pollsters probably found some weakening in her female support and she's trying to recapture those voters. Pretty standard stuff in a campaign.<BR/><BR/>He knows he's got a problem with the Democratic base so he's overemphasizing NAFTA when he doesn't even bother to think about international macroeconomics, only about whether his makeup is right and his profile or whatever. I'm not crying about that. It's fair game. So are her two terrible foreign policy votes. No argument.<BR/><BR/>If he wants the campaign to be about something other than the issues, then his supporters should man-up a little and deal with it when she responds in kind. If it's "historical" for him, it's "historical" for her. Personally, I don't think it's "historical" for either one. Both are U.S. Senators from big statres. Both are Centrist Democrats. Both are wealthy. What's historical? These are RULING CLASS people with AT LEAST a RULING CLASS agenda. Each of them.<BR/><BR/>The Republicans are way past all that and have moved into a very heavy sadism jones.KELSO'S NUTShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14636889771989672795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9194369.post-81279739047628437672008-02-25T09:34:00.000-08:002008-02-25T09:34:00.000-08:00Alicia:Thanks for adding me to your honor roll.I l...Alicia:<BR/><BR/>Thanks for adding me to your honor roll.<BR/><BR/>I like your analysis. I think the Republicans do take for granted their right to run the "empty suit" and market him well. I think in some ways they are dismayed by Obama but in others they have to like him. I surely disagree with physioprof that Obama "kicks ass." He does seem rather adept at kissing it, though, when he's not fussing ans whining. Given that Pat Robertson, Joe Lieberman, and Rick Warren's asses are three he paricularly enjoys kissing, I really don't think the Republicans are too worried about Obama upsetting the apple-cart.<BR/><BR/>While neither Obama, nor McCain, are particularly "nice guys," I do believe that Obama is a lot smarter and a lot saner than McCain is.<BR/><BR/>Funny that D-CAPny brings up Jimmy Carter, because to me that's the politician Obama most reminds me of. If Obama were a pleasant person, of course. Both were relative newcomers without much experience who caught the press's fancy and peaked at the right time. Both are religious and centrist by ideology. Obama, like Carter, will probably be overwhelmed by Washington and like Carter will face terrible, terrible economic conditions that have only one "easy" answer. And it's the one "answer" Obama CANNOT give. Peace, of course, is the answer. Reducing the size of the military and national security state. Otherwise, the 70s are coming back as fiscal and monetary policy grind his presidency to dust and without any institutional clout or personal strength, he's going to have to keep all the wars going at these levels and probably initiate one or two new ones: Iran and Venezuela are the likely spots.<BR/><BR/>One part of me thinks that Obama doesn't mind this because he is sort of a rapturist but the other part of me thinks that Obama the rational person won't want that. He'll just be forced into it by political reality. I would not be surprised to see Obama face a primary challenge in 2012 from someone like Feingold.<BR/><BR/>McCain portends constant disasters and Obama portends the slow drip of stagflation and continued involvement in Iraq and Afghansitan. And so long as there's war in the Middle-East, the US economy's going to get worse and worse. The press is starting to get a bit fed up with Obama's shtick. I don't see Clinton being the beneficiary of that. Perhaps, McCain will get the benefit of the doubt during the general election but he probably won't be able to beat Obama. Expect, though, a very short honeymoon for Obama and a very rough economic ride. None of this, of course, is Obama's fault. It's Bush's fault.<BR/><BR/>I would expect Obama to govern slightly to Reagan's right and McCain slightly to Hitler's left.<BR/><BR/>Hillary Clinton would be quite a bit like her husband -- kind of center-right, although she too would inherit a fiscal and monetary mess and the best thing she could do for her country and herself would be to live up to that 60-day Iraq reduction plan.KELSO'S NUTShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14636889771989672795noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9194369.post-77944381638369038372008-02-24T02:22:00.000-08:002008-02-24T02:22:00.000-08:00aliciathat was terrific and right on --- i always ...alicia<BR/><BR/>that was terrific and right on --- i always wondered about the "cult of reagan" and never quite got it, despite the fact i actually voted for him the first time(i was young and impressionable and really thought Carter was bad - i have total buyers remorse).<BR/><BR/>as we all know the right wing and conservatives HATE competition and hate to lose -- therefore dirty tricks, lies, and innuendo flooding the media all become part of the plan - George Bush's people have spent their lives mastering that --- and it worked twice.<BR/><BR/>but every once in awhile an Obama comes along (like a John Kennedy and even to an extent Bill Clinton) and it scares the bejesus out of them == they cant stop it. and they get flustered. and they revert to the same tired game plan. where the right fails this time is that <I>everyone</I> knows the "cult" game is exactly what they do with Reagan (as you said) and they havent mastered the internet as a means of getting their lies out.<BR/><BR/>republicans are snake oil salesman period --- you said it better than i could. john mccain, for all his faults (and their are tons) is a poor snake oil salesman and they know it. <BR/><BR/>remember you cannot be a republican unless you are a hypocrite -- it is a requirement for being in the clubDistributorcaphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10149154929149577121noreply@blogger.com