My “To Don’t” List for the Right
by Andy LevyThe only thing worse than bad winners are sore losers, and we’ve had enough of them for the past eight years. So with that in mind, in the wake of today’s historic inauguration, here’s my Handbook For The Loyal Opposition, 2009 edition – a “To Don’t List,” if you will. Or even if you won’t.
DON’T question the motives – question the policy. When you disagree with Obama’s policies, say so, and make it clear why. But remember that President Obama is doing what he thinks is best for the country, as President Bush did. Both men love America and want what’s best for her. End of story.
DON’T make it personal. We don’t need another Derangement Syndrome. We don’t need people doing things like emphasizing Obama’s middle name in a derogatory fashion. How anyone would think that’s beneficial to their cause, or to the country as a whole, is beyond me. Also, it’s not even clever. Neither are smushwords like BusHitler, or sillywords like Rethuglicans and Dhimmicrats.
DON’T cozy up to and champion foreign dictators and despots. Sean Penn is an ass. No reason to be like him. ‘Nuff said. (Corollary: Don’t cozy up to and champion foreign dictators and despots and then act outraged when people question your patriotism.)
DON’T pretend you’re being brave when you criticize your government. Not while people in other countries actually, y’know, DIE, when they do that.
DON’T use the word “divisive.” At this point, all that word means is “You disagree with me,” and the English language gets mangled enough these days.
DON’T use the phrase “speaking truth to power.” EVER.
DON’T move to Canada.
DON’T say you’re going to move to Canada and then stay here. (I know it’s too late for Stephen Baldwin, but not for the rest of you.)
DON’T apologize to foreigners and say things to them like, “I didn’t vote for Obama,” or “He’s not MY president.”
DON’T say or do everything in your power to drive this country apart and then claim you want unity when it’s your guy in power. This is like the convicted felon who conveniently finds God when he’s up for parole.
DON’T call people un-American one week, and then talk about how “We are not blue states or red states, we are the United States” the next. (This rule may only apply to Tom Hanks, but I put it in just to be safe.)
DON’T automatically think people who disagree with you are stupid or evil. Some of them are, of course. But most of them aren’t, and you might actually learn something if you listen to them.
And finally, DON’T use the fact that many on the left behaved abominably for the past eight years as an excuse to behave the same way. America needs adults. And if it bothered you when they did it, it’s a good sign that you shouldn’t do it.
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662 Comments
Me, I'm just keeping a positive outlook on all this.
.
God, I admire you.
I, too, will act like an adult. I will use words with more than four letters to describe Obama and liberals.
In all seriousness, I agree, I won't demean him, rip on his family, or just make random stuff up to belittle him. But I will not treat him as kindly as I did Clinton, not after the 8 years, 4 of which he was an active participant.
Andy, good job! Just wish you also added “DON’T make those who voted for someone else other than Obama feel like they are Unamerican.” That really drives me up the wall.
YOU, sir, are AWESOME!
Well, I have to say that this is the most common sense I’ve heard in quite awhile. Especially the part regarding questioning the ‘policy’ not the ‘motive’ or ‘intention’ – the reason I say this is there are SO many (on all sides of the political coin, I’m afraid!) who are quick to judge/bash/blame, blah blah but yet cannot explain a single policy position, voting record or even half the time know who the Speaker of the House is. they’re ranting because ‘their guy’ didn’t win.
Your words make sense and remind us that while it’s important to be vigilant – it’s imperative to treat our leaders with respect. Much more so than Fmr President Bush was today, in fact.
Andy, you sound like an Independent (like me) rather than choosing sides, common sense, people and policies??
Thanks for the terrific thoughts, always a pleasure.
AH
I think what Andy is trying to say is don’t stoop to their (A. Baldwin/Penn/Cho/Olbermann) level.
Andy, it’s technically true though to say that Gwenyth Paltrow’s husband is unAmerican, right?
Astute as always, Andy. You’ve articulated what I’ve been thinking.
Thanks.
Andy Levy as always….dashing erudition personified!
Trying to be above the fray?
I watch ‘Redeye’ and you are amongst those who said some nasty things to President Bush.
Actually, I think I recognize you as one of those seen singing ‘nah nah nah nah. Hypocrite!!!
Thanks, Levy! I will be an adult, even though I disagree with 99% of Obama’s policies (that I know of). Hopefully everyone else will do that same.
Well said, Andy. Tho’ I fear some of the suggestions will fall on deaf ears. For some folks? Their anger is pretty much all they have. And they’re not giving it up for anybody. Or any country.
After three deployments to Iraq, seeing true freedom fighters of all nationalities die and suffer?
Sorry. It is personal. I a deep sense of betrayal, by the American people no less.
That’s good stuff Andy. I hope that the majority of people understand and put it into practice. We know there is that faction that just want to return the same invectives that have been thrown our way for the past eight years. But let’s show that reason, intelligence and common sense can go a lot further than deranged emotional blather.
And finally, DON’T use the fact that many on the left behaved abominably for the past eight years as an excuse to behave the same way.
I certainly hope to never witness a crowd of Republican supporters booing & chanting during an inaugural ceremony.
Andy Levy: If wit and common sense were a dusty rug, I’d hang him in the back yard and bang him in front of the neighbors.
So, basically dont do any of the things Dems/Libs/MSMers spent the entire last 8 years doing, 24/7, as loudly and obnoxiously as they could, right up to this afternoon.
I agree with you, just wanted to point that out.
i did take this election personally, we’re gonna see our freedoms shrink now, our civil rights squashed, as a new PC epidemic runs rampant in our schools and in our society. might as well hide your guns and your american flags before the PC Police show up at your door and take you off to a detention center in a gag and blindfold.
May I add:
Don’t pledge allegiance to a person. Ever.
I work better by mocking people’s hypocrisies. I will probably mock Obama a little and believe less of what I say than that. The only purpose in doing so is to show the idiot liberals how incredibly vile they were over the past 8 years. Whether or not this proves to be the best strategy…eh, we’ll see. It’s the one I’m starting out with until it proves to have sunk in to at least one of the loons I’ve heard.
So, I could be on that project for a while.
you m
words to live by.
I wish you would make a list for the other side. Some of those people need a clue as to how to behave civilly!! See Hotair.com and the Politico article!!
Ever so tempted to print this up and post above my desk at work. Lord knows a co-worker who complained President Bush’s exit this morning was too quick, to the point he didn’t have time to give him the finger in salute, would love it. Hmmm…
Sorry, but no. Playing nice apparently gets no one- Bush included- anywhere.
I look forward to blaming Obama for every misfortune anywhere in the world, regardless of whether he deserves the blame.
Is it too early to pronounce him the Worst President Ever? Or bemoan how he’s destroying the country? Or do I have to wait a few days?
If Obama and his supporters don’t like it- tough. They wrote the rules, now it’s time for my side to play by them. NOW they want “unity”? Tell you what- I’ll offer no less unity than they showed when Bush was elected in 2001.
I think this is excellent advice, I just wish it had been posted a few hours ago.
But going forward … Yeah, I’m with you.
Andy! About time someone else mentioned ALL the things I’ve been saying to my entire family. Just because they acted that way is not a reason why we can. We should be better than that. That’s right!
Grow a pair! I for one will be part of the loyal opposition. Enough of the namby-pamby, don’t sink to their level crap. It’s time some of us get down and get dirty with the libtards. I will never cease to point out that Obama and his buds are Socialists, will ruin America with his policies and that all his followers are suffering from false-messiah worship complex. I will not go quietly into that fair night. Time to get in their faces. Paybacks, baby.
This list is a list for defeatists. The left won by making this their to do list.
The list is objectively a good one, but I can’t help but feel a bit sour at its implications. The Left spent eight long years undergoing a scorched earth policy, savaging Bush at every possible opportunity and driving his poll numbers into oblivion. They were relentlessly negative and completely fine with doing things such as revealing intelligence secrets to the New York Times, providing our enemy with propaganda, and in many other ways just generally tearing down our country and imperiling the lives of our troops… all in the name of returning to power. No matter what Bush did, they were completely, immediately, and vociferously against him.
And it worked.
The Left is now back in the White House with a large lead in the House of Representatives and a basically filibuster-proof majority in the Senate. They didn’t get there by being nice. They got there by being mean as hell. And now they have the power to remake our country into something entirely different than the founders intended, perhaps forever.
So now we hear calls on the Right to take the high road, to be civil, to be the adults that the Left were not in the past eight years. And I can certainly sympathize with that aim. On the other hand, I fear what’s far more likely to happen with such calls is that they get perverted into a paralysis of timidity and niceness. That we won’t be a truly effective opposition party, opposing the Democrats at every turn. That our desire to seem “nice”, “bipartisan” and “adult” will cause us to instead only be weak, ineffectual and useless. And no matter how we act, the Democrats and the press will still hate us all the same anyway. But at least we’ll have the pride to know we behaved correctly, right?
So I agree with what you’re saying Mr. Levy, but I fear its implications for our movement, and by extension, our country and this world. We cannot let the world lose America. If we become just another Europe, there is literally nowhere else on earth for freedom-loving people to escape to. And more than that, Europe is currently a decaying continent, giving up its entire history and culture to a Muslim population that is intent on destroying Western values and ideals. They need not do so through arms if they can merely do it through cultural intimidation and the ballot box. That is Europe’s lot, and if we become another Europe, it will eventually become our lot, too. Then there really is nowhere else to go on this planet for one who wants to be free by any reasonable standard.
The stakes could not be higher.
So it not only seems monumentally unfair that the left can practice eight years of nuclear-level hatred against the right, gaining all the levers of power as a result, while we are told we have to play nice, but knowing the comparative jelly that Republican politicians and commentators are made of, such calls for “comity” and “civility” are only going to result in the kind of timidity and simple ineffectualness that we just can’t afford.
What good is it to act like an adult when the result of such evenhandedness is the children taking over the house and burning it to the ground?
Andy. You suck! There goes all my fun for the next 4 years…
Baloney! Give as has been given to you for the last 8 years! This is nothing more than appeasement for its own sake and the very reason we’re where we are today.
Jay Nordlinger’s comment over at The Corner seems appropriate here and another behavior of the loony left’s to avoid at all costs:
A Classless Society [Jay Nordlinger]
When I read that the crowd today booed President Bush — and then saw a video of it — I thought of a quip my friend Eddie made, not long ago: “When the Left asks for a classless society, now I know what they mean.”
01/20 05:29 PM
Actually, I’m torn. I have been trying all day to do the things mentioned here, that’s the morality in me. The survivor in me and the desire for justice in me wants to kick that little pansy morality’s ass and return 8 years worth of headaches.
“DON’T use the phrase “speaking truth to power.” EVER.”
That expression has definitely got to go.
ROFLOL! After the way the left has treated Presdient Bush for the past 8 years fat chance! Just remeber it is us who pay he taxes the left gvives things away from, if we decide to quit working for 5 months you all have a huge problem hehehe.
From Whitehouse.gov
“President Obama will keep the broken promises made by President Bush to rebuild New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. He and Vice President Biden will take steps to ensure that the federal government will never again allow such catastrophic failures in emergency planning and response to occur.
President Obama swiftly responded to Hurricane Katrina. Citing the Bush Administration’s “unconscionable ineptitude” in responding to Hurricane Katrina, then-Senator Obama introduced legislation requiring disaster planners to take into account the specific needs of low-income hurricane victims.”
They ain’t playin’ by the same rule book, bruh.
This, despite helicopters rescuing people three hours after the storm passed. Hope ‘n change, submit now, willingly lay down your arms? I think I’ll hold on to mine for a little while.
Forgot the link:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/additional/
Unless this is Andy Levy being ironic, his “advice” is patronizing.
Wow, Republicans really are a bunch of wimps. So the Left can play hardball smashmouth politics and we are supposed to bend over and take it. Nope, no sir…I will give Obama and his family (including his daughters) the same respect that Liberals gave President Bush and his daughters. This is a war and we are losing. Better to inflict some damage on the opposition before we are thoroughly vanquished.
Dang you Andy, your common sense advice is going to cause me to be a rational human being for the next 4 years.
Exactly! Thank you.
)
How about this as a compromise? We beat him over the head every day of his administration, but we at least keep it about things he’s actually done wrong, like not knowing there are only 50 states, that they don’t speak primarily Arabic in Afghanistan, or that he has trouble repeating the last sentence spoken to him.
And finally, DON’T use the fact that many on the left behaved abominably for the past eight years as an excuse to behave the same way. America needs adults.
My sentiments exactly. Only you managed to say it in slightly fewer words. Thank you!
This list is purrrrr-fect!
“DON’T cozy up to and champion foreign dictators and despots.” – that’s President Obama’s job.
http://www.nypost.com/seven/05212008/postopinion/opedcolumnists/obama_to_ajad__atomic_assist_111819.htm?page=0
===
Obama announced that, if elected, he wouldn’t ask Iran to comply with UN resolutions as a precondition for direct talks with Ahmadinejad: “Preconditions, as it applies to a country like Iran, for example, was a term of art. Because this [Bush] administration has been very clear that it will not have direct negotiations with Iran until Iran has met preconditions that are essentially what Iran views, and many other observers would view, as the subject of the negotiations; for example, their nuclear program.”
===
Quick question: Let’s say, for instance, I really do speak truth to power … how would I tell someone else I did this?
“I relayed the facts to a person in authority?”
You know what, forget it. I’ve never spoke truth to anyone, much less power.
Let’s all join hands and sing Kumbaya.
“DON’T cozy up to and champion foreign dictators and despots.”
Bush has cozied up to the Apartheid government of Israel for 8 years. He basically let them write our foreign policy.
How about this, we stop giving BILLIONS of dollars to the parasites in Israel who stab us in the back and give it to the Palestinians and side with THEM over Israel for half a decade.
President Bush had these guidelines on his bulletin board for 8 years and all it got him was a sub-35% approval rating and a chant of “Nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, hey hey, goodbye” on his walk to the helicopter. But hey, if that’s your goal, soft bigotry of lowered expectations, carry on. I’m on to bigger fish.
[...] made during the show which is much more entertaining than it may sound. Today he’s posted a “To Don’t” List on brietbart.com. The list is helpful advice for conservatives to follow over the next four years [...]
Nicely done Drew!
PLEASE HAVE ANDREW W.K. BACK ON REDEYE SOON!!!!
[...] getting back into the blogging spirit. The first blog back will not be an original, but taken from Big Hollywood. Andy Levy gives us conservatives a nice rundown of how not to be exactly like the people we have [...]
Well, it sure would be great if we could all play nice in the sandbox but I have my reservations. We can’t roll over for people who only know how to play dirty. How bout let’s all walk softly and carry big sticks? For all the people who love this country– of course we want Obama to surprise us. I would love for him to grow a set and shake off the hard left. If that happens, I will have nothing but sunshine and lollipops to spout off about. Even the left has no idea what this guy has in mind. I will reserve the right to complain or praise until we see what this guy is made of.
Terry: When someone starts bitching more about Israel than Hamas does, you’d think they’d realize what they were doing and keep quiet. Better to keep silent and only be thought a fool.
This is blue-blood country club Republican talk. I just got through writing on the NRCC website telling them they could take their request for a donation and stick it up their you know what. Excuse me…one of the Don’ts is gonna focus on whether or not I emphasize the obamanation’s middle name? Hello…its whats on the birth certificate that I am supposed to believe is legitimate. But you know what, I havent spent a whole lot of time worrying over that little bit of conspiracy theory. Its obvious to me that it wouldnt matter if the BHO was risen from the blood of the American Revolution, he STILL does not merit the office of the President of the United States. He is a MARXIST, and I dont acknowledge Marxists as my leader…and Marxism is a NASTY, VIRULENT political meme taht should be fought tooth and nail.
Cute list, but Ive been steaming mad since 2006. I’ll tell you the same thing I told the RNCC – if youre thinking this will help you ‘reach out’ and even the playing field, just cross the DMZ and STAY THERE, okay?
The bashing didn’t work for Kerry for two reasons, one, they only had four years, and two, not even liberals like John Kerry.
[...] More advice for conservatives; Good advice, actually. Basically it boils down to: Don’t act like the left has for the past 8 [...]
[...] of unfinished drafts in our bin). Thankfully, Aron Goldman provided a link to Andrew Levy’s To Don’t List. Here it is: The only thing worse than bad winners are sore losers, and we’ve had enough of them [...]
@Sharon:
Ok, you keep venting and screaming and poking the donks in the eye and throwing a fit. Nothing anybody can do to stop you.
In the meantime, I’m going to control myself, act like an adult, and help however I can to get more Conservatives into office.
Politics is about WINNING. The way you are acting won’t help Conservatives win.
I pledge…to follow Cameron Diaz’s, Oliver Stone’s, Hayden Pantierre’s (who?), and Sean Penn’s example.
Sorry Andy, but you are wrong. There is no right or wrong approach for Republicans to deal with the situation we are in. There are some ways that are better than others, but there is no way of knowing what will be a winning strategy. The last one the Republicans had was an epic failure. So go out there!Be yourself! Stop apologizing! Learn from your and other peoples mistakes! Have a plan, and DO SOMETHING!
My head tells me to do as Jesus said and turn the other cheek. But my heart tells me that Leo was right when he said nice guys finish last. I think I’ll follow my heart.
WestCoastGirl
Sorry, but you lost me on the “Both men love America and want what’s best for her. End of story” Obama is one of the most arrogant politians…. If he loved America he would show proof oh his eligibility to hold the office he now has in my eyes usurped.
What are you talking about?
Are you one of those who believe he was born in another country or something? What makes you think he doesn’t love America? Can you dislike someone’s policies without hating them and making things up?
Brian Hines
Not interested in growing up yet, huh?
David Horowitz said that Republicans are too polite. I agree. While I would never stoop to the kind of psycopathic obscenities and hate that the lefties do, I can’t see me ever being very nice to or about BO. And I have a hard time believing that a man who can’t bring himself to salute the flag of his country or makes an issue of why he refuses to wear that symbol on his lapel loves America.
What a bunch of a**kissers. I’m going to behave badly. And enjoy it.
(Kidding, just kidding! I’ll behave well because it’s the right, as in correct, thing to do. Also, what goes up must come down. Patience is a virtue.)
Brownie
News for you. People are people and behave accordingly. And it has nothing to do with being Republican or Democrat. Believe me. History shows that all Presidents have been hated by certain factions. Now just because Bush had low approval ratings simply means more people hated him. Boo hoo.
I’ve perused right wing web sites for years – like Little Green Footballs, Hot Air and Right Wing News and even Storm Front etc – trust me there is plenty of hate there.
I guarantee you the Right wing will hate just as much as the Left did. It’s already started. You guys hate Obama and therefore anything said about him that is out of bounds will be shrugged off.
Last question and then I’ll go:
Can we question their jingoism?
Your admonitions are based on common decency, and rather unnecessary, at least for every conservative or classic liberal I know. But I’m sure you mean well. In any case, having grown up on the Left, I’ve had too much nasty experience to accept the premise of #1. In fact, I trace much of conservative troubles in the past eight years to a quaint and determined incomprehension of Leftist bad faith. The Left absolutely does not have America’s best interests in mind. Yet conservatives continue to operate within this comforting “construct” of shared commonweal; it is a willful and self-destructive blindness. Now I see conservatives flagellating themselves into rectitude, as if we’re all on some kind of probation. We’re not.
Klavan touched on the best approach to loyal opposition a few days ago. The first step is to internalize the endemic bad faith of the Left, then to approach every political conflict with an understanding of their total, demonstrated wrongness on every issue. The Left is NEVER right, its policies ALWAYS produce a social dysfunction, and it does NOT appreciate America as defined by its founding principles. Reagan understood this, and carried it with him every day, in every skirmish. He didn’t shout it out, or need to. It simply informed his arguments, reinforced his confidence. Every conservative needs to do the same.
This is terrible advice. Conservatives can’t act like the left. We are not insane or hateful. Since this web-site is called Big Hollywood I will quote a movie. “They don’t feel pain or fear or pity. They don’t feel remorse and they will not stop until you are dead.” This loyal opposition crap has got to go. The left is playing to win and we covering up and taking the blows. It is time to come out and fight for survival. The sooner conservatives figure out that the left hates you and is out to destroy you the better. To the left, there is no one more evil than a conservative. Why do you think they always side with enemy? We need more Ann Coulters in this party and less John McCains. This stupidity of saying “DUH gee I hope Obama succeeds because I am the loyal opposition” is like say “gee I hope when the freight train hits my car it doesn’t get a dint”. The democrats gave up being the loyal opposition a long time ago and it is time we do the same.
This piece is brilliant, and more people need to read it. How do I get Andy on my show tonight/tomorrow?
Sorry Andy, but I’m going with David about halfway up the page there. All your sentiments are nice and all, but we’re in a situation that is more like war than the tea party you’re describing. This is a fight, and I don’t mean the McCain kind of fight where he cries, “fight with me!” and then doesn’t actually fight. McCain lost because of that, and we can’t lose this fight to the left now. In my opinion, democrats are the modern version of the same decadent, self-serving morons who brought down Rome. And if we don’t expose them and fight them mercilessly, they will destroy America just the same.
No, I’d rather see Obama utterly disgraced than see America in ruins at his hands. It is time to choose sides and start fires.
[...] that President Obama is doing what he thinks is best for the country, as President Bush did. Both men love America and want what’s best for her. End of [...]
Okay, okay “Rethuglicans” and “Dhimmicrats” are petty and stupid words, but “Libertardians” is pretty funny.
Of course, if Obama says anything hateful about Pixel or Stormy, all these admonitions go out the window.
Don’t waste time and energy whining or debating with belief. Get to work showing America how conservative values work.
Andy, you are fast becoming my favorite contributor to this site. You are intelligent, direct, even-handed, and have a great sense of humor. Then again, I'm some anonymous guy on the internet who doesn't even use his real name to post, so you might want to take that with a grain of salt.
Kit:
FYI
Barry the Bush Basher
Alec Baldwin, NOT Stephen.
I know what you’re saying, however, it’s so hard after 8 years of irrational hate. The looney liberal DemoRats (sorry, couldn’t resist) owe us and especially President Bush and apology! Seeing how that’s never going to happen, I think we’re going to have to fight back!
Ain’t it interesting how the sexists think nothing of castigating Ann Coulter but think the bird flipping, attack dog, ‘take no prisoners,’ political gangster, ‘dead, dead, dead,’ ‘grown men live in mortal fear of what he might do to them,’ ‘I swear a lot,’ ‘What is he, an Arab? He’s not going to clean the floors’ Rhambo Emmanual is worthy to be chief of staff for the embodiment of hope and change.
We’re watching.
Do pray for America.
Bama has been President for hours now and hasn’t walked on water, healed the sick, cooled the earth, lowered my taxes, introduced millions of jobs, healed the rift between the terrorists and America. He promised every one everything. It is impossible to deliver on all his promises. When he fails, we fail. The stakes are too high to be petty. Notice was taken though of the proper way to treat the other partys President, when the last 8 years behavior is emulated, how can the left complain. After all in American turn about is fair.
On second thought! We have a Democrat cabal in Washington DC that wants to shut us up! I believe they would grasp power permanently and eliminate all opposition if they could. I don’t believe they’ll be satisfied until they establish a socialist one party dictatorship. Many of them want to put President Bush, VP Cheney and many administration officials in jail. We have no choice, but to fight back! I also agree with David’s message above.
“Both men love America and want what’s best for her.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Andy,
Obama wants what’s best for Obama. Period. End sentence.
But if you do want to move to Canada, keep in mind we currently have a more conservative leader than you, for what be the first time in history. Just saying . . .
The WORST thing that could happen to the far-left is for Obama to succeed – so patriotic Americans should be pulling for Obama to succeed.
I believe that Obama is not “supposed” to succeed. Huh? The EXTREME radical leftist elements who pipelined his candidacy (Soros et al) believe that his policies will lead to a triple whammy over the next four years: a hideous depression, a multiple city terrorist strike, and the total breakdown of the federal government. The HARD left (I’m talking about red-star communists, not your neighbor down the hall who wants to see abortion on demand) wants America castrated and out of the way so they can establish a Marxist trans-national government. That is Obama’s real “purpose,” whether he recognizes it or not.
A successful Obama presidency would be a bitter defeat for the hard left.
Um…wasn’t it Alec Baldwin who swore up and down that he’d move to Canada if Bush won?
While I admire your little list here, Andy, I can’t help but agree with the rest who were disgusted at both the actions of todays crowd toward President Bush, and at the disrespect shown to Mr. Bush by both Dianne Feinstein and Obama in their speeches. Had the shoe been on the other foot, and those same actions were directed at an outgoing Democrat, rest assured the MSM and fellow Democrats would be up in arms, condemning everyone and anyone for such outrageous behavior.
Mr. and Mrs. Bush have shown absolutely nothing but class and grace in the face of vicious attacks, both political and personal, from the left. It’s sad that, in the face of what they like to term their ‘historic’ victory, the left can’t show anywhere near the same class.
Tennwriter: Palin will not win in 2012. I’ll tell you why.
The only way for any GOP candidate to win in 2012 is for the Obama administration to be a flop, a real disaster. If Obama turns out to be a huge disapointment for America, the GOP stands a great chance in 2012 – if and only if we nominate someone besides Palin.
If Obama proves to be a medocre president, the 2012 election will be all about COMPETENCE.
No candidate will win 2012 based on charisma. In fact, if the next four years go badly, electing a presidential candidate based on “rock star” appeal will seem so . . . 2008. So . . . stupid.
Jindal has a chance. Anyone who shows true competence and authority will stand a good chance of replacing Obama. But charismatic as she is, Palin does not offer competence. Palin lovers will hate me for pointing out the obvious, but it’s true.
GLENN:
Please, compare/contrast Jindahl & Palin for me. I’m confused. What’s their difference in competence/authority/charisma? Thanks.
Christopher – wouldn’t that be ironic for the Alec Baldwins to move north only to find Canada is more conservative!
I have to say that the BDS – Bush Derangement Syndrome – really perplexed me these last 8 years. I mean, WE endured Jimmy Carter without losing it. We endured Clinton and all the scandals. It was getting so bad that one of the writers for one of my car magazines (Automomile Magazine) was getting so unhinged that he had to let everyone know how much he hated GW – in a magazine devoted to car nuts. He didn’t care that he alienated a sizable portion of his readership.
Since Liberals act primarily on their emotions and we act with our heads (I know, a generalization) I think we can keep it together.
I do believe that **eventually** things get so bad under liberal leadership that a swing to the right HAS to come. Even if they are kept aloft by the recipients of govt largess – (40 percent of voters don’t pay taxes – who do you think they primarily went for??) – when things get so bad that there isn’t much of a pie to divide…
Look at was the great state of California – with a legislature that can’t help but dispense money (and let everyone know how compassionate they are) we are now by some estimates $40 billion in the hole – and any attempt to lower spending – like a simple “close the school year by 5 days” is met with bitter fighting.
Eventually…We’ll keep it together in the meantime -
Following your “to don’t” list and playing nice with the left is a lot like Israel calling a cease fire while Hamas is still lobbing rockets.
I refuse to play nicely. I refuse to unite with and “reach across the aisle” to a marxist. I hate and will fight communism and socialism in any form. Take your touchy-feely list and stick it.
Texacalirose: Jindal has far more government experience than Palin (having served in the US congress) and just as important, he possess an air of quiet authority that she utterly lacks.
I like Palin. She is cool. In 2008, cool candidates were in. Mac needed her as a strategic answer to Obama’s charisma. But that was 2008, 2012 will be a whole ‘nother environment. Voters will be weary of cool, and they will be looking for experience, authority, and know how. Ultimately, Palin is a lightweight. I watched her debate Biden with some democrat friends, and I was embarrassed. Her answers were formulaic, and when she starting winking, I felt like crawling under the sofa. She is a popular governor right now because Alaska is rolling in dough, but my gut does not trust her when the chips are down.
And no, it’s not because she is a woman. I wanted to see Rice get the nomination.
In other words, don’t play to win and don’t learn from what your enemies have been doing for eight years. (Censored)you, pal.
Prepare to be nailed to the cross of the Presidency, Obamessiah.
Boy, has this thread engaged some reactions. Early on at January 20th, 2009 at 4:46 pm part of what I said was:
But let’s show that reason, intelligence and common sense can go a lot further than deranged emotional blather.
I’ll stand by that but I’ll add that intelligence can be demonstrated by pointed attacks on the inanity of the Lefties supposed sense of truth and justice. People like Coulter and Limbaugh have this ability down to an art. You may not agree with their tactics, but it is extremely effective. The Left hate it and all they can do is cry foul in response. The better we learn how to fight strategically, with wit and wisdom combined, the higher road is ours and we gain the vantage of the higher ground.
Another thread on BH was about the inability of writers to put Conservative viewpoints into scripts (sorry I couldn’t find the article). We do need to do better than American Carol, The Half Hour News Hour, and others like that. I think 24 does a good job of projecting a netural stance and if you think about it at all, you can make the argument that it is a Right leaning show. But as was commented in that thread, we need to do what the Left has done for thirty plus years. And that is make shows and films that the public at large loves to watch, but has the subtle or not so subtle message that the Left is wrong – in thought and action – and make them laugh at, or sit up and think about, the ridiculous situations that the characters have gotten themselves into because of those thoughts and actions. It’s not an easy thing to do, but the talented writers on our side should be able to provide those types of scripts. Then *all we need* is the execs with the cojones to exhibit those shows or films. I think if they can be shown that they’ll make money off those projects, they’ll show them.
It’s not about stooping to their level. It’s about shining the light on their foibles by playing their game but doing it with class. And the same should be done in day to day conversations with the progressives that we run across.
Andy’s message summarized: Don’t do what they did.
*sigh*
Andy, maybe a week or so ago, I would’ve been more receptive. I grant you, your points are well taken.
However, first of all, you are preaching to the choir, here ~ I know of very few vitriolic “righties” ~ most conservatives, Republicans, and definitely Libertarians just don’t go there.
Secondly, I am just tired of the lectures.
And thirdly, I think “Republicans – the New Be Kind to Democrats Party,” “Kit,” and “David S” ~ scroll above ~ all have a more inclusive list.
Andy is right. Someone has to be the adults. And we know it has to be us. Bush didn’t lower himself to play their games, he took it like a man and left office today with grace and dignity and class.
Let’s keep up his example for the next few years, and be a good example to all.
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