Commander in Chief type speech..

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by pettyfog, Oct 31, 2006.

  1. GaryBarnettFanClub

    GaryBarnettFanClub New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2006
    Location:
    Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey
    It's not meant to entrap, Thatcher was the last premier to actually have a distinct policy that was not middle of the road.
     
    #41
  2. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2005
    That aint my point..
     
    #42
  3. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2006
    Location:
    Peoples Republic of South Texas
    GBFC,

    About all of this palavar, about the performance of GWB and what it'll mean on Tuesday -- my answer is "not a lot."

    I think that the majority of voters have a poorer opinion of the president and the party than they did two, 4, and 6 years ago, but it doesn't really matter. We once had a Speaker of the House who best summed up the difference between UK & US elections when he said: "All politics is local."

    It is rare that someone pulls the lever in a general election on your side of the pond because they like their candidate better than the other. Most of your elections really are referenda on the party in power.

    Most of us here, however, will go into the voting booth more concerned about who is representing us than who is in the White House. For instance, it should be clear that I am not a fan of the president nor this bunch of Republicans who laughingly call themselves "conservative." Having said that, the senate seat up for grabs is held by a lady named Kay Baily Hutchinson, who is bright, caring, strong, and relatively independent. While I'd like for the Republicans to lose the senate, I'd hate for her to be one of the ones out of a job because I think she contributes a lot to the state and to the country.

    If how well the party performs locally were a consideration in the UK, than neither Labor nor the Tories would win the next election. But it isn't, and so the Liberals, or the Liberal Democrats or whatever they are this year win control of a lot of the local and regional elected offices, but get hammered in the Parliamentary elections.

    It is incontrovertable truth that off-year elections in the second term always are bad news for the party that controls the White House. For that reason, I think that the Democrats will pick up a few seats, but that the Republicans will control both houses.

    Whatever their failings in policy and execution of that policy, this batch of Republicans have learned how to polarize the debate to energize their support base. I think they'll do a fine job and hold the line on Tuesday.

    But what do I know? I'm apparently the "dumber muppet."
     
    #43
  4. GaryBarnettFanClub

    GaryBarnettFanClub New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2006
    Location:
    Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey
    Thank you Don for the summary, it is very informative. I've never really explored political systems outside the UK. I understand that a good politician with different views is better than a bad one with the same. I feel the same about the mayor of London.

    Stu
     
    #44
  5. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2005
    GBFC, don did a good job of it.... once you distill through the lies and non-sequiters of the campaigns, you vote for who you thought best represented your area, rather than who stands for you party. There's downsides to that... what we call "Pork" politics... which gets some locations millions in unnecessary federal spending.
    - - - - - - -- - -- - - -
    Also, if Don is gonna WHINE about his tribute title, I'll just have to take it off.. giving him the 'Younger', which implies better looking at our age wasnt enough.
     
    #45
  6. GaryBarnettFanClub

    GaryBarnettFanClub New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2006
    Location:
    Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey
    Dear Pettyfog,

    Thank you. Perhaps it would be seen as a sign of your immense compassion if you were to give Don his correct title back. After all, kindness is a key attribute of any Fulham fan.
     
    #46
  7. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2006
    Location:
    Peoples Republic of South Texas
    Dear Pettyfog,

    Thanks for the title change. I can live with younger AND more talented; whiny is closer than dumber.
     
    #47
  8. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2005
    ehh... I would have put in 'kind to small animals' but there wasnt room!
     
    #48
  9. rumstove

    rumstove New Member

    Joined:
    Aug 5, 2005
    Location:
    Eau Claire, WI
    speaking of titles...I'm not complaining, but how long am I ankle braceletted?
     
    #49
  10. Spencer

    Spencer Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2005
    Ironic isn't it that the soldiers in that picture are from the Minnesota National Gaurd or as petty would think of it the Jihad National Gaurd :wink:
     
    #50
  11. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2005
    Heh... I know it's actually hard to believe, but I have a very high opinion of minnesotans as a whole
    - my favorite bloggers are minnesotans, and LAWYERS to boot.. go figger!
    - - - - - - -- - -
    Till I get tired or bored with it.. and right now it's boring

    {droit de seignor ya know.. not that I'm seignor , just that Tom and Mike have real lives.}
     
    #51
  12. mnlandshark

    mnlandshark New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2005
    Location:
    Minneapolis, MN
    Yeah we're not sure who gave Powerline and the Captain their MN Citizen cards... I just like to pretend they don't exist...
     
    #52
  13. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2005
    Of COURSE you do.... THEIR opinions make sense; Captain Ed helped bring down a whole freaking government {Canada} and the Star-Tribune ignores Powerline at it's peril.

    Heh....

    - - - - -- - -- - - - - -- -- -- - - - - -
    Meanwhile, I've been stewing on this issue.

    As in so many cases, it's not so much the fooh-pas itself that is significant... it's how it's handled AFTER!

    This is what got Denny Hastert in doo-doo.. never mind the 'pre-foley' coverup which would have been 'damned if you do or dont'..

    But the awkwardness of the quasi-apology.
    First it was NOT apparent that it was directed at Bush... otherwise there would have been no local paper writing '..to a mix of cheers and GASPS'.

    Second this is only the latest evidence of Kerry's attitude toward the services and those who make up the services, and that starts even BEFORE he went into the Navy.
    Anecdotal comments of his fellow Yale peers, about Kerry's ambition to be President, even back then.. of course he got himself into a small boat unit in the Navy, of course he went to Nam armed with an 8mm film camera, and did some fun scenes of himself leading a charge through the jungle for posterity.
    But in action-composure, whether Kerry acted bravely or made up things, is, in hindsight, irrelevant. So, the SwiftBoat vet's opinions are actually only footnotes. One would expect that some innate survivalist instinct would take effect. And after all, NO ONE can predict who will or will not act bravely under fire... whole books are written on that.
    But the effect is measured by how the danger-event is recollected long AFTERWARDS... this is when 'WarStories', like fishing and hunting stories, are constructed.

    Those are to be expected, as well... but when safely back in the US... it is what happens next that is significant.

    Most go on with their lives... saving their experiences for the happy hour or keeping them within.
    Kerry did neither, he measured the public mood and saw what he thought was a proper political path. So he went to 'Winter Soldier' and listened closely, and built himself a profile. He seized on fabricated tales, not looking too closely at who was telling them.. so when he found himself before a Senate panel he repeated some truth and much fabrication and dark 'War Stories' told to him by those who never lived them.

    And he went to Paris 'on holiday' and just HAPPENED to meet and talk with representatives of the enemy... this while he was still listed as military.

    We wont even go into what happened between him and the pentagon/navy that resulted in huge gaps in his record until he was released. The record that wasnt ever released to the public, despite his promises to do so... but that IS another footnote.

    fast-forward to the nominating convention.

    We all know his silly 'reporting for duty' introduction. Not too ridiculous on its own.
    But only RW types recall his applying personally for and Ohio Hunting license for purposes of photo op and saying:
    "Kin I get me a huntin' license"

    It's on tape, dear hearts! His condescension to the 'citizens' some of which he cannot stand to cover up is just partly illustrated there.

    No, the speech very well MIGHT have been written as he says, with that very significant 'US' in there, but Kerry said what he meant and he said it from the heart.

    It's all well and good.... Kerry is finally recognised by most as an empty-headed articulate poser, and he will NEVER be president.

    But it makes us wonder where are the choices?
    Even a REAL George McGovern would be promising... well, refreshing.
    Is that Barack Obama?
    Does even Harold Ford have a chance, now that he has seemingly TOTALLY recast himself as a freaking conservative!!!
     
    #53
  14. mnlandshark

    mnlandshark New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 16, 2005
    Location:
    Minneapolis, MN
    THEIR opinions make sense? Hindraker called George W. Bush the smartest man he's ever met! C'mon petty... even you have to question the sanity of someone who thinks that...

    And hey... I'm just trying out the non-reality based / pretend things don't exist world that our government has been living in for the past six years...
     
    #54
  15. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2005
    Uh... no I dont...I learned a long time ago to never judge people's intelligence, solely by their presentation.
    If you want, I suppose I can dredge up surprising anecdotes that concur.

    How many times do I have to point out I HATE watching Dubya speak... but how many comments can you find by people that have met with him that say he's stupid? Those without axes of some sort to grind, that is.

    The only 'pretend' stuff I know of that doesnt connect to MSM acting as propaganda arm of the enemy, is on the left, sorry ol boy.
     
    #55
Similar Threads: Commander Chief
Forum Title Date
Miscellaneous Commander in Chief Inaction Nov 1, 2006

Share This Page