Joe Klein assesses the GOP field.
They are the most compelling argument I’ve seen against American exceptionalism. Even Tim Pawlenty, a decent governor, can’t let a day go by without some bilious nonsense escaping his lizard brain. … Mitt Romney has wandered a long way from courage. There are those who say, cynically, if this is the dim-witted freak show the Republicans want to present in 2012, so be it. I disagree. One of them could get elected. You never know. Mick Huckabee, the front-runner if you can believe it, might have to negotiate a trade agreement, or a defense treaty, with the Indonesian President some day. Newt might have to discuss very delicate matters of national security with the President of Pakistan. And so I plead, as an unflinching American patriot — please Mitch Daniels, please Jeb Bush, please run. I may not agree with you on most things, but I respect you. And you seem to respect yourselves enough not to behave like public clowns.
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Wow, begging for another Bush. Things must be bad.
Like Ken Kesey said, You can change anything by the way you look at it. Joe Klein sees what he wants to see. I frankly think Michelle Bachmann would be more effective shaping American foreign policy than is Barack Obama. Once a campaign got under way, Klein would find nasty things to say about Daniels or Jeb Bush. It’s who he is.
Funny how the media pines for a moderate Republican – then they get one a la John McCain and go on to trash him as a heartless and nasty conservative.
I don’t care of any of the current Republican front-runners right now, but they would all be much better than Obama. My favorite Republican that is running is Herman Cain – he is a conservative’s conservative without the baggage of the others.
Herman Cain is also a bigot.
When asked if he would be comfortable appointing a Muslim to be a federal judge or a member of his cabinet, Cain confidently replied:
“No, I will not.”
Bachmann has linked volunteerism to “re-education” camps, suggested the media investigate “anti-American” members of Congress, accused gay people of recruiting children, labeled swine flu a Democratic disease and opposed the census as some sort of ACORN-related conspiracy.
She wouldn’t be shaping foreign policy — that would be Glenn Beck’s job. That’s what we need, more conspiratorial whack jobs in power.
McCain was trashed, rightfully so, because he reversed himself repeatedly in a shameless appeal to the base and then selected a certified moron as his veep.
Good for Herman Cain. I wouldn’t appoint a muslim, either. Don’t like seeing them on an airplane, either.
Western civilization is more than a phrase. We have very little in common with Middle Eastern or far Eastern peoples. Let them have their civilization, and we’ll have ours. We had the Enlightenment, which led to representative democracy and the abolition of slavery. The middle east produced nothing comparable. Muslims enslave more people today than the entire Western world did at the height of the slave trade 200 years ago. Read the Cairo trilogy by Mahfouz. He nails the hypocrisy which is the essence of middle eastern man.
Sarkozy, Merkel and David Cameron each recently had the courage to say publicly what we all know in our heart: multi-culturalism is a crock. It disables our ability to cohere through shared values. The Japanese stoically carry on after a series of disasters in part because they are a homogeneous people. They share a worldview.
By the way, part of the gay community does “recruit”. In the early 1990s a group of lesbians calling themselves the Lesbian Avengers handed out cardboard hearts to grammar school children leaving school. This was in Michigan, I believe. Attached to the heart was a candy bar and a phone number for a lesbian sex line. What other reason could they have had?
And yes, Michelle Bachmann gives me the willies, but less so than Barack Obama. Obama is utterly unqualified to be president, and proves it daily. We have become a laughingstock in the world, rudderless, adrift with no coherent policy. At least Bachmann wouldn’t reward our enemies and punish our allies.
You must have no faith in America, which has NEVER been populated by “a homogenous people.” Telling, also, that you have to cite an obscure example from 30 years ago carried out by an irrelevant fraction of the gay community to prove a bigoted point.
My recitation makes me a bigot? Not all gay people behave that way. But apparently some of them do.
As for America being “homogeneous”, our immigrants have always been from Western nations. An Irishman or an Italian has a lot more in common with us than does a muslim. There are fundamental distinctions that cannot be willed away with a condescending, multi-culti dream.
Muslims do not share our view of the world, or the people in it. It is as simple as that.
Do you think “Western Civilization” is just a phrase from a school book? Do you think it has any meaning? Like too many people in this country, you take for granted what has come before.
Muslims think dogs are “dirty”. In the West, they are Man’s Best Friend.
Muslims oppress and enslave. Their attitudes toward women are especially vile. In the West, Germany and Brazil, among others, have female heads of state. Not so in the Middle East. Name a single woman who holds a position of power in a Middle Eastern nation. Tell me why that is so, and what evidence you have that this attitude will soon change.
Like the Nazi’s, hard core muslims are intolerant and DO NOT SHARE our dream of equality. Like the Nazis, the fundamentalist muslims will terrorize the moderates.
Bhutto did, but she was assassinated. The issue with Muslims is the question of will they assimilate to American culture? As a whole right now it is questionable. Seeing that the large population of the American ones are first generation immigrants perhaps second generation will. It doesn’t look good when a vast majority of recent American terrorist attempts have been committed by second generation Muslim-Americans.
Cain should’ve said that he would appoint the best person for the job. Out of the current candidates I’d vote for him. Michell Bachman was a “volunteer” foster mother to 23 children it isn’t volunteering with which she has a problem. It is forced “volunteering” at approved organizations in public school where she has the issue.
It is fascinating to watch Obama go back on every promise – Gitmo, going to war where we literally have no to slim interest, out of control spending, etc and there is very little criticism from the MSM and usual suspects – Daily Kos, Moveon.org types. Yet Bush was called HItler for doing the exact same thing. Where the hell are Cindy Sheehan and Code Pink?
To such comments from Jack….don’t you see the Irony ? You are intolerant against Muslims and complain about there intolerance ???
What is about the intolerant christians….these morons only (would like to) allow to live according to the bible? Oh, the same like Muslims with the Scharia. Perfect. And tea party members seem to be a bit drawn to the extreme (if not to say hardcore) christians. Freedom – but not for women who want to decide for themselves. Freedom – but not for the press (except Fox), Freedom – but not for any colored person, it could be an illegal, Freedom – but not for a persons sexual orientation. Freedom – but not when you actually making sense – you get (verbally) crucified by them (see Global Warming, see Economy, etc.).
By the way – why are only muslim terrorists? What with the increasing homeland terrorism? Oh, I forgot – they are freedom fighters since Obama is a new Hitler. Have you guys ever been in school and read your books or did you just watch mindless TV and bullied some kids?
Klein for got to add “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.”
In fact, I think Walrus Man is a Republican representative from Oklahoma.
Funny because Obama is doing such a bang up job. Typical mindless left go on the attack and defend your leader even when hell freezes over. Listen to their words, support their words, but ignore their actions. The modern day leftist movement is for those lacking the ability of critical thought or independence. Nothing has changed for the past 30-years.
An independent critical thinker would have to acknowledge the GOP field is, at best, lacking in gravitas.
I don’t disagree that the current GOP field is abysmal. I don’t see anyone I would give $5.00 to.
Heinrich, what “increasing homeland terrorism” are you speaking of?
I see no irony in my thinking. I am not seeking to kill any muslims. Many of them, however, would cut my head off simply for being an infidel Christian. Ask Theo Van Gogh. He wasn’t oppressing anyone.
Just because Timothy McVeigh was a nut job, pissed off at Clinton and Reno for the killing of U.S. citizens at Waco, doesn’t mean that Islamic fascists can be dismissed. Moral equivalency is the last refuge of people who don’t want to face facts.
Ever read any of Bin Laden’s declarations? Aside from his hatred of the jews, he despises us for our lack of morality. Have any Christians issued fatwas against the entire Middle Eastern civilization? If they have, I missed it. Nor have I noticed any Christians committing mass murder of civilians in the U.S. as Hasan did at Ft. Hood, or as Richard Reid tried to do, or any of the other MUSLIM terrorists have attempted over the past several years. What did I miss, Heinrich?
And I promise I am an educated individual. In personam arguments questioning my intellect you say a lot more about you than about me.