Top Stories
Panopticon? Greece is “the only country in the world in which there are “adequate safeguards” against surveillance abuse.” If Foucault were alive, I think he’d have a lot to say about that.
Errancy The inerrancy discussion/debate is happening again at the Tavern and across the blogosphere as a result. This ranges from fun to appalling every time it gets going. My two modest contributions to this round are here and here. Michael catalogues his posts here.
A Divorce Amendment? Sullivan nails the a problem with the call for a Federal Marriage Amendment. Can I editorialize before the editorial? Is anyone suggesting the the government just get its annoying self out of the marriage question altogether? (Oh yeah…the newsletter guy…)
Entertainment, Arts, and Culture
Kitty Throw – A tremendous amount of mindless fun, and very dangerous for the procrastinator.
Juno: Count me among those who think it’s a great movie (and I’ve ordered the soundtrack).
Editorial: GOP Candidates Pros and Cons
Now that my vote is back “up for grabs,” I’m in the same boat as many other people: forced to weigh significant pros and cons when it comes to candidates. (I agreed with almost the entirety of Paul’s platform, and where I disagreed, I remembered that there was no way he was going to be able to automatically implement much of it anyway). So here are some brief pros and cons lists. I’m throwing Obama in because he’s the only Dem candidate I’d even consider supporting.
Mitt Romney Pros:
- Ross Perot endorsed him. Stop laughing. I’m serious. Obviously, I’m demonstrating a proclivity for non-mainstream candidates. But Perot was a guy who got economic issues right (as we’re now realizing 16 years later), and there’s no way he’d endorse a candidate who would be bad for the economy.
- We’d finally have a Republican candidate with great hair.
Mitt Romney Cons:
- Bush fans like him.
- Interventionist foreign policy; wrong in Iraq, which is a defining issue for me.
- He seems to have only recently discovered a lot of conservative principles.
- I could be wrong, but I’ve got the feeling that Mitt Romney is our John Kerry. From Masachusetts. Flip-flopper. Not enough to excite the Republicans to get out and vote. Although I’ve seen a few clips lately where he’s handled himself really well under pressure, so I could have this one wrong.
Rudy Giuliani Pros:
- Mayoral experiences
- Tax cuts and welfare reform
Rudy Giuliani Cons:
- Foreign policy
- 9/11 – I’m sorry, he screwed that up in so many ways. “I’m sorry…where would you like Central Command to be located, Mr. Mayor? In the place they targeted in 1993? You’re sure…? Erm…OK, you’re the mayor.”
- The way his eyes bug out every time he wants to emphasize a point…which is like 3 times a sentence.
Mike Huckabee Pros:
Mike Huckabee Cons:
- Southern Baptist preacher as president? No, thanks.
- His jokes aren’t funny. I hate his wise-cracks.
- He spoke at Hagee’s church. That’s pretty much an automatic no-vote for me.
- Based on some of the things he’s said this week, he’d kick the First Amendment’s ass.
Ron Paul Pros:
- Almost the entirety of his platform.
- A radical change in politics-as-usual.
- Potential to put libertarianism permanently on the political map.
- The only real small government candidate.
Ron Paul Cons:
- Newslettergate
Fred Thompson Pros:
- He seems to be an actual, consistent conservative (not one who just found out what it means).
- He’s the only other libertarian-leaning candidate.
- He not obsessed with personal political ambition.
- He’s “folksy.”
Fred Thompson Cons:
- He’s pretty much thrown his own campaign away, and this last minute scramble just isn’t enough. It might not earn the “lazy” charge some people say, but I’d like to see at least a bit more motivation from a presidential nominee.
John McCain Pros:
John McCain Cons:
- Mr. Surge
- That fake smile at the close of every single statement he gives in a debate.
- Ross Perot trashed him.
- He’s condescending and annoying.
Barack Obama Pros:
- A genuine change in the tone of American politics.
- He’s not Hillary.
- A black president would be a good thing for this country. Sorry, fellow Republicans. I mean that, and it’s not “racist” to say that.
Barack Obama Cons:
- He’s really, really, really (really, really) left.
- His vote against protecting the lives of late-term babies who survived an abortion procedure is appalling. He was afraid approving of that would set a precedent for the claim that an unborn baby is a person. I’m afraid approving of a born baby who someone meant to kill before it was born sets a precedent for infanticide (you know, because it actually is infanticide).
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I think I’m going to throw up a little in my mouth….SC has been called for John McCain….WAAAAA!
I know. Very sad. SC was kind of a no-win for me though. When McCain and Huck are duking it out for the win, I’m paying attention to anything else but that particular race.
Why would a black President be a good thing for the country? (I’m counting on everyone reading this question to not be the PC-Police; just interpret the question fairly, in context of Travis’ post above.)
The only argument I can imagine anyone making to support that statement is – it would help settle racial conflict in our country, and be an example of “how far we’ve come.”
Not to be the resident Mitt-apologist, but I think the big issue that Romney has “flipped” on is abortion. And if anyone has a legitimate reason to flip on an issue, it’s Romney. He has said before that when he first looked at the issue of abortion, he was pro-life. Then, a family-friend died as a result of a “back-alley” abortion, and he decided that there ought to be a safe alternative. I personally think it’s a terrible reason to go pro-choice, but it’s also the most forgivable and understandable. Then, as governor, he was touring an embryo-farm at (I think) Harvard and realized what he was looking at, and how our culture has devalued human life, and that was the instant when he changed back to pro-life.
If nothing else, I give him credit for having genuine reasons to switch on that issue – unlike McCain on immigration.
FWIW – Rassmusen poll coming out today shows Romney leading McCain in Florida 25-20. And if Fred has the good sense to drop out beforehand and support Romney, I think it puts Mitt over the top. I just don’t see how Fred drops out and supports anyone else while maintaining his conservative-credibility. Although he is good friends with McCain…
Fair points about Romney. I was mostly making the point of perception, though as you’ve pointed out, probably not reality.
Why would a black president be good for the country? Showing “how far we’ve come” – well, sure, but my reason would be the opposite: at least a black president would have some realistic understanding of how far we still have to go, which is, in my view, very far.
I’m not of the opinion that it would, by default, “settle racial conflict.” I’m more inclined to think it will serve simultaneously as a mirror for how much conflict still exists, and to introduce a more nuanced, mature and helpful conversation about race into political discourse.
I don’t, of course, mean that it would be good for any black man to be president. It has to be someone like Obama who is, although far left of my own positions, not a terribly divisive person, unless you happen to be the Clintons.
This is a personal opinion, and anyone is free to disagree and prove why I’m wrong: But I think it’s a measure of how out of touch Republicans AND Democrats are with the reality of racism in America that resolving the lingering issue of racism is way, way down on the list of political issues for most people (or even a non-issue). I’m not a big fan of Democrat policies concerning race, nor am I a fan of Republican policies (which are, basically, ignore it and it will go away if blacks start working harder and stop doing drugs). But we could do worse than putting into office a uniting “One America” figure who understands racism and simultaneously refuses to play the political race games.
As far as Romney goes – I think he’s going to ride this wave to the nomination. Florida’s polls show that trend. You’re right – Fred dropping out would seal the deal. I just wish Fred had tried harder, because I’m much more inclined toward Fred than Romney.
But then, once again, Perot endorsed Romney, so …