The celebration of Ms. Simpson's appointment to Commerce proves just how silly and bigoted the Democrats really are.
What would you say if someone told you that they were getting their left arm removed? This person's arm works perfectly fine, but they never really liked the way it made them feel. While the arm serves a functional purpose, it's not required to survive, and deep down this person never felt like the left arm belonged on their body. In fact their left arm was impeding them from truly living life as they see fit, and suppressing the true nature of their personality. Considering this, the only sensible solution for this person is to find a doctor to remove the left arm.…
Article comments
76 - roger nowosielski
I know it's hypothetical, Dreadful, but it's a reasonable assumption, especially as regards the arctic states, and had to be a factor.
You're right of course about Obama's grass-roots campaign (Hillary thought she was untouchable and didn't bother to set up the kind of organization Obama did), as well as the anti-Clinton sentiment. (The Dems didn't want to be beholden to the Clinton machinery.)
In the final analysis, it really was a tossup, eventually decided by the the party itself (especially when it came to counting the Florida and Michigan primaries). The Dems just didn't want Hillary in power. The superdelegates have decided the outcome.
77 - The Obnoxious American
"The Dems just didn't want Hillary in power."
I bet now they do.
78 - Baronius
I remember some racial stuff when Scalia was nominated (mostly from Cuomo). Nothing during the Alito nomination.
79 - The Obnoxious American
Baronious, please. In a melting pot that is the U.S., Italians are not a minority. Wasn't America named after Amerigo Vespucci, an Italian? Puleeeeeeeeze. If Bush or anyone else really did try to play the diversity angle with either scalia or alito, then shame on them.
Remember, the only reason that a black president is historic, is not because it's merely the first black president but the history America has with Blacks and slavery. When the first Hispanic pres is elected, the liberal, identity obsessed left will make lots of hay about it (unless it happens to be a republican) but it simply won't mean any more than say the first president of English descent.
80 - Baronius
How to put this delicately...The Italian American hasn't always been associated with...the operational end of the justice system. Scalia may have faced more bias in his generation than Simpson will in this one. But outside of the Italian American community, there wasn't much hype around Justice Scalia's nomination.
81 - Baritone
I haven't slogged through all these comments, but you know, if Simpson proves to be good at the job, all of this idiocy will be moot. It would prove that a transgendered person can perform in a moderately significant government position. Should she fail, it would only prove that she wasn't the right person for the job.
Again, all this hazing of Obama is so off base. I've little doubt that the Dems will lose some ground in Congress in November, but that is absolutely par for the course. The severity of those losses will be in some manner proportional to the state of the economy come fall. Unless we suffer an actual attack of some kind, and/or if our involvement in Afghanistan or Iraq takes a significant turn for the worse, only the economy will carry any real weight.
We can assume that health care will be old news by then, and that it will have been signed into law. It will be a non-issue except in so far as the Dems can claim some credit for its passage. Whether the bill ultimately proves to be good or bad will not have been sorted out by November.
If unemployment has started a downward trend and there are other signs of recovery, the Reps will have little to hang their hats on other than how they endeavored to obstruct virtually everything that went through Congress. Not a particularly positive position from which to campaign.
All kinds of shit can happen, but I think most of you sell both the Dems and Obama short. Keep in mind that the Reps are far more fragmented and in general disaray than are the Dems. The Rep brand remains with far less approval than the Dems'. I know things could be tough for Dems, but it's no less an uphill battle for the Reps.
B
82 - Dr Dreadful
Lolllll
Lollllllllll
Is Brent Bozell in the room?
Are you really saying that the left isn't obsessed with ID pols? Answer the following:
Who supports AA - left or right?
Who supports "social justice" - left or right?
Who supports quotas - left or right?
'Supports' or 'is obsessed with', Obnox? Not at all the same thing.
Look I expect you to come to the discussion with a modacom of basic knowledge.
Or a modicum of basic spelling ability. :-) I'm well aware that affirmative action and quotas are much more heavily favoured on the left than on the right. You still haven't demonstrated how Amanda Simpson was selected on that basis.
And I hope we're all be supportive of social justice.
I'm over here with the rest of the cognizant American public
If all you've got left are insults, Obnox, you're welcome to them.
most of whom (including those in the MSM) have acknowledged what happened to Hillary. It became such a cliche that SNL lampooned it multiple times. You can deny that this was the case
Show me where I did. I merely argued that it was not much of a factor in the final nomination of Obama. Look, if the media really had that strong an influence over the voting public, Britain (all but two of whose national daily newspapers are right-wing) would have a permanent Conservative government and the US... well, that's a separate argument.
83 - The Obnoxious American
Doc,
First, wasn't trying to insult and apologies if I did.
Second, I had a feeling I spelt modicum wrong...
Third, I think I did prove it. I'd agree the hard evidence that this is an ID pol pick isn't that firm. It never is. And I don't have the funding to research all of the best other possible candidates.
The most damming evidence is Obama himself. There's a trend in his picks. The first this, the first that. The goal has always been diversity and I'd argue at the cost of competence.
I do agree with B-Tone's surprisingly measured response, if she does well then my argument is moot. However given the track record of this admin so far, I'd say that the odds don't look good for Obama or the country.
Lastly, so in a primary between two candidates, the outright mysogny of one, the media favoritism of the other, the superdelegates and absurd primary process (Hill would have won using the GOP system, which is much more similar to the general election system), none of this was "much of a factor". Got it, thanks for that.
84 - The Obnoxious American
"If unemployment has started a downward trend and there are other signs of recovery, the Reps will have little to hang their hats on other than how they endeavored to obstruct virtually everything that went through Congress. Not a particularly positive position from which to campaign. "
Hmmm not sure this is true. There is an emerging, and in my view, accurate narrative that this recession, which by the numbers hasn't been all that much worse than some recent recessions, has been extended by Obama's policies. See, people still remember 5% unemployment and they also remember Obama's comment about 8% being the limit if the stimulus is passed.
If unemployment is still at or above 8% in november, a pretty sure bet, then its going to be bloody. That's just my view.
It unemployment is still above 6 or 7 in 2012, 8 percent will be Obama's "Read my lips" moment.
85 - STM
Calling Doctor Dread,
I need your help mate. Please check email.
Cheers
86 - Dr Dreadful
Stan,
I've sent you a response. Hope I was able to be of assistance.
87 - Dr Dreadful
Hmmm not sure this is true.
You may be onto something there.
Many a successful election campaign has been fought on nothing much more than "We're not the other guys".
88 - Baronius
I don't know if "we're not the other guys" will be good enough for the Republicans to win with. The memory is still too fresh of when the Republicans were the other guys: the ones in charge, spending and bailing out, running up debt. They've got to be a lot more Rubio than Crist.
Michael Steele doesn't normally say smart things, but when he was recently asked if the Republicans are ready to lead, he said "I don't know". Of course, that really isn't any smarter than most of what he says, because he's supposed to be a leader, but it does contain some insight. The GOP has to be about something other than nobama. For example, referring to the topic of this article, the GOP doesn't do anyone any good when they're the party of less frequent, less blatant identity politics.
Fortunately, the Republicans have a set of winning principles that they sometimes pay more than lip service to.
89 - The Obnoxious American
"Michael Steele doesn't normally say smart things"
I don't totally agree with you on this. I have to say that I really enjoy the honest, straight forward and at times biting comments he has, especially on a sunday talk show type forum with democrats at the table. He's very smart and usually says some interesting things.
I'm not saying that translates into being an effective chairman, and I have no way to know if he is or not (I'd lean towards not but that's based on nothing). That said, I have a lot of respect for the man.
I do wish he'd completely stop with the cutsey ebonics but I have a feeling he's doing it out of spite or as an inside joke of some kind. I find it hard to believe he thinks this brings him down to the common man.
I absolutely and totally agree with your last sentence.
90 - Baronius
OA, we're pretty much on the same page.
Our girlfriend left us because we slapped her. Now she's with a guy who beats the snot out of her. She'd be better off with someone who treats her right, but in this scenario there are only two suitors. How do we convince her to break up with the guy because of the abuse, when everyone knows that we'll take a swing at her a few years after she moves back in with us?
91 - Dr Dreadful
Fortunately, the Republicans have a set of winning principles that they sometimes pay more than lip service to.
The best thing the Reps have going for them is that they are The Party of Fiscal Responsibility (TM). But as Glenn is fond of pointing out, it's a brand they've seldom lived up to in recent times - at federal level, anyway - with the arguable exception of the Reagan era.
Personally, I won't feel comfortable with Republicans getting anywhere near the Reins of Power (TM) until the party can get rid of - or at least neutralise - the faction who'd like to (literally) get medieval on everyone's ass.
92 - The Obnoxious American
Doc,
It's a dangerous world out there, and the GOP hardly holds the trademark on medievality, especially considering what happened on Christmas. You want to see medieval, wait till the Dems get their sweaty mits on our healthcare. Hope you're healthy.
Baronius,
I still think she'd be better off with us. I'm sure of it. And we really promise not to slap her this time :>
93 - Baritone
But, you always do... slap her, that is.
Point to me one group or even one individual who has been demonstrably hurt by anything Obama has done since taking office. All this whiney crap I hear about how he is "destroying the very fabric of our nation" has no basis in fact.
Also, there is no evidence that anything he has done has in any way prolonged the recession. A large economy that has been tossed into the bog rarely emerges from the quagmire with any alacrity. It has always been a slow, painful process. There isn't a Republican, Libertarian or independent alive or dead who could have worked any magic that would have this country back squarely back on its feet in one year. All such charges against Obama are nothing more than political bullshit.
All of you who dislike (read that as "hate") Obama tend to take him to task for the way he breathes or how he brushes his teeth.
How anyone can gripe about his having been on vacation on Christmas day when the Fruit of the Loom Bomber was doing his thing is mind boggling. GWB spent nearly 900 days of his presidency in Crawford. That doesn't count days taken at Nantucket or Camp David or elsewhere. That is a record for ANY president. And, whose record did he break? Guess. (His initials are RR.) Oh, and RR also was at the wheel during a run up of record deficits. But, of course, deficits didn't matter back then, did they?
The criticism against Obama for his lack of quick public responses to things like the Christmas bomber is also specious. What people seem to want is a cheerleader. Rah, rah, ziss boom bass, we Americans are gonna kick some ass! Do people really think that he was not dealing with these issues, opting rather to play a round of golf or take his kids to the beach? Obviously, and stupidly, they do.
BTW OA - It's doubtful that any Dem hands are actually sweaty.
B
94 - roger nowosielski
"get medieval on everyone's ass"
a line from Pulp Fiction. always liked that.
95 - Baronius
"Point to me one group or even one individual who has been demonstrably hurt by anything Obama has done since taking office."
That's exactly right, B. Liberalism is rarely demonstrably harmful. Usually, it appears helpful for some people. But its consequences are harmful to everyone. Spend $800 billion for 150 jobs, and 150 more people are working. Don't worry about the debt; the consequences aren't obvious. Look at the road project! That's your government at work!
Protect the teachers' unions. Teachers are nice. We all have positive memories of our teachers. Don't think about the new generation of illiterates, or the burden on states.
Raise the minimum wage. You can't point to the people who don't get hired. The inflationary effect is dispersed. Look at the people who are taking home a bigger paycheck! Yay government!
Guantanamo is demonstrably bad. Let's send the prisoners to different places. That will end the problem of terrorists at Guantanamo. Don't think about the consequences.
Let's end the Republican tax cuts. Republicans are bad. They lower tax rates for the rich. That conspicuously costs the government money. Don't think about the widespread prosperity it triggers every time it's tried. Focus on the obvious short-term loss of tax revenue.
Of course, there are times when the visible positive does outweigh the dispersed negative. That's when government should act. But the last people I'd trust to spot those opportunities are the ones who can't comprehend unintended consequences at all.
96 - roger nowosielski
"Liberalism is rarely demonstrably harmful... [but] its consequences are harmful to everyone."
That's a hell of a blanket statement if there ever was one.
97 - Dr Dreadful
Baronius:
1. It doesn't follow that protecting teachers' unions leads to bad teachers.
2. Economists are split pretty much 50/50 as to whether the minimum wage is detrimental to hiring. When it was introduced in the UK it had no discernible effect on the unemployment rate.
3. I don't think it was ever claimed that moving inmates from Guantanamo would solve the problem of terrorism.
4. Tax cuts may go some way toward stimulating the economy, but they're no panacea.
98 - Baronius
Dread, an increase in the minimum wage can have minimal impact on unemployment, typically when the legal minimum wage goes from $3 to $4 and everyone's already earning $5. But if it affects anyone positively, it's going to have negative reprecussions too. According to the article you linked to, some firms don't comply, and some of the firms that did increase wages per hour also cut hours.
99 - roger nowosielski
I should think that having to work less hours for the same pay sounds like a good deal (at least for the employee).
That's how our society of leisure was supposed to materialize in the early sixties, so some believed, due because of the then-highly-heralded "office automation." People were talking of the work week getting reduced to 35 hours and eventually to 30.
Those should have been some of the fruits of improved efficiency and real sign of progress.
Of course, we were all wrong.
100 - The Obnoxious American
1. It doesn't follow that protecting teachers' unions leads to bad teachers.
Except for the fact that public schools in every major city as well as most everywhere else completely suck and that's before you start to compare the results our teachers get compared to other countries.
I went to public school in NY, so don't talk to me about teachers unions. In NYC, a number of years ago, one board of ed member actually put voodoo dust under the door of another member. This is the best kind of people union money can buy. And this person was on the board of ed!
2. Economists are split pretty much 50/50 as to whether the minimum wage is detrimental to hiring. When it was introduced in the UK it had no discernible effect on the unemployment rate.
That's not true at all. Unless the economists you are speaking to have never talked with a small business owner. Try asking the actual people who do the hiring of most minimum wage workers and see how they would deal with a government mandated increase in what they pay for work. Invariably, they will either reduce workers, or hours and pass any additonal costs onto the customers. So we all pay.
3. I don't think it was ever claimed that moving inmates from Guantanamo would solve the problem of terrorism.
Actually didn't they? Wasn't it things like Gitmo and Abu Ghraib that were recruiting tools? In fact Eleanor Clift made that very point yesterday on the McLaughlin Group.
You can't claim that Gitmo is a recruiting tool then suggest that closing it wouldn't help solve the problem of terrorism. Unless of course you're spouting nonsensical and disingenuous liberal talking points that is.
4. Tax cuts may go some way toward stimulating the economy, but they're no panacea.
No one said that they were. But the current admin's approach, raising taxes in a downturn (which is part of this massive HC bull, I mean bill) is the exact opposite of a panacea. In fact, it's a boondoggle and makes absolutely no sense given everythign we've learned about economics.