Bill Whittle is now sold on John McCain:
I had heard before that John McCain had been beaten in prison, and I admired him for it. But when he said he had been broken . . . I gasped. When this sometimes cocky, arrogant old man told me he had once been a cocky, arrogant young man until he was "blessed by hardship," until he had been broken and remade -- and in that remaking discovered a love of country so fierce and pure that even as a patriot myself I will never approach it -- well, in that moment John McCain won my heart, to add to the respect and admiration he had already had.
When John McCain told me what I and untold millions of Americans have always believed, what others tell me to be ashamed of and mock me for -- that I live in the greatest country in the world, a force of goodness and justice in dark places, a land of heroism and sacrifice and opportunity and joy -- to me that went right to the mystic chords of memory that ultimately binds this country together. Some people don't know what it is, but there is such a thing as patriotism -- pure, unrefined, unapologetic, unconditional, non-nuanced, non-cosmopolitan, white-hot-burning patriotism. John McCain loves this country. I love it too. Not what it might be made into someday -- not its promise, always and only its promise -- but what it was and what it is, a nation and an idea worth fighting and dying for.
He also points out that Sarah has stolen Barack's mojo. Read the whole thing.
If John McCain really, really loved his country, he would have chosen a running mate who really could take over at any time, including day one of his administration.
Having lambasted Obama for months as having insufficient experience, McCain falls in love with change and chooses a woman who took 6 years to complete her one and only degree, a minor in Pol-Sci, and one who says: Iraq? Oh I haven't really thought about that much, and tell me exactly what does a Vice President do?
OK. He loves his country. But either not enough, or there was something he loved more.
We can turn that around - if Obama really loved his country, he could've waited until he had actual executive experience before running for the office of Chief Executive. Or, if Obama really loved his country, he would've spent more time at the job he's being paid to do (serve in the Senate) than running for a higher office. Since he took office, he's actually only spent about 143 days on the job in the Senate. Or, we could say that if Obama really loved his country, he would've spent less time writing his memoirs and more time on legislation.
It amazes me that someone can be more concerned about the qualifications of Palin as a VP than they are of Obama as president. Palin has more executive experience than Obama, Biden, and McCain combined.
What she doesn't have is a fancy Ivy League degree and she isn't a lawyer. She also will be new to Washington. Personally, I suspect a lot of the criticism of her is from the Ivy league snobs who think only they are entitled to run the country.
One thing I will add it that the stupid opposition to Palin as experessed by Anonymous above and in other threads is moving me to donate $500 to McCain's campaign this weekend. I've never donated money to any politician before but I'm now convinced that defeating Obama and keeping people like Anonymous out of power is now an imperitive. Thanks, Anonymous. I never would've done it without you.
That's $500.00 wasted Larry. You shouldn't let the facts get to you that bad.
Great to see Whittle back.
"Sarah Palin has done more than unify and electrify the base. She’s done something I would not have thought possible, were it not happening in front of my nose: Sarah Palin has stolen Barack Obama’s glamour. She’s stolen his excitement, robbed his electricity, burgled his charisma, purloined his star power, and taken his Hope and Change mantra, woven it into a cold-weather fashion accessory, and wrapped it around her neck."
This is the real reason the Dems hate her so much. It's a classic, the story of Sampson. A mere woman comes in and has the gall to remove a man's strength.
Dude, I was never fond of Barrack's "mojo".
What Ms. Palin has a) wasn't stolen from anyone and b) didn't originate inside the beltway. And I think I'll leave it at that.
My wife, a former Democratic Party activist is volunteering to work for Palin. Kudos to her.
Six years to finish a degree, I suspect that
here parents did not send here off to school or pay for her tuition, support etc.... that sounds like someone who paid their own way, how novel.
Michael Reagan had a piece about how Sarah looks to him like a reincarnation of his dad, this time in a skirt.
:)
That was a powerful post. Thanks for sharing the link with us.
Larry J:
Were you for real?
From the McCain web-site:
Because the McCain-Palin Campaign is participating in the presidential public funding system, it will not raise private campaign contributions after August 31, 2008. However, federal law allows the Campaign to establish the Compliance Fund to defray legal and accounting compliance costs and preserve the Campaign's public grant for media, mail, phones, and get-out-the-vote programs.
Heh!
Nice to know that Larry just gave money to a bunch of lawyers, given what he said about lawyers you know. I'm sure John Edwards is smirking at you Larry, and you also know Palin's going to need that money in Alaska.
Libertarians are now officially on welfare.
Heh-Heh!
Yes, Anonomous moron, I'm serious. The more desperate you try to tear her down, the more determined I am to not only vote for McCain but to donate to his campaign. Your pitiful whinning about her "lack of experience" to be VP just goes to point out how stupid you must be to believe that Obama is qualified to be president. You're a fool and not even a pitiable one.
Sarah Palin may have many admirable qualities, just as Obama has many admirable qualities that folks like Larry cannot grasp.
The real question is how McCain-Palin can have the audacity to run against their own party, which is what they are trying to do, and be taken seriously.
McCain maded a cynical, pandering choice in selecting Palin. It directly counters his previous arguments about Obama: having said that Obama lacked sufficient foreign policy experience, he selected someone who has zero foreign policy experience. Yes, zero, and don't tell me that the geography of Alaska changes that.
It's not what it says about Palin, it's what it says about McCain. It's all about his heroism, notice how his speech was so much about himself?
We've got a Martyr and a Holy Roller running for office. And a bunch of libertarians joyfully singing hymns in unison.
You know, McCain is scarily starting to show signs of being a Sooper Genius. He's relying on the left's attacks to royally piss off all the people on the right and middle who are dissatisfied with him because of his lack of a conservative or libertarian track record and using it to push them back towards him.
And anonymous, maybe in your version of never-never land libertarians can only vote for devout Darwin-study-group-going atheists; but frankly, that's one of the things that has worked to drive me away from the philosophy over the years.
"Some people don't know what it is, but there is such a thing as patriotism -- pure, unrefined, unapologetic, unconditional, non-nuanced, non-cosmopolitan, white-hot-burning patriotism. John McCain loves this country."
Other than running for President, John McCain's greatest effort in the last year was spent in trying to amnesty millions of illegal aliens. If that is patriotism, than I don't much care for it. He may love this country in some abstract way, but he doesn't seem to especially like its citizenry.
For all her virtues, Govenor Palin will be working for McCain, and will be instrument of his policy, including amnesty - which, in several states, amounts to the replacement of Americans with Mexicans. I expect a new, more profound, more "comprehensive" subversion of this nations traditional character soon after McCain is elected
Actually Martin, there are many things about McCain that are very attractive to me personally.
If he wins, I just pray he stays healthy long enough to implement the Democratic agenda, whether health care, amnesty for aliens, global warming control or whatever. I have no doubt that is what he really wants to do. I believe his flipping on some of these positions is simply a result of his being forced to realize he cannot get the nutty base of his party without the switch. Look, the guy he really wanted to be his running mate was Joe Lieberman. That tells you all you want to know. The only issue with McCain is warmongering.
If he wins, may he live long like his mother. It's going to be a fun time.
"Anonymous wrote:
Actually Martin, there are many things about McCain that are very attractive to me personally.
.....The only issue with McCain is warmongering."
Well, tough luck. You want the bread and circuses, you get the legions too. You sign up for an empire, and you get the whole thing. I hope you like being displaced by foreigners in your own country. I hope you lose your job, have to sell your house at a loss when your neighborhood goes to hell, and end up going on welfare. Have a nice life.
Martin wrote:
"I hope you like being displaced by foreigners in your own country. I hope you lose your job, have to sell your house at a loss when your neighborhood goes to hell, and end up going on welfare. Have a nice life.
Ah yes, and now we see the hate being spewed from the angry leftists. Anyone who doesn't fall in lock step and obediently obey the word of the wise and noble, Obama, must be cursed, stricken, and defamed.
"Josh Reiter wrote:
Martin wrote:
"I hope you like being displaced by foreigners in your own country. I hope you lose your job, have to sell your house at a loss when your neighborhood goes to hell, and end up going on welfare. Have a nice life.
Ah yes, and now we see the hate being spewed from the angry leftists. Anyone who doesn't fall in lock step and obediently obey the word of the wise and noble, Obama, must be cursed, stricken, and defamed."
In case you hadn't noticed, what I have written is not in support of Barack Obama. I was saying that actions have consequences, and if you vote for someone who wants to admit millions of illegal aliens, than you should be ready to deal with what that entails.