In the early 60’s if you were young and a conservative your hero was Barry Goldwater. From the 1980’s until today the conservative hero was and still is President Reagan. But in the 1970’s there were very few men for a young conservative to admire. In fact, to be a conservative in college in the mid to late 70’s was to be totally uncool.
But there was one man who was the epitome of conservative cool. He showed us that it was not only ok to be right wing but we felt as if he had let us in on some witty joke that our liberal peers would never understand. He was the man we emulated but no matter how many big words we used, we knew we would never come close to being his equal.
Of course I am writing about William F. Buckley, Jr. who passed away today. Before cable news, even before the rise of the conservative radio talk shows there was Firing Line hosted by William F. Buckley, Jr. In the days when the only conservative voice anywhere on TV was that of Archie Bunker, Buckley was a revelation. He was the first famous person we knew who not only dared to espouse conservative views but he then made his opponents appear ignorant for disagreeing with him. His sardonic wit skewered everyone no matter who they were. And it was such fun.
William Buckley should be considered the true father of conservative talk shows, the idol of the thinking conservatives and the precursor to Reaganism. His was a lone voice when one was needed the most. And so the best tribute to him is to simply repeat his own words. The following are some great quotes I was able to get from ThinkExist.com (and that website name seems so apropos for this man). Thank you Bill Buckley for your words, your wit and your wisdom….
“I won’t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.”
“Liberals claim to want to give a hearing to other views, but then are shocked and offended to discover that there are other views.”
“It is not a sign of arrogance for the king to rule. That is what he is there for.”
“I get satisfaction of three kinds. One is creating something, one is being paid for it and one is the feeling that I haven't just been sitting on my ass all afternoon.”
“Idealism is fine, but as it approaches reality, the costs become prohibitive.”
“There is an inverse relationship between reliance on the state and self-reliance.”
“Liberals, it has been said, are generous with other peoples' money, except when it comes to questions of national survival when they prefer to be generous with other people's freedom and security.”
“I'd rather entrust the government of the United States to the first 400 people listed in the Boston telephone directory than to the faculty of Harvard University.”
“The academic community has in it the biggest concentration of alarmists, cranks and extremists this side of the giggle house.”
“Conservatives should be adamant about the need for the reappearance of Judeo-Christianity in the public square.”
“I mean to live my life an obedient man, but obedient to God, subservient to the wisdom of my ancestors; never to the authority of political truths arrived at yesterday at the voting booth.”
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The First Spouse
Who is Michelle Obama? Other than hearing about a few outrageous statements that she has made, I don’t know much about the woman who could very well become the next First Lady. After she did a not so glamorous interview for Glamour Magazine where she said her husband was “snore-y and stinky” in the morning she seems to have been muzzled until the more recent inflammatory statement that she is proud of the U.S. “for the first time in my adult life”.
I think it is past time to better understand who is this woman who could be living in the White House for the next four years. We already know more than we want to know about Bill but Michelle Obama is an enigma. I admit that I also know very little about John McCain’s wife, Cindy, except that she has not embarrassed her husband or his campaign. But it is time that we get to know these potential First Ladies.
We need to know if the future First Lady can act with grace under pressure. Yes, I realize we are electing her husband not her but we will nonetheless have to deal with the spouse of the next president. Today’s First Ladies are often sent overseas to represent her husband and our country so we need to know how she will handle herself. Can she answer not just softball questions from an adoring press but also tough questions about herself, her husband and her plans for the next four years? What are her values, beliefs, ideology? Can she be a modern day First Lady while still honoring the history of her role and the White House? Will she be able to help plan and then host a state dinner? Will the President, much less the American people, have to worry about what the First Lady might say to the press or a visiting head of state? Plus a better understanding of the candidate's spouses will also give us a greater insight into the candidate.
It looks as if the primaries will soon be over and both parties will have elected their candidates for president. There is a long time between now and the conventions and that time should be used to learn as much as possible about each candidate. And this includes learning about their spouses. We need to find out about them now, before they are in the White House when it may be too late.
I think it is past time to better understand who is this woman who could be living in the White House for the next four years. We already know more than we want to know about Bill but Michelle Obama is an enigma. I admit that I also know very little about John McCain’s wife, Cindy, except that she has not embarrassed her husband or his campaign. But it is time that we get to know these potential First Ladies.
We need to know if the future First Lady can act with grace under pressure. Yes, I realize we are electing her husband not her but we will nonetheless have to deal with the spouse of the next president. Today’s First Ladies are often sent overseas to represent her husband and our country so we need to know how she will handle herself. Can she answer not just softball questions from an adoring press but also tough questions about herself, her husband and her plans for the next four years? What are her values, beliefs, ideology? Can she be a modern day First Lady while still honoring the history of her role and the White House? Will she be able to help plan and then host a state dinner? Will the President, much less the American people, have to worry about what the First Lady might say to the press or a visiting head of state? Plus a better understanding of the candidate's spouses will also give us a greater insight into the candidate.
It looks as if the primaries will soon be over and both parties will have elected their candidates for president. There is a long time between now and the conventions and that time should be used to learn as much as possible about each candidate. And this includes learning about their spouses. We need to find out about them now, before they are in the White House when it may be too late.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Chicken Little Liberals
After watching the democratic debate last night I have come to the conclusion that many others have already figured out. It seems to me that liberals aren’t happy unless they are running around squawking like Chicken Little and crying out “The sky is falling! The sky is falling!”
These Chicken Little Liberals are constantly warning the American people of one pending disaster after another. You know the list – global warming, nuclear proliferation, the war in Iraq, the economy etc. etc. And if there is no current threat they will make one up because otherwise they become irrelevant if they can’t show how only they can save us.
Since nearly every liberal subscribes to the Chicken Little philosophy they differentiate themselves from each other by the way they talk about these “disasters”. Hillary wants to play mother hen by spreading her wings for all the little chicks to hide under while she takes care of us and protects us from whatever is falling from the sky. This solution appeals to all those people who don’t want to be thinking adults and take on the responsibility of taking care of themselves much less their own offspring.
Barack Obama also believes that the sky is falling but instead of discussing how to fix it or even stop they sky from falling he tells us how glorious the sky will be once it is no longer falling. But don’t be fooled by his rhetoric for he too, believes that only he and his liberal base can take care of all the little people who aren’t capable or refuse to help themselves.
As for the Republicans and John McCain? Instead of running around crying that “the sky is falling” and getting everyone scared and upset, they simply blast whatever is falling from the sky into harmless little pieces. Problem solved.
These Chicken Little Liberals are constantly warning the American people of one pending disaster after another. You know the list – global warming, nuclear proliferation, the war in Iraq, the economy etc. etc. And if there is no current threat they will make one up because otherwise they become irrelevant if they can’t show how only they can save us.
Since nearly every liberal subscribes to the Chicken Little philosophy they differentiate themselves from each other by the way they talk about these “disasters”. Hillary wants to play mother hen by spreading her wings for all the little chicks to hide under while she takes care of us and protects us from whatever is falling from the sky. This solution appeals to all those people who don’t want to be thinking adults and take on the responsibility of taking care of themselves much less their own offspring.
Barack Obama also believes that the sky is falling but instead of discussing how to fix it or even stop they sky from falling he tells us how glorious the sky will be once it is no longer falling. But don’t be fooled by his rhetoric for he too, believes that only he and his liberal base can take care of all the little people who aren’t capable or refuse to help themselves.
As for the Republicans and John McCain? Instead of running around crying that “the sky is falling” and getting everyone scared and upset, they simply blast whatever is falling from the sky into harmless little pieces. Problem solved.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Thank You, President Reagan
The McCain story, the resulting backlash against the NY Times, the upcoming debate all have eclipsed what should have been the number one news story today; the rocket launch that blasted the disabled satellite to pieces. In other words, Star Wars actually works! Wow.
On March 23, 1983 I listened to President Reagan give his Strategic Defense Initiative address to the nation. In it he asked “What if free people could live secure in the knowledge that their security did not rest upon the threat of instant U.S. retaliation to deter a Soviet attack, that we could intercept and destroy strategic ballistic missiles before they reached our own soil or that of our allies?”.
This idea became known as Reagan’s Star Wars plan. It quickly became the subject of constant ridicule, vitriolic attacks and incessant derision from liberal naysayers in our own country. And no surprise that the Soviet Union plus most of the free world once again denounced the US and our military policies.
But I believed because I had literally grown up along with our space program and felt that anything was possible. I had been a very young child when a man first walked on the moon. Over the next few years I vaguely recall seeing capsules parachuting into the ocean and watching the astronauts safely retrieved.
Two years before the Star Wars speech I had stood on the roof of my high office building in Orlando watching the contrails of the first space shuttle lifting off in the east. As it climbed higher and higher I could hear cheers and clapping from the bankers and construction workers, lawyers and policemen and all the others standing on rooftops entranced by the site of this shuttle. And yes, years later I also stood with tears running down my cheek looking at that awful Y shape in the sky as the Challenger disintegrated. Even with that disaster, over time the lift off and landing of space shuttles became so common place in Florida that only the tourists would go outside to watch.
So the idea that we can shoot a missile out of the sky seemed perfectly reasonable to me. And yesterday we did it. This story, not some ridiculous gossip about McCain, should be the primary topic today. It is a triumph in technology and military precision. It is also a tribute to President Reagan’s vision. So once again, thank you President Reagan for contributing yet another accomplishment to our great country.
On March 23, 1983 I listened to President Reagan give his Strategic Defense Initiative address to the nation. In it he asked “What if free people could live secure in the knowledge that their security did not rest upon the threat of instant U.S. retaliation to deter a Soviet attack, that we could intercept and destroy strategic ballistic missiles before they reached our own soil or that of our allies?”.
This idea became known as Reagan’s Star Wars plan. It quickly became the subject of constant ridicule, vitriolic attacks and incessant derision from liberal naysayers in our own country. And no surprise that the Soviet Union plus most of the free world once again denounced the US and our military policies.
But I believed because I had literally grown up along with our space program and felt that anything was possible. I had been a very young child when a man first walked on the moon. Over the next few years I vaguely recall seeing capsules parachuting into the ocean and watching the astronauts safely retrieved.
Two years before the Star Wars speech I had stood on the roof of my high office building in Orlando watching the contrails of the first space shuttle lifting off in the east. As it climbed higher and higher I could hear cheers and clapping from the bankers and construction workers, lawyers and policemen and all the others standing on rooftops entranced by the site of this shuttle. And yes, years later I also stood with tears running down my cheek looking at that awful Y shape in the sky as the Challenger disintegrated. Even with that disaster, over time the lift off and landing of space shuttles became so common place in Florida that only the tourists would go outside to watch.
So the idea that we can shoot a missile out of the sky seemed perfectly reasonable to me. And yesterday we did it. This story, not some ridiculous gossip about McCain, should be the primary topic today. It is a triumph in technology and military precision. It is also a tribute to President Reagan’s vision. So once again, thank you President Reagan for contributing yet another accomplishment to our great country.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
FYI
While surfing the net I stumbled upon a fairly new site called www.Hypocrisy.com. I liked the site and saw that they were looking for writers. So on a whim I filled out the form for them to look at my blog. To my surprise they replied a few hours later that they wanted me to write for them and share my blogs on their website.
Today I finally figured out how to get set up as a writer and copied a few of my recent blogs on to their site. Within a matter of minutes they published my blog as a Featured Article and put my name (PC Fugitive) on their list of writers! How cool!
So please take a look at the site just as I hope their readers will meander over and check mine out. And meanwhile I will occasionally take some of my blogs and post it on to the other website.
Today I finally figured out how to get set up as a writer and copied a few of my recent blogs on to their site. Within a matter of minutes they published my blog as a Featured Article and put my name (PC Fugitive) on their list of writers! How cool!
So please take a look at the site just as I hope their readers will meander over and check mine out. And meanwhile I will occasionally take some of my blogs and post it on to the other website.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Short Retort
Watching Hannity tonight and just heard Dick Morris, a man who usually knows what he is talking about, say that he is urging Republicans to do their duty and vote for Obama. Hmmm. Seems like I heard another Texan say that right here not too long ago! As for why Morris is saying this, not sure if it is because he hates Hillary that much or because he hates McCain that much (or both).
FYI, there are two more upcoming Democratic debates: Thurs 2/21 on CNN held in TX and then on 2/26 on NBC (most likely MSNBC) held in Oh.
FYI, there are two more upcoming Democratic debates: Thurs 2/21 on CNN held in TX and then on 2/26 on NBC (most likely MSNBC) held in Oh.
Hillary's Trade-Offs
As the primary continues to unfold I can’t help but think about Hillary's life. People forget that it was Hillary, not Bill, who was the “rock star” when they first met. But she gave it all up to move to Arkansas and help an unknown lawyer run for governor in one of the most backwards states in the nation. Her friends were appalled by her decision. I can’t help but think of the song from Chorus Line “What We Do for Love”.
It wasn’t all terrible. Arkansas is in the boonies but being a governor’s wife isn’t a bad deal. Then there were the ensuing connections and how that helped her career (and checkbook). Bill might have strayed but Hillary knew he loved her and Chelsea, and he always came back. So she stayed and ended up in the White House. Again, not a bad trade off. Then he cheated there and this time publicly humiliated her and her child.
And still she stayed. Did she trade in her pride to keep her marriage? Did she make a bargain to use it as a stepping stone to the senate? Maybe. And I’m not sure I blame her. So over the last few years she quietly paid her dues in the senate, while her husband transformed himself from national joke to national statesman on par with George Bush the elder.
They were ready again as a team again to run for president – this time it was Hillary’s turn. And what happens? Another man blocks her way. Now all those years that Hillary stood by her man, its Bill’s turn to aid her in removing that one obstacle by using all the weight only an ex-President has. Except in just a few speeches Bill once again becomes an embarrassment and a hindrance and a national joke instead of a serious statesman who could have helped make her president.
I can’t help but wonder how angry Hillary must be at both of them, Barack and Bill. I can’t say I blame her. And if she is defeated by Barack I also wonder how long it will be before she divorces Bill and trades him in for a better deal. I can’t say I would blame her for that either.
It wasn’t all terrible. Arkansas is in the boonies but being a governor’s wife isn’t a bad deal. Then there were the ensuing connections and how that helped her career (and checkbook). Bill might have strayed but Hillary knew he loved her and Chelsea, and he always came back. So she stayed and ended up in the White House. Again, not a bad trade off. Then he cheated there and this time publicly humiliated her and her child.
And still she stayed. Did she trade in her pride to keep her marriage? Did she make a bargain to use it as a stepping stone to the senate? Maybe. And I’m not sure I blame her. So over the last few years she quietly paid her dues in the senate, while her husband transformed himself from national joke to national statesman on par with George Bush the elder.
They were ready again as a team again to run for president – this time it was Hillary’s turn. And what happens? Another man blocks her way. Now all those years that Hillary stood by her man, its Bill’s turn to aid her in removing that one obstacle by using all the weight only an ex-President has. Except in just a few speeches Bill once again becomes an embarrassment and a hindrance and a national joke instead of a serious statesman who could have helped make her president.
I can’t help but wonder how angry Hillary must be at both of them, Barack and Bill. I can’t say I blame her. And if she is defeated by Barack I also wonder how long it will be before she divorces Bill and trades him in for a better deal. I can’t say I would blame her for that either.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Obama Phenomenon
It seems as if Obama is being carried by a tidal wave of adoration and gaining a momentum that Hillary might not be able to stop. There are reports of growing crowds wherever he goes as he mesmerizes all demographic groups: old, young, black, white, rural, suburb. I have even read of women fainting during his speeches as if he is the new Elvis or Beatle or Sinatra (pick your idol based on your generation). And yet….
Anyone who follows Obama and listens to him will agree that as wonderful as his speeches are they still don’t contain any substance. To learn more about him, I checked his website; http://www.barrackobama.com/. To my surprise there was a link called Issues with discussions on his views starting with Civil Rights, Disabilities, Economy and ending with Rural, Service and Senior Citizens with many more in between.
So what are his views on the issues? Not surprisingly they are liberal and similar to Hillary’s programs. He wants a big government which will create jobs, take care of everyone and spend lots and lots of money. Where will the money come from? Us, of course and big business which once again is shown as being an “enemy” of not only “the people” but also an enemy of the environment. And yet……
His health care doesn’t mandate that everyone sign up for it. Unlike Clinton, he won’t force you to join his universal coverage. On immigration, he wants to secure the border and he supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens. On the economy he wants to Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families, Simplify Tax Filings for Middle Class Americans, Fight for Fair Trade and Amend NAFTA.
Some of his ideas on security include Protecting Our Chemical Plants, Keeping Track of Spent Nuclear Fuel, Reuniting Families After Emergencies, and Keeping Our Drinking Water Safe. And yes, Obama plans to stop the war in Iraq and bring home the troops. Yet he also wants to increase the army by 65,000 and the marines by 27,000 soldiers and he wants the Chief of the National Guard to be a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
That is just a brief example of Barack Obama’s ideas. I disagree with most of his environmental “global warming” plans but the ideas I just mentioned above don’t sound bad at all. In fact he sounds more conservative than McCain on immigration. It makes me wonder what people who have drunk his Kool-Aid and are blindly following him would think if they knew he is proposing these ideas. Then again that is probably why he never talks issues only hope and promises and glory for all in the future. Amen.
Anyone who follows Obama and listens to him will agree that as wonderful as his speeches are they still don’t contain any substance. To learn more about him, I checked his website; http://www.barrackobama.com/. To my surprise there was a link called Issues with discussions on his views starting with Civil Rights, Disabilities, Economy and ending with Rural, Service and Senior Citizens with many more in between.
So what are his views on the issues? Not surprisingly they are liberal and similar to Hillary’s programs. He wants a big government which will create jobs, take care of everyone and spend lots and lots of money. Where will the money come from? Us, of course and big business which once again is shown as being an “enemy” of not only “the people” but also an enemy of the environment. And yet……
His health care doesn’t mandate that everyone sign up for it. Unlike Clinton, he won’t force you to join his universal coverage. On immigration, he wants to secure the border and he supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens. On the economy he wants to Provide a Tax Cut for Working Families, Simplify Tax Filings for Middle Class Americans, Fight for Fair Trade and Amend NAFTA.
Some of his ideas on security include Protecting Our Chemical Plants, Keeping Track of Spent Nuclear Fuel, Reuniting Families After Emergencies, and Keeping Our Drinking Water Safe. And yes, Obama plans to stop the war in Iraq and bring home the troops. Yet he also wants to increase the army by 65,000 and the marines by 27,000 soldiers and he wants the Chief of the National Guard to be a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
That is just a brief example of Barack Obama’s ideas. I disagree with most of his environmental “global warming” plans but the ideas I just mentioned above don’t sound bad at all. In fact he sounds more conservative than McCain on immigration. It makes me wonder what people who have drunk his Kool-Aid and are blindly following him would think if they knew he is proposing these ideas. Then again that is probably why he never talks issues only hope and promises and glory for all in the future. Amen.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Short Retort
Clinton won two-thirds of the states in the primaries before January 30. Since January 30 Obama has won almost two-thirds of the states. Why the complete turnaround? Did people get angry at Bill for making his earlier comments? Maybe. Did voters get disgusted by Clintons tears? Perhaps. Could it be that Obama is gaining momentum? Quite likely. Or could it possibly be that liberals were turned off by Clinton when on January 31 Ann Coulter said she would vote for Hillary if John McCain was the Republican candidate? :-)
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
The Obama Affect
I read an interesting article highlighted in the Drudge Report. It was from an article in The Australian about Obama. The journalist, Geoff Elliott compared the reaction Obama is getting to how people reacted to Mandela. In other words, people are looking up to Obama as more than just a new leader, but as a cult figure even something “akin to a messiah”. Wow.
I even have to admit that I was transfixed listening to him give a speech. It was hard to resist not yelling out an “amen” and that was from my living room. I can only imagine the impact of listening to him in person. And yet… there was a great quote in the article I read:
Well known political journalist Joe Klein of Time magazine, who was travelling on the campaign plane this week with Obama, too, wrote of a nagging concern about this kind of rhetoric of inspiration over substance, noting "there was something just a wee bit creepy about the mass messiahnism".
Creepy or not, how do you compete against this? I almost feel sorry for Hillary who is pitting her substance against someone who speaks in promises and hopes yet has still to give specifics on what he is trying to accomplish. Hell, he hasn’t even said what his concrete goals are, other than being President, much less how he plans to attain them.
And therein lies the catch. For the minute he gives specifics he is sure to disappoint people. In fact, how can he not end up angering his followers when they find out that underneath the glamour of a cult figure, he is a cold analytical politician? And we all know what happens when the crowds turn against their messiah…..
I even have to admit that I was transfixed listening to him give a speech. It was hard to resist not yelling out an “amen” and that was from my living room. I can only imagine the impact of listening to him in person. And yet… there was a great quote in the article I read:
Well known political journalist Joe Klein of Time magazine, who was travelling on the campaign plane this week with Obama, too, wrote of a nagging concern about this kind of rhetoric of inspiration over substance, noting "there was something just a wee bit creepy about the mass messiahnism".
Creepy or not, how do you compete against this? I almost feel sorry for Hillary who is pitting her substance against someone who speaks in promises and hopes yet has still to give specifics on what he is trying to accomplish. Hell, he hasn’t even said what his concrete goals are, other than being President, much less how he plans to attain them.
And therein lies the catch. For the minute he gives specifics he is sure to disappoint people. In fact, how can he not end up angering his followers when they find out that underneath the glamour of a cult figure, he is a cold analytical politician? And we all know what happens when the crowds turn against their messiah…..
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Weekly Update
A lot has happened in the past week. The following is a recap of recent headlines and my thoughts. Sorry if it is so long but I tried to keep it somewhat short by doing it in bullets and highlighting key thoughts to make it easy to go to things you are interested in. OK so it is still long but there really was a lot to say....
Democratic Update
- Hillary has got to toughen up or else she will lose whatever credibility she has with men and independent woman.
- I see today on the Drudge Report that Hillary has teared up again. This time over some sob story (literally in Clinton’s case) during a meeting in Maine. Maybe she was truly touched but she needs to suck it up because seeing picture after picture of her all teary eyed is not good for her and sends a wrong signal to our enemies. The terrorist already think we are a weak nation, can you imagine what Islamic terrorists must think if we not only elect a woman but elect one who has been seen crying on numerous occasions? Hell, what must our friends think about it?
- I also think she got way bent out of shape over the recent remark about Chelsea. Yes it was rude for that MSNBC guy to say that she was “pimping” Chelsea by now sending her out on her own to campaign. But to not accept his or the networks apology and require that they suspend the guy and possibly even fire him is going overboard. Besides if Chelsea is going to be in the spotlight now and play with the big boys she ought to be tough enough to take the hits. And why was mama the one to cry foul and not Chelsea? Can’t she stand up for herself without running behind her mother? I also despise how the network is capitulating to her demands. From start to finish nobody looks good in this blown out episode.
- ·Meet the Press discussed the implications of voter turnout which is showing that 12.9 million Republicans have voted compared to 19.2 million Democratic voters. This gives the impression that the Democrats will easily win in the fall since they have the numbers.
- But CNN is reporting that only 27% of the population has voted in the primaries. This is very surprising considering the passion surrounding the Democratic race.
- I also saw a very interesting number last night on either CNN or MSNBC. I can’t seem to find it but it was basically showing that Obama voters would vote for Clinton in the fall if Hillary was the candidate. But a large percentage of Hillary’s voters would not vote for Obama. This confirms my belief that her voters are very angry at Obama for not only challenging Hillary but actually having the audacity to beat her. Ironically her voters aren’t that much different then the ultra conservatives who don’t even want to show up if they can’t have their candidate.
- Basically Obama and Clinton are too close to call in number with 1,108 delegates for Clinton vs. 1,049 for Obama according to CNN
- Obama has taken more states including a complete sweep in the three primaries on Saturday but Hillary won more of the larger states
- What is with these Super Delegates? If the Democratic race continues to be neck and neck could these unelected party hacks actually determine the Democratic candidate?
Republican Review
- I don’t think it was a big surprise that Romney dropped out last week.
- It’s nice to know that money can’t buy an election.
- It was also a smart move for the long run. If the fall election is as bad as I think it will be for Republicans then Romney is removed from a nasty race and possibly humiliating loss. With no taint of a massacre then he will be free to run in 2012.
- Huckabee can’t get the numbers to win yet all of the anti-McCain Republicans are converging around him as evidenced by his commanding win of Louisiana on Sat.
- Has anybody wondered if Romney might throw his delegates to Huckabee and what that might do?
- You may disagree with his conservative views but once you get past that and get to know him, he is much more likeable than McCain, which will help in the future races.
- As Huckabee said, pending any “miracles” McCain will be the Republican candidate.
- Will Ann Coulter and other conservatives be “suicide voters” and actually vote for the Democratic nominee in protest?
- Although his loss last night must be somewhat humiliating as is his failure to get the needed delegates at least by having Huckabee stay in it keeps McCain’s name in the news. When Huckabee drops out then there is no reason for journalists to talk about McCain and he will disappear from the news while.
- With McCain as the candidate will he ever be able to talk about anything other than the war? Or will the voters see the election as a referendum on Iraq, especially if Obama is the Democratic candidate? Again, considering the voters opinion of the war I wouldn't be surprised if McCain loses big time in November.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Automated Help Desk - Update
On January 28 I wrote a long blog about my experience with Virgin Moble's Automated Help Desk. In a nutshell, I had recently purchased a Virgin Mobile cell phone and I added in some fun ring tones. Since then I was getting text messages about once a week telling me about new ring tones. I didn't want to get the text messages and wanted Virgin Moble to stop sending them.
I won't retell dealing with the frustrating "teen" automated help voice or to finally get a real person only to be told the messages weren't coming from Virgin Moble but from another source. Great. Since I had no idea who could be texting me I thought I would wait until it happened again. However, after reading my blog a friend asked me where I originally bought my ring tones. When I told him it was Virgin Moble's website I realized that the idiot clerk was wrong - the text messages were from them - and I was back where I started! But I just had no desire to try once again to tackle their Automated Help Desk or incompetent customer service clerks.
This morning I discovered that I got yet another text message. Luckily I was lunching with my friend so I did nothing and showed him the message at lunch. He first wrote down some numbers and said I should refer to these when I called Virgin Moble again. Then after playing with my cell phone for a few more minutes he handed it back to me and said he took care of my problem. I was amazed and asked how the hell had he fixed a problem I had spent so many frustrating hours trying to resolve myself? His reply? He disabled the text message function! Duh! (And no I don't want to use text messages so turning off the function was the obvious solution) Don't you just hate smart people who make you look like a fool?! :-)
I won't retell dealing with the frustrating "teen" automated help voice or to finally get a real person only to be told the messages weren't coming from Virgin Moble but from another source. Great. Since I had no idea who could be texting me I thought I would wait until it happened again. However, after reading my blog a friend asked me where I originally bought my ring tones. When I told him it was Virgin Moble's website I realized that the idiot clerk was wrong - the text messages were from them - and I was back where I started! But I just had no desire to try once again to tackle their Automated Help Desk or incompetent customer service clerks.
This morning I discovered that I got yet another text message. Luckily I was lunching with my friend so I did nothing and showed him the message at lunch. He first wrote down some numbers and said I should refer to these when I called Virgin Moble again. Then after playing with my cell phone for a few more minutes he handed it back to me and said he took care of my problem. I was amazed and asked how the hell had he fixed a problem I had spent so many frustrating hours trying to resolve myself? His reply? He disabled the text message function! Duh! (And no I don't want to use text messages so turning off the function was the obvious solution) Don't you just hate smart people who make you look like a fool?! :-)
Thank You! (again)
Part of the fun of my new blog is not only writing it but then seeing if anybody out there is reading it. To my surprise not only are people reading it but they are coming back for more. And even more amazing, you are telling your friends for each day I get a few more new readers. So thank you for your loyalty and for passing the word.
To the new readers (I only know counts, not names) welcome to the PC Fugitive blog where political correctness is not allowed in. I hope you enjoy my ramblings and come back for more. And if you really like it please feel free to tell your friends. Although it doesn't really matter how many people end up reading this as I will continue to write about every other day even if only a few people check in.
Anyway, thanks again to my loyal group and to the new readers and I hope y'all continue to enjoy my blog.
To the new readers (I only know counts, not names) welcome to the PC Fugitive blog where political correctness is not allowed in. I hope you enjoy my ramblings and come back for more. And if you really like it please feel free to tell your friends. Although it doesn't really matter how many people end up reading this as I will continue to write about every other day even if only a few people check in.
Anyway, thanks again to my loyal group and to the new readers and I hope y'all continue to enjoy my blog.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Short Retort
Less than two hours after I wrote the following blog, Romney announced he is dropping out of the race. I guess my "sooner rather than later" estimate for Romney and Huckabee leaving the race really did turn out to be sooner! Yet I still believe the Obama - Clinton race will continue for a long time.
Meanwhile it looks like McCain will be the Republican candidate. No comment. For as my mother taught me, if you can't say anything nice about someone then don't say anything at all...
Meanwhile it looks like McCain will be the Republican candidate. No comment. For as my mother taught me, if you can't say anything nice about someone then don't say anything at all...
No End Game In Sight
Howard Dean has stated that he wants Obama and Hillary to do whatever it takes to avoid a long drawn out Democratic primary. The Republican Party is going behind the scenes trying to get McCain to be nicer to the conservatives and to have the other candidates drop out so as to wrap up their primaries. But I just don’t see this happening on the Democratic side.
For the first time in the country’s history, we have the first black man and the first woman candidates. Hillary and Barack’s motivation to be president must then be more personal since it isn’t based on just what they believe but also on who they are. The Republicans also have the first Mormon and the first Baptist preacher but Romney and Huckabee could justify that a rejection of them is not personal but rather a rejection of their religious beliefs. So they probably will drop out sooner rather than later.
But for Hillary and Barack, every win is a stamp of approval while each loss is a rejection of who they are and not what they stand for. How could they not take this personally? Yet they also know that a loss is also a rejection of their race or gender. They have to feel responsible to their respective minority and so not only is their goal to be president of the United States but more importantly, to be the very first woman or black man to be president. Talk about pressure….
These internal and external motivations make it nearly impossible for either of them to drop out for it would mean publicly stating that they (and their race or gender) are not good enough for the job. Clinton and Obama have simply invested too much, too much money, too much ego, too much personal identity and sense of worth to now admit defeat. Nor are their respective groups going to let them drop out and potentially disgrace or set back the image and future success of women and blacks. So it is going to be a long primary.
For the first time in the country’s history, we have the first black man and the first woman candidates. Hillary and Barack’s motivation to be president must then be more personal since it isn’t based on just what they believe but also on who they are. The Republicans also have the first Mormon and the first Baptist preacher but Romney and Huckabee could justify that a rejection of them is not personal but rather a rejection of their religious beliefs. So they probably will drop out sooner rather than later.
But for Hillary and Barack, every win is a stamp of approval while each loss is a rejection of who they are and not what they stand for. How could they not take this personally? Yet they also know that a loss is also a rejection of their race or gender. They have to feel responsible to their respective minority and so not only is their goal to be president of the United States but more importantly, to be the very first woman or black man to be president. Talk about pressure….
These internal and external motivations make it nearly impossible for either of them to drop out for it would mean publicly stating that they (and their race or gender) are not good enough for the job. Clinton and Obama have simply invested too much, too much money, too much ego, too much personal identity and sense of worth to now admit defeat. Nor are their respective groups going to let them drop out and potentially disgrace or set back the image and future success of women and blacks. So it is going to be a long primary.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
The Real Republican Outcome
It's just after midnight and I have been bouncing between MSNBC and Fox on the TV with CNN and USA Today on-line to get the results. Yet not one pundit, talking head or policy wonk has pointed out what I thought was an obvious result of Super Tuesday - how the conservative talk show hosts impacted the Republican primaries.
Why else do you think Huckabee did so well? It was due to these staunch conservatives who refused to give up to McCain or even Romney but instead stuck to their principles and urged their listeners to do the same. Good for them! And if the liberals thought Limbaugh and company were obnoxious before - I bet they'll be twice as bad now. Yet I wouldn't blame them if they lead their shows every hour on the hour by boasting how they affected Super Tuesday. And yet not a word from the MSM that these conservatives, who reach millions each day, might have gotten their message across and in doing so most likely have thwarted Romney's run for the presidency.
Super Tuesday has clearly shown that the conservative radio hosts and their legion of listeners are a force to be reckoned with. And even though I think McCain will get the needed number of delegates before the last primary, yesterday's primaries have shown that not all Republicans are his "friends".
Why else do you think Huckabee did so well? It was due to these staunch conservatives who refused to give up to McCain or even Romney but instead stuck to their principles and urged their listeners to do the same. Good for them! And if the liberals thought Limbaugh and company were obnoxious before - I bet they'll be twice as bad now. Yet I wouldn't blame them if they lead their shows every hour on the hour by boasting how they affected Super Tuesday. And yet not a word from the MSM that these conservatives, who reach millions each day, might have gotten their message across and in doing so most likely have thwarted Romney's run for the presidency.
Super Tuesday has clearly shown that the conservative radio hosts and their legion of listeners are a force to be reckoned with. And even though I think McCain will get the needed number of delegates before the last primary, yesterday's primaries have shown that not all Republicans are his "friends".
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Email Wars
Having once managed the Direct Marketing department for Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, I have a professional fascination as to how the campaigns are run, in addition to simply being a political junkie. As part of that interest I signed up to the campaigns of the top contenders in both parties: Clinton, Obama, McCain and Romney. (Thanks Sonja for that great idea!)
Since I signed up, I have gotten numerous emails from both Clinton and Obama. Give a good speech? Send an email talking about it with a link to watch it and of course asking for donations. Get a new famous supporter? Send an email announcing it with a video clip and asking for donations. Cry? Send an email with a video clip of when you cried and asking for support. Lose a primary? Send an email saying how close it was and requesting your support to win the next time. Win a primary? Send an email saying how close it was and requesting your support to continue to win the next one. In fact Hillary even sent an email after the Florida primary announcing that she won it – even though it was uncontested and will not count.
But the email wars have really heated up in the past week before Super Tuesday. I have gotten daily emails from Hillary and almost daily ones from Barack. There was even a new email marketing ploy of asking supporters to help call people in Super Tuesday states. The campaign will email names and an on-line way to call and the volunteers can then make the calls from their homes. Clever.
And the emails from the Republicans? I think I received one from Romney in the past week. And I don’t recall seeing a single email from McCain. When writing this blog today I began to question whether or not I really had signed up for his campaign so I checked his web site. Yes I was signed up but he simply hasn't been sending out emails. I don’t know if they aren’t using email because they’re too old for this new technique or too arrogant to think they need it or simply have incompetent marketing teams. But both Romney and McCain are missing out on the awesome potential of email campaigns.
I am not sure who will come out the winner today on Super Tuesday. I just know that both Obama and Clinton have had brilliant marketing campaigns using emails. And perhaps the Republican outcome might be different if just one of the candidates used email as effectively as Hillary and Barack. But if the Republicans don't quickly catch on to the power of emails then they will be in trouble this fall....
Since I signed up, I have gotten numerous emails from both Clinton and Obama. Give a good speech? Send an email talking about it with a link to watch it and of course asking for donations. Get a new famous supporter? Send an email announcing it with a video clip and asking for donations. Cry? Send an email with a video clip of when you cried and asking for support. Lose a primary? Send an email saying how close it was and requesting your support to win the next time. Win a primary? Send an email saying how close it was and requesting your support to continue to win the next one. In fact Hillary even sent an email after the Florida primary announcing that she won it – even though it was uncontested and will not count.
But the email wars have really heated up in the past week before Super Tuesday. I have gotten daily emails from Hillary and almost daily ones from Barack. There was even a new email marketing ploy of asking supporters to help call people in Super Tuesday states. The campaign will email names and an on-line way to call and the volunteers can then make the calls from their homes. Clever.
And the emails from the Republicans? I think I received one from Romney in the past week. And I don’t recall seeing a single email from McCain. When writing this blog today I began to question whether or not I really had signed up for his campaign so I checked his web site. Yes I was signed up but he simply hasn't been sending out emails. I don’t know if they aren’t using email because they’re too old for this new technique or too arrogant to think they need it or simply have incompetent marketing teams. But both Romney and McCain are missing out on the awesome potential of email campaigns.
I am not sure who will come out the winner today on Super Tuesday. I just know that both Obama and Clinton have had brilliant marketing campaigns using emails. And perhaps the Republican outcome might be different if just one of the candidates used email as effectively as Hillary and Barack. But if the Republicans don't quickly catch on to the power of emails then they will be in trouble this fall....
Friday, February 1, 2008
Clinton Betrayal? Maybe Not…
When I first heard that MoveOn.org announced that it would endorse Barack Obama I thought “Wow, what a betrayal for the Clintons”. I thought this since I vaguely recalled that MoveOn.org was started during Bill Clinton’s presidency during the impeachment procedures as a means to tell Congress to “move on” to more important issues.
I was half right. Just for grins I actually dared to go to their website. Feeling like a traitor I quickly skipped over their “Campaigns, Success Stories, Donate and Sign Up” links and went straight to “About”.
Imagine my surprise when I read that in 1998 they launched an online petition to "Censure President Clinton and Move On to Pressing Issues Facing the Nation.". OK so it wasn’t a call for impeachment but I was still surprised that they even went for a censure before moving on.
So maybe their snub of Hillary isn’t exactly a betrayal after all.
And one more thing, considering MoveOn.orgs huge war chest and considerable influence she should start to be very worried….
I was half right. Just for grins I actually dared to go to their website. Feeling like a traitor I quickly skipped over their “Campaigns, Success Stories, Donate and Sign Up” links and went straight to “About”.
Imagine my surprise when I read that in 1998 they launched an online petition to "Censure President Clinton and Move On to Pressing Issues Facing the Nation.". OK so it wasn’t a call for impeachment but I was still surprised that they even went for a censure before moving on.
So maybe their snub of Hillary isn’t exactly a betrayal after all.
And one more thing, considering MoveOn.orgs huge war chest and considerable influence she should start to be very worried….
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