And he says that like it’s a good thing.
Category Archives: Media Criticism
The Social Issues
Where do Republicans go from here?
Note that, despite the derangement of some, this has almost nothing to do with the Tea Party, which was successful in 2010 because it pretty much ignored them. Unfortunately the Democratic operatives with bylines (like George Stephanopolous) wouldn’t allow that to happen this year.
Layers And Layers Of Fact Checkers
The Petraeus story continues to make no sense (just because the FBI is doing a potential criminal investigation in which Petraeus was not a target is no reason for the Attorney General to fail to inform the president that his DCI had some potential security issues as soon as he knew) but I love this:
The sources said agents followed department guidelines that generally bar sharing information about developing criminal investigations. The FBI is also aware of its history under former director Herbert Hoover of playing politics and digging into the lives of public figures.
Is there no depth of the evil of that skinflint Republican president in the minds of the leftist media? Now it turns out that he usurped J. Edgar’s role.
And yes, I took a screenshot. It’ll be interesting to see if they memory hole it, or provide an erratum.
[Update a while later]
OK, according to a commenter, they memory holed it. And indeed they did (just reclick the link above).
But as I said, I took a screenshot.
Cannibals
Bill Whittle isn’t happy. But he hasn’t given up.
Born Yesterday
So the administration would have us believe that only after the election was the president told by the FBI that an investigation with possible national-security implications — involving no less than the director of the Central Intelligence Agency — has been going on since the summer. We’re also to believe that the director’s resignation after the election and before congressional hearings on Benghazi is purely coincidental. Not only that, but when the most powerful man in the world learned of the attack on our consulate in Benghazi, he immediately ordered that everything be done to secure all personnel at the site — but apparently, everyone ignored him. So he did what any commander in chief would do under such circumstances — he went to bed.
Yes, they really do think we’re that stupid.
Well, unfortunately, it appears that a little over half of us are.
“To My Concerned Fans”
A longish, but worthwhile message from Sarah Hoyt, on the politics of SF writers.
Larry Correia isn’t going to take any more, either.
It’s The Frontier, Stupid
Charles Miller explains the only real reason to spend money on human spaceflight. But it has to be economically sustainable, something that NASA’s approach has never been.
“Stalin Porn”
…from Oliver Stone. I wish I were surprised.
Simon Jester
…is back. And just in time.
The Makers And The Takers
…and the forgotten men and women:
Now, before you say something in your comments you’ll regret — or should regret — this is not to endorse the freedom-killing and economy-destroying solutions of the left, which only create a nation of rulers and dependents. Barack Obama has been a disaster for the poor and the working class and, I believe, will continue to be so. But to pat a worker on the head with your cigar hand and say, basically, “Don’t worry, little man, an unfettered market lifts everyone,” is not going to win you his confidence or his vote. Reagan never did that. (Read the excellent WaPo piece by AEI’s Henry Olsen at the link.) Reagan always stood up and spoke up for the little guy. He identified with him and explained why his policies would help him. Many of today’s Republicans have lost that knack and given the game away in the process. That’s why the polls showed people shared Romney’s values but thought Obama cared about “people like me.”
It’s largely conservative policies that help the working guy and girl, but you have to let them know that and make sure they understand that government cares about them and will not abandon them if they fall off the bottom rung of the ladder. When one candidate is saying, “Tax the rich,” and the other is calling half the people moochers, both are wrong… but only one will win an election.
Yes, the September/October surprise worked. And Romney was no Reagan. But the good news is that a more ept candidate can make the case to the working class for free markets. But the Republicans have to start caring more about it themselves, and stop coddling big business.
[Update a couple minutes later]
Related thoughts from Paul Hsieh:
…in retrospect, the vote totals showed that Romney’s support may have been deeper than McCain’s in 2008, but not significantly broader.
So in that respect, those GOP rallies indicated something akin to the small-but-intense fan base for Apple computers in the mid-1990s. Of course, one of Steve Jobs’ key accomplishments in the 2000s was to turn that into an LARGE-and-intense fan base for Apple products.
I won’t rehash the “bigthink” arguments about the best next direction for the GOP. I just want to propose that *if* they can improve their message and inspire genuine enthusiasm for a positive pro-freedom agenda, then rallying (and growing) the base won’t be a problem. Although I have a mixed opinion of Ronald Reagan policies, he was an acknowledged master at communicating an inspiring, upbeat message to the voters. If the GOP finds a good message and a good messenger, then the turnout problem will take care of itself.
Yup.