…I wonder how Dr Cole (or, for that matter, SEK — who likes to spend an inordinate amount of time parsing semantic nuance, not to mention, congratulating himself on his bravery for doing so) might analogize those who, per Rasmussen, think that Supreme Court decisions should be decided on something other than Constitutional principles:
While 82% of voters who support McCain believe the justices should rule on what is in the Constitution, just 29% of Barack Obama’s supporters agree. Just 11% of McCain supporters say judges should rule based on the judge’s sense of fairness, while nearly half (49%) of Obama supporters agree.
To put this in perspective, less than 30% of those who support Barack Obama for President believe that the Constitution should constrain judicial rulings — or, to frame this more pointedly, less than 30% of Obama supporters believe it is the job of justices to perform the job of justices.
Instead, nearly half of all Obama supporters — you know, the enlightened elite feigning concern over the fate of the Constitution should one who governs, as Governor Palin has, on libertarian principles, get her mooseburger and bundt cake-baking paws on that austere old document (drafted by the kinds of dead white males academics instruct us to hate) — believe it is the job of justices to rule on what they feel is fair.
Which, in practical effect, works to put into practice a system in which, potentially, a single philosopher king can decide for the entire country what is legal and what is not — without having to appeal to the very documents drafted to check such an undemocratic impulse.
Dr Cole and SEK might try to “re-contextualize” what I’m about to say — to quibble with the choice of descriptor — but, strictly speaking, over 70% of Obama supporters are, in a very real way, “anti-American” in the specific sense that they reject the Constitution as the rule of law, and would instead cede power to unelected justices with lifetime appointments, and not demand of them anything other than that they rule based on how they feel.
Which, how very continental!
****
h/t Dan. More, from Allah and the fine elites at TNR, whose Josh Patashnik complains:
this [poll] reflects very poorly on Democrats. Less than a third of Obama voters are willing to sign on to a fundamental tenet of American government that you learn in elementary school civics class, and half think that judges should just make it all up as they go along. (After a full five days of law school, I find this quite disturbing — have Obama’s supporters no shame about admitting this to a pollster!?)
[my emphasis]
So you see, the problem is not so much that they believe such a thing — after all, they’re merely taking their cues from Obamalot — but to actually admit it in advance of an election? Why, that just shows a political tin ear and a lack of partisan discipline.
We really must do something about who gets to speak. Honestly. Because some of the useful idiots are going to ruin it for everyone!
Wait a minute. I thought W had already shredded the so-called Constitution what with his illegal phone surveillance, Gitmo, torture memos, and, of course, lying us into war.
“Feeee-lings… nothing more than FEEEE-lings…”
Go ahead, bitch about the earworm. Like I care.
If you’ve been taught from the holy texts of Chomsky and Zinn and their lesser acolytes, you know that the traditional idea of “America” is, deep down, a fraud, and thus its guiding document is null and void.
So why are we surprised that these folks think that the Constitution is an impediment to true “justice”?
We just pretend to be surprised, Percy. For effect.
They simply can’t conceive that the fundamental purpose of a constitution is not to empower a particular party to enact is hearts desires, but to prevent exactly that.
To provide an escape route for the half of the population who aren’t too keen on which ever party is in power.
But the left can’t divorce themselves from the self-delusion that they are unassailable in their moral and ethical rectitude. They do not understand that their belief that the world can be bent to their whim is a vanity.
I believe this lack of respect for the Constitution is the biggest reason for BDS (and the fresh new PDS) is that Libtards think that Bush thinks of the government as his personal plaything. They can’t imagine that someone would actually feel constrained to, y’know, figure out if that dusty document allows whatever torture-de-jour is being contemplated.
If there’s no rules, then the President is the one who makes ALL decisions. Hence, BDS. And hence, libtards looking up at fighter jets
strafingflying over Clinton’s inauguration, and one remarking that “Those are OUR jets now”.Maybe those “how the Constitution works” cartoons need to be re-played in prime time. It also seems to be a real rubicon of Libtardiness.
Two peas in a pod
I think that’s what the liberals say….
6 I don’t think it is a problem with them conceiving or understanding it, Thin Man, I think they just don’t care. Most of them just want what they want and don’t give a flying fuck who does what do get it for them.
How else do you explain proggressives driving around with “I Love My Country But Fear My Government” bumperstickers without a trace of irony?
Anyone heard from Greenwald on this?
Can I question their patriotism now? Because, honestly, for the most part, I never did before. But telling the constitution, you know, pretty much the fucking back bone of our country, to fuck itself is kind of, unpatriotic, I think.
And don’t forget: Baracky was a CONSTITUTIONAL LAW PROFESSOR!!!
Oy.
They simply can’t conceive that the fundamental purpose of a constitution is not to empower a particular party to enact is hearts desires, but to prevent exactly that.
Oh, but they do conceive it, which is why they work so hard to undermine the rule of law that the constitution establishes. They’re not going to let a bunch of dead white slavers tell them what to do. Oh, no.
It’s far better for all concerned when people who totally understand that Africans aren’t 3/5 of a person make all the laws. They’re enlightened, you know, and the sooner you drink that flavor of Kool-Aid, the better.
Every time they take a shot at Palin, it ends up smacking them square in the face.
Allow me to present The New Official Democratic Campaign Strategy:
Don’t think!
71% of Democrats polled are demonstrably un-American and un-patriotic, and prioritize their feeeeeeeeeeelings above the Constitution of the United States of American. Craven little mendoucheous asshats, they are.
I do wonder what they consider the Constitution’s actual purpose is, then. Maybe it’s my overly-logical brain, but I cannot see how you can simultaneously claim to cherish the First Amendment while believing that the Constitution is not limiting on the decisions of justices. It’s nonsensical.
– Well, you know, when you just can’t sell your ideology to enough voters to win at the ballot box, and lawyers keep fucking up every attempt to overturn elections because the sneaky bastards keep finding closets full of ballots that were missed in the count for your appoinent, what the fuck is left but the judiciary.
– I mean desperate situations call for desperate means.
– I mean when you can’t put party about your faith, your family, and your country, what the fuck good is politics anyway.
All of which goes back to the reason I dislike John McCain. Palin or no, I still may not show up at the schoolhouse on the fourth of November.
Senate Democrats declared that no judge would be confirmed who didn’t go along with the view that feeeeeeeelings trumped the Constitution, and McCain went along with that — remember the Gang of 14? He was being collegial. He was compromising. He was reaching across the aisle. And the result is that we’re still ‘way short of judges to fill all the needed posts, because George Bush won’t nominate people who promise to rule according to feeeeeelings.
The man’s a patsy. We do not need Charlie Brown as President. If I believed one word of Barack Obama’s recent triangulation — which I do not — I might vote for the SOB.
Regards,
Ric
Oh, it isn’t they don’t want the judges to follow the Constitution as much they want to update the thing.
Listen to Avril:
You are a child of the most high
There is nothing you can’t do and that is no lie
You were designed
To use your mind
To move what you can’t see so don’t be blind
There is a love
That wont let you down
It is time for a love revolution
It is time for a new constitution
And etc. whatever that crap means. Fighting words, anyway….
– Ric. I sort of shared your concerns about McDuffer. I actually wondered if his war experiences had left him cowed, and led to his tendency to be too accomadating.
– But I also think that in the top position, if the cowing thing had any truth to it, he might get his mojo back. Adding Palin really amplifies that possibility.
– Obama? Well it would be a matter of how much damage he could do in one term. Probably not all that much. A really poor reason to vote for someone.
– Palin completely changes the dynamic.
Speaking about “constitutionalists,” a recent poll indicated a spare 29% of surveyed Obama supporters wanted judges to issue their decisions in accordance to the Constitution.
Excuse the ignorance of an old Brit – ; but is a majority of Justices who are of the opinion that they can act on their feelings ALL that is required to effectively toss the constitution down the memory hole? Surely there is some check on their power to rewrite their own job description?
AGW–unbending, hard, immutable fact. No further research necessary. Case closed.
U.S. Constitution–open to interpretation, penumbras, and emanations. Almost living.
FEER TEH MOJO!
Europe don’t even have no Constitution and things are more better there and the people are more docile and state media is accorded proper respect. Baracky’s throngs have noticed this, surely.
Not that I’m aware of other than impeachment but then I never taught ConLaw like Baracky.
Actually, mojo, in addition to fearing mojo, I suspect that the godless heathens fear the Constitution as well.
I liked how John Derbyshire described liberals’ view of the judiciary: the branch of the federal government tasked with making the laws that congress has omitted to make.
Ric @ #18 – “If I believed one word of Barack Obama’s recent triangulation  which I do not  I might vote for the SOB.”
Copying and pasting that section caused me physical pain. I cannot imagine the internal torture you endured composing that sentence.
The Thin Man: “Excuse the ignorance of an old Brit – ; but is a majority of Justices who are of the opinion that they can act on their feelings ALL that is required to effectively toss the constitution down the memory hole? Surely there is some check on their power to rewrite their own job description?”
In theory, there are, but it requires the Executive and Legislative branches to have a little spine and political will.
IIRC, the Legislature can pass laws containing language that limits the Supreme Courts power and authority to rule on said legislations, which the President, in turn, can pass. Now, in recent years, the Supreme Court has ignored said language and done as they will.
There is also what I can only characterize as the “nuclear option,” where the other two branches tell the Supreme Court to go screw, in the fashion of Andrew Jackson, who famously told the Supreme Court, having made their decision, they were free to enforce it.
happyfeet: “Europe don’t even have no Constitution and things are more better there and the people are more docile and state media is accorded proper respect. Baracky’s throngs have noticed this, surely.”
Feh.
The British “Constitution,” being unwritten, is whatever a majority of Parliment agree it is on any given day and think they can get away with.
I find no surprise in the fact that Obama’s supporters think that the Constitution is little more than colored toilet paper, because that’s exactly what Obama thinks. It’s been obvious for many years that the left holds the Constitution in absolute contempt, and sees it only as an obstacle to their desires.
But, “so what?”, they say. The ignorance of the “useful idiots” has long since ceased to surprise me.
The mantra of the modern Democratic party?
“Something for nothing!”
“Europe don’t even have no Constitution and things are more better there and the people are more docile and state media is accorded proper respect”
feets made me very sad, reminding me of the glorious benefits I get from from living under the gazes of the GODLIKE EU bureaucrats, who, even though I’ve never heard of them or seen them, must have my best interests at heart – I mean the BBC told me.
I like this, by Jim Bennett :
“Far from being a reprise of Mr Smith Goes to Washington, Palin was a clear-eyed politician who, from the day she took office, knew exactly what she had to do and whose toes she would step on to do it.
The surprise is not that she has been in office for such a short time but that she has succeeded in each of her objectives. She has exposed corruption; given the state a bigger share in Alaska’s energy wealth; and negotiated a deal involving big corporate players, the US and Canadian governments, Canadian provincial governments, and native tribes – the result of which was a £13 billion deal to launch the pipeline and increase the amount of domestic energy available to consumers. This deal makes the charge of having “no international experience” particularly absurd.
In short, far from being a small-town mayor concerned with little more than traffic signs, she has been a major player in state politics for a decade, one who formulated an ambitious agenda and deftly implemented it against great odds.
Her sudden elevation to the vice-presidential slot on the Republican ticket shocked no one more than her enemies in Alaska, who have broken out into a cold sweat at the thought of Palin in Washington, guiding the Justice Department’s anti-corruption teams through the labyrinths of Alaska’s old-boy network.”
http://tinyurl.com/6f82ke
VIA The Corner
No justice, no peace.
Well it would be a matter of how much damage he could do in one term. Probably not all that much. A really poor reason to vote for someone.
Hey, Jimmeh Carter gave us Reagan! And the Ayatollah! So, which of the two is currently threatening to bite us hard in the anatomy: Soviet aggression or Iranian aggression?
Um…
– She represents nothing short of the Lefts worse nightmare, not because she walks on styrofoam water in the rock star tradition like Obama, but precisely because she is “real”, her accomplishments and leadership experiences are “real”, and that comes across in a way that a spoon fed elitist could never manage, no matter how adept he is at reading a teleprompter.
Ok, here’s the scoop: Dem “Reform” pols (and here I hold up Jimmuh Catah as the ne plus ultra) will do what they (or their handlers) “feel” is right, or else whatever makes them popular. They are input-driven (polls, etc.) instead of inner-directed. Which means they’ll flip and flop like a fish out of water whenever somebody manages to convince them “it’s for the children” or some such hooey.
Jimmuh did that shit on such a regular basis you could set a calendar by his reversals. It got old real fast.
I’ll go half-in with the Obamanites on this one.
Either the Constitution authorizes precisely the government we have, in every aspect — and every aspect it’s shown since the ratification — or it’s powerless to stop it. So fuck that stupid thing, yes.
But we’re already everywhere constrained — as the government seldom is, and never for long, and always too late — only by judges’ “sense of fairness.” Which is whatever the hell they rationalize it to be.
And that sucks.
“They are input-driven (polls, etc.) instead of inner-directed. Which means they’ll flip and flop like a fish out of water…”
– Yeh, well the Left gaggle must look like a full net dump across the deck right about now, if they’re even allowing their moonbats to look at the polls.
– Whoa….Looks like the good rev Wright was spreading more than just theology amongst the flock. Looks like he prefers him some whitebread, along with his white community livin’.
– Even while the army of Leftwing media is camped up in Alaska, digging like groundhogs into Palins religious background.
– Is it just that the Left have a really pisspoor sense of “timing”?
I am scared to wonder what the percentage of Obama! supporters is that would favorable respond to the following statement:
“America, I need the tools to make the changes for hope that this nation needs. The Republicans in Congress will do anything to stop us. Let us banish hate from Washington once and for all”
The Constitution ? Its more like guidelines really…
*If I believed one word of Barack Obama’s recent triangulation  which I do not  I might vote for the SOB.*
Wow, I’m quite certain that sentence just blew my little mind.
JD I typed my comment before I saw yours. Mine, like yours, was probably a spontaneous painful moment that had to be captured in text form…
from the link:
“Democrats are more likely than Republicans and unaffiliated voters to believe the justices base rulings on the Constitution.
The survey also found that 65% of voters think the Supreme Court justices have their own political agendas.”
Not sure what to make of that; maybe it’s broken down more. I wonder how may Democrats actually declared themselves to be Obama supporters?
Well, naturally. The right and unaffiliated voters see judicial activism; the left doesn’t see enough “votes for justice” — which is why more on the left think justices are ruling on the Constitution, and that, well, that’s just wrong, according to 71% of those who support O!
Not so hard to figure, I don’t think.
#18 Ric Locke:
One thing I do know about Sen. McCain – I disagree with him on some policies, but I will never disagree that he loves this country as it was, is, and will be. And he seems to know it isn’t all about him.
He passes the ‘first things’ test, the most important test.
Regards,
Mikey NTH
P.S. – Sen. McCain did carrier traps at night on an Essex class carrier. Balls? Oh, yeah. Arrogant? of course. Proven? With blood and sweat and tears. Stared hard into the great abyss? Yep.
Blood, sweat, toil, and tears. Even Churchill advocated policies that were wrong, but core love of land and people? Core love of an ideal? Dead on target.
I back the old warhorse because I don’t see the other ticket being much more than a gilded merry-go-round ride.
Yrs,
M. NTH.
It’s really not so hard to believe. People are generally pretty ignorant about how and why our country was founded. They therefore have no real appreciation for the ideals that this country stand for. They get all offended when you call then anti-American, but really it is just a statement of fact.
For too many people (both Dem and Rep) think the Constitution is a barrier preventing them from creating their own little utopia.
Mikey,
**Absolutely a given**. By the time I was in the decks were bigger, but so were the airplanes. We didn’t even have any Scooters (the “pet name” for the A4). It is still awesome, even to watch from the lookout platform aft of the island, which is as close as I ever got. Nobody should ever doubt the courage, or the ability to focus on a task, of a Naval Aviator. We did our “quals” off Norfolk in the spring, hurrying because our deployment had been moved up and changed from one ocean to the other. Watching those guys bring airplanes in to a heaving, wet deck in a fine mist, in a dusk that left no referents and no horizon ::shudder:: (Of course I’m almost as in awe of the guys who trusted them well enough to walk, drive tractors, or taxi other airplanes around right next to the postage-stamp runway while it’s going on.)
But, like his behavior as a prisoner, it’s symptomatic rather than determining. Being a POW isn’t a qualification for office — it’s revealing of character, but not directly applicable to the duties — and I rather doubt that the Navy would be anxious to let him trap a Hornet on the deck of the Nimitz, and would think much less of him if he were dumb enough to ask. It’s not what a President is supposed to do. Ride the COD (the service aircraft) like Bush did, yes, that’s an “I’m one of you” gesture the sailors appreciate. Actually do the work? Bah. That’s what Lieutenants, j.g. are for.
What concerns me about McCain, and has for some years now even watching him as a Senator, is the Charlie Brown aspect. He believes with all his heart that politics should be a kinder and gentler sport than it presently is (and maybe has always been), that partisanship is destructive, and that collegiality and cooperation should reign. It predisposes him to making tradeoffs and negotiating, rather than taking a position and sticking to it — and when competing against people for whom partisanship is absolute and non-negotiable, it means that in all too many cases “cooperate” means “do it the other guy’s way”. Lucy will always snatch the football at the last instant. Being fooled once isn’t bad, but Charlie Brown needs to pay attention — there is a way to win the extended Prisoner’s Dilemma: Cooperate on the first round, then do what your opponent did on the previous one. I’ve seen no sign that John McCain knows that, either.
What I would really, really like to see before I die is an Army officer who’d been decorated in combat as a company-grade officer I1st Lieutenant and below) or a Major. We’ve done the Commanding General (Eisenhower), small-boat Navy (JFK), nerd Navy (Carter), Navy pilot (Bush Senior), and Air Force pilot (G.W. Bush). I don’t remember which service Ford was in, and of course Reagan’s service was only quasi-military. I’m a Navy partisan, but I think the ground pounders need a turn. Affirmative action? :-)
The modern tendency is away from John Nance Garner’s experience. The office of the Presidency has grown so big that the Vice President has to be used as an assistant, else not enough will get done. If Ms. Palin can sit in on conferences, and help stiffen McCain’s determination, perhaps we can get them to be nonpartisan the other way, beating up on corrupt Republicans and dirty Democrats evenhandedly. That would overjoy me, and be a service to the country not equaled since at least Lincoln.
But I ain’t holdin’ my breath.
Regards,
Ric
Mr. Locke, as usual, nails it.
If only we had more Mr. Locke posters and fewer thor and nishi posters.
I denounce myself for getting ready to denounce myself for excluding the insane in the comments. It’s denouncing (not turtles) all the way down!
What concerns me about McCain, and has for some years now even watching him as a Senator, is the Charlie Brown aspect. He believes with all his heart that politics should be a kinder and gentler sport than it presently is (and maybe has always been), that partisanship is destructive, and that collegiality and cooperation should reign.
He is an Officer and a Gentleman. I wonder how that Gentleman is going to be affected by watching what Sarah Palin and her family is being subjected to right now. His good friend Joe Lieberman just got shat on by Harry Reid, and it looks like plenty more to come on that front. McCain has tried to play nice, and it isn’t working at all, I just don’t think he is going to like what Harry Reid and those pinheads are doing to the Senate that McCain loves and respects. I hope not, anyway.
And I agree with pretty much Ric’s entire overview of McCain – he was certainly not my first choice. Or my third. I just do not believe in the “cleansed by fire” scenario that many conservatives think 4 years of Obama would result in – yes it may result in a revolution but its unlikely. 4 years of Obama would be detrimental to this country, especially the economy and with a democratic congress. I can think of 10 ways Obama will set certain policies on a path to ruin – the question will be, how long will it take to ruin things. I like to look long term- drill baby drill accepts the fact that drilling right now will not result in oil for 3+ years- however, looking long term, that’s one more source of income we didn’t have 3 years ago.
I think liberals biggest problem is the complete rejection of capitalism.
In terms of Palin’s participation, I think McCain picked her because she’ll be tough- and I think she will be, as much as possible. I hope McCain surrounds himself and Palin with good people – I see plenty of people with experience in certain areas who would be valuable as advisors.
If only you had also included citations for enforced diversity, identity politics, and multi-culturalism you would have essentially written the Cliff notes version of the secular/progressive/liberal Democratic Bible!
Excellent comparison though, my dear…
But surely the question is are her tits “real?”
“But surely the question is are her tits “real?”
– Well thor-boi…..that will be just one of many things that will chap your ass for the rest of you pitiful existence since you’ll be the last grunter that will ever know.
thor, you’ve got the attention you crave from this audience. Your parents no doubt hate you by now. Mission accomplished.
Off you go….
“Off you go”? He can’t go. This is the only attention thorazine ever gets. I’m sure even the russian mail order bride has given up on him. He’s here like syphilis.
He’d be great propaganda, if anyone would claim him.
The thor persona is so wretchedly stereotypical that I still think he’s a sock puppet.
No real person could be this thick.
“Which, how very continental!”
Continental philosophy in, Non-American opinions out.*
“I think the ground pounders need a turn.”
Petraeus in ’20!
“4 years of Obama”
If there are 4, there are likely to be 16. At least. And I’m not talking about the wife. FDR was just a warm up.
* – being too oblivious to the American tradition to be Anti-
Security?
I agree, PJ, I don’t think the history or the content is taught very well. Maditory constitution class focuses pretty much on the Delaration and the constitutional powers, very little in the Bill of Rights or where it stands in relation to the other two. But then again, they want it that way.
“What I would really, really like to see before I die is an Army officer who’d been decorated in combat as a company-grade officer (1st Lieutenant and below) or a Major.”
Yo.
But I am not running for anything. Just yet anyways…
[…] to Nowhere, for which Obama and Biden voted yes as part of a budget bill; and here.  Regarding Christianism. Regarding Andrew. Regarding […]
Ah, but you’re going to be kicked upstairs to LtC soon, so DENIED!
I mean the kicked upstairs bit kiddingly, of course.
[…] a random judge has more sense than the constitution. Jeff Goldstein delves even deeper into the constitution-Obama follower-stupid triangulation, that and the Sarah Palin equals a Muslim terrorist equivalence. Rachel writes about that too. […]
Slart – wasn’t the point that you got the combat bling whilst Company Grade (or Major)?
Not that I am exactly Audie Murphy or Bud Day…
Oh, yeah. I keep forgetting about teh bling.
I denounce myself for being a Cubs fan.
[…] have a judiciary that, for 80% of Obama supporters, is wrong in appealing to the Constitution rather than to the far more open-ended idea of […]
How else do you explain proggressives driving around with “I Love My Country But Fear My Government†bumperstickers without a trace of irony?
I thought it was right-wingers who sported those bumper stickers. Bill Clinton commented on them, as I recall, and not in a complimentary way.