Another Jameson (the booze, not the broad) fueled post.
I guess you could say I have given up. I imagine many of us have. I no longer have any desire to persuade anyone who disagrees to cleave to my political positions. What’s the point? Most of us have already decided how we think (or feel, depending on political affiliation) things should be.
It takes energy to argue with walls of denial. I applaud those who continue to try, valiantly but ultimately in vain, to convert the unconvertable. But I am weary of the whole thing.
I watch very few talking head shows these days. Basically, I watch “Beltway Boys” and “Fox News Watch,” as well as the panel they have during the last 20 minutes of Brit Hume’s nightly news show on Fox. Neil Gabler can get my blood pressure up all by himself. I don’t need to see “McLaughlin Group” and that screechy partisan hack woman whose name I forget to push me into the cardiac zone. I rarely watch the news on other channels, although Lou Dobbs on CNN has a major bee in his bonnet about our current lax immigration policy, to his credit.
As an aside, I love old phrases and sayings.
But ultimately, what’s the point, especially this close to the election? No one is going to sway my vote now. I’m going with a straight Republican ticket, because I think the alternative is worse. I live in a purple state which has been trending slightly Republican lately but has a very Democrat tradition. I’m not sure how much my vote will count but I will be out there anyway.
I no longer have a real interest in viewpoints radically different from my own. I do not stray from sites that are considered to have a conservative bent. I enjoy the clarification of the posters and commenters at my favorite sites, such as this one. I have learned a lot from you people. Some have even changed my mind on some things. Not radical changes, but changes nevertheless. Mostly though, I learn.
So, I praise what some would call an echo chamber. I think that in PW we have a site that can teach many of us to think more clearly, through the collective wisdom of Jeff and the commenters and sometimes maligned guest posters. I do not include myself among those who have provided enlightenment. I would feel lucky if I got a “Hmm, yeah, he may have something there” or just a laugh now and then. ANd I will continue with the “Talking back to drag-queen music” posts until I lose posting priveledges or Jeff tells me to stop. I refuse to give up. You have been warned.
Sort of an update, but not really: Jeezus, I just re-read this post. Can I kiss ass or what?
you should add the last half hour or so of Fox News Sunday to your viewing so you can see the “Brit Hume finally gives Juan Williams the verbal smacking he deserved all week but since Brit’s the host never does” panel bits. Brit Hume unleashed… it brings tears to my eyes. in addition to the drooling.
You gotta think long term, cranky.
The minute this election is over…the race for the White House will begin.
Not to mention the 2008 Congressional races, when, if my count is accurate…
The Republicans will be trying to defend 21 Senate seats, the Democrats only 12.
Ouch.
This election is just a warmup for the Big One.
Monkyboy, as far as I can tell, your comment is orthoganal to my post. Unless you are arguing that I should be trying to convert you to my political position, which I think is a waste of time. I have read almost all of your comments to various posts on this site, though I have not responded until now. There is no reason to think I can move you, so why should I try?
Note that I have not predicted who would win and who would lose, only what I intend to do when I vote. This will probably carry over to 2008.
BTW, “cranky” is being used by someone else who comments here at times, though he changed his handle once I started posting. I’m “cranky-d.”
Maybe not this time around cranky, but for the next election, many of my least favorite Republicans will be retired, in jail or defeated in the upcoming election…
Provided they field some decent candidates for ‘08, I could be persuaded to vote for the “new” Republican Party…assuming we’re out of Iraq by then, of course.
Non-sequitor. Your facts are un-coordinated.
Sorry…cranky-d.
Just consider how different the Republican party, especially its leadership and its issues, will be after this election…
Well if you are just exposed to the same views constantly through whatever medium then it isn’t likely that your views will ever change now is it?
You mean it hasn’t already?
Ardsgaine insightfully wrote here recently about contemporary liberalism: it is quintessentially nihilistic. That struck me as so self-evident that I was ashamed that I hadn’t realized it before. Comtemporary liberalism requires its own destruction to satisfy its reason for being, which is its vanity. It is not enough to benefit the poor, for example: the rich must be destroyed. Or, it is not enough to be at peace; our nation must be diminished. You can read it at DU, at KOS, every day.
Well, one might want to inform oneself of the latest trendy nihilistic rad-chic, but, frankly, it is a waste of time. So much of contemporary liberalism is the logical eventuality of the culture of death, which finds so many benefits in nonbeing, e.g., abortion, euthansia, and eugenics.
At my age, I am not going to have a sudden epiphany that causes a fundamental change in my moral and political principles. I think that the window of opportunity for that closes somewhere between 25 and 30.
As for PW, there’s enough difference of opinion here to make debate possible without making it pointless and irritating.
Let’s just change chimp-anus’ name to P&I. That seems to be the most appropriate course.
This is very sad, but true of me as well. I am tired of being a spectator in parallel universes. Bush with a gotee and devil’s horns like he’s evil Bush in some Star Trek parallel dimension.
Yet you are part of the problem, not the solution. When we disengage from discussing the racism of low expectations with blacks, the anti-mother dimension of the feminist pro-aborts, the job killing aspects of the living wage movement, we lose the ability to change hearts and minds. Those in thrall of liberal positions will never surrender their “moral authority”, because they mean well.
It takes more work to engage them, but the superiority of positions that defend the US are worthy of the effort. I was raised in a Dem, Massachusetts, union family. I, eventually, saw the heartless cost of the well-meaning progressives: we will make your life easier, but it will cost you your soul. If you are underprivileged, we will upgrade your privileges, but you owe us fealty.
If right-thinking conservatives could convince me…it’s worth the effort.
Dale, I understand where you are coming from (having also grown up in Mass, but with a small business owner father who dealt with a union.) The problem right now is that the upcoming election is looking iffy and I blame…George Bush and the Republicans.
Wait! Wait! Before the slings and arrows of outraged conservatives pepper my ass, let me explain. This has never been an election about policy or ideas because Pres. Bush, for all of his endearing qualities, clearly neglected to actively sustain the inspiration the electorate during wartime. He was clear in defining the war and then allowed it to be charcterized by everyone else. Of course that left the moonbats, the MSM and Democratic politicians to shape the message, but it’s not their fault because anybody with half a brain knew that that’s exactly what they would do! I’m just as guilty of this as anybody.
We spend all of our time smacking around the “hate America first” and “Airforce bakesale” 60’s leftovers and not enough time yelling at our own party and presidency to get the hell out and inspire people to understand the extent of the threat and our need to resolve it overseas rather than at our ports or cities or our subways. They collectively dropped the ball in that regard. How many press conferences detailing the re-building effort in Iraq have we seen? Don’t blame the MSM for this one, because they left this effort to relatively low level people. Bush needed to be at alot of these conferences, holding an pointer and chronicling the successes in such a way that it would have to be reported. His and the leadership’s failure to do so has allowed the discussion to be shaped into a dead end bowl of “no WMD’s”, “no Yellowcake in Niger”, “Sectarian Violence”, “Civil War,” “Casualties,” “Quagmire.”
I think that the Pr4esident is doing the right thing in the GWOT and I’m proud of him in his willingness to stand tall and take the pounding. Not only do I reject P&I’s and others characterization of “what’s the big deal?”, I find it dreadfully dangerous. Unfortunately, neither Bush nor the Republican leadership have understood the idea of sustained information leadership required in any war.
Sorry to be so negative, but if things turn our badly for conservatives in the upcoming election I know who I’m going to blame 9in addition to Foley, Weldon, and a few others…)
Frederique?
Because I’m whackin’ it to Clam Lappers of Late Capitalism right now.
SYNCHRONICITY.
Cranky,
You never know whom you will convert. I remember a very good friend of my saying: “Most Republicans are willing to pollute the enviroment for short term earnings.”
My reply to this ridiculous statement was to embrace it at the ridiculous level: “Yes! Yes! I love dirty skies and my pockets full of money! My grandchildren can just bite it! Let ‘em die! I don’t care! How can I find a way to pollute more! It sexually excites me!”
In the space of about two years this lifeling diehard centrist Democrat is now a staunch converative. I must confess the lefty nuts helped me. Her lefty friends were so illogical, it forced her to put her tendencies to the test. I’ll never convert my brother, but keep swinging. You make hit a few!
Peppered ass. Is that similar to blackened rump roast?
Cajun Blackened Emperor Sized Conservative Rump Roast…$29.95
And to drink, sir?
Aw, I can’t pass that up!
I want a delicious, tall glass of Frothing Insinuationsâ„¢, of course!
So do I. They have not lived up to their responsibilities. For instance, I expected fiscal responsibility. I’m so naive.
They don’t deserve my vote, but I find the alternative to be even less palitable.
Hey, cranky-d, I’m voting Republican too. I’m not overwhelmingly thrilled about it but, as you said, the alternative is unacceptable.
BTW Barack Obama is quoted in this past Sunday’s paper as saying that very soon the Democratic Party will not have an identity crisis. Soon the worls will know that Democrats stand for “Humanity and Caring.” (vomit)
It’s amazing to me that a grown man could think that people in the US don’t know that that’s what the Democratic party has be aiming for for the past 70 years–to be the party of Humanity and Caring. What’s different now is that people have realized what that amounts to. I trace that dawning realization back to about 1979. By now the message is pretty much out. I’m wondering how Obama is going to get them to unlearn it.
BJTexs, I think your analysis is spot on. It’s been a constant complaint amongst my friends that the President just hasn’t done a good job of PR. ever so often he’ll make a speech and i’ll think, “Yay! he’s finally going to get off his ass and fight!” and then it’s followed my more weeks of nothing.
maggie; you are kind to call my bulging eyed screed “analysis.” I’m not in my happy place today (what with the Eagles losing on a friggin’ 62 yard field goal and…uh…other things.) I just got off the phone with one of my best friends, a rabid conservative. We were just talking about what Reagan would be doing to “sell” the GWOT, including Iraq, to the American people. The fact that Bush doesn’t seem to get this or care about it just makes me verklempt(sp?)!
BTW:Obama also said that “all Democrats believe in equal opportunity and upward mobility.” Well, that will separate Dems from Reps beacuse none of us believe in those things….do we? The more I hear him speak the more the word “bubba” flashes in my brain. Which is followed by the nausea…
Hmm… he might be on to something with the equal opportunity thing, because, truthfully, what I believe in is equality before the law, which is a completely different animal.
I have been posting regularly in the politics forum at http://www.shroomery.org/forums/ubbthreads.phpfor about 3 years. They’re mostly a bunch of youngsters but there are a few adults. They’re not all idiotarians and almost all of them are capable of clearly expressing their ideas in English. I HAVE influenced some of them. They told me so. Once they leave the vile clutches of the academy they can perceive the nature of the bilge presented there. Some even before they leave. Don’t give up. For every tenured Ward Churchill there can be a thousand of us giving the rest of the kids ammunition to ridicule the acolytes. And I know you know how mean kids can be, ‘cause, fuck, we were always mean bastards. Now, where’s that puppy…
The best thing about puppys…
They don’t taste like chicken.
(much better! UUMMMMM)
TASTELESS ETHNIC JOKE ALERT
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What do you call a Filipino with a dog on a leash?
A caterer.
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END OF TASTELESS ETHNIC JOKE ALERT
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We now return to irregularly elicited normal cynicism.