“OK, so that happened. . .”
January 20th, 2005 - 11:01 am
The swearing in is done, the speech has been given, and the parties will go on until dawn. Well, the parties might, but President Bush will probably still be in bed at ten. Go figure.
My biggest hope for Bush 43.5 is that it doesn’t suck as much as most second-term administrations do. We can probably count on seeing:
Pun, why are you still singing out of that discredited hymnal?
“Exhaustion? Is that the new euphemism for a net job less?”
Psychic, are we? We’ll see what Bush’s job record is when he leaves office exactly 4 years from now.
I’d like to see the Dems get their chops busted a little more before their resurgance. The idea is for them to actually evolve ideologically and return to the mianstream of American politics. If they win in 2008 by means of modulating their rhetoric without actual reform, it would be a disaster for the country.
The country got along just fine through 40 years of Democratic dominance in Congress and at the state level. I’m not going to pine for the return of the Democratic party just for the sake of some absurd sense of parity. Leave artificially created competition to the NFL, not our government.
If the Dems’ answer to every problem was not Another-Big-Government-Program, they might do better. Perhaps if they focused on things like personal liberty. Of course that would mean a purging of the party.
Please do not send me to Andrew’s site again. Now I remember why I stopped. The post about the speech was ok I guess but then we get “America is a nation of torturers” and “cleanse Virginia of gay people”. So, please stop. Thank you.
The country got along just fine through 40 years of Democratic dominance in Congress and at the state level.
???????????????????????????????
Have you been in a coma? Got along fine? Not quite, but this isn’t the place to go into chapter and verse.
Second the poster above. I’ll read Andrew again after he explains how he broke away from the aliens who have kept him captive while his double has been shouting his mouth off. Until then, I’ll just have to muddle along with his “insights.”
Oh don’t take it so literally, erp. You know what I mean. We’re still here today and the world’s greatest superpower despite 40 years of virtual one-party rule.
My point is that our goal should be to get things accomplished, not hope Republicans lose just so we have a viable opposition party.
Actually, I argue just the opposite. Republicans are generally at their worst when triangulating for votes and compromising with Democrats. Screw em. Run the Dems out of Washington entirely with a 60% GOP Senate and let’s get some things done.
I’d rather see Republicans try it their way and fail before the Democrats gain another single seat in the halls of Congress.
Looking ahead:
Poll: How many more Bush administrations (this century)?
Up until two months ago I would have agreed with you that the Democrats were probably favorites to win in 2008, but now I’m not so sure.
True, Bush’s margin of victory was small and surmountable. But the Democrats can’t figure out how to win in ’08 until they figure out why they lost in ’04. And they’re not going to do that until they ADMIT they lost — something a disturbingly large number of Dems are refusing to do.
REFLECTIONS ON THE INAUGURAL SPEECH
If anyone believed
Turn WI purple, Vodka.
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Or maybe the color of cheddar…
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Let’s see how they do in ’06.
Bush’s Speech: A Conceptual Framework Pegged On Freedom
President George Bush’s inaugural speech basically tells Americans — and the world — that no matter what, the U.S. will not lose sight of the ball in play here and abroad: protecting and nurturing freedom. Remember that very few inaugural
Mike.
Remember Bush won and has positive numbers in spite of the overwhelming negative coverage from the media worldwide and leaders from virtually every country on the U.N. roster. That he won two elections despite widespread voter fraud is a miracle and probably proof that there is a God (I myself am not a believer although I do admire those who are).
Everything is skewed to make Bush and everything he does or says look bad. It’s not even a game to say ‘what if’ anymore.
What if a filthy rich White Republican senator who’s not your top intellect, called a Black female candidate for high office and who is tops in the brain department, a liar right to her face at a public hearing? What if she continued her wild eyed crazed accusations even after the candidate very politely asked her to refrain???
There would have been an earth quake from all the lefties jumping up and down and demanding a public beheading or at least a lynching. The tidal wave would have overcome the tidal basin and traveled around the world. The offending senator wouldn’t have gotten out of the hearing room alive. Of course, no one could ever imagine such a thing.
Charles Krauthammer said it and it was brought to our attention again by a new blog (Two Minute Offense) mentioned on Power Line, “Republicans believe Democrats are wrong, and Democrats believe Republicans are evil.
It’s so encouraging to know that the left in non-judgmental, unlike us evil spawn of Karl Rove.
I’m unfortunatly in agreement with your comment about the 2008 Republican field being weak. My personal handicapping is that both Houses will remain Republican in 2008, when America elects St. Hillarybeast President. That means that 2012 or 2016 will be the real challenge between St. Hillarybeast and some new Republican-face that we don’t recognise rising out of the rubble of the 2008 GOP Debacle.
Gulliani is fatally-tarred with the Kerik-scandel for 2008, and the Federal Constitution is not going to be changed for Gov. Arnold nor Gov. Granholm.. None of the other current Republican governors have the name-recognition or the policy-chops for 2008.
From where I’m standing, the field of potential Rep candidates looks pretty strong.
First of all, you have Guiliani and McCain, both of whom could beat Hillary in her sleep. Don’t worry about Rudy — in two years (when the Primary season is underway) most people won’t even remember Kerik. It won’t hurt Guiliani in the least.
Of course, in order to be nominated, they would have to convince at least some conservatives to back them, which might not happen, so the party may be stuck with a more conservative nominee. But even there they have Kansas Senator Sam Brownback (the darling of religious conservatives and a strong orator with solid foreign policy credentials) and Rick Santorum (who, if nothing else, is from Pennsylvania and could flip their 21 votes in the Red column).
And as far as Governors, don’t forget Mitt Romney (Mass). And that Jeb guy. The list isn’t perfect, but it looks a lot better than the field of potential Republican candidates in 2000 looked at this time in the cycle.
when America elects St. Hillarybeast President.
Not gonna happen. Hillary is still an incredibly divisive figure, and lots and lots of Republicans would consider her nomination one more chance to vote against Bill Clinton.
Nominating Hillary would result in massive Republican turnout.
Exhaustion? You sound like Tim Blair before the Australians continued the Coalition’s rule. Remember how voters would vote for a “time out from history” and George Bush would lose? We’ll just have to see how things look in 3-4 years.
Actually, John McCain is the one Republican who could guarantee my vote for Hillary in 2008.
In 1985, after Reagan began his second term, people were saying that the field of potential Republican nomniees for `88 was weak and we ended up with a President coming from those ranks. Of course, we also ended up with GHWB — a likeable guy in most respects but not the best President. I suspect that a front-runner or two will emerge in 2007 and, given the fact that the VP will most likely not be a candidate, it may end up being someone we haven’t even thought of yet.
Everyone seems so afraid of Hillary. Given who she is and what she believes, that’s entirely understandable; but she also has the highest negatives of any of the potential Demo nominees. If I were a Republican mole in the DNC, I’d be on the Hillary bandwagon right now……….
Of course, if the economy tanks or Iraq goes badly, then pretty much any Republican is going to have a hard time.