Has a Sketchy Past
Flips on Positions
Gives Slippery Explanations
Rewrites History
Abuses Anecdotes
Blames Others
Works the Crowd
Engages in Racial Pandering
Gives Dubious Pardons
Raises Taxes
Loves Jogging
Wants the Government to Help
Has Really Thin Skin
Does That Righteous Thumb-on-Top-of-Fist Thing?

Bill Clinton or Mike Huckabee?
…No, I can’t tell the difference either…

Voltaire would not be my first choice to quote in a thread about democracy, he had some strange ideas:

An ideal form of government is democracy tempered with assassination.
– Voltaire

bnelson44 on December 9, 2007 at 4:47 PM

Voltaire was a satirist, he wrote this in jest.

Sounds like the Mt. Hood National Forest

MB4 on December 9, 2007 at 8:48 PM

Perhaps scenically, but in the Romanian Carpathians you’ll find tiny villages, with no electricity, nor other amenities, shepherds from whom to buy raw milk and freshly processed cheese (they and families spend the entire summer on those peaks with the sheep, and sleep in tents). There are no showers in the cabanas, only ice cold streams by them – it’s going back in time, and yet it is marvelous, for a limited time. Of course the people who live there haven’t been any other place, ever. It’s their heaven, hard as they live.

Those are amazing.

But isn’t that where Dracula is from? :-)

Slublog on December 9, 2007 at 8:53 PM

Yes, indeed – at midnight my eyes turn red too :)

I’m thinking more and more that a 3rd party is necessary, with a strong leader. I know, some of you will say “that will put a democrat in the WH”, but I’m not so sure. Something really weird is going on in the country, and both parties are not serious.

Entelechy on December 9, 2007 at 8:16 PM

I’ve been having similar thoughts. The conservative movement seems to be fracturing and in the event that one of the splinter groups captures the White House I don’t have a lot of confidence that the coalition can be mended any time soon, if ever. In this scenario the un-represented constituencies of the Republican Party may start a 3rd party, possibly even during the present election cycle depending upon the degree of disaffection.

On the other hand I don’t think any splinter group of Reagan’s conservative coalition will have a broad enough appeal to win the White House on their own, and there’s nothing better to unify divergent groups within the conservative movement than another Clinton presidency.

But isn’t that where Dracula is from? :-)

Slublog on December 9, 2007 at 8:53 PM

Dracula was born in Chicago, Illinois.

I’d rather you keep/enjoy the great land in Oregon, and visit the Carpathian Mountains, full with lakes, totally primitive and breathtakingly beautiful.

Those are amazing.

But isn’t that where Dracula is from? :-)

I’d rather you keep/enjoy the great land in Oregon, and visit the Carpathian Mountains, full with lakes, totally primitive and breathtakingly beautiful.

Entelechy on December 9, 2007 at 8:16 PM

Sounds like the Mt. Hood National Forest

I’d rather you keep/enjoy the great land in Oregon, and visit the Carpathian Mountains, full with lakes, totally primitive and breathtakingly beautiful. I grew up at their base, toward the SW part, hiking the peaks every summer; true hiking, not the luxurious type known here.

Fight for the latter option, for the sake of this country and the world. I’m thinking more and more that a 3rd party is necessary, with a strong leader. I know, some of you will say “that will put a democrat in the WH”, but I’m not so sure. Something really weird is going on in the country, and both parties are not serious.

while at the same time trying to make the GOP look like a bunch of bible-thumping ideologues who will vote for whoever has the most church-cred.

Hate to break it to you or state the obvious, but it looks like that’s pretty much the sad truth.

I have this sinking feeling that it will be Obama/Huckabee in the general

Entelechy on December 9, 2007 at 5:50 PM

I could still live in America with Obama,I think.

If The High Reverend Huckster were to become U.S. Minister President, I do believe I would be asking you to recommend some good property in Transylvania.

Paul

There is a cure… Go Fred.

Fred State America needs you. He’s completely 4real. He doesn’t need to nuance anything.

You know, I’d probably prefer Obama over Huckabee. I disagree with him on many issues, but he seems to have a little more backbone than Huck, who just hides behind his Bible whenever there’s any trouble.

Big S, you reinforced my sinking feeling. Obama and Huckabee are not leaders of the world. The Republican party is not serious.

…

So it has come to this: the 2008 Republican Iowa caucuses have descended into a kind of holy war. The clash centers on issues that are, in Saint Augustine’s phrase, ever ancient, ever new: the nature of God, the disposition of power and the sanctity of conscience. The skirmish pits Huckabee against Romney in a story of hardball politics and high-minded history, of shadowy slurs and noble principles

A New American Holy War – Newsweek cover story.

He’ll wipe the floor with any “Christian candidate” if that’s the matchup in the general election.

Big S on December 9, 2007 at 5:59 PM

Rudy will probably be the Republican candidate, I doubt they will even discuss religion.

The Obama/Keyes race of 2004 was a trainwreck for the (R) party. There’s plenty of vidoe fodder on YouTube illustrating how insane it actually got. Obama always came across well against Keyes, no matter who you actually agreed with. Although Huck is not as “fire and brimstone” as Keyes, I’m afraid it might turn out to be the same kind of dynamic in 2008 if we nominate the guy. Also, note how well Obama deals with the discussions about religion that he gets engaged with; he makes the Republicans (Romney!) look like amateurs when talking about the role of religion in public life. He’ll wipe the floor with any “Christian candidate” if that’s the matchup in the general election.