Big news: Mitt struggles with the words to “America the Beautiful”
posted at 11:50 am on January 2, 2008 by Allahpundit
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Not only did the Washington Examiner deem this worthy of coverage, it’s now featured in an entirely uncritical blog post at HuffPo.
Exit question: Desperate if understandable move by a reporter hungry for content, or maybe, just maybe, were See-Dub and Patterico right?
Update: Excellent point.
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And the point is?
Oh, that’s right.
Blog hits.
Mcguyver on January 2, 2008 at 11:53 AM
Fred could sing “America the Beautiful,” “The Star Spangled Banner” and “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” then play selected Sousa marches with his armpit.
Slublog on January 2, 2008 at 11:53 AM
“Yaaaaahhhhhaaaaaaaa”
Good grief!
csdeven on January 2, 2008 at 11:54 AM
I think Fred wrote “America the Beautiful”.
tlynch001 on January 2, 2008 at 11:54 AM
you gotta love ‘news’. Maybe he forgot his magic underwear. He’s just so slick you don’t expect him to make a mistake like that. I mean look how quickly he dismissed the possibility for marijuana treatment for the kid in the wheelchair. That was perfect GOP standard line without blinking. I didn’t think Romney made mistakes like this.
Oh well, yawn.
ThackerAgency on January 2, 2008 at 11:55 AM
Maybe he needs to ask one of his other wives… ha ha
DfDeportation on January 2, 2008 at 11:58 AM
Romney is so plastic even his mistakes look too robotic! Who the hell programmed this guy… it’s like he’s a HUMAN!
BKennedy on January 2, 2008 at 11:59 AM
He was ad-libbing and using the song as the reasoning for his words. If he was singing the song or reciting it verbatim and messed up, I suppose it’d be different. Not a big deal to me.
JustinHiggins on January 2, 2008 at 12:00 PM
This was a “blog-hit whore” posting. C’mon, there’ll be actual news in a few hours.
Mojave Mark on January 2, 2008 at 12:00 PM
ha ha Are you guys serious? Football was on. Who wants to sing when football is on? I don’t…
DfDeportation on January 2, 2008 at 12:01 PM
It sounds like he was laughing at himself for his gaffe. And if the Examiner believes a little self-deprecating humor is something to be used against him, they’re fools.
Makes me kinda wonder if the polls are wrong and Mitt really is in the lead in Iowa when I see something like this.
bert169 on January 2, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Allah is doing everything he can to discredit and destroy the only conservative in the race. If Mitt loses, I’m sitting it out and the reps can reap what they sow!
I’m tired of this crap!
csdeven on January 2, 2008 at 12:02 PM
With the beans and the corn too!!!! That Mitt sure is witty and pretty.
Jay on January 2, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Kinda. When it comes down to it, most voters are very shallow. They vote for the person they like, for whatever reason. Appearance will bring a lot of voters over. Remember how Richard Nixon started to nose dive after his debate with Kennedy where he looked sickly on TV? If you look presidential, you have a much better chance of winning.
Hillary’s recent ad that you posted where she is acting like a kind mother is another approach and one her male opponents can’t match.
By the way, very, very, very few people read position papers. They vote on “instinct” and “gut feel”.
So yea, See-Dub and Patterico are right.
bnelson44 on January 2, 2008 at 12:03 PM
Mitt Romney is on record advocating the Boy Scouts of America allow homosexuals to be Scoutmasters. I don’t know what your defintion of a conservative is, but this advocacy doesn’t match my definition of a conservative.
bnelson44 on January 2, 2008 at 12:04 PM
Mitt better be nominated or I’m voting for Hillary! That’ll show the Republican Party good!
BKennedy on January 2, 2008 at 12:04 PM
Hey, whatever the media can do to help Huckabee. Any Republican (left) after a Huckabe nomination would be ridiculed mercilessly by the rest of America.
davenp35 on January 2, 2008 at 12:06 PM
This is so stupid you should do like Huck and un-post it.
Brat on January 2, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Can’t get the video to load, but I assume this is one of those stupidly irrelevant gotcha-type moments.
Quick – name all of the signers of the Declaration of Independence…
CP on January 2, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Maybe JK Rowling will create a character for Mitt in her eighth Harry Potter book, named TangleTongue.
RushBaby on January 2, 2008 at 12:06 PM
Hillary’s recent ad that you posted where she is acting like a kind mother is another approach and one her male opponents can’t match.
Wanna bet? These hips was made for birthin’!
/Bill Richardson
amish on January 2, 2008 at 12:06 PM
I’m on record advocating anyone, homosexual or heterosexual, that openly talks about their sexuality in front of Boy Scouts should never be a scoutmaster. I don’t have issues with gay scoutmasters unless they begin their conversations with the scouts like: “I’m Scoutmaster Big Gay Al” instead of “I’m Scoutmaster Big Al.”
BKennedy on January 2, 2008 at 12:07 PM
Now if only he could play Pachelbel’s Canon with his armpit, he’d win my vote!
bert169 on January 2, 2008 at 12:07 PM
darkly funny.
RushBaby on January 2, 2008 at 12:08 PM
And since when has America the Beautiful become anything more than a beautiful song about this country. It is not the National Anthem and is not required of Americans to memorize to show and prove their patriotism.
It is nothing more than a song written for a Play and later turned into a movie.
So, for Mitt not to remember the words of this song is not a problem. I would bet that most of the people making an issue of this can’t say more than the first line of the National Anthem, but could sing every word of some rock song expressing anti-American beliefs.
Helloyawl on January 2, 2008 at 12:08 PM
I cannot, for the life of me, figure out why anybody would want to run for president. I question the judgement of everyone running for POTUS. Where does that leave us?
Zetterson on January 2, 2008 at 12:09 PM
Makes me kinda wonder if the polls are wrong and Mitt really is in the lead in Iowa when I see something like this.
bert169 on January 2, 2008 at 12:02 PM
It’s obvious that Romney is the guy to beat and The OPEN BORDERS ZEALOTS have lined up to derail him. What does this have to do with The Huckster’s and Hillary’s comments about Pakistan?
DfDeportation on January 2, 2008 at 12:11 PM
Sorry if I was not clear. The issue is the BSA will not allow avowed (that means talking openly) homosexuals to be scoutmasters. Mitt wants that rule reversed. He sees no reason why someone who is openly homosexual should not lead boys on overnight campouts in the woods, or two or three adult homosexuals lead the troop. That is the issue confronting the BSA and the issue that Mitt has sided with the homosexual lobby on.
Why is this an issue? Well the President of the United States is the honorary president of the BSA. So he will be asked if elected.
The point I am making is that Mitt’s position is not a conservative position.
bnelson44 on January 2, 2008 at 12:11 PM
I can do the first two verses of America the Beautiful and the first verse of the National Anthem.
Oh Beautiful for spacious skys
for amber waves of grain
for purple mountain majesties
above the fruited plain
America, America
God shed his grace on thee
And crown thy good with brotherhood
from sea to shining sea.
Oh Beautiful fo pilgrim feet
whose stern impassioned stress
a thouroughfare for freedom beat
across the wilderness
America, America
God mend thine every flaw
confirm thy soul is self control
they liberty in law.
…
Oh say can you see
by the dawn’s early light
what so proudly we hailed
at the twilight’s last gleaming
whose broad stripes and bright stars
through the perilous fight
o’er the ramparts we watched
were so gallantly streaming
and the rocket’s red glare
the bombs bursting in air
gave proof through the night
that our flag was still there.
Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave
o’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave.
BKennedy on January 2, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Reporter: Hey, Senator Thompson…can you sing “America the Beautiful?”
Fred: *steely glare*
Reporter: Bravissimo!
JetBoy on January 2, 2008 at 12:15 PM
Obama didn’t hold his hand over his heart for the pledge so I had to eliminate him.
Sorry Mitt. Gotta be fair.
JiangxiDad on January 2, 2008 at 12:18 PM
This is as outrageous as the “silly hat” incident and I remember the same “Desperate if understandable move by a reporter hungry for content…” sentiment around here then about that.
Oh wait…
Michael in MI on January 2, 2008 at 12:19 PM
Uh? I think you’re reading something into my post that I didn’t say. I never mention Huckster nor Hillary, nor did I have any intention to speak about those two bozos.
I think you may be on the wrong thread.
bert169 on January 2, 2008 at 12:24 PM
I honestly don’t care what they do. As a woman all I had was the much less impressive Girl Scouts. I actually earned a grocery badge.
I only want them to be able to decide and not have a law decide for them.
If you were anyone else I’d question your sincerity, but you’ve really become insane over Mitt. Read the top part again. Can’t you sense even the slightest bit of sarcasm there? Or do you really believe that Allah considers this a big story.
Esthier on January 2, 2008 at 12:24 PM
Actually, Mitt handled it pretty well.
bnelson44 on January 2, 2008 at 12:25 PM
Once again, we see the hypocrisy of Romney supporters who most likely turned red over Obama not placing his hand over his heart during the Pledge, or Hillary botching the words to the National Anthem.
We’ve seen this sickening hypocrisy now with Romney supporters, Giuliani supporters, McCain supporters, and Huckabee supporters.
John Kerry is a complete moron for flip flopping, but Romney’s flip flopping is actually a “good” thing since he was only fulfilling his promises to the liberals who elected him.
Sick sick sick!
Gregor on January 2, 2008 at 12:28 PM
Only one response is appropriate to this:
COOKIES!
I love the girl scouts. Such darling little capitalists.
BKennedy on January 2, 2008 at 12:28 PM
Excellent point.
Allahpundit on January 2, 2008 at 12:29 PM
Wow. Please move yourself over to DailyKos where you belong.
Gregor on January 2, 2008 at 12:30 PM
Really? I mean, “America the Beautiful” isn’t the national song. Doesn’t it rate a little lower than the “Star Spangled Banner”?
I’m not saying Hillary and Obama deserve all they got for messing up on that song, but I can understand how someone would see a difference between the two songs. They’re both beautiful patriotic songs, but one is actually the national anthem while the other is not.
Esthier on January 2, 2008 at 12:39 PM
And what if this were your candidate? Would you then be a hypocrite? People support their candidate. That’s how elections work. If you don’t like a guy, you will make a big negative deal out of everything they do. If you like a candidate, you will make a big deal out of everything positive they do and downplay everything negative they do. It’s actually based on a psychological principal called motivated reasoning. It doesn’t have anything to do with hypocricy.
davenp35 on January 2, 2008 at 12:39 PM
YES. How dare he point out where the song is from and that it isn’t our national anthem.
Still, if you don’t know the words, don’t try to sing. And if you’re a presidential candidate, it’s probably a good idea to spend some time nailing down the little cultural touchstones – flag etiquette, songs, etc.
Slublog on January 2, 2008 at 12:40 PM
There is a substantial difference between remembers the words to the National Anthem or America the Beautiful and one declining to place their hand over their heart when the Pledge of Allegiance is recited.
I am not sure where you buy your apples and oranges at, but I suggest you look carefully in the shopping cart before you exit the store.
MarkB on January 2, 2008 at 12:42 PM
Oh I’m sorry Gregor, what was it you were saying about hypocrisy? What when your second choice for president is Hillary Rodham Clinton if St. Fred doesn’t get the nod?
Romney has a single brainfart while he’s ad-libbing and you’re ready to condemn him. It isn’t as if he was actually singing the song.
Meanwhile Fred continues to destroy his own campaign, and you whine about the media and right-wing sellouts. You’re in no position to talk about hypocrisy Gregor.
BKennedy on January 2, 2008 at 12:44 PM
Call me crazy guys but I don’t recall any of which you speak about. Romney supporters frothing at the mouth about those clumsy Dem candidate gaffs? Examples would be in order. I also cannot recall any Romney supporters arguing that Romney flip flops were somehow emblematic of a positive trait. Examples of that would also be in order. It seems to me that you are making over simplified, untrue assumptions completely unsubstantiated by the facts.
Zetterson on January 2, 2008 at 12:44 PM
Oh beautiful, for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain…
For purple mountain majesties, above the fruited plain…
America, America, God shed his grace on thee…
And crown thy good with brotherhood, from sea to shining sea…
Right off the top of my head, haven’t sung it in a decade, and I’m not running for president. Mitt, you’re a dip.
MadisonConservative on January 2, 2008 at 12:48 PM
You’re certainly smarter then I am. I forgot the “amber waves of grain” line too. I guess I’m just a dip.
Zetterson on January 2, 2008 at 12:54 PM
Sure, but you went in order. Mitt was just reciting parts of it off the top of his head. I’m not a Romney supporter (though I like him better than some), but I think this is really silly.
I know my alphabet, but sometimes I have to go through the list when trying to list things alphabetically.
Esthier on January 2, 2008 at 12:57 PM
Lots of bombs in the air…
ScottMcC on January 2, 2008 at 1:01 PM
First, my candidate has not done anything like this … yet.
Secondly, no … I would not be a hypocrite because IF he were to do something this moronic, I would blast the cr&p out of him.
This isn’t a football game where I support my team even when they are playing like crap. We’re electing the person who we want to run our country. Many of you don’t seem to have any problem at all with the fact that your candidates are lying, fraudulent, morons. You’re simply supporting them because you think they can win.
Gregor on January 2, 2008 at 1:09 PM
And you’re only supporting Thompson because he has a super-cool accent and a folksy manner.
Wow! Assumptions are fun!
Slublog on January 2, 2008 at 1:11 PM
Slow news day.
Meryl Yourish on January 2, 2008 at 1:12 PM
Yeah. Sorta like if someone were to point out that the Constitution is nothing but a piece of paper? Or the flag is just a piece of cloth?
Again, you validate my point. If Hillary, John Kerry, Harry Reid, or any other liberal were to say ‘America the Beautiful’ was nothing but a song … your head would explode.
Gregor on January 2, 2008 at 1:12 PM
No, it wouldn’t.
Again, assumptions are fun aren’t they? You can say anything you want.
Slublog on January 2, 2008 at 1:15 PM
You must have just added mind reading to your resume.
davenp35 on January 2, 2008 at 1:19 PM
Gregor is so clairvoyant that his support for Fred is just a ruse for what he knows will be a Hillary Clinton Presidency. Fred is just his skirt to hide behind and squak about “real conservatives,” he’s really planning on voting for Hillary (really.)
BKennedy on January 2, 2008 at 1:22 PM
Ahhh, BKennedy resorting to lies and distortion again to support his argument. Not surprising.
I doubt seriously that there are more than three people on HotAir who would suggest that by sitting out the election and refusing to vote for a liberal to represent the GOP, or to vote for Hillary to prevent Huckabee from destroying this country, that my “second choice for President” is Hillary Clinton. But you go right ahead and keep on lying.
A “single” brainfart? The man is a lying manipulating plastic flip-flopping liberal KEN DOLL and all a person has to do is spend ten minutes looking at his record to figure that out. But I realize that flip-flopping is only a bad thing if you have a “D” next to your name, right?
LOL! “Destroying his campaign?” Really? How’s he doing that? By spending every hour of every day campaigning across Iowa while people such as you lie and claim he’s lazy? The truth is that it’s people such as yourself who are destroying his campaign by furthering lies to advance your mission to nominate a liberal to represent the GOP.
Gregor on January 2, 2008 at 1:25 PM
This would indicate that you must spend about 5 minutes a day on the internet.
Gregor on January 2, 2008 at 1:26 PM
LOL! “Destroying his campaign?” Really? How’s he doing that? By spending every hour of every day campaigning across Iowa while people such as you lie and claim he’s lazy? The truth is that it’s people such as yourself who are destroying his campaign by furthering lies to advance your mission to nominate a liberal to represent the GOP.
Gregor on January 2, 2008 at 1:25
Moderate Democrats are ready to support Romney and Hunter. You can now add Thompson to that list. Good luck!
DfDeportation on January 2, 2008 at 1:28 PM
Sorry, but your example is not an assumption. It’s simply a stupid statement.
Gregor on January 2, 2008 at 1:28 PM
And I have just as much evidence to prove it as you did to back up the nonsense you’re spouting.
Slublog on January 2, 2008 at 1:29 PM
The Illegal Immigration Crisis is the most important issue to the 20% of us “swing voters”.
DfDeportation on January 2, 2008 at 1:30 PM
I don’t think you’re a dip if you don’t know that song, because you’re not running for president. However, if someone is going to be running the country, that’s one of the few symbolic things I think they should know, like Obama and his hand over his heart.
MadisonConservative on January 2, 2008 at 1:31 PM
And you’re only supporting Thompson because he has a super-cool accent and a folksy manner.
Wow! Assumptions are fun!
Slublog on January 2, 2008 at 1:11 PM
Not really. He’s pretty good on most issues. That’s why.
DfDeportation on January 2, 2008 at 1:32 PM
I think Romney would put his hand on his heart.
DfDeportation on January 2, 2008 at 1:33 PM
Oh, I know why Gregor is supporting Thompson. What bothers me is the assumption that he and other Thompson supporters make – that one only supports other candidates for specious or nefarious reasons. Such rhetoric is tiresome.
Slublog on January 2, 2008 at 1:33 PM
When the only words out of some poster’s posts are “His campaign sucks, he’s a crappy campaigner, he’s destroying his campaign”, it’s pretty clear that person is only concerned with the image of a candidate, and not his positions.
MadisonConservative on January 2, 2008 at 1:36 PM
Please keep embarrassing yourself. There’s not a single thread relating to the election that doesn’t contain various RINO supporters indicating that their support is based on the fact that they are “electable.”
Don’t believe me? Just look a few posts past your own:
That’s gotta hurt.
Gregor on January 2, 2008 at 1:40 PM
Really? Would you like to put some money on that? Seriously. Back up your words. I will bet whatever amount you like, that I can produce at least fifty quotes from HotAir comments that indicate my point, while you will be unable to produce a single bit of evidence that my support has ANYTHING to do with “a super-cool accent and a folksy manner.”
Back it up you arrogant a$$!
Gregor on January 2, 2008 at 1:44 PM
I’d like to take this last line back if I may. I’m just sick of the dishonesty readers resort to in supporting their positions.
Gregor on January 2, 2008 at 1:48 PM
Oh, I’m well aware there are people who are basing their votes on electability, which I think is a legitimate reason to support a candidate, but not one backed all that well by recent political history. But “many” of us? That’s going a bit far, I think.
And I see now that my comment really did bother you, and I apologize. It was intended to illustrate absurdity by being absurd, since I’m getting irritated at hearing about the impure motives of those who support anyone but Thompson.
Slublog on January 2, 2008 at 1:50 PM
Who the hell knows that song? Yes, they started playing it a little more after 9/11 at sporting events, but still.
This whole thing is a joke, right?
I bet 40% cant even get the Star Spangled Banner right.
Besides, I thought Mormons hate the flag, so why would he know the song? (Just a little Huck humor)
WoosterOh on January 2, 2008 at 1:56 PM
Maybe you and Gregor haven’t picked up the scent of reality yet, but:
Fred has no money.
Fred is shooting for third in Iowa, has no chance in NH, and the first state he might contend in is South Carolina.
I would love to hear how either of you think Fred is going to get a strong grassroots organization with no money and no momentum. He was crawling and begging for money for his last mediocre ad.
What you don’t seem to realize is that positions are not the only factor. It’s called marketing: You could have a wellspring that offers eternal youth and good health and it doesn’t mean squat if nobody knows you’re there. Fred’s 24/7 campaigning is so recent and doesn’t seem to be getting him anywhere, seeing as Iowa is, oh, tomorrow.
I agree with Fred on policy, the problem is he can’t sell himself worth anything and isn’t in it to win it. You see that as a positive quality, I see that as an achilles heel. Fred just wants us to crown him because of his positions when he isn’t even willing to take any actions to snare us in and is chronically incapable of bringing in money to support himself.
Part of being President is making a case for what your positions are and why they work. You don’t do that by waiting until the 11th hour and then saying “look at my 400 page treatise on foreign policy! Examine its brilliance!”
What part of “Fred has no money” don’t you understand? Fred has no money because he can’t fundraise. He can’t fundraise because he’s an uninspiring tired old policy wonk without a single defining action to his name and a thourougly inept campaign staff who he refuses to fire and replace, probably because he can’t afford to pay a new staff.
Fred lacking money and possessing a crap campaign staff aren’t the machinations of the MSM or the evil Hewitt-KLo-NRO-Murdoch conspiracy, it’s Fred sucking on the campaign.
If Fred can’t sell himself, he cannot become president. It isn’t about “image,” it’s about communication, a skill which Fred sorely lacks despite being a Hollyweird stooge. Maybe I can call csdeven in to get you to contribute one thousand more dollars for Fred to waste handily.
BKennedy on January 2, 2008 at 1:57 PM
I’m sorry but I just don’t believe that clip proves that Mitt doesn’t know the song.
Memory is an interesting part of the brain. If you learn something in a certain state, you’re more likely to remember it in that state. For kids who take “the study drug” to study, taking it during the test is a must as well. If you learned something in a song, singing it is the best way to recover that memory.
Mitt wasn’t singing.
Esthier on January 2, 2008 at 2:02 PM
Shhh Esthier, you’re ruining Gregor’s “ROMNEY IS A PLASTIC FLIP FLOP KEN DOLL ROBOT” tirade.
BKennedy on January 2, 2008 at 2:07 PM
Sorry, but you’re just rationalizing here. Obviously that’s what people do. But is it correct or appropriate? Nope. It is being a hypocrite. Everyone tries on these boards to exhibit credibility. But as far as I’m concerned, if someone attacks a Democrat for doing something, but then dismisses/tut-tuts the same thing that a Republican does, then that person has little credibility lecturing me about anything.
Another great example: not all, but many, many on this board didn’t see what the big deal was that “family values” (and conservative Republican) David Vitter was banging a prostitute while he was married.
Talk about rationalizations.
asc85 on January 2, 2008 at 2:19 PM
I’ve heard your argument 100 times now. I’ve heard it. I know what you’re saying. You’re saying between a staunch conservative with low money, and a moderate with lots of money, you’d back the moderate because you want to get into the White House at all costs. I know. I know. The GOP agrees with you, otherwise it wouldn’t be considering Huckabee.
I’m not willing to make that compromise. Even Rush has said that if we don’t put a conservative on the ticket, we will lose. I don’t care about winning or losing the presidency at any cost. I care about putting the guy with the best policies, ideas, and opinions up for it, and supporting him all the way. I’m not going to tell the GOP that all they have to do is put someone up that will try to win liberal voters by being liberal, and I’ll vote for them. I won’t do it. I’ll sit it out, and so will a LOT of other people.
MadisonConservative on January 2, 2008 at 2:23 PM
What? Like him or hate him (I’m closer to the latter), Huck did what he did without a ton of money.
Esthier on January 2, 2008 at 2:27 PM
Oh I’m sorry MadisonConservative, lets screw the perfect to go with the horribly bad as our next President will only have to deal with these minor, insignificant issues:
The War on Terror
Nuclear Armed Iran
Fallout in Pakistan
Putin reviving the USSR
Supreme Court Justices
Yes. Stay home. And when America dies because Missus Clinton went full-blown Marxist and set America back 50 years or more, then whine about how foolish the American public was to not elect Fred Thompson, our lord, savior, and redeemer from the evil liberals.
After all, there are no other conservatives. You see, we have too much pride, the only man we can trust is a McCain-Feingold loving actor, lawyer, and lobbyist who hasn’t put one red cent into anything but ink and paper for conservatism.
Just scream EVERYONE ELSE IS A RINO, RINO RINO ONLY FRED! ONLY FRED! and screw all of us because the only man you’re willing to trust is the man who let Clinton slide, has done NOTHING for conservatism, EVER, except open his piehole.
Meanwhile, the grownups believe that Fred is not the Only Man Who Can Save America and are willing to earnestly support candidates other than Fred “let Frist do the heavy lifting while I polish up this White Paper on Federalism” Thompson. Fredheads don’t get that though, it’s Fred or bust. If they don’t get their candy then all of America should suffer because they weren’t as enlightened as the Fredheads.
BKennedy on January 2, 2008 at 2:34 PM
None of these mother-fathers are the Second Coming.
baldilocks on January 2, 2008 at 2:36 PM
“Did what he did?”
Does it take a lot of money to lie your way to popularity when you have the entire Evangelical world blindly supporting you?
Besides, it’s not like Huckabee is hurting for money either.
Gregor on January 2, 2008 at 2:39 PM
See, I stop reading at this point, because you’re nothing but an arrogant, smug, elitist prick who is not interested in civil discussion, but instead clamoring to insult people who disagree with you, right after turning what they say into overreactionary hyperbole. When you can discuss the issue without filling your diatribe full of snarky, patronizing, pedantic jibes at all opposing viewpoints to your own, feel free to let us know.
MadisonConservative on January 2, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Cal down deary, my entire comment was sarcasm. I wanted the Fredheads to see what it looked like when someone attacks AP over his thread topics.
csdeven on January 2, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Oh really, I’m interested in insulting people? What was that then MC? Are you going to parse words over what the meaning of “insult” is, because I try very hard not to sling personal insults (you know, like arrogant, smug, elitist prick) into my postings.
You hoist yourself by your own petard.
BKennedy on January 2, 2008 at 2:44 PM
You left off “Border security.”
It’s funny that the person who clearly has the best policy on all these issues is Fred Thompson, but of course … you want the flip-flopper instead. Makes sense to me.
With all of your “Fred won’t win” garbage, it’s interesting to note that if all the people who are saying “Fred has the best policies but he just can’t win” were to actually support the man … he’d win by a landslide. The reason he’s not winning in the polls is because people such as yourself are insisting on campaigning for frauds instead of the man best fit for office.
And enough of the “Fred’s lazy” crap. It’s a pathetic lie and by insisting on repeating it you show yourself to be dishonest.
Gregor on January 2, 2008 at 2:47 PM
Remember when Fred fever started and I criticized him for using very vague terms like “In many respects” etc, without delineating what those “respects” were? I think this is the folksy demeanor that a lot of Fred supporters liked. His “sittin’ round the breakfast table” talk etc was a big deal for many. Not all, but many. Like I said from the beginning, that’s all fine and good in Tennessee where they know what that means and it’s a familiar trusted way of communicating, but the rest of the country doesn’t respond to it and needs specific points laid out. For the rest of us, it just seemed like he was letting his supporters fill in the blanks for what he meant, so they would all think he meant what their assumptions were.
csdeven on January 2, 2008 at 2:58 PM
When I make a clear, calm point about a position, and you turn it into melodramatic fire and brimstone about the end of America, you insult me. You’ve done it to Gregor, Ex-Tex, and a lot of other people. Some of them brought it on by being melodramatic to begin with. If you want to respond in kind, that’s fine. Just don’t pull that crap with me.
And funny you should talk about the meanings of words. Might want to talk with your boy Mitt about “saw”…
MadisonConservative on January 2, 2008 at 2:58 PM
Newsflash for you Gregor: If Fred can’t win 20% of GOP primary voters, he won’t beat Hillary in the general.
I know it’s easy to blame anyone but Fred for Fred’s problems, but I’m not backing a man who can’t run his own campaign. Lest you forget, Democrats can vote in the general and all 3 Dem frontrunners beat the crap out of Thompson in grassroots organization and fundraising.
But blame me for Fred not having his act together. Blame me for Fred dropping from an astounding 25% when he announced down to single digits over the course of 3 months. Blame me for not jumping on the Fred bandwagon and just pushing the man with the prettiest position papers who never has and currently isn’t walking the walk that talks his talk.
Fred supports Federalism. Unless it was McCain Feingold, where he flip-flopped, no wait, only non-Fred candidates can do that, lets call it “mispoke.”
Fred supports the right to life. Unless its his personal life, err, I mean, unless he’s getting paid for lobbying work. And he certainly isn’t going to approve of an amendment that would require the approval of 38 states plus a supermajority in both houses, that would be going against Federalist principles, which say the states decide… but apparently not if they’re collectively deciding federal amendments.
Fred is so transparent and it shows, yet you seem to think he’s the only honest man running. What makes Fred not a politician? His inability to communicate his message effectively? His unwillingness to back up his ideas with past tangible actions?
Criticizing the other candidates is easy; they actually have a record of actions. Fred just has a vote listing.
BKennedy on January 2, 2008 at 2:58 PM
That’s completely irrelevant. Besides, the Evangelical world could have backed anyone. Why him when until recently he was very much unknown?
I didn’t say he was, especially not now that he’s the front runner. All I said is that he got to where he is now without being the one with all the money.
Up until a couple months ago very few knew anything about him. He’s a horrible pick for the claim you’re trying to make about the GOP.
Why? Haven’t they already seen what that looks like?
And please, I’m not at all “uncalm.” You’ve simply got a reputation when it comes to Mitt Romney, and you do yourself no favors with this “sarcasm.”
Esthier on January 2, 2008 at 2:59 PM
Phew, because I was just about to tell you to take a nice restful nap. I know it’s tedious and repetitive, but sometimes a /sarc is warranted.
Buy Danish on January 2, 2008 at 3:01 PM
I have said things along that line and though I know you were not addressing me specifically, it’s close enough that I’d like to take the opportunity to explain myself a bit further.
Fred does talk the talk. Of that there is no doubt. But for me, there has to be some action to back that up. Also some executive experience is very helpful when your policy proposals are as far reaching as Fred’s are. Lastly, I have heard Fred make some pretty serious gaffs about simple issues that he should have been up on. (everglades, cuban immigration etc) When I judge Fred as a whole, all he really has going for him is the rhetoric. It’s better than most, but it isn’t that much better for me to support a guy who hasn’t done what it takes to get the nomination.
csdeven on January 2, 2008 at 3:08 PM
You guys are right, with my history, I need to be more clear. I will endeavor to do so in the future. I apologize for my mistake.
csdeven on January 2, 2008 at 3:10 PM
We still have to adjust to you talking normally, bud. Doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate it. ;)
MadisonConservative on January 2, 2008 at 3:15 PM
I think because they weren’t happy with the field and Huck is very affable. Once he had to defend his history, the shine went off the coin real fast.
csdeven on January 2, 2008 at 3:15 PM
Wow. I just watched the video, and have to say that I don’t agree that Gregor made an “excellent point”.
He’s not singing, he’s citing a phrase from the verse and struggles to recall the phrase “amber waves of grain”.
What does that have to do with Obama? It’s just not an apt analogy, no matter what side of the Obama kerfuffle one comes out on.
Anyhoo, in my endless thirst for knowledge, I did learn this interesting bit of trivia. The composer of America the Beautiful was Samuel A. Ward- the last in an unbroken line of Samuel Wards beginning with Rhode Island Governor and Representative to the Continental Congress Samuel Ward.
Samuel Ward is of the same family as Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic.
The Wards are very good at patriotic hymns.
Buy Danish on January 2, 2008 at 3:15 PM
Wow, some of the HA smarties proved again that the sun rose in the East in San Diego this morning, and that the Earth is still pretty round.
Comment of this young century, not to speak of the young year.
MadisonC, you are a one collected/polite dude. Proud of you, sincerely,
Entelechy on January 2, 2008 at 4:23 PM
O.M.G. I missed this comment:
YES. How dare he point out where the song is from and that it isn’t our national anthem.
Slublog on January 2, 2008 at 12:40 PM
Melodramatic and hyperbolic much?
Do you know all the words of the National Anthem? The real one that we stand up for? Every one of all 4 verses?
What, you don’t?
Communist!
Buy Danish on January 2, 2008 at 7:10 PM
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