“In a tough year like this, Democrats could probably have defeated Republican John McCain with a flawed, but seasoned candidate like Hillary Clinton.”

Excuse me, but what on earth are conservative writers doing advising the Democratic Party about how they could do better / be more effective / win ?!!?

This is nothing short of H-U-B-R-I-S on the part of the embarassing “Doctor” Hanson…even if he thinks he is continuing “Operation Chaos” in a cool way….I consider it counterproductive and full of sickly over-confidence at the least….

If I had no faith in God, that would certainly be a scary proposition…but all is well, and I don’t worry. Mighty cool.

Doug on August 7, 2008 at 10:45 AM

Exactly. As a Republican, I welcome all faiths (or lack of one) as a fellow voter. However, when one studies conservatism, there is a clear, historical connection to the Bible and its principles that give us our soul and ultimate redemption. To delete that connection eventually makes us liberals, as they are grounded in humanistic agnosticism. To believe in God means you are not your own boss, but that’s why we relax– we are kept eternally safe by our Father. The country may go to hell, but our inheritance is secure.

I did not always believe this– it came about from many hours of studying, comparative “shopping” and critical evaluation. It was well worth effort.

No public figure with a reputation to protect, will make the case that it’s better for the Republicans in the long run, if Obama takes the White House and the Democrats expand their majority in the House and Senate.

Uh.. Other than 2002, opposition parties win off-year elections. And we’d be winning in this year’s Congressional races if we weren’t wasting as much time, money and energy on McCain. He’s spent the last 8 years making a name for himself on the backs of conservatives and conservative causes, and now he’s sucking up the oxygen from Congressional candidates. In the end, even if he were to maximize his position, the best he’ll manage is a squeaker, after which we will see a strengthening of the Democrat’s position in the Congress.

You say I’m suggesting a blind retreat. I’m not. I’m suggesting a gambit. Give up the presidency, take back the Congress and cripple Obama’s administration. Carter couldn’t have done what he did without a strong power-base in Congress. Neither will Obama.

McCain as President means McCain as head of the GOP, which means significant damage to conservative presence in the party. We win the ring but lose our soul. What’s worse, a McCain win means further loses in Congress during the off-year in ’10. Basically, you have the same situation Reagan was in in 1980 without a Reagan to fight a Tip O’Neal and an entrenched Democrat opposition. It’s a Pyrrhic victory. A return to the GOP under Nixon and Ford.

I would suggest that buyer’s remorse is the theme of both conventions this year(still have yet to see one yard sign for either candidate).

highhopes on August 7, 2008 at 11:12 AM

Maybe the parties could swap do-overs?

The GOP will be significantly weakened. Fundraising will plummet. Good candidates will stay away. Why waste your time trying to get elected, when even if you do, you’ll be in an irrelevant minority party.

NoDonkey on August 7, 2008 at 11:50 AM

Yeah, I remember well the Golden Age of Liberalism that Jimmy Carter ushered in. Nobody would even admit to being a Republican for decades after Carter’s two successful terms. How many presidential elections after Carter was elected did it take for a half-decent Republican presidential candidate to emerge? Hundreds. Maybe thousands.

And then there was Clinton. The House turned into a Democrat playground thanks to Clinton’s presidency. What did they have, about 350 Representatives?

“Victor Davis Hanson wonders when the Democrats will suffer buyer’s remorse.”

If it happens earlier than when looking at the election results come in on Nov 4, I think it will still happen after they put paid to Obama’s nomination at the end of the month.

The strongest faction in the Dem Party is the socialists/marxists. They are the loudest, the pushiest, the ones that ostracize those among them with faint or weak hearts. There aren’t enough centrists with the gumption to take coalesce and take them on.

This socialist/marxist faction also see the Republicans as soft, a weak horse, more than willing to compromise and appease to compete rather than as the faction that is willing to play above-board, be well intentioned, and civil for the common good. Owing to the people they now have in leadership positions in the party, they feel the time is right for an all out strike to achieve their philosophical goals they’ve slowly, painstakingly and disingenuously pursued for decades. They think their success is a gimme now and nothing can stop it, especially with additional good fortune of having Obama at the head of the ticket. It’s partly why you have heard so many philosophical “Freudian slips” coming from the mouths of their politicians, their acolytes and supporters.

No, the Dems will not have buyers remorse until it is too late.

With Sen. Barack Obama leveling off on the polls, I think it’s a good question
to ask: Would Hillary Clinton been the better choice to lead the Democrats
to a win in November?…

If she wins the nomination, the African-american vote would stay home in droves.

The only thing that could make this election better is if there was a Republican in the general election…

No democrat can win without solid black support. If Hillary wins the nomination, McCain gets 100% of the black vote.

Or they’ll sit at home, which is even better. Might be able to pick off some House seats as well.

OOOHHHH, the wheels on the bus…Keep falling off, falling off, falling off

Oh, the wheels on the bus keep falling off, All Season long!!Markvike on August 7, 2008 at 10:38 AM

It doesn’t need wheels; all those people he’s thrown under it can carry it.

Damned right ‘buyer’s remorse’ may turn things upside down. Also throw in that Hillary! is pissed because the Chosen One hasn’t help retire her campaign debt. Don’t get between a Clinton and their money.

Denver! Denver! Denver!

It beggars the imagination that the Clintons went away gracefully and haven’t been planning some kind of retaliation.

Are you saying that no military unit has ever retreated, regrouped and ultimately won?

No good one has unnecessarily retreated, in order to pay for the same ground twice.

Losing begets losing. If the Democrats take all three branches this fall, their fundraising and political power will go through the roof.

The GOP will be significantly weakened. Fundraising will plummet. Good candidates will stay away. Why waste your time trying to get elected, when even if you do, you’ll be in an irrelevant minority party.

Keeping the White House (at least), will keep us in the game.

That’s the military equivelent of handing over a large swath of valuable territory under your control, in the hopes that you can eventually win a war to regain it. It makes no sense.

Are you saying that no military unit has ever retreated, regrouped and ultimately won?

1. If McCain wins she is shoe in for donk President candidate in 2012.

2. If Obama wins it will be 4 years of very bad times and she can’t be tainted by that.

3. Billy Jeff doesn’t want to be the first President to be married to the first woman VP.