Quote of the day

posted at 10:00 pm on December 22, 2008 by Allahpundit

When voters look at your Administration two years from now, in the off-year election, how will they know whether you’re succeeding?

I think there are a couple of benchmarks we’ve set for ourselves during the course of this campaign. On [domestic] policy, have we helped this economy recover from what is the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression? Have we instituted financial regulations and rules of the road that assure this kind of crisis doesn’t occur again? Have we created jobs that pay well and allow families to support themselves? Have we made significant progress on reducing the cost of health care and expanding coverage? Have we begun what will probably be a decade-long project to shift America to a new energy economy? Have we begun what may be an even longer project of revitalizing our public-school systems so we can compete in the 21st century? That’s on the domestic front.

On foreign policy, have we closed down Guantánamo in a responsible way, put a clear end to torture and restored a balance between the demands of our security and our Constitution? Have we rebuilt alliances around the world effectively? Have I drawn down U.S. troops out of Iraq, and have we strengthened our approach in Afghanistan — not just militarily but also diplomatically and in terms of development? And have we been able to reinvigorate international institutions to deal with transnational threats, like climate change, that we can’t solve on our own?

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1Samuel 8:6: But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” So Samuel prayed to the LORD.

Israel wanted a king and God gave them Saul. We wanted hope-n-change and we got Obama. Either way, Israel lost and so did we. Sometimes God will give you what you want instead of what you need.
God help us.

abcurtis on December 23, 2008 at 8:11 AM

It was twenty below in MT this weekend. Thus, I would surmise that global warming/climate change/ whatever the h*ll they call it now is fixed…..

Next problem to fix for The One:
Why does no one shovel my sidewalk for me?

mjk on December 23, 2008 at 12:03 AM

It’s 12 above here in central Virginia as of 8:18 am.

abcurtis on December 23, 2008 at 8:18 AM

The only question is; will he be able to do it?

If we rely on the Republicans to do anything about it, he will absolutely be able to do it.

abcurtis on December 23, 2008 at 8:23 AM

abcurtis: amen.

Jewel on December 23, 2008 at 8:27 AM

Have we instituted financial regulations and rules of the road that assure this kind of crisis doesn’t occur again?

Oh, boy, just what we need. What would Reagan say?

It was regulations that caused the first Great Depression ( and the Federal Reserve).

Aronne on December 23, 2008 at 8:43 AM

yeah, gotta fix that global warming. cold as Christmas here in downtown Kenbridge VA. What? it is Christmas!

kelley in virginia on December 23, 2008 at 8:47 AM

Have the American people seen my truly messiah-like pecs?

JoeAvg on December 22, 2008 at 10:15 PM

Since his last pictures were released he has either hired a personal trainer and taken some Hydroxycut or those are photoshop pics.

He smokes, his dad was an alcoholic, his mom died of cancer, and we know nothing of this mans medical past. The outside may look okay, but whats going on inside?

Mercy4Me on December 23, 2008 at 8:56 AM

Aronne on December 23, 2008 at 8:43 AM

I think Ronaldus Maximus would say,

Young man, don’t let your alligator mouth overload your hummingbird rear end.

kingsjester on December 23, 2008 at 8:58 AM

1.

…have we helped this economy recover from what is the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression?

No, you’ll have worsened the economy and possibly dragged us into a deep depression. However, you’ll never revisit this issue again because you’ll succeed on your stupid social policies/issues, which are the cause of the deepening depression. This metric will be never brought again, especially not by the sycophantic media.

2.

Have we instituted financial regulations and rules of the road that assure this kind of crisis doesn’t occur again?

I’m sure you’ll have regulated the hell outta all businesses, making the private sector shrink while growing the government, and thus the government based jobs. A sure fire road to ruin, congratulations moron.

3.

Have we created jobs that pay well and allow families to support themselves?

Again, I’m sure you’ll have ruined the private sector with over regulation and interference. A larger percentage of people will be dependent upon the government either through employment or social programs (welfare), giving Dems more and long-lasting power. Oh, and you’ve ruined the country, in case you didn’t get that memo.

4.

Have we made significant progress on reducing the cost of health care and expanding coverage?

Socialized medicine, YAY! /sarc. Hey, you know what, if I nationalized a car company (hint, hint), and thus made them cheaper, that wouldn’t necessarily mean a good car was built. So, when our only option is crappy healthcare, at least we can say, “Well, its cheap and everyone has it!”. There has got to be a special place in hell for politicians, otherwise, I just won’t be able to handle how you’ll be destroying the greatest nation in the history of mankind, what a legacy…

5.

Have we begun what will probably be a decade-long project to shift America to a new energy economy?

Oh sure we have, I’m sure you’ll be busy ruining the economy in every possible way you can imagine. The mind boggles. Its like America has become George Castanza and decided to do the exact opposite of everything that we know works…insanity.

6.

Have we begun what may be an even longer project of revitalizing our public-school systems so we can compete in the 21st century?

Compete? What’s that? You’re too worried about hurting anyones’ feelings to do any competition in the school system. Oh, I didn’t understand at first…by education, you meant *indoctrination* of our children into mindless drones continually voting idiot Democrats back into office to continue expanding government and driving the country into the toilet. If you’re lucky, in 30 years no one will remember how the country was supposed to work in the first place and we can return to the early 20th century when communism was all the rage, never mind that its doomed to fail, we’ll be used to being a 3rd world (global citizen…yay!) by then.

7.

That’s on the domestic front.

Oh, is that all?

8.

On foreign policy, have we closed down Guantánamo in a responsible way…

Don’t underestimate yourself, of course you’ll have Gitmo closed by January 11th 2009. Then, you can say, “See how much progress I’ve made on my plans so far?”. Beautiful, and if we’re really good boys and girls, the detainees will be released on their on recognizance into the US while they await trials and/or pending their lawsuits against the US government seeking restitution for their “illegal” incarceration. It will happen, just watch.

8.

… put a clear end to torture

No, you’re too big a pansy to possibly confront any of those middle-eastern or African countries that practice torure….OH, you meant *us*…oh, in that case, yeah, you’ll stop all of the waterboarding. Way to go you stud!

9.

…and restored a balance between the demands of our security and our Constitution?

Huh? You’re #1 job and mandate is to uphold the Constitution and protect the citizens of this country. Are you doing that, or have you sold us down the river?

10.

Have we rebuilt alliances around the world effectively?

We’ve broken alliances? With whom, the Russians? You mean, have we garnered acceptance by those rogues in the UN again? Sure, you’re a paper tiger, live up to the name and glory in the wimpiness revolution that you will lead.

11.

Have I drawn down U.S. troops out of Iraq, and have we strengthened our approach in Afghanistan — not just militarily but also diplomatically and in terms of development?

First of all, huh? Strengthened our approach in Afghanistan diplomatically? What does that mean, do you think we’re weak diplomatically in Afghanistan? Secondly, you don’t know enough to make a military judgment like that about Iraq or Aghanistan.

12.

And have we been able to reinvigorate international institutions to deal with transnational threats, like climate change, that we can’t solve on our own?

Re-invigorate international institutions? Are you seriously saying that the UN (I’m guessing here) needs re-invigoration on Global Warming (not climate change, that will occur regardless of whether [no pun intended] man is here or not)? Or, do you mean that by spending billions on the hoax of Global Warming that you will re-invigorate the ability of the morons to drown out all opposition to the hoax and continue dismissing any alternative viewpoints? I’m sure a few billion in their direction will suffice.

Overall, I think Obama’s plans will come to fruition nicely. He’s got a willing Congress and plenty of fawning media to pimp his every moronic decision. I don’t think anyone could possibly ruin the country faster than Obama, so in that vein, I’d say he’ll be successful.

/I’m moving to Ireland.

Geministorm on December 23, 2008 at 9:00 AM

A couple of worthy thoughts by Thomas Sowell today:

People who are impressed by how many of Barack Obama’s advisers have Ivy League degrees seem not to remember how many people with Ivy League degrees mismanaged the Vietnam war and how many people with Ivy League degrees mismanaged economic policy during the Great Depression of the 1930s.

The fact that sales at Starbucks are going down, while sales at McDonald’s are going up, shows that people are adjusting to economic adversity by cutting back their spending. Only in Congress do people adjust to economic adversity and growing deficits by spending more money.

Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke seems to be pretty popular thus far. My own preference is for Federal Reserve chairmen who are unpopular. When Paul Volcker was chairman of the Fed back in the 1980s, he was hated like poison, but his policies finally broke the back of the inflation that had been out of control for years — not without some painful costs, but few benefits can be gotten without costs.

It is fascinating to see that politicians whose interventions in mortgage lending have created a disaster in financial institutions are now moving on to intervene in the automobile industry.

Wal-Mart has done more for poor people than any ten liberals, at least nine of whom are almost guaranteed to hate Wal-Mart.

Ronald Reagan had a vision of America. Barack Obama has a vision of Barack Obama.

onlineanalyst on December 23, 2008 at 9:23 AM

What’s missing?

The word “Victory” when talking about Iraq and Afghanistan, for one.

crazy_legs on December 23, 2008 at 9:50 AM

put a clear end to torture

I have yet to see a credible sourc point to a case where someone was “tortured” by US servicemen.

Alden Pyle on December 23, 2008 at 10:11 AM

I do believe he stated he was going to be the one to catch Bin Laden, but nothing was mentioned there about it.

JeffinSac on December 23, 2008 at 10:30 AM

I do believe he stated he was going to be the one to catch Bin Laden, but nothing was mentioned there about it.

JeffinSac on December 23, 2008 at 10:30 AM

That is because now that he has a seat at the grown-up’s table he is privvy to all that national security information that tells him that Bin Laden may be in one of about 1000 caves and ‘getting’ him may involve leveling a good partion of that region of the world (which, of course, I am in favor of).

grdred944 on December 23, 2008 at 11:45 AM

What I want to know is – can he make the trains planes run on time.

MB4 on December 22, 2008 at 11:04 PM

No, but when they won’t run on time he’ll blame the Republican congressman, his new Sec. of Transportation.

Entelechy on December 23, 2008 at 11:49 AM

Rumors of Bommie making Mary Jane legal? Now that should boost the school scores. OMFG! Whats this goof thinking?

johnnyU on December 23, 2008 at 12:48 PM

That would be the word’ Freaking’ thank you.

johnnyU on December 23, 2008 at 12:49 PM

Israel wanted a king and God gave them Saul. We wanted hope-n-change and we got Obama. God help us. abcurtis on December 23, 2008 at 8:11 AM

Amen. And we didn’t get a King David or Solomon. We got a King Saul.

We’re going down the toilet here in America. The media will have glowing reports of our four year downward spiral no doubt.

Mojave Mark on December 24, 2008 at 9:22 AM

Comment pages: 1 2