Media Myopia And Iraq

I think this as relayed via RCP is terribly off the mark and there are good reasons why:

Even though both Buckley and Will are careful to hedge slightly on their predictions, essentially two of the most respected and smartest minds in conservative politics just declared that the Republican Party will not only suffer greatly in 2008, but that it is in danger of becoming a minority party for generations.

This could be a foreign policy equivalent of the Depression, forfeiting the Republican advantage they've had since the '68 convention of the Democratic Party and the nomination of [George] McGovern. The advantage Republicans have had on national security matters may be forfeited.

The '68 convention? The Democrats are behaving precisely the same way they did before and immediately after 1968 ... we lost 58,000 men in Vietnam. Now, post 9/11, for a troubling war against radical Islam, the Republicans are going to be a perpetual minority because we've lost 3000 plus?

Where is the logic in that conclusion, except for that being driven by a contemporary, mostly emotional backlash to an ongoing war? What Buckley and Will are suggesting is that, you put in the same positions and end up with the completely opposite result. But the real matter is their political fixation on only Iraq.

Have the American people suddenly decided that they love higher taxes, quota derived multi-cultural-ism and all those other fine things the Democrats have in tow? Nancy Pelosi falls from the headlines for two weeks, as she hasn't recently embarrassed herself in the Middle East - and suddenly, all bets are off, the moderate to conservative agenda in America has somehow relinquished the throne?

I'm not buying it, not one bit. These are difficult times, no one is thrilled with this war. But this is not World War II, or even Vietnam, destined to scar a generation and generations to come. This is 2007 and there are plenty of terrorists loose in the world. Wait until the general campaign when Democrats are going to have to defend their opposition to profiling, their incessant campaign to give armed enemy combatants a citizen's civil rights.

I'll take my chances on the party that will at least do what it can to defend and protect America every time, thank you very much.

Comments

[wolfwalker]

I am becoming ever more amazed by right-bloggers' political naivete.

"Have the American people suddenly decided that they love higher taxes, quota derived multi-cultural-ism and all those other fine things the Democrats have in tow?"

No, but that won't matter. The Vermin Party won't say anything about those things during the campaign, and even when they do the media won't report it. We in NH just saw exactly this strategy on a smaller scale last fall: they hid what they are, lied to the voters, and the voters gave them a sweep. Now they're passing one stupid liberal law after another in a steady stream, ignoring the polls that say the state's citizens don't want any of it. That's Vermin S.O.P.: they'll say one thing, then after they're elected they'll do something else, and the protection granted by incumbency will make it impossible to get rid of them again.

"Wait until the general campaign when Democrats are going to have to defend their opposition to profiling, their incessant campaign to give armed enemy combatants a citizen's civil rights."

This will NEVER happen. No prediction by any conservative of Vermin paying any kind of price for any of their political acts has ever come to pass. The Vermin paid no political price for Vietnam; none for McGovernism; none for Carterism; none for nannyism; none for anti-American transnationalism; none for their witch-hunt against Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II; none for their rigid defense of the criminal acts of the president in between; none for their steady drive to destroy Americans' civil rights. By what mental magic do you conclude that they will pay a price for their current stupidity, cowardice, and treason?

[Scott Malensek]

Great article-right on the money.

Stupid, partisan, hateful response from wolfwalker that made no sense and demonstrates more of the hate-driven denial that fuels the Democratic Party as well as inspires the enemy. Vermin...nice name-calling. Really inspires discourse, compromise, and solutions-oriented discussion. NOT.

Again, great article

[wolfwalker]

I don't see an answer to my question, Scott. Why do you, or Dan, think the D's will pay a political price for this round of vile behavior, when they never have before?

[w]

the 20 million new democrat/socialist leaning voters will do it...

[jack]

It'll be a MASSACARE! Dems will do very very well.

[Fred Beloit]

If the public had turned so far left, the Dems would be able to secure a veto override on the current Bill of Cowards now going before the President, and the Fox News, Rush Limbaugh, Boortz, etc ratings would go down. Congress members keep very close tabs on the feelings of their constituents in order to be reelected. I have great respect for Buckley, but I think he is wrong on this one.

[seekeronos]

Unfortunately, I tend to think that Wolf makes a good point. Just look at Ms. Hillary "Pander, Beg, and Plead" Clinton.

These folks will say anything to the bulk of Americans who are too plugged in to the MSM to ever question what they are spoon fed by the liberal media elites.

And with the _very_ mediocre slate of GOP candidates:

(Guiliani, the "anti" Hillary)
(Romney, the guy whose quasi-cultic religion and flip-flopping will marginalize him)
(McCain, slightly to the right of Hillary)
(Hunter, who is a very good choice, but lacks any "name recognition" among the voters)

...what chance do we have?

As things stand, there is no solid GOP candidate I really feel comfortable pulling a lever for in the primary coming up.

Meanwhile, if _any_ of the current Dems slip into the WH in 2008, we will be in for one heck of an eight-year stormy ride, with either "Silky Pony" or Hillary reducing us to a certain dhimmi status.

Obama? I really don't think he's electable; even if he's managed to put that fluff about his being in a madrassa as a young kid behind him, the inherent racism of the liberal elites probably won't see to making him President.

We need to really do two, no, actually three, things:

a) Christians: pray for forgiveness and pray for spiritual revival in this land, that "we may seek diligently seek the Lord's face" (2 Chronicles 7:14)

b) All Republicans: (prayerfully) Draft a solid leader and a presidential candidate (such as Fred Thompson) and get a solid VP candidate (Duncan Hunter) to unapologetically stand up to the Dems and call them on their lies and deceits, and their true agenda to utterly marginalize, if not utterly destroy the USA as a world power, as well as come up with a solid plan to bring peace to Iraqis.

c) Get a grass-roots, knocking on every door, tell your neighbors, get active in your churches and synagogues mindset to take back seats in the House and Senate.

[Kelvin]

George Bush wishes he was Herbert Hoover. At least Hoover was smart and could speak in complete sentences. You clowns really screwed the pooch with Iraq. Back to the wilderness, backward fools!!

[Fred Beloit]

zerodegreeskelvin, glad ta see ya, as always. I've missed you. How does Charles Warren enjoy living in your garage? BTW, when will we see that big override vote in the House and Senate? What with the public about to go 75% Dem it should be soon. I'm waiting.

[Kelvin]

Haha, Will AND Buckley both come out and declare Bush and friends a failure and a disaster and the sheep just cower. I think you guys are the deadenders that Cheney was talking about.

[Hard Right]

Cowering? Nope. That's what you lefties do-right before surrendering and bending over.

[Fred Beloit]

In seriousness, though, one gets the feeling the Repubs aren't getting much election money these days; I know I'm not giving them any. I want to see what kind of candidates they come up with. So far I am disappointed with the new Florida governor. Don't know what he is, surely not a conservative. More like a member of the give-them-what-we-think-they-want party. The real test is who the Pres. candidate will be. No more so-called moderates or surprise liberals please. Don't need any more Justice Sueters for heaven's sake.

[Aslinn Whithrop]

seekeronos, 100% in agreement.

[Kelvin]

Wow, more gay references from Hard Right. If he isnt busy supporting the troops, he's thinking about sex with men.

You should get coundeling, it worked for Pastor Ted.

[Hard Right]

Just calling you lefties what you are. Feminized girly men who are used to catching. Funny how you defenders of the gay community use it as a slur-hypocrites.

Like I said before, you calling me gay doesn't bother me. Liberal=feminized catcher. Calling you a liberal fag is redundant.

[LOL]

Repubs just lost their money advantage, which they've held for a long time. For decades now the Repubs raised more money than Dems. In 2008 that will change.

W Bush had a huge money advantage over Kerry in 2004, and that election was very close. The 2006 Congressional Republicans raised more money than the Democrats. What will Repubs do now without their long-held monetary advantage? They will get creamed.

Dan, you have never been good at prognostications in the past.

[Phoenix]

I have the perfect torture. It's so perfect, I can't believe I didn't think of it before.

Put that fat toady, WFB, in a cell with a bad guy and the bad buy will waterboard himself and give up everything he knows.

Screw these 'great thinkers' and their pseudo-clairvoyance. All of a sudden the hounds are on the trail of another fox - only they don't have a clue what that fox is other than it's not support for Bush. What revolting crap to write this drivel 18 months before an election. Too much can happen between now and then, and what decent thinker lays it out in such a pessimistic manner other than in the hopes he'll be right and will be able to crow if the worst-case scenario happens? Trite and petty - all these guys are.

William F. Buckley. UGH. He has always been a pompous windbag. I despise him.