Tea Parties, Books, Blogs, Now A Recess Rally

Having experienced the Reagan Era from start to finish - as I've said before, my first ever vote as a young college student went for Carter in 1976 - I didn't just observe the so-called Reagan Revolution, I was caught up in it and didn't vote for a Democrat afterward up in liberal NJ over many years. And all Reagan really had in a national media sense was William F. Buckley on PBS and little else.

Today we have book publishing. Michelle Malkin has a new title out. Liberty and Tyranny is still going strong and Glenn Reynolds points out how well Right-side books in general are doing here.

Talk radio has become far more broad and much more established post-Reagan. And now we have blogs, as well. And of course, then there's the Tea Party movement. Reagan didn't take the national political stage to rallies with warmed up crowds fostered by an existing and active grassroots movement already out in the streets.

With a center-Right momentum building in America that hasn't existed in America for decades, if at all given its current form, it seems like the perfect time for what's being called a Recess Rally to me.

Mark your calendar for August 22nd, 2009. The center-Right in America is fired up in ways I've certainly never seen before. And we all need to support, take part in and help to push it as much as we can. The stakes couldn't be any higher. And this may be our last chance for any serious center-Right push back in American politics that we ever see if we don't all try hard to get involved.

We have the momentum to kill Obamacare. The congressional recess period is critical. I’ve joined many grass-roots groups in a nationwide coalition holding a Recess Rally on August 22, 2009.

Comments

[Slide]

where do I sign up? I always liked recess in school.

[Dan Riehl]

I figured you still get to enjoy recess everyday based upon your arguments here, Slide. Are you beyond the nap time class level, yet? That's what I've been wondering about.

[Ran]

Dan,
I believe John Adams would have cause for heart, Thomas Jefferson would rejoice.

While Obama [Himself] enjoys [declining] popularity, not a single one of his legislative agendae enjoys popular support. Those are tanking faster than the New York Times. At least the markets show some positive response to O/R/P's sputtering attempts.

Small business and employment - the bulk of the private economy - remains mired in the kind of legislative bullcr^p and taxation that real push-back will have to tackle.

[mark l.]

if the dems think july was bad, august is going to be a massacre.
I just looked at the unemployment rate, to see if it was 9.4 or 9.5 percent.

It is now 9.7%.
http://www.google.com/publicdata?ds=usunemployment&met=unemployment_rate&tdim=true&q=us+unemployment+rate

funny how the media seems to have missed our new 'high'.
I guess they have been too busy reporting that afghanistan is sporting the deadliest month since our involvement.

I'm sure it will eventually be reported, after it can be wrapped up in some news of "progress"...maybe by obama's second term?

I figure my protest sign will just simply have the unemployment rate, and by august 22nd, it will be in double figures.

Don't worry libs, the revamped budget forecasts, which were due in july, but got delayed til august, 'might' be put out...that'll staunch the bleeding, right?

History is on the democrats side-after all, reagan got unemployment down from 10.8% to 7.4% in 17 months. Surely they learned a little from history?

[mark l.]

so, slide...

what level of unemployment do you find acceptable?

just a number, like say, 8%?

[Slide]

now now Dan. You know how sensitive us liberals are. If I didn't know any better, I would have thought you were insulting me.

[mark l.]

I have to credit, where credit is due...

Bush made the mistake of actually providing "benchmarks" for Iraq. Good to see Obama and the media avoiding our deadliest month.

I guess it would be too much to ask you for your personal benchmarks for gauging progress in Afghanistan. I'm in unfamiliar territory...

do I call any general who reports progress a "liar", or do I push for photos of flag draped coffins, first? is it too early to say "The war is lost?"

along those lines of acceptable unemployment...how many dead soldiers will justify our efforts in Afghanistan, or Operation: Obama's First War?

[Dan Riehl]

Well, Slide, an intelligent person would know I was insulting them. LOL

[mark l.]

I guess, while I am asking about what you find acceptable in regards to numbers, of unemployed and casualties, I should also ask what level of debt would you accept for history to deem obama's presidency a success.

10 trillion?

what numbers would you deem as a failure?

11.5% unemployment? 3000 dead? 15 trillion?
obama will most likely break two out of three.

"worst president ever" or "miserable failure"? I'm being to harsh, as I have no doubt he will achieve in making healthcare equal for all. (equally "bad").

I realize that the sentiment to impeach obama by any means neccessary might grow, but in this matter obama has my firmest support. I want there to be no mistake on who is to blame. Everyday, I thank my lucky stars that the dems are in control, not so much becuase I believe they have a clue, but because there really will be no one else to blame.

[Anon]

See, talk of impeaching Obama is silly and counter productive. If Bush wasn't impeached and Cheney was allowed to get away with claiming he was his own branch of government and the many other arguably unconstitutional acts of the Executive Branch that went on under Bush were not addressed, then, its a bit of tit for tat. If you let one president get away with unconstitutional nonsense, it becomes virtually impossible to prevent the next one from getting away with unconstitutional nonsense.

I do agree that I am glad the Dems have overwhelming numbers in Congress and so there can be NO QUESTION who is responsible for the failed stimulus, failed TARP and inevitable failed health care plan.

However, that doesn't get us anywhere close to finding an alternative to the Democrats, because the GOP still does not have its act together and is still viewed negatively by the vast majority of Americans....this means that despite the widespread suspicion about Obama's policies...there is nothing to counter them and thus, a good chance they will get enacted.

[mark l.]

slide, let me tell you what is happening in Afghanistan-

the AQ forces that the left was in absolute denial about working in Iraq, have moved into Afghanistan, after FAILING in Iraq. Look at the IED numbers going up in AG...

funny thing about those IED's. Iranian designed and funded. It's the same Iran that Obama wants to negotiate with.
Pakistani resentment is growing, and feeding the insurgency in AG. Europe is backing away.

Afghani security forces...that was a guage in Iraq, right? Afghanis step up, while we step down, forgetting that we just sent 35k soldiers to the country.

Encouraging news? obama and the uk are trying to work with the taliban, thus legitimizing Bin Laden's goal, and providing a country for them to impose sharia law. I guess you can harp on how big a failure the Iraqi invasion turned out to be, if you can keep from mentioning Afghanistan and Obama's "surge". I guess calling it a surge is probably not fair, since in Iraq it was to give room to the democratic govt and their security forces.

Since Afghanistan doesn't have a security force to speak of, and we are trying to work a deal with the Taliban, without admitting defeat, I wouldn't call it a Surge, either.

So what does August bring us?
I would imagine editorials pointing out that July was our deadliest month, and questions about waht our mission is, under the messiah. Good thing healthcare is so popular, becuase getting a vote in August is going to 'save' Obama.

[Slide]

"Well, Slide, an intelligent person would know I was insulting them"

ouch....

Hey mark l. you make me feel like I'm on Jeopardy with all your questions. Unemployment is way too high and will probably go higher before it starts receding. It is a lagging indicator as I am sure you know.

I do not support Obama on Afghanistan. You'll find quite a number of "liberals" that do not support Obama on many single issues unlike the support that the right generally gives unflinchingly to a Republican President even when it violates their stated principles (i.e. Medicare reform). I don't expect to agree with Obama on every policy issue. When I vote for someone, it is not strictly on this policy or that. I vote for the person. Does he share my values. Do I think he will be competent? Does he seem to understand complex issues that don't lend themselves to simplistic answers? Is he/she ethical? Is he a leader? Will he surround himself with quality people that may have differing viewpoints? And on all those accounts I think Obama is the guy I want in the White House.

[mark l.]

don't panic slide.

I figure when 2010 rolls around, the left will have gathered enough evidence on Crowley to make him him look like the second coming of mark furman.

palin might even 'adopt' another down's syndrome child, which andrew sullivan will expose as the product of her 9 year old daughter.

I imagine durable good orders, which is a leading economic indicator, will be up. Afterall, they were just annouced as a new low this month.

[Slide]

Crowley will be long forgotten by Fall.

[North Dallas Thirty]

"ou'll find quite a number of "liberals" that do not support Obama on many single issues unlike the support that the right generally gives unflinchingly to a Republican President even when it violates their stated principles (i.e. Medicare reform)."

LOL....notice how Slide shows his alleged "disagreement" with Obama by attacking and blaming Republicans for everything.

What that makes obvious is that Slide is lying when he claims not to agree with Obama. If he were actually capable of that, he could elucidate exactly what Obama is doing wrong. He can't, because that would be "racist" -- just as he's tried to make and spin excuses for his Barack Obama's support of the racist Henry Gates by smearing and badmouthing Sergeant Crowley and the people like Kelly King who support Crowley.

[mark l.]

"Crowley will be long forgotten by Fall."

oh don't say that...

"the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the dream shall never die..."

[Ran]

Crowley isn't "going away" anywhere to be forgotten, any more that the Girlie Tosser's "typical white" grandma or Joe the Plumber or Kelly King...

[shhhh... sarahhh paaaaalinnn] [shhhhh!] [coming back with a vengeance...]

[mark l.]

i agree unemployment is a lagger, and it is unfair to judge how high it goes, to a point.

(earlier post got clipped, but I tried to note that when looking for the unemployment rate, wondering whether it was 9.3 or 9.5, I discovered it was actually 9.7%. I guess if I was subscribed to nyt or wapo, I would have seen the number on a headline)

reagan taking it from 10.8% to 7.4% in 17 months is too hard a benchmark to pursue. I am curious how bambi does, once it does peak.

as far as laggers and leading indicators...

obama is announcing that the recession is over, a few weeks after rahm declared they saved the economy.

Noticed yesterday that the dollar is at a low point for the year.
take a guess on whether it is a lagging or leaning indicator.

[Slide]

ND30, "What that makes obvious is that Slide is lying when he claims not to agree with Obama"

You can't make this stuff up.

[anon]

Isn't the most salient point about unemployment really that it is now higher than the highest predictions from Obama as to where it would be WITHOUT the stimulus, err stabilization bill?

Now, in the world outside of politics, if you made a prediction that was that far off it would indicate to the man on the street that you didn't really know what you were talking about in the first place and that any future predictions would be viewed with extreme skepticism. If the stimulus doesn't do what its supporters said it would do, then it is rightly to be viewed as a failure.

[Slide]

"Girlie Tosser's "typical white" grandma or Joe the Plumber or Kelly King..."

huh? I guess this is what they mean by Dog whistle shit. I don't have a clue what you are talking about. Do you really think that anyone outside of Wingnut Bizarro world gives two second's thought to the comment Obama made about his grandmother? You guys really have to get out more often.

[Slide]

"Now, in the world outside of politics, if you made a prediction that was that far off it would indicate to the man on the street that you didn't really know what you were talking about in the first place and that any future predictions would be viewed with extreme skepticism."

Do we want to look at the Bush administration's economic predictions? How about on job creation? what they said and then what happened.

Economic predictions are not very predictive. Too much uncertainty especially in such unique times that many have called unprecedented. If you want to hang your hat on the fact that Obama has been off on the unemployment numbers fine. we can all play that game till we're blue in the face. You know that as well as I do.

Listen, I'm not unrealistic. Obama is going to take a hit on the economy. Whether it is fair or not that is the way it works. Kinda sucks but so be it. I think he has enough time to turn it around by the time the next election comes and if he does he will be a hero. If he doesn't then you will get you chance with a Republican president. How'd that work for ya last time?

[North Dallas Thirty]

Slide, we know YOU don't care what a racist Obama is. After all, you've spent the past week trying to destroy Sergeant Crowley, all the black officers on the Cambridge police force, and anyone else who would dare criticize your Obamamessiah's support of attacking police, which you share.

But the rest of the world doesn't look kindly on it.

[Slide]

Just for the record, I will no longer respond to ND30's comments as they are inane beyond words. I'm trying to remain civil as per Dan's request but if I get into a back in forth with ND30 I would not be able to constrain myself. But.. before I put him on permanent ignore let me just say this.

North Dallas 30, you are probably the biggest fucking asshole I have ever encountered in the blogosphere. Congratulations on your achievement, you certainly were in some tough competition. Adieu my friend.

[North Dallas Thirty]

Do we want to look at the Bush administration's economic predictions? How about on job creation? what they said and then what happened.

Please do. Bring some forward.

Meanwhile, how do you reconcile Obama's statement that the stimulus did exactly what it was intended to do with the fact that Obama stated the stimulus would cap unemployment at 8%?

Answer: You accuse people of being racist for criticizing Obama.

[Anon]

The Bush Administration turned lying into a high art form, they are to be praised for the pure braseness of their lies and obfusications in the face of indisputable facts. My personal favorite is that clearcutting the forest is the best way to prevent forest fires, thereby, 'saving' the forest.

But, Obama was supposed to be better, he was going to change the DC paradym, be transparent, take government back, go through the fed. budget line by line and weed out inefficiency, be fact-based and all those good things.

But the reality is that He Is Just Another Politician and Democrats lie just like Republicans.

And that is why our society is failing at an ever increasing rate.

[Anon]

PS...and yes you are right, macro-economic theory usually doens't work too well when applied in the real world, which is why massive, trillion dollar government programs should be the last possible choice, used only when everything else under the sun has already failed.

The government should stick to broadbased moves at the top level..like overall monetary policy, tax cuts and block grants and not get into trying to micro manage the economy with some boondogle of a stimulus package that is trying to reach down to the level of whose school gets what repairs, its mindnumbingly stupid.

Similarly, federal regulations should be broad and easy to understand...not 1000 of pages of nit picking compliance. And again, this is a problem I attribute to liberals who in their vain question for everything to be equal all the time have killed the ability for the individual to make a judgement call, lest he or she make the WRONG call..so instead of people empowered to make decisions, everyone reverts to the rule book..and that is how you get 13 year olds strip searched and 11 year olds sent home for plastic butter knives in their lunch box.

[Slide]

"But the reality is that He Is Just Another Politician and Democrats lie just like Republicans.

And that is why our society is failing at an ever increasing rate."

Well, in many ways I agree with you. I am repulsed by our current political culture. And yes, Democrats are politicians and lie just like Republicans. I hate them all. That being said, I think there is a quantitative difference. Republican are worse. Oh I'm going to get a lot of shit for that one and guys like ND30 will send 100 links of horrible things that Dems have done.. but I stand by what I say. The Cheney/bush adminstration lied about absolutely everything. They had zero credibility by the time they were done. Hey, politicians stretch the truth, put things in the best context, conveniently leave out pertinent fact, etc., but the Cheney/bush guys took it to a whole new level. And the fact that they lied on something as important as war disgusts me. History is going to be very unkind to them.

[Slide]

"And again, this is a problem I attribute to liberals who in their vain question for everything to be equal all the time have killed the ability for the individual to make a judgement call"

but on the other hand look at the results of de-regulation (of which Dems were partially to blame) in the financial industry. It almost brought this nation to it's knees. Capitalism is great but it needs regulation and control or it will ALWAYS get out of control. If money is the sole motivator, without government regulation, we would still have child labor, unsafe working conditions, etc. Collectively, as a nation we have to set parameters as to what is acceptable and what is not. For the common good. I thought you would have learned that lesson by recent events.

[North Dallas Thirty]

And Slide once again gets caught in his lies.

"I also agree (and this may surprise you) that I thought George Bush had good intentions. I think he loves his country and he was doing what he thought best. I think he was wrong, but I never demonized him and said that he intentionally wanted to harm America."

Posted by: Slide | Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 01:47 PM

Mere hours later:

"The Cheney/bush adminstration lied about absolutely everything. They had zero credibility by the time they were done. Hey, politicians stretch the truth, put things in the best context, conveniently leave out pertinent fact, etc., but the Cheney/bush guys took it to a whole new level."

Posted by: Slide | Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 04:08 PM

Notice, again, how Slide a) lied about his demonization of Bush and b) blames Bush for the fact that Obama consistently lies.

But again, no response - like the post above where the lying Slide was asked to reconcile why Obama says the stimulus did exactly what it was supposed to with the fact that Obama claimed the stimulus would cap unemployment at 8%. Instead, Slide throws a temper tantrum and tries to blame me for the fact that he can't admit that Obama lied and that he supports Obama's lying.

[North Dallas Thirty]

And another hilarious bit of Slide hypocrisy.

"I am repulsed by our current political culture."

Which is why he so actively participates in it.

"What a self-centered piece of dog excrement this woman is.

Posted by: Slide | Thursday, July 09, 2009 at 01:59 PM "

[mark l.]

bottom line?

we are 70% service based economy.

raising taxes on employer's, increasing overhead via cap and trade/health care, and adjusting for increases in material costs can ONLY be offset by reduction in employees and working hours.

jobs aren't coming back until business costs go down. they won't. this pot will boil, until, some conservative comes back and cuts taxes. The nice thing about obama increasing them, is that the next gop'er doesn't even have to move them below bush's numbers, just back to where obama raised them from.

not only did I avoid getting a McCain presidency, but I get to watch the dems playing hot potato with a live grenade, operating under the theory of shoving it down their own pants, will allow them to win, and pretend they have a giant schlong...

it explodes november 2010.

"The Bush Administration turned lying into a high art form, they are to be praised for the pure braseness of their lies and obfusications in the face of indisputable facts."

the messiah has only been on the job for 7 months, let em have eight years. I want all the kiddies at home to see this. there is a bright spot, with unemployment up, families will get to spend a lot of time together. I feel bad for the single mothers who were making ends meet working in daycare, but they got what they voted for...

[Anon]

No regulation is just as stupid as over regulation. The fact that derivatives and hedge funds were and still are basically unregulated is INSANE.

The problem though is that we are not finding any common ground, we are veering from extreme to extreme, and apparently always learning the wrong lessons.

The lesson from the fact that the bankers broke the capital markets is not that the government needs to regulate their bonuses...the lesson is that there needs to be a legal limit on how much leveraging you can do because banks and stockholders cannot be relied on to make the right call. Again, ignoring the big picture items that caused the debacle and going all the way down to somebody's pay check. That doesn't mean I don't think tens of millions in bonuses is correct, but the government is not the vehicle for changing that. The vehicle for changing that is to change the corporate bylaws and practices that regulate salary and bonuses and this can be done by EXTERNAL pressure from the public, stockholders and government regulators.

I agree that the GOP lost its way during the Bush Administration and that the Bush Administration, to date, has been the worst on record, though I now believe Obama could eventually outpace him given that he's already accumulated ten times the debt in six months that Bush accumulated in 8 years.

But, historically, assuming that I am correct that the Bush Administration/Karl Rove years were an anomally, Republicans have a better track record simply because they are more conservative. Conservatives are NATURALLY inclined to oppose massive new programs that rest on untested theories and have the potential to cause widespread harm. It is true that the social conservatives in the GOP are not very reality based and again, that was a HUGE, HUGE mistake to let people who even tacitly would agree that teaching creationism as science is sensible take control of the party's message.

My opinion is that the Democrats have 'jumped the shark' and they simply reflexively support things that have proven they do not work. The Democrats have been supporting the same set of failed policies for now 50 years, same talking points, same lack of results, same histrionic talking points about social justice and soaking the rich. That isn't to say the Dems are always wrong on everything, just that I've come to believe their core values are more destructive to democracy and "America" as I have known it than those of the GOP.

[Slide]

"this pot will boil, until, some conservative comes back and cuts taxes. The nice thing about obama increasing them, is that the next gop'er doesn't even have to move them below bush's numbers, just back to where obama raised them from."

You know I heard all those dire warning when Clinton first took office and raised taxes. Not one Republican voted for the tax increase. I remember every right wing pundit and politican telling us how horrible this was going to be for the economy. Gloom and doom.

And what happened. We had the best damn economy you could imagine with huge increases in the number of jobs created. Real wage increases for the middle class. Reductions of poverty. Reductions in welfare. He took the record deficits of the first Bush and turned it around to where we were running a surplus. By all measures it was one of the most prosperous times in recent history. So you will excuse me if I don't tremble at the prognostications of the same right wing rabble that was so so very wrong back then

[Ran]

"but on the other hand look at the results of de-regulation (of which Dems were partially to blame) in the financial industry. It almost brought this nation to it's knees."

Blatant lie.

For starters, look a the regulations imposed by the CRA under Clinton - still in place - and the toxic effects of handing loan money to people who can not and will not earn the capacity to re-pay them.

Spend some time around www.cato.org/ and www.Reason.com/ and Competitive Enterprise Institute.

H^ll, take a decent first-year course in macroeconomics. No. We get smart-ass from people who are "passionate" but totally f^cking illiterate.

"Collectively, as a nation we have to set parameters as to what is acceptable and what is not." Oh? Let's start here by banning people who use statements like "... you are probably the biggest fucking asshole I have ever encountered in the blogosphere." PLEASE.

[Slide]

Ran, " Let's start here by banning people who use statements like "... you are probably the biggest fucking asshole I have ever encountered in the blogosphere."

ran, that was in response to ND30 suggesting that I support blowing up police stations and killing cops and yet you found MY response out of line? (laughing) So, in your book, its ok to call me a cop killer but its not ok to call him a fucking asshole? Really? Really Ran? Really, really, Ran?

[North Dallas Thirty]

LOL....Slide has been claiming for weeks that we support murdering Obama, and he suddenly doesn't like being reminded of the fact that he endorses Bill Ayers, who DID blow up police stations, who DID kill police officers, and who remains proudly unapologetic and unrepentant of the fact?

[anon]

Here you are going off onto Democratic talking points again.

The Clinton "boom" was just as much of a facade as the housing "boom" and unless I am very much mistaken 'real wages' when adjusted for cost of living have not gone up since the 1970s.

Clinton reformed welfare because the GOP had the votes to override his veto.

Clinton balanced the budget because a Republican controlled Congress forced him to do it.

These were good things, but to pretend that Clinton would have reformed welfare when he and all his people were screaming about how it was going to cause homelessness and starvation and deprivation right up until he decided to sign it is a misrepresentation of history. Same for balancing the budget. It would never have happened if the Dems had been in control of Congress during his terms.

Clinton did what Bush did..he skated by on the benefits of an artificial boom.

Nafta: disaster.
Trade with China: disaster.
Deregulation of banking: disaster.

[Slide]

Iraq: disaster
Katrina: disaster
capturing OBL; disaster
preventing 9/11: disaster
deficit: disaster
truth and honesty: disaster
protecting the Constitution: disaster
world standing: disaster
energy policy: disaster

[anon]

What does the Bush Administration have to do with the Clinton Administration?

My post was about the fact that Clinton now takes credit for things that he was originally vehemently opposed to and that he did only because of the Republican controlled Congress.

You get no argument from me that the Bush Administration was a disaster from start to finish, though it isn't fair to blame them for failing to prevent 9/11.

[North Dallas Thirty]

And Slide once again gets caught in his lies.

"I also agree (and this may surprise you) that I thought George Bush had good intentions. I think he loves his country and he was doing what he thought best. I think he was wrong, but I never demonized him and said that he intentionally wanted to harm America."

Posted by: Slide | Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 01:47 PM

Mere hours later:

"The Cheney/bush adminstration lied about absolutely everything. They had zero credibility by the time they were done. Hey, politicians stretch the truth, put things in the best context, conveniently leave out pertinent fact, etc., but the Cheney/bush guys took it to a whole new level."

Posted by: Slide | Wednesday, July 29, 2009 at 04:08 PM

And now:

Iraq: disaster
Katrina: disaster
capturing OBL; disaster
preventing 9/11: disaster
deficit: disaster
truth and honesty: disaster
protecting the Constitution: disaster
world standing: disaster
energy policy: disaster

Notice, again, how Slide a) lied about his demonization of Bush and b) blames Bush for the fact that Obama consistently lies.

And having "deficit" on there is hilarious, given that Slide fully supports and endorses Obama's quadrupling of the deficit in barely one year.

[mark l.]

"No regulation is just as stupid as over regulation."

look up "straw man" argument.

[North Dallas Thirty]

"No regulation is just as stupid as over regulation."

look up "straw man" argument.

And see how well complete over-regulation and government control of the economy worked out for the Soviet Union and the remainder of the Eastern Bloc.

[Ran]

North. Mark,
History is replete with failed economies governed by "compassion" and redistributive ideology. Not one of them has thrived. Even when they don't collapse directly, they fail demographically in the delivery room. Mark Steyn pointed out Toynbee's observation: "Civilizations die from suicide, not from murder," words to that effect.

The "politics" of Slide and his comrades is the politics of stealing - legally - from the smart and the productive and redistribute wealth and reward to the losers who stay home all day writing "... you are probably the biggest fucking asshole I have ever encountered in the blogosphere."

It's called the Politics of Parasitism. It has had it's chance, and it is being rejected.

Conservatism and Libertarianism is on the ascendancy.

Peter Ferrara points the way: http://spectator.org/archives/2008/12/31/what-conservatives-must-now-do

Syn is active in Rubio's campaign. I've just started a Jewish Bot Scout troop. I'll be doing more at the local level.

[anon]

"Conservatism and Libertarianism is on the ascendancy."

If only...

I don't see that at all. The country just elected the most liberal president in modern history, he makes Clinton and Carter look positive conservative. Congress has an overwhelming Democratic majority and they can pass anything they want without a single Republican vote. Within the span of a few months we saw taxpayer money redistributed to banks via TARP, to Democratic cronies via the stimulus plan and to unions via the auto bailout. Now we are on the cusp of totally upending the health care industry and putting 20% of the GDP in the hands of the federal government.

It looks to me that we should be bracing for any number of new and more wasteful wealth confiscation schemes to come from the Democrats in the next two years.

Meanwhile, GOP favorability ratings are still in the toilet, so right now there is absolutely no reason to believe the GOP can get Congress back.

[Ran]

http://libertarianrepublican.blogspot.com/2009/07/leftist-npr-finds-republicans-slightly.html

"Meanwhile, GOP favorability ratings are still in the toilet, so right now there is absolutely no reason to believe the GOP can get Congress back."

Anon, with respect, the latest from NPR - NPR! - shows it otherwise.

It's not just a tide turning... it's a tsunami coming in 2010 and 2012. Screw the Politics of Parasitism. Show up for the Recess Rally.

[Lala]

NDT,
I am so proud of you for rendering "Slide" speechless. Bravo!

[North Dallas Thirty]

"I don't see that at all. The country just elected the most liberal president in modern history, he makes Clinton and Carter look positive conservative. Congress has an overwhelming Democratic majority and they can pass anything they want without a single Republican vote."

Oddly enough, as I recall, that was also the case back in 1977.

[Anon]

Obama has right now over 50% favorability rating, if/when he passes his health care plan his favorability will go UP, not down, because until the reality filters through to the 70% of Americans who already have health care as to what they are going to lose and/or pay in taxes, it will sound great, and it is unclear how long the lag time will be before the negatives of "Medicare for all" hit the public, and it might take several years since it appears to me that part of the strategy is to ever so slowly kill off private insurance by siphoning people over to the public option...this will take years before most people "get" that their health care quality has gone down.

Same way the stimulus sounded great until, at least for now, it looks like almost no one got a benefit. The Dems still have THREE YEARS to cook the books or manipulate the system in whatever way they think will benefit them for 2010.

Granted, it is inevitable that the Democrats will overreach and they will overreach much, much faster than the GOP did because they are much more fanatical and much more in love with the idea "doing something" and "changing things" and without new crap fostered on the taxpayer they won't be able to congratulate themselves for all the social justice they're bringing about.

It is way, way too soon to be anything more than slightly encouraged by the poll numbers.

[Slide]

"I am so proud of you for rendering "Slide" speechless. Bravo!" no such luck sweetcakes. My voice is in fine form.