Riehl World View

Althouse v Sullivan And Secondary Benefits

When we look at someone's behavior, we tend to assume they are being driven by the obvious. So, when Ann Althouse challenges Andrew Sullivan to apply the same allegedly thorough but fair analysis to Obama that he seems obsessed with applying to Sarah Palin, it's Sullivan's targeting of Sarah Palin driving that challenge. But what else is going on here that might be a motivator for Andy to focus so intently on Palin as he has been doing?

Chris Matthews has somewhat turned on Obama. SNL is now making jokes at his expense, and much of the Left and the Right is increasingly unhappy with him. But not Andy Sullivan, despite Obama's basically slapping the gay community in the face on gay marriage and don't ask don't tell.

Point being, if Sullivan were genuinely focused on what is actually going on over the political landscape, it would be all but impossible for him to still defend Obama. But by focusing nearly all of his attention on Palin, he conveniently gets to avoid admitting he was wrong about Obama and the new potus simply isn't measuring up to expectations, especially his. I suspect Sullivan does not want to admit he was wrong, or simply isn't ready to do it.

Frankly, given that Sarah Palin is at least 2.5 years away from even being anything of a threat to Sullivan in terms of her running and winning high office, tearing her down now is mostly a worthless exercise. No one is going to be going back to reference Sully's old posts on Palin in three years.

But ignoring what a disappointment Obama is proving to be just now? That gives Andy a reward he can benefit from today. His attention has to go somewhere if he is to ignore reality. It's likely that with Cheney and Bush gone, Palin just happens to be the most convenient target for him to become obsessed with, thereby allowing him to carry on living and writing what amounts to no more than a fantasy. Don't look for him to take up Ann's challenge any time, soon. To do so would break his heart, if not his mind, assuming that isn't already shot.

In short, Andy doesn't want the truth. He can't handle the truth, to coin a phrase.

Is Health Care Bill Anti-Gun?

While Democrat progressives are going to call this Washington Examiner item a reach, the problem is, it's reaching the bill was designed to allow. As Senator Coburn went to some effort to point out on the Senate floor, hundreds of unelected government employees will ultimately get to determine what the proposed legislation actually means, as so much of it is open to interpretation. Libertarians and gun owner groups have noticed.

The simple question is this, if a bureaucrat decided that not having a gun in a household represented a "healthier" lifestyle, could gun ownershipeventually be regulated, or penalized under the bill? The simple answer is, yes. There is nothing to prevent it. In addition to that, previously private health care data could easily be incorporated into any gun licensing database. If a GP suggested you talk to a psychiatrist because you were feeling angry, or depressed, could that information ultimately be used to disqualify you for gun ownership?

Again, there is nothing in the bill to prevent it. That decision, as with the former, would fall to someone no one voted for in some department of the federal government somewhere. Whatever that is, it doesn't sound much like democracy.

"There is a broader issue here," said Dave Kopel, research director of the Independence Institute of Colorado, a libertarian think tank. "The more you socialize costs, the more you empower the argument that the government has the authority to control private behavior."

Kopel pointed to the Japanese health care system, where employee waistlines are measured and those who are overweight are put into special weight loss programs, as an example of where the U.S. health care system could be headed.

And gun control could become part of it, Kopel said.

NY - 23: Calls For Hand Count Growing

From a Democrat via The Brad Blog? Hmm. Plenty of links in post.

Conklin's response has drawn two responses in turn from the Gouvernor Times, as the right-leaning publication appears to have joined in the fight for election integrity, at least on behalf of their favored Conservative Party candidate whose apparent election loss has indeed been "tainted" by the very same concerns about which The BRAD BLOG has been warning for years. We're happy to see their new-found concerns, even as Republican partisans in political alignment with the Times have been ignoring and/or disparaging similar reports for years following elections in which Democrats have been the apparent victims of similarly failed voting systems...

Public Health Care: Epic Fail

Did a little looking after a reader tip who claimed he's seeing TV ads up along the border marketing US health care to Canadians as the preferred alternative for their care.

Yep! Public health care in Canada is bad enough to justify a complete marketing campaign by a US hospital system to bring patients in from over the border. I guess there's always Mexico after the Democrats get done. Save your pesos. No wonder Obama said more Americans should learn to speak a foreign language. It might be good to have if you get sick under Obamacare.

Kaleida Health welcomes our Canadian neighbors!

At Kaleida Health, we believe that providing compassionate, quality health care in a timely manner is the cornerstone of maintaining a healthy life. Our commitment to our patients is simple -- when you need us we will be there. Expedient treatment is your right and it is our privilege to provide it.

BGH Surgeons Bring Free Weight Loss Seminar to Canadians in St. Catharines

Buffalo General Hospital announced today that the surgeons of the Kaleida Health Comprehensive Weight Loss and Bariatric Surgery Program will provide a FREE educational seminar on morbid obesity (100 pounds overweight or more) and surgical options available for weight reduction on Saturday, November 7 from 10 a.m. – Noon at the Holiday Inn, St. Catharines—Niagara.

DeVore Responds To Fiorina

Posted at Carly down below, DeVore's people have sent this out, more at link.

Also see video here. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- DeVore for California today responded to Carly Fiorina's claim at this morning's American Spectator Newsmaker Breakfast in Washington, D.C., in which she reportedly said, "I do not believe I differ from Chuck DeVore either fiscally or socially."

Joshua Treviño, DeVore for California Communications Director, said, "Of course Carly Fiorina desperately wants Californians to believe she's a strong, proven conservative like Chuck DeVore. She knows that only a true and tested conservative can win this primary and beat Barbara Boxer. But Fiorina's past exposes all too clearly her fundamental beliefs in big government, big spending, and liberal 'solutions.'"

Why Does The Left Want Beck To Lead The Conservative Movement?

Don't pile on me. Just a link to Brian Mahoney at Radio Equalizer, who is always more than a fair man in his analysis. Some of his links and quotes are rather troubling. Given the liberal media's tendency to ignore, or impugn so many conservative personalities who have had great success, it is something of a puzzle while they seem so intent on propping Beck up. Is it only because he has prominent liberals handling his business and image? I wish I knew. But it has always been cause for alarm given how little I trust liberals and the liberal media. See both links if you haven't. I'm open to opposing views. That doesn't mean some of this isn't rather curious imo. They do love to set the Right up, just as they did with John McCain. Remember? He was the candidate the Left feared! Yeah, sure, how did that work out for us? feh!

More important is the state-run media's curious role in promoting Beck. Is it designed to install someone they see as highly vulnerable to oversee conservatives, leading to subsequent damage?

Lefties recognize Beck's unpredictable behavior and habit of making strange statements that serve the movement poorly, such as his assertion that McCain's presidency would have been worse for America than Obama's.

In addition, it is then relatively easy to use Beck's words to undermine Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Levin, Sarah Palin and others.

Another tactic: pitting other conservatives against Beck, accusing them of "jealousy" in relation to his "success".

ObamACORN Shreds Remaining Reputation Instead Of Documents

By dumping a large number of sensitive documents in a public dumpster on the eve of a formal investigation, ACORN may have succeeded in shredding what might be left of its reputation. It may have also revealed itself not just as a criminal enterprise, but as an enterprise that is, at its heart, criminally dumb.

But then what else would one expect from a bunch of progressives rolling in a ton of Democrat cash, possible bribes, kickbacks and influence peddling? Let us not forget that the titular head nut behind ACORN is none other than Barack Obama himself.

While the future is impossible to predict and plenty of powerful Dems will be doing everything they can to circle the wagons and protect their party and potus in all this, at this rate, Obama may yet prove to be the false prophet who led his people into the sea just as the waves came crushing down on them.

It will take a Republican majority in the House in 2010 to truly get to the bottom of this garbage, up to and including potential links to the Obama WH itself. But Republicans must have control to make it happen. This is yet another good reason to put dreams of a 3rd party aside right now. With effort, we could bring the whole thing down in 2011 - 2012 and cut the progressives adrift in American politics for a decade, or more. Keep the big picture in mind as you're reading Big Government on this.

Documents shared with BigGovernment.com include information exposing not only the inner workings of ACORN in California, but also personal, sensitive information belonging to employees, members and clients of ACORN. ACORN and its few remaining defenders insist that the “good” ACORN provides outweighs the transgressions exposed in the recent undercover video sting. But, ACORN’s massive dumping of these documents and the cavalier manner in which it betrayed the trust of its supporters betrays that talking point. (Unlike ACORN, we have redacted sensitive and personal information.)

ACORN’s political agenda is also exposed, with thousands upon thousands of documents revealing the depth of the political machine that is ACORN, and its disturbing ties to not only public employee labor unions but some of the most radical leftist organizations.

The laws governing how sensitive, personal information such as social security numbers, driver’s license numbers, immigration records, tax returns, etc. must be treated are very stringent, and thus it seems as if ACORN may have committed serious violations in that department alone, with thousands upon thousands of potential plaintiffs.

The Republican Elites Versus The Grassroots

Some interesting battles breaking out on Twitter this AM, even if I say so myself - having played a big role in fueling them! No need to link all the back and forth, but it amounts to a discussion about what works. The problem as I see it, is too many inside the Beltway Republicans have convinced themselves that they are all that.

For some reason, they fear and look to shut down the Joe the Plumbers (who I personally feel has been over-played by now) and the Jackies from the recent Palin book signing dust up with Nora O'Donnell.

Reading them, one would think there is no Charles Krauthammer, no David Brooks, or Newt Gingrich and so many others talking politics, or conservatism in the news everyday. We have plenty of thinkers and more elitist talking heads today than we've ever had. The problem is, they do not penetrate the culture at large. The average American is not interested in reading a white paper on economic trends. Such things do not connect with them. And they are the voters you need to get to the booths come election day.

The Left rode and never dismissed Cindy Sheehan for years. Yet, she called Bush a terrorist, a war criminal and worse. But try to find an elitist, or establishment Democrat putting her down before she came back to bite them years later. They didn't because they realized what she could do that they could not.

She was the vehicle that carried their anti-war agenda into the culture in a way no DC insider could ever hope to do. For better or worse, people connected with her because she was one of them. In that sense, it is the same thing that is going on with Sarah Palin right now. She connects with people to the extent they see her as one of them. But if you ask an elitist inside the Beltway Republican, well, we can't have that!

What utter nonsense.

Until elitist Republicans get over this fear they have of the media turning our latest personality into a perceived liability, Republicans and conservatives are never going to be able to reach out into the electorate as broadly as they need to do to win. Get over yourselves. You are not America, you are only one slice of it. And the rest of it doesn't want you shoved down our collective throat because you fancy yourselves so much.

Instead of at least ignoring these personalities that pop up, you join the mainstream liberals in putting them down. You, as much as anyone, try to take their legs out from under them as if you are ashamed, somehow. Knock it off. We're sick of it. The elitists have ruled the Republican roost for years. Look at where you have led us? We're out in the cold, cut off from the culture as a whole.

You needn't support them if you don't want. No one really cares, frankly. But stop trying to knock them down. You are not better than them. You do not have all the answers figured out and to the extent that you might, you don't have a clue how to communicate to the masses that go to the voting booths.

If you can't do anything else, then just do your thing in Washington and, for God's sake, shut up! Stop trying to kill the one thing that can give Republicans and conservatives a fighting chance - we the people! It's written into the damned Constitution for a reason. Go back and read that if you're fresh out of white papers. Just leave us the hell alone and we can all win together in 2010. Rest assured that divided we will fall. In spirit, that's written somewhere, too. Go look it up if you've nothing better to do and stop running down average people who are every bit as intelligent and worthy of having a voice as you. It's called democracy. You might want to look that one up while you're at it, too!

How Bloggers Lose "Friends," Or Is It Simply Readers?

Face it. Whether it's Sarah Palin, or Glenn Beck, as in Jenny's case, though she's far from unfair here, or whomever, I've watched over the last year or two how this has played out across the blogs. Perhaps it's always been here. But if one fails to embrace the latest conservative craze, or personality in lock-step with everyone else, they somehow feel that they may lose "friends," or readers. I can't believe friends is the right descriptor.

Whatever the case, I think the day we start giving in to that influence by not speaking our minds and weathering any storm that erupts, we stop being the best of what we mostly came out to be imo - ourselves. That's the day I'll know blogging has begun to become passe. Lord knows I have my share of fights and disagreements, but I rarely cut people off over them, especially when I believe they're still a vital part of the conversation, as so many bloggers are. We need to be tolerant out here, or we run the risk of losing touch with who we are ourselves - the people. At least when at our best in many ways, I do believe.

SEE JENNY LOSE FRIENDS AND ALIENATE PEOPLE

I’m a little ticked off at Glenn Beck. Yeah, I said it. I like to end things on a negative, so I’ll point out what I admire about him first. I think the concept behind the 912 project is great and the march on DC was amazing. I think the tea party movement is the force it is because of Beck’s inspiration, and I think if not for him commies like Van Jones and Anita Dunn would still be lurking in the shadows of the Obama administration.

Chris Matthews: It Must Have Been The Wine And The Music

Oh come on. Chris Matthews looks so hard up, he's probably been begging to be seduced for years. Crying date rape now is not an excuse in his case. Jaysus, the only reason for watching the guy at all is to see whose breasts he has on on any given night. And I still don't watch him. I'm more of a leg man, myself. He gave it up for Obama consensually. Now he doesn't want to carry the baby to term. That's so liberal. Stamp out promiscuity in media. No one enjoyed watching Matthews get laid by Obama anyway. You can get better porn on the Internet for free.

Chris Matthews appears to have lost that loving feeling for Barack Obama. 

On "The Chris Matthews Show" Sunday, the once smitten MSNBCer called some of Obama's recent mistakes "Carteresque":