You know you’ve been thinking the same thing.
If only a primary challenge was more than a sophomoric reflex. The Democratic ‘Party’ as political construct is a dysfunctional, dissipated golem. 6 more years? Who wants to contemplate just another 2?
___
n.b. Another blank on your iGadget? Kvetch to Steve Jobs per usual.
Dr Leo Strauss says
@Comment
re Goldberg and Pollack, their mission is complete. The American social nervous system is already radicalized and numb to further degradation. Goldberg, Pollack and others in the Neocon ‘entryism’ (a Trotskyite tactic) hijacked a functioning if oblivious body politic and destroyed its immune system.
They’re really not needed anymore. There aren’t many (any?) anti-bodies left.
Dr Leo Strauss says
Comment says
Jeffrey Goldberg and Ken Pollack will be addressing fellow democracy lovers at the Ritz-Carlton. This game of being a war advocate was much easier just a few years ago – Goldberg and Pollack were very useful to people advocating the Iraq war, because of the sense of pseudo-deliberation they conveyed in their attack propaganda.
But their influence is far smaller than it was.
Dr Leo Strauss says
@Comment
re Holder et al. What can we say? They’re weak sauce.
Comment says
Operation Broken Trust is the same Holder chose for his trader investigation – This lame name is ironically revealing. Btw, who ever really trusted traders to begin with?
Over T-giving we talked to someone who had an office near one of the firms raided and they said 40 armed agents ringed the parking lot. It seemed a bit over the top. If we were running things, we’d have them descend from choppers and hoist the accused back up the chopper via cable.
Comment says
Gingrich is now hawking his cheesy books and so called life advice thru RC church mailing lists – Dante would have known where to place Newt in his Comedy.
Comment says
Colbert was pretty funny tonight on the Smithsonian art work contro – Cannot describe his riff, but worth watching the clip
Comment says
It’s all dust in the balance – these cable shows. They will face decline – As you noted those hack journos do not really matter at all anymore. They used to matter a little 4 yrs ago, and quite a bit 10 yrs ago. It’s possible they could have stopped Iraq if they were not for it. But they lack that power now – None are as powerful as video games in overall influence. They are in some respects important in their little sphere – like novelists with MFAs from cool schools – But they cannot say things that upset shareholders or sponsors – so they are limited. 10 yrs down the road – all will change. But how?
Dr Leo Strauss says
True, hard to predict how the Bourbon Restoration plays out in meme torrential downpours. You’re right the ‘news’ no longer matters much.
Comment says
Saw a clip of Bob Beckle on Bolling’s show calling Assange a traitor. Lieberman said the same the other day. Beckle called for a hit on Assange. But not a legal hit – rather, an illegal one – since Beckle opposes the death penalty. Afterall, he’s a liberal. This Palin-drift is infecting lots of people now. Calling foreigners traitors does not even feel good, but it seems to be a trend.
Comment says
That Ed Show really has to stop. We always regret flipping to it – It consists entirely of clips of things Ed’s target audience does not like and tries to avoid, followed by Ed or someone else lacking sway yelling at the camera. Yelling is probably thought to be a sign of toughness. Spitzer has potential as soon as ditches his emasculating co-host.
Obama is very intelligent for a politician. We know plenty of people we guess to be smarter than him, but none could come close to being elected dogcatcher – much less President. Spitzer has always struck as the one politician who is brighter than O, more prepared, and much much tougher. However, it was a blessings in disguise when he had to leave politics because he was/is lacking in the kind of psychological balance needed for national leadership. That being said – he should be unleashed for tv. He frightens his opposition like few no one else. Makes for good theater.
Tbilisi says
Speaking of Chumbawumba, my vote for campaign anthem of Obama’s ’12 primary challenger… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waJLv46_N6c
Comment says
The media vultures following Ms. Edwards. Very sad.
Tbilisi says
@Dr Leo Strauss
Doctor, totally agree, and, sorry, my selected quotes of lyric wasn’t directed at the post. I think this song so acutely and beautifully describes the reality of a nihilistic existence. Really such a perfect musical interpretation of contemporary Democratic hollowness. Just like your use of Chumba’s ‘Timebomb’ a while back.
I’ve seen the ’74 performance online, but never this one. They are both superb and so different.
Comment says
Ironic this morning on Morining Joe Mika wonders if Obama’s hostage meme was a planned talking point and Joe says it is and Barnicle says how dare he. But this whole conversation is staged with Mika pretending to wonder and Joe pretending to respond to Mika’s faux wondering and Tina Brown pretending to care about the Edwards family.
Comment says
Burkman is actually rather credentialed – His petty rant and his obvious neeed to push people down is pretty odd.
Comment says
All those types, misspellings and usages errors we just posted – sort of ironic too.
Comment says
Since that great quote came up on the machine – we just saw that clip on of Burkaman and D’amato on that meathead Bolling’s show. Great stuff. Gave us a flashback to the mid-90s when we used to hear endless speculation from a couple of Burkman type racists about the nature of Bill Clinton’s suppport – Presumably because educated people would only support Dole-Kemp. Here you have the same dynamic w/ meatheads like Bolling (ends his show w/ a bad postal joke) and Burkman. Both of them know nothing and have no idea why the whole postal service migh collapse if the PS stopped delivering all the un the unprofitable business. Painfully stupid.
Notice how Burkman kept insisting how important to him to push people down – he want’s tp collapse people to what he thinks are their market value – ironically, just like a 3rd world country. Ironically, neither Burkman nor Bolling seem to realize that they themselves would likely not be considered college educated in many countries.Far more so than they postal workers they hate – they are unjustly elevated by circumstanstances not their making – Everything from their bogus marketing, PR, and/or education degrees to their being the passive beneficiaries of the technological spinoff from the space program years ago. Both Bolling and Burkman are like the good old boys down in Jim Crow feeling threatened by blacks. Neither is close to having the self awareness to realize that – unlike D’amato (who has learned about humanity over a career in politics).
anxiousmodernman says
Amazing. I really thought that Obama would get his way on DADT.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-gates-gays-20101207,0,175999.story
DrLeoStrauss says
How deep a bow does Obama give Mitch McConnell?
Comment says
Maybe Obama should congratulate China’s Defense Dept for winning the computer race:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/28/technology/28compute.html?_r=1
DrLeoStrauss says
How appropriate that Tweety classifies the Stiftung’s concerns about Obama as ‘those on the loud mouth Left [sic]’.
Dr Leo Strauss says
Let me be clear. Why don’t Obama and Biden just resign now as the responsible adults and allow President Boehner to lead an Emergency National Government of Unanimous Bi-Partisanship?
What really would be the difference, in the end? Really.
Dr Leo Strauss says
@Tbilisi
The 1974 live version was the obvious choice. It’s way too dynamic and purposeful for our intent here thanks to Wagner and Hunter’s guitar work; this version seems to capture Democratic disarray better. Granted nullify is the better lyric.
Tbilisi says
Nullify your life.
I guess I just don’t know.
Comment says
Weigel’s last line is good summary – There is nothing wrong, imo, in losing when a fight is too tough. But here is a winning hand being surrendered neeedlessly. We just can’t figure it out. It is worse imo that GHWB read my lips betrayal because Poppy never believed in voodoo econ – That was his line, recall. So he was capitulating to his real beliefs. O is not doing that.
It will be impossible for to beat someone like Romney (who will then get the credit for the recovery) if he does not make drastic changes in style and substance. O needs someone to tell him it will all be 3 yards and a cloud of dust if has a chance to win. No more 3 pointers. Frank Rich is a fair weather friend to any Dem (unless the opponent is too redneckish), but he does have a point about Chris Christi. Christi is like an un Obama in good ways and bad. Christi has gotten more popular with his mistakes too – whereas O loses popularity even when he does the right thing. We can already hear Tweety switch sides say Jeb + Christi
http://www.slate.com/BLOGS/blogs/weigel/archive/2010/12/06/just-how-big-of-a-dive-is-obama-taking-on-tax-cuts.aspx
Comment says
Here’s a deal Obama can offer McConnnell – O will extend all the tax cuts for two years and promise to let them become a campaign issue – In exchange, McConnell will write a letter to Paul Krugman asking for a 90 day freeze on mean criticisms of the President
Comment says
The expiration of tax cuts that they never believed in and the return to perfectly fine Clinton era rates is a political gift that the Dems are treating like krpytonite. They are afraid of upsetting donors and losing news cycles. It’s so depressing – we can only pray for Palin to rescue us if O caves on this simple issue. Ever since the WH managed to take the blame for a bunch of foreign oil execs mistakes, we have waited in vain for some hint of course correction. It’s just incredible to see O lose to drips like McConnell and Boehner. Football season is the only thing that keeps us sane.