WHO Knew?...
Oh My!!! From The American Conservative we now find out that our Socialist, Marxian, Commie, Muslim President is more like a Nixon Republican than a Marxist Commie? S*it, what are those Patriotic Tea Party folks and the rest of the right wing going to do now?. Probably ignore the evidence as they usually do and barrel ahead as they look for more scandals to imagine.
Back in 2008, Boston University professor Andrew Bacevich wrote an article for this magazine making a conservative case for Barack Obama. While much of it was based on disgust with the warmongering and budgetary profligacy of the Republican Party under George W. Bush, which he expected to continue under 2008 Republican nominee Sen. John McCain, Bacevich thought Obama at least represented hope for ending the Iraq War and shrinking the national-security state.
I wrote a piece for the New Republic soon afterward about the Obamacon phenomenon—prominent conservatives and Republicans who were openly supporting Obama. Many saw in him a classic conservative temperament: someone who avoided lofty rhetoric, an ambitious agenda, and a Utopian vision that would conflict with human nature, real-world barriers to radical reform, and the American system of government.
Among the Obamacons were Ken Duberstein, Ronald Reagan’s chief of staff; Charles Fried, Reagan’s solicitor general; Ken Adelman, director of the Arms Control and Disarmament Agency for Reagan; Jeffrey Hart, longtime senior editor of National Review; Colin Powell, Reagan’s national security adviser and secretary of state for George W. Bush; and Scott McClellan, Bush’s press secretary. There were many others as well.
According to exit polls in 2008, Obama ended up with 20 percent of the conservative vote. Even in 2012, after four years of relentless conservative attacks, he still got 17 percent of the conservative vote, with 11 percent of Tea Party supporters saying they cast their ballots for Obama.
They were not wrong. In my opinion, Obama has governed as a moderate conservative—essentially as what used to be called a liberal Republican before all such people disappeared from the GOP. He has been conservative to exactly the same degree that Richard Nixon basically governed as a moderate liberal, something no conservative would deny today. (Ultra-leftist Noam Chomsky recently called Nixon “the last liberal president.”)
Here’s the proof: BELOW THE FOLD.
Via: Memeorandum
I had a pretty deep suspicion and I suspect you did also, RN.
ReplyDeleteWe have two parties in the U.S.
1. Batshite crazy - commonly called Republicans or Teabags
2. Nice polite conservatives - commonly called Democrats.
I challenge my fringe right brethren to show me policies of this administration that are remotely
socialist and all I hear are the crickets.
Myself, I worry about the path we are on and its sustainability. It may be that Obama has only
slowed our demise but it truly troubles me that there are so many who are ready to pick option no. 1.
Not sure any fringe right folks show here any more. I think RN blocked them.
ReplyDeleteNope, this site only blocks asshats. Being a non discriminatory weblog asshats of any political affiliation get weeded out.
ReplyDeletePolitical views respectfully expressed are welcome. Regardless of party allegiance.
RN, I guess "fringe right" and "asshat" at this time, here, comes out to one in the same. I'm not recalling anyone fringe right for a long time around here other than "Radical Redneck" and his ilk, and yes he happens to be an asshat.
DeleteNot precisely dmarks. Fringe left and Fringe right asshats are weeded out equally and for the same reasons.
DeleteOccasionally a non asshats comment gets deleted. We apologize for and regret these occasional errors.
Every so often an acceptable comment gets inadvertantly deleted. We apologize for the occasional such error
Describing those idiots on MSNBC as "nice polite conservatives" is about as borderline brain-diseased as it gets, in my opinion.
DeleteGood point, Will. Considering what Ducky said, any objective analysis will factor out his claim of "nice"... too hard to measure.
DeleteHowever, his category 1. "Batshite Crazy", needs to add the Democrats... which, when you compare membership counts of the Progressive Caucus (69 members) to the most recent count of the Tea Party Caucus (48 members), has more "batshite crazy" Progressives in Congress than the Republicans have "batshite crazy" Tea Partiers.
In regards to Ducky's, of course, you will find few if any "conservatives - commonly called Democrats"... just as you will find few liberal Republicans. Sane, pragmatic and principled moderates seem to be in short supply in both parties..... considering the group of names Will has given before including Sam Nunn and others.
Describing those idiots on MSNBC as "nice polite conservatives" is about as borderline brain-diseased...
DeleteIdiots and brain diseased may not be the most productive way to start a conversation.
Well Ducky, I worry about the sustainability of it all as well. I gave up talking about balanced budgets, debt reduction, reigning in the MIC, rethinking foreign aid priorities, crony capitalism and corporatism, and etc. because really nobody cares. The difference between the major parties is merely which one gets us to the abyss first.
ReplyDeleteGiven that the "difference between the major parties is merely which one gets us to the abyss first", I am surprised that most of your posts lately have been about the crazy on the right. Could it be because that's where most of the crazies are?
ReplyDeleteNot neccessarily Jerry. However, in keeping with my philosophy which has remained for the most part consistent over the tears I shall let the left deal with their crazies. For the most part anyway.
ReplyDeleteFirst shine a bright spotlight into your own backyard and clean it up before turning the spotlight to your neighbors backyard.
I've often pointed out in the past that Obama is a Conservative Democrat, which always gets pushback from someone who says he "measures from the center". Why no strong disagreement with Bruce Bartlett's article from said commenter? Just wondering if he truly believes Obama is a "Liberal" or if he only disagreed with me to be contrary for the sake of being contrary.
ReplyDeleteBTW, RN may have done some posts about the "crazy Right", but he also did a few concerning the Democrats being "unpopular". Perhaps I'm wrong, but my impression was that he was happy about that. RN admits above that "his own back yard" is the Right. As for the Right being the party for the crazies... yes, I absolutely agree this is the case.
i) "Said" commenter's observation that Obama is somewhat left from center is probably valid. But of course that depends on the definition of center and I suppose that good be a moving target.
ReplyDelete2) Unsubstantiated impressions are like assumptions DS. I'll leave it at that.
3) Now for more assumptions... What I admit is I am fiscally conservative and I am socially libertarian and lean liberal. Period, end of story, done deal. get it DS?
My goddamn backyard is my own and if you keep pissing in it I'll have no choice but "clean it up."
I freely admit you're a goddamned PIA DS, it is intentional, you enjoy it, and you do it for a purpose.I ain't playing your goddamned childish games with you any longer. If you want to indulge in this crap go back to posting at your shithead LLIN site.
YOU ARE F'n CRAZY DS.
Is it too much to ask to imagine deviating from the idea that all bones, no matter how old, must be gnawed furiously for an infinite amount of time?
ReplyDeleteFor some it is apparently impossible to disagree, have a second say, disagree again and then agree to disagree and just let it go at that. But goddamn I've tried. Evn my patience has it's limits.
DeleteThe "old bone" is surely a meaningless insult if ever there was one, given that you're now applying it to on topic comments. I'll just read "old bone" as "blah blah blah" henceforth.
ReplyDeleteHerewith and henceforth you just may be ignored.
ReplyDelete