Friday, October 26, 2012

I'd Guess Many People Have Ended Up Regretting Their First Time If It Was 2008

I'd comment on the latest Obama campaign ad, but I'll leave it to Allahpundit to sum up my thoughts...
Worth watching if only as fodder for a thought experiment on how a similar ad would be received if it came from the right. Light-hearted or no, it would bring about the “war on women” End Times, a days-long tribulation of fake-outrage oneupsmanship culminating in a moronic, pandering series of tweets from The One himself. Isn’t it just like a wingnut to sexualize the right to vote that women fought so hard for? Do they think women are too stupid to appreciate a straightforward pitch on the issues? Why can’t they be more sensitive, like Barack Obama?
We are of course talking about the following, which apparently mimics an ad used by Vlad Putin...



The fact that I had to look up Lena Dunham tells you that I'm pretty out of touch with pop culture, but there are times when that makes me happy.  Love this paragraph from her Wiki bio:
Dunham was born in New York City.[2] Her father, Carroll Dunham, is a painter of "overtly sexualised pop art", and her mother, Laurie Simmons, is a photographer and designer who creates "disquieting domestic tableaux" with dolls.[3][4] Dunham's father is Protestant, and according to Dunham, a Mayflower descendant;[5][6] Dunham's mother is Jewish.[7][8] She has a younger sister, Grace, who is a model and student at Brown University and who starred in Dunham's first film Tiny Furniture.[9] As children, both Lena and Grace were babysat by photographers Sherri Zuckerman and Catherine McGann.
Her background is something that could only emerge here in America -- Protestant father, Jewish mother, parents with niche artistic careers, famous babysitters, etc.  And I give her credit for building a wildly successful career, and she's entitled to her beliefs.  But I'd venture to guess that far fewer people will be able to accomplish their dreams in this country if we continue following the economic policies of the candidate she's promoting in this ad. As for the ad, Ace of Spades is a little more biting...
It's not funny, it's not cute, and it's not persuasive, unless you think the important issues in this campaign are Binders Full of Birth Control.

It underlines the essential triviality of Obama and his Government Client & Upper Upper Class White Voter agenda. There is nothing to his campaign except very small social-progressive appeals to people who are simply not affected by the economy, whether they are too poor to notice a bad economy, immunized from the economy by being a government worker, or so rich they have nothing at all to fear from a bad economy.

It continues to be weird that Democrats want so bad to have sex with their cult leader. But I guess that's a central part of the cult thing.
I don't know if I find it that weird -- it strikes me more as beneath the office of the presidency, for whatever that's still worth (to be fair, many ads probably fit this standard).  If Dunham cuts this ad on her own as an enthused Obama supporter, that's fine; to have the campaign put its push behind it is disquieting to say the least, and that's before you get through the superficiality of it and long before you get to the sexist implications noted by Allahpundit.  Atlanticwire has this weird defense of it, which focuses more on their belief that the conservative outrage is silly, noting that it's intended to reach younger voters.  That's great and all, but that's not really the point -- if the ad featured Mitt Romney as a horror movie villian trying to kill young girls, that might be funny and reach young people, but it would still be tasteless and should be beneath the campaign.  of course, now I've gone and given the Obama campaign an idea...

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Don't Mess With Texas

The real story here isn't that Texas might arrest UN election observers -- it's the latest waste of time created by the UN.  Clearly, one of the greatest problems in the world is the accessibility and openness of American elections, right?  Oh, wait it's not.  Glad to see our UN dues go to such useful endeavors.

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Obama Shrugged

Add Ayn Rand to the list of things -- economics, governance, how to throw a baseball, humility -- that President Obama doesn't understand.  And hey, The Emperor's New Clothes is a children's fable, but it's still an apt analogy for the Obama Presidency.

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What Annoying Song Is Stuck In My Head Today?

If I need to suffer with a song stuck in my head, why shouldn't you have to do the same? Sometimes they're good, most times they're bad... but no matter what, they make you suffer. So I like to share the suffering whenever it happens.

My high school reunion was last weekend -- #20, which makes me feel pretty old.  I didn't attend, continuing a tradition I established when I skipped the five year reunion.  My lack of nostalgia is furthered by the fact that I'm now closer to being the father of a high school senior than I am to being one; I can mourn my hairline without any company.

But here's a little nostalgia from right around 1992 -- a song I rarely hear any more, but one that does indeed stay with me whenever I hear it.



You're welcome.

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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

He's No Reagan

Rich Lowry points out the major problem for the cult of Obama -- not everyone is as inspired by him as the people who fervently want to believe, evidence to the contrary, that he's something special...
When his supporters arrive at an event, they expect to be entertained and dazzled. For them, he is the most interesting president in the world. He exists in a bubble of adoration almost as impenetrable as the security bubble created by the Secret Service.

This is why he can show up for the most important event of his reelection campaign, the first debate, and expect his usual talking points to be considered devastatingly dispositive. The absence of cries of “We love you!” must have been disorienting. They say that a sitting president usually loses the first debate, since he isn’t used to getting challenged. For Obama, this isn’t just a function just of the presidency, but of his existence.

All of his life he has been around people prepared to be impressed by him. President Obama once told a journalist that he believes his own bull***t. It has been his privilege to be surrounded by people who want to believe it, too.

Outside this cocoon, he has shown no great ability to persuade skeptical audiences. His make-or-break speeches on policy issues during his first term usually fizzled. He has failed to convince recalcitrant congressmen to come around on difficult legislation, or to forge relationships with them so that they’ll do him favors when the chips are down. He’s a glittering object to be admired from afar.
This is the problem with making Gods out of men -- they're mortal, so they're bound not to live up to expectations. Which means that their supporters can take the approach of acolytes and doubledown with dumb descriptions like he is "the light" and "the future", or face reality. Reality is a bitch, especially in the face of crushing unemployment, spiraling debt, a lackluster recovery, and a lack of a concrete second-term agenda, so it's not surprising that liberals are choosing Door #1.

One related point comes to mind.  Plenty of pundits have referred to Obama in the context of being a the liberal version of Ronald Reagan, even prior to his election, but they miss a few important points that serve to completely invalidate the comparisons.

Reagan brought to office a wealth of experience as a chief executive, as well as a substantially longer track record on the public stage.  That experience meant Reagan was prepared for the job of President, rather than being anointed as magically ready by an adoring media.

Reagan sold his policies, even if they polled as initially unpopular, and he figured out how to get the other side to agree to the passage of his legislative priorities.  This is again a function of experience, but it also probably stems from Reagan's early-life experience as a member of the opposite party.  Reagan understood the arguments of the other side and how to rebut them; he also understood how to compromise on policy without losing the principle.  By contrast, Obama doesn't know how to compromise and can't cut a deal to save his own Presidency, mostly because he's lived in a cloistered cocoon of individuals who worship him and can't understand why other people don't do so. 

This is a related point of difference between Reagan and Obama.  Reagan understood that his opposition was largely made up of principled people with a different point of view; Obama speaks as if he understands this ("Governor Romney has a different point of view"), but he doesn't understand the motivations, and he can't credibly engage them in the process of give and take as a result.  When you spend most of your time around people who agree with you, it's hard to conceive why someone who's reasonable would try to disagree with you.  Obama spent most of his life in environments (Hawaii, Columbia, Chicago, Harvard Law) that are to the left politically of the American mainstream.  In those environments, the Republicans one encounters would be considered Democrats in many other parts of the country, while conservatives are a distinct minority.  By contrast, Reagan emerged from a state that was moderate at best, and honed his arguments against liberals all the time. 

It's probably even harder for Obama today to encounter conservative points of view if he doesn't try, as popular culture is awash in liberal ideology. So Obama, for all his rhetorical skills, wasn't ready to be challenged at that first debate, because he is too used to debating a strawman version of conservative ideology. 

There is one final difference between Obama and Reagan.  Reagan was elected to a second term in a landslide.  Obama may yet win re-election, but it will certainly be by a much smaller margin thatn his 2008 victory... and it may not happen at all.

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Chris Rock, Social Science Expert

I guess you could do a scientific study to figure out the difference between how men and women regard the issue of plutonic friendships.  Or you could just consult Urban Dictionary, which cited Chris Rock's incisive commentary from back in the 1990's, which did not require any scientific study.

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The Devils Wears Prada... and Is a Left-Wing Bully

Just remember this the next time some championship-winning athlete snubs a Democratic President by skipping the requisite White House visit because the athlete thinks the President is a Socialist...
Michelle Obama is a clear favourite in the fashion industry. Her outfits sell out within minutes, designers clamor to dress her, and she counts Vogue's Anna Wintour and J. Crew's Jenna Lyons as supporters. While fashion publicists routinely send out handfuls of press releases as soon the 48-year-old is spotted in their client's brand, 63-year-old Ann Romney's outfit choices routinely go unclaimed; so much so that many have started asking why. Some have posed the theory that Vogue's resident Democrat, Ms Wintour, is silently threatening designers' standing in her magazine should they endeavor to dress Republican presidential candidate's wife.
The evidence is anecdotal, and there's no way one could prove that Wintour is behind the apparently near-universal disinterest designers have in the fact that Ann Romney is wearing their clothes. And maybe that's a market decision by the fashion designers... we'll hopefully find out, because they may get a chance to ignore the new First Lady. Think they'll do that?

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October Surprises -- Let The Slime Begin

Ah, yes, Gloria Allred is trying to bring forth "evidence" that will help Obama against Romney, because nothing's quite as relevant as Mitt's deposition testimony in someone else's divorce.  I mean, it is a war on women.

Just remember, the dirt can and will fly both ways, Mr. President.  And remember, Gloria Allred makes Donald Trump look credible.

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Making Your #2 Pencil Dangerous

This is one more reason why the Internet exists -- without Al Gore's wondrous creation, we wouldn't have knowledge about something as important as how you can weaponize your office supplies.  Although this must only be round 1, since they haven't even come up with a use for the stapler yet.

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Tuesday, October 23, 2012

I Guess This Qualifies As Job Creation

See, I think the easier solution is to get rid of your Facebook page.  Then again, I spend time blogging, so what do I know?

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What Annoying Song Is Stuck In My Head Today?

If I need to suffer with a song stuck in my head, why shouldn't you have to do the same? Sometimes they're good, most times they're bad... but no matter what, they make you suffer. So I like to share the suffering whenever it happens.


Based on the fact that this was seemingly the song of the summer and parodied endlessly via video, it's safe to say it needs no introduction. Hell, it defines the category. And worst of all, my five year old loves the song. So in case it was finally out of your heads... here you go.



You're welcome.

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Monday, October 22, 2012

Trolling For Hits

I have no position on the policy question whatsoever.  But I'd have to answer the question in the headline with an emphatic, "NO."

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He Probably Cheats at Mini-Golf, Too

Over at the Weekly Standard, Matt Continetti notes the President's lack of anything resembling a substantive second-term agenda...
The Republicans are now the ones offering ideas of progress or reform, while the Democrats fiercely fight to protect the established order of entitlements, tax hikes, and obeisance to unions, greens, and feminists. Even when Obama and Biden have been highly caffeinated, they have not stated their plans and goals for a second term. They are too busy painting a socialist-realist mural of Romney and Ryan as maniacal reactionaries. They are too preoccupied with protecting subsidies for Big Bird, Planned Parenthood, and windmills.

Four years ago, President Obama and Vice President Biden were bursting with plans. Obama said he would cut the deficit, middle-class taxes, and health care premiums, while also creating a new entitlement to health insurance. He said he’d revamp America’s energy, education, and immigration policies for the 21st century. He delivered a speech in the early months of his term saying he’d put America on a “new foundation.” His 2011 State of the Union address was devoted to “winning the future.”

But all of these big dreams have crashed against the granite wall of reality. The deficit is up, the price of fuel and health care premiums has increased, incomes are down, and tax increases loom. Obama is exhausted. His political capital is spent. The boldest proposal he’s put forward recently is hiring another 100,000 teachers. That doesn’t even rise to the level of small-ball. It’s mini-golf.
I think the strangest part of the campaign has been the media's obsession with trying to figure out the details of Romney's plan, while simply forgetting to ask Obama what in the world he might do with four more years. There is an answer, since he did tell Vlad Putin he would have more "flexibility" after the election.  We're just not good enough to hear it, and the media doesn't want to ask, since it might be inconvenient to get the answer and have the pesky voters decide they want someone else in charge. But hey, it's not like it's the mainstream media's job is to do something useful. Bottom line? Obama's an empty chair.

You know, someone might have said that at some point.

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Frankie Dead Eyes

So a Philly mobster once considered taking a shot at Frank Sinatra.  This is not surprising in the least.  I mean, Sintra was probably a friggin' Giants fan.

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Irony Can Be So Damn Ironic Sometimes

Moe Lane notices that Dan Rather is now stuck getting his story out via Al Gore's Interweb, just like me.  Of course, he probably brings down the editorial standards of the Internet.

The great thing about this?  I'd never heard of Rather's stupid theory, which means that no one is listening to him anymore.  I was there a long time ago, but it's nice to have company.

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Take It Away, Governor

Chris Christie is a former prosecutor, so he knows how to make a good closing argument.  Here's a phenomenal one against President Obama's request for four more years.



(hat tip: Erika Johnsen at Hot Air) The guy makes me want to move to New Jersey. Then I remember... it's New Jersey. But hey, the big guy still kicks ass.

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What Annoying Song Is Stuck In My Head Today?

If I need to suffer with a song stuck in my head, why shouldn't you have to do the same? Sometimes they're good, most times they're bad... but no matter what, they make you suffer. So I like to share the suffering whenever it happens.

Some songs are annoying, but you don't actually mind too much.  This meets that standard, especially since the videot isn't half-bad.  Discounting the production quality (which is way better than what you saw in the past), this is the type of dedication to a good video we saw back in the 80's.  Kudos.



You're welcome.

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She Also Knows Nothing About The Unemployment Rate

Glenn Greenwald is one of the few liberal pundits whose opposition to certain debatable elements of the War on Terror has remained consistent from the Bush Administration to the Obama years.  I don't agree with everything that he has written, but his willingess to call out Obama and subject him to the same standards as Bush is admirable, especially when you figure the cult-like worship Obama inspires on the left probably leads people on that side to attack Greenwald for remaining true to his beliefs.

But it's still pretty funny when Greenwald comes to a belated realization: DC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz is a blustering, partisan ignoramus with few peers...
On 29 May 2012, the New York Times published a remarkable 6,000-word story on its front page about what it termed President Obama's "kill list". It detailed the president's personal role in deciding which individuals will end up being targeted for assassination by the CIA based on Obama's secret, unchecked decree that they are "terrorists" and deserve to die.

...That Obama has a "kill list" has been known since January, 2010, and has been widely reported and discussed in every major American newspaper since April 2010. A major controversy over chronic White House leaks often featured complaints about this article (New York Times, 5 June 2012: "Senators to Open Inquiry Into 'Kill List' and Iran Security Leaks"). The Attorney General, Eric Holder, gave a major speech defending it.

But Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the Democratic Congresswoman from Florida and the Chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee, does not know about any of this. She has never heard of any of it. She has managed to remain completely ignorant about the fact that President Obama has asserted and exercised the power to secretly place human beings, including US citizens, on his "kill list" and then order the CIA to extinguish their lives.

Just marvel at this stunning, completely inexcusable two-minute display of wholesale ignorance by this elected official and DNC chair.
Greenwald's referring to a video of DWS responding to a question about the kill list following the last debate. But if it makes him feel better, I'm pretty certain DWS is intentionally ignorant of anything she can't spin.

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Sunday, October 21, 2012

Shockingly, This Was Not The Only Falsehood He Uttered at the Debate

I love it when people on my side of the debate get creative with proving that the other side is full of BS...
In the wake of President Barack Obama’s assertion that women “rely on” Planned Parenthood for mammograms, about 2,000 pro-life activists called Planned Parenthood offices to schedule appointments for the breast health service, according to the Catholic EWTN News.

While Planned Parenthood does not provide mammograms, however, it does offer breast exams and referrals.

“When Governor Romney says that we should eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood, there are millions of women all across the country, who rely on Planned Parenthood for, not just contraceptive care, they rely on it for mammograms, for cervical cancer screenings. That’s a pocketbook issue for women and families all across the country,” Obama said during the second debate on Long Island’s Hofstra University Tuesday night.
For the record, many of these women call Planned Parenthood for these referrals on their smartphones.  I think Apple needs a subsidy, don't you?  Wait, what do you mean they don't need a subsidy?  How dare you -- are you involved in a war on women?

The best part about Obama's assertion is that the need for Planned Parenthood's services is "a pocketbook issue for women and families all across the country."  Do you know why?  Probably because they can't find a job in the Obama economy.

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Republicans Should Vote For Her Because She Believes America is a Republic

This is all it takes to be a Libertarian?  Really?
But after a packed rally in this seaside Massachusetts town the Harvard Law Professor talked briefly with Reason about why libertarians should vote for her over Senator Scott Brown.  
Warren’s response was unlike anything this journalist has heard when asking candidates of both parties across the country the simple question, “Why should libertarians vote for you?”  
“I believe in contract law probably more than most people,” Warren said in a small classroom in the basement of a Baptist Church. “I’ve taught contract law for 25 years and contracts are about private ordering, about parties and voluntary exchanges who engage in transactions that make all of us better off. I love contracts and I think it’s a core part of the libertarian principles,” said Warren.  
“It is an important part. Libertarians believe in social ordering, right? That the social ordering is by private arrangement, so, that they ought to believe in contracts and in fact I think they do.
Based on this, Catholics should vote for her simply because she believes in God, even if that God is an inanimate carbon rod.

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Album Cover Nostalgia

A recurring series inspired by the Lord of Truth. We all remember certain album covers fondly -- here's one more.

I'm part of a generation that grew up musically in the 1980's.  It's not as bad as it sounds -- it gave us all a healthy dose of cynicism.  But there were some classic album covers.  This one always creeped me out a little bit -- that hand is just a little weird.  It looks diseased, frankly.  And I'm not sure if that's a mouth or what. 

You know, I don't know if I remember this cover that fondly.

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