One more conservative ...

... who has begun to notice that the old GOP of Reagan and the Bushes no longer exists.

Kathleen Parker.

She's finally figured out, like poor ol' David Brooks, that the kooks are in charge.

The tick-tock of the debt-ceiling debate is too long for this space, but the bottom line is that the Tea Party got too full of itself with help from certain characters whose names you’ll want to remember when things go south. They include, among others, media personalities who need no further recognition; a handful of media-created “leaders,” including Tea Party Nation founder Judson Phillips and Tea Party Patriots co-founders Jenny Beth Martin and Mark Meckler (both Phillips and Martin declared bankruptcy, yet they’re advising Tea Party Republicans on debt?); a handful of outside groups that love to hurl ad hominems such as “elite” and “inside the Beltway” when talking about people like Boehner when they are, in fact, the elite (FreedomWorks, Heritage Action, Club for Growth, National Taxpayers Union, Americans for Prosperity); and elected leaders such as Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, head of the Republican Study Committee, and South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, who grandstand and make political assertions and promises that are sheer fantasy.

Od course, if you are of the Tea Party ilk, there is no need to take this seriously. Just jam your fingers in your ears and chant "Lame Stream Media!" "Elites!" "Elites!"

Now I must get back to work because my school administration has imbibed too much of the zeitgeist.

Myths: Lots of people watch Fox News

We all know that Fox News' ratings are huge because of all the ranting and pandering that goes on appeals to a huge number of people.

Well, actually, not. Few people actually watch the network. Here's a small reality check from Conor Friedersdorf subbing for Andrew Sullivan:

And let's be clear on the size of the Fox News audience. In 2008, 59,934,814 Americans voted for John McCain. During election week, Fox News as a network averaged 3.54 million viewers. (Perhaps liberals would have more success trying to persuade the other 56,394,814 Republican voters.) That same year, Oprah Winfrey's show – just the one show – averaged 7.3 million voters (reported here as a ratings slump). Yes, among a certain demographic, Fox News is a huge ratings success. So is Rush Limbaugh. But where is the evidence that this rating success has translated into electoral victories or a friendlier policy environment for conservatives? There is none.

Define the demographic right and I probably could show you that Sententiae is a roaring success.

Of course, even fewer people watch the other news networks.

Conservative Salt of the Earth

As I admitted a few posts ago, I am often confused, but never more so than the strange notion many Americans had that George W Bush was just a regular guy, one of 'us.' He was the millionaire son of a millionaire's son, whatever else you want to say about him.

I feel the same way about the elite bashing the Right is indulging in. Who exactly are they talking about? Apparently, not the folks like Jay Nordlinger over on NRO's 'The Corner' who takes cruises to Cozumel like all the regular folks.

In my cruise journal, I have some notes on Cozumel (Mexico), one of our stops — one of the stops on NR’s recently concluded “post-election” cruise. I say that the island has countless old VW Bugs, painted in various, imaginative ways. I was reminded of high-school homecoming. A reader writes, “One year, we found the neatest Christmas decoration in Cozumel — a VW Beetle convertible with Joseph driving, Mary beside him with Baby Jesus in her lap, and the three Wise Men in the back seat!”

For what it's worth, when I visited Mexico it was to spend two months in a mountain village between Toluca and Mexico City.

fun times.

Maybe I have underestimated them.

"Them" would be The National Review and The Weekly Standard, one of which I read rarely anymore and the other even less. But according to Mark Levin, conservative radio nut (as reported on Sullivan):

And on his radio show Tuesday he disparaged National Review and The Weekly Standard, complaining that they're elites who condescend to the Tea Party.

Maybe I have underestimated them.

..... uh...... nope.

.

Not conservative enough!

Who?

Josh Marshall has the story"

The Virginia Citizens Defense League wrote an open letter yesterday to the AG, Ken Cuccinelli, accusing him of throwing his principles "in the trash" for his brief defending George Mason University for prohibiting firearms in university buildings, including the library and dorms.

All I can say, for being a conservative if not the Cuch, than who?

More excitement at CPAC

That's the conservative (read libertarian) conference going on recently. Here is another blot from Frum:

BEST: The man, Philip Berg, is a lawyer who is suing to have President Obama removed from office. He is shouted out of the room by a blogger, who excoriates Berg for associating himself with conservatism. That’s what we like to see!

Yes sir. A bit of sanity and a sense of appearances.

And, tooting their own horn (Frum Forum that is):

Nicole Glass, a FrumForum reporter, overheard complaining about how tough it is to get a substantive interview at CPAC: “Why are these people even here? They don’t really have any opinions!”

And one I completely agree with:

WORST: Introducing Grover Norquist, Human Events editor Jed Babbin joked about the tragedy in Texas yesterday, saying: “Grover’s been testy in the last couple of weeks… I’m just glad that it wasn’t him who flew that plane into the IRS building yesterday.”

And an acknowledgment of McCain's stand on Medicare D:

WORST: JD Hayworth who voted for medicare part D praising himself as a more consistent conservative than John McCain, who voted against..

And a bit cryptically:

Romney says: Only the private sector can create jobs. Then corrects himself – “in a lasting way.” No pretend information here.

And here are a passel of "Best" comments:

BEST: Tucker Carlson at ‘Saving Freedom Through Technology’ panel: “Take the time to learn. A purely emotional response won’t work. Weeping won’t win the argument… Get informed.”

BEST: Tucker Carlson lectures the CPAC audience: “We need to cease and desist using the term mainstream media. It suggests that anyone not in the mainstream media is not mainstream.”

BEST: Mark Tapscott of the Washington Examiner: “I love coming to CPAC. It’s like Woodstock for conservatives…except the high is natural.”

And this one, like Gandhi's response to "What do you think of Western Civilization?" sounds like it would be a good idea.

Keene lays out the hard line: “We’re not about winning elections for the sake of winning elections… we’re not about power for the sake of power.” The theme of this conference is “Saving Freedom”, because, as Keene explains, “that’s what we’re all about.”

Well, that's the best and the worst of the best of the worst, or something.

Weirdest statement about Canada

This is from the Frum Forum, where they are posting the best and the worst of the CPAC. Here's one about Canada.

The First Reference To Canada at CPAC

Jonah Goldberg delivers the first reference To Canada at CPAC: “Canada is a Northern Puerto Rico with an EU sensibility.” Well, at least this time he’s not urging us to bomb it.

Have no understanding what this means, since Puerto Rico is a US territory and its citizens are our citizens. Nor do I know what an EU sensibility is.

But it probably isn't positive.

Foxx News: We report, you decide

That lovable old scamp, Virginia Foxx, is once again in the news and making Tarheels everywhere proud*. From the Washington Monthly:

* Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), who appears to be stark raving mad, told a conservative talk-radio show yesterday that President Obama has "not kept a single promise to the American people.... All the promises he's kept are the ones that endanger our lives."

UPDATE:
A commenter on that item about VF who IS, in fact, as near as I can tell, BSFC, says this: "To imagine Foxx as a former teacher makes another one cringe. It's impossible to imagine her treating all students fairly." She used to teach at dear old Appstate. They canned her, which explains why as a state rep she did NOTHING to support the institution. I won't comment on any of the stories I have heard about her since I can't verify them, but I can say that everyone I knw at school who ever knew her loathes her. And not just for her political career.

*For the record, I am a Virginian

A memory of Minnesota

Years ago, I used to take great delight in watching self-important University of Minnesota administrators and professors trek across the river to St Paul to appear before legislative hearings to set them straight. The politicos, not giving a tinker's damn for their self importance, their titles, or anything else in regards to the academics, usually handed them their heads.

And they would slink back across the river to the hallowed halls of academe muttering about how stupid the people of Minnesota were to elect such dunderheads.

I thought of this today when I read an article about Sen. James Inhoffe (R-OK) and his trip to Copenhagen. It did not go well.

Inhofe scheduled a brief visit to Copenhagen -- arrive, spread nonsense, fly back -- but his stay was poorly timed. When the right-wing Oklahoman got there, it was early morning, and no one was around. He was able to arrange zero meetings, met no foreign officials, and had no discussions with U.S. negotiators.

Eventually, Inhofe aides were able to corral some journalists into attending a hastily-arranged media availability, where the strange senator proceeded to share his belief that the United Nations came up with global warming as an elaborate hoax, and only the "Hollywood elite" believe the scientific evidence.

A reporter from Der Spiegel told the senator, "You're ridiculous."

Soon after, Inhofe dashed back to the airport for the nine-hour flight back to D.C., having accomplished nothing.

Oh well. Back to the US, muttering all the way.

I wonder who paid for the trip?

.

Republicans, sane and otherwise

Steven Perstein has a good column in today's Washington Post about two Repubs, Mitch McConnell of the US Senate and Mitch Daniels, gov. of Indiana.

Mitch no. 1

The bad Mitch, as most Americans know by now, is the charmless and shameless hypocrite who offers up a steady stream of stale ideology and snarky talking points but almost never a constructive idea. McConnell has decided that the only way for Republicans to win is for President Obama to lose, and he will use lies, threats and all manner of parliamentary subterfuge to obstruct the president's programs.

And Mich no. 2:

The good Mitch, by contrast, is a principled but practical conservative who respects the intelligence of voters and would rather get something done than score political points. Daniels is a genuine fiscal conservative who took a $600 million state budget deficit and turned it into a $1 billion surplus but managed to do so without cutting spending for education and even increased funding for child welfare services. He pushed hard to lower property taxes but didn't hesitate to propose temporary hikes in income and sales taxes to keep the state in the black. He privatized the state's toll road and then used the $4 billion proceeds to launch a major public works investment program.

Summing up:

In a prescient speech earlier this year in Washington, the governor of Indiana told a group of fellow conservatives that they could not regain the trust of the American people unless they accepted gracefully their new role as the loyal opposition and learned to root for the success of the country and its political institutions. The question now facing Republicans is whether they are willing to follow Indiana Mitch and become a vital and active part of the solution, or continue to follow Washington Mitch off the political cliff.

Read the whole piece. It is going to be a long slow slog for the 'good' Mitches of the party to recapture their own party. But, it could happen. And there is always David Frum, former pompous twit and now voice of reason.

change we can believe in.

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The other conservatives

James DeMint's take on what the Republican Party must do, from The Washington Monthly.

Conservative Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) on Wednesday called out the leadership of the Republican Party for straying too far from conservative principles.

DeMint, in an interview with the Christian Broadcast Network, also said that he is trying to recruit a new crop of GOP lawmakers to challenge the party establishment.

"The problem in the Republican Party is that the leadership has gone to the left," he said. "I need some new Republicans."

yes, I think we could all use some new Republicans.

Sane conservatives!, take four

They're out there I tell you! One of them has finally figured out the consequences of being the party of NO.

David Frum, of all people.

There goes our Representative Again...

... making Tarheels so proud. Here she is saying something remarkably stupid.

She is even garnering national attention for our fair state. Here is the quote from the Washington Monthly where I got the link.

"Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) has a habit of saying remarkably dumb things."


Oddly, the folks in her home county of Watauge, who know her best, voted for the other guy.

A 'Conservative' way to translate

Some conservatives are unhappy with the way the Bible is translated. Here's the whole argument at Conservapedia. Now I thought translating should be a straightforward process of establishing the best text in the original language, and then trying to come up with the most accurate translation, this being the Word of God. I thought it was only liberals who wanted to take lines out of the Good Book, especially some of Paul's more ferocious sentiments.

As usual, I was wrong. Here are three examples of what Conservapedia has in mind:

First Example - Liberal Falsehood

The earliest, most authentic manuscripts lack this verse set forth at Luke 23:34:^[6]

Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

Is this a liberal corruption of the original? This does not appear in any other Gospel, and the simple fact is that some of the persecutors of Jesus did know what they were doing. This quotation is a favorite of liberals but should not appear in a conservative Bible. [So we should ditch anything that appears in only one Gospel? Interesting - Clemens]

Second Example - Dishonestly Shrewd

At Luke 16:8, the NIV describes an enigmatic parable in which the "master commended the dishonest manager because he had acted shrewdly." But is "shrewdly", which has connotations of dishonesty, the best term here? Being dishonestly shrewd is not an admirable trait.

The better conservative term, which became available only in 1851, is "resourceful". The manager was praised for being "resourceful", which is very different from dishonesty. Yet not even the ESV, which was published in 2001, contains a single use of the term "resourceful" in its entire translation of the Bible. [ I suppose it would be foolish to ask what the Greek term is - Clemens]

Third Example - Socialism

Socialistic terminology permeates English translations of the Bible, without justification. This improperly encourages the "social justice" movement among Christians.

For example, the conservative word "volunteer" is mentioned only once in the ESV, yet the socialistic word "comrade" is used three times, "laborer(s)" is used 13 times, "labored" 15 times, and "fellow" (as in "fellow worker") is used 55 times. ['Laborer' and 'labored' are Socialistic? Also interesting, but what does the Greek say - Clemens]

Once upon a time, barley 50 minutes from where I live, a preacher was so incensed at a new translation of the Bible that he tried to burn one in public. When he couldn't get it started he said "Just like the Devil, he won't burn either!" Burning Bibles of any variety would seem to be a slippery slope.

Sane Conservatives bis!

Over on Marc Ambinder's blog for The Atlantic someone named Chris Good has found the cool calm center of conservatism near the banks of the Potomac.

Mainstream conservatism still exists, despite the prominence to which the right's fringe elements have ascended since Obama took office. And sometimes it takes a mainstream conservative conference in Washington, DC to remind one that, while the infrastucture of conservative interest groups has engaged in heavy flirtation--some would say an outright love affair--with the passion of the protesters, dignified gatherings in hotel ballrooms are still its bread and butter.

Don't take his word for it though, catch this Fox News live broadcast covering the event. Too partisan for you? OK, take a look at what the MSNBC camera crew reported on mainstream conservatism.

They are apparently so sane they don't want any TV coverage of their event.

at last. We have found common ground.

.

Right and Left - it's how you feel

Nicolas Kristoff has an odd little column on the mental peculiarities of people who strongly identify as 'Liberal' or 'Conservative' in politics. It seems there are some basic personality traits for both types. I am not yet sure what I think of this, but it is interesting.

Studies suggest that conservatives are more often distressed by actions that seem disrespectful of authority, such as slapping Dad. Liberals don’t worry as long as Dad has given permission.

Likewise, conservatives are more likely than liberals to sense contamination or perceive disgust. People who would be disgusted to find that they had accidentally sipped from an acquaintance’s drink are more likely to identify as conservatives.

The upshot is that liberals and conservatives don’t just think differently, they also feel differently. This may even be a result, in part, of divergent neural responses.

I actually display some elements of the conservative type, yet most conservatives find me too left wing, in a wishy-washy sort of way. My ailing colleague Trotsky thinks I am an anarchist at heart. So I would be an anarchist who respects authority. I see myself sort of floating around not so much in the middle but at the margins of both. Very much the way I am about handedness. I am a lefty who does many things right handed without giving it any thought.

though there was that unfortunate incident with the iron designed for right handers the first time I ever attempted to iron my own clothes. Stupid iron.

Inadvertent truth

Sometimes headline writers get carried away and blurt out more truth, or more humor, than is advisable. Here's the headline from NRO's article by Andrew McCarthy:

Saying No to Justice.

Is that NROs stance on justice?

thought so.

Rush is losing it

Obama so far has been successful in one major thing: he has driven R. Limbaugh completely crazy. Rush is now ranting that because of all of Obama's lies, and the awfulness of the stimulus, he wants it all to fail.

There is a big difference btw between saying that in your best judgment you think it will fail, against all good wishes. It is another thing to say you want it to fail (and damn the consequences to all you little people out there who will lose your jobs, homes, businessess, etc).

The face of the modern Republican party.

and more power to him!

Post mortem on Culture 11

Andrew Sullivan thought that Culture 11 was a big deal, and now it is gone. Sullivan laments.

But the loss of Culture 11 is, in my view, far worse than 14 lost jobs. It represented, at its best, a new and honest start for a thinking young conservatism, forged by a new generation of writers who, for the most part, were unafraid to think freshly - and showed up their elders by their courage and curiosity.

Perhaps. It is a bit depressing that it could not garner more support, ie money. I have to assume that what they were peddling is not selling, at least among the conservative crowd.

But one wonders where that "new generation of writers" is likely to go.

"New Majority" readers and Rush Limbaugh

Most serious bloggers, at least political bloggers, admit that they owe a huge debt to the comments of their readers. Josh Marshall over at TPM actually encourages them to do some of the basic reporting for his blog. So it is always educational to read the comments sections.

Here is one from Frum's New Majority site by "HollywoodBill that claims Rush Limbaugh's popularity is waning. If true, one can only wonder what took it so long.

The free market is taking care of Rush. In Southern California, one of the largest talkradio markets in the country, Rush Limbaugh is bleeding market share. The afternoon rush hour shockjocks, John and Ken, openly call him the Morning Gasbag. Bill Handel, admitted at a symposium that Rush is losing money for KFI. KFI was fiercely against the idiotic choice of Sarah Palin as VeeP. Do they influence much? Bush lost California in 2000 by 10 points, 11 in 2004. McCain/Palin lost California by 23 points, the largest loss in a Presidential election in nearly 60 years.

Others point out that a high profile Rush benefits the Dems.

Interesting, if true.