Every time I’m about ready to pronounce my own political party, the Republicans, dead, stuff like this happens.
Update: But hey, if the Democratic Party wants to lose more than the Republican Party does, who am I to stand in the way?
Update again: They really, really want to wear this one.
Update the third, mid-afternoon: Ok, Dems, you think this is about you?
14 responses so far ↓
chuckercanuck // May 15, 2008 at 1:56 pm
I’m reminded of a 2004 debate where W broke the rules of the debate and insisted on responding to a Kerry “point” - he started off acknowledging his rule-breaking and justified it by saying “the issue is too important”. It was a kick-ass moment that revealed something people might have trouble understanding: W really believes.
W will be a force in this election. A helpful one. He will not let idiocy go unnoticed because it is too important for the US and the continent.
ramesh // May 15, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Anytime Bush opens his mouth about Obama, my guy’s chances go up. And since when is it ok to attack domestic political opponents when speaking to a foreign parliament? Asshole.
Ben // May 15, 2008 at 3:50 pm
Bush never mentioned his name this morning. Not once.
ramesh // May 15, 2008 at 3:58 pm
” The president did not name Obama or any other Democrat, but White House aides privately acknowledged to CNN that the remarks were aimed at the presidential candidate and others in his party.
After Bush’s comments were widely reported, the White House denied they were specifically aimed at Obama. ”
I actually meant lying asshole.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/05/15/bush.dems/index.html
Josh // May 15, 2008 at 7:07 pm
Um, so Bush seems to be claiming that “appeasement” was at play when “Nazi tanks were rolling into Poland”. Subsequent declarations of war against Germany don’t really square with that. Setting aside the general stupidity of the comparison, Bush can’t even get his putative “lessons from history” correct.
MichaelB // May 15, 2008 at 8:12 pm
Funny, my history books show that the US reaction to tanks rolling into Poland was rather different from a declaration of war.
Josh // May 15, 2008 at 8:46 pm
Fair enough - what was the “appeasement” in 1939? Did the US offer Hitler something for “peace in our time”?
Isolationism != appeasement
chuckercanuck // May 15, 2008 at 10:31 pm
This is soooo crazy. I can’t believe Obama is reacting at all. This is standard Bush fare and could have been dismissed as such. Instead he decides to take it personally thereby identifying himself with whatever position Bush is critiqueing.
Its so foolish. By playing up “terrorists” which obviously refers to President Carter and not Obama, Obama draws attention to the clumsy omission that he wants to fly to Tehran and have tea with President Ahmadinijad.
So, where Obama is clear is that he doesn’t negotiate with terrorists. Just their sponsors. Its a distinction he clearly focused on by trying to blur it.
I think he’s better off without that fast and passionate self-identification with the Damascas eye doctor.
chuckercanuck // May 15, 2008 at 10:32 pm
oops.
clumsily draw attention from…
Ben // May 16, 2008 at 7:46 am
My history book tells me that Germany declared war on the United States, not vice versa. (Though FDR would have finessed his way into that war in the end.)
My fave comment on this comes from a commenter at Hot Air:
“If someone screams ‘Hey, Moron!’ into a crowd of 100 people and you are the only one to say ‘What did you call me?!’ you have nobody to blame but yourself.”
In a similar vein [via the Corner]:
“Uh, dude? If you are not an appeaser, why on earth do you take it personally when Bush criticizes appeasers?
“… If Bush gave a speech about drug dealers, would you release a statement saying, ‘how DARE you insult me!’? Of course not; you’re aren’t a drug dealer. So if you really aren’t an appeaser, you shouldn’t have willingly identified yourself with that group.”
Anyway. Apparently he’s giving a speech about it today.
Homin Lee // May 16, 2008 at 9:28 am
Well, if syllogistic bull crap is the only game that’s left for Republicans, good for them. At least this will lighten up their mood a bit. Sure, they will be crushed in November, but hey…
Sooner or later, even that “defeatocrat” meme won’t do them any good. What then? Wrestling match?
Homin Lee // May 16, 2008 at 9:40 am
Obama has little to lose here. First, the whole Obama-Bush back-and-forth renders McCain somewhat irrelevant. Second, “appeaser” label doesn’t stick as well as it used to a couple of years ago, simply because many people are just sick of it. Third, McCain is lying about his past position on this issue. Fourth, this helps Dems heal their wounds and focus on November.
This isn’t in any way more devastating than Wright incident or other endless attacks on Obama’s patriotism. Information overload simply works against McCain on this one because at the end of the day, it isn’t so new.
So here my word to McCain:
“Keep going, old man! We all find your deceitful pandering quite endearing!”
Thucydides // May 18, 2008 at 8:46 am
It is rather interesting to see how people react. Ramesh foams at the mouth about how inappropriate it is to talk about domestic politics in front of a foreign audience, yet where was he when the Democratic House Leader was promoting anti-administration views in the Middle East not to long ago? Or do people like Ramesh protest against the way the MSM characterize the administration in the domestic and international editions?
I mention this because, as a Canadian, I am constantly barraged by hostile, defeatist and anti-American sentiment coming from the United States, through your own media and from the mouths of your own politicians.
If Americans believe it is ok to make spiteful and venal attacks against their own administration in front of foreign audiences, then they should not be too surprised to discover their administration will follow them to their chosen battlefields.
As a BTW, if you want to see how Senator Obama’s policies would work in the real world, check out the economic record of any Canadian Province under an NDP government, or look at the continuing economic deterioration of Ontario under the current Liberal government. Don’t forget to look at the appalling statistics for wait times, doctor/patient ratios and access to medical equipment under Canada’s “single pay” health care system as well.
ramesh // May 18, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Canada’s health care system is such a failure that Canadians have a higher life expectancy than Americans (10th in the world vs. 29th) and a lower infant mortality rate (5.9 v. 4.8). And we spend almost twice as much per person on health care in the US.
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