A trend?
Do I spot a trend? Hope so:
One of the more interesting aspects of this graph is that the convergence of the two lines is caused more by steeply growing “strongly disapprove” rates rather than sharply falling “strongly approve” ones.
That makes a good deal of sense. Those who were weakly for Obama—the ones who thought he’d be a nice moderate guy—are learning the hard way, while the Leftists who adored him before the election probably adore him even more now.
And for those moderates who are having second thoughts because they trusted him, Ace offers this comfort. Enjoy—and, in the immortal words of the great John Belushi, start drinking heavily (but shhh!, don’t say I told you to do that).
It is a trend, people are waking up.
There may be HOPE after all!
Like I’ve stated before elsewhere, the Far Left is probably about 20% of America (Bill O’Reilly thinks it’s 25%) and the Soft Left is probably another 20%.
I would prefer to see a very slow, steady decline in his approval ratings. The faster they drop the more cunning that animal will become and he will morph again into a populist demagogue and hook back in some of the people who are vapid and are currently having second thoughts. Like a jilted lover or a battered spouse they would be tempted to go back.
When Bush campaigned, he promised he’d do things, and he did them. When Obama campaigned, he promised to do things, and he’s doing them. Nothing wrong with that. (I actually saw speculation that his ‘doing what he said he would’ was a trick of some kind. Reminded me of the old joke about psychologists greeting each other in the hall. “Good morning!” (Wonder what he meant by that?) )
Should Obama keep in mind the people who didn’t vote with him, and don’t agree with him? Yes, he absolutely should. Unlike his predecessor, I think he will. Should he be guided by them, try to keep them happy? Well….the recent track record in Congress suggests that might be a futile effort. Yes, I’m still wondering why they left those tax cuts in the ARRA bill.
Fortunately, Obama’s better at including others than I am.
Did you see the Telegraph article (linked at Hot Air and at Powerline? It quotes a friend of Obama’s inner circle who expressed concern that Obama had failed to “even fake an interest in foreign policy.” On what basis has he been criticizing Bush for the last two years? This jerk is still back in his community organizer days thinking that if only he had enough power and enough money he could get rid of that asbestos and show the world how wonderful he is.
I hope that quote makes the rounds of the kumbaya crowd. Guess what folks, he doesn’t care about the rest of the world.
I read that blog entry and the unfortunately it doesn’t matter because the sheep who voted for him care even less than he does about the non-English speaking world. He still has enough political capital to bully these spending/socialist bills through Congress. That’s all he really cares about. He can then sell out Israel, Iraq, and Afghanistan to the Russians, Iranians, and the Taliban/Al Qaida.He’s probably betting that any serious fallout could be blamed on W or, if necessary, on his succesor.
Alas, we shovel seaweed against the tide since, according to Obama, blogs don’t matter:
“Mr. Obama rode to the White House partly on his savvy use of new technology, and he has a staff-written blog on his presidential Web site. Even so, he said he did not find blogs to be reliable, citing the economy as one example.
“Part of the reason we don’t spend a lot of time looking at blogs,” he said, “is because if you haven’t looked at it very carefully, then you may be under the impression that somehow there’s a clean answer one way or another – well, you just nationalize all the banks, or you just leave them alone and they’ll be fine.””
Which, conversely, could mean they spend a lot of time looking at them.. but only the one’s that agree with them.
FredHJr:
What’s the significance of your “Soft Left”? I think the hard core is the 40%, so I’d give my “soft left” an estimate of 10-15% tops, since Hussein got 53% of the vote. Do not underestimate the adversary’s strength: they equal us in numbers. The task is surely daunting. All the more reason for us to fight down and dirty, like junkyard dogs, for the survival and reconstruction of the Republic.
A non-scientific impression: in my true-Blue neighborhood and surrounding suburbs, I am seeing many, many fewer Obama bumper stickers than I saw last fall. My Obama-supporting colleagues at work, who were feverish with excitement in the fall, are suddenly…silent. I hear, indirectly, that some of these supporters with the highest degree of commitment and record of longstanding support are worried and dissatisfied. At social events–most of my socializing occurs with people on the soft Left–Obama’s name does not come up.
Tom, I don’t agree that the Hard Left has anywhere like the 40% support you say; neither does it have anything like 25%. The true Hard Left is very small, but it is disproportionately influential in the institutions that generate the cultural environment and frame the terms of debate: the Bar and the Academy and some of the high profile Foundations and NGO’s. Even in those institutions, the majority are members of the Soft or Social Left.
The great majority of Obama voters are reachable, though realistically we will never (hardly ever?) get more than 60% of the vote.
Haven’t heard much from the Obamistas lately. Of course, I’m not asking for their opinion either. It’s pretty early to pronounce trend, IMAO but the approval levels would have had to go down from their stratospheric levels.
You may want to revoke the video. It conflicts with the NeoNeocon image. It’s a new low. I’m so ashamed.
My own suspicion of why the numbers are what they are goes to why I think The One is conducting himself and the Oval Office the way he is.
I’ve seen people rise above their levels of competency before, and they generally do one of two things.
They either pull themselves up by their bootstraps and raise their competency levels through hard work and hope they succeed before they get canned – OR – they hunker down, let the office or organization they are heading run itself, and keep doing what they are comfortable and feel competent doing.
A very simple analogy – a store clerk is promoted to store manager. He can’t handle the task, so while the store’s collapsing around him he’s busy stocking shelves because that’s what he knows how to do.
Obonga doesn’t know how to run the executive branch, and he’s letting it pretty much run itself while he continues to play divisive politics and continue in the role of community activist, only this time his actions can wreck an entire nation rather than just one neighborhood, city, or state.
As a result of this head in the sand approach the capitalist system we live with is reacting negatively, markets are contracting, and people (at least the smart ones) are starting to try to figure out how to button down and weather the coming ecomonic storm the likes we haven’t seen since Carter.
I think it’s also a general reaction of the public to his lack of leadership.
At the moment, he’s talking over and past the public, and seeking to *rule* them. He wants them to live the way he wants them to, and a large segment of society is having none of it.
A leader, by contrast, proposes direction and leads – and the general public follows that leadership.
Huge difference between ruling and leading…..
“…the sheep who voted for him care even less than he does about the non-English speaking world…”
Judging by his treatment of Gordon Brown, Obama doesn’t care much about the English-speaking world, either.
Some of my “Blue Dog” moderate Dem acquaintances are reminded more of Otter’s line from the above Animal House clip: “Hey, you f***ed up. You trusted us”. They really thought Obama would govern from the middle. Silly them. Now that they’ve been used and abused, Obama’s popularity is racing the economy to the bottom in this group. They’ve already been drinking heavily. Now they’re starting to sober up and think about what to do. Possible allies in 2010 and 2012?
I liked the Flounder consoling clip, but hey, McCain acted, is, or maybe border line senile, and Palin nice to look at — until she opens her mouth and you realize she has no interest in basic knowledge or is a willful ignoramus. Giuliani/Lieberman I could have gone for, so until Republican’s starts embracing centrist candidates… I’ll go for the other guy .. hated too, had too.
Well everyone has pretty much covered the subject so I will just address a couple of things brought up in the posts
Neo,
Drinking heavily would be made more enjoyable with one I just found “El Portillo” Malbec. Great for the price.
Oblio mentioned bumper stickers – I saw a great home-made one the other day. I pulled up behind a rusted out beater (domestic so the UAW should be happy). On the bumper the owner had applied some of those rub-on letters that said.
“I bought this with the Change Obama gave me”
I had a laugh.
I don’t know how reliable Fox News polls are, but since that network definitely leans a bit right, I find it interesting that in their polls BHO is staying at a consistent 60% postive approval rating.
Most of the people in my community know the economy is in the tank; that’s obvious. However, many of these people do not follow politics like those who frequent this site. They are busy working the jobs, or trying to stay in their jobs, taking kids to soccer games, etc. I don’t think they are paying much attention to what the president is saying,and what in general is happening in Washington. They will notice, but I’m not sure what will get them to notice.
My friend at work, an active JFK-type Democrat, refuses to talk about Obama. I find that very interesting
nyomythus :
Palin nice to look at – until she opens her mouth and you realize she has no interest in basic knowledge or is a willful ignoramus.
Compare what Palin and Obama have said on energy. Obama comes across as the willful ignoramus. Remember Obama’s claim that the energy saved from inflating tires was equivalent to the energy gotten from increasing domestic drilling?
What Obama has done since January 20th with regards to energy shows that he is just as much the willful ignoramus with regards to energy as he was during the campaign.
I too would have preferred Giuliani. Perhaps the difference between you and me is that I fear bible thumpers much less than I do the politically correct.
I have been exposed to bible thumpers all my life, including family members, and I have been able to live my non-churchgoing life in peace. The politically correct, on the other hand, have shown evidence of increasingly encroaching on my freedoms. IMHO, the politically correct are much more self-righteous than the bible thumpers- who recognize that we are all sinners.
Obama is doing exactly what he said he was going to do he is a far Left person and there is one in congress to hold him back. I have no idea where people even on the right got this idea that he is a middle of the road person. Now people are starting to see that he clearly is not
nyomythus :
Palin nice to look at – until she opens her mouth and you realize she has no interest in basic knowledge or is a willful ignoramus.
That is clearly at odds with what is happening in Alaska, if you took a moment to dispel your own ignorance. Sarah clearly knows how to lead, knows that she is in office to uphold the Constitution and laws of her state, not to supplant her views in lieu of them.
What we will come to find out is that we elevated a man to the highest office in the land that has absolutely no experience in executive governance and even less ability to actually perform the duties of that office, while maliciously slandering a very tough and able young woman who fought her way to the Governor’s office not by showing off her ivy league credentials, but by actually performing the duties of the offices she was elected to.
If the election had swung a couple of percentages in the other direction, and Mr. McCain had suddenly succumbed, leaving Mrs. Palin in charge of the Executive, there is no doubt in my mind whatsoever that she would have risen to the challenge in a way that would have made Harry Truman proud. There is nothing in Mrs. Palin’s record or personality that would indicate that she would have been “overwhelmed” by these events, or have engaged in the pettiness that this administration has. I would have expected Mrs. Palin not to take the negative track that Obama has taken vis-a-vis the economy, rather, I think she would actually be leading us, actually formulating a plan that is based upon sound free market principles, that is respectful of our traditions and laws – not as an opportunity to jam her own version of what America is down everyone else’s throat.
We could have done far, far worse than having Sarah Palin go to Washington.
(… and, in fact, I think we did)
1. I have my own totally non-scientific litmus test. I call it the Mitsu poll. Not so much as a peep from Mitsu defending the Messiah (I presume he’s still reading this blog). When Obama appointed some grown ups, to our relief and gratification, Mitsu gave us a “See? I told you he’d govern from the center.” But now…crickets.
2. My estimate of hard-core leftists is much lower, no more than a few percent. Most lefty-supporters fall into the “useful idiot” category, too pig ignorant to have an informed opinion. They default to adopting what they consider fashionable poses, much like wearing a keffiyeh, with no thought or grasp of the issues whatsoever.
3. My question for neo: what do you foresee Obama’s reaction to be to receiving trenchant criticism after a lifetime of getting adulation and the kid gloves treatment? Speaking as a layman from a position of unalloyed ignorance, I think Obama has a brittle personality who craves approval and acceptance. (Certainly compared with GWB, who knew his own mind and didn’t worry about popularity.) Assuming you concur, how do you think he’ll react to getting brickbats for the first time in his life?
I was kinda hoping Mitsu would appear to explain how everything Obama was going according to plan — beyond the expected hiccup or two — and how it was a joy to continue watching Obama learn.
So many of the smart folks did the smart thing and voted smartly for Obama. Either Obama was really smart or he was gifted at appearing smart.
The early returns are not looking good.
I was kinda hoping Mitsu would appear …
Me too. And let’s not forget Spragge, who was always incensed about Republican spending. One wonders what he thinks of the orgy of spending by the Democrats that is going on now.
I believe said members not seen in awhile (to include Bogey Man) have decided that we’re irrelevant and not worth bothering. However, they may be surprised if in the future Obonga has really gone and done it and the nation has had enough of it.
The absolute worst case scenario may entail proscription lists that infamous politicians and Leftist intellectuals of renown may find their names affixed to.
Knowing people who voted for Obama are beginning to figure out they bought a pig in a poke is gratifying – I’ve got a long list of people to whom I’m just aching to say, “I told you so”. In terms of policy, though I’m not sure what will change even if Obama’s approval drops like a rock. He’s President until 2012 so if he’s as willing as Bush was to ignore his numbers then the fact that fewer and fewer people approve of him won’t change what policies he pursues. What could change the outcome is for him to lose Congress. It seems to me there are two ways this could happen and I don’t think worsening approval ratings for Obama are enough to cause either although they may contribute.
First, Democrats in the House and Senate could become sufficiently disenchanted with Obama to begin opposing his policies. This will probably happen if the economy continues to worsen although I think Obama has until the beginning of 2010 before Democrats start jumping ship.
Second, the 2010 elections could cause a significant change in the composition of the House and bring Democrats far enough below 60 votes so they can’t do as they please without significant (rather than minimal) Republican buy-in. The Democrats have a substantial margin in the House and an awful lot of Senate seats seem as safe as houses (although that may not be the best analogy right now) so I’m not hopeful about this – unless the economy in October 2010 is as bad as or worse than it is right now. (And even with my burning desire to say “I told you so” I can’t really hope for that.)
Republicans would have to pick up 40 seats to control the House.
As for the Senate, according to Wikipedia:
There are 16 currently Democratic Senate seats that are considered safe (10), likely (5), or leaning (1) Democratic in 2010.
There are 14 currently Republican Senate seats that are considered safe (9), likely (2), or leaning (3) Republican in 2010
There are 1 Democratic and 5 Republican Senate seats that are considered toss-ups.
In other words, I don’t think we’re going to get a reprieve from Obama’s policies until at least the beginning of next year however bad his approval ratings get.
To borrow from Phil Gramm, Obama is putting more people in the wagon than are pulling the wagon. He’s offering “free” medical care, “free” college, amnesty for illegals, support for unions, money for public schools, help with your mortgage, and tax cuts for 95%. What’s not to like other than paying for his scam? With so many people on the take, it will be hard to get him under 50% approval.
With Rasmussen, the poll numbers of this President always seem to drop on the weekends (while W’s always rose) so his numbers will slightly rebound by midweek. I think it’ll bottom out at 53%. That was the number he officially ‘won’ election.
Hong, is that a short-term prognostication or a long term one?
I predict by year’s end he will be down to around 50% and slowly, steadily slipping.
I’ll take that. Slow and steady downwards.
Talk with those of us who graduated from high school and college in the Seventies on through Jimmy Carter’s presidency. Early on, the kids voted with the cool Leftist anti-war crowd hostile towards Republicans. But then reality bit them in the ass HARD.
Only the real hard-core Leftists will stay with Obonga to the end. And a few Middle Muddlers who are really quite simple and dopey.
Leftist anti-war crowd hostile towards Republicans. Obama said at his Fort Hood speak that he’d be tougher on Pakistan for harboring terrorist, and apparently we are sticking to a reasonable time frame for withdrawal from Iraq — the anti-war wing of the left are scratching their heads — and what’s with the racist under tones of Obonga — judge him by his character not ethnicity, you should emancipate yourself from using that sort of tone.
I follow Rasmussen daily. By subtracting Strongly Disapprove from Strongly Approve, Ramussen’s Presidential Approval Index does a good job of highlighting movement in the approval beyond the raw Approve/Don’t Approve.
Due to the cognitive dissonance neo described earlier, I think it will be a while before the Approves flip to Don’t Approve, but we will see the Strongly Disapproves overtake the Strongly Approves by summer, barring some rally-around-the-flag international incident, which I suspect is all too likely.
nyomythus: I believe the “Obonga” apellation is a reference to drug use (“bong”).
Occam touched on an important question earlier. What happens when the polls turn against Obama?
I think it will be ugly. I think Obama is a textbook case of Narcissistic Personality Disorder and when all that adulation is withdrawn he may melt down faster than the world economy last fall.
Obama has marched from one improbable success to another since he was a teenager. He has not faced a significant failure in his adult life. We may see something nastier than the Nixon White House after Watergate broke.
nyomythus, I am not going to take your admonition to heart because I happen to like using the appellation you object to. And I like pissing off people like you. He is reported to have been a frequent user of bong-assisted enjoyment of cannabis when he was in high school and college. That’s where the name came from O (first letter of his last name) + bong + a (“a” being the last letter of his last name).
I didn’t make it up. But it’s cute, don’t ya think?
Leftist anti-war crowd hostile towards Republicans. Obama said at his Fort Hood speak that he’d be tougher on Pakistan for harboring terrorist, and apparently we are sticking to a reasonable time frame for withdrawal from Iraq – the anti-war wing of the left are scratching their heads
My God…. You’ve been consistently wrong about everything you’ve posted about. How can you be so wrong so often?
Laws of Chance would dictate that, much like a stopped clock, even a mistaken philosophy consistently applied would be occasionally correct. But you have managed to avoid correct predictions like a lesbian avoids penis.
Unlike you, even a lesbian gets drunk occasionally and enjoys a Fruit of the Fruit of the Loom, but you persist in idiocy. You remain inerringly chaste in the face of the wisdom’s seduction.
You wouldn’t have relations with The Truth if you were wearing Beer Goggles.
– and what’s with the racist under tones of Obonga – judge him by his character not ethnicity, you should emancipate yourself from using that sort of tone.
But you elected him for his ethnicity not for his character.
I could call him “Ocracker” for his dopey white hippie mom, or “Obooga-booga” for his crazy wife-beating Kenyan dad.
What ethnicity is he really?
A: Whichever one makes nitwit lefties love him.
Just speaking for myself, I’ve always used the appellation “Obonga” (or variations thereof) with the express thought in mind that he was a habitual drug user at an earlier stage in life.
At least, dear god, I HOPE it was an earlier stage!
At any rate, it’s entirely predictable that a Disciple of The One would come to the defense of The Messiah and cry *racism*….
Another observation.
Apparently, even though The One suggested He would invade Pakistan while He was campaigning – Obonga (hehe, had to slip that in!) has in fact begun seeking *negotiations* with – and I’m not making this up – the *moderate* elements of the Taliban.
(what the hell is a *moderate* taliban, anyway?!?)
Don’tcha just love that smart diplomacy we were told to expect of The One by His Disciplies during the election!
Yeah, I read about Obonga yesterday wanting negotiations with “moderate” Taliban. LMAO!!!
This is going to keep on getting more bizzarro world during the remaining 45 months. Well, now that the adolescents are in charge of the playroom we might as well draw some solace in the humor we can make of it all.
This is going to cost human lives, and that’s no laughing matter. Yet, I can proudly say that I had nothing to do with it. Those that did may recover a sense of shame. If it’s recoverable. They may have lost it during their public school educations where no one wanted to offend their sense of self esteem.
nyomythus:
“until Republican’s starts embracing centrist candidates… I’ll go for the other guy .. hated too, had too.
Please tell us which media driven hysterics of supposed extremist Republican candidate and/or position kept you from making the sane decision that you, in your own admission hated to undertake? What was it that was supposedly to harsh to bare?
In hind sight, do you not now begin to mistrust what you were being fed by the press just a smidgen?
In the intervening years from now till the next election, try to take a more critical look at the candidates and ignore what the press says.
Remember: It was OBAMA and not PALIN who had a racist preacher and a bomb throwing radical as political allies.
I mean seriously nyomythus. Take another friggin look next time.
I hope Obama does reach out to our moderate allies in the Muslim world — we need them; and we need to know the distinction, and that the distinction is fickle, and sometime back peddles, but that’s the nature of international alliances.
…when I said “embracing centrist candidates” I think I should have said “revolutionary” not necessarily ”centrist” — I think the western democratic model is the only revolutionary force of positive change in the world today, nothing else comes close.
So, which was it nyomythus? Seriously, Id like an answer.
Fred,
I think it won’t fall below 53% for a good while if ever. The media won’t permit it to. They can’t afford to see their candidate drop so quickly. They’ll invent smear attacks against Congressional Republicans when it the public is tired of listening about Limbaugh. Also, by sometime this year, I think the recession will bottom out and the ‘mossiah’ will claim and receive credit from the media for the growing recovery.
Nyo,
Just who are these ‘moderates’ in the Muslim world? I’ve seen little evidence of it. Egypt? Not a chance. Saudi Arabia? Are you kidding? Jordan? The home Zarqawi? Color me skeptical.
Hong,
Sometimes our context and location play a role in our perception of reality. I live in a blue state that used to be a red state. I’m surrounded by libs and Lefties, but we still have some conservatives around. Nevetheless, I have hope that reality will crash Obonga’s party. I don’t think the media is invincible. BTW, I used to be a Leftist years ago. I changed. And I think others can change too.
You seem very pessimistic about the chances of that. Where do you live in our country? Where you live can sometimes color your perceptions.
Come on nyomythus. This is just mistyfing me. What was it you imagined was more radical about Palin’s past that was more extremist than Obama’s?
If you had to do it all over would you change your vote?
…when I said “embracing centrist candidates” I think I should have said “revolutionary” not necessarily ”centrist”
Obama’s Centrist Candidates are the ones who blow up you hummvee right in the center.
Isn’t Obama the one who criticised Boosh for dealing whith the centrists in Pakistan instead of just bombing them until they loved us?
I work in the bluest of blue. NYC and I’m surrounding by the Obama zombies everyday. At work, on the train, on local media. They chant the cool aid slogans like well trained little monkeys here. Even some of the Reserve Marines I train with are smitten, especially the black and hispanic ones but also the Asians. I love them all but they disappoint me. They’ve all succumbed to Obama fever and it fills me with discouragement.
You’re right I’m pessimistic by nature which sometimes warps my perspective yet I believe I’m right. I too was a more liberal in younger days and so I see how hard it is change opinions. I lost faith with Clinton but stubbornly remained Democrat enough to vote for Gore! So I cannot see the media allowing reality to crowd their thinking. They’ve invested ALL their credibility with their guy and can’t afford to see him fail. Perhaps in 5-8 years, the bloom will be lost but not one year. Just think of how long Bush remained above 40% despite the relentless bashing by the lib media. It took Katrina for people to treat the endless and uneducated bashing seriously enough to allow themselves to corrupt their thinking about W. I believe it will take 2-4 Katrina like events before people decisively turn away from the Cult Leader and his handlers are too savvy to let that happen.
Hong,
NYC is most definitely a deep Leftist enclave. Amazed that Rudy Guiliani didn’t rub off on them and have an influence. It’s a great city, but the culture seems corrupt to the core. My favorite t.v. show, BTW, is “CSI NY.” Love Gary Sinise – and he’s close to a conservative. He does a lot for the men and women in uniform. I live in NH, by the way. It has changed a lot during the last ten or so years.
My contacts in the military – family and friends (and I’m an Army veteran) – are mostly conservative and they hate Obonga.
About minorities… I would tell any black or Hispanic in our country that a lot of us white guys who got educations grew up in lower middle class, working families. We didn’t have money for college or tech school right out of high school so we went in the service for three or four years. Got our G.I. Bills and went to school, and most working while we were in school too. We had nothing handed to us. We had no advantages, just as they feel they life has been for them too. But we rolled up our sleeves, instead of blaming others for our lack of advantages.
Now, I will admit that I did have one important advantage: my parents sacrificed so much to put most of us six kids through Catholic schools, grades one through 12. And in those schools, you had to work. No one cut us any slack. No one was being solicitous of our “self esteem.” We had to earn our grades. And if you were a cut up and troublemaker, you either shaped up or you were expelled. And no one EVER wanted to shame his or her family in that way.
I would want every minority kid who desires it to have the kind of education I had. The public education system in this country is beyond dysfunctional. It’s broken, and we should fix it by allowing competition to force the education philosophy to change: vouchers and choice. That way parents get to decide where they want to put their kids into for their schooling.
Obonga does not want that for the kids. Instead, he wants to revive the same failed LBJ “Great Society” experiment that is greatly responsible for the destruction of the black family. Over 70% of black children in this country grow up without a father at home. The numbers are growing for white and Hispanic kids too. Illegitimacy and irresponsibility are just the tip of the iceberg.
The antidote for our problems is not European socialism. It’s more emphasis on virtue, hard work, taking responsibility for one’s decisions and actions, and reaping the reward of one’s hard work and risk taking. Allow more non-government institutions to help people in need, down on their luck, or needing to right their lives. We have to help each other up. Not rely on government to do it.
Nyomythus writes:
Giuliani/Lieberman I could have gone for, so until Republican’s starts embracing centrist candidates… I’ll go for the other guy .. hated too, had too.
Then corrects himself.
Let us then apply the correction.
What does that mean? What is the point of trying to decipher such statements?
How could the Republicans have had a more centrist candidate than McCain? Should they have nominated Lieberman for President?
As for Palin: She was the only candidate who had actual executive experience, both as mayor and governor; therefore she was more qualified to be President than either McCain, Obama, or Biden. And as far as I can tell, she’s more intelligent than them to boot.
Why more people can’t see that is beyond me.
Hey FredHjr, I found some “moderate taliban”….
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/1326063/After-1,700-years,-Buddhas-fall-to-Taliban-dynamite.html
http://www.rferl.org/content/article/1071249.html
http://www.rawa.org/stoning.htm
The last article is an especially insightful look into the taliban mindset:
“The last execution of a woman in Taliban territory was last November (1999), when a woman was shot three times by a Taliban soldier after she was found guilty of killing her abusive husband with an ax. She was the mother of seven children.
Regarding Palin vs Obonga.
I would be interested in seeing a list of Palin vs Obonga gaffes if anyone has the time to research the list.
My gut feeling is that Obonga’s list of gaffes is gonna be wayyyyyy longer than Palin’s, and Palin’s gaffes are going to consist somewhat of perceptual gaffes more than actual mistakes on her part.
For instance, how many here actually believe Palin said she could “see Russia” from her house, vs know that it was an SNL skit by a comedian?
I also wonder if Palin would have had the kind of weekend the Obonga administration has had, with:
– the Sec’y of State handing the Russians a red button with the word “overcharge” mistakenly printed instead of “reset”,
– the children of the prez handing the British PM kids some plastic model airplanes while receiving in turn autographed copies of English literature from famous English authors,
– The One sitting down for an informal news event with the PM instead of the customary Rose Garden podium event,
– And finally, The Messiah accepting a pen holder and certificate of authenticity from the wreck of an old slave ship while in turn giving the British PM a set of movie DVD’s!
(My first thought was “what, no blueray?”, until I realized they used the PAL system in Europe and the DVD’s wouldn’t even work there!)
How many days is it now til this train wreck is over?
“…a woman was shot three times by a Taliban soldier after she was found guilty of killing her abusive husband with an ax..”
Under strict Islam, it is always the woman’s fault when her husband abuses her. It’s because of her sexual power, understand. It’s never his fault, because she somehow tempted him away from the straight-and-narrow. That’s why she has to be dressed in a burlap sack and keep a second bag over her head. And since women in Islam are worth only 1/2 of what men are worth, whether it’s inheritance or sworn statements, it’s no great loss if you kill her. All you do is pay the blood price to her father–1/2 of what you’d pay if you killed his son.
To answer your question about moderate Muslims, Hong, try Indonesia, and to a lesser extent, Malaysia. I live in Jakarta and work with a number of modern-thinking Muslims who think the Taliban’s medieval attitude towards women is pure b.s. They also don’t hesitate to condemn the terrorists who carried out the bombings in Bali and Jakarta. Yes, you can always find some mouth-breathers willing to vent their “rage” about the U.S. or Israel in front of the TV cameras, but once the news crews leave, for most the rage stops, they collect their five bucks for participating in the demonstration, and they go home. The number of true believers remaining is very small.
6 pages long but WORTH it.
http://www.mainstreet.com/article/moneyinvesting/news/cramer-takes-white-house-frank-rich-and-jon-stewart
The money quote on page 6
“It is funny how the right is certainly very civil as my old friends and new allies as of last week, Fred Barnes and Sean Hannity, don’t hold my left wing social view against me when they talk about my criticism of the president! I always love anyone from Fox on the team because they are fierce in their defense with much less gratuitous slamming.)”
Cramer,
Welcome.
I hope you can see soon why making the rich pay more (as you said on page 5) when the top 10% of income tax payers pay 71% of the income taxes is really not a good policy moving forward at any time.
I’m happy to see you fired up with the Wealth Destruction machine that is the Obama administration.
Silly leftists…they run when their cover is blown…