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Goodbye Fear and Loathing

Hunter S Thompson added to our political lexicon when he used the term “Fear and Loathing” (or rather re-used – he’d already used it a year earlier to describe some ugly Las Vegas doings) to describe the 1972 Nixon campaign trail. It was singularly appropriate for Nixon. The only ambiguity at all was whether it was a description of the reaction in liberal media and academic circles to Nixon’s nasty cheap populism. Or whether it was in fact the aim of Nixonian politics to invoke those feelings among voters against other different Americans. It was, alas, this latter.

Firstly to those unfamiliar with him, Richard Nixon can best be described as a political endgamer, a high-powered version of John Howard. He saw every issue in terms of how to exploit his opponents. He was dog-whistling and wedging long before the terms were invented. In the post-war period he entered Congress and quickly became a member of the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). The Republicans were especially keen on such groups and nonsense like Loyalty Oaths to undermine the dominance of the New Deal Democrats, who had become the natural party of government.

Although less sensationalist than Senator Joe McCarthy’s wild allegations about communists taking over the State Department, HUAC was arguably much more effective. Nixon, perhaps because he was a Californian, realized the immense publicity that HUAC could get by focusing on Hollywood: the stars, the writers, the directors. And that’s who they went after. HUAC got ready cooperation from the owners and tycoons of Hollywood. Many were Jewish, and having just witnessed the Holocaust were very anxious to prove their loyalty and patriotism.

Having Hollywood as the focus guaranteed almost daily publicity. There were just enough neo-leftists around Hollywood in the Depression-era 30s to have the Republicans sniffing for blood. Among other sins, many were in trouble for expressing sympathy or support for the Spanish Republicans during the civil war in Spain. The question, “Are you now, or have you ever been, a member of the Communist party?” was especially loaded.

Although the Constitution in theory protected these people, non-cooperation led to charges of perjury and to the owners banning them from work. Many had to leave the industry or the country. Even those who cooperated lost friends and self-respect by public confessions. It was a win-win for Nixon, paving the way for his elevation to the Senate and then to the Vice-Presidency.

In the early 60s Nixon suffered setbacks. He lost the 1960 Presidency to JFK, and two years later failed to win the Governorship of California. But like Howard much later, he learned from mistakes and adjusted his game.

He saw a great opportunity in the 60s with the Civil Rights movement and LBJ’s Great Society. With LBJ firmly committed to it (something even FDR shied away from) the attack on institutionalised racism would almost certainly lead to a reaction against the Democrats, who until then ruled the South. In addition, the fundamentalist religions of the mid-West and the South felt threatened by the anti-censorship charge of the 60s and the general sexual, feminist and black power liberation movements.

Nixon could see a new Republican hegemony from the remaining racist elements of the South and the conservative religious movements. These had never quite got over their defeat in the Monkey Trials of 1925 which led to the overrule of state laws banning the teaching of evolution in science. In origins, they too were often Democrats. So it was a big alliance Nixon was planning. Little wonder he made Billy Graham his chaplain when he did make it to the White House. Nixon mistrusted the old Eastern Establishment, despite the Kissinger alliance, and for that reason forged new alliances in the West – what was to become known as the Sun Belt areas.

The Watergate scandal put a temporary stop to the Republican dominance but not to the alliance pattern Nixon forged, which was capitalised on by Reagan and the Bushes. The Democrats realized too late the bind they were in. Their only counter-attack was to promote popular Southerners as their nominees. So, loosely based on the Nixon strategy the Republicans have had the President for 28 of the last 40 years. I know that the last 8 is a lot more questionable after the fiddles in Florida in 2000 (abetted by the Supreme Court) and Ohio in 2004. But it was Democrat ineptness that led to the contests being close in the first place. Carter and Clinton were treated like usurpers and only Clinton, among all the Democrat nominees was prepared to call their bluff.

The alliance, diverse as it was, made it easier for the Republicans to define what they were against. So liberalism became a dirty word; scholarship and scientific enquiry was wasteful; any government spending, except on armaments or business was likewise wasteful; climate change warnings were alarmist and interfering in God’s prerogatives. One other Nixon legacy was to manipulate foreign affairs activities for domestic adversarial politics. He sent word to North Vietnam to delay acceptance of peace talks in order to stymie LBJ. Later, Reagan aides would do similar in talks over the Irianian Embassy hostage crisis, leading to Carter looking helpless.
One area where Nixon differed from his New Right successors was in economic and financial management. Nixon was relatively prudent. The others, especially Reagan and Bush II, have been utterly reckless – no doubt egged on by the Sun Belt equivalent of the White Shoe Brigade, and the Pentagon-related industries.

It should not be forgotten that the Reagan Administration’s first effort at deregulation led to paper money merchants getting hold of savings and credit union groups assets and siphoning them off. Had it not been for Depression-era federal government guarantees for small peoples savings in such institutions a lot of people would have lost their life savings and retirement funds. As it was, the government picked up the tab for these losses, at enormous taxpayer cost. Increasing military spending by large amounts while reducing the wealthy’s tax payments will never help balance budgets. No wonder Bush I, who had some semblence of responsibility, failed so badly. It was too big a lemon he was stuck with.

Newt Gingrich deserves the prize for brazen hypocrisy when he demanded that Clinton present a balanced budget or face impeachment. Clinton, of course, did just that and ran rings around them in economic management. I often think the bile directed at Clinton was because (like Keating in Australia) he did the things the Republicans only talked about.

So we come to the Bush II regime. It seems clear now that in terms of incompetence, arrogance, corruption and dishonesty this regime is setting alltime benchmarks. The Nixonian adversarialism has been passed on to Rove, and has become even more vicious.

With such a consistent record for anti-intellectualism, it is not so surprising that foreign policy, at least for a very long time, should pass to the neocons and other crazies. It is also hardly surprising that this lot should approve torture of suspects. There is not enough scope for reasoned argument, and anyway torture seemed to work in “24”.

9/11 also warrants mention. At the time of the attacks I think I counted up to 7 agencies that failed then. Given the distance of agencies from the Administration, Team Bush need not necessarily be blamed. But surely these failings should have been of greater interest than the audacity of the crime. But no, all effort is already turned to a revenge attack. Rove and co wanted to turn attention away from any question of neglect. In addition, others had seen an opportunity. Here was a bogey to replace Communism. Hence the War on Terror. The Anthrax Scare (which did start from a Langley Virginia batch) was used to whip up anti-Middle Eastern feelings. In the general welter of confusion, Saddam could be linked without many thinking it was odd. Other issues in that sorry saga are too lengthy to mention here. Unlawful detention, rendering, torture, war profiteering – the list goes on.

Kirri has given better accounts of the economic train wreck of the Bush II regime. I am more interested in the remnants of that Nixon alliance. On the New Money side, many like Enron have bitten the dust and their ringleaders face charges or convictions. The most galling thing is that so many of these executives still have exorbitant packages, unconscionably siphoning off shareholders, employees and retirees funds. It is a disgrace that politicians and media alike have ignored this pillaging for so long.

The Bible Belt has made little headway with Creative Design, although under Bush they have manged to slow down stem cell research and so on. The Republicans have not delivered them much and it is not so surprise that some are at last defecting. It is similar with the old White Privilege South. They’ll still be around, but their influence is waning – as is the Republicans.

That alliance is not what it was. Barack deserves most credit for overcoming those barriers. He has had wide appeal and he has used the new weapons of the net well. We should not forget Howard Dean, who first attempted to use the net and appeal to the disengaged in 2004. He didn’t overcome the Democratic machine then, but he paved the way to how entrenched interests could be overcome.

As to Hillary, it should be clear by now that the most successful method for overcoming both the alliance and the ‘play safe’ Democrat machine attitudes, was as Barack did: appeal to those unengaged or alienated from the process. He did this brilliantly.

Here’s one final thought. Dubya’s often given the impression that he was ‘called by God’ for a mission. Perhaps it is true. The Republicans look headed for annihilation. Given the Nixonian legacy, and the end (at least for now) of Fear and Loathing that is not a bad result. It is a pity it took the wrecking of the economy and Mesopatamia, but the Lord works in mysterious ways.

925 replies on “Goodbye Fear and Loathing”

Democrats positioned for big House gains.

Democrats are positioned to make big gains in the House in next week’s elections, adding 20 or more seats to their majority.

Republican candidates face a toxic mix of antipathy for President Bush, a sour economy, a huge financial disadvantage and a formidable Democratic campaign organization powered by presidential nominee Barack Obama. Few in their ranks feel safe and a rush of GOP retirements is further feeding what is emerging as a Democratic wave.

With Obama leading Republican rival John McCain in key battleground states, the House GOP is in crisis-control mode.

“We have an uphill fight. We haven’t caught very many breaks,” said Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., the head of the Republican House campaign committee. “This is about getting the army across the river to the high ground on the other side.”

And as the army is crossing the river the walk into a nest of machine guns. 😈

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ixrZqnb9AYiPHma3afbgsw3kWq-AD945MN2G0

698 paddy Rupert Murdoch came out last night and said Obama could make the economic situation worse. ABC News this morning.
Of course he would be protecting his papers from regulation would he?

You just gotta love the intertubes! Check this comment on a NY Times blog on an article about McCain claiming to be making a “comeback”:

Finally, as the crowd went wild, Mr. McCain shouted, ‘We’re a few points down, but we’re coming back and we’re coming back strong.’’”

Question: who was in this particular crowd? Yesterday McCain was in Defiance, Ohio, left stranded at the altar by his groom Joe the Plumber, and the crowd there was probably going wild, too–but that crowd of 6,000 included 4,000 grammar school students bused in to make it look like a crowded rally. And they were probably just screaming because they wanted to go to recess or use the bathroom.
— Citizen Mother

…pretty funny!

AZ-Pres: Neck and neck, and check out 2010.

Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 10/28-30. Likely voters. MoE 4% (No trend lines)

McCain (R) 48
Obama (D) 47

Early voters (17 percent of sample)

McCain (R) 42
Obama (D) 54

I can’t believe we may actually win Arizona. And I have a bonus treat for you guys:

If the 2010 election for U.S. Senate were held today for whom would you vote for if the choices were between Janet Napolitano the Democrat and John McCain the Republican?

McCain (R) 45
Napolitano (D) 53

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/10/31/11279/222/947/647893

Obama Dominates on Radio.

“One of the under-written process stories of the cycle is Obama’s dominance on the radio airwaves. You looking for a good explanation for why Obama is doing well in states with heavy driving populations (like Florida and Montana, for instance?), go to the radio dial, where he’s outspending McCain by huge margins.”

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/10/31/1620984.aspx

Not having read the Oz since last November’s local election, and that was just to giggle at the conga line of suckholes attached to Howard’s End, it was great to revisit the dog’s vomit again.

Thanks Spammy Sparrow! LOL

Also, while there, try Shamahan’s little tirade about US ‘celebrity’ politics, where he laments the thin resume of Obama but proclaims Palin to be a great politician with the ‘common touch’! (And swipes at any newspaper, the ‘liberal’ press, who point out that she’s an ignorant populist, claiming they’re just a bunch of twisted feminists who’ve turned on her! ROFL Which was exactly the argument that Miranda Devine made in the SMH…one of the papers he slams! LOL)

Talk about one sick puppy. How can he be that confused? Being one of the Sun King’s lapdogs really is the equivalent of a frontal lobotomy, isn’t it?

So McCain is really an articulate leader who’d make an excellent President? Oh dear, the poor old guy can’t even run a decent campaign, stumbles over his autocue, and is clearly clueless enough to say that the ‘fundamentals of our economy are strong’ while they are, in fact, in recession!

Well Spammy, good to see the ‘quality’ of Oz ‘journalism’ hasn’t improved one iota in the last year! LOL

GOP tries to raise $5 million in next three days.

Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin says in a new fundraising plea that the GOP needs to raise $5 million in the next 72 hours to compete with the GOTV efforts of Democrats.

The e-mail to supporters, ostensibly from Palin, says that the race is tightening but warns that Democrats are better funded than Republicans.

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/gop-tries-to-raise-5-million-in-next-three-days-2008-10-31.html

G’Day Ticsters,

PNAC/NEOCON FANTASY LAND

10 Reasons Why McCain Might Win
John Podhoretz –
http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/jpodhoretz/40841

Podhoretz served as speechwriter to former U.S. President Ronald Reagan as well as former President George H.W. Bush. He also served in the capacity of special assistant to White House Drug Czar William Bennett. He was co-founder as well of the White House Writers Group, a corporate speechwriting and public-relations firm in Washington, D.C.[1]
Podhoretz has contributed to a number of conservative publications, including National Review and the Weekly Standard, where he was the magazine’s deputy editor…… Podhoretz has a regular column at the New York Post. He has also appeared on television as a political commentator on Fox News……

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Podhoretz
——————————————

Flaneur, sorry, nearly forgot you, you’ve been so quiet as the action has raged. Look forward to seeing you, DogB and spouse will also be along as we as a few of the crew from the Politics Dept of U.Q. Had a call from a graduate who’s lookin’ for a place to hang out with like minded souls. He said the bash that the now defunct U.S. Consulate hosted in 2000 was a corker. I suspect that the security at The Jubilee will be a tad less formal.
:mrgreen:

megan, I miss you.
🙁
————————————-

E-Day minus three and a half and all’s well. Last minute GOPper desperation dog-whisltling is more than off-set by Team Kid’s ground game.
Just heard Geraldine Doogue grovelling and gushing to Shelby Steele on RN. Shelby reckons Barack hasn’t fully defined himself as an American and that there are large numbers of blacks in U.S outsourced jails because black folk are criminals by nature and deed.
Shelby is the kind of black man that Malcolm X referred to when using the term, “House Negro”. Others describe Shelby’s cultural positioning as that of an “Uncle Tom” or “Porch Negro”.
More notable examples of their specialist social niche serving the GOP are Clarence Hill, Condi Rice and up until a few years ago, Colin Powell.

708
Chris B Says:
Rupert Murdoch came out last night and said Obama could make the economic situation worse. ABC News this morning.

Which ABC Chis?
US or Oz. Any link, or just the radio?
Seems strange, given Rupert’s penchant for backing winners.
I can’t believe he’s dumb enough to believe that Obi’s not going to romp home.

Paddy, Democrats have media regulations that they want to bring in that will hobble FOX. 😈

723
Ah thanks Chris. I guess he’s just preaching to a different choir.
(That’s much more like the sun king that we know and love.)

Palin Opposes McCain On Defense Cuts

Sarah Palin campaigned in Erie, Pennsylvania, yesterday and blasted Democrats for allegedly wanting to cut funding from the Pentagon budget.

“We’re fighting two wars, with a force strength in need of rebuilding, not in being gutted,” Palin said. “And they [Democrats] think it’s the perfect time to radically reduce defense spending? What are they thinking?”

Yes, what kind of monster would decide, in the midst of two wars, to cut defense spending? Why, to hear Palin tell it, you’d have to be some kind of nut to even think about reducing Pentagon funding right now.

With this in mind, it’s probably an inconvenient time to point out that John McCain has promised to reduce defense spending.

…

So, Sarah Palin, what are you thinking? Based on your attacks yesterday, it sounds like you may not be comfortable with McCain’s plan to reduce the Pentagon’s budget in the midst of two wars.

Can you imagine Europe and the USA getting together with regulations for the world? All the conservative governments will just have to follow along. Unprecedented co-operation! 😈

725
LOL
Yes indeed Chris. That’s why some of Fox’s talking airheads have started …..Gasp! Actually pushing back when interviewing the repug
attack dogs.
Rupert’s always known how to play both sides of the street, but he’s left his run a bit late this time. 🙂
Watching News Ltd crash and burn would be a delicious desert after the main course of Obi’s landslide.

Unless the Neocons and the Fundies are thrown out of the Repug Party, the Democrats will Dominate for a very long time. Kevin Rudd is in the right place at the right time. Australia will hop on board for a very good ride. 😆

Paddy, unfortunately the redneck readers won’t go away. They just won’t be able to go on a feeding frenzie as easily.

Mornin’ Paddy, thanks, you’re perfecfty correct, sorry to make your brain hurt. I meant Shelby Steele.
We’re dealing with the aftermath of a Year 11 Halloween sleepover party. Guess I goofed off while trying rustle up brekky for eight. Gee they had a good time though!
Talk about American Cultural hegemony! The whole freakin’ neighbourhood were letting off sky rockets last night like it was cracker night.
🙂

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelby_Steele

I heard that interview (it was Shelby Steel or Steele) this morning, and there some interesting points made: there are two broad ‘black’ attitudes, victim or negotiator.

The ‘negotiator’ says: don’t treat me like a black person and I’ll not remind you about slavery, segregation, and egregious racism, while the victim plays on these historical wrongs and gets political concessions made on that basis, (affirmative action, for example).

He cited the negotiators from Poitier through Powell and to Obama, while he put Jesse Jackson in the ‘victim’ camp. No doubt Rev Wright’s in that group too.

As a guy with mixed parents like Obama, Steel was pretty tuned into this dichotomy and I thought made a reasonable case for it.

I won’t get involved with his comment about blacks committing more crime because although it’s true, it’s deeply embedded with social issues like poverty and education and this isn’t the space to go into something this complex.

One irony: he said that 40 years ago Obama would not have been possible, but even Powell could have run a good race against Clinton in ’96. Which, as I recall, was the argument I had with Herr Doktor when he claimed that Tom Wolfe’s portrayal of white liberal east coast intellectuals ‘slumming it’ with black panthers was somehow a relevant picture of today’s America. I said it was out of date, that black (and white) Americans had moved on, and that his claim was ludicrously outdated.

Guess who’s coming to win that argument?

Kirri, good summary of the Steele’s “negotioator”/ “victim” stances. I didn’t like Shelby’s inference that Obi was somehow ill-defined and thereby inauthentic. At least that’s they way it washed over me while short order cheffing like Matt “Guitar” Murphy in Lady Soul’s kitchen.

And yessah! Herr Doktor, he yo whippin’ boy, and he ain’t done no RE-cantin’ yet. Till then, one can only deem it fair that you stay on his case.
👿

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=qE41YPdPuis

You got mail Ecky.

Yeah, interesting ideas about Obama and no doubt we’ll get to mull over his thesis in the coming years.

As for Herr Doktor, he may need to think twice about dissing us ‘ignorant loathing lefties’, huh? LOL

Early voting is changing campaign strategy and voter behavior like no other presidential race in history, experts say, as Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama make final cross-country pushes this weekend.

Both candidates are hoping to reap the lion’s share of more than 23 million votes that have been cast nationwide. They’re targeting states where polls remain open through the weekend — and, in some cases, into Monday.

Calculations by CNN and other news organizations indicate that many, if not most, of the early votes in more than 30 states are being cast by registered Democrats, although it’s unknown who voted for which candidate.

Well, du!

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/31/early.voting/

Tubes going down the tubes

Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 10/28-30. Likely voters. MoE 4% (10/14-16 results)

Senate
Stevens (R) 36 (46)
Begich (D) 58 (48)

House at-large district
Young (R) 44 (44)
Berkowitz (D) 53 (50)

Ted Stevens (R) Favourable/Unfavourable:
Republicans: 65/34 (71/26)
Democrats: 8/91 (15/81)
Independents: 37/62 (41/53)
Total: 34/65 (44/51)

Early Voting.

McCain “encourages it, but it’s not the primary driver of our get out the vote effort,” Bounds said.

So, how did George Bush win his races then? Got a different strategy this time have we? A SECRET NEW STRATEGY! Can’t wait to see what that is. Maybe they’ll all turn up on November the 5th and call foul and ask for another election? 😈

Heavy sarcasm switched on!
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/31/early.voting/

Obama’s top priorities for ’09

Sen. Barack Obama told CNN Friday that turning around the economy and energy independence are his top priorities for 2009 if elected president.

In an interview with Wolf Blitzer in Des Moines, Iowa, Obama was asked to name his top priority from a list of issues, including taxes, health care, education, energy policy and immigration.

“[The] top priority may not be any of those five. It may be continuing to stabilize the financial system. We don’t know yet what’s gonna happen in January,” he said. “None of this can be accomplished if we continue to see a potential meltdown in the banking system and financial system. So that’s priority number one — making sure the plumbing works.”

Priority number 2: Energy independence.

Priority number 3: Healthcare reform.

Priority number 4: “Making sure we have tax cuts for the middle class as part of a broader tax reform effort.”

Priority number 5: Reforming the education system.

Volunteers On The Move To Swing States.

In no-contest California, where polls show Barack Obama leading by miles, what’s a campaign volunteer to do?

Up and leave, of course.

Californians who are eager to have an impact in the presidential election, Republicans as well as Democrats, have been heading to the nearby swing states of Nevada and Colorado by the hundreds, even thousands, during the home stretch.

So many, in fact, that some Obama supporters have turned around and gone back to California to concentrate on local races for the final week of the campaign.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/10/31/politics/main4561561.shtml

Not that you’re counting or anything, Chris! 🙂

That’s a save to files essay, Ferny. Great ideas seamlessly communicated.

“One might think that a period which, in a space of fifty years, uproots, enslaves, or killsseventy million human beings should be condemned out of hand. But its culpability must still be understood… In more ingenuous times, when the tyrant razed cities for his own greater glory, when the slave chained to the conqueror’s chariot was dragged through the rejoicing streets, when enemies were thrown to the wild beasts in front of the assembled people, the mind did not reel before such unabashed crimes, and the judgment remained unclouded. But slave camps under the flag of freedom, massacres justified by philanthropy or by a taste for the superhuman, in one sense cripple judgment. On the day when crime dons the apparel of innocence – through a curious transposition peculiar to our times – it is innocence that is called upon to justify itself. ”
— Albert Camus, The Rebel…………

We must begin by restoring polity to where it was before being derailed by what was effectively a coup-de-etat. The ideal start is to return to the America we knew before the day of the incompetent and the malign, a restoration of a nation sullied by a band of outlaws. Anything less would be unworthy of a free people.
—Niranjan Ramakrishna

Stirling stuff.

Anw while we’re on the subject Ecky…I should give a plug for yourdemocracy.net.au. It’s an Aussie politics site chocful of great writing, challenging ideas and most importantly – good ‘toons.

Paddy, Kirri and Chris:

I fear we’re stuck with Rupert for quite a while yet. In fact, I think he might have plans like Montgomery Burns to keep on going past the century.

With any luck his ability to keep all politicians afraid might be waning, however.

Yes, Ferny, probably is of swarthy appearance as well! Was a time when these people knew their place; like any decent darkie did; when to get in there, and then get the hell outta there again!

“You know –Joe Louis…. he was one helluva fighter!…….
And that Bo Jangles……..Christ, could he tapdance!
You people have a Natural Sense of Rhythm….
What is that? Born right in ya, I guess?”

From “How To Relax Your Colored Friends At Parties”
~Lenny Bruce

Fri Oct 31:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/tomtoles;_ylt=A0WTUeHcsQtJUtEA_AYDwLAF

Fri Oct 31:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/bensargent;_ylt=A0WTUeHcsQtJUtEA.AYDwLAF

Fri Oct 31:
http://news.yahoo.com/edcartoons/doonesbury;_ylt=AheCxXGQpkcKuZvQWLWUf2UxvTYC

http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/62015

http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/62062

What BlindO and Kirri et al. have been onto from the get-go
http://editorialcartoonists.com/cartoon/display.cfm/62079

748
Loved it Chris. 🙂
Especially at the end where they analyze the poem.

KO “what’s a Burke?
Cleese. It’s rhyming slang.
KO What for?
Cleese. The Berkeley Hunt.
KO …………..Oh. :mrgreen:

753
Don
I have a dream Don. 🙂
It’s called the great media fallout of 2009.
Rupert’s been there once before, but he managed to wriggle out of it.
The money he overpaid for the WSJ, and the various changes to media laws around the globe, might yet bite him in the arse.

Like I said…..It’s a dream. But who knows.
If a black man can win the POTUS, then maybe Rupert can be caught with his wallet bare.

Don, Citizen Rupert clearly has backed the wrong horse this election. And he’s facing some diminution of his revenue stream as Old Media dwindles daily in relevance and clout. But he won’t be broke ant time soon either. Rupe’s a long haul-Big Picture kind of a guy. Money, power, longevity; Monty Burns isn’t too far off the mark.

How fortunate we Australians are to have him come down all this way to inspire us with his wit and erudition in The Boyer Lectures.

ok…what’s this?

“FUCK”, “FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”,”FUCK”………

McCain reading the morning polls.

760
How fortunate we Australians are to have him come down all this way to inspire us with his wit and erudition in The Boyer Lectures.
Yes indeed Ecky.
LOL
I just checked the title of this year’s insult.
A Golden Age of Freedom is presented by Mr Rupert Murdoch, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, News Corporation.

Yeeck Pardon me while I vomit.

The Kid is back above 50% on RCP

but there are apparently a group of escapees from the local asylum standing outside the Intrade HQ throwing money at it earmarked for McCain.

Intrade is now :

Emperor Nigerus Augustus 82.9
The Court Jester 17.0

Intrade is now :

Emperor Nigerus Augustus 82.9
The Court Jester 17.0

That’s some serious nonsense with the mad money.
If I was a gambling man, I’d have put money on the kid rather than Theseo in the McKinnon stakes. :mrgreen:

Mind you, if the lunatics keep throwing money at McCain. I might have to open an account with Intrade.

Ferny @ 744

I liked much about that article, but I disagree that America needs to be taken back to September 10 2001. It’s true Bush has taken America down an ammoral path, and I too hope his administration will be held accountable, but America’s hegemony has been built over many decades. It’s made many unilateral forays into countries it didn’t like or wanted to control.

I want America to move forward. To take a place in a world with a number of strong powers – China, India, Russia, the European Union. I want it to be less militaristic. I want it to reduce drastically it’s reliance on its working poor population. I want it to be about “we the people” and not about survival of the fittest. I want it’s smart, innovative people to help to lead us in the area of climate change. I want to see a new America, and not the one that existed before 9/11.

Sportingbet is a tad more sane:

Sen. Barack Obama – DEM 1.12

Sen. John McCain – REP 5.50

I confess I didn’t put any dosh on The Kid until he was at $1.95. (though I did have a win on him in the primaries). The horse had bolted by then really. Still, it’s better than 1.12.

772 Katielou
True enough. I don’t think any of us have any illusions that Uncle Sam was somehow ideal before a few terrorists decided to park their borrowed aircraft in the WTC.

It was far better then than now (which is I guess the point of the article)….but it needs to be far better than that again.

And that means eyes forward to an elightened future, not backward to a mythical past.

773
Sportingbet is a tad more sane:

True. But 2 horse races require money a long way out to make any real money.
Mind you Theseo just paid $6+ for winning the McKinnon Stakes. :mrgreen:
So if I can keep this winning streak up till Wed……Who knows, I might even bet on that handsome black unicorn.

I do love the rumours being floated that The Kid is going to do a whistlestop in Arizona. That – and the increased Dem advertising there – are seriously playing with Dr Demented’s mind.

I think McCain’s real odds should be around 500 to 1.
Never mind the 50’s
I gather he’s going home to Arizona early, to campaign on the night before the election.
Can’t remember where I saw that though.

So Big Arnie is now in on the act – ridiculing Obama’s slim physique and offering a “searing attack on Senator Obama’s economic policies.”

This could be trouble for Obama. Arnie has an international reputation as an intellectual giant on economic issues – as well all know.

This is Sarah Palin’s way of demonstrating her personal connection to a city:

Palin, Interrupted

And plucky Sarah proves she can connects with her audience.

“Palin tried to make her own connection to this western Pennsylvania city, where golfer Arnold Palmer was born. “Now here is my connection with Latrobe. Todd and I, the first house we ever bought — we bought an $82,000 house in Wasilla, Alaska,” Palin said. “The name of the street: Arnold Palmer Dr. It is a nice small world. That’s awesome.””

[Blank stares]

I read somewhere that moose-spice was encouraging the faithful to dig deep and donate a quick $5 million. If i was cynical I’d say that’s all going on Intrade in an attempt to influence the only poll they can

OK. That’s it.
I’m ordering a nice bottle of Freedom fizz for Wednesday.

99.98% = Verve Clicquot
But stuff that.
Let’s go for 100% = Mumm

btw… Have never drank(or even heard of) *Mumm* (uncouth thing that I am) but Veuve Clicquot… there’s a nice drink (much nicer the that Moet rubbish) :mrgreen:

Funny story, the first time I bought a bottle of VC was one night years ago on a first date, ended up getting a wife as a surprise gift 😉

ps: not sure but there’s a fair chance that after another night of good food and VC, I think I might have got my second kid too 😆

Some great shots there Paddy. My fav is the ‘evolution’ one. Cracked me up.

And did Obi really take his kid trick-or-treating last night?? Looks like it. Imagine having the future Prez turn up at your door. Hell…you’d be puttin’ something nice in her bag wouldn’t ya?!

lol FG… Well, I’l pick the wife on that question(for safety reasons at least, she has my PW for this site) 😉

But if you’d asked me about the VC or the kid?.. well that’s a different story ; ( I love him dearly, but mainly when he’s asleep or visiting friends) 😉

Spammy, you ol’ romantic you! Kudos comrade. I always admire a guy who finds love and sees it blossom over the long haul. It’s a rare and wonderful thing.

As for the kids…..I’m hearin’ ya. Yep…I certainly am.

The kos pics show The Kid terrorist-jabbing an innocent young boy. Surely Hannity or BillO on gool ol’ Fox could use that pic as eveidence of the grave peril about to befall a country with the democratic audacity to elect a Commie like That One!

790
:mrgreen:
788
spammy, Mumm’s a lovely drop and streets ahead of VC
Mind you, VC seems to work for you. 🙂

I last drank Mumm in Nov 07 on a certain Saturday evening. 🙂
It worked for me when Maxine booted the toxic eyebrows from Benelong and gave Kirri his finest hour.
I’m hoping that on Wed, it will work on Louisiana.
It would be a such a sweet victory for all those poor sods in New Orleans, after the caring way that McCain & co treated them during Katrina.

793
I suspect that it’s a wee bit too late for an October surprise.
LOL
That’s what happens when you have early voting.
The black unicorn has bolted, but they’re still trying to to burn down the barn.

Auntie-gate will have to be handled right. It’s a hot-button dog-whistle to bigots in itself; how Obama handles this is going to be important lest he loose hard-won voters in States like VA, OH, IN, NC and FL. Auntie-gate hasn’t the potential to play as well in IA, CO, NM or NV, so it’s unlikely to result in major damage re Obi winning> 270 EVs. What it could do would be make it harder to win Senate seats in races like MI and NC.

The Kid’s now pow-wowing with his War-Room on how to nix it as a vote-changer.
He’ll need to deal with it by the Sunday telly talkfests at the latest.

799
It’s a bit of a worry to be sure, I assume that OB and friends would have planned ahead for this. (they’ve got everything else right, surly they didn’t overlook this coming out)

Still, it shit like this that freaks me out (I was the same last year in OZ)

I NEVER underestimate the uglies for bastardry or the general publics for stupidity.

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