Kerry and Gingrich Prepare for Smackdown

The Washington Post ^ | 4/4/07 | Mary Ann Akers

[NECAWA]

"Out of the presidential race but still itching to be a part of it all, Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) seems to be trying to position himself as the Newt Gingrich of his party." The debate is to be "Hosted by New York University's John Brademas Center for the Study of Congress."

[COBOL2Java]

The only problem with this is that HorseFace doesn’t have enough brain power to KNOW that he got destroyed.

He'll just blame his staff, like he did over the election results.

[COBOL2Java]

...Kerry will make an even bigger fool out of himself.

But how will we know?

[The Pack Knight]

It's probably for the best. Only a truly great man would be worthy of the power the office of President of the United States grants, and great men have an annoying tendency to become tyrants.

Your mention of the Founders reminded me of a thought I once had that we might have been better off if, instead of a President and a Vice President, they had simply created two co-equal Presidents with veto powers over each other. Hey, it worked for the Romans...

[George W. Bush]

instead of a President and a Vice President, they had simply created two co-equal Presidents with veto powers over each other.

Actually, they forbid that division of the executive but we were not wise enough to hold to their example. You recall the Xlinton Co-Presidency?

Yeah, it sounds good but it's a bad idea. One executive is dangerous enough to the health of the republic.

But if you really go for that idea, I read that Rudy is offering a Co-Presidentrix. And the Dims are offering a Presidentrix with a Co-President, it seems. The rest of the GOP field is, alas, mired in the dreary past.

[CutePuppy]

Newt is definitely not “running for VP”, he wouldn’t add anything to the ticket in second spot. He is either running for POTUS (so that my position is clear, I hope he does) and waiting for final implosion of Rudy and Johnny, or he is not running. He himself has said that it’s too early for “running” and I believe he is right, as he is most times. Also, Internet is changing dynamics of political campaigns and importance of money - formerly mostly for saturation TV ads, now will be more properly directed for viral campaigns and grass-roots GOTV (hopefully more effective than GOP did in 2006) - so “early money” will be “dumb money” this time around.

In the meantime, Newt is getting more exposure with the things that count more than mouthing off stale platitudes, and he is pushing ideas and proposes solutions to actual real problems that people want to hear and understand and get behind.

[CutePuppy]

The other is the extinction of the human race for the same end. This is not a joke or an exaggeration.

No, unfortunately it's not. You are, of course, referring to Thomas Malthus' population theory, that like most bad ideas and theories never die, just keep changing their form or language. There are many neo-Malthusians today, particularly in various socialist movements.

[CutePuppy]

Hey, it worked for the Romans.

I am not so sure co-Consuls really "worked" that well for the Romans. If it ever did, I am afraid it was not for very long.

[The Pack Knight]

You are, of course, referring to Thomas Malthus' population theory, that like most bad ideas and theories never die, just keep changing their form or language. There are many neo-Malthusians today, particularly in various socialist movements.

That, too, but I'm actually referring to more concrete, current opinion. One is the Voluntary Human Extinction Movement..

http://www.vhemt.org/

Another example is the recent London Zoo human exhibit which portrayed humans as a "plague species".

Worldnetdaily article

I am not so sure co-Consuls really "worked" that well for the Romans. If it ever did, I am afraid it was not for very long.

As for that, we still have 250 years before our republic has lasted as long as the Roman Republic did. We sill have 200 years before we even hit the time of Sulla and Marius. We had a very bloody civil war only 70 years after the ratification of the Constitution. It was centuries before the Romans had a civil war. I'd say it worked out alright.

[CutePuppy]

VHEMT does seem like one of the many neo-Malthusian organizations which, in general, agree with Malthus on a “problem” but all have different flavors or proposed “solutions” (Malthus’ preferred solution was wars).

BTW, I assume you are no “relations” to VHEMT founder Les Knight ? :~)

http://www.amazon.com/Return-Malthus-Environmentalism-Post-War-Population-Resource/dp/1874267510
“The Return of Malthus: Environmentalism and Post-War Population-Resource Crises”

Re Romans, the bigger lesson of Rome is that they were undone essentially from within, way before finally succumbing to external forces. Unfortunately, we see something not dissimilar today in US.

[The Pack Knight]

No relation. My mother named me "The" for reasons that remain obscure. I tried calling myself T.P. Knight in college, but I stopped that for reasons that should be obvious.

And that is the big lesson of the Roman Republic. It really started when politicians began buying votes with other peoples' money, mostly through subsidized grain and state-mandated debt forgiveness. That should seem familiar to anyone posting here. It should be noted that this populist strain of politics led to the first recorded instance of political violence in Rome since the overthrow of the Tarquinii kings. This, of course, was the killing of the Gracchi.

The other major factor came with the Marian reforms, which replaced the citizen army with a professional army, but did not replace the politically appointed officers with a professional officer corps, a dangerous combination whose results speak for themselves. Luckily, we don't quite have THAT yet.

[CutePuppy]

My mother named me "The" for reasons that remain obscure.

I think "The" is grand, it sounds aspiring.

And that is the big lesson of the Roman Republic. It really started when politicians began buying votes with other peoples' money, ...

"The American Republic will endure until the day Congress discovers that it can bribe the public with the public's money" - Alexis de Tocqueville.

That should seem familiar to anyone posting here.

Yes, it should...

One of the reasons I'd like to see Newt as President (besides his ability to articulate ideas) is that he is a historian and understands the real lessons of history, as well as practical limitations of either branch of government due to constitutional separation of powers as well as overwhelming egos of many Senators and Justices, especially having been in "the system" himself. One example was his practical approach to provide better alternative to financing and administering Medicare, so that its "centralized command bureaucracy" could "wither on the vine".

[Rome2000]

All they need is Jeri Thompson for ring girl and it will be huge!!