Posted on 03/06/2005 1:25:32 PM PST by wagglebee
Clark Clifford, a veteran Washington insider and, by all accounts, a very smart fellow, once called President Reagan “an amiable dunce”. That was pretty much the Left’s take on the Gipper throughout his eight years in The White House. They cringed at his depiction of The Soviet Union as “The Evil Empire”. They smiled at his naïveté when he stood in Berlin and forcefully said, “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!” They gnashed their teeth when he ignored large European demonstrations and began deployment of Pershing II and Cruise missiles on that continent.
Yet, somehow, the Dunce prevailed. The Evil Empire imploded and Mr. Gorbachev did tear down that wall. (Actually, others tore it down for him as he turned his attention to signing Western book deals.) The really smart people saw through all this and announced that the Empire had crumbled of its own accord, not because of, but in spite of, the intellectual lightweight who predicted all of that would happen. Of course, these were the same people who preached co-existence with this “superpower” just a few years before.
Fast forward to 2000 when another “dunce” was elected and then reelected in 2004. As John Kerry was reported to have said when reading a poll showing George Bush with a lead, “I can’t believe I’m losing to this idiot!” Once again, we had a President who showed his lack of sophistication in international affairs by defining an “Axis of Evil”, by going on the offensive after an attack on American soil killed thousands, and by suggesting that democratization in The Middle East was the best defense against terrorism. Not only that, this newest Dunce actually believed that such a transformation could happen!
So now we find ourselves with democratic elections in Afghanistan and Iraq; Syria announcing a pullout from Lebanon with elections to follow; small, but unprecedented, steps toward real elections in Egypt and Saudi Arabia; and perhaps the best shot ever at a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians. Naturally, we are now being told that all of this could fall apart and, even if it doesn’t, these were things that were bound to happen anyway.
It must be extraordinarily maddening to be so smart and to watch helplessly as epochal events occur during or right after the watches of dunces and idiots, and to see these people given credit by some for these events. To make matters worse, when the really smart people are in power (Carter, Clinton), international events seem to conspire against them.
The 2008 elections are likely to be wide open in both parties. Democrats are still trying to sort things out, the Republican incumbent can’t run and the Veep says he won’t. So who knows who will finally emerge and ultimately occupy the office of President? Maybe we’ll be lucky and find another Dunce.
Is Pat Sajak the DJ Robin Williams played in Good Morning Vietnam?
I could be mistaken, but I seem to remember reading that he wasn't the only army radio DJ that said this. I think that was what each of the morning guys signed on with. Of course, knowing me, I probably just dreamed this little fact once. Maybe one of our Vets would know.
Well .. the "dunce" getting elected twice had nothing to do with LUCK!!
See #22.
I believe the line was also used by Sajak's predecessor, upon who the movie was based.
I once read a speech presented by Pat Sajak. I read it because I was curious and I was pleased I had taken the time to read it. That speech is the reason I stopped to read this article and again I am pleased I did. I am not saying that Pat Sajak is another Thomas Sowell but I am saying that Pat sounds like someone who has his head on straight and an opinion worth hearing about.
LMAO!!!
Gingrich/?????? in 2008
Liberals don`t like it when communism, terrorism, tyranny are called bad names because those are the things that they worship. And if anyone doesn`t believe that, just look at the amount of protests against Bush as compared to Al-Qaeda and Saddam. Saddam in February of 2003 was given the biggest parade of people in Europes history. Of course they called it a "record breaking protest" but in reality it was a record breaking display of support for a psychotic tyrant. Just think if they showed support for the US or even the UN instead, Saddam might have stepped down which is what he was hinting at at the time. Of course right after this huge love fest for him, he immediately denied all rumours of stepping down.
http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/02/15/sprj.irq.protests.europe/
I think Newt Gingrich is a great leader of the GOP; however, I just don't see him a being the standard bearer. Newt is too antagonistic and too controversial to be the nominee. I think he would be a perfect cabinet secretary or possibly even VP candidate, I just don't think he could be elected POTUS.
My thought exactly. I had a life-saving operation in the old Anne Arundel Medical Center. The new one has a Pat Sajak wing. This fellow is a real gentleman.
This country cannot afford another leader like Clinton or Carter. God spare us from "nuanced" leaders, who are too complex to have any moral standing of their own, and always willing to have the intellectual elites on the NY Times and Wash Post, and interminable polls, provide direction.
Thanks sooooo much for the visual. Martin Short's Sajak-worshiping character never fails to make me really -TRULY- LOL. Nice to know another mind works like mine [I must say!]
bttt
See my tag line.
"Some of the dumbest people I met were University Professors while some to the most brilliant were High School Dropouts!"
Spot-on observation. That's been my life experience, too.
I find that spreading loads of "Nuance" on my garden really helps produce great flowers.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.