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Iraqi Vote Leaves Dems Looking Like The Losers (American Insurgents Reverses Alert)
Chicago Sun Times ^ | 12/18/05 | Mark Steyn

Posted on 12/18/2005 7:19:22 AM PST by goldstategop

Well, that old Iraqi quagmire just keeps getting worse and worse, if only for the Democratic Party. What was the straw they were clutching at back in January? Oh, yeah, sure, gazillions of Kurds and Shiites might have gone to the polls, but where were the Sunni? As some of us said at the time, the Sunni'll come out tomorrow. And so they did. On Thursday, they voted in record numbers, leaving Howard Dean and Nancy Pelosi and the rest of the Democrats frantically scrambling for another disaffected Iraqi minority group they could use as proof that the whole crazy neocon war-for-oil scam was a bust.

Unfortunately, there don't seem to be any disaffected Iraqi minority groups left. Oh, wait, there's Ahmed at 37 Sword of the Infidel Slayer Gardens in Ramadi. Apparently, he's still rejecting the new constitution. Maybe, if we're lucky, he's got a brother who's mildly irked. Whoops, sorry, they just went off to vote, too.

Heigh-ho. The Iraq election's over, the media did their best to ignore it, and, judging from the rippling torsos I saw every time I switched on the TV, the press seem to reckon that that gay cowboy movie was the big geopolitical event of the last week, if not of all time. Yes, yes, I know: They're not, technically, cowboys, they're gay shepherds, but even Hollywood isn't crazy enough to think it can sell gay shepherds to the world. And the point is, even if I was in the mood for a story about two rugged insecure men who find themselves strangely attracted to each other in a dark transgressive relationship that breaks all the rules, who needs Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger when you've got Howard Dean and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi? Yee-haw! And, if that sounds unfair, pick almost any recent statement by a big-time Dem cowboy and tell me how exactly it would differ from the pep talks Zarqawi gives his dwindling band of head-hackers -- Dean arguing that America can't win in Iraq, Barbara Boxer demanding the troops begin withdrawing on Dec. 15, John Kerry accusing American soldiers of terrorizing Iraqi women and children, Jack Murtha declaring that the U.S. Army is utterly broken. Pepper 'em with a handful of "Praise be to Allahs" and any one of those statements could have been uttered by Zarqawi.

The Democratic Party have contrived to get themselves into a situation where bad news from Iraq is good for them and good news from Iraq is bad for them. And as there's a lot more good news than bad these days, that puts them, politically, in a tough spot -- even with a fawning media that, faced with Kerry and Murtha talking what in any objective sense is drivel, decline to call for the men with white coats but instead nod solemnly and wonder whether Bush is living "in a bubble."

One day Iraq will be a G7 member hosting the Olympics in the world's No. 1 luxury vacation resort of Fallujah, and the Defeaticrat Party will still be running around screaming it's a quagmire. It's not just that Iraq is going better than expected, but that it's a huge success that's being very deftly managed: The timeframe imposed on the democratic process turns out to have worked very well -- the transfer of sovereignty, the vote on a constitutional assembly, the ratification of the constitution, the vote for a legislature -- and, with the benefit of hindsight, it now looks like an ingeniously constructed way to bring the various parties on board in the right order: first the Kurds, then the Shia, now the Sunni. That doesn't leave many folks over on the other side except Zarqawi and Dean. What do the two have in common? They're both foreigners, neither of whom have the slightest interest in the Iraqi people.

And no, I'm not questioning their patriotism. Honestly, who can be bothered questioning anything so footling as Howard Dean's patriotism? If you're a Democratic patriot and you're outraged by my linking your party to the "insurgents," take it up with your leaders: They're the ones who've over-invested the party in American failure. And instead of being angry at me you should be ashamed of them. Your party is regarded as unserious on national security because it got it wrong last time round, when Kerry spent the last half of the Cold War siding with every loser on the planet -- opposing the liberation of Grenada, supporting the Sandinistas in Nicaragua. And at least that little Sandinista guy looked awful cute in his fatigues, like a novelty houseboy Teresa picked up on vacation. It's hard to believe a bunch of crazy mullahs and suicide bombers are going to do much for the lefty T-shirt business.

George Clooney, the matinee idol, made an interesting point the other day. He said that "liberal" had become a dirty word and he'd like to change that. Fair enough. So I hope he won't mind if I make a suggestion. The best way to reclaim "liberal" for the angels is to get on the right side of history -- the side the Iraqi people are on. The word "liberal" has no meaning if those who wear the label refuse to celebrate the birth of a new democracy after 40 years of tyranny. Yet, if you wandered the Internet on Thursday, you came across far too many "liberals" who watched the election, shrugged and went straight back to Valerie Plame, WMD, Bush lied.

Bush lied, people dyed. Their fingers. That's what this is about: Millions of Kurds, Shia and Sunnis beaming as they emerge from polling stations and hold up their purple fingers after the freest, fairest election ever held in the Arab world. "Liberal" in the American sense is a dirty word because it's come to stand for a shriveled parochial obsolescent irrelevance, of which ''Good Night, and Good Luck,'' Clooney's dreary little retread of the McCarthy years, is merely the latest example. (Clooney says he wants more journalists to "speak truth to power," which is why I'm insulting his movie.)

The Anglo-American political tradition is the most successful in the world in part because of the concept of "loyal opposition." Yes, the party out of office opposes the party in office and hopes to supplant it, but not at the expense of the broader political culture. A party that winds up cheerleading for a deranged loser death cult is the very definition of pointless self-defeating sour oppositionism. So, as Zarqawi flails, Dean and Murtha and Kerry flail ever more pathetically, too. Just wait till the WMD turn up.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Foreign Affairs; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: americaninsurgents; chicagosuntimes; dec15thelection; defeaticrats; defeatists; democrats; freeelections; iraq; iraqielection; liberals; losers; marksteyn; steyn
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America's insurgents, er Defeaticrats have suffered one reverse after another. "Liberal" has become a dirty word because it cheerleads for a deranged loser death cult. As well as its praise for the specter of gay cowboys, a piece of cultural disconnect that's as equally self-defeating. And what can one say of a party that keeps on screaming "Bush lied, purple fingers dyed." Now all we have to do as Mark Steyn teases us, is to wait til the WMD turn up.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

1 posted on 12/18/2005 7:19:23 AM PST by goldstategop
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To: goldstategop
Whatdo they mean "Leves Dems Looking Like Losers?" The Dems ARE LOSERS with a geat big L
2 posted on 12/18/2005 7:22:19 AM PST by SandRat (Duty, Honor, Country. What else needs to be said?)
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To: goldstategop

The huge loss for the Democrat party explains why the last three days, the media has been talking about torture, domestic spying, and the patriot act.

The media is always helpful for them.


3 posted on 12/18/2005 7:24:12 AM PST by Paloma_55 (Which part of "Common Sense" do you not understand???)
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To: goldstategop; Lil'freeper
I truly enjoyed that editorial.
4 posted on 12/18/2005 7:26:02 AM PST by big'ol_freeper ("Freedom consists not in doing what we like, but in having the right to do what we ought." Pope JPII)
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To: goldstategop

"One day Iraq will be a G7 member hosting the Olympics in the world's No. 1 luxury vacation resort of Fallujah, and the Defeaticrat Party will still be running around screaming it's a quagmire."

Classic.


5 posted on 12/18/2005 7:27:36 AM PST by Rennes Templar ("The future ain't what it used to be".........Yogi Berra)
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To: goldstategop

"Bush lied, people dyed. Their fingers. That's what this is about: Millions of Kurds, Shia and Sunnis beaming as they emerge from polling stations and hold up their purple fingers after the freest, fairest election ever held in the Arab world."

Love it. Libs come out looking like idiots again thanks to their support of the terrorists. The same reason the NSA story will blow up in the libs faces...they are against the government conducting surveillance on those who have contact with terrorists. Maybe Reid, Pelosi, Feingold, Murtha, Dean, Kennedy, Kerry and the other libs are afraid their weekly conference calls with Osama and Zarqawi were being monitored!


6 posted on 12/18/2005 7:27:36 AM PST by frankjr
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To: Paloma_55
Yep. Just change the subject back to its Bush's fault for not leaving America defenseless. Our insurgents succeeded in forcing Bush to grant constitutional rights to Al Qaeda and now they want to make sure another 9/11 happens so they get the chance to make histoire. And they want to impeach Bush for being an alleged dictator. Quite a Defeaticrat Christmas wish list.

(Denny Crane: "I Don't Want To Socialize With A Pinko Liberal Democrat Commie.Say What You Like About Republicans. We Stick To Our Convictions. Even When We Know We're Dead Wrong.")

7 posted on 12/18/2005 7:31:16 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives On In My Heart Forever)
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To: Paloma_55
The huge loss for the Democrat party explains why the last three days, the media has been talking about torture, domestic spying, and the patriot act.

And John McCain (who I will never forgive for McCain-Feingold) and John Sununu (who will have citizen blood on his hands for support of the Patriot renewal filibuster).

8 posted on 12/18/2005 7:50:32 AM PST by TheGeezer
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To: goldstategop

Great column - thanks for posting it.


9 posted on 12/18/2005 7:51:15 AM PST by StatenIsland
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To: goldstategop

At some point the dems will reverse course and claim the Iraq victory for themselves. President Bush will be accused of hindering the war effort, as well as spying in innocent Americans -- a plank in Hill's campaign platform. They don't cavil about lying. They do it every day and the MSM lets them get away with it.


10 posted on 12/18/2005 7:56:09 AM PST by hershey
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To: goldstategop
Mark hits one bullseye after another!

He does a good job of spotlighting the unholy alliance of America's enemies, especially the Islamofascist terrorists, and the Marxist, crypto-atheistic, anti-American, anti-semitic, decadent Left, including the Democrat Party, Hollywood, academia, and especially the "Mainstream Newsmedia". Strip away the rhetoric, and theirs could be the same movement.

The Left is a fifth column and is the enabler of the enemies of the U.S.A.

During this holiday season, we can thank God for Middle America and the wisdom and benevolence of the vast majority of the American people.

Note tagline.

11 posted on 12/18/2005 7:56:09 AM PST by Savage Beast (9/11 was never repeated--thanks to President George W. Bush.)
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To: goldstategop
BTW, I refuse to concede the word liberal to these utterly illiberal Leftists. Middle America is the great bastion of liberalism in the world. There is nothing liberal about these fundamentally totalitarian Leftist bullies.

If the word liberal has become a bad word, as these Leftists, including that whatsizname Hollywood character Mark was talking about, seem to think, it's because it has become tarnished by its association with the utterly indecent Left.

(Hollywood, academia, and "the Mainstream Newsmedia" have also become bad words and for the same reason.)

Frankly, I disagree with them, about this and pretty much everything else. I have no difficulty differentiating between the splendid and heroic word liberal and its meaning and significance and the disgusting words Left and Leftist.

Note the capitals, to differentiate between the Left as a political movement and the perfectly fine word left, which has a variety of other--decent--meanings.

(Hate to be pedantic, but that's the way I see it.)

12 posted on 12/18/2005 8:11:50 AM PST by Savage Beast (9/11 was never repeated--thanks to President George W. Bush.)
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To: goldstategop
And the point is, even if I was in the mood for a story about two rugged insecure men who find themselves strangely attracted to each other in a dark transgressive relationship that breaks all the rules, who needs Jake Gyllenhaal and Heath Ledger when you've got Howard Dean and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi? Yee-haw!

Ouch. LOL

13 posted on 12/18/2005 8:47:18 AM PST by Numbers Guy
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To: goldstategop

Ping: Good Editorial


14 posted on 12/18/2005 8:53:42 AM PST by HawaiianGecko (Facts are neither debatable nor open to "I have a right to this opinion" nonsense.)
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To: TheGeezer

McCain sold out his fellow P.O.W.'s in Hanoi. He was sitting in a warm cell drinking tea and chatting with the VC while his fellows were being urinated on and lay in rat infested holes.

Now, he is selling out the G.O.P and for some reason, they allow him to do it.


15 posted on 12/18/2005 9:30:32 AM PST by Paloma_55 (Which part of "Common Sense" do you not understand???)
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To: Savage Beast

I agree. Here's one that will stop them in their tracks. I say, Thomas Jefferson was my kind of liberal. You know inalienable rights, self-government, laisez faire economy. How did liberal come to mean defending the criminal, immoral, and indefensible? It has something to do with post-modernism surpassing the quaint 18th century univeralism in their mionds. You know, "perception is reality."


16 posted on 12/18/2005 9:32:03 AM PST by ClaireSolt (.)
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To: goldstategop

Got cornered in an all Lib Christmas party and asked, are the Iraqis better off voting for themselves than being tortured by Saddamn? Could not get an answer even though I asked it 3 times. Not a single yes or no, only WMD arguments. sad.

Pray for W and Our Victorious Troops


17 posted on 12/18/2005 9:39:44 AM PST by bray (Merry Christmas Iraq)
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To: goldstategop
Indexing RELATED threads:
Iraqi Vote Leaves Dems Looking Like The Losers
(American Insurgents Reverses Alert)

  Posted by goldstategop
On News/Activism 12/18/2005 7:19:22 AM PST · 16 replies · 630+ views


Chicago Sun Times ^ | 12/18/05 | Mark Steyn
 

Mark Steyn:Iraq vote leaves Dems looking like the losers
  Posted by mal
On News/Activism 12/18/2005 2:24:36 AM PST · 46 replies · 1,695+ views


suntimes.com ^ | Mark Steyn

18 posted on 12/18/2005 9:46:48 AM PST by RonDog
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To: goldstategop
Just wait till the WMD turn up.

Isn't there a trial going on now for the terrorists who drove somme trucloads of VX nerve gas into Jordan from Syria back in 2004? What ever happened to that story?

19 posted on 12/18/2005 10:09:31 AM PST by Orbiting_Rosie's_Head
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To: goldstategop

Democrat Party = The Party of Premature Evacuation


20 posted on 12/18/2005 11:01:42 AM PST by America's Resolve (I've become a 'single issue voter' for 06 and 08. My issue is illegal immigration!)
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