Reagan Democrat (Sen. Jim Webb)

The Washington Post ^ | Thursday, January 25, 2007 | E. J. Dionne Jr.

[MinorityRepublican]

Like him or not, Ronald ("Tear Down This Wall") Reagan spoke in a clean, clear prose that almost always left listeners with a sense that he stood for something.

It may thus be no accident that Jim Webb, Virginia's new Democratic senator, was once a Reaganite.

In his reply to President Bush's State of the Union speech on Tuesday night, Webb defined the two central moral issues that animate most of the Democratic Party's rank and file: the mess in Iraq and the fact that the fruits of a growing economy are not being shared by all Americans.

Then Webb did something rather astonishing: He didn't fudge on his language or try to take the hard edge off his impatience with the status quo.

Giving the speech in response to a president's State of the Union address may be the hardest assignment in politics. Even the best of the genre reek of focus-grouped and poll-tested sentences. You have the feeling the words are dictated by some party pooh-bah who believes the speech will fail if it does not touch all the issues on every strategist's list.

Gee, say the consultants to the poor politician who has to carry the party's torch, you just have to mention health care and child care and the environment and union rights and stem cell research -- and every other issue that energizes some base voter in some corner of the party.

And, oh yes, Mr. Politician, don't forget that your real targets are those critical moderate independent swing voters in the Midwestern and Rocky Mountain states, and here's a list of key phrases we've polled to death that they respond to. You have to throw them in somewhere.

Ever wonder why politicians are so often accused of offering mush?

[Gopher Broke]

Webb looked plastic and robotic during his speech...he is an embarassment to Virginia.

His disrespect to President Bush disqualifies him from representing anyone in the US Senate.

[newnhdad]

Just because someone is a veteran, doesn't make them a superior citizen. He served along with a few million other Americans, including my father, grandfather, uncles, brother in law and my wife.I don't see anyone genuflecting for them. Maybe that qualifies me run for office and speak to the country. He's a pathetic small man who's only desirable trait for the dems was the fact he hates the president.

[rollo tomasi]

Does a Quisling have any honor?

[ReagansRaiders]

There is no party registration in Virginia. As Republican as I am, I am no more a "registered" Republican than anyone else in Virginia is a "registered" anything but voter.

[lucysmom]

Nice guy Jim Webb is. Are you proud of him writing of a father copulating his own son? If not, quit defending him.

Scooter Libby; Lynne Cheney

[LadyNavyVet]

Don't know about those rumors, but there are enough skeleton-filled closets in Webb's past that I think he is eminently swift-boatable if the Dems are stupid enough to run him for Prez.

[NorCalRepub]

You are they typical FR poster....I didn't say I liked the guy.....pointed out that is is a worthy adversary.... take your hate elsewhere...on the other hand....keep it here on FR.....most people are haters here anyway......I am a pragmatic Republican....not a hide your head in the sand one

[NorCalRepub]

Well said.....I just pointed out Webb was articulate and a worthy force and got jumped on....never even said I liked him....too many intolerant haters on FR sometimes....well alot of the times....it is ignorant and juevinile to just bash anything they don't like...instead of studying and knowing the adversary....I didn't hear this much hate when Tom Delay and Jim Ney and Duke Cunningham killed our party.....just media sniping....some here are just as lazy and stupid as the Daily Kos Kiddies or DU'ers......they just don't realize it

[NorCalRepub]

He is a dynamic speaker because I think so....and I speak to groups and have 2 degrees along those lines.....plus every pundit, Conservative and liberal alike has said the same damn thing....alot of you should take a look at analysis outside of FR for a well rounded view instead of a myopic juevinile view of the world.... hating someone just cause he is a Democrat makes people very small .... I disagree with him...but hey, he beat Allen didn't he....so why don't you bash him too....can't even beat a jerk like Webb....which makes the people of Virginia idiots according to the premise in all your posts.......foolish

[jrooney]

They sure as hell did not write about an adult male copulating his own son. Your argument is a joke and reflects poorly on you. Grow up.

[freedomdefender]

Just because someone is a veteran, doesn't make them a superior citizen.

He's a decorated war hero. But even if he wasn't, I salute men who've worn the uniform. I don't ask what party they belong to. Do you "support the troops" - but only the troops who vote Republican? I'm a Republican to my marrow, but I can acknowledge the patriotism of a military man who happens to disagree with my politics. Like I said above, Gen. Lee and Gen. Grant respected each other - even though they had bigger differences than you or I have with Webb. They were shooting at each other, for g-d's sake.

[Paige]

Hate? Webb pushed to get into D.C. through lies and deceits. Sorry to burst your bubble, but I hate no one. I totally disapprove of the hatred the Democrats have pushed forth in order to gain control of the Congress.

No, I'm not a typical FR poster and if you don't like people who post on FR, they why are you here?

Most of all, pragmatism has us where we are now. So, I gather that you are a RINO.

[Paige]

You aren't the only one on here who has degree(s) and who speak to the public. Webb is a sheep in wolves clothing and I for one find people who claim to be Conservatives embracing the hateful POS offensive.

I am far from juvenile and the reason I see Webb for what he stands for is because I am far from being myopic.

Tis you sir that has the problem and I will never support Webb. The problem that took place in VA (if you would pay attention) was the stay at home voters.

I am finished with this because you have the common audacity to try to talk down to me and others in this forum because we do not agree with you.

Might I suggest you stop acting like a juvenile and understand true Conservatives do not embrace left wingers. Good day.

[Clintonfatigued]

It's pretty tragic that this NAMBLA-type is a U.S. Senator.

[LadyNavyVet]

Generals Grant and Lee were both honorable men. Webb is not. He is a decorated veteran, to give the devil his due, but he has spent decades since that honorable service being a dishonorable human being.

I am a decorated, honorably-discharged war veteran. Does that mean that I get to do whatever I want, good or bad, for the rest of my life and be honored regardless? Of course not. We each, every day, have to make the choice to be an honorable person by doing honorable things. Military service does not confer sainthood. Having once done an honorable, even great thing does not give anyone a free ride to be a disgraceful punk for the rest of his or her life. Benedict Arnold was, after all, a decorated war hero,too.

[NorCalRepub]

LOL.....RINO and traitor.....2 words overused on FR to be sure...and I don't hate FR, I hate some of the hypocrites on here....and you make the same mistake that most posters do here.....if you read my very first post I said he was articulate and a worthy opponent.....well then as usual I was attacked for liking or agreeing with Webb....but you'll notice I never mentioned what I thought about his ideas or his politics.....but as usual, people get crazy if you even give kudos to "ONE" area and go bombastic over generalizing to the whole universe of categories......
.....so you see, my first post was totally innocuous and mundane....yet all of a sudden people claim I'm a RINO or Webb supporter......how uneducated and silly....if I said that Hitler was a charismatic orator.....which he was and most historians agree on, does that mean I support Hitler or his ideas?......of course not, but rabid fans on both left and right only see what they want......

[Paige]

I am far from silly and uneducated but maybe you should take a hint from others on how you post things instead of blaming others for misreading you, you think? :)

As for Webb being a worthy opponent, no he is not. The only reason Webb was elected was: (1) Allen saying Macacah(sp) and Webb and his droids hammered and hammered this making Allen look as if he were a racist (2) Webb flat out lied about his closeness to President Reagan...Nancy told Webb to pull the ads (3) His bloggers constantly lied about Allen's voting record.

I could go on and on but I know what took place and Webb proclaimed to be Republican when working in the Reagan Administration and Webb is NOT a Reagan Democrat.

Now as for your little impuissant attacks on me, move along. Go embrace Webb, go hate him, I don't care but I find people questionable (who claim to be a Conservative) that find anything remotely nice to say about Webb.

Moreover, Webb should be in jail after making the threat he should have punched the president in the face and then bragged about his statement.

[NorCalRepub]

Paige,
.....save the hate for the Muzzies....I did not post anything about his character or his lies etc...I've heard him speak....he is a decent orator...period....I'm not embracing him or anything. I just pointed out and so did Charles Krauthammer and Brit Hume that he can be very effective...I'll leave it at that....but I feel comfortable agreeing with Brit and Charles....they said that exact same thing I did....