Obama in the Corner

National Review ^ | 10/8/08 | David Frum

[steve-b]

Let me say at the outset:

I'll be voting for John McCain on November 4.

I'll be voting for the man who was right about the surge, who holds clear-eyed views about terrorism and America's enemies, who has fought for leaner government over 20 years, who maneuvered the Roberts and Alito nominations through the Senate, who was right about Vladimir Putin....

Bona fides established? OK, now for the sermon.

American voters are staggering under the worst financial crisis since at least 1982. Asset values are tumbling, consumer spending is contracting, and a recession is visibly on the way. This crisis follows upon seven years in which middle-class incomes have stagnated and Republican economic management has been badly tarnished. Anybody who imagines that an election can be won under these circumstances by banging on about William Ayers and Jeremiah Wright is... to put it mildly... severely under-estimating the electoral importance of pocketbook issues....

Those who press this Ayers line of attack are whipping Republicans and conservatives into a fury that is going to be very hard to calm after November. Is it really wise to send conservatives into opposition in a mood of disdain and fury for a man who may well be the next president of the United States, incidentally the first African-American president? Anger is a very bad political adviser. It can isolate us and push us to the extremes at exactly the moment when we ought to be rebuilding, rethinking, regrouping and recruiting.

I'm not suggesting that we remit our opposition to a hypothetical President Obama. Only that an outgunned party will need to stay cool. A big part of Obama's appeal is his self-command. It's a genuinely impressive quality. Let's emulate it. We'll be needing it.

[Daniel Ramsey]

I wonder if its possible that with enough evidence on all fronts of unethical, treasonous or other acts not forthcoming of a presidential candidate that there are powers or laws that essentially remove Obama from the elections?

Has it ever happened before, and what would happen then, does Biden become the presidential candidate and he would he then do an emergency VP nomination?

Or has it gone so far and too close to voting that it cannot be done, would America vote for and elect a person who has shown all aspects of being anti-American?

It does appear to be that enough of the truth has finally gotten past the MSM censors that most of America has become “angry” and would Americans protest if Obama bought his way into the Whitehouse, could America force him to step down soon thereafter?

Or will Americans just go on with their daily lives because they think they have no voice or power because they are “commoners”?

I wonder.

[garbanzo]

We cannot afford to be in opposition the way the Democrats have been towards Bush, angry and unhinged. That is not the way back to power.

It seemed to work for the Democrats.

[Antoninus]

Tell you what? When I want perspective from an Obama supporter like you, I’ll ask for it, ok?

[Reagan79]

I actually agree with you. Atwater was one of the best consultants. I enjoyed his biography and some of the stories in there. My point is that it’s too late in this election to totally play that card and make it work.

[LS]

I don't think so: it's never too late for dirt to stick. Remember the Bush-Irangate thing? The Weinberger indictment? This stuff has maximum impact later in the campaign. Many think Jeremiah Wright was "outed" on purpose, early, so as not to hurt Obama.

So, no. It's never too late to go negative. If it was, Obama wouldn't be flooding the airwaves with negative ads himself.

[jwalsh07]

SCrew you and Frum. I’ll treat Obama just like the left treated Bush if he is elected POTUS.

[section9]

With all due respect, LS, we took the White House in 1968. Richard Nixon offered a substantive critique of Lyndon Johnson's misgovernment of the country. He did so in an atmosphere in which you had three TV networks and a control of the Commanding Heights of the news media by the New York Times.

Newt Gingrich played right into Bill Clinton's hands when he refused to find a way to keep the Government running. It was an awful thing to watch, even though Gingrich was in the right.

Your last point is substantive: when you want to critique an Obama Administration, you must do so on points of economics and policy. Your point that Obama wants to use the tax code as a means to steal money from the producers to give to the Looters is the whole point of my argument and must be driven home. We don't disagree.

Best,

Chris

[Recovering_Democrat]

Yup. I’ve joined the NRA (re-joined it after letting my membership lapse a few years back), I probably join the ACU, I will NOT bow my knee to Hussein, and I will do my best to divert income away from anything that will be taxable.

What breaks my heart is how the federal judiciary will be changed. I only hope the few conservatives left in government will have some BALLS in order to defeat some of Hussein’s objectives.

The Republic may be in real danger here—I am glad to know that, as much as I love my country, my real treasure is not here on Earth.

God is sovereign, and His purpose will be achieved even if Hussein assumes power.

[BobS]

"Shut up Frum! McCain cannot “win” this election, he must make Obama lose."

Right! I see Obama whipping up blacks into a rage like my dad whipped up wild dogs into a rage in a truck to be released on NAZIs in towns of Germany during WW2. That dangerous idea got him promoted to e-5.

We'll, we're not dogs or NAZIs.

If he wants sectarian violence, he'll get it. Hispanics from SA will join the Anglos (considered the same) + Koreans, Indians, Viets, Japans, etc. that have a life invested here.

Just keep it up, Obama. Just keep it up.

I've been on the outskirts of 3 riots and know what will happen.