Posted on 11/04/2008 7:45:47 AM PST by reaganaut1
There's an old saying that politics in America is played between the 40 yard lines. What this means, for those unfamiliar with football, is that we're a centrist country, never straying very far to the left or the right in elections or national policies. This has been true for decades. It probably won't be after today's election.
For the first time since the 1960s, liberal Democrats are dominant. They are all but certain to have a lopsided majority in the House, and either a filibuster-proof Senate or something close to it. If Barack Obama wins the presidency today, they'll have an ideological ally in the White House.
A sharp lurch to the left and enactment of a liberal agenda, or major parts of it, are all but inevitable. The centrist limits in earlier eras of Democratic control are gone. In the short run, Democrats may be constrained by the weak economy and a large budget deficit. Tax hikes and massive spending programs, except those billed as job creation, may have to be delayed.
But much of their agenda -- the "card check" proposal to end secret ballots in union elections, the Fairness Doctrine to stifle conservative talk radio, liberal judicial nominees, trade restrictions, retreat from Iraq, talks with Iran -- doesn't require spending. And after 14 years of Republican control of Congress, the presidency, or both, Democrats are impatient. They want to move quickly.
Democrats had large majorities when Jimmy Carter became president in 1977 (61-38 in the Senate, 292-143 in the House) and when Bill Clinton took office in 1993 (56-44, 258-176). So why are their prospects for legislative success so much better now?
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." - Manuel II Palelologus
OK, Fred.
Newt Gingrich could be the president if he’d kept his wits about him. Where is his replacement?
This race could be tighter then expected.
As we say in N.Y. aw, shat up!
These Neo-cons are nothing but girly men!
No, McCain is going to win in a blowout!
Barnes NEVER liked Palin. He’s a dyed in the wool Bushbot and I’m sick and tired of seeing his fat ugly stupid face on FOX News. He is almost as bad as that other left-wing idiot Mort Kondracke.
The only person on there worth anything is Krauthammer.
If the elections swing leftwards he has only one person to blame - BUSH.
Fred needs to get a life and quit whining. He has trashed conservatives for years and now he is afraid of a liberal insurgency?
Silly, all this time thinking of America as American with any movement away from the Constitution (and the Bill of Rights) as wrong, and anything that brought us closer to the spirit of the American Revolution as right.
Silly me.
centrist indeed!
coulda-shoulda-mighta-kinda...awwww shaddap, Fred.
The GOP base and conservative Dems are more motivated to vote than in years. McCain will win handily.
I'm looking forward to seeing some talking heads explode tonight.
I thought he did like Palin. Barnes and Kristol have talked about how they met Sarah during some Weekly Standard trip to Alaska a year or so ago and were very impressed with her. They both say she has been mishandled, but I am pretty sure they liked her.
I will say though Fred (along with much of FNC) has been tilting toward Obama, probably b/c they’ve accepted the inevitable and need to be “nice” to get guests.
Hopefully, they will be WRONG today and we’ll win this thing!!!
Where is his replaement? Doing the same thing Newt did. Screwing his secretary instead of taking care of the nations business.
Bill Clinton is not stupid. He has the proof that Gingrich was having sex with his office girl on goverment time. The meida was ready to go with the story. Clinton would have only been doing what Gingrich and Livingston were doing. Except Gingrih's wife at the time was ready to go on Larry King and out his sorry rump. They were prepared to take Clinton off the front pages and replace him with Gingrich's sorry butt.
So to try to keep the house and senate, Trent Lott made a deal. Clinton would be impeached but not convicted in the Senate, Gingrich would resign to be replaced by Livingston and then Livingston would resign. The proof is the Senate voted 100 to 0 not to hear any evidence against Clinton.
Gingrich can't keep his pants zipped any more than Clinton can.. The difference is Clinton knew how to get away with it ... Gingrich did not.
yah...I’ve always felt that Fred Barnes and Mort Kondracke are quite a pair to draw to...let us hope that when Brit Hume retires after the Election, that these 2 find greener pastures someplace else too.
Fred’s been angry for years anyway, just observe his body language. The first thing he does when he starts to get wound up is cross those arms across his chest as tight as he can...
What Barnes is showing is classical lack of sand in his ideological bucket, Barnes was a Free Trade Cheerleader, a Amnesty Gopher and a Bushian Hawk.
No problems with that, however, if our ideas lead to prosperity, if low taxes, trade, low regulations and Social Conservatism lead to the Wealth Effect, then the Dhimmicrat ideas do not.
The implementation of the Dhimmcrat Ideas must fail if that paradigm is true, and I believe it to be true.
Unionization will lead to small businesses shuttering, or moving to less unionized states, that will create economic problems in the areas they vacated, now that merely has to play out in the Real World.
Yet Barnes is waving the white flag already, lion heart that one...
I’m putting together my list of “Dead-To-Me-Now” conservatives, or so-called conservatives.
Fred managed to stay off it for awhile, but lately? Fred, meet Peggy, George, David, Christopher.......
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