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Jonah Goldberg: Inherit the Wind. What if it takes a Democrat? (Maybe a Democrat should win)
National Review ^ | Feb. 16, 2007 | Jonah Goldberg

Posted on 02/17/2007 9:22:00 PM PST by FairOpinion

This wisp of a notion is simply this: Maybe a Democrat should win in 2008.

Personally, I don’t believe in this poltergeist, at least not yet. But every now and then, I must confess, I do shiver from its touch.

The idea goes something like this: If you believe that the war on terror is real — really real — then you think it is inevitable that more and bloodier conflicts with radical Islam are on the way, regardless of who is in the White House. If the clash of civilizations is afoot, then the issues separating Democrats and Republicans are as pressing as whether the captain of the Titanic is going to have fish or chicken for dinner. There’s a showdown coming. Period. Full stop. My task isn’t to convince you that this view is correct (though I basically believe it is), but merely that it is honestly and firmly held by many on the right and by a comparative handful on the left.

(Excerpt) Read more at article.nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Politics/Elections; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: conservatives; democrats; electionpresident; elections; goldberg; iraq; jonahgoldberg; wot
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To: FairOpinion

I thought Jonah was writing or has written a book on Fascism.

What he is (almost) suggesting is exactly what many suggested in Germany in 1932.

People from all parts of the political spectrum suggested that it might be a good thing for the Nazis to win.

Their thinking was that once the Nazis got real responsibility they would become more responsible.

It didn't quite work out that way.


241 posted on 02/18/2007 10:05:44 AM PST by Sam Hill
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To: FairOpinion
This sort of ILLOGIC comes consistently from the third party/protectionist types. )Keyes, Tancredo, Paul etc,,,)

They are only a small fragmented group and have little impact. Still, it's difficult to understand how or why they would even consider such a thing.

242 posted on 02/18/2007 10:14:10 AM PST by PSYCHO-FREEP
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To: FairOpinion
Democrats need to be slapped out of their anti-Bush hysteria by real life

Unfortunately for our country we are not united as a people on the issue of Islamic terrorism and we really need more than a paper thin margin to defeat this enemy IMHO--our young people who get to vote have been indoctrinated in campuses across the country for years with the notion that the US is the world's bully--that our founding fathers destroyed indigenous people who were living peacefully off the land--that they don't need God--this crazy mixture allows them to see the Islamofascists as indigenous people with a simple faith being bullied by angry and greedy white men--of course they're off their rockers--but the media is complicit in supporting their world view--if a Democrat does win in 2008 I have to believe that we as a country will survive their term in office. Believe me living less than 2 miles from Ground Zero scares me because I fear another attack on our soil. But I have believed that only an even more devastating attck than 9/11 would wake up the liberals to the threat and, even then, some would claim that the Republicans brought it down on us. Look at Israel--the endless assaults by the Arabs next door never brings the media around to taking sides--they show wailing Palestinians but never dead and mutilated Jewish children torn to shreds by rat poison-laced screws and bolts. Such evil never gets reported in the MSM.

And don't get me started on soccer moms and Oprah Winfrey who live off the fat of the land but never bother to really educate themselves to reality beyond 'unsightly belly bulge' concerns and ways to raise their self esteem. We have become a nation of pampered brats--young and old--and we'd better learn to protect ourselves.

243 posted on 02/18/2007 10:15:39 AM PST by foreshadowed at waco
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To: Sam Hill

Some of these misguided types have voiced their hope that once the Democrats mess this country up to the point of collapse, somehow, the public will get on their knees to beg the "true conservatives" to come back and take charge.

Other than Totalitarian Rule, there is no possible way the people in this country would give up their dreams of, or the Democrat promise of a long lasting Utopia.


244 posted on 02/18/2007 10:22:16 AM PST by PSYCHO-FREEP
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To: Sam Hill

"It didn't quite work out that way.'

It sure didn't. The Nazis were defeated by a Republican presid--- Oh, wait a minute. Democrats were in office. And we haven't won a war since. The question isn't how to make democrats respectable, it's how to get them to join us in winning a truly existential war, the one on terror, not the one on drugs, you idiots.

With the press and half the country against us, we can't win it. Putting a dem in the White House with a republican Congress would have been a better deal, but President Bloat/Borders screwed that up. Now we're left with giving dems the whole ball of wax. Democrats or dhimmitude. Pick one.


245 posted on 02/18/2007 10:26:09 AM PST by gcruse (http://garycruse.blogspot.com/)
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To: FairOpinion
"SOME conservatives don't seem to grasp the IRREPARABLE damage the Democrats can do."

Between Murtha and Queen Nancy, I think they are starting to get the idea. The fact that these people can pull political theater in the middle of the war and hurt the troops on the ground should tell everyone all they need to know. Power is important to them. Winning? Well not so much...

"Carter, in his one term in office helped give rise to radical Islam by refusing to help our best friend in the Middle East, the Shah of Iran and allowed the Ayatollah to take over and turn Iran into what it is today, a terrorist Islamic country about to acquire nukes."

Every time I see the bumper sticker that reads, "W = Worst President Ever", I can't help but think "Jimmy Carter just isn't getting the credit he deserves." The fact that we allowed a foreign power take our people and hold them hostage with out a full-out military exchange showed us to weak in a part of the world that does not respect weakness.

"Then Clinton turned tail and ran out of Somalia, which encouraged Bin Laden to plan 9-11."

More of the same from the Left. In Somalia, they refused more armor to the troops on the ground because, "it will look like a war." Note to the Left: IT WAS A WAR. I understand it is not part of the Left's dogma understand a war, but let me help them: these people don't like you, won't like you, and no matter how many checks you offer them, they are still going to kill you, your kids, you hybrid cars, and the entire faculty of differently abled lesbians of color at the local university.

You have a government program in place to stop them. They are called the military. Fund them and get out of their way. Respect their culture and quit trying to force your dogma on them - (TRANSLATION: sensitivity training for an infantry soldier is stupid.).

246 posted on 02/18/2007 10:38:20 AM PST by Volunteer (Just so you know, I am ashamed the Dixie Chicks make records in Nashville.)
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To: FairOpinion
Always wondered when NRO would finally come out of the closet. Their sham "Conservatism" has been rather tread-bear for years.

Like Bill Bennett, Laura Ingrham, Fox News. The Washington Times et al, they have simply become part of the Washington DC Political Media Noise machine who happens to hit upon the idea of marketing themselves as being "Conservative".

Truth is they just sell the same product as the rest of the Dinosaur Media in a different package
247 posted on 02/18/2007 10:49:14 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( If they say "speaking truth to power,"-they haven't had a l thought since the Beatles broke up)
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To: zarf

"Only "true conservatives" would wish for a Democratic victory."

Well, 'principled conservates' can too.


248 posted on 02/18/2007 10:52:04 AM PST by DugwayDuke (A patriot will cast their vote in the manner most likely to deny power to democrats.)
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To: gcruse
And we haven't won a war since

Korea, The Cold War, Panama, Grenada and the Gulf War. Please stop confusing your emotion based hysteria for factual reality Lefty. (Yes Korea. What was the Mission? Is South Korea a free Democratic Nation today? You lose the argument yet again Know Nothing.)

BY THE way. The ONLY people who stood WITH your supposed position on the Border in DC were the US House Republicans. You all fired them for not being dogmatically pure enough.

So quit blaming Bush for the chilishing stupidity of rabid Know Nothings and the mindless childish twit fans of Democrat Campaign Contributor Mike Savage. YOU all caused Nov 2006. NO one else. Want to help the Conservative Movement?

GET OFF OUR SIDE. Just drop the facade Democrat stodge. This phony "betrayed Conservative" stick doesn't sell here anymore. You people have NEVER been on our side. You just a bunch of whiny spoiled brats. Run over to your hero Democrats you work so hard to elect and ask them what THEY are going to do about the Border.

249 posted on 02/18/2007 10:59:41 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( If they say "speaking truth to power,"-they haven't had a l thought since the Beatles broke up)
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To: MNJohnnie

I'll give you the Gulf War, but we didn't win the Korean War, and to call Grenada a war is risible.

" You all fired them for not being dogmatically pure enough."

I didn't fire anyone. My ballot went straight Republican, which serves to refute the rest of your bile.


250 posted on 02/18/2007 11:06:06 AM PST by gcruse (http://garycruse.blogspot.com/)
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To: gcruse

Just drop the facade Democrat cheerleader and waddle on over and ask your new Democrat Congress what they are going to do about the $1.2 Billion the Republicans gave you for your fence.


You worked as hard as you could to help them win by spending all your time shooting your own side in the back for the last two years so now go ask them what they are going to do for you Know Nothings and your 1 issue.

Want to help the Conservatives for 2008? GO do to the Democrats what you spent the last two years doing to us.


251 posted on 02/18/2007 11:09:58 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( If they say "speaking truth to power,"-they haven't had a l thought since the Beatles broke up)
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To: MNJohnnie

I know. Some days, I feel like the other animals at the end of Orwell's "Animal Farm". Which are the pigs and which are the men?


252 posted on 02/18/2007 11:11:10 AM PST by RichInOC (Think of me as Simon Cowell. I may be cruel, but I am right.)
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To: prov1813man
I know it's convoluted but it may be the only way to get the country massively behind what it might take to actually win.

You mean it might get Conservatives to actually shut up long enough to find out they ARE winning the War right now rather then, as they do every day now, mindlessly regurgitate the rabid stupidity about Iraq spoon fed them as "news" by both sides of the US Junk Media?

253 posted on 02/18/2007 11:13:33 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( If they say "speaking truth to power,"-they haven't had a l thought since the Beatles broke up)
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To: FairOpinion

This is astonishing.

Does he have any qualifications or credentials other than his mother's connections?


254 posted on 02/18/2007 11:14:57 AM PST by Clintonfatigued (If the GOP were to stop worshiping Free Trade as if it were a religion, they'd win every election)
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To: MNJohnnie

"Just drop the facade Democrat cheerleader'

That's libertarian to you, noob.


255 posted on 02/18/2007 11:16:03 AM PST by gcruse (http://garycruse.blogspot.com/)
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To: gcruse
Not if you want to actually win the war on terror



You do realize that you have NO clue at all what you are talking about right Democrat Party Cheerleader?

You actually have to FIGHT to win wars, and the current leadership of the Democrats have all ready made it clear they have NO intention of ever fighting. IF they will not fight after 09-11, they will NEVER fight for this country.

Instead of being mindlessly loyal to your Democrat Party bosses try ACTUALLY learning some things about Iraq. The Democrats you worship (FDR-Truman) are utter strangers to this current crop of Democrats. TRY one time actually thinking for yourself instead of mindlessly repeating DNC propaganda.


Why Iraq

One of the really infuriating things in modern politics is the level of disinformation, misinformation, demagoguery and out right lying going on about the mission in Iraq. Democrats have spent the last 3+ years lying about Iraq out of a political calculation. The assumption is that the natural isolationist mindset of the average American voter, linked to the inherent Anti Americanism (what is misnamed the "Anti War movement") of the more feverish Democrat activists (especially those running the US's National "News" media) would restore them to national political dominance. The truth is the Democrat Party Leadership has simply lacked the courage to speak truth to whiners. The truth is that even if Al Gore won the 2000 election and 09-11 still happened we would be doing the EXACT same things in Iraq we are doing now.

Based on the political situation in the region left over from the 1991 Gulf War plus the domestic political consensus built up in BOTH parties since 1991 as well as fundamental military strategic laws, there was NO viable strategic choice for the US but to take out Iraq after finishing the initial operations in Afghanistan.

To start with Saddam's Iraq was our most immediate threat. We could NOT commit significant military forces to another battle with Saddam hovering undefeated on our flank nor could we leave significant forces watching Saddam. The political containment of Iraq was breaking down. That what Oil for Food was all about. Oil for Food was an attempt by Iraq to break out of it's diplomatic isolation and slip the shackles the UN Sanctions put on it's military. There there was the US Strategic position to consider.

The War on Islamic Fascism is different sort of war. in facing this Asymmetrical threat, we have a hidden foe, spread out across a geographically diverse area, with covert sources of supply. Since we cannot go everywhere they hide out, in fact often cannot even locate them until the engage us, we need to draw them out of hiding into a kill zone.

Iraq is that kill zone. That is the true brilliance of the Iraq strategy. We draw the terrorists out of their world wide hiding places onto a battlefield they have to fight on for political reasons (The "Holy" soil of the Arabian peninsula) where they have to pit their weakest ability (Conventional Military combat power) against our greatest strength (ability to call down unbelievable amounts of firepower) where they will primarily have to fight other forces (the Iraqi Security forces) in a battlefield that is mostly neutral in terms of guerrilla warfare. (Iraqi-mostly open terrain as opposed to guerrilla friendly areas like the mountains of Afghanistan or the jungles of SE Asia).

Did any of the critics of liberating Iraq ever look at a map? Iraq, for which we had the political, legal and moral justifications to attack, is the strategic high ground of the Middle East. A Geographic barrier that severs ground communication between Iran and Syria apart as well as providing another front of attack in either state or into Saudi Arabia if needed.

There were other reasons to do Iraq but here is the strategic military reason we are in Iraq. We have taken, an maintain the initiative from the Terrorists. They are playing OUR game on ground of OUR choosing.

Problem is Counter Insurgency is SLOW and painful. Often a case of 3 steps forward, two steps back. One has to wonder if the American people have either the emotional maturity, nor the intellect" to understand. It's so much easier to spew made for TV slogans like "No Blood for Oil" or "We support the Troops, bring them home" or dumbest of all "We are creating terrorists" then to actually THINK.

Westerners in general, and the US citizens in particular seem to have trouble grasping the fundamental fact of this foe. These Islamic Fascists have NO desire to co-exist with them. The extremists see all this PC posturing by the Hysteric Left as a sign that we are weak. Since they want us dead, weakness encourages them. There is simply no way to coexist with people who completely believe their "god" will reward them for killing us.

So we can covert to Islam, die or kill them. Iraq is about killing enough of them to make the rest of the Jihadists realize we are serious. They same way killing enough Germans, Italians and Japanese eliminated the ideologies of Nazism, Fascism and Bushido.

Americans need to understand how Bin Laden and his ilk view us. In the Arab world the USA is considered a big wimp. We have run away so many times. Lebanon, the Kurds, the Iraqis in 1991, the Iranians, Somalia, Clinton all thru the 1990s etc etc etc. The Jihadists think we will run again. In fact they are counting on it. That way they can run around screaming "We beat the American just like the Russians, come join us in Jihad" and recruit the next round of "holy warriors". Iraq is also a show place where we show the Muslim world that there are a lines they cannot cross. On 9-11-01 they crossed that line and we can, and will, destroy them for it -

If you will not fight for the right when you can easily win without bloodshed; if you will not fight when your victory will be sure and not too costly; you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a small chance of survival. There may even be a worse case: you may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves."

Winston Churchill

256 posted on 02/18/2007 11:23:46 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( If they say "speaking truth to power,"-they haven't had a l thought since the Beatles broke up)
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To: FairOpinion

I am guilty on these very pages of musing we should hand over the reins, if for no other reason than to be able to spread the blame.


257 posted on 02/18/2007 11:24:37 AM PST by Old Professer (The critic writes with rapier pen, dips it twice, and writes again.)
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To: MNJohnnie

"IF they will not fight after 09-11, they will NEVER fight for this country."

We were united in the days following 9/11, and no one is advocating pulling out of Afghanistan. Putting the dems at the wheel is a case of root hog or die, to mix a metaphor. When it comes to the bullet meeting the bone, they will root. Otherwise, get ready for dhimmitude.


258 posted on 02/18/2007 11:29:08 AM PST by gcruse (http://garycruse.blogspot.com/)
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To: gcruse
Try again. This time actually try reading and responding to the post instead of merely screaming your pre Programed Talking points Democrat Cheerleader.

That strike ONE for you.
259 posted on 02/18/2007 11:31:47 AM PST by MNJohnnie ( If they say "speaking truth to power,"-they haven't had a l thought since the Beatles broke up)
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To: MNJohnnie

Debate a canned screed? LOL
Bug off.


260 posted on 02/18/2007 11:34:11 AM PST by gcruse (http://garycruse.blogspot.com/)
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