Posted on 06/25/2008 3:39:26 PM PDT by neverdem
As we enter the second half of the campaign year, facts are undermining the Democratic narrative that has dominated our politics since about the time Hurricane Katrina rolled into the Gulf coast most importantly, the facts about Iraq.
During the Democratic primary season, all the party's candidates veered hardly a jot or title from the narrative that helped the Democrats sweep the November 2006 elections. Iraq is spiraling into civil war, we invaded unwisely and have botched things ever since, no good outcome is possible, and it is time to get out of there as fast as we can...
--snip--
And the fact of $4 gasoline has undermined the narrative that alternative forms of energy can painlessly supply our needs. Public opinion has switched sharply and now favors drilling offshore and, by inference, in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Democrats are scrambling to argue that drilling wouldn't make any difference and that anyway the oil companies aren't drilling enough on federal land they currently lease.
All of this matters because the rejection of the Republicans in the 2006 elections was a verdict on competence more than ideology. The Republicans seemed incompetent at relieving victims of Katrina, producing success in Iraq and even policing the House page programs. The Democrats could not do worse and might do better. But in the 19 months since November 2006, some important facts have changed.
If Mr. Bush was wrong about the surge from summer 2003 to January 2007, Mr.Obama has been wrong about it from January 2007 to today. Mr. McCain seems to have been right on it all along. When asked why he changed his position on an issue, John Maynard Keynes said: "When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do, sir?" What say you, Senator Obama?
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
the question is whether it’s too late. If people have already made up their minds, the facts won’t matter much.
That is an excellent question... how many have made up their minds and how many are not going to put any thought into it at all and vote for whom ever the MSM tells them to vote for
|
America does not make up its mind about candidates in June. About 30-40% don’t even pay attention until after the convention, in my opinion.
“About 30-40% dont even pay attention until after the convention, in my opinion.”
Wait. There’s a convention?
How many like paying $5/gal and know that Bush has been calling for Drilling for 8 years. Black Whiteguilt Oblack is over a Barrel.
Pray for W and Our Troops
The claim the oil companies are deliberately not drilling their leases where there is oil is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard from the stupid party. I guess they believe it really is a P.T. Barnum country. A sucker born every minute.
Obama: massive empty suit. He’ll still get 98% of the black vote, sadly.
the GOP would be wise to find some respectable black conservatives and use them in an advertising blitz: “You can be black and vote for McCain”....
Well, consider that everyone who intends to vote for Obama now has reached that decision without the benefit of actual thought, so why would we expect them to start thinking now, just because the facts have changed? The facts never made a difference to them before.
Gasoline over $4 per gallon and the effect of subsidized, corn derived ethanol on other food price increases
Their henchmen in the NEA have devoted the last forty years to seeing to it. The attack on learning by the education industry has not been accidental, nor has it been uncoordinated with other assaults on the infrastucture of the body politic.
So now liberals will need to defend their crazy ideas like no drilling/building refineries, raise taxes, socialized medicine and cut-and-run in Iraq. If McCain plays his cards right, he can win it.
That is a big if ....
McCain is better for everyone than Obamination.
schu
By election day, oil could be $200 per bbl and gasoline could be $6 per gallon.
You have to do something powerful or dramatic to get them to take a new look at fresh facts. I think if McCain would campaign in Iraq for weeks leading up to the GOP nomination, it would be unique, daring, and too hard to ignore. He would force news agencies to report on it. Remember, every news agency in the english speaking world has a correspondent assigned to McCain 24/7/365. They follow him on a plane everywhere he goes. They have to file at least one report every day. Drag their sorry asses to Baghdad, or Ramadi, and every day highlight your greatest asset: competence, consistency, and steadfastness on the war on terror. Each day you also highlight Obama's weaknesses: naivete, wrongheadedness, and cut-and-run tendencies and outright policy. At each stop mention that Obama would have left these poor souls to the tender mercies of al Qaeda, and imagine what an al Qaeda controlled Iraq would mean to oil markets (e.g. the gas pump) right now? At each stop he could also contrast a little with the unpopular Bush by saying that all along he was for more boots on the ground up front which, ostensibly, might mean we would be further along than we are (I would argue that point, but the sheep would buy it).
The other thing this highlights is McCain’s courage and maverick tendencies: it makes this a race between Teddy Roosevelt and Chamberlain (or Elmer Gantry). My money would be on Roosevelt, wouldn’t yours?
i disagree with his rant that the “republicans seemed incompetent relieving the victims of katrina”.
the republicans did not “seem” “incompetent” in florida or iowa
because those two states were more prepared and responsible for themselves.
the media used katrina and the race issue in n’olans.
none of the media blamed mayor ray nagin.
Oil companies spend more on taxes than on oil supply development
Weekly Supply Estimates (Stocks in Thousand Barrels, All Other Volumes in Thousand Barrels per Day)
Check Percent Operable Utilization. It appears we are near the average after viewing the history. Scroll down to gasoline imports. If we were pumping new oil, I don't think we can refine much more of it. We haven't built a new refinery in over 30 years.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.