Time has an interesting article attempting to compare Obama with Carter. But I think the greater issue is the article's comparison of Bush and Carter.
Start with President George W. Bush, whose deep unpopularity has set the tone for the campaign. In the late 1970s, the public came to regard Carter as a failed President, and his failure colored attitudes toward his party for more than a decade. Republicans tied Democrat after Democrat to the stagflation and foreign policy weakness of that era. Now Republicans worry that perceptions of Bush are going to hurt them for a generation.
Just as Americans reacted against Carter by voting Republican, will Americans so dislike Bush that they move toward the Democrat Party? Bush could be another Carter, but he could also end up being another Truman. Both Truman and Carter were vilified and had very low popularity ratings. However, Truman is now seen as an "above average" president, even though liberals dislike his cold war policies.
Friday, May 30, 2008
American Liberals
From David Reed:
Who are they? A slightly more evolved arthropod who wishes to be considered intellectual, urbane, sophisticated and at times even witty, and certainly as well-above average in intelligence, breeding, education, and political savoir-faire. Universally holding to a shimmering Darwinian worldview, they oddly render themselves essentially meaningless in the Grand Scheme of things, the reality of which they would of course deny.
Consistent with a futureless void they adopt a lifestyle which at the core is egocentric, narcissistic, materialistic, hedonistic and atheistic. Contrary to their popular label, and the lofty virtue of "tolerance" whiningly proclaimed, they are understandably and often stridently opposed to Biblical Christianity in particular; favoring any of its alternatives; quick to save a spotted owl, snail darter, seal cub or tall tree but blithely abort their nuisance human offspring with carefree abandon.
Illogically, yet also consistent with anchorless ethics, they would forestall the upward evolutionary spiral from which they claim their spontaneous generation by promoting homosexual behavior tending to render them eventually extinct, something normally producing abject horror when it occurs to their alleged relatives in the animal kingdom. And rather than assisting the selective quest for species improvement by purging the gene pool of its deleterious elements, they demonstrate curious confusion by an abhorrence to excise societal predators yet without compunction eliminate defenseless innocents.
But perhaps more interesting than "who" they are, is "why" they are. Answer? The same rebelliousness that insidiously found its way into Eden not that long ago, haughtily accomplished in their oxygen-deficient circles by simply voting their Creator non-existent.
The Curious Phenomenon of the Modern American Liberal.
Who are they? A slightly more evolved arthropod who wishes to be considered intellectual, urbane, sophisticated and at times even witty, and certainly as well-above average in intelligence, breeding, education, and political savoir-faire. Universally holding to a shimmering Darwinian worldview, they oddly render themselves essentially meaningless in the Grand Scheme of things, the reality of which they would of course deny.
Consistent with a futureless void they adopt a lifestyle which at the core is egocentric, narcissistic, materialistic, hedonistic and atheistic. Contrary to their popular label, and the lofty virtue of "tolerance" whiningly proclaimed, they are understandably and often stridently opposed to Biblical Christianity in particular; favoring any of its alternatives; quick to save a spotted owl, snail darter, seal cub or tall tree but blithely abort their nuisance human offspring with carefree abandon.
Illogically, yet also consistent with anchorless ethics, they would forestall the upward evolutionary spiral from which they claim their spontaneous generation by promoting homosexual behavior tending to render them eventually extinct, something normally producing abject horror when it occurs to their alleged relatives in the animal kingdom. And rather than assisting the selective quest for species improvement by purging the gene pool of its deleterious elements, they demonstrate curious confusion by an abhorrence to excise societal predators yet without compunction eliminate defenseless innocents.
But perhaps more interesting than "who" they are, is "why" they are. Answer? The same rebelliousness that insidiously found its way into Eden not that long ago, haughtily accomplished in their oxygen-deficient circles by simply voting their Creator non-existent.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Manning on Obama
There is more of this guy on YouTube. I am not sure what ATLAH ministries is all about.
THE COLD WAR, KENNEDY & OBAMA
I haven't been following the Obama campaign recently, but now see that he is involved in a bit of debate involving cold war interpretations. I guess I am not with Obama on this debate. I with the historians who feel JFK's foreign policy was marked more by failure than success.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Evangelicals in Politics
This is a very interesting video clip (but long). A public radio host, Krista Tippett, leads a discussion with Charles Colson and 2 other younger evangelical leaders, Shane Clayborn[sp?] and Rick Boyd. There are also questions from the audience. The basic issue is what is the role of evangelicals in the political arena. I think there is also a generational different between Colson and the two younger participants.
OIL SURPLUS???
I don't know if this guy is accurate or not, but conspiracy theories always make me suspicious. Missionaries are wonderful people, but do they know the oil market??? This guy does have an interesting story.
GLOBAL WARMING CONTROVERSY
Vaclav Klaus, former Czech Republic President, disagrees with Gore on climate change.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
NEWSWEEK IN TANK FOR OBAMA
Obama's lobbyist connections are buried by Newsweek.
Why wasn’t Michael Isikoff’s investigative piece outlining the lobbying connections of Barack Obama’s lead strategist, David Axelrod, promoted in Newsweek’s Sunday e-mail to subscribers?
Why wasn’t Michael Isikoff’s investigative piece outlining the lobbying connections of Barack Obama’s lead strategist, David Axelrod, promoted in Newsweek’s Sunday e-mail to subscribers?
DEMOCRATS IN CONGRESS
I have to admit that I have not followed all of the nuances of the following two issues, but recent Democrat decisions seem to be really shortsighted.
1. The Democrat Congress passed a huge increase in subsidies for farmers in the recent farm bill. I have never been fond of this rural welfare no matter who sponsors it, because most of it does not even go to the small independent farmer but rather what I would call "agribusinesses." But why do we need this kind of farm bill today when prices for agricultural commodities have reached new heights?
2. Recently oil company executives were hauled before Congress and the Democrats were accusing them of all kinds of nasty things, especially price-gouging and making huge profits. I am no defender of Big Oil--these guys are hard to like, but I think there are other forces at work here. The June 2, 2008 issue of Forbes notes that in 2007 (a record year) the oil industy earned 8.3 cents per dollar of sales; beverage companies and cigarette companies , by contrast, earned 19.1 cents, drugmakers, 18.4 cents. Why aren't the Democrats going after these industries for price-gouging? 2007 is not 2008, but next January we can see if the oil industry has caught up with the other industries.
3. The Democrats and Obama are supporting a veteran's bill that gives the same perks to veterans no matter how long they have served. I know this electioneering. But I am with McCain on this one. I think length of service should determine what kind of perks one receives. Somebody who gives 20 years of his/her life to government service should receive more benefits than someone who has just given 2 years.
1. The Democrat Congress passed a huge increase in subsidies for farmers in the recent farm bill. I have never been fond of this rural welfare no matter who sponsors it, because most of it does not even go to the small independent farmer but rather what I would call "agribusinesses." But why do we need this kind of farm bill today when prices for agricultural commodities have reached new heights?
2. Recently oil company executives were hauled before Congress and the Democrats were accusing them of all kinds of nasty things, especially price-gouging and making huge profits. I am no defender of Big Oil--these guys are hard to like, but I think there are other forces at work here. The June 2, 2008 issue of Forbes notes that in 2007 (a record year) the oil industy earned 8.3 cents per dollar of sales; beverage companies and cigarette companies , by contrast, earned 19.1 cents, drugmakers, 18.4 cents. Why aren't the Democrats going after these industries for price-gouging? 2007 is not 2008, but next January we can see if the oil industry has caught up with the other industries.
3. The Democrats and Obama are supporting a veteran's bill that gives the same perks to veterans no matter how long they have served. I know this electioneering. But I am with McCain on this one. I think length of service should determine what kind of perks one receives. Somebody who gives 20 years of his/her life to government service should receive more benefits than someone who has just given 2 years.
Monday, May 12, 2008
OBAMA'S MUSLIM BACKGROUND
I have received spam emails saying Obama is a Muslim and he meets people on the campaign trail who believe he is a Muslim. While one never ultimately knows what is in one's heart, it would appear to me that he has identified with Christianity. But it does appear that he was a Muslim as a child. The records of his school enrollment in Indonesia indicate that he was listed as a Muslim.
Friday, May 02, 2008
VIA DOLOROSA
I had my first opportunity to walk the Via Dolorosa and follow the Stations of the Cross--12 locations from the place where Jesus was condemned until He was buried. It is a relatively short walk--I am guessing no more than 1/3 mile. I know for many this is a very spiritual activity, but the walk is a lot different today and it was hard to focus on the spiritual aspects of Jesus walking/stumbling or whatever to His crucifixion.
Thursday, May 01, 2008
TEN DEMANDS OF ISLAM
Coptic Priest Zakariya Boutrus
3. Strike out the Koranic verses that incite Muslims to kill Christians (Al-Tawba cp. 29) or to fight against those who do not follow Islam (Christians and Jews) unless they pay the Jizya poll tax in submission.
MEMRI
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