The poetic symmetry of history

Nice insight. Whoever taught you American History must be proud.

Rod, fascinating observations about the symmetry of the two Arizona Republic Senators and Grant Park then (68) and now (08). I have not heard that any where else. Count it as a "Dreher original."

The "modern conservative movement" may be impaired and perhaps suffered, in your words, a crushing defeat. Perhaps. But the bigger question is to what extent, if any, has Obama won a mandate to turn the country leftward. In other words, does the country remain essentially "center-right" or do the election results mean it has become "center-left" ?

One of the most interesting things to come out of the Rasmussen Poll over the past couple of weeks was the finding that most voters felt by wide margins that Obama was more of a tax cutter than McCain. In other words, on the issue of taxation, Obama "out-Reaganed" the proverbial "foot soldier of the Reagan Revolutio." In their debates, Obama tried to paint McCain as the more radical with regards to health insurance and himself more aggressive with regards to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Obama has made a set of promises that are internally at conflict with each other. Eventually he will have a choice: does he govern as a moderate or as liberal? Does he keep the Congressional Democrats happy or the moderates and conservative voters who put him into office?

He will win the highest vote total of any Democratic nominee since LBJ in 1964. But tonight he may have peaked.

As an Obama supporter, I will hope to keep as sharp and critical an eye on his government as I did on our current one. Watching the Republicans, I have seen a movement descend from idealism and insurrection into corruption and cynicism. I suppose that such is the fate of all movements, but I hope that I will be one of the people doing everything in my ability to keep it on its tracks for as long as possible.

And I hope that people such as those honest ones who frequent this blog will help keep me, and all of us, honest.

Obama has given the Americans who voted for him a blank check, endorsed "U.S. Government - Barack Obama, President."

Unfortunately, the account is marked "Insufficient Funds."

Barack Obama and the Democrats: The dogs who finally caught the car they've been chasing. So now that they've caught it, what are they going to do with it?

2009-2010 will be fun years to watch and listen to the media cover up and excuse stumble after fumble after excuse.

Hint to the Dems: You can't keep blaming George Bush, or the Republicans, or "the economy."

It's your baby. It's YOUR FAULT.

Mike F. (10:30 PM): "As an Obama supporter, I will hope to keep as sharp and critical an eye on his government as I did on our current one."

Mike, I respect your commitment to integrity.

An important first test for the Obama/Pelosi/Reid administration involves NY Congressman Charlie Rangel, who chairs the House Ways and Means committee. Rangel is an affable guy, but he's been revealed as a crook. He's got to go.

A second test involves the re-appointment of US Attorney Fitzpatrick of Illinois. Obama will be tempted to get rid of the guy who's ferreting out corruption in Cook County and who is still investigating and obtaining testimony from old Obama pal Tony Rezko.

For that matter, how will Obama and the Dems handle the firing or reappointment of all the US Attorneys in place around the country?

A third test involves the temptation to bow to the unions and get rid of secret ballot votes in union organizing decisions. This would be a blow to genuine democracy in the workplace.

A fourth test will involve the lobbyist son of Obama's new Vice President. Joe Biden's son has enriched himself immensely and the family as a lobbyist on the strength of Daddy's name. What does Obama do about the junior Biden.

The Democrats regained control of Congress two years ago. They've shown since then a stunning capacity to return to their bad old habits from the past. With steamroller majorities in both Houses, they may well reaffirm the truth of Lord Acton's famous axiom about the corrupting tendency of absolute power.

Oh, good grief, talk to me tomorrow about Lord Acton and Joe Biden's son's riches.

The first slave ships landed in 1619. Over two centuries later, it took 600,000 dead to destroy slavery. It was a hundred years after that before the 15th Amendment meant anything. And conservatives were on the wrong side of history every step of the way, as they are today.

An election is a "test." You failed. Welcome to the future you did nothing to prepare for.

Allow me to add to the list of prophecies being offered tonight.

1) The Fairness Doctrine will be re-imposed. Conservative/Traditionalist media will survive, but only by moving on-line, and in the face of a serious program of harassment;

2) Quotas, goals and timetables will be re-imposed;

3) Taxes are going to skyrocket, particularly FICA and corporate income taxes. The Alternative Minimum Tax will NOT be repaired, and will reach down to the $ 25-40,000/year level by the end of Obama's term;

4) 3-5 new Supreme Court Justices will be appointed, every last one of a left-wing radical bent;

5) Rangel will be protected. Biden's son will be protected. Fitzpatrick will either be "roadblocked" or fired;

6) There will be a systematic program of harassment (particularly via the IRS) instituted against the remaining conservative media, including evangelical churches, magazines and (especially) conservative/Traditionalist websites;

7) Obama will keep Robert Gates as SecDef, but remove much of his powers, delegating them to his assistants, who will be of the same left-radical bent as their (ultimate) master;

8) Obama will open direct negotiations---almost certainly without preconditions--with Iran;

9) The Freedom of Choice Act will be among the first of President Obama's official acts in office. The elimination of the Hyde Amendment will not be far behind;

10) The borders will be effectively opened;

11) The Long Slowdown will last for Obama's entire term, and he will attempt to justify his re-election on the basis of "having to undo what Bush did".

12) Obama will press for "unity"---but on his terms. Nothing even remotely resembling a conservative or Traditionalist point of view will be given so much as the time of day.

This is what happens when a hard-left President gets a chance to work with an even harder-left Congress. I see absolutely nothing positive---nothing whatsoever---of any substance that has come out of this election. Not. One. Single. Thing.

May God and His Saints have mercy upon this country. We're sure as Hell going to need it.

Your servant,

Lord Karth

The question is this...

Is this conservative defeat like Goldwater in '64, a Phoenix-like triumph in defeat? Or is it like the defeat of the McCarthy Congress in '54, which was a cold-stupid embarrassing rout that took many, many years to recover from.

My money's on '54.

3. They'll give in to the unions.

More likely, they'll make a symbolic show of it and come up *just this close*. And then go on governing like corporate hacks.

Karth:

That's 12 predictions. Let's agree on some measurables and timeframes and then have a gentleman's wager, shall we?

1) The Fairness Doctrine will be re-imposed. Conservative/Traditionalist media will survive, but only by moving on-line, and in the face of a serious program of harassment;

Measurable: Federal statute OR FCC regulation imposing a requirement that broadcasters provide "reasonable opportunity for opposing viewpoints on controversial issues", by 2012.

2) Quotas, goals and timetables will be re-imposed;

Since I am not sure what quotas, goals, and timetables you refer to, you will have to elaborate before we may agree on a measurable.

3) Taxes are going to skyrocket, particularly FICA and corporate income taxes. The Alternative Minimum Tax will NOT be repaired, and will reach down to the $ 25-40,000/year level by the end of Obama's term;

FICA rate for a median income, four-person family, where median income is defined by the most recent U.S. Census Bureau report, and FICA rate is defined by actual and marginal tax rate calculations of the Treasury Department.
"Skyrocket" meaning that FICA rates for the above-defined household will exceed 15, which is less than double the present rate of 7.65.

How about you define corporate income tax rate and "skyrocket."

4) 3-5 new Supreme Court Justices will be appointed, every last one of a left-wing radical bent;

This seems to me too subjective to be an actual prediction: O'Connor, Kennedy, and Souter were appointed by Republicans. Can you reduce this to something measurable?

5) Rangel will be protected. Biden's son will be protected. Fitzpatrick will either be "roadblocked" or fired;

Again, I'd like you to elaborate with some context on "protected" and "roadblocked" before we can agree on some measurables.

6) There will be a systematic program of harassment (particularly via the IRS) instituted against the remaining conservative media, including evangelical churches, magazines and (especially) conservative/Traditionalist websites;

Where "systematic" is defined as a stated position of the IRS that evangelical churches and conservative media are to be given heightened scrutiny over other organizations within the same economic sectors or tax brackets.

7) Obama will keep Robert Gates as SecDef, but remove much of his powers, delegating them to his assistants, who will be of the same left-radical bent as their (ultimate) master;

Again, this is pretty subjective, but let's say four of the following: the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Undersecretary on Defense Policy, the Undersecretary Comptroller, the Undersecretary of Personnel & Readiness, the Undersecretary of Intelligence, the Director of Operational Test and Evaluation, and the Undersecretary of Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics, will advise and answer directly to the President, rather than the Secretary of Defense, as a matter of organizational structure.

8) Obama will open direct negotiations---almost certainly without preconditions--with Iran.

I'll spot you this one, but I'd like you to explain how, in measurable terms, it hurts our defense or our readiness to have the President talk to another nation.

9) The Freedom of Choice Act will be among the first of President Obama's official acts in office. The elimination of the Hyde Amendment will not be far behind;

FOCA I'm not happy about, either. I'm not sure I'll spot you Hyde. Thus the prediction is: FOCA will be one of the first 100 bills Obama signs into law, AND by 2012,the Hyde Amendment will have been explicitly repealed.

10) The borders will be effectively opened;

Let's define that as a 50% drop in enforcement of immigration laws. That is, if under Bush they would have caught 30% of undocumented immigrants crossing the borders, under Obama they will catch 15% of these immigrants. To make it easier for you, the standard is merely catch, not successfully prosecute or deport. The source of these numbers will be the U.S. CIS, or, if the CIS is not producing such numbers, the DHS or the GAO, respectively.

11) The Long Slowdown will last for Obama's entire term, and he will attempt to justify his re-election on the basis of "having to undo what Bush did".

I'll go you one better: we will not recover under any circumstances. We will be buying less, living closer together, driving fewer, and growing more of our own food as a matter of necessity. It will be hard for us. Given the circumstances, though, I contend that it is unrealistic to expect _any_ mortal President to have this all sorted out in four years.

12) Obama will press for "unity"---but on his terms. Nothing even remotely resembling a conservative or Traditionalist point of view will be given so much as the time of day.

Again, this is pretty subjective. Is torture a conservative or traditionalist value? How about deficit spending? How about pre-emptive war? How about conservation of the economy? To what extent do these things remotely resemble a conservative or Traditionalist point of view? If Obama reduces our involvement in foreign entanglements and ends torture, is that a radical leftist agenda?

I'd like you to explain this in some measurable form.

So let's see... of your original 12 predictions, I've given you 1, and I've argued that 1 shouldn't count. That leaves 10. Of those, I've asked you to clarify 3. If you do that, and we can agree on the measurables, I'll take the under on 5 predictions coming true by Jan. 20, 2013.

If you win, you admit, publicly, here on this blog, that you were wrong and Obama has been a better president than John McCain would have been. If I win, I do the inverse.

Regards,
Adam

As a liberal who has commented on this site, I would like to offer the following commentary. I don't expect to agree with Barack Obama on some issues. I know to you, he appears a wild-eyed left winger, but to us he seems to be a centrist, or at least a center-left politician. I expect that he really will try as he has been saying from the first time he hit the political scene to be a President for as wide a swath of America as is possible given our contentious politics. I believe practicality will trump ideology, much at times to the consternation of those of us who are both to the left and right.
What has infuriated the left and left center in this country--the ones who just elected Barack Obama--is that with the barest of majorities, the right for the last eight years has really in all ways tried to shove its ideology down our throats, even as its leaders in government displayed historic incompetence, a disregard for the Constitution, and the most profligate spending with nothing to show for it in American history, while demonizing our interests and our point of view. The rejection of the McCain campaign and Sarah Palin by the American electorate is a symptom of how alienating that approach to the rest of us has been.
Liberalism has a proud American heritage; it's a shame that it has had to take a clear cut victory after 8 years of the worst federal governance since James Buchanan to get that across. I sincerely believe that you will see, that while you may not agree with Barack Obama, you will find a much more open hearing with him, than you have given those to the left while your star was in its ascendance.
If conservatives are really interested in rebuilding, you need to remember that the nation is made up of more than yourselves; that no one has to win all the time, as long as everyone is allowed to win some of the time. We need a healthy and diverse debate in our nation, never more than today, and it would serve you to take note of John McCain's concession speech, for learning to lose with grace is the beginning of future success.

'Obama will press for "unity"---but on his terms. Nothing even remotely resembling a conservative or Traditionalist point of view will be given so much as the time of day.'

This, especially that first sentence, sums up my reason for opposing Obama better than anything else I have ever seen.

I don't think Obama stands for enough for his victory to be a rebirth of "liberalism". Unlike Reagan, he did not focus on distinctively liberal issues, instead choosing to me-too conservatives on tax cuts (except for those of you earning over $250,000).

To put it another way:

Obama is to liberals as
Nixon was to conservatives

- A cultural icon, but not an ideologue to even the limited extent that Reagan was, let alone Goldwater.

Liberalism continues to await its Reagan.

"Obama is to liberals as
Nixon was to conservatives"

Think about that idea without the Watergate legacy. What if Nixon had been a reasonably ethical, not politically divisive, non-scandalous individual who rose to the presidency? In that circumstance, I suspect his legacy would have have him seen as a competent, effective, pragmatic president who got a lot done.

What's not to like there?

I think this election showed a weakening of the appeal of ideological candidates on both sides. Obama was certainly less ideological than Hillary. McCain was much less ideological than Huckabee or the positions that Romney claimed.

The general election results will be spun as being a referendum on the economy, but I think this trend was already evident from the primaries. I believe Katrina has done long term damage to the appeal of minimizing government.

Ah, Rod, this is why I read you. You are so smart. And a patriot, to boot. Good for you.