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Conservative Affirmative Action
I believe that people should be judged on their abilities alone. I admire people of all persuasions who do well at their chosen path. Mostly I am talking about people's ability to do a job well. Be they in business, be they a bureaucrat, be they a lawyer, doctor, or architect, be they warriors, be they athlete, artist, writer, scientist, teacher, or politician (well not many of those). I don't wish to sound too high-flying here because there are many economists, activists, socialist, and progressives whom I don't respect though they may be considered to be doing well what they do. I don't like them for what they do. To avoid being criticized by the nit-pickers for minor chinks in my broad statement, no I don't like dictators, criminals, and crazy fundamentalists, Et cetera.
In other words I believe in meritocracy, the kind of thing that de Tocqueville admired about America, one of the things that has contributed to our greatness as a people. I don't care for people who are proponents of mediocrity at almost any level of our society. Or those that get ahead by political pull, or nepotism, or criteria other than competency. Or those who discriminate against other because of their race, religion, ethnicity, sexual preference, physical disability, thus not giving people who may be competent a chance to demonstrate what they can do.
This article isn’t about Dancing With The Stars or Bristol Palin. It’s about meritocracy, the conservative movement, and Sarah Palin. I don't watch this show, but I have to start with Bristol.
It is with regret that I must disapprove of Rush Limbaugh on his glee at the support Bristol Palin received by the phone-in audience which resulted in a superior dancer, Brandy, being kicked off "Dancing With The Stars." His glee related to his belief that the callers were mostly conservative Sarah Palin supporters and "Tea Party activists" and that "liberals" and "Progressives" were outraged by this turn of events. He believes that the majority of Americans are supporters of Mrs. Palin and anything they can do to irritate liberals and the "drive-by-media" is a good thing.
While it is difficult to disagree with the irritating liberals part, I believe he does a disservice to the conservative cause. Bristol Palin is clearly a mediocre dancer and Brandy was clearly a fine dancer. This is not about Mr. Limbaugh, whom I respect, it's about people supporting mediocrity for ideological reasons. It's not right. It is a kind of conservative affirmative action whereby people of lesser abilities are given support and credence though they are clearly unqualified.
I believe Mrs. Palin is a mediocre politician and generally uniformed and ignorant of the reasons behind the ideals she espouses, but that she gets paid a lot of money to say them as the Mama Grizzly to her fans. Many of my readers were unhappy with my recent criticism of Mrs. Palin. I've lost a few readers but actually have gained quite a few more as a result. Now that I am being critical of Mr. Limbaugh as well, I suppose I'll lose some readers and gain even more. Whatever.
I think my real point is that if we conservatives and libertarians are willing to accept mediocre leaders and politicians, then we will lose ground to the left and yield the field to the Obama Regressives. We do need charismatic, articulate, intelligent, and informed leaders. I believe Mrs. Palin gives us charisma and she reads speeches well, but she is avoiding tough interviews. She has demonstrated that she is mediocre, uninformed, and cannot well articulate or argue the issues underlying complex ideals which guided our Founders.
By setting the bar too low, and opening our arms to Mrs. Palin we will get what we deserve. I think even George W. Bush is more competent than Mrs. Palin, and he trashed the Republican Party and turned into to a movement of conservative Christian social values instead of traditional Republican values.
I believe such affirmative action shows that we are failing to live up to ideals that made this country great, which is to support people of merit and ability who support, understand, and can be effective advocates of our ideas of freedom, free market capitalism, individualism, and tolerance. I intensely dislike Mr. Obama's politics, economics, and general world view. But the guy is bright and articulate and can think on his feet, even if his world view is entirely wrong for America. He is persuasive, but he falls on his ideas. I am not suggesting we support losers like Jimmy Carter, John Kerry, Al Gore or Michael Dukakis. But I think we need the whole package. I believe we need to demand higher standards of our politicians and not settle for mediocrity.
Mrs. Palin said yesterday in unequivocal language that she is a candidate for the presidency. Personally I don't think she is serious. I believe it may be a tactic to keep her in front of the Republican Party, appear to be a power in the Party, and to enhance her status and appeal as a saleswoman for herself. Selling herself to America is something she does very well (see, "Sarah Palin's America") and you will see what I mean. I enjoyed the series and found her to be likeable, but that doesn't mean I would want her finger on the trigger or on the economy as my president.
But, in the off-chance that she would see it through to mounting a serious campaign for the presidency, then I believe that would be a big mistake for America's right wing to fall in behind her. Folks, we can do better than that. Demand excellence.
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Well, I don't know about you, Rock, but John McCain and Barack Obama were my "choices" before I even had a chance to vote. Think about that.
I think you'll find this a hard sell here.
Most people into economics are dead from the neck down. Their body is just something that dangles beneath their head, which they occasionally gratify with beer, pizza, and porn.
To such people, dance is a bewildering waste of time. They 'get' that women are into it, and so they realise they'd probably get more sex if they were into it too, but they're not. Such men (the majority, as any woman will ruefully attest) usually hang around the walls at discos watching the dancing men & women (resentfully and desperately, in that order).
I know this, because I was one of them.
They're still good people. They just can't believe anyone who is serious can also be serious about dance.
I have not been into television in a very long time. What did we do before we had this electronic baby sitter sitting in our living rooms? i know some people that don't even have a television. I watch it myself but for other reasons. I like to see what they are doing in the areas of culture destruction and brain washing and let me tell you one thing for sure. Both of these things are going on and have been for a very long time. I don't want to sound tin foil here, but now that they have changed to digital television formats, one may wonder just how much subliminal stuff is included in the programming that we do not know about. I think television is probably the worst invention that we have ever created because it is now, (like it probably has always been) completely being used against us.
How 'bout I read ZeroHedge instead?
How was what I said self-righteous? Or is that the only put-down you're familiar with?
Respect Rush Limbaugh? 'Nuf said. Guess I am an annoying liberal.
Palin would end up as a tool for the neo cons, no doubt. But I don't think the American public is dumb enough to elect her. Almost, maybe, but not quite.
You got junked three times in a site that is more pragmatic than most. Who knows maybe we are dumb enough to elect her. It doesn't seem plausable, but then again I never thought Obama was going to be this bad either. All of them suck. I'm not falling for the "we suck less" meme anymore either. Never underestimate the willingness of the electorate to send the wrong message.
No one's gone broke underestimating the Intelligence of America. I have very little faith in the overall intelligence of the electorate that continues to elect such nitwits as:
1. Maxine Waters
2. Charles Rangel
3. John McCain
4. Barney Frank
5. Harry Reid
6. Jerry Brown
and most every other incumbent that ran for office this cycle.
Palin was always a tool of the neocons. she was john mccain's running mate for christ's sake.
the neo-teaparty is the ultimate example of how a little bit of knowledge is a dangerous thing (thank you, Glenn Beck).
Limbaugh is just another loser like Beck they found to do this job that they call conservative talk show host. He is a invention, nothing more, nothing less, a fabricated personality for the sheep to listen to.
What do you do when your own tool starts to drink his own kool-aid? That's dangerous and we are there.
Nicely said.
Not junk.
Hmm, same dumb American public that elected the current occupant? His supporters' justification of his election can be summed up in the phrases "He talk pretty!" and "OMG HE IS TEH SEX".
Never held a private enterprise job in his life (well, except for his brief career in "distribution"), and his political career is anemic at best. A brief stint in state legislature and an aborted Senate term. The man didn't even spend enough time in Washington to learn the game.
Idiots on all sides, bud. And they get to vote!
I'd prefer to vote for Ron Paul if he runs. If he doesn't and she does, well, I'll cast my pointless (since we're effed anyway) vote for her just to get even with the Obamatards who have inflicted that fraud upon the land. Payback is a bitch, and her name is Palin. Come on 2012
<:->
Hey! My first Zero Hedge junks! Woo-Hooo!
;o>
Pretty optimistic on your part to assume that all the various Ponzi schemes can last until 2012.
Good point. I guess its my optimism bone showing, lol. That said, the lords of the universe have managed to keep the whole fraud going this long and might pull off an extension of it. There appears to be no shortage of sheeple who believe the lies.
I'm sure this is how thinking German citizens of the 1930s felt. I lived in Germany when I was in my 20s. I learned about WWII and how Hitler came to power. I never could quite understand how he managed to become so powerful. Until now.....
+1
Dude, THAT in a nutshell IS Political Conservatism. Liberalism, and to some extent the "enabling" by allowing "special protection" to craziness in Libertarianism, it the exact opposite. You are WAY WAY off in political terms and if YOU do not know where you are on a political landscape, affirming YOU are a Libertarian (What you really are is Liberal progressive according to your writing and your criticisms of Gov. Palin) is not correct, you are a liberal.
NO, oh fuck nooo, no bias there, pulease!
What is your beef with Gov. Palin? YOU are the one with the problem, not her. She is accomplished, YOU are not.
Then I guess being articulate, politically astute, cool, like-able, are not the qualifications. SO the very issues you favor in President Obama ARE the things you like and the ISSUES Gov. Palin stands for (which you say you are for) drive you crazy because you have a personal beef for a person that wears a dress and pees sitting down??? Are you that vapid!! She was a Governor of a state, Obama was nothing, literally before becoming President, and it shows.
Your criticisms are not based on any fact or Palin's character flaws, perhaps the flaw is you and YOUR character!
Face the fact, you have Palin derangement syndrome. You are incapable of analyzing her or her "qualities" properly in any shape or form.
agreed Everyman you can just tell in his voice that she went to the wrong college for his taste thats how they treated Ronald Regan .All the elites in the republican party liked being liked by the elites in the liberal persuasion :), they are like kids on a play ground how wont support some one the like because other kids make fun of them first so all the Libs have to do is attack a conservative and make fun of them and rulling class repubs fall right inline :(
How about she has never had an original thought, is a power hungry egomanical madwoman, and thinks that Katie Couric threw her under the bus when she asked her what she read?
She is a tool and a fool.
Katie Couric is a bloody lightweight best left to morning tabloid pablum.
Any truly erudite individual, regardless of the intellectual power of the team crafting questions for the likes of a Couric, would not have been fazed in the least by such an eminently mundane question.
Items such as these are debated by us, the sheeple, as TPTB lend us politicians to act as conduits of heat, pretending of false leadership, for true statesmen would prove far to disruptive to their grand plans, empathizing with the electorate itself with respect to momentous policies and decisions as opposed to divisive minutiae.
and as Governor her accomplishments were what ? specifically ?
what does peeing have to do with anything ?
if this is the depth of your analysis, vote her in
Bill
she done got on the tv and wears some fancy clothes to boot. hell, her daughter is on prime time.
those are accomplishments, what kountry you livin' in anyway?
<sarcasm off>
+2012
She left office under less than squeaky clean circumstances too. There was this thing with her brother and some shall we say "ethics" problems she had up there, if I am not mistaken.
what were the outcomes of those investigations? I stopped paying attention after one of the accusers turned out to be on the DNC's payroll.
She tried to get her brother-in-law thrown off the state police force in retribution for a messy divorce and custody battle with her sister. She fired the head of the state police for not firing the brother-in-law then spent years trying to cover it up.
There were questions about the house they had built while shew as the Mayor of Wassila that was done by a contractor who was selected to build the hockey rink building in town. Big campaign contributor and old friend of the family. She was as mired in local politics as anyone else in that racket.
Yes its true. She is not any better than any of the rest of them. Yet now she holds herself up as this champion of liberty and freedom. Man are the American people this stupid to continue this charade and to continue doing the same damn stupid things over and over again?
I am not sure it is actual stupidity.
I think marketing is so successful and pervasive that most people don't even see they are trapped in a box. I was reading some comments earlier off of a hacker news article about the FCC going ahead with net-neutrality regulations on 12/22 and the majority of the comments were "my team good, your team bad" "regulations bad" "democrats bad" "republicans bad". The ideas and base issues are so divorced from reality by media and marketing that no one knows wtf is going on and they just spout impotent rage.
Maybe it is stupidity.
Yeh welcome to internet 2. Soon people like me could get arrested for daring to even say the things I say. You watch as this thing comes down. They created the internet to control us, but somehow it became something they could not control, at least not at first. So now, they are closing the loop on this deal. Too many people are waking up because of the internet and they absolutely must control subject matter and criticism etc on the internet or the sheep might finally figure out just how screwed they really are. Let's face it. The internet is the poor man's Smithstonian and there is much to study and much to learn for those so inclined. This they cannot stand nor countenance. They will attempt to close it down more or less and the control will all be in the name of security and our precious safety shall we say.
And as dear old Ben said one time:
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759
Sometimes I wonder if they could come back to life for a while and look at us now, would they be surprised? I think they would be ashamed but not surprised. They gave us warnings. We chose not to listen. Would it have been any other way? Probably not.
That ANY group in the US would consider S. Palin a candidate for any elected office is an indication of their intellectual bankruptcy. We will get just what we deserve - look at the present POTUS.
Bill
I wonder which garnered more junks....your indictment of the current failure, or that of the potential future failure.
At least with Palin, there is a chance....of waking up before we put someone in office based on the Viagara vote.
Thank you for winning today's random search for a sane voice.
I'll second that.
This is a mediocre article from someone professing to believe in merit.
Yep sounds like a Ruling Repub looking down on the fly over country and wondering why any one would want country folk leading anything that they have been born to run :)
+1
-1
Obviously running for President isn't running for Governor with a nod towards Wasilla. Obviously just the act of running requires..."physicality" shall we say. I will say she does appear to "have the ego for the job." That's a good start. If she wins..."then the fun begins." Just ask Barak Obama. It boggles my mind anyone even wants the job.
Well, it's not like they are qualified to do anything else.
If I may insert a couple of points...
"...superior dancer, Brandy, being kicked off "Dancing With The Stars."
Sorry, incorrect. If you did watch the show you would understand that, while talk-radio may have inspired some votes, what really got Brandy kicked off was her arrogance. She just knew she was going to win and was basically counting down the days to her taking home the Mirror-ball Trophy.
She discounted Jennifer Grey. Big mistake. She also threw aside Kyle Massey, who has turned in charismatic performances and is just a joy to watch. Brandy's Argentine Tango was way off and sloppy, while her Pasa Doble made her look like she was wearing concrete galoshes. Not wonderful.
Bristol Palin has no chance to win and will be the next eliminated. It is a shame because I can see that she has a certain musicality when she dances that is graceful and elegant. Unfortunately for her, she is dancing to raise awareness for teen pregnancy and it is very difficult under that banner to be as sexy as required. If she would just let go, she would do very well. But it's too late for her.
In sum, Americans don't like arrogant people, no matter how successful they are. That's the reason Brandy went home.
"George W. Bush is more competent than Mrs. Palin, and he trashed the Republican Party and turned into to a movement of conservative Christian social values..."
Seriously? You still have that whole right-left paradigm working? How quaint. Christian values?
Seriously?
_______________
Sarah Palin has no chance to be President of the United States. The people are much more reluctant this time to have someone shoved down our throats without seriously considering the alternatives.
This time, it's for real.
She's going to take all the Flyover States un&underemployeds and Christian Conservatives, now reduced to working at the WalMart, to TeaLand, therefore splitting the Rupugnants precisely in half.
I'm Long Popcorn...
Palin Rox! She is a normal person, far less bought and paid for than either Bush or Obama, probably less than Clinton.
I trust her more than anyone, not that I DO trust her, necessarily, but more, to reduce the size and scope of our gov't.
She really is an outsider. Whether she STAYS that way, remains to be seen.
Part of the reason she comes off as inarticulate is, to tell the truth about our financial situation, in SPECIFIC terms, is political suicide. So shes not a good liar, and doesn't have gravitas. Those are features, not bugs.
If that was a joke, it was funny as hell. If you were actually serious, well:
she comes off as inarticulate because she doesn't know shit about shit.
Hopium Rox.
I trust her more than anyone, not that I do trust her....... but. Change we can believe in...... but.
Part of the reason she comes off as inarticulate is to tell the truth about our financial system in specific terms, is political suicide ....but.
So, she's not a good liar, .....but by omission, just a crafty one.
My term; "Hollowgrams" is a word I reserve for these bouffanted courtiers and leave you with a relevant video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2ZjYnuAGnM
What?
With paid personnel from Soro's very lair as a senior advisor?
Bought and paid for or unknowingly staffed with the opposition.
Either's a long fucking way from OK.
Sir please. Do you really believe all that nonsense? Where do you live? Alaska? A couple of years ago nobody except people in Alaska had ever even heard of this woman. Now she is everywhere. Why is that you think? Political parties mean nothing when they are all controlled by the same people, behind the scenes. Lenin said, that in order to control the opposition, you must lead it. She wears a Israeli flag lapel pin. I think that tells us who she is and what is her purpose. Another bought off traitor being groomed for high office maybe or to be the "conservative" oppositon candidate in some worthless and meaningless election again. One day soon, perhaps the hangman will be very busy. This could happen so easy if people would just wake up.
John Stewart hit the nail on the head with his interview with Maddow: We have 24 hour news channels -- and no news. Palin would be a backwater nobody were it not for the media (on both sides of the political aisle) ramping up the rhetoric in order to make some news. Dancing with the stars -- gimme a break. The talent of Palin is her ability to accept the notoriety and profit from it (in all senses of the word "profit", not just monetary). There is something to be said for that ability. Do I want her for President? Nope.
Eat a gun, ignorant.