Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Feb 7, 2020 8:28:06 GMT -8
I read what I consider a sincere and honest article by Michael Brendan Dougherty at NRO this morning. It is about Mitt Romney: What is Consistent About Mitt Romney?Appropriate to the subject, having read this, I’m no more enlightened about Romney than if you’d simply said “He’s a politician.” Some say they act to “save the planet.” Others say they are governed by a deep consideration of God. A politician trying to exalt his views or cover his flip-flops is not exactly news. Dougherty slices and dices Romney’s duplicity, particular in regard to his flip-flops on abortion: A very good paragraph by Dougherty and proof that you can occasional find some straight talk at NRO. But in the end, his own piece seems a bit like a waffle on his overall view of Romney. Again…appropriate to the subject. For the record, I think the harsh words by both Romney and Cruz (and others) about Trump were spot-on (in the context of the day). Regarding Cruz, Trump exposed himself to be the most unethical sort of street brawler. And here we run into what is likely the most important Kungian Rule yet: I agree entirely with Mr. Kung when he told me that had Trump not had the particularly loony Left that he faces now, he would have been drawn much more toward liberalism in his presidency (which is a strong enough pull, socially, right as it is now). But Trump can’t help but act like a contrarian in the face of the harsh attacks by the Left. Thus it’s easily conceivable that many of his actions (which turn out to be consistent with conservatism) are what they are because of who his opponents are. But underlying all that, I don’t think Ted Cruz was wrong when he said “The man is utterly amoral. . . . Morality does not exist for him.” Well, sure, his own brand of morality does exist, as it does for most people: What’s good for Donald J. Trump. As for his core convictions, it would be fair to say those might be as difficult to parse as they are for Romney. What he do know is that the character traits of Trump make him eminently suitable to oppose the Left. For Romney, as with most RINO Republicans, they do not. Trump fights while the rest of them belly-roll and pander. Romney’s greatest enemy is decorum and those who have besmirched him. But unborn babies? They are just part of a political game for him. So maybe, in contrast, Trump does have some deep convictions. But one can be excused for being confused about just what they are, especially since it seems likely the are in some way a product of his harshest opponents. In the end, although it is correct to say that Donald Trump is mercurial, it is even more true of the two-faced Romney. When Trump acts, he tends to give you 100% face at a time.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Feb 7, 2020 8:32:08 GMT -8
It’s always fun to read a Coulter article, Mr. Kung.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Feb 7, 2020 8:58:57 GMT -8
One commenter quoted Matthew 22:23 in response to the article on Romney's duplicity: Lots of camels being swallowed all over DC and elsewhere by politicians and their gullible faithful. Trump himself is one big camel. But because he's eating the Communist camels, stimulating the economy, nominating solid judges, and facilitating energy independence, at least he is a useful camel.
That same commenter continues with a weaker point:
That's sort of a quandary. If you call a liar a liar does that make you a bad person? At some point, pointing out a hypocrite is a public service. That partisanship can be selective in this regard is a separate subject, thus this same commenter seems somewhat duplicitous himself even while making a good point here:
That's a funny analogy and probably a bit of truth to it. For now "we're winning" in some ways that count. Armchair moralists for whom no one (besides themselves) is ever perfect enough to act remain little more than chattering nabobs.
Granted, I get a little creeped out myself by Christians who see Trump as another King David.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Feb 7, 2020 9:07:01 GMT -8
Is this comment too harsh?
I love this comment by someone else:
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Post by kungfuzu on Feb 7, 2020 9:40:40 GMT -8
I was not much of a Mittens fan when he ran for president and did not fawn over his being a co-founder of Bain Capital. Perhaps that is because I know that such financial firms are specialists in buying companies, soaking them through dividends, dismantling them, firing employees and then discarding them. These companies add little to the economy or society. They do take a lot for themselves.
There was a so-called "turnaround artist" named Al Dunlap who had the nickname "Chainsaw Al." He "helped" companies by cutting costs to the bone, mainly by getting rid of employees. He would then move on to his next victim. His methods worked short-term, but didn't do a lot for the companies long term. That is probably because he took the most simple methods of cutting costs, with an ax, and didn't help companies turn their cultures around.
Of course, some venture capital companies actually add value by bringing small companies with good ideas, products and managers to the fore.
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Post by timothylane on Feb 7, 2020 9:54:14 GMT -8
I've pointed out in my responses about this that Romney seems to think he's the only Republican (and perhaps the only person in either party) in Congress who has a conscience. This is extreme sanctimony, and also blindness to the partisanship of the impeachment issue.
Dougherty's point about "personal beliefs" on abortion is generally applicable. I like to say that I'm pro-choice about discrimination against homosexuals. In a sense, the Demagogues today have gotten more honest in admitting their devotion to abortion (though many still pretend to worship Yahweh/Jesus rather than Moloch). I always wondered on what issue other than abortion they were "personally" imposed but wouldn't impose their views on others.
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Post by kungfuzu on Feb 7, 2020 10:19:38 GMT -8
The poll mentioned in this article would tend to confirm our observation that Trump's speech was aimed at blacks, and worked.
If 30% of the "black" vote goes to Trump, he would slaughter the Dim candidate. I don't believe it will happen, but we can dream.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Feb 7, 2020 10:21:22 GMT -8
Not being familiar with the process, I don’t know where the arrow sets between “fixing companies” and “preying on them for short-term profit.” But it puts “I like firing people” into perspective. It was a dumb thing to say but may have been revealing.
Romney may be little more than a shark dressed up in religious garb. But on the other hand, that is what we ask of religious garb, to turn sharks into dolphins. So we probably shouldn’t be too hard on Romney for being a shark and trying to become a more saintly man at the same time. That is the walk that confronts all of us.
But amplify that by being in politics on the national stage, and this balancing of the lion and the lamb is going to look a lot like hypocrisy, not someone struggling in an imperfect world to get along without being too much of a snake. Romney’s abuse of his religious garb does not serve him well. It’s harder to view him as a basically good man trying to thread a needle in the world of politics.
One could also say (and I’ve seen this very directly) that politics can easily corrupt and taint the good man.
Thanks for your thoughts on the subject, Mr. Kung.
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Post by kungfuzu on Feb 7, 2020 10:26:37 GMT -8
I don't think we should look for too much consistency in people. We are, after all, human. But we should be able to take a broader view of a life and see if a person appears to be going in the right direction.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Feb 7, 2020 10:29:15 GMT -8
A tripling of poll numbers is unusual. We might consider that a positive “bounce” that will settle back down higher than it was, but considerably lower than the bounce. But it’s a start.
Surely many must see that while the Democrats focus on their hatred of Trump — when not going down cul-de-sacs such as “climate change” and “sanctuary cities” — that they are being ignored. Trump did not ignore them in his State of the Union address.
This whole political game is funny. And despite Trump’s seeming propensity for Twitter malfunctions, he’s winning. I think the Democrats were hoping to rope-a-dope him into a long, vindictive, partisan speech connected to impeachment. Instead, he completely ignored it and put forth a vary positive and pleasingly stage-crafted message, particularly towards those who identify as black.
And what sold it was the reaction of the specific blacks he honored. They in no way acted like passive props. They were basically high-fiving back to the president from the gallery. That was yuge.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Feb 7, 2020 10:37:08 GMT -8
Ambition combined with politics will corrupt anyone. In order to be governor of Massachusetts, Romney had to (or thought he had to) be pro-abortion. There’s one twist of the pretzel.
When running for president as a “severe conservative,” he had to twist again and be against abortion. It’s funny because from what I’ve read from these recent articles, he didn’t try to couch this conversion on this issue to some kind of new, enlightened realization of just how nasty abortion was. Instead, you get twist after twist of pretzel prevarications that look a lot like his rationale for voting against Trump.
One might say that an honest dishonest politician would have at least had the decency to say that his views “evolved.” And sometimes such views do. Ultrasound has genuinely been a part of this as well as the ability to deliver quite premature babies.
In the case of Romney, his explanations come across not as even politically craven — which one can understand and have some sympathy for given the debased nature of much of the electorate….let them eat cake if that seems to be their pastry of choice, for instance. Instead, his views come across as weakly dishonest and hypocritical. He might as well have said “It all depends what the meaning of the word “is” is.”
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Post by kungfuzu on Feb 7, 2020 10:42:18 GMT -8
I agree with you completely. And as regards Mittens, we have had enough time to view the arc of his life to come to the conclusion that he is a hypocrite and immoral man. His prevaricating for political purposes has been constant over the years.
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Post by artraveler on Feb 7, 2020 10:43:39 GMT -8
The important thing is that nowhere, other than mentioning the Tuskegee Airmen, did the President mention race. It was first and foremost Americans he honored, not Black, Asians, Europeans, or any other ethnicity. I think the bulk of Blacks will appreciate the distinction. So, I will not be surprised if he gets 30% of the minority vote. They vote they're pocketbook the same as everyone else.
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Post by timothylane on Feb 7, 2020 10:56:25 GMT -8
A lot of blacks seem to like Trump's results, but when polled on how they'll vote, only the usual pittance are (yet) willing to vote that way. Identity politics is effective, though it also turns off many people and can easily turn on those who use it (as in fact has happened a lot lately). Even so, despite all the usual race-baiting smears, Trump does at least as well with blacks as other Republicans (such as the McCainiac and Romney). And there remains the possibility that Trump (or some other Republican) will push for black votes enough to draw that 30-40%. Most likely a lot more blacks than that oppose abortion and homosexual marriage.
Jesse Helms in his 1984 race against popular 2-term governor James Hunt spent a weekend campaigning in rural black areas on social conservative issues, and ended up with 15% of the black vote (about 3 times the amount Reagan got). Given the size of the black vote in North Carolina and his overall margin (53-47), it's possible that those black votes re-elected him.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Feb 7, 2020 12:32:26 GMT -8
I think Rush had reported that someone on the Democrat side was floating Romney as the presidential nominee to oppose Trump. I think Rush said he’d probably take it if offered.
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[glutton for punishment]Medved just called Trump's speech the greatest of his presidency.[/glutton for punishment]
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Feb 7, 2020 12:37:34 GMT -8
That’s a great point, Artler. I think it was representative of good stagecraft and what exists in his heart. I don’t think Trump is into identity politics wherein the core of a person is to be decided by superficial or arbitrary traits.
But politics itself makes it useful to point out a number of accomplished blacks, even if not by name. Conversely, it’s a pretty good indication of using people as mere tokens when you dehumanize them and they become merely a stereotype of race or racial grievances. Let’s go to Shakespeare for the appropriate quote:
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Post by kungfuzu on Feb 7, 2020 12:46:22 GMT -8
In politics and when dealing with "the People" I have come to the conclusion that the "gesture or example" is what's important. While Trump was making his speech, I thought that even if he didn't believe the things he was saying, even if he couldn't care less about those people who he pointed to, the fact that he was bringing these people and their plights to the fore was a good thing. Regardless whether he was pretending or not, the huge exposure he was giving to certain people and policies would serve as a message and an example for the public. Politics is a lot like theater, as Reagan said.
As has long been said, "God works in mysterious ways" and none appear to me to be more mysterious than the rise and success of Donald Trump as president.
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Feb 7, 2020 13:56:52 GMT -8
Washington, Jefferson, and perhaps Lincoln would have felt debased by doing the things a modern president does. Ever since FDR’s fireside chats, the Commander in Chief has morphed into the Comforter in Chief.
Thus George W. Bush’s “compassionate conservatism.” Trump is continuing the display of showing just how damn much he cares. The days of the stiff-upper-lip lead-by-example leader are over. It is what it is.
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Post by timothylane on Feb 7, 2020 14:27:10 GMT -8
I gather that Trump has a record of rejecting anti-black customs in his buildings. He really seems to be non-racist, and obviously not anti-immigrant consider that all of his wives were immigrants. He certainly has a philo-Semitic background. His sexual treatment of women may not be good, but otherwise he treats them much as he does men, albeit in a manner Henry Higgins would recognize. (When Eliza contrasted him with Colonel Pickering, who "treats a flower girl like a duchess", he insisted that "I treat a duchess like a flower girl." She realized that this means "the same to everybody", which Higgins confirmed. Trump would clearly fit in with Higgins.)
I rather liked Brad's use of possibly my favorite passage from The Merchant of Venice. I really wanted Shylock to collect his pound of flesh. Vincent Price arranged for that by eliminating Portia's pettifogging in a scene in Theater of Blood (to the misfortune of the critic he had inveigled into playing Antonio).
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Brad Nelson
Administrator
עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶת־ הַתְּשׁוּעָ֥ה הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את
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Post by Brad Nelson on Feb 7, 2020 15:05:04 GMT -8
And wise as well. At a press conference today he said:
“Nancy Pelosi is a horrible person.”
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